Karate For Kids III

The third volume in the Karate for Kids series (the first was reviewed in VL-5/93), offers the inspiring--yet rather dangerously misleading--message that "a small child can defend himself against a large adult if he has to." There's a point at which technique bows to terribly unequal body mass, and that point comes during a demonstration of how to handle an attack from behind: the series of moves involves hitting the attacker so that he doubles over and then, from the side, bringing one's knee up into the attacker's chest. Some young knees can't reach that high; few would have the force necessary to disable a "large adult." Besides the questionable self-defense instruction, the tape begins with warm-ups and stretches (with references to exercises on earlier vols.), demonstrates a few moves and kicks, takes viewers through an extended form, and concludes with a brief pep talk on confidence. But that's only two-thirds of the way into the program: the last 10 minutes is out-takes, a song, and commercials for other Bright Ideas Productions. Karate Connection--Sport Karate: Self-Defense for Kids (VL-7/92) is still a better choice. Not a necessary purchase. (R. Pitman)