bruce lee's fighting method-self defense techniques

from the 4 book series, bruce lee's fighting method. and in my personal opinion, one of the best self defense books ever written. bruce was all about the most direct approach in fighting, and the techniques he illustrates are the epitomy of practicality and economy. bruce uses his favorite technique, the stomp kick, for many of the defenses, showing how less is really more when you know how to use it.
i could see this book being used for a gym class self defense course. the techniques are easy and effective.
self defense is all about getting away safely. the techniques in this book are maybe some of the best things that bruce lee left for us.

foot throws for karate, judo and self defense

 a well organized book by former US judo champion hayward nishioka. he divides the throws up into their types and the steps for the throws are well illustrated.
i could see this book being used for a backyard judo class with some mats laid out. provided that one knows how to fall (akemi) and the throws aren't done too roughly, it would be a safe activity. this book would also be good for an eclectic martial artist looking to add some basic, practical judo trips to his/her skill set.

balicki/inosanto jun fan gung fu

i'm a believer in getting on with your life- learning simple things in sort of a "put it in your pocket" knowledge sort of way. this DVD is straight to the point and presented in a clear,"western" approach. and being a 2 DVD set, i think it's a good value.
balicki and wife diana inosanto present the material very well. i think this would be perfect for someone wishing to add self-defense practice to their exercise routine.
the movements are real jun fan/JKD. the focus is on entry and trapping, and includes the drills need to develop proficiency.
exercise instructors take notice! this would be a great thing to add to a cardio kickboxing workout!

bruce tegner karate for sport and self defense

This book is very special to me. i picked it up at a magazine store when I was 8 years old, and it's continued to inspire me since then.
bruce tegner was the first mixed martial artist, having trained in several disciplines. in this book he shows the techniques of karate in two sections: section one for selfdefense, and section two for sport. but it is in the sport section that tegner's love for the art and people in general really shines; he promotes ways to make karate a fun, safe sport, suitable for any one, including alternate ways of scoring points that are really quite fun. a wonderful book for your collection and a great resource for teaching.

gary lam backyard wing chun chi sao, series 1

This video is really the first to break down chi sao (sticky hands) into its core moves, ie the use of the tan , bong, fook, pak, kwan, gan sao. sifu gary's presentation is a little "backyard video" quality, hence the name, but the quality of the info is A1.
I could see an eclectic/mixed martial artist getting some of the needed basics from this DVD to form his/her own sticky hands repertoire.
this video pretty much answers all the questions about how to do chi sao and what moves do what, the logic, and especially the "one hand covers two" maneuvers, which illustrate the clever "economy of motion" that wing chun is famous for.
of course, one needs to work with someone who actually knows wing chun to learn the feel. but this DVD is an excellent start for someone who isn't close to an instructor, but can manage to attend a seminar now and then.

IMB Academy Basic Hand and Arm Trapping DVD

IMB Academy Basic Hand and Arm Trapping DVD
in a word: EXCELLENT! this is how instruction should be. Richard Bustillo is a great teacher. the sections are VERY well organized! this course is a perfect intro into Jun Fan/JKD. in fact what he teaches here is applicable to 90% of what you'd face on the street; if that's not enough, you're in the wrong fight, my friend. i would combine this DVD with a boxing video.
10 points on a scale of 1-10!

wing chun kung fu by james yimm lee

Wing Chun Kung-Fu

the best introduction ever to wing chun. but what surprises me is how useful the book is even after years of MA training. you find yourself going back to it and saying, " you know, that's not a bad technique after all".

being bruce's student, james shows us a few things that are not orthodox wing chun, such as punching under the blocking hand. this is because jun fan/jeet kune do emphasizes striking first, with the parry beng incidental. one only has to remember to push the blocked hand down to punch OVER it to make it traditional wing chun (i however like james' way sometimes too^^).

james tells us that wing chun "trapping hands" cannot be learned from a book, but the 3 or 4 traps that he shows are really enough in the hands of a resourceful student. they're great! i've been using them since i was 14 years old, and they WORK!

also the theory of facing is absolutly correct! a LOT of combat situations can be corrected just by knowing that the center of your chest should face your fingers and your fingers should face your opponent.

even after learning wing chun from an instructor, i am not ashamed to recommend this wonderful book to any beginner. it serves as a great reference text and starting point.

Can You Really Learn Wing Chun from a DVD?

The million dollar question,or at least it would be worth that if the answer is yes.I think we must add the question: "Whose DVD?". Not every teacher with a DVD out is a competent fighter, no matter how prestigous his lineage may be.
There are many variations of wing chun,but a good rule of thumb is if an application of a technique looks too impossible, it probably is. Are the attacks shown in the DVD done realistically? Do the defenses shown make logical sense? Could they work against a strong or skilled opponent? If the content of the video is reasonable and presented by a knowledgeable teacher, I see no reason why one could not get the basics and then, as opportunity presents,have any mistakes corrected at a seminar given by the teacher.
Another point which determines a person's ability to learn from DVD is his/her knowing what to look for to see if they are following the DVD correctly. A good rule of thumb here is, if you feel tension or discomfort, you're more than likely doing it wrong. One should particulary watch his shoulders; if they are going up, that is a sure sign of "muscling" the move from the shoulders rather than using the body. The shoulders should NEVER rise but should totally relax.
So whether or not a person can really learn from DVD depends on the teacher, content, and finally the student's knowledge of what to look for as far as mistakes go,and his ability to look at himself honestly.