Company: The Dog Brothers
Tape Name: Real Contact Stick Fighting: Footwork
Tape Cost: $30.00 (whole set of six tapes goes for $100 plus s/h )
Length of Tape/Time: 60 minutes
Number of Moves/Techniques: Concept Tape
Return Policy: defective tapes only
Experiences in dealing with this company: Excellent
The Instructor: Eric Knaus
Company's Address: 703 Pier Ave, Suite 664 , Hermosa Beach , CA 90254
Company's Phone Number: 1-310-543-7521
Web Page: http://www.dogbrothers.com
E-Mail: info@dogbrothers.com

Primary Grading Criteria:

1. Production/Tape Quality: 10
2. Instructors demonstrated skill level: 10
3. Comprehension Score/Immediate Understanding: 9
4. Degree to which this will make someone a better Martial Artist: 9
5. Score on delivery vs hype: 10
6. Degree to which we would recommend this product: 10
7. Wasted Time ( The higher the number, the less " fluff" /repetition ): 8
8. Playback Score/Watching if over-and-over again: 10
9. Would I purchase more of this company's products:9
10. Overall grade based on cost vs. Value: 9

Grand Total: 94% (Good = 3.5 Stars)

Secondary Grading Criteria:

1. Beginners benefit: Very Good
2. Intermediate benefit: Very Good
3. Advanced benefit: Very Good
4. Time to benefit: Immediate
5. The need to buy additional tapes to understand this one: None

Written Summary:

Instead of taking you through the levels from white to black belt the Dog Brothers have used the concepts format for this video series. Tape one started with power and showed the brutal face of real contact stickfighting with unpadded sticks. This second tape in the series is primarily concerned with footwork and how it influences a fight. When I first saw the advertisement for the footwork video I was unimpressed. I thought, " They did a WHOLE tape on just footwork?" I was skeptical. I am a believer now.

Here is what the tape contains. Eric Knauss starts out with the sidestep, a movement used to get off the line of attack. Those with a 'western' background will recognize the similarity to 'in quartata'. Next the attack and evasion triangles are covered. These two triangles are then combined to form the 'sawtooth'. (Teach this one to a group of drunks at a country and western bar and they will mistake it as a new line dance.) Knauss saws that the next technique, the takeoff, is probably the most important on the tape. It is used to quickly close the distance from long to short range. The 'Hi-Lo' is shown as the proper way to attack the lowest lines of the body while maintaining balance and coverage. Once again this movement has a 'western' martial arts equal; 'passata soto'. The 'kangaroo' is a feint from the low to high line of attack.

The footwork demonstrations sometimes look dance like and Knauss states that footwork will not appear exactly the same in combat. This is proven by the fight footage. My question is why not teach it in the less than flashy manner that it takes on in combat? I also noted that the 'shuffle step' is used considerably but not documented. The attack triangle also raises a few points. In a left lead with the weapon hand in the rear one can step forward and generate a considerable amount of power. The same holds true for the right lead with the stick chambered across the body. When striking in the same direction that one is moving on the triangle this is fine but when striking in a direction opposite of your body movement power is diminished. There are also those who would argue that a weapon hand lead keeps your primary weapon close to the opponent(read Tao of Jeet Kune Do) and that leading with the alive hand makes it a target especially in knife sparring.

As a whole this is an excellent tape for anyone with enough vision to see that improved footwork will have a dramatic effect on their overall skills. Although I would like to keep this information as unknown as possible(for purely selfish reasons) I must in good conscience give the tape a top rating.

S.A.

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