Hi Chipp - the Blend command in Rhino has options for setting different continuity levels on either side of the blend, and one of the options is just "position" continuity rather than making it smooth at all. That tutorial used that particular feature of disabling smoothness in the blend just on one side of it. Also it's not meant to go all around in one shot, you'd do the blend in 2 steps just one side at a time.

- Michael