Sunday – Buki Waza / Weapons techniques
This class of the seminar started for selfish reasons. Many times over the last year I would have a good class or a personal epiphany expressing close quarters control concepts through the sword. I would discuss it with Marc or Rory and they would say something like that’s cool, try this. Or I wish I could work this with you. So I decided that when they came back to town I would set aside an entire day to do just that. For less selfish reasons, I decided this should be the first class in the seminar because it will touch on fundamental principles that will be discussed in detail throughout the seminar.
Because the Violence Dynamics Seminar is principle based it can be applied to any martial art or defensive tactics system.
In order to facilitate this cross training and to prepare for physical activity our warm up is going to focus on basic motion.
There are only so many ways a human body can move. This should help form a reference frame work to help you relate the principles to your previous training.
Learning Goal:
Using a sword exposes losses in the power chain that may not be apparent without a sword. Therefore the learning goal of this clinic is to gain deeper understanding of martial art principles by expressing solid fundamentals through the use of the sword
Specific Training Objectives:
Students will demonstrate working knowledge of:
· Reactionary Gap
· Structure
· Movement
· Power Generation
· Natural Human Stress Reactions
· OODA Loop
· Counter Ambush
· Operant Conditioning (Response Tree)
· Dead man’s 8
· Golden Technique
· Efficient Motion (Over in Three)
It was cool to see Marc and Rory use European sword techniques too
Monday – Conflict Communications
Things you have always known/ perceived your whole life but struggled to put into words or describe to others. Con Com established a base line common language / lexicon of violence. Understanding behavior patterns in yourself helps you, avoid violence from others and articulate why you had to act if violence can’t be avoided. Great for those who get paid to be where others can avoid violence
Charlie's Angels
Tuesday – Force Physics / Martial mechanics
The best way I can sum up this day is that it is not about adding more power, it is about removing every thing that robs you of power
Here are some of my favorite lessons from Tuesday’s class
Offense does NOT mean pain
Destroy his ‘supply lines’
Remove what he needs to attack or resist
You are NOT adrenaline’s punk
Walking and chewing gum at the same time
Functioning under adrenal stress
Muscle memory is a lie
How long to ingrain a reaction?
How long to ingrain proper mechanics?
Then to reliably do it under adrenaline
The same dynamics, but instead of 1,2,3
it’s 1,2,3,4,5,6
The more you add, the harder it is
(My ideas on this for training military and possibly children will be a future blog)
Turning hard into soft
Putting ‘english’ onto the cueball so he falls softly
Lands in a cuffing position
Buffet of pain
The return trip to good behavior is ALWAYS free
Pain and injury only occur while he is attacking
Never while he is complying
Wednesday and Thursday were spent on defensive tactics
Rory gave a great break down on use of force law and policy. The training was principle based not technique specific. The focus of the drills was to train officers to find opportunities refining better individual officers. Increasing the ability to improvise under combat stress
Example
Instead of teaching a specific joint lock take down, show how a joint (hinge, socket, floating) can be locked(only so many ways each) then drill taking any joint lock you are gifted
Friday
Friday’s day class was limited to a very few operators only. I won’t discuss much about this class. I will say that the information disseminated in this class can only be gained at great personal risk through up close human interpersonal violence. That kind of information comes with a price. I am very grateful that Marc is willing to deal with subject matter that brings back hard memories so that current operators can benefit from his hard earned 1st hand information.
Friday’s evening class was edged weapons defense. During the week we developed a habit of debriefing the day over scotch and cigars. During Friday night’s debrief Rory summed up this class best. “This is one of handful of knife defense classes that isn’t stupid or suicidal”. High praise from Rory, especially when you consider how many people out there are teaching knife defense classes that fit soundly in the other category.
Saturday - Logic of violence
In a week full of fantastic classes, this is probably my favorite class. Rory is onto something very important here and I see big things for him in the future. Having said that I don’t want to steal any of his thunder here. At the same time I want to encourage everyone reading this to seek out this training. So, I’ll let slip a little sneak peek (I checked with Rory to make sure it was cool with him first)
Logic of violence asks the questions (Socratic) the participants come up with their own answers. Batman said, “Criminals are a cowardly, superstitious lot.” Criminals are human just like the rest of us. When you come up with your own answers to questions criminals face you begin to see the logic behind their actions. Cowardly and superstitious is just the best way to get the job done. Seeing the logic makes them much more predicable and shows you where you are at risk.
