Learning to teach,teaching to learn.

Where in the World have I been?

Well Canada but unfortunately not for the last few months since I last wrote this blog. Since then Lun and I have been just teaching and going to the gym ever so often. The class is going fine it’s a small class and that’s fine with us. It gives us more opportunity to analyse their individual strengths and weaknesses. In addition it’s a class I find teaching a learning curve as you have to look at things from the students’ perspective. What may be basic to Lun and I may not be basic to the beginner. We take for example punching such as a jab and cross, although these are primarily basic punches for someone who has done boxing and some Martial Art it might be difficult for one beginner to form a fist and/or get their body mechanics right.

It’s only when teaching beginners as in total beginners with no prior Martial Art experience that you start to have a broader perspective of how well you are teaching. For example I would say that some students are exceeding faster than others and therefore it could be argued that those exceeding are practicing what we teach, however it can be debated whether those not picking up as quickly may need to be taught differently so they can “take in the information”. In my mind repetition is the key but first they got to learn the technique and get it right. As Steve Powell’s JKD Class always use to say when we would do reps in class “Doing one good punch is better than doing ten crap ones”. In addition to this the student has to apply their own mind to figure things out as well, so as Bob Melia said to me recently “Never ever stop learning". In fact I said this in a previous post that I am so grateful and humbled to have trained or attended seminar under so many great instructors throughout the years. As they have changed the way of my thinking in the Martial Arts on so many levels and given me such good advice. Also we are lucky enough to have a fellow instructor Johnny Cowan training with us along with his student Keith.

On a sad note one such instructor unfortunately passed away recently. It was a cold night on the 30th September 2003 when Lun and our friends Paul R and Paul H climbed the steps of a gym somewhere in North Manchester where we were to attend a seminar by Sifu Larry Hartsell. I remember for some reason being quite nervous attending as this would be the first time I have attended a seminar by a direct student of Bruce Lee. When he did come into the room there was an instant presence a kind of aura that’s hard to describe. He was softly spoken and didn’t look totally happy probably due to our English weather that night. But when he did start teaching it was awesome, we did a lot of stand up grappling and I will never forget when he made a point of keeping the left hand up protecting your jaw when you punch or you will get knocked out if you miss and the other guy hits you.
I know a basic detail but the way he said it in his softly spoken American accent for some reason stuck in my mind. At the end of the seminar he took the time to take photos with everyone and was very polite. It was an honour being in the presence of Sifu Larry Hartsell and I am pretty sure everyone else in the room felt that way too. Sifu Larry Hartsell Aug 15th 1942- Aug 20th 2007.


Canada was an awesome experience, along with Elaine and her sister Louisa we went on a scenic tour around the Canadian Rockies in Bannf and also saw Lake Louise and the Athabasca Glacier fields. We then stayed in the City with Elaine’s relatives in Burnaby. They were a very nice family and I can’t thank them enough for their kindness. So on this blog I like to thank Auntie Fatima, Uncle John, Chris and Edolyen and last but not least Elaine’s Grandma for their wonderful hospitality. Being in Burnaby was like being in a massive Chinese community in fact along with the Richmond area that’s exactly what it was and for some reason I felt very much at home. I spoke Cantonese for most of the time we were asking for things and restaurants. In addition things were cheap out there we went to a restaurant on Joyce Street that sold dim sum and plates of other food for $2 that at the current exchange rate is about £1!!!!! On the Martial Arts side of things I managed to take two photos of Martial Art centres, I didn’t attend either but those were only two among many Martial Art places in Vancouver out there I saw a Capoeria place, several TKD places, a MMA gym and also a place called Lok’s Hapkido in Richmond (unfortunately I didn’t have my camera ready for those gyms (as I was in a car or a bus) or I would be sure to take a picture. Another place I didn’t take a photo of however was Dragon’s Martial Art Supplies in Chinatown, the owner there was extremely kind and hospitable to us as we got some DVD’s and books from him. All in all Vancouver was a great place and a great experience.


