NZ Glen : BodyCombat fanatic

Okay, time for me to come clean here. This is probably the hardest review I’ve had to write, and I’ve now written full reviews on BODYCOMBAT releases all the way back to BC37. Truth is, I’ve put off writing this for a couple weeks… and the reason for that quite simply is I’m not really sure some of you are going to like or agree with what I have to say. Which of course is perfectly fine – if you disagree absolutely tell me! I just would prefer to write reviews that are completely glowing and are full of sunshine, flowers and skipping merrily in fresh meadows 🙂

The thing is, I know a lot of people appreciate the fact I tend to call a spade a spade, and whilst I was tempted to sugar coat this review a little, I’m just going to step out on a limb and call it as I see it. I know I could be in the minority here, and reading feedback on BODYCOMBAT 44 on the Les Mills forums I may well be. But, I’ve had a few messages on facebook from a few of you asking my opinion, and I’m sure no ones going to respect me for being nice just for the sake of it.

I mentioned in my filming post on BC44 that I hoped the release would grow on me. Some releases definitely do take time, I always think of BC39, I didn’t think that much of it at the filming and now I absolutely love it (Come With Me, Hardcore Angel, Cry For You and I Won’t Be Crying are some of my most played tracks ever!) So, I really wanted to give 44 a chance. And I have, I released over three weeks ago, I’ve taught the release in full over a dozen times now at multiple gyms all over the city (in fact of the five Les Mills franchised gyms in town I was invited to release at four of them). So yes, I’ve definitely given this release plenty of time to grow on me.

So, has it grown on me? Well for me the easiest determinant as to whether I love a release is how quickly I mix it out. Here we’re given the guidelines of 2-4 weeks after launch before we start mixing. BODYPUMP 74 for example, three weeks after release and I’ve still not mixed out a single track. In fact, in my last pump class I started by asking the class if they wanted to do it again or for me to pull out some older tracks and the answer was a resounding yes, they wanted to do the new release again. I was thrilled about that as I did too!

Looking back at my last review (43) I wrote “Let me put it this way – tonight is the first night I’m going to start mixing and the only cardio tracks I plan to mix out are 5 and 7. That’s saying A LOT! To my mind those are the weakest tracks of the release – the rest are stunning!” – yes I used the word “stunning” to describe a combat release! That was BC43 however, and that is definitely not a word I would use to describe BC44.

So, enough dilly dallying about with a long winded intro; What’s the deal with 44. Okay, truth is I found this release disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, there are a couple of parts of it I love, but, look at what I wrote about BC43 above – after 3 weeks I only planned to mix out two tracks. With BC44 after the two week mandatory period was up 4 tracks went immediately, and pretty soon after that 8 were gone (by request). In fact, for the first ever time in my almost 3 years of teaching combat I actually had a member come up to me in release week and ask how long we “had” to do the release for. To my mind that really just solidifies the fact that BC44 just doesn’t have the “wow factor” of previous releases. And please don’t think my members are feeling that way because I’m not trying to sell the release. I give every class my absolute all, in fact my good friend Raina came down from Auckland two weeks ago and participated in one of my combat classes. Being a close friend (and also being someone who attends the filming classes in Auckland with me) she knows I’m not really sold on the release – yet came up to me afterwards and said there is no possible way anyone could’ve known I’m not a fan – I really do give it my all.

So, here’s my 2 cents on the release on a track by track basis:

