Forza The Samurai Sword Workout

Ilaria Montagnani
Year Released: 2000

Categories: Boxing/Kickboxing/Martial Arts



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I really wanted to like this tape. I really really really wanted to love it. I love my sword, I love the IDEA of sword tapes.. but this tape is really poorly made. I am not a stickler for high production quality, or fancy sets, etc.. but this drove me nuts. There were all these wierd "breaks" where the screen would blank out for a second and the scene would sort of start in a slightly different spot. I'm sure this was intentional, but I found it really irritating. Then there was the wierd freeze-motion stuff at the end.

Overall - I couldn't really see her full body and had to rely ont he class to help me with form. This was donei n a gym class -and I could barely hear Ilaria speak.

Having said that, will I keep the tape? Yes. I like the workout and I just need to really learn all the different moves. It will take longer than it would have, if this had been a professional production with form pointers and full body shots, but I think I can learn it. I do NOT recommend this tape for beginners because you really need to understand a lot about core stability and basic form pointers to avoid injury in this tape.

What do I like about this tape? The workout IS fun! Once I get allt he moves, it will be great! I liked the music, but more importantly, I saw the potential of lots of fun in getting my abs and arms in great shape without resorting to weights or crunches (which I also do).

More and more, I enjoy workouts that employ full body movements to exercise my body parts.. that is why i'm drawn to kickboxing cardio , and now this type of workout. I feel as if it really will whip me into shape.

Summary: Not for exercise-newbies. Recommend to people who have a high tolerance for the irritating points I mentioned, andw ho really really like the idea of sword training (like me). If you have wrist problems, bear in mind this tape puts a lot of strain on them due to holding the sword for so long. I also recommend watching this tape before doing it, and maybe even using a dowel or exerbar to do the moves before moving to the 3lb sword, just to get the moves recorded into your neural pathways.

Instructor Comments:
VERY buff, shows great form. Not perky.. not dull - just business like, which is fine by me. Doesn't really give detailed form pointers, but clearly knows what she is doing. I really wish she would put a form pointer tape out. I'd definitely buy it.

Leela

08/15/2000