Sonnon's "Hardwork"

[bill fox]

3 disc set

overall impression - excellent. It's a 4 hour (on 3 discs) distillation of what I think was a 2-3 day seminar in Glasgow. You only see Sonnon teaching and demonstrating with the instructors, no wasted footage of participants drilling. Audio and visual quality is excellent, you can see and hear everything perfectly. I emailed with Scott yesterday and he said if you "get" this you don't need "Softwork" as this replaces it.

disc 1 - is more or less an over view of the general concepts of "flowfighting". This is where you're getting what was on Softwork updated. It becomes clear where it's progressing away from Systema into more it's own thing. The shock absorption which used to look more like Systema is "tighter", although that's a bad word since it's still about no tension. The constant mantra is "maintain structure" so the absorbion and movement is less noodly. It's very clear how it "works". Demonstrated in all ranges.

disc 2 - this is the cool disc. Good stuff on striking by Brandon Jones who obviously can punch like a chain whip. This is the part of Scott's stuff I really like, and IMO, really works. You see the progression directly from the clubbell/body flow drill, to the strike/kick whatever. Some interesting knife stuff from Scott Nice discussion of fienting ("credible threats").

disc 3 - this is the "bonus disc" - if you have the space or run a studio this is a nice concept of "warming up" for combatives. Kind of slow shuffling run which progressively adds some stepping, drop steps, shoulder rolls, etc...

I really like this stuff. If you don't, or you're not really into MA, you won't. If you like CBs or Scott's other stuff, this the definitive statement for now. He said they've improved it alot since this seminar, which I think was at least a year ago. One of the instructors, Joe Wilson, I think is going to put out stuff on different areas. To me well worth the $99.

[Fat Cat]

Hate to follow.

[Hagbard]

Nice review, thanks.

[Abandoned by Wolves]

Great review, Bill; that's exactly what I wanted to know about the package.

[Shafpocalypse Now]

Not the place for it, but it's a bit dissappointing to see Rmax go with the paid "members only" kind of thing.

I mean, most of the folks have bought everything Scott's made, and attended seminars, and really supported the "Tribe", and now they want them to pay an additional $100/years to be part of the "Tribe"?

Business goes on, I guess.

Despite all the explanations of it by the myriad CST coaches, it's still disappointing. I think the Rmax stuff is unique, and useful, and personally like Scott Sonnon and his work.

[Dave]

Not the place for it, but it's a bit dissappointing to see Rmax go with the paid "members only" kind of thing.

I mean, most of the folks have bought everything Scott's made, and attended seminars, and really supported the "Tribe", and now they want them to pay an additional $100/years to be part of the "Tribe"?

Business goes on, I guess.

Despite all the explanations of it by the myriad CST coaches, it's still disappointing. I think the Rmax stuff is unique, and useful, and personally like Scott Sonnon and his work.

Where did you see this $100/yr fee thing?

[cbel413]

It's just another way of making money "Matt Furey" style.

The "Program Design" part of the RMAX forum was free in the beginning but it seems he's following the way of Matt Furey's inner circle.

Just goes to show you, "It's all about the bottom line"!! That's it!!

Oh yeah the fame helps too!!!