Review of Andre Martin Special Forces 6 DVD set

By Jamie O’Keefe

Andre Martin asked me if I could review his DVD set in an honest and non bias way. I have known Andre for many years and know him both as a doorman of 14 years in Coventry and as a martial artist. I have never been involved with Special Forces training and know nothing of Andre’s involvement within that arena, so I wanted to watch this DVD set in full and form my own opinion of what I see.

These are the themes of each individual DVD. It is split into two modules, with each module having three DVDs.

Module 1 d1- Closing the gap

Module 1 d2- Size equalizers

Module 1 d3- Termination

Module 2 d1 - real world scenarios 1

Module 2 d2 - real world scenarios 2

Module 2 d3 - weapon defences

The first thing I picked up on is that for the demonstrations, Andre’s training partner Mark is twice his size and much stronger. Andre is 5ft 5 in height which is a good example of the need for this system to work. If it didn’t then Andre would have his hands full.

When I first put the DVD on I did actually go and check that I had the right DVD because I was expecting a military type training scenario but was viewing, what looked to me, to be JKD or Wing Chun type basics. I’m no expert on JKD or Wing Chun but I’ve been around long enough and trained in enough systems to be able to indicate the nearest comparison when describing a fighting art. 

I was eager to fast forward to the Special Forces type training as its not something I do and love to learn new material. However I didn’t forward it as Andre did ask me to be honest and I couldn’t do that without viewing it properly in whole.

I watched the complete 6 DVD set and was confused. What I saw was a good set of DVDs showing JKD, Kali, Wing Chun style of attacks and defences, but could not see any relation to it being Special Forces training. Andre did mention a couple of times that he had trained Special Forces but that was in the same context as me saying that I had taught Shotokan Karate for a few years. If you read a book of mine or watched a DVD I had released and it focused on my time as a Karate man, you would be puzzled by what you were reading or viewing. Not to say that what I do now is not any good, its just not Shotokan Karate. That’s really how I see Andres DVD, its marketed by New Approach Publishing as being a Special forces training set, but its not that at all. What Andre has put on the DVDs is martial arts applied to in-house training and applied to the streets ect, but its not Special Forces training.

I wanted to say all the above to Andre but first I thought I would check out his website first and see what he himself is saying about this DVD set. His description is pretty honest of his own work and he is not marketing it as a Special Forces training set. It was quite clear then that the publicity material released by NAP was the only place that this set was being promoted as a Special Forces training type program.

So my respect is there for Andre being honest about his training methods. What he shows is valid as his interpretation of his training system being applied to a bigger person has its place. So if you are looking at getting this DVD set for its Special Forces content, you are likely to be disappointed. However if you want to see how a slight 5ft 5 guy defends against someone twice his size, probably twice his strength, using martial arts, then you can learn and enjoy what Andre has to offer.

Mod 1 - DVD 1 - Closing the gap

Basics

Fundamentals of the Salute cover-up

Mod 1 - DVD 2 - Size equalisers

How to double your striking power

How 8stone can hit out with 16 stone of power.

Open hand striking

The difference between putting the power of your strike into the opponents body opposed to just moving a strike pad for visual effect.

The difference between hammer fist and 'dropping’.

Adapting your stick weapon training to empty hand fighting.

Killing the cockroach, whipping.

How to use any stick or broom handle to practice your flow and body mechanics of empty hand strikes.

Demonstration of actual strikes to the head. Andre shows that even with protective headgear on an opponent twice his size, he floors his opponent three times using only about 20% of his ability. Then the palm and chin jab with even less impact but still flooring his opponent with ease.

Demonstrates how to actually make a fist.

Andre is also a boxing coach and shows and demonstrates the difference between the boxing point scoring punch methods, compared to the naked vertical fist method of punching.

Difference between western boxing cross and the vertical straight cross.

Straight blast machine gun punching. Analogy given of multiple punching using bicycle and car pistons in comparison with punching.

Difference between Thai boxers round kick compared to the street style whip style kick.

Using thigh kicks to destroy leg joints.

Front jab kicking.

Knee strikes at close range. Collapsing and breaking the knee. Attacking the nerve line in the thigh.

Elbows and head butts for the street, close clinching and controlling the attacker in close range.

Different types of gouging and clawing the eyes. Immobilising and clinching while fighting.

Module 1 DVD3- Termination

Dealing with the hook punch or Haymaker

Using the Salute and eye gouge

Dealing with kicks and flooring the opponent

Using knees

Using open hand slap strike to takedown

Using elbows to takedown

Using elbows to counter head butts

Using head twist and head butt to floor opponent

Using hammer fists against opponent

Using the power jab against attacker

Using hook punches and right cross against attacker

Using straight blast punching

Using front kicks, round kicks, inside thigh kicks against attacks

Defence and destruction

Head grabs and knees

Stamp kicks

Using all above against knife attacks

Module 2 DVD1 - real world scenarios 1

Colour codes

White - bad side of things

Yellow - switched on awareness

Orange - pre-fight mode being ready

Red - where pre action triggers take place

Action triggers

Recognising signs of aggression

Knowing your personal space

How pushing the aggressor’s chest will work against you

De-escalating fights verbally

4 pre-fight tips

Engaging the brain

Car jacking - how to deal with it. The right and wrong way to get in your own car for your personal safety.

Using peripheral vision. - Getting out the car safely

Using cash points (ATM’s) safely

The dangers around cash point if you are not switched on.

Module 2 DVD2 - real world scenarios 2

Using lifts/elevators safely and the dangers that surround this

Dealing with attacks in confined spaces such as stairs and doorways, with and without knives used against you.

Defending yourself in a restaurant type surroundings using inanimate objects within your defence.

Using knives, forks, plates in defence and how the level of defence must match the level of threat to you.

André speaks about training Special forces and Air martial’s.

Tips that have proved useful for Air Marshall’s.

Module 2 DVD3 - weapon defences

Empty handed defences against knife attacks.

Using disarms and the difference between this and retaining a knife

Looking at the premise of a stabber never shows and a shower never stabs.

Realising the risk from an attacker with a knife to it just being an attacker.

Eye gouging and attacking the eyes.

Dealing with baseball attacks.

Using Zero pressure in your defences.

Breaking it all down into three stages.

Dealing with bottle attacks

Removing, retaining and slapping away bottle attacks.

Closing the gap, off balancing and equalising the size.

Ends……………