The new 2-DVD by Scott Homschek, Improvised Flexible Weapons, is and one of the only training resources devoted to the use of flexible weapons.  Other than James Keating's "Fighting Bandanna" series, and John Sanchez's classic book Flexible Weapons very few instructors have ever ventured into this realm.

It was, in fact, through Jim Keating that I had actually met Scott Homschek in 2004 at the Riddle of Steel and got to try out some of his flexible weapons program first-hand.  The class he taught was top notch, and within an hour he had taken us through a training progression that enabled everyone in the class to hit thrown targets!  Yes, "skeet shooting" with a rope or neck whip.

"Neck-whip" you ask?  Yes, this is one of Scott's inventions.  The neck-whip is a short braided leather snake-style whip that can be easily be worn like a necklace and deployed with a simple grab and pull.  It is a painful surprise for an attacker and offers excellent reach and speed.

The Improvised Flexible Weapons DVDs cover a lot of material, and the way it is broken down into named techniques would make it easy to integrate into an existing martial arts program.  Scott starts with the basics of striking and shows how a normal piece of rope can easily break a pine board (a surprising demo of force).  From here he gets into multiple strikes, follow ups, and striking both stationary and aerial (thrown) targets.

From here, the DVD shifts into a series of different kinds of blocking options available with the rope.  Hard blocks, soft blocks, hand parries, and more are covered with dozens of individual self defense techniques as the instructional vehicle.  Scott is a high level black belt in Tang Soo Do (a Korean style) and so these combat scenarios could be thought of as "one steps" with the rope.  Each technique starts with a blocking action of some kind, followed by a snare and takedown to a finish.  Overhead and slow motion shots along with Scott's clear instruction make learning easy.

The final section of the tape covers different kinds of improvised flexible weapons that one might use, such as modem cables and neckties.  Scott shows a positively brilliant way to tie a regular necktie so that it is instantly available for use as a weapon yet is undetectable as such.  This "magic knot" literally can have a tie available as a weapon in under a second...very cool!  If you wear a tie this DVD is worth it just for this piece of information alone.

As we move into an age where weapons are increasingly restricted and banned, it is vital to learn to use everyday objects in our own self defense.  Scott Homschek's Improvised Flexible Weapons can help you gain critical understanding of how to do just this.

Improvised Flexible Weapons Is Available From Paladin Press