Now I am back Lun and I wish to take our students to the next level. But we must work constantly ourselves to achieve this. I recently reapplied for my Warriors Eskrima licence and with Elaine moving up I shall look at my own training schedule (as well as teaching Elaine!). Exciting times ahead!….thanks for reading!

Kit

A Great Manchester Run! / A Great new beginning?

A great hue of anticipation surrounded the runners or cramped together near the starting line, everyone running for a cause, everyone wanting to run. Sunday 20th May Lun and I did the Great Manchester Run. This was Luns first time and my second time. This year 28,000 people participated in the UK’s most prestigious 10KM run. Lun commented on the atmosphere and to be among all those people running for so many causes is an absolute awesome feeling.

Well done to Lun who participated the run, he promises me that he will train for next year too, I am proud of you bro! I for one will participate every year as I enjoyed so much. But what I would like to do is thank everybody who sponsored me for the run. So far I have raised £242 online and raised £171 offline, the web page is open till 20th July 2007 so there is still time for you to keep on donating if you wish: http://www.justgiving.com/kitrunsagain
For all those who sponsored me thanks very much I really do appreciate it!

Hang on the blog says MARTIAL ARTS….where does it say GREAT RUN??, I hear you shout.
Well due to work and family illness’s ,Lun and I have only been teaching our regular classes once a week and have cut down on training. Lun and I just train ourselves when we can but we have for the time being stopped going to our own classes.

When I was first started this blog I was attending several Martial Art lesson which comprised of Eskrima,JKD,Capoeira and I was beginning MMA. Out of the four, Eskrima was the one that my brother Lun and I seemed to have progressed in the most. However in an earlier post I stated that one day I will just follow the path of one Martial Art. Now this is not including teaching and going to Warriors Eskrima seminars. So Capoeira, JKD or MMA? Well Capoeira is really a Martial Art/Dance so that is completely different from the training that JKD or an MMA class would offer. So JKD or MMA? You know I retract on the statement of following “paths” life’s too short, all things should be tried! But seriously once I do start again I should really concentrate on one art as I have already tried training everything above at almost the same time.

However the question is how come I have cut down on training?. External factors such as family illnesses and a crazy work schedule have affected what I do. But are they excuses? No, it just so happens that it falls on the days that the wrestling class is on or JKD is on. So if I do want to train why don’t I just find somewhere to train when I can? Which is my next step I am going to try and get some private lessons in or even train with people that in JKD,MMA etc at some point when it suits me. This is nothing to do with my ego but this is more to do with that fact that my situation has changed and it would make it impossible for me to train consistently with any class at the moment.

So what is the great new beginning heading on top of this post all about? Well I would say teaching and also trying to find a Martial Art I can consistently train in….thinking and writing about it has aided my descion.

The only thing that is consistent is the beginners Warrior Eskrima classes. This class is growing and it’s a new experience and Lun and I’s. The feedback we get is great! As I always ask how people enjoyed the lesson. We had three total beginners the other day so I asked them to practice partner drills in three’s. Of course anyone who had to practice in threes in a Martial Art lesson would know that its quite boring waiting for their go. So I showed the guy who was the odd one out the next move and then told that person to teach the others what I just shown them, while I check up and other people in the class. It worked and it looked like a lot of fun for them! Plus by showing people what you learn is another way of learning yourself. As well as the beginners we got Jon who is a veteran of our old classes and Richard who has stuck with us since day one coming down and also Gaz who was in also briefly with us when the class was on a Friday.

I also managed to teach Elaine some sticks and she took to it very well, I might even consider formally teaching her (if that what she wants..:)


I would also be the first to admit that if anyone asked me about other Martial Arts I would recommend the places I used to go. Like Steve Powell’s and SBG according to their preference. The reason being is that we I believe that anyone people we teach should broaden their horizons and find their own way. Everyone does.


