Back in the saddle

So, anything newsworthy happen since the last blog post?

I don't mean to make light of recent tragedies, it is just sometimes if you don't laugh you start to cry.

Clearly many things have happened locally and across the nation since the last Budo Blog.
Also the last Budo Blog was like "War and Peace" long.

Randy King gave me some good advice along the lines of - no one besides people that already know you and like your blog are going to read your posts if it takes them 45 minutes to read it.

Too long didn't read  - can keep good information from getting to folks that may need it.

Clearly many things have happened, this blog helps me process those things.  It also has to be of use to everyone that may read it, and presented in a way that can be more easily consumed.

So, this will be "Back in the saddle" Vol 1

I spent a lot of time in the saddle last week.  Driving from northern Minnesota down to Mankato (southern Minnesota) to pick up Rudenick Sensei.  Then continuing on to St. Louis for the USMAA National Training Camp.

I had my phone plugged into the radio playing every Metallica and AC/DC song there is or listening to classic rock radio on Pandora when Rudenick Sensei had clearly had enough of the deep cuts of Metallica's early work

Driving cross country listening to classic rock with an old bearded guy....reminded me of an episode of Supernatural.

Clearly I am Dean

I love training camp.  It is a great opportunity to see old friends and spend time with family.  Both the family you are born into and the one you chose.

It is a great opportunity to get away from it all.  Molly's description of Valhalla.  For the next three days all I am going to do is fight and feast.  Turns out it was a good time to get away from it all.

On the road, busy training, disconnected from media I had no idea what was going on.

Things have been going really well for me on the Beyond Batman training project.  I did not want travel to throw a monkey wrench into those gears.  So I started camp at 0500 with a sandbag strength workout.

{Sand bag product review to follow}

We made it through St. Louis traffic and road construction just in time to get a coffee at the hotel coffee shop and get our gis on before camp started.

The camp started with an opening ceremony and this year an awards ceremony.  Awards from the Katamedo Jujitsu Training and Nutrition page.  Omar Ahmad started the page as a place to share nutrition, fitness, and training information with the purpose of encouraging members to strive to be their best and in doing so inspire their students and others that observe their efforts.

I won the award this year.  Not so much that I worked harder or had better results than the others.  I think I won on the sheer volume of selfies I posted

Here is a screen shot of the photos from that page, except for Omar's giant calf they are all me

I was honored to be recognized for my efforts.  Now I have to work even harder to hold on to the title

"This is not last year and I am not done here" - Rob Bailey

Training camp started with Kurt (Barnacle Boy)Valdez teaching Tae Kwon Do in the main room 

Here is a picture of Kurt getting whooped by his lovely wife.  

The couple that throws together grows together

On the other mat Steve Jimerfield Sensei was starting his Talon class

 Nothing brings back the PTSD... I mean memories like taking ukemi for the Talon class.

After that Omar Ahmad was up for self defense, and I got to switch from being beat up by Jimerfield to being beat up by Omar.

Great class!  The focus was on counter ambush from behind and follow up.  Fighting to the goal, in this case the goal was escape.  Also addressing situational awareness and the need to keep yourself from being buried in your phone when you are out in public.

This would come up again in the Jujitsu test and in the Violence Dynamics class I presented later in the camp.

Omar's class worked great to set up mine which gave me more time to play.
I was very pleased with how the class went, everyone worked hard, and seemed to learn something and have fun.  It seems arrogant to review my own class so instead I'll give you part of the lesson plan to review what was covered

Training Goal:
To use Aikido as a mechanism to play with fundamental principles that are useful to all participants regardless of their primary training system

Learning Objectives:
Participants will demonstrate proficiency in:
Oyo Waza Practical Application
Kansetsu Waza Joint Locks
Nage Waza         Takedowns
Osae Komi Pins
Atemi Waza         Striking
Jyu Waza         Free Style

Timeline
Discussion 5 Min
Hinge Joints – Hiji Hishigi (Elbow Crush) 5 Min
Takedown (2 variations)       10 Min
Pin         5 Min
Gliding Joints
Pressure Test and Jyu Waza 5 Min
Tomiki Aikido / Judo Discussion

Ball and Socket Joints – Ude Garami 5 Min
(Arm Entanglement)
Takedown (2 variations)        10 Min
Pin         5 Min
Pressure Test and Jyu Waza 5 Min

Debrief
What is your take away?         5 Min

Discussion

Aikido is a form of Jujutsu.  When you break it down Aikido is primarily:
Joints Locks – Kansetsu Waza
Throws – Nage Waza
Pins – Osae Komi
Striking – Atemi Waza
Practical Application – Oyo Waza
Ahmad Sensei just did a fantastic class on self defense.  Which makes my job easier.  We will work everything from counter ambush or from offense covering Oyo Waza and Atemi Waza.
From there we will work the fundamental principles of how locks work.  That way you won’t have to memorize any techniques, rather you will be able to improvise locks when the opportunity presents itself.
That is known as Takemusu Aiki or spontaneous technique.
That is regarded as the highest level of Aikido.  That is also the concept I believe Makoid is referring to when he speaks of “Old Man Judo”.