An example I witnessed on Saturday
Who is your nightmare opponent?
- Bigger
OK, How much bigger ?
– 3 weight classes up
UFC weight classes:
- Heavyweight - Over 205 lbs. to 265 lbs.
- Light Heavyweight - Over 185 lbs. to 205 lbs.
- Middleweight - Over 170 lbs. to 185 lbs.
- Welterweight - Over 155 lbs. to 170 lbs.
- Lightweight - Over 145 lbs. to 155 lbs.
So 60 to1 00 pounds heavier
- Stronger
OK, How much stronger?
50%
- Meaner – disregards the rules, wants to hurt you
Fighting this guy would suck!
Now let’s give him the 1st attack by surprise from behind. (cowardly and superstitious)
Do you have anything that can handle this nightmare?
This nightmare is what women face every minute of every day
If you don’t have anything that can beat that nightmare opponent, what are you teaching as women’s self defense?
My thoughts were
If pulling guard and trying for some half assed submission wouldn’t work against a guy 100 lbs heavier, 50% stronger and actively doing everything he can to injure you how the hell are you going to teach pulling guard as a rape defense?
Sunday – subtle power generation and environmental fighting
This class was my favorite physical class. It is very hard to put into words and has to be experienced hands on. Another reason there aren’t many scrolls / books passed down through the years. The good stuff has to be passed down hands on teacher to student. Your body is capable of generating huge amounts of force naturally.
Without any special training everyone has 1000’s of reps of:
- Walking
- Sneezing
- Puking
This training shows you how to deliver that naturally generated force into an opponent.
It just science, when I say force I don’t mean like power of the force touchy feely metaphysical bullshit. But watching it, it looks like “chi magic” out of an anime flick
Kama..Hama...HAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!
Summary
Those of you have read my blog for any amount of time or rolled with me know I’m a pop culture guy. Rory said he could never watch enough TV to understand what I’m talking about, but he was raised by coyotesJ. It’s just easier for me to remember something if I relate it to a visual image. Make connections to previous information. Having said that the best way I can summarize the week and the instructors is to make connections to pop culture archetypes in martial arts movies.
Marc
Everyone has seen a kung fu movie where the teacher doesn’t look like much (not physically intimidating) and he has the student doing some mundane task that seems in no way related to martial arts. Inevitably the young impatient student gets pissed at learning “nothing”. Then the master shows him how that “nothing” applies to martial art, and the student crushes a concrete table, or……throws someone twice their size through a wall
Learning from Marc was kind of like that kung fu master character. Marc gives different things easy-to-remember names (sneezing/puking/wag your dick at him) so people can remember and apply them naturally. What hand work or what you apply the motion for is entirely up to you. Making you a better you not a poor copy of him
Rory
Rory is very good at asking you smart questions. He reminded me of the archetypical Zen master asking Koans. Anyone can spit out easy answers. Good teachers get you to find the answers on your own.
Here is an example, cops (anyone who uses force professionally) not seeking out training on their own is a pet peeve of mine. I asked why don’t more cops train.
Rory asked me when I started training.
I replied 18.
Rory said, so you started in that magic sweet spot between 16-18 after you discovered girls but before you had a chance with them and have been training ever since.
Your addictive personality is asking why non addicts aren’t addicted?
Oh, when you put it like that it makes perfect sense.
So out of that two strategies formed for me. 1 advertise to the 16-18 year old demographic. 2 offer class times that work for overnight shift workers (more on this in future blogs)
What I took from the seminar
- Buffet of pain
- If I have to put my hands on some one every motion I do should direct force into them until the situation is resolved (the trip to good behavior is always free).
- Example - A grab is wasted motion. a strike that holds on is buffet of pain. Getting close with me should like getting close with a buzz saw.
- Short range power generation + mass = holy shit!
- Train others to be masters of improve
- Play more Sensei less
- I don’t need to watch to make sure they are doing the technique right. I need to play with them, force them to make it work on me. What ever they do to make it work on me is right.
- Spend more time playing with principles
- Allow students to find the principles in the techniques for themselves. That way the own it from that moment on
Great seminar!, everyone reading this really needs to find away to train with these guys. Hopefully in Minnesota
Train hard, Train smart, Be safe
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