Evolutionary Self-Protection

Consterdine, Peter. Powerkick. Protection Publications.

Review: Powerkick:
by Josh Nixon, ESP

This review is part two of a two-part series. Part one is here.

As we’ve come to expect from a British Combat Association video, this one begins with a very important point – that kicking above the legs is generally a bad idea in real combat. While this is common knowledge to all who have received good training in self-protection, for many it may still not be, so it’s important to raise awareness on this issue.

That said, the most important thing to realise about this video is that it isn’t just a method for power generation – it’s a method for power generation within the parameters of maintaining a square-on upper-body position as best as one can while kicking. In terms of hook kicks, this is difficult but in this video Peter Consterdine presents his method for getting power into kicking while trying not to compromise one’s stability of structure. The importance, in this method, of the hands’ motion and that of the upper body in general is emphasised.

Following on from the previous Powerstrike (reviewed here), effective lineups for the kicking is gone through logically and accessibly, along with tactical information on useful targets to pick out for kicking once you’ve set them up well. There’s also a truly insightful nugget of information about flinch responses and reactions that I had never realised before I watched this, so it taught me something potentially very useful that I might not have otherwise realised! I won’t say what it is here of course – buy the video if you want to know!

As with all the best methods of striking, a biomechanical approach and an awareness of tension and relaxation is what this is video’s teachings are built on and as such I definitely recommend it as a worthy addition to anyone’s collection.

This video is available on DVD or for digital download (much cheaper, understandably) from http://www.peterconsterdine.com/store.htm. Further information and a download link can also be found at http://www.peterconsterdine.com/powerkick.htm.