Customer Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Foundation Resource for the Heavy Hardwood Cane
Comment: Alain Burrese's "Hapkido Cane; Big Stick Fighting from the Dojo to the Street" DVD is a very worthy investment. As a student of the cane for several years now, I have learned from several instructors and gone to other resources in print (books like Dr Kimm's) and video (ICHF, Canemasters, and others). The real value of this set is not so much for the novelty of the material but rather for its thoroughness. I saw some material that was "new" to me but generally I had seen most of it before.
Mr. Burrese has organized the material very well and each section builds more and more on the previous material. He does incorporate some "other" material in, most of which looks like it comes from Pugil Stick training and some stick fighting material. However, it blends well and fits the overall concepts well. His style of teaching inspires confidence and he addresses a lot of little concerns that come up after an extended period of study. For that, his insights are golden.
Overall, this reference DVD covers the cane very well. It should be noted that the material here is presented for the heavy, hardwood style cane and may differ from some of the Hapkido "lighter" cane styles. If you use the heavier Canemasters-style cane, or similar, this is a good set for you.
This set is huge, with 2 DVDs and a running time of over 3 hours! The Production Quality is good, with a blue background and the people in white. Techniques are shown several times, slowly and with a clear explanation and then quickly in more realistic speed. For some, there are views from the top and side. Titles and chapters are clearly labeled in the index and it's very easy to skip to the precise section you want.
Disk 1 (1 hour 37 minutes)
Contents:
Intro - Good intro that touches on practicality of the cane and some legal aspects. He promises to show material that is for the most part practical, and to supplement it with a little material that is artistic and flashy as well. He provides a quick lesson on cane anatomy and discusses the pros and cons of various canes, from Canemasters to cheap mail-order ones. He does leave out the common aluminum cane however.
Blocks (30 minutes)
Strikes (20 minutes) - includes whipping strikes, circular strikes and various other ways of striking, both from a "traditional Hapkido" point of view as well as other practical-if-not-so-pretty strikes. He addresses targeting strategies as well.
Hooks + Combos (10 minutes) - nice overview of ideas as well as hook-anatomy and the use of the hook.
Defense vs Grabs (37 minutes) - a couple techniques shown in various situation, including wrist grabs, sleeve grabs, lapel grabs, chokes, bear hugs, headlocks, and a few ground escapes. Overall, a nice overview of cane material with techniques that can apply across the various situations.
Disk 2 (1 hour 36 minutes)
Contents:
Defense vs Punches (53 minutes) - 20 techniques + variations and what-if's
Defense vs Kicks (14 minutes) - 2-3 techniques each for front, roundhouse and side kicks.
Chokes with the Cane (12 minutes) - various techniques of opportunity including use (introduction) of the half-shaft grip
Defense vs Cane Grabs (12 minutes) from various types of grabs
Application to other weapons and Conclusion (5 minutes) - Nice short review and application of the techniques to other weapons like sticks of various lengths or the unbreakable umbrella. There are a few recommendations on legal aspects and nice conclusion to the DVD.
The only areas where it could be considered "lacking" may be in the lack of defenses against other weapons. Also, the vast majority of the material is geared towards an able-bodied practitioner with little attention paid to the use of the cane by someone whose balance and physical skills warrant an actual need for a cane.
As a student of Hapkido and of the cane, this is the set that I would recommend as the foundation set for the hardwood heavier cane that has become so popular of late. Everything a student needs to begin with is covered here and covered well. It will take a long time for a student to master what they learn from their instructor and everything on this set. At that point, they can look for some other supplemental material. But, for a one stop source of quality material for the cane, this is the resource to buy.
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