Vols. 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
By Keith Schwartz
Reviewed by Roberto Pedreira
There are two kinds of instructional tapes. The first is primarily a catalog of techniques. The featured instructor runs through a bunch of moves with minimal commentary. The second kind reverses the equation--fewer techniques but more commentary. Of course it isn't a matter of either/or, but rather of more or less. One is not better than the other. It simply depends on what you need.
The Keith Schwartz Judo series is the first kind.
That would make for a short tape. But the tapes aren't particularly short, averaging 48 minutes (with the usual Panther Productions padding at the beginning). Since Keith doesn't talk much, the obvious thing to do is show the same move several times. And Keith does, in one case, as many as 18 times (the uchimata counter on tape 8 is one example, but there are plenty more). This isn't necessarily bad. Rather than simply showing the exact same video footage many times, Keith actually does the throw again. You get to see it from different angles and generally with slight variations in set-up and grip, which is essential to learning the true nature of the technique.
One of the good things about this tape set is that all the moves are labeled and numbered, both on the tape and outside, on the box, for convenient reference. Moreover, the techniques are named in both English and Japanese (which is the international language of judo). The English translations are generally not very informative, unless you already know the technique and how the Japanese name for it is typically translated (it doesn't help much to know that an outer major reap is osoto gari if you don't know what osoto gari is, and if you do, you don't need the translation). The Japanese term itself is simply a label that lets teachers communicate with beginning students. Osoto gari (literally, big outside action consisting of a movement of pulling from below up toward oneself--the same movement used in cutting rice stalks) means nothing to a Japanese person who hasn't spent at least a little time on the mat (osoto gari is usually among the first 2-3 techniques taught to a beginning white belt).
Another good thing about these tapes is that there is a lot of variety. Very few judo players at any level know the majority of these throws. Black belts, and even relatively high ranking black belts, know about a dozen techniques that they can actually pull off on a resisting opponent of roughly equal skill and size, at least occasionally. (No one is expected to single-handedly master the entire Kodokan curriculum.) And most of these are variations, albeit with different names that make them sound more different than they are. This is great of course. No two players are alike. A wide variety of techniques makes it possible for different people to find the handful that they can make their own, which indeed is all they usually need (either in the street or at the highest levels of competition).
It's an extensive series. There is little (if any) duplication of material. Even if the same technique appears on different tapes, it is not merely spliced from one onto another tape. Rather, it is a different look at the technique, from different angles in a different context. I have fewer than half of the tapes. The contents are listed below, just as on the boxes (the boxes also give an English translation for each Japanese term). Keith is articulate and when he does give explanations, he gets to the point and is easy to understand. The visual and audio quality is higher than average. The techniques are all solid and serviceable. Since the series was made in 1993, it isn't surprising that the ground fighting segments are a little simplistic, but then, this is the way judo competitors still fight on the mat in the year 2000.
Vol. 8 Black Belt Lesson
Non-certified throws-
Harai goshi gaeshi
Uchi mata gaeshi
Kani basami
Kawazu gake
o-soto makikomi
uchi mata makikomi
harai makikomi
te guruma
o-soto gake
o-uchi gake
ko-uchi gake
ko-uchi makikomi
entries into holddowns from five basic newaza positions
ushiro hadaka jime
kuzure hadaka jime
elbow and wrist lock turnovers
self defense vs front choke
vs headlock
bearhugs
atemi waza: gouges, pinches, yoko gake keri, striking combinations
Vol. 9 Self-Defense Throws and Sweeps vol. 1
Warm Ups
Ukemi
1. yoko-otoshi
2. yoko-tomoe-nage
3. uki-waza
4. uki-otoshi
5. tani-otoshi
6. tani-otoshi-variation
7. yoko-wakare
8. yoko-guruma
9. yoko-guruma as counter throw
10. ura-nage
11. yoko-gake
12. osoto-fake to soto-makikomi
13. obi-tori-gaeshi
14. hane-makikomi variation with obi grip
15. hikikomi-gaeshi
16. sumi-gaeshi
17. cross grip sumi-gaeshi variation
18. tomoe-nage
19. yoko-tomoe-nage
20. blocked tomoe-nage to hikikomi-gaeshi
21. another hikikomi variation
22. cross grip yoko-tomoenage variation
Vol. 10 Self-Defense Throws and Sweeps vol. 2
1. harai-tsurikomi ashi
2. harai-tsurikomi ashi as a counter
3. cross grip variation of sasae-tsurikomi
4. ko-uchi-gari
5. o-uchi-gari
6. o-soto-gari
7. o-soto-guruma
8. nidan-kosoto gari
9. okuri ashi harai
10. ashi-guruma
11. hiza-guruma
12. ko-uchi makikomi
13. o-uchi-gake
14. de-ashi-harai
15. cross grip-ko-soto-gari
16. ko-soto-gari
17. ko-soto-gake
18. o-uchi-gari
19. sasae-tsurikomi vs. kick
20. o-uchi-gari vs. kick
Vol. 11 Self-Defense Throws and Sweeps vol. 3
1. nidan ko-soto-gari vs. kick
2. o-soto-gari vs. kick
3. ko-soto-gari vs. kick
4. uki-goshi
5. uki-seionage
6. o-goshi
7. koshi-guruma
8. tsurikomi-goshi
9. sode-tsurikomi
10. harai-goshi
11. otsuri-goshi
12. hane-goshi
13. hane-makikomi
14. o-guruma
15. soto-makikomi
16. utsuri-goshi
17. ushiro-goshi
18. uchimata
19. cross grip variation on koshi-guruma
20. cross grip harai-goshi
Vol. 13 Street Fighting Self-Defense vol. 1
1. kote-gaeshi
2. seoi-nage 1
3. seoi-nage 2
4. seoi-nage 3
5. taiotoshi
6. grip release 1
7. grip release 2
8. kote-kubi makikomi
9. seoi-nage 4
10. osotogari
11. ote-okubi-nage
12. ude-gatame and ude-garami
13. soto-makikomi vs full Nelson
14. seoi-nage 5
15. ude garami vs bear hug
16. kote-gaeshi vs hammerlock
17. ude-gatame vs headlock
18. seoi-guruma vs reverse headlock
19. ko-soto-gari
20. yoko-otoshi and ude-garami
21. tai-otoshi and wake-gatame and ude-gatame
22. seoi-otoshi
23. ude-garami
24. tai-otoshi vs push
25. hikikomi-gaeshi vs tackle
Vol. 14 Street Fighting Self-Defense vol. 2
1. Turnover from tackle into kuzure-tate-shiho-gatame with neck crank
2.