Anyways I included a few pics of Lun and Jon training, highlights of the Manchester run, a bird of prey soaring through the sky which I am using as a metaphor for freedom of expression and also erm me at the bottom of a giant tree in Glastonbury which time of writing I am too tired to write the metaphor for it!

Thanks for reading!

My Month in the Martial Arts:Engagement!

Well it’s been a long time since my last entry and a lot of things have happened since.
The most important is that I got engaged to Elaine in April. It was one of the most important decisions of my life and the most important thing I have ever done. I am so happy that Elaine said yes as she has really been an inspiration to me since the day we met and I love her very much. It’s a great feeling I cannot describe. Included is a photo of us in the gardens of Warwick castle.

Since my last blog I have not been attending many lessons due to work commitments. In the last month or so I have attended a Steve Powell Eskrima lesson, one regular JKD lesson taken by Rick Lawrie, a seminar with Krishna Godhania, a wrestling class with Barry Scargill and also along with Lun I have been holding Warriors Eskrima lessons for beginners. Although in the last two weeks I have been mainly training for the Great Manchester Run which has consisted of 3 mile runs and treadmill madness.

Steve Powell’s Eskrima Class was great this is going back a few weeks ago, as I have been either travelling down to Glastonbury or had work commitments. There are so many double stick drills and innovative ways that drills are modified it would be difficult to list, but from Steve Powell’s collective experience in weapons, you can guarantee a different approach in all his stick lessons. So why would Lun (more so Lun who has been going almost every week) and I still attend an Eskrima lesson in a different system? Well it’s like this why would someone play five a side football (soccer) week in and week out even though that person knows how to play?...Cause it’s a different experience every time that person goes and it’s the same with Eskrima or any Martial Art. Lun has been going every week and always tells me how great the lessons have been, read here for more!

The JKD Classclass which Rick took (and apologies to Rick if he is reading as this was way back in early March) was awesome as well. Again work commitments took me away from continuing the classes on a weekly basis, however this month I should be able to make several JKD lessons. We basically were smashing pads with reverse punches and variants of. I still got some scars on my knuckles to prove it. I don’t want to sound “hard” or tough with a line like “I still got some scars on my knuckles to prove it” but I genuinely have and it hurt at the time!

In late March Lun and I went to an instructor’s seminar held by Krishna Godhaina. Simon and Paul also went, we were taught some great stuff including knife and focus mitt drills. I caught up with Russell an instructor from Weston Super Mare who Lun and I met at Dan Inosanto’s seminar. The most interesting aspect of the lesson was profiling students that may have knife attacking tendencies (e.g. psychos). This is due to the current spate of knife crime happening in the UK. In the Warriors system it is within the syllabus to teach knife techniques but I am trying to emphasise more on the defences against knife attacks. But more so if we profile the student correctly before he joins the club then they really shouldn’t be a problem however both instructor and student must understand its a massive responsibility if they are taught the knife.

In mid April Lun and I attended a wrestling class, it was tough! Out of the four techniques shown I probably got two as it was also very technical. The instructor Barry was great very tough but when teaching application he was very careful.

We switched our beginner’s Warriors Eskrima classes
from Friday to Thursday. This is so Simon doesn’t have to concentrate too much on teaching and train with Paul, Ray and Barry and also Lun and I when we get the chance. It was also an opportunity to see if Lun and I can teach a class on our own. At first it seemed the wrong move as we were getting an average of one person coming down. But last week there were five people so it is growing somewhat. We go through a lot of the basic warriors stuff and incorporate stuff that we picked up over the years. However this is the beginning of our teaching and we have a long road to travel as I try to symbolise with a picture from Lyme Park below!


Finally Elaine and I saw Danny the Capoeira instructor in town this past Saturday. I promised him once Elaine moves up with me we will attend his class. Please check out his section of the flowdrills website which Steve one of his students has brilliantly amended complete with gallery!

A very eventful month, enjoy the pics and thanks for reading!

A very happy Kit!

