individual sports

After paying $50 for this cd-rom and thoroughly absorbing its contents I felt cheated in many ways. The first thing that bothers me is that no person takes credit for authoring it. And, insane and irrelevant as it sounds, the unknown creator claims that the U.S. civil war didn't really happen, it was just a scene from "gone with the wind", and that Americans have been brainwashed. Hmmm... seems like someone's blown a gasket... anyway... the essence of the cd-rom is basically a multi-angle video clip of an unknown unnamed person poorly performing his bastardized version of "crushing step." It is about 45 seconds in length (I didn't time it, maybe it's 20 seconds or possibly a minute), and that is just about all you get. No audio, nothing. The written explanations, stories, etc. are so pathetic and unprofessional, I just couldn't believe it. Very skimpy. I was expecting detailed explanations, decent graphics, in-depth theory... sadly, it failed to deliver. Anyway, I could go into the many details concerning why this product is a total joke but, if you want to buy it go ahead, just remember this: you WILL be disappointed. Let my mistake help you to not make the same mistake. I wish someone had been kind enough to write an intelligent review of this cd-rom before I bought it, then I would never have wasted my money and time. I really feel like a sucker. Consider this review a public service to the serious martial artist.

They are not kidding when they say you need a sifu and this is only a suplemental tool. For $50 I expected a ton more than what was offered. You are better off putting your money into extra class time with a certified instructor. I would not recomend this item unless your sifu has specificly told you to get it.

I found the CD an excellent overview of the northern praying mantis style. There is a wide range of technique, and the applications span the gamut of readily apparent to surprising.

I must disagree with Mr.Ortiz' evaluation of the CD, as I have seen his work as well and can compare the two. The fact that he may not be familiar with some of the applications in the CD does not make them incorrect, merely unknown to him.

While not having a sifu at your arm is a disadvantage, the methodical teaching style in the CD and the multiple angle format make it as close to the real thing as can be obtained.