Sunday, February 19, 2006

Ultimate Combat Conditioning: The Video with Sensei Mike Reeves and Robert G. Yetman Jr.

Available from Paladin Press (paladin-press.com) in DVD and VHS formats, approx. 60 minutes running time, $39.95 retail

Reviewed by Allen Reed

I live in a rural area so do not have easy access to major gym facilities. I am always looking for new ways to train that do not require me to travel to a gym. I also argue that for thousands of years warriors and athletes, such as those in the ancient Greek Olympics, trained without use of major apparatus. This video by Mike Reeves gives me a lot of new ways to train and train hard.

This video is a companion to the book by the same name, also available from Paladin Press. The video is set up in seven sections. Each section highlights different aspects of fitness. The exercises in each section show alternate uses of body weight exercises, improvised easily found objects, a partner or apparatus in a gym to work the same part of the body.

The first section is on warming up and stretching. In this section Reeves demonstrates a warm up exercise using a broom stick or just your body, then goes on to demonstrate leg stretches using a chair, a partner or again just your own body.

The second section of the video is on cardiac fitness. In this section, Reeves introduces the use of a weighted vest to help kick up the resistance when you are walking or running. A quick web search found various models and weight levels for these vests in the $100 to $200 range.

A cheaper method of adding resistance when walking or running is also demonstrated by Reeves: tying an old tire to a weight belt. Then drags the tire on the ground while walking or running.

The next section has Reeves demonstrating how to work on upper body strength. Again, Reeves suggests using a weighted vest when doing push ups and pull ups. Reeves also shows how to use a cinder block, boulder or log to do common weight lifting exercises. If you do have a gym nearby, Reeves also shows common exercises using free weights to work on your upper body strength.

Following the section on upper body strength, Reeves moves onto showing lower body exercises. In this section Reeves shows exercises for the legs that can be done with your own body weight, such as leap frogs or lunges while carrying a log on your shoulders.

In the fourth section, Reeves changes gears and teaches striking and kicking techniques for use in street confrontations. There really is nothing new here for the martial artist who has trained in karate or any other oriental martial art that teaches the use of such techniques. However, Reeves makes his instruction clear and simple to follow for those who have not trained in these systems.

I do have one major concern about the language Reeves uses when he teaches these techniques. He mentions that these strikes can be lethal. However, he does not explain the legal implications of when and where lethal use of force can be used in self defense.

The next-to-last section of the video has Reeves and his partner showing how to toughen up your skin and muscles to help absorb strikes if you get involved in a fight. Again, the experienced martial artist will be familiar with most of these types of body conditioning exercises. For those who are not familiar with this type of exercise, it should be emphasized that when you do these exercises you don’t need to use a lot of force to build up your resistance.

The final section of the video has Reeves and his partner demonstrating how the body-toughening exercises can then be tested by doing breaking techniques. Reeves has his partner break 2 x 2's on parts of Reeves’ body. This section is little over the top and these techniques should not be done by the inexperienced. Also, when watching these techniques, pay attention to the fact that Reeves is very careful not to have his partner hit him with the Center of Percussion, the most powerful part of the strike, but instead in about the middle of the 2 x 2.

When purchasing this video, be aware it is not a workout tape where you are led through a work out like Tie Bo or similar aerobic workouts. Instead, Reeves shows you how to do each exercise and then lets you decide how to build it into your own workout.

The production values on this video are simple but clear with no fancy special effects. The video is packed full of exercises that can be done by almost anyone who is interested in increasing their fitness level. The only concern I have is that Reeves never really makes it clear that you can build up to these exercises by using lighter weights or lower reps in any of his exercises.

I would recommend this tape to the martial artist or anyone else who is interested adding to their fitness work out.

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