Kamikaze

Ginette Deslauriers
Year Released: 2001

Categories: Boxing/Kickboxing/Martial Arts , Floor Aerobics/Hi-Lo/Dance


I ordered this tape because CK Sales was out of Urban Tai Chi, my first choice. I'm glad I did! I've done it a couple of times now - enjoy it more each time.

It's described as a hi/lo cardio workout with Japanese flair. Being unfamiliar with what exactly Japanese flair is (and only hoping it might come with a complementary bowl of miso soup), I can only say it is a fun, not overly complicated hi/lo workout with a kickboxing or karate influence. The impact wasn't too bad - but then again I've been doing CTX lately so anything after that feels like low impact in comparison!

Five combos, all complete - once they're done, that's it, you start all over with a new one. Not really kickboxing moves a la Tae Bo - more cardio type moves like V-steps and marches with knee slaps, sumo squats, roundhouse kicks and such thrown in. After the combos there is a brief core work section where you balance on one leg holding these little genie balls in your hands - a little like the work on Christi's SBF. I just used my 2 lb dumbells. It was fun, and could have gone on for longer IMO!

However, as mentioned on the VF reviews, there is a LOT of marching. I don't think I've seen anyone but Charlene Prickett do so much marching. You can look at it either as a recovery phase, or an opportunity to keep the intensity up by marching high or wide - Ginette marches really HARD - I think she's actually using it to keep up the intensity and perhaps that is her intention. She also seems to need that time to instruct the next move - none of the moves are tricky, but they are different from what I'm used to from my limited kickboxing experience, so I was glad of the time she took to explain and break them down.

Ginette has a really enthusiastic personality that reminds me a little of Gin Miller in Intense Moves. Lots of "Ha ha!"s and "Let's go, let's go!" She also has a punchy "bada-bum, bada-BUM!" that I really got a kick out of. I can see how it could get on someone's nerves - but I found it very motivating and entertaining. I liked her a lot, and her upper body and shoulders are very inspiring!

The music was just there - not annoying, not standing out, just your usual Dynamix technobeat. Once in a while it would "pop" out to help emphasize a move, then sink into the background again.

I enjoyed this workout a lot, and think I could probably modify it to what intensity I want it to be once I learn the moves. On a high-energy day I suspect I'd substitute for some of the marches, or do some high-knee running in place. All in all, it felt kind of like a cross between Cardio Kicks and Charlene Prickett.

That's really my only complaint, the overkill on marching. I'd like to see her make another one, with the assumption her viewers had already familiarized themselves with some of the moves, and choreographed it to flow a little better. But I will definately do this one again. And be on the lookout for Urban Tai Chi.

Sophie

11/30/-0001