This is the preview for Mike’s 2008 camp, and it looks great. The focus seems to be shuai jiao (Chinese wrestling) this time, and they couldn’t have found a better teacher. This footage was mostly taken from the teacher’s 2-disc DVD on shuai jiao. This is the best instructional video I’ve seen out of China. Yes, it’s that good. The basics are shown very clearly and they are comprehensive. You would have no problem learning these right off the discs. The basics alone take up the first disc. Those of you who buy lots of videos will know how rare basics are. Here, you have them in spades.
The second disc is one solid throw after another. They are very clearly shown and the filming is very professionally done. This aspect makes this unlike any Chinese DVD I’ve seen before. They even use arrows to show where the arcs and circles are. The array of throws shown is pretty extensive and they are all applicable to a wide variety of Chinese styles. However, people that do Japanese throwing arts and who want to compare shuai jiao to what the are already doing also couldn’t find a better source than this.
Even the translation seems to be better than the other discs I’ve seen out of China. Did I mention that it’s around three hours long?
So if all that isn’t a great commercial for Mike’s upcoming camp, then I don’t know what is. The camp is running two weeks or four depending on your preference, and many other styles are available. But the chance to train with these great shuai jiao guys is something not to miss.
The only potential downside for those of you in the US is the weak dollar against the Euro. One months training costs over 1900Euros, which is around US$3000 plus airfare. Just something to keep in mind.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Jay Gischer // Jan 29, 2008 at 6:52 am
I’m one of those guys that studies Japanese throwing arts, and I’d like to say thanks for pointing this out. Grandmaster Wang’s technique is very good, I’m sure I can learn a lot by studying it. Not all the training methods in the video you posted seem relevant to throwing, but clearly some are very relevant.
2 Dave Chesser // Jan 29, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Jay,
When looking at other styles, my advice is to let your preconceptions take a bit of a back seat. I say that because shuai jiao people would tell you that every exercise shown is part of the throwing training. In order to appreciate the differences between the arts, you have to let the different arts breath a little. Just a thought.
3 Connecting News, Commentaries and Blogs at NineReports.com - // Feb 2, 2008 at 1:57 pm
[...] if … detail oriented - Last Updated - Sunday January 27 Request a Trackback Mike Martello’s 2008 Camp and a Great DVD This is the preview for Mike’s 2008 camp, and it looks great. The focus seems to be shuai [...]
4 Beijing training at reduced prices // Mar 13, 2008 at 11:58 am
[...] already raved about the king of shuai jiao, Wang Wen-yong, that will be teaching at the camp. This is a great opportunity to train with him [...]
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