The longer version:
If you ever wanted to see a martial art being formulated, here’s your chance. Never mind the hundred-plus forms that Uncle Bill could show you if he felt like it; let’s just talk about the five that make up the basic AKTS curriculum. As a cursory look at just about any two video clips of any of the forms by any single practitioner — let alone any two practitioners — will demonstrate, there are some variations. Ahem. LOTS and LOTS of variations, and the more video you see, the more of them you’re going to find.
The variations are not a casual thing. Each variation means something a little different; the little shifts matter, they manifest in differences in attitude and application. For that reason, winnowing out a recognizable curriculum from amongst all the variations is a formidable task, and you see it happening before your eyes in this DVD, especially with Lanka Dua. Throw in supplementary explanation of a lot of the basic material — breathing attitudes, drills, refinements and corrections to the forms practice, use of the tiga, etc., and you’ve got a good idea of what’s here. Oh, and, as always, LOTS of applications.
All of it’s invaluable; not a wasted minute anywhere. The section on Lanka Dua struck me as particularly helpful. I bought the earlier Lanka Dua DVD when it came out some years ago, and got great use out of some of the material, but found other parts very hard to follow. The supplementary discussion here answers a number of my questions and clarifies some things I would not have thought to ask about.
The section on Pai Yun focuses on Guru Joe Judt’s version of the form–as with everything else, a little different from others. I’ll come back to this again and again; the energy (for lack of a better word) Guru Judt brings to the form is notable; it has a solidity to it that I hadn’t seen in other (no less valid, just different) expressions.
The latter portion of the video, nearly half, is shot indoors in what appears to be the exercise room of a motel or apartment complex. In this portion, SiGung Steve goes over numerous tiger, monkey and dragon applications, explaining some of the finer points of the animal attitudes. In the last minute or two, the sound drops out, but you can see the applications just fine.
The video closes with the introductory lecture that is also found in the first Distance Learning set, addressing the history and makeup of the system, and giving an overall orientation to practice as a lifestyle.
An absolutely indispensible tool for us distance-learning folk.