Wednesday, December 16, 2020

This is the way part 2 - Training



Last blog I said I would explain what I have been doing since May in a series of blogs.
Train - Lift - Shoot - This way

This blog lets focus on TRAIN

What have I been doing since May?

Well...

By pushing the limit of what was "allowed" I was able to train with #500 Rising and graduate from the first ever Instructional Foundations - Women’s Self Defense (500 Rising Instructor Course)




The 10th Anniversary of Violence Dynamics had to be changed drastically and often, and then changed again with mere hours notice, but I was able to train with brave, like minded people, and had a great time.  

Mostly, I spent a lot of time being frustrated as fuck.  I spent a lot of time not being "allowed" to train. 
It got to the point I nearly broke.  It was a very low point for me.  I thought if I, Kasey "Fucking" Keckeisen, someone who is so obviously addicted to training, has lost passion for this, who the fuck is ever going to want to come back and train? 



Then I was inspired.  Cobra Kai never dies!  I can't give up!  Mostly because I don't want to see who I might become if I don't have the outlet of regular training to keep my head straight.

So I turned the set back of not being allowed to train into an opportunity to reimagine what I want to do.  How do I want to train?  How do I want to run the Dojo?

The Dojo is allowed to run relatively overhead free because of the Police Activity League which is geared toward youth 14-21 years old.  The current student list has very few members in that demographic. 



I decided to embrace the fun of Sport Jujitsu to provide a reason for young people to train.  

I also felt that Sport Jujitsu  / Para Jujitsu would be an excellent way to provide people (especially veterans) coping with disabilities a long term means to overcome their challenges through training and competition.

People practice Jujitsu for many different reasons.  However, if you ask most people why they train they will say because it is FUN!
How is recreation a legitimate use of force?  All contact sports are an agreement between the participants to the level and type of force that will be used for the fun of the game.  A contact contract if you will.  The sport aspect of Jujitsu is no different.  The Keishoukan Dojo plays with many different rule sets with varying levels and types of contact including Freestyle Karate (Sabaki Challenge), Freestyle Judo, Combat Wrestling, and USJJF Sport Jujitsu, USJJF Para Jujitsu



What if I lose?
The Dojo is a safe place to do physically dangerous things.  It is a safe place to lose.
Confidence is built through competence. Competence is built using modern sporting methods to prepare practitioners for the situations they may face and train them to deal with those situations in the most realistic manner safely possible.
Mutual welfare and benefit is a major tenant of Judo (a modern form of Jujitsu).  The emphasis of these drills is placed on making each other better, as opposed to defeating your partner.  Your brain can’t trust what it has never tested.  Some things can only be tested against a resistive partner.  You might not always “win” but you will always learn.  Failure is a necessary step in the path to progress. At the Keishoukan, you are encouraged to test your limits, find them, struggle, and exceed them.  



Won’t I get hurt?
Any contact activity has a chance of injury.  So does getting out of bed or crossing the street.  Nothing worth doing can be made 100% safe.  However, our training is very 40 plus friendly. It makes no sense to train in order to protect yourself against injury from an assault, only to  injure yourself at practice. Our training is designed to be safe, and fun for people of all ages and abilities.  Games are structured so that you will be able to decide the intensity level of your training.



Recreation, the sport aspects of Jujitsu provides a means to learn through play, and to pressure test skills.  Maintaining the traditions of the past while utilizing the best training methods of today.  Martial art, especially martial sport is not self defense, however it provides a laboratory to experiment with physical confrontation and a means to develop endurance, strength, agility, and courage.



Finding a way to provide Sport Jujitsu for youth without taking away from the personal protection curriculum took all summer.  As much as I was pissed that we were not "allowed" to train I was thankful for the time to plan.  Because I am very proud of the end product.

The panoply of Jujitsu is too large to teach parts of every aspect every class.  I had to find a logical way to simplify.

From my experience as a parent of athletes, long late practices suck - they add a lot of undue stress on the athlete's family.  I figured the youth class should only be an hour.  The adult class can continue as necessary.

Classes break down like this  
Warm up                20 Min
Topic 1 for all        35 Min
Youth class ends - Adult class continues
Topic 2*                35 Min

Each week focuses on one aspect of Jujitsu needed for competition and an additional topic for more advanced competition (techniques reserved for adult competition) and personal protection.



Weeks 1 4 7 10 13
Strike First - Hits for Jits

Atmei Waza - Striking (This will look a lot like a Karate / Bareknuckle Boxing class)
Similar to WWII combatives, Atemi Waza (striking) builds the foundation of what will follow.
Bogyo (Defense) - Defense pfft - More Offense!  Blocking is reactive at best and passive at worst.  We will focus on strikes that also defend.





Shime Waza*
The strikes (hits that stick) practiced this week will be used to apply Shime Waza (strangles) for the adult class

Weeks 2 5 8 11 14
Strike Hard - With the planet

Nage Waza - Throws (This will look a lot like a Judo / Wrestling class)
To throw someone you must:
1 Move or grab
2 Grab or move     *the order of move or grab is interchangeable
3 Off balance
4 Fit in
5 Execute  

The strikes (hits that stick) that were trained in the previous week will be used to grab then move, and the defense (Bogyo) from the previous week will be used to move then grab to set up the throws that will be trained this week.