cross grip tani-otoshi as defense vs. punch
3.
o-soto-gari as defense vs. punch
4.
seio-nage as defense vs. punch
5.
cross grip harai-goshi as defense vs. punch
6.
wake-gatame as defense vs. hair grab
7.
o-te-gaeshi as defense vs. rear choke
8.
ude-gatame as defense vs. rear choke
9.
oya-yubi-geashi to te-hishigi to ko-te-gatame vs lapel grab
10.
hiza-gashira ate/o-uchi-gari
combination vs double lapel grab
11.
ko-te-gaeshi to hiza-gatame
vs. knife thrust
12.
yoko-geri to waki-gatame to
ude-gatame vs knife thrust
13.
seio-nage to juji-gatame vs
knife slash
14.
o-soto-gari to kuzure-kata-gatame
and hadaka-jime vs club swing
15.
harai-goshi kuzure-kesa-gatame
to ude-gatame vs club
16.
harai-goshi to kuzure-kesa-gatame
vs front choke
17.
seio-nage vs front choke and
soto-makikomi
18.
ude-gatame vs mount
19.
hadaka-jime to ude-gatame vs
mount
20.
o-te-gaeshi vs mount
21. uphill turn escape vs mount
22.
compound lock
23.
defense vs gun #1
24.
defense vs gun #2
25.
defense vs gun #3
Vol. 15 Judo Choking Techniques
1. nami-juji-jime (normal cross choke)
2. gyaku-juji-jime (reverse cross choke)
3. kata-juji-jime (half cross choke
4. hadaka-jime # 1 (naked choke)
5. hadaka-jime # 2 (naked choke variation)
6. okuri-eri-jime (sliding lapel choke)
7. kataha-jime (single wing choke)
8. katate-jime (single hand choke)
9. katate-jime # 2 (variation)
10. ryote-jime (hand curl choke) 1
11. ryote-jime 2
12. ryote-jime 3
13. ryote-jime 4
14. sode-guruma-jime (sleeve wheel choke)
15. sankaku-jime (triangle choke) 1
16. sankaku-jime 2
17. sankaku-jime 3
18. tsukkomi-jime (thrust choke)
19. sankaku-jime 4
20. koshi-jime (hip choke) this is the one Wallid finished Royce with; the Brazilians call it Relogio (clock)
21. eri-jime (baseball collar choke) 1
22. eri-jime 2
23. kata-juji-jime (half cross choke)
24. suso-jime (apron choke)
25. obi-jime (belt choke)
26. katate-jime variations (more variations on # 8)
Vol. 16 Ground Fighting and Armlocks
1. Juji-gatame and variations
2. Juji-gatame rollover and basic variations
3. Juji-gatame rollover # 2 and basic variations
4. waki-gatame and variations
5. ude-gatame to ushiro-wakigatame and variations
6. entanglement ude-garami from LAB
7. down variation of juji-gatame
8. kata-juji-gatame
9. LAB turnovers to juji-gatame
10. sankaku-jime and sankaku-gatame
11. LAB sankaku turnovers and locks
12. LAT sankaku turnovers
13. more ude-gatame and ude-garami from sankaku
14. getting juji-gatame against resistance
15. blocking and escaping juji-gatame
16. armlocks from kesa-gatame
17. armlocks from yoko-shiho-gatame
18. armlocks from ushiro-kesa-gatame
19. ude-garami
20. ude-gatame
Vol. 17 Judo Self-Defense Throws and Armlocks
Take-Downs and Armbars
1. ude-garami
2. ko-te-kubi-nage
3. o-te-kubi-nage
4. ude-gaeshi
5. tai-otoshi
6. cross grip seio-nage
7. juji-ude-nage
8. variations on tani-otoshi
9. another variation on tani-otoshi
10. yoko-wakare with ude-gatame
11. ude-gatame to seio-nage
12. ude-gatame to hiza-guruma
13. ashi-guruma with ude-gatame
14. ude-garami with o-soto-gari
15. ude-garami takedown
16. ude-gatame turnover and ko-te-gaeshi restraint and three takedowns
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© 2000, R.A. Pedreira. All Rights Reserved.