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Review by Wim Demeere
January 28, 2001.

This is the first DVD I review on the site and hope you like it.  It shows Mr. Bob Orlando teaching "langkah" which is a form of leg training typically found in Indonesian martial arts.  This volume covers the first two langkah and a lot more too.

The DVD starts with an explanation of how it came about and what it's purpose is.  Bob tells you how the drills enhance your leg work and can be applied to almost any technique.  Then he demonstrates this point by applying a leg technique to complement hand skills.  He goes on to explain the background and purpose of the material, giving credit to his teacher and explaining that the material presented is no more than his interpretation of what he learned.  Finally, Mr. Orlando explains several of the terms he will be using when showing the drills.

Langkah 1 is an open stance drill where you make constant contact with your shins while stepping into position following a zigzag pattern.  Bob first shows it in typical Silat fashion, showing the emphasis on positioning.  He explains at what point in time during a confrontation you should use the skills taught.  He also explains the risk involved in taking up that position and their combat potential.  At the same time Mr. Orlando points out that you should adapt the drills to your personal preferences and then shows an application for the drill.

Next up is the second method: Kuntao.  The drill is similar, yet different.  As stated in the introduction, there is more striking involved.  While showing the method, Bob gives ample detail on how to do the drills but also includes clear instruction on important points and concepts for the drills in particular and fighting in general.

The third method combines the previous two: positioning and attacking go hand in hand.  Bob clearly illustrates the differences and similarities between all three versions.  He then goes on to demonstrate variations (e.g.  against a taller opponent) and applications of this method.  If you've ever tasted one of those hacksaws before, you will enjoy the one where he strikes his student back with one to the neck.)

Langkah two uses a different footwork pattern.  By placing a mat on the floor with a two color coded lines system on it, this is clearly illustrated.  You can easily see how to do the footwork pattern in both langkah.  An unobtrusive and practical addition to the tape.  Bob gives you the finer points of how to do an effective hacksaw and demonstrates this technique on his students.

The Kuntao version of this langkah once again emphasizes striking to get into the position of choice.  In it, you step into the line of fire but prevent your opponent from getting to you by striking him first.  Mr. Orlando shows several applications of how you can end up in that position in a self-defense situation.  He also shows exactly where you want to place your lead leg to get maximum effectiveness.  He does the same thing for the Kuntao-Silat version, and gives another application.

The DVD ends with some practical guidelines and points to consider when practicing the material.

Interest: If like me, you only have limited brainpower, chances are you'll feel overwhelmed after viewing this DVD for the first time.  It is so crammed with information, you just cannot process everything right away.  Bob gives you tons of material to work with, meaning not only techniques and drills but also concepts and strategies to apply in all of your game.  Wonderful as this is for us, it makes reviewing the disc a bit difficult.  It is hard to do it justice without making a checklist of everything that's in it.  And there's a lot.  I've said it before, Mr. Orlando goes into detail about things that are the "secret teachings" of other styles.  He is extremely generous in providing information.

One of the reasons why there is so much content is that Bob is very analytical and tries to be as clear as possible.  This makes for a very in-depth study of the topic: Grading the potential of each drill, explaining which concepts and principles make it work, showing possible counters, how to pre-empt specific problems, etc.  In this DVD, you will find hours and hours of training material plus the possibility to verify almost any of the questions your study might bring forward.

If you are training in Southeast Asian martial arts, you will love this disc for the drills it shows you and all their possible variations.  If you practice other arts, you could do well by getting this one and incorporate what you can.  Two thumbs up!

Quality: This DVD is the first I saw of Paladin and I am impressed.  The video/audio quality is perfect all the material is well shot.  The special effects used are always brief and well chosen, which makes them a real addition as opposed to the nuisance they sometimes are.  Top rate production.

 
Our emphasis is on the practical.
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http://www.OrlandoKuntao.com
E-mail: Bob@OrlandoKuntao.com
Last update:  June 3, 2014
by Bob Orlando
Web Site of Bob Orlando: Instructor in Kuntao-Silat (Chinese kuntao and Dutch-Indonesian pukulan pentjak silat), author of two popular martial art books: "Indonesian Fighting Fundamentals" and "Martial Arts America: A Western Approach to Eastern Arts"; and producer of four martial art videos: Fighting Arts of Indonesia, Reflex Action, Fighting Footwork of Kuntao and Silat, Fighting Forms of Kuntao-Silat. Offering practical martial arts instruction to adults living in and throughout the Denver metropolitan area including, Lakewood, Littleton, Morrison, and Golden Colorado.