Chuck Norris - Private Lessons (aka Lean and Mean Workout)

This video is divided into 3 parts: an instructional section, a short "interval aerobic" workout, and a demonstration of more advanced techniques.

INSTRUCTION:

A 60 minute segment which covers stance, balance, basic punches, kicks and elbow strikes. The women in the class range from beginner to advanced, though the techniques shown are all basic. Chuck emphasizes that the goal of learning these techniques is to allow time to escape any attack situations, not to continue to beat up on your attacker.

WORKOUT:

Rated as begin/inter by Collage, but it's very short (21 minutes) and anyone at an intermediate level will probably need to tack it on to something else. There really isn't a warmup or cooldown, so this is pretty easy to do. The "interval" aspect of the workout comes from varying the speed/power fo the punches and strikes, but the faster segments don't last very long and it probably won't have an interval effect for anyone except a beginner. Intense Moves this is not.

The segments are as follows:

1. front punches and front kicks
2. palm strikes and roundhouse kicks
3. spearhands and heel stomps
4. forward elbow strikes, elbow strikes to the solar plexus, and back elbow strikes to the head
5. front kicks and front elbow strikes

DEMONSTRATION: Chuck is joined by Benny Urquidez, another professional kickboxer, to demonstrate more advanced techniques. Then Sara Urquidez (the advanced student from the workout) demonstrates how to protect oneself from an attacker, which she apparently did successfully at one point in her life. There was one pretty funny segment during this where Chuck's response to what Sara did was to make a face and say "ei". This is not a woman you would want to mess with.

General:

The set looks like you're on the roof of a very pastel building. The music is fairly inocuous synthesizer stuff with a lot of percussion.

I really like this tape. It does a great job of showing proper technique and the workout, though not very advanced cardiovascularly, is easy to add into other short workouts. I would highly recommend this tape to beginning exercisers or intermediates who want to be sure they are learning proper form.

Instructor Comments:
Chuck does an excellent job of explaining the moves. He's serious, but in a good way. He has tons more personality than the instructors on the other kickboxing videos I own (Stephanie Steele and Lisa Gaylord) and I wish he would put out a more advanced video to follow up on this one.

Karen Nagel

Total rewind/fastforward VHS Time: 1 hr 57 mins.

1. Introduction 1.5 mins
2. Self-Defence/Confrontation Instruction 76 minutes
3. Practice Session 23 mins
4. Partner Training Techniques/Demonstration (demonstrated with Benny and Sarah Urquidez and Rodger the attacker ) 7 mins

What an awesome learn at home self-defense training video. Im so glad I purchased this. I'd inititally purchased it for my teenage daughter after reading some reviews and decided it might be the one for her, well it is just that and alot more, I'll be doing the workout with or without her from now on.

1. The Self-Defence Instruction is actually 76 mins and not 60 as advertised on the back cover. Chuck's instructions are informative. Its a self defence course based on what you could do if someone approachs to attack you.

Chuck fully demonstrates and explains each of his moves, tells you how to stand, move, how to punch, elbow, kick and where to strike and even why.
All the moves are explained, shown slowly at first with you copying, then repeat a few times until you progress to do them faster and strike with near full force.

A chair is required for part of the instruction.

2. The 23 minute workout (advertised as 22) is a practice session of what you've learnt, which if done regularly you'd definately be able to tone up at the same time as practising your defence moves.

3. The Partner Training Techniques/Demonstration is 7 minutes of Chuck and his assistants showing you how you can practice your moves with a partner.

Of course you may of read somewhere that Chuck does his famous Spin-Kicks in the demonstartion part, yeap he does but its part of the demonstration of what can be done if you team up with a partner.

This is definately a worth while demonstration to watch, it would be great for someone else to spa with and be shown how they can assist in your training. Or you could just to see how the moves can actually be used to take someone down in the need of safety.

Overall thoughts:

Absolutely awesome...

You get a great workout if you can manage to do the entire Instruction and Practice Session which is 99 minutes long.

The self-defence moves are something you could pay hundreds of dollars for at a gym to learn over months and guaranteed the instructor wouldnt give you a video to take home or let you spend as much time as Chuck, practising each move concurrently to reinforce you've actually learnt the move before moving onto the next step.

My advice go ahead and grab a copy if you see it, before they become obselite and you miss out on such a great in-home self defence course with the added bonus of a workout.

Its such a pity Chuck stopped at one Private Lesson, I would certainly buy a full set if it were available...

Honestly this is by far my best exercise and self-defence video.

Ruralchook