Burrese sets the stage by using the big four of Western Punches: The Jab, The Cross, The Hook and the Upper Cut combined with straightforward footwork. He shows the best target for each punch and then shifts gears and introduces the palm heel strike as a hand-saving alternative for violent confrontations. He then covers a number of other alternative strikes. Alain is all business. There are few bells or whistles in these tapes, though they are professionally produced with good visuals and camerawork that seamlessly shows alternative angles. There are reality inserts of attack scenarios each with a successful defense built out of the elements covered in the tapes. Even if you are well versed in Self Defense, there will be something for you on this video. It is pretty much crammed with quality information. Alain is to be commended for using different size partners including Thad Brinkman who looks like he could fill most doorways. Alain talks about modifying techniques based on the size of your attacker. It is always nice to see training partners that look like they could really do damage.
The material on the tapes covers basic upper body strikes, and lower body strikes in a variety of attack situations. Pat Sergott, my long time training partner, calls this "A to the face, B to the Base". Alain Burrese displays this same no nonsense, cut to the basics approach.
Alain draws on his extensive background in judo and Hapkido, as well as his in-the-trenches experience in the military and working as a bodyguard and bouncer in some of the toughest locations around the world. He packages his knowledge in an organized presentation that benefits the novice as well as the seasoned fighter.
In Tape One, Alain shows the precise way to stand, move, block, and execute the classic jab, cross, hook and uppercut, all combined with well-balanced footwork. After he demonstrates the best target for each punch, he introduces the palm-heel strike to use with the aforementioned punches, which is a better choice for officers so as to prevent injury to their gun hands. He goes on to teach several other hand strikes -- including some designed to stop an assailant but not seriously hurt him - and a half dozen simple kicks. .
Alain doesn't waste time and videotape with fancy smancy techniques that have little or no street application. Probably because of his background of fighting for real, he sticks to solid basics, the precise techniques needed by street officers when wristlocks are not enough. Realistic street attack scenarios are interspersed throughout the lessons to show how the presented material works in the mean streets.
In Tape Two, Alain teaches how to escape from a large variety of common grabs and holds, information rare to find in any police academy. There is a section on how to fall properly, and another section that teaches you how to execute a few basic throws, drags, head twists, and pull-downs. Even if you are well versed in self-defense, there will be something for you in these videos.
Streetfighting Essentials: Combining Western Boxing and Hapkido into an Unstoppable Self-defense System is designed for, as Alain says, "the person who does not want to study martial arts for years...and to help the martial artist who wants to cross the boundary into real self defense situations."
Does he accomplish his objective? Yes, he does, and the excellent camera work and interspersed, realistic scenarios all add up to a high quality tape set applicable to the needs of law enforcement.