My week in Martial Arts:26th Feb to 3rd March

Hi All

This post should really be called "My day in the Martial Arts" as all I managed to do was one day teaching Eskrima along with my brother. We taught the single stick drill called Amarra and some double stick drills. Double stick drills are fun to do especially the heaven six eskrima drill which is a basic co-ordination and striking drill which consists of a right forehand strike,left back hand strike and then then a right backhand strike. However it can be sometimes hard for people to pick up if they are not familiar with using weapons and this applies to any Martial Artists who haven't handle weapons before. I remember Lun and I when we first started we were all over the place. This is because in the early days of Warriors Eskrima we first trained in several double stick drills, eventually we got it but with anything in life it took practice.

It's very interesting how our class operates, ever since several of us became apprentice instructors, we have taken different routes within our training. So if someone see's our class they will see not only Eskrima going on but probaly the more experienced guys training in what they know etc. Therefore it's safe to say that out class has a wealth of different experiences and this also includes the expertise of the students who have also trained in other Martial Artists, so its perfect for a beginner to come in and get different view points.

So why one lesson this week, because I been on call and working funny hours. I am actually enjoying work at the moment, in the last department I was in I don't think I quite fitted in because it was just so damn quiet! But now its fast moving and I feel more alive. In the past I only felt alive after working hours and weekends now its 24/7 (literally because I am on 24 hour callout some weeks) and therefore I feel like kicking ass (cliched and an eye rolling comment for sure, but that's how I feel right now).

Anyway this week I am not on call, so I can train more. I leave you with a picture of my brother Lun and I. As you can see I have my game face on (or serious face) while Lun smiles, maybe I should have mentioned I was trying to do a serious pose photo to Lun in our Warrior Eskrima shirts!

Thanks for reading

Kit

My month in the Martial Arts! Late Jan to Late Feb!

Hello All!

Well since the last time I posted I had only managed two lessons at Steve Powell’s and one Capoeira lesson but also been teaching new students at the Warriors Eskrima lesson.
The reason why it hasn’t taking me so long to post? Well I have been really busy at work, as I am now required to be on 24 hour call out 1 in 3 weeks and have been working odd hours. I am much happier working where I am now then say a year ago, the sacrifice though is that I don’t get to all the lessons I would like to attend or time to write my blog.

Capoeria! Yes I went back to Capoeria last year I left to try and get into BJJ but it didn’t work out, not like I didn’t like it but it was the timing wasn’t great and everything and I was more into the stand up aspect. So when I attended Danny greeted me as I have never left. It was hard to get back into it again but at the same time fun. I am so happy that his class is expanding too. It was at one point at average of one or two students when I first advised him to move to Salford now the classes seem to be between 6 and 10.

Two half jokingly comments, but poignant comments were made by two of my colleagues. The first comment came from one pointing out that I was the only one “keeping it real” in the Martial Arts out of our department, he and another colleague was talking about Martial Arts and how they quit but wanted to start again(one of them has found a club since the chat). I thought about the comment but instantly thought about my brother and all the guys I know who attend all the classes that I go to on a regular basis that I go to who are a similar age and the other colleagues within my workplace who have carried on their Martial Arts, two of them being instructors. I thought it was a nice comment however but I know many more people more worthy of the tag “keeping it real”

Steve Powell demonstrated one more time to me the punching technique he shown as I got something wrong while doing it. There are so many variables to consider when doing the reverse punch at Steve Powell’s JKD, but it was such a great technique if you get it right and can really knock someone back. It was a great class we had in late January full of power strikes which I really enjoyed. I only managed along with Lun to attend one empty hand class since the last post, while Lun had been going down every Saturday to Steve Powell’s weapons class which is great for him. I have been going down to see my girlfriend Elaine or being on call on Saturday’s hence I have not been attending the Saturday class. However I made one rare Saturday last Saturday and we had a great class, my favourite bit of the class was smashing tyres with our sticks, totally awesome. I remember once we did a similar thing in Minnesota at Rick Fayes gym back in 02, although it wasn’t officially a lesson, Lun and I just did a six hit drill on some tyres in the open plan room adjacent to a class that was going on. I remember smashing those tyres but then only realised later that we weren’t meant too as there was a notice above asking people kindly not to hit the tyres while lesson was in progress, doh! The picture above is something I have published before but it’s me smashing the tyres when I wasn’t meant too!