Kansetsu Waza* Join locks - (This will look a lot like the unholy union of a Catch Wrestling and  Aikido class)
The strikes from the previous week will be used to attack joints 

Weeks 3 6 9 12 15
No Mercy - Finish it

Katame Waza  - Grappling Techniques (This will look a lot like a Wrestling / BJJ class)
Although this may look like a BJJ class we do not start on our back.  So guess what?  Groundwork will start with strikes that set up throws.  Throws will be used to put them on the ground.  Only then can ground work begin to gain a submission.



Buki Waza* Weapons Techniques (This will look a lot like a CQB / control tactics class)
The adult class will work combatives including the use of and defense against Stick (Hanbo), Knife (Tanto), and Firearms.

This training also gives me an opportunity to provide supplementary training to Law Enforcement (Taiho Jutsu) as part of the Transformative Justice Institute (much more on this in future blogs) 

I hope to have the school open in January.  I hope there are brave, like minded people willing to train again.  I also have plans in place to be able to train even if I am not "allowed" to re-open the Dojo.  I won't become the version of myself that doesn't train.  Cobra Kai never dies!

The Budo Blog will return in This is the way part 3 - Lifting

















Saturday, December 5, 2020

This is the way

 Hey everybody, it's been too long since the last Budo Blog.  May 23rd feels like years ago.  I had a nice roll going...then riots.  It's been a crazy couple of months.  However, excuses are like assholes, so instead of crying about the past, it is time to roll up my sleeves ands get back to it.

What has reawakened my passion?  Well, plenty.  Honestly, more than I am comfortable sharing with the general public.  However, recently I have come across a mantra that has helped me focus on what I can control, and place what can't be controlled out of my way.

Train - Lift - Shoot - This is the way.

That phrase really resonated with me.  I train, I lift, I shoot, I am a huge nerd so you know I am down with the Mandalorian.  I also really like this group that sells stuff for you to train, lift, and shoot in.


Train Lift Shoot Facebook Link

Website Trainliftshoot.com

Train Lift Shoot isn’t just a product. It's a Way of Life. This is The Way.  

That phrase served as a reminder.  A kind of gut check I guess.  Am I following the way?  Is what I am doing right now the way?  And if not, what the fuck am I doing?

Yeah...I'm thinking I'm back

You may be thinking  - Cool, you are back -  whoopty fucking doo!  What have you been doing since May?

Great question, let's break it down into Train - Lift - Shoot.

It has been near 7 months so this will be a couple of blogs.  Why don't we start with shoot

Shoot

In these times of turmoil I took time to reflect. I thought to myself... 

My skills and training are worthless if I don't carry the tools necessary to be useful in a crisis on me.  So I have taken a much more serious approach to my everyday carry. (More on that in future blogs) 



Covid shut most SWAT training down
Covid shut most patrol training down.

 Focus on what I can control, and place what can't be controlled out of my way.

I shot on my own at the lake.  I shot on my own at the harm farm during Violence Dynamics.  I was very fortunate to have those opportunities.  However opportunities like that don't come along often enough to maintain tactical proficiency.

So, I've been doing a lot of dry firing.  Like a lot, a lot.

If you are interested in seeing what I have been doing, or better yet would like to train with me, a unique opportunity is available starting 12/7/20

Form to Flow is a group of folks on Facebook.  All are someway involved in physical culture.  All, like me are making due with what they can during the time of Covid.  The group started off as a platform to share ways to make solo practice more interesting, but has since evolved a bit. 

The format works like this -

I will be presenting information all week from Monday through Sunday.

Sunday, is a Zoom meeting with Q and A and solo exercises

Here is the outline of what I plan on presenting:

Monday 12/7/20

Intro Document (Who is Kasey, why should I listen to him?)

Videos:

  • How Firearms function
    • Semi Auto
    • Revolver
  • How to determine your dominant eye


Tuesday 12/8//20

Stance - Movement to stance

Connect to counter assault

Front

Rear

*Distant

Clearing clothing

Connect to threat assessment  - face it, name it (loop to Rory Miller’s intuition training)


Wednesday 12/9/20

Meta Reps  movement into stance 

  • Add forced inhale connect to breaking the freeze
  • Add beginning of one hand alignment 
    • Use resistance of retention to set up structure
    • Radial Bone alignment

Clear leather - (link to Jelly)

  • CQC

Transition to aimed shooting - connect to hikite - Karate

Plant seed for sight picture - threat in sharp focus can’t fight nature


Thursday 12/10/20

Meta reps on movement to stance & one hand alignment 

  • Add marrying up 2nd hand
    • 80/20


Friday 12/11/20

Meta reps on everything we have done so far

  • Add breathing
    • Incorporate breathing in 360’ scan
  • Add securing the weapon
  • Add self check


Saturday 12/12/20

Meta reps on everything we have done so far

  • Add trigger press
    • Two points of reference for finger
    • Trigger pin - why it is safe
    • Trigger reset


Sunday 12/13/20 11- 1230

Zoom Meeting - Basic Dry Fire Drills - Putting it all together


Anyone interested in joining PM me for details.


Train hard, train smart, be safe