Author: Ian Elliott
Rating:
The information on Tony Pacenski DVD's are always such class. The DVD is no exception, and could easily be purchased for 100 hundred dollars spite the production quality. The DVD is must buy for any one seeking to understand high level guard passing, and it's at steal for 25 bucks.

Author: Armbar man
Rating:
Tony is a great instructor!!!

Author: Keith Owen
Rating:
Tony Pacenski is an awesome instructor and competitor! -Keith Owen Pedro Sauer Black Belt

Author: Nathan Wagar
Rating:
I've waited a bit to write this review, as I have been slowly digesting it, working the techniques with different level partners, etc.

The production quality is still low, but it is higher than Professor Tony's seminar dvds, and honestly I am not much of a fanatic about production quality. It's clear enough to see every detail, and that's really all I care about. On to the meat...

This style of passing has actually changed my game and the way I pass guard. I am a small practitioner, and this system works very well on larger people, whether the lanky types with the freaky “replace-guard-out-of-no-where” shins or the stockier guys. There are basically two fundamental positions: the initial grip, and then the lockdown after you redirect the legs away from you to the opposite side. After recapping this material from the previous dvds, Professor Tony goes over a myriad of different ways to pass from that point, based on whether you want mount or the back, and depending on what grips the opponent uses. The cool thing is, if you do it right you nearly always have the pass to side control, but very often the back or mount is available to you. The bigger, stockier guys can't buck out of it, and the lankier guys can't replace because their legs are literally pointing to the opposite side. It's a nice cross between “looser” styles like the torreando, as well as the tighter passes like knee-through, etc. The torreando, for instance, is a great pass. However, it can be a real pain with guys that are good at placing their hands and replacing. This is where the concept of redirecting the legs all the way to the other side and locking their hips up really increases the percentage of completing the pass.

Because of this fusion of the concepts, it fits well with smash-passing, and Professor Tony goes on to cover how to use this approach to guard passing in conjunction with other, more traditional styles of passing.

One final note, pay attention to ALL the details when you work the material, no matter how small. I had the pleasure of visiting and doing a private with Professor Tony on the material found on the dvd, and the passing wasn't working for me initially based on a couple small details that were in fact covered on the dvd but that I had overlooked. Once I got that cleared up, I started hitting this all the time at my own gym.

And really, that is the highest praise I can give this dvd. Professor Tony takes a lot of moves that you have seen in isolation elsewhere and systemizes the approach so that you can actually add it to your own game. This stuff works; I have pulled it off on every belt level from white to black. The initial grip point of reference can be found everywhere, from half guard to De La Riva, so if you get lost passing the open guard, this system of passing is often available. I almost never got to the back as part of my game before I started working this material. I highly recommend this dvd.