However that Saturday was great we held the tyres up for each other and started hitting them with sticks and it felt great to hit something with the stick. We also did some cool stick locks a great lesson overall.

The Warriors classes have been going great also apart from this past Friday where due to work commitments I couldn’t make it, which leads me the other half jokingly comment that another colleague made but also Lun has said it in the pass. “You are letting work take over your life!” I thought about this comment and probably due to the nature of my work I can’t control it, due to the on call and some funny hours I have worked recently. But I can’t let it compromise my training and have to work round it.

Lun and I have been teaching the beginners that swelled up to 4 last week. It was great to go through the various techniques and always interesting to see how they are progressing. They are enjoying the lessons which are the most important thing for us as well. I would like to point out that our fellow instructor Jonny Cowan is also going well and that his branch is based at the United Estates of Wythenshawe gym in Manchester. Lun has visited several times and thinks it’s a great class with a great atmosphere.

Anyway I leave you with two “posing photos” of Lun and I, after we went through some techniques. I haven’t been taking too many photos of the classes lately due to the fact we are too busy teaching (the theme of today and word has been “busy”) but I am sure I will get time to take some next lesson and will try and post regularly again.

Thanks for reading and get busy training!
Kit

My two weeks in Martial Arts: 08/01/07 to 20/01/07

Hi All

2007 began with a boom literally. January 8th Lun and I went to Steve Powell’s JKD class and we did an awesome drill with Rick Larwie who took the class for the night. This was my first class at Steve Powell’s for a long time and what a class. The theme was aggression and the first drill was basically your training partner would get the pad/kick shield while you have your back towards him or her totally relaxed. Then your training partner will shout out the worse thing he can think of and barge right into you at a pace to piss you off you then turn around and “boom” hit the pad. That set the tone for several drills that we did.

I have said in the past I respect all martial arts and all aspects of it from the sport to the culture to philosophy, but when it comes down to it I do like to train for the aggression, for something that would aid me in the streets. Its not that I constantly talk of “ripping someone’s head off (and some people would hilariously add.. ) and spitting down their throat", but its good to know you have access that kind of training. As an old friend said a while ago.. “I hear some people do Martial Arts do “keep fit” that’s bullshit man, I do it for fighting!!!” Although I practice it to keep fit as well as also do it for situations that may arise. This is why Rick’s lesson was great as it was about applying certain techniques to situations.

On Wednesday Jan 10th I was shown some cool knife stuff. I enjoyed it but my opinion of knife fighting etc because my family and I were subject to a screwdriver attack over 10 years ago which I explained in an earlier post I am still a bit sensitive. All I can say is that I am more interested in the knife defence stuff rather than using the knife.

Friday 12th Jan, I didn’t go to Eskrima as work got in the way, it was a problem at 5 o’clock on a Friday. So I drove around a bit near my old high school and places where my old childhood friends used to live. Ironically I bumped into one of them, Barkery who was featured in a photo with me in an earlier post of us doing karate as kids. He is a great guy and genuine friend (well he was driving behind me trying to flag me down for ages!). He also read this blog so I like to say hello to him.

In the UK there has been a lot of talk about racism and ignorance stemming from a show that I absolutely hate with a vengeance but I thought it was worth having my take on racism. No one will understand racism or properly judge it unless directly experienced by them or knows someone close or a loved one who has experienced it. I scoff at people who haven’t been racially abused who try to tell me what racism is. I know what it is and it’s complicated. Being of Chinese descent I had some great illogical ignorant comments directed at us in the past such as “Go back to your own country!” and “English Chips!” as a bunch of English people(they may have not been) walked past our old Chip Shop. However ignorance is bliss as once a bunch of racist drunks came to our