Warmup: Brighter Day (Monday 2 Friday Remix) – Yanou / Use Somebody – Ultrabeat

Warmups are far more music driven for me than any of the other tracks (possibly with the exception of a cooldown) as the choreography is always very basic, and musically I like it. I admit I had my doubts about using a remix of Use Somebody so soon after we had it as a cooldown in BC40, but the versions are so different it’s not a factor at all. I do have a couple of wee comments, but they are very minor. I do prefer warmups without combinations, for example I’d prefer solid upper cuts followed by solid hooks as opposed to combining the two. The reason for this is it’s much simpler to give set up cues when you’re only doing one movement. What I mean by that is if we are only doing uppers I can just say things like “target is under the chin” “elbows in” “drop your shoulder…” etc and it’s obvious what move I am talking about as we’re only doing one. But, if we are doing a combination I have to specifically state “on your upper cut your target is under the chin yada” then cue the hook in the same way “on your hook target is the side of the jaw, rotate your hip, lift your heel etc”. Just means I have to specify specifically what move to which I am referring and makes cueing a touch more complicated than it needs to be on the warmup (hey, I did say it was a minor point!). Same goes for the lower body warmup – the back knee front kick combo just makes cueing a little more difficult than when we have these moves individually. Just means we have to say more, and I’ve always been of the opinion ‘less is more’ when you’re teaching – you need to leave time for what you’ve said to land. But, I’m just being really picky. I do like the warmup so let’s just leave it at that!

Track 2: Energy – Shinedown

Okay, hand in the air I’ll admit I am not a fan of this track at all. Just feels like a mess. I don’t particularly like the “decoy” – even though it’s (apparently) derived from Tae Kwon Do (I have a black belt in TKD and I don’t ever recall this move being a staple in the martial art – but it was a few years ago now). Someone mentioned in a comment on this very blog that when we change the tempo up on the decoys they become too fast to do correctly and they have a point, for a lot of people they kinda turn into switches before the jab. The front kick off the back leg is a nice touch though, and I hope they incorporate that more into future releases, but for me musically and chorey wise this track just doesn’t work. Hopefully many of you disagree.

Track 3: The Time Of Our Lives – Sy & Unknown featuring Lou Lou

Yep, I do like this one. Definitely not as climatic as some of the past power training tracks (it doesn’t build and go off like Send Me an Angel, Poison or Sweetheart as an example) but it is a good track (perhaps those tracks set my expectations too high?). The track seems longer to me than it actually is – perhaps due to the fact it’s five rounds. But yeah, solid track 3 and one you can have a bit of fun with due to the “you and I could fly…” lyrics.

Track 4: Paint It Black 2009 – Masif DJ’s / GIA (Skitz Clubb Mixx) – Despina Vandi

Definitely this is one of the tracks that has grown on me. My only minor gripe is that there’s so much going on in the track that when there’s new people in the class there’s a lot of stuff to cue, and it seems that just as they get the movement right and it changes; moves like the shoot, ginga, jump kick, do take a few goes to get the hang of, would be nice if we did them a little longer before swapping to another. The shoot after the knees feels far more natural than the other way around (as we did in BC43), and the ‘double shoot’ is a bit of a killer on the ol legs. Quick question though, have many of you experienced any lower back discomfort from this track? I’ve had a couple of members mention that to me, and I’ve checked their technique and it’s all good – just wondering if it’s a common occurrence. The shoot is a very crafty way to incorporate lunges into combat, and it feels far more ‘combatty’ doing them this way than the way we did them in say “Don’t Ya Wanna Feel”. Solid track.

Track 5: Ignorance – ToneTonic

LM cover of the Paramore track. Nope, not a fan here either. This track is just all over the show. Chorey feels uneven, and I’m just not a big fan of loads of running in combat (ironically I love the running in BODYATTACK, I just feel attack has a much more natural fit). But we better get used to it as there’s loads of running in the track 5 in BODYCOMBAT 45 as well. Track fives in recent releases are always the weak point of the class for me and again this is no exception (and again that’s the case in BC45 too sadly). Perhaps if I was a Twilight fan I’d feel differently? This track again just feels like a bit of a mess to me. Notice the sound effects are back though??

Track 6: ìNessun Dormaî – Lacrima

Interesting one this one. I don’t dislike it, and I don’t love it. I think perhaps D&R are starting to maybe try to be a little too clever here. Track 6 in BC43 was a great track, almost every one just LOVED it immediately and raved and raved about it; maybe they felt they had to outdo themselves with something equally as clever? Hmmm… Opera in combat, still not sure about it personally. However, the classes aren’t about me and the peeps seem to love it! Though, in my last combat class I gave them the option of doing it again or doing another one and “pirate track” was the resounding response. It’s definitely a recovery track, you’ll find your heartrate drops considerably. Also, is it just me or is there a lot of lateral shuffling in this release? (warmup, track 2, and track 6).

Track 7: Metal Kombat For The Mortal Man – ColorBox

I feel like a bit of a broken record here but again this track hasn’t blown me away. Again, I don’t hate it, but I definitely don’t love it and I do feel that something REALLY special could’ve been done with a Mortal Kombat theme and this missed the boat a little bit. I think the problem is that the track doesn’t really “peak” like my favourite muay thai tracks (Hardcore Angel, So What!, Raver’s Paradise, Let the Beat Control Your Body.. I could go on and on). Just falls a little flat for me. It’s just missing a part that you can really sink your teeth into a just “go off” to. Again like track 5 did you notice the added sound effects? We might be slowly going back to the days of Natha and Gabby (ding ding anyone! ;))

Track 8: Your Shining (Hixxy Remix) – Styles & Breeze

Now we’re talking! Peak of the class, absolutely 100%. I loved this track at the filming, and I still love it now. It’s loooong (longest track 8 ever in fact) but that’s all good as it rocks! Builds and builds and is a climatic end to the cardio part of the class. Not to mention the first few times you launch it – the looks on peoples faces when they realise the track isn’t over… priceless! Love the track and love the chorey. Love it so much in fact that I’m willing to let the grammatical error in the track title slip by 😉 Seriously awesome, and really in my mind the one track that absolutely saves this release from being very average.

Track 9: Put Your Hands On Me – Crookers feat Kardinal Offishall & Carla-Marie

I have a personal theory about the inclusion of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in combat that stemmed from a little thing Dan said along the lines of “we wanted to put it somewhere and this felt like the best place” – it kinda seems to me that they are doing BJJ classes, and need to justify that by including it (somewhere) in combat. As it’s a ground fighting style it really can’t go anywhere but here. Does it work? No. To be blunt it’s a fricken nightmare. My combat classes are pretty much packed and there’s just no room in the GF room for the “walking komodo dragon with an alligator pushup” – never mind the fact that there’s also not much room to do it on the stage! Here’s the other thing, if you watch the DVD the intro for this track is 3 minutes long. The track itself is 3 minutes long – so we’re spending as much time introducing a move as we are doing it? (well, actually considerably more in reality considering the komodo dragon/alligator pushup is only done for 2 sets of 4!). It’s overly complicated, requires too much space, requires too much of an introduction, and to be honest isn’t even that much of a workout. I’m sorry to be overly harsh here but I really think this track crashed and burnt. When I started mixing for the first time, and announced “no komodo dragon today” the class actually cheered! (I’m not kidding!) Unfortunately, we might have to get used to that move as I can’t see it going anywhere anytime soon…

Track 10: Doesn’t Mean Anything – Alicia Keys

Not too much to say about a cooldown, but like the music, nice song to bring your heartrate down, not too much kata, good cooldown… still using it now in fact.

So, I’d really like your feedback here. I’ve spoken to other instructors locally and they feel pretty much the same about this release… but what do you think? Am I being a bit hard on it? I know there’s always going to be absolute combat lovers who love anything and everything that’s put out – and yes, perhaps I am getting a bit cynical in my old age. In short I just feel this release whilst is okay, really only had one track that blew me away (t8). Reading my review of BC43 I used words to describe different tracks like “stunning!, EPIC!, Love it!, FANTASTIC!, and Awesome!” – in my review of BC42 I used words like “Great track, Love this one! etc.”, BC41 “Officially my new favourite track 2!, Awesome finish…” but in BC44 my adjectives are far more toned back because the release for me just doesn’t “rock” like any of the more recent ones. In fact looking back I can’t think of any releases I prefer less until we get back to the early 30s. But, I’m only one person and this is only one opinion.

As always would love to hear your thoughts (if you disagree seriously put me in my place here…) 😀