8.0

Human Weapon the Complete Season One

Though it ran for just a single season on the History Channel, Human Weapon featured a simple yet effective premise and was one of the more entertaining offerings from the station sometimes dubbed, not entirely inaccurately, ‘the Hitler Channel’.

Consisting of 16 one-hour episodes spread over four discs, the series follows mixed martial artist Jason Chambers and former wrestler and footballer Bill Duff, a hulking mountain of a chap, as they travel the world exploring all manner of fighting styles.  Each episode begins with an introduction into the particular region’s martial art, and shows footage of its exponents sparring and training.  The two hosts then undergo the tutelage of the discipline’s most experienced adherents, before one of the pair then undergoes an actual fight with a representative of the episode’s chosen style. 

The fighting styles featured, and the locations travelled to, are as follows: 

Muay Thai - Thailand

Eskrima - Philippines

Karate -  Japan

Savate - France

Judo - Japan

Pankration - Greece

Krav Maga - Israel

Marine Corps Martial Arts - United States

Mixed Martial Arts - United States

Kung Fu - China

Sambo - Russia

Pradel Serey - Cambodia

Silat - Malaysia

Ninjutsu - Japan

Taekwondo - South Korea

In addition to featuring tips from the masters of each style, the episodes outline the origins and historical context of each martial art.  They also feature motion capture repeats of key manoeuvres and stunning footage of some of the world’s most beautiful and exotic locations.  Furthermore the two hosts have a real rapport, and though the only thing on the line is pride each fight undertaken by the pair captures a real element of drama and suspense. 

The series also features some truly inspirational moments, such as an exchange with French Savate champion Gilles Le Duigou, who tells of one bout against a Japanese challenger in which he suffered two broken arms.  Rather than giving up, Le Duigou simply adjusted his fighting style to increase the speed and efficiency of his legwork, eventually winning on points.  When asked why he refused to concede in spite of the severity of his injuries (footage of the bout shows the damaged bones all but poking through the skin of his forearms) he replied simply ‘Because I don’t like defeat.  I don’t like it.’ 

All in all this expansive, well-crafted series will have much to offer fans of boxing, self-defence and martial arts, and may just find you practising a move or two in the relative safety of your living room.  Excellent stuff. 

Special Features

Isolated footage of the main techniques and fights depicted in each episode.