From there we will use locks to take Uke down covering Nage Waza.  Finally we will maintain the locks to pin Uke on the ground covering Osae Komi.

I have found people learn best through play, and feeling things for themselves.  Feeling is believing is an old Aikido maxim.  So we will play with these ideas through several different pressure testing methods and freestyle variations.

We will be using Aikido as a mechanism to play with fundamental principles that are useful to all participants regardless of their primary training system

Nathan Corliss was nice enough to take Ukemi for me

That is him working his way out of a choke with a Talon

We discussed camp afterwards, the following is a paraphrased version of what he had to say

Many have  commented to me they make the effort to attend yours and Gary's classes. It's some of those little details and variations that help adapt to our differences.

I know that's the case for me too. I had specific people I wanted to attend, You, Gary and Jimerfield.

Its the body mechanics work and methodology of teaching technique that appeals, Its broken down well and helps me to pass on techniques to others who don't train.

I'm also glad you discussed the basics of social and asocial violence. Important topic for others to think about levels of force to apply when necessary and how avoidable some are.

Kurt was going over it in class last night. Working the ambush getting to that dead angle then, do what you wish. At least you know its being passed on.

After my class Ron Treem taught a Karate class while I continued to get beat up by Jimerfield Sensei

The next class was taught by Michael Makoid Sensei.

I enjoy Makoid Sensei's instruction especially "old man Judo".  This was one of the best classes at camp. The focus was principle based Judo.  Specifically structure and power generation.  Makoid Sensei had different Instructors show their favorite version of Tai Otoshi (Body Drop)

Using Tai Otoshi as a delivery method Makoid Sensei demonstrated that no matter the variation of the throw, the principles that made Tai Otoshi work were the same.  

That is a tough act to follow.  Following that act was Eric Holien

Getting to know and roll with Eric was one of my favorite parts of camp this year.

I recognized his name as a Facebook friend, but I guess a part of my brain didn't put it together that he was also from Minnesota until I saw he was scheduled to teach martial art aspects of western wrestling.

Martial art aspects of western wrestling?  Hell, those are a few of my favorite things.  Who is this guy that they have teaching that?  So I looked him up.

He is not all that far away from me.  It would be great to set up training opportunities.  I hope he is cool.  Please be cool

Eric was on a Military Wrestling Team while he was serving over seas with lots of competition experience, especially with Eastern Europeans.  (If you don't know Eastern Europeans have a well earned reputation as very tough grapplers)

What did Eric teach?  Principle based Wrestling (are you starting to see a trend here?)

That is the core of Katamedo Jujitsu.  The principles of the grappling arts are common, only the rules differ.  Whether the rules are department policy or rules of engagement for professional use of force, state statutes for personal protection or sport rules for competition in any grappling or mixed martial arts setting.

The most confident fighter is one who can compete on equal ground no matter what the rules.

For personal protection and professional use of force you have to be able to compete on equal ground no matter what the rules. Confidence in this is built through competence. Competence is built using modern sporting methods to prepare practitioners for the situations they will be called upon to face and train them to deal with those situations in the most realistic manner safely possible.

Eric had a great class.  Again I don't want to sound arrogant writing that I liked Eric's class because it is a whole lot like what I teach.  However, as I have written several times - If you use the chisel of successful application to remove everything that does not work what is left regardless of it's original source material is going to look pretty similar. Clearly there will be some variation do to different application and plain personal preference, but you will find similar forms to provide a specific necessary functions.

COOL! We can be friends

We can set up cross training and represent the north central region.

I guess I need to start taking some ginkgo biloba or start doing Sudoku or something to help the old memory.  It turns out that Eric is also in Law Enforcement and we actually competed against each other in a 2007 Jujitsu tournament.

That tournament is no longer held.  However, with Eric's competitive experience, if things go my way with the C.A.T.C.H. project maybe we will host a tournament to replace it.

Much, much more on that to follow.

The day ended with the testing board.  The test deserves more time than I have left in this blog.  So like a Quentin Tarantino flick I am going to go out of chronological order and come back to the test later.

After a long hard and fun day I was treated by my Sister Kay and her Husband Jim to a wonderful meal.  Then, as is tradition Rudenick Sensei and I enjoy a cigar and a "Marky Mark" in the back yard debrief the day and prepare for tomorrow.

On the road, busy training, disconnected from media, getting away from it all.
Good day, time to enjoy the Budo Buzz

My phone started blowing up with texts from friends on the tactical team.  Especially from one buddy in particular.  One buddy who's previous job was with the tactical team in Dallas Texas.

Now I knew what was going on...

Ok, so as promised I will break this blog into segments.  I will leave you with this dramatic cliff hanger.

Until next time

Train hard, Train smart, Be safe!