Scott Sonnon
06-13-2005, 08:10 PM
Martial Arts Instructional Review (http://www.xanga.com/contentlatest.asp?tab=reviews&user=atlas1212)
INTRO: Scott Sonnon is a former Sambo champion and currently a fitness and martial arts visionary who has produced lots of ingenious and controversial material.
REVIEW: Where to start? Let's start at the end of Softwork. Coach Sonnon tells us that this DVD is a hallmark event and what he's doing is something that no one has ever done before. I couldn't agree more. The material on Softwork is revolutionary in that it appears to refine and even change many of our previous conceptions (misconceptions?) of martial arts.
I have to be honest, some parts of this DVD challenged my beliefs. But I am very openminded and I kept listening. Throughout the 3 hours I became a convert. The material covered by Coach Sonnon is mind blowing. You truly have to open your mind and get rid of a lot of dogma that you have absorbed over the years. But once you open yourself to that, you start realizing that what you've learned isn't necessarily wrong, just totally incomplete. It's just that you've not reached the full potential of your previous training. Softwork while a stand alone, can be added to ANY martial art.
Even with all my notes, this DVD is very hard to describe. It's no wonder when Coach Sonnon uses phrases like "deforming the structures with superflous movements" and terms like "tensegrity structure". I mean, how do you put that in a review? You just have to see it.
I'll summarize the material the best I can without giving anything away. Sonnon's theories rise from the concept of absorbing strikes and repositioning your body to counter, based on flowing movements. The core of Softwork is relaxation, evasiveness, absorption, pliability and awareness. Sonnon moves likes a fighter out of the Matrix and makes his training partners look like their learning to walk. I kept thinking while watching Softwork, "I bet Sonnon is a good breakdancer."
This material is not advanced and it's not basic. It's just natural movements. It's physics applied to observation.
The ground fighting material is also very good. I enjoyed Sonnon's teachings on riding the opponent and obstructing his respiration (pressure on the diaphragm). His weapons segments were also revolutionary. His approach is more conceptial than technique based.
To master Softwork is to become untouchable. To take anything your opponent can give, absorb it and return it.
The production value of Softwork is top notch. It is a class/seminar format and I really enjoyed that. I wish there was more footage of Sonnon correcting people during drills. Because often this is the most helpful material for beginners themselves. There are some audio issues as Sonnon moves or falls. But these are not major and the material is still easy to follow.
Sonnon himself is an interesting guy. He comes across as fit, charismatic and funny. He really enjoys working with his students and has a solid grasp of the material. His teaching style flows nicely and you feel like you are right there in the seminar. The last segment of Softwork is a sum up and Q&A with the seminar participants. I really enjoyed this segment but found the questions from the students and some of the responses hard to hear.
Overall, no other approach has opened my mind like Softwork. It blew me away and I don't even think I can really comprehend all the subtleties in just one sitting. Like I said, Softwork is strange in that it's new...but not new..It's advanced, yet basic. It's how martial arts should be and how you always envisioned them. I'm really at a loss for words on how to describe it. I give it 5 stars and couldn't recommend it more. I think a beginner benefits and an openminded advanced practioner can take his/her training to a whole other level. So go to www.rmax.tv and order Softwork and learn to strike people with your spine. You'll be happy you did. :)
There are very few DVD's I would recommend to EVERYONE, regardless of interest. This is the exception. Learn to work soft and you learn to work right.
INTRO: Scott Sonnon is a former Sambo champion and currently a fitness and martial arts visionary who has produced lots of ingenious and controversial material.
REVIEW: Where to start? Let's start at the end of Softwork. Coach Sonnon tells us that this DVD is a hallmark event and what he's doing is something that no one has ever done before. I couldn't agree more. The material on Softwork is revolutionary in that it appears to refine and even change many of our previous conceptions (misconceptions?) of martial arts.
I have to be honest, some parts of this DVD challenged my beliefs. But I am very openminded and I kept listening. Throughout the 3 hours I became a convert. The material covered by Coach Sonnon is mind blowing. You truly have to open your mind and get rid of a lot of dogma that you have absorbed over the years. But once you open yourself to that, you start realizing that what you've learned isn't necessarily wrong, just totally incomplete. It's just that you've not reached the full potential of your previous training. Softwork while a stand alone, can be added to ANY martial art.
Even with all my notes, this DVD is very hard to describe. It's no wonder when Coach Sonnon uses phrases like "deforming the structures with superflous movements" and terms like "tensegrity structure". I mean, how do you put that in a review? You just have to see it.
I'll summarize the material the best I can without giving anything away. Sonnon's theories rise from the concept of absorbing strikes and repositioning your body to counter, based on flowing movements. The core of Softwork is relaxation, evasiveness, absorption, pliability and awareness. Sonnon moves likes a fighter out of the Matrix and makes his training partners look like their learning to walk. I kept thinking while watching Softwork, "I bet Sonnon is a good breakdancer."
This material is not advanced and it's not basic. It's just natural movements. It's physics applied to observation.
The ground fighting material is also very good. I enjoyed Sonnon's teachings on riding the opponent and obstructing his respiration (pressure on the diaphragm). His weapons segments were also revolutionary. His approach is more conceptial than technique based.
To master Softwork is to become untouchable. To take anything your opponent can give, absorb it and return it.
The production value of Softwork is top notch. It is a class/seminar format and I really enjoyed that. I wish there was more footage of Sonnon correcting people during drills. Because often this is the most helpful material for beginners themselves. There are some audio issues as Sonnon moves or falls. But these are not major and the material is still easy to follow.
Sonnon himself is an interesting guy. He comes across as fit, charismatic and funny. He really enjoys working with his students and has a solid grasp of the material. His teaching style flows nicely and you feel like you are right there in the seminar. The last segment of Softwork is a sum up and Q&A with the seminar participants. I really enjoyed this segment but found the questions from the students and some of the responses hard to hear.
Overall, no other approach has opened my mind like Softwork. It blew me away and I don't even think I can really comprehend all the subtleties in just one sitting. Like I said, Softwork is strange in that it's new...but not new..It's advanced, yet basic. It's how martial arts should be and how you always envisioned them. I'm really at a loss for words on how to describe it. I give it 5 stars and couldn't recommend it more. I think a beginner benefits and an openminded advanced practioner can take his/her training to a whole other level. So go to www.rmax.tv and order Softwork and learn to strike people with your spine. You'll be happy you did. :)
There are very few DVD's I would recommend to EVERYONE, regardless of interest. This is the exception. Learn to work soft and you learn to work right.