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Copyright © 2003-2004 Phil Elmore, all rights
reserved.
Budo Sensei
A Product Review by Phil Elmore
Brian Turner of
Unique
Sport Training Systems International Ltd. sent me a Budo Sensei to review —
at his own expense. That indicates a tremendous amount of faith in
the product, a remarkably simple but possibly quite useful piece of exercise and
training equipment.
The Budo Sensei made a good first impression on me, too:
it comes nicely packaged in a very neat and convenient nylon carrying case.
As I write this, it is Wednesday, 4 September, 2002.
I am going to use the Budo Sensei as part of my regular training regimen for at
least a couple of weeks, after which I will review it here.
22 September, 2002
I’ve enjoyed working with the Budo Sensei for more than
two weeks, now. I’ve found it to be durable, practical, and above all,
portable. The plastic bag that comes with the color instruction text was a
useful addition, as it has helped save wear and tear on the booklet.
The simple but versatile door strap that comes with the
kit is a handy means of anchoring one end of a strap for use with the
recommended exercises. It is strong and was easy to use.
The instructions are quite detailed and depict a number of
exercises, focusing primarily on stretching and classical karate techniques.
I had no trouble adapting the Budo Sensei for my own uses, however. For
example, by hooking my feet in one end of each of the two elastic straps, I used
the other ends to do bicep curls.
I think perhaps my arms are a tiny bit too long for some
of the arm exercises illustrated in the Budo Sensei’s instructions, as the kit
is obviously a one size fits all proposition. I quite liked the bands,
however, for working with the legs. Attaching one end of a single strap to
each of my ankles, I was able to get a very good workout in my thighs and
calves, performing slow snap kicks and side kicks against the resistance.
Single arm exercises with one end of the strap anchored on a door were also easy
to do, allowing me to focus on the muscles need for vertical punches.
While I regularly work out with weights (thus making it
difficult to determine how much of my progress is attributable to the Budo
Sensei and how much is the workout machine), the nice thing about the Budo
Sensei is that I can use it no matter where I am, particularly if I can’t get to
the gym. Early on I attached a snap ring to the ring on the Budo Sensei’s handy
little carrier. I can hook it anywhere, usually storing it hanging from a
hook on the side of my dresser. I even carried it in my garment bag when
traveling on vacation. For those times when you start to feel the need for
a workout — you know, that flabby, lazy feeling you get when you’ve missed your
regular session for some reason — the Budo Sensei is a great way to work up a
sweat and get that familiar just-short-of-burning feeling back, toning your
muscles and improving your mood.
Brian at
Unique
Sport is very friendly and provides good customer service. I heartily
recommend the Budo Sensei for those not currently working out regularly — and
as a versatile and portable supplement for those who do.
Martial artists in particular,
but also those simply interested in health and fitness, will benefit from this
system.