Gatorgrip's Review

[GatorGrip]

Hi they call me GatorGrip and I just recently returned to the art of unbraced steel bending after a 3 year layoff. I have certified on many challenge bars from FBBC and other personally bought steel of the same caliber give or take a few pounds of yield strength. I found my niche was short steel bending from 3.5” grade 5 bolts to the famous FBBC Insane bar of 5/16” Crs at a length of 4.5” inches. So the bottom line is I know a bit about bending. A dear friend sent me Jedd Johnson’s new Nail Bending instructional dvd as a motivator for my return to battling with the steel. I learned alot on my own through trial and error getting the wraps tightened and finding my optimal bending style and tweaking it to squeeze out every bit of energy into the bar that I intended to bend. I learned some from other accomplished steel benders by taking written direction and viewing countless video clips of their bends. Needless to say my progression was slowed by the great learning curve I had to overcome. Now what I can say about Jedd’s Bending instructional video is that it takes you through step by step with very in-depth instruction on everything from wrap selection and the wrapping procedure itself to the proper form used in the covered bending styles. He doesn’t just give you a “this is the only way it can be done” he gives you sound reasoning why the way he is showing you has proved to be the most optimal for the most people who have excelled at their particular style of bending.

It describes the various bending techniques in depth and in a way that a novice can understand and even a veteran can gain little points that will help tweak their own technique. He covers such important things like finger placement, bar positioning in the hands and shoulder or arm angle just to name a few. Having an instructional dvd to refer back to for direction as you try new styles can save you a lot of time and help accelerate your progress in that style of bending be it DO, DU, Reverse. One of the many things I like about the video is that constant adherence to sound instruction that will save you from making common mistakes that will lead to some type of injury. Not only is Jedd an expert bender but a fitness professional that extends far beyond just the world of bending steel. His education and accomplishments in the strength sport gives him a platform to speak from real world knowledge.

He not only instructs on the art of bending in various styles superbly but also lets you in on an arsenal of supplementary exercises that will not only strengthen the tendons, ligaments and muscular structures required to be the best bender you can be but can prevent injury. As a bender that has had his share of injury all I can say is prevention is the key to keeping your bending progress moving forward and not come to a grinding halt for quite some time while healing from an injury of the structures of the joint, tendons, ligaments and muscular tissue. I have seen some very strong benders not take this into account and eventually damage something enough to literally stop them from bending period. Don’t let this happen to you because with this dvd provides you with the knowledge to progress towards your goal while preventing sidelining injuries. Bending steel is almost a primal urge deep inside to destroy or conquer an object that was never intended to be bent by human strength, willpower and determination. I think bending steel has many benefits that go along with it and here are just a few.

1) The strengthening of the mind and building confidence of what you are really capable of beyond what you may have initially thought possible.

2) Bending literally gives you an immediate trophy for your efforts that seems to be in suspended animation representing all the might and effort you put into conquering the particular piece of steel

3) It gives you those all-important ego boosters knowing you have done something worth doing that the majority of the world would never take part in for all kinds of weak reasoning’s of the mind.

I can say that in my experience in the bending game for several years I have never seen such a complete package of sound bending knowledge in one product nor have I seen such a detailed script of information given on everything from the basics to the advanced practices of the art of bending. If I was a beginner before any steel was bought or bent I would set down and absorb all the information contained on this dvd. This product will help you reach your bending goals faster, help one have the best chance to stay t injury free and progressing towards your next personal record with confidence. This is a product that has been needed to fill a void for a long time and I have to commend Jedd Johnson for taking on such an in depth project while never letting even the most elementary details slip through the cracks. As for the intermediate or even advanced benders of our sport there is something to learn from this dvd that could help break you out of a plateau, remedy a nagging injury or motivate you to make your own personal commitment to reach a goal you have always wanted to accomplish in the bending world. I feel privileged to now be an owner of an almost priceless composition of bending knowledge that has ever been put in one place.

GATOR - Just my 2 cents, maybe a dollar and 2 cents -- lol

[bencrush]

Great review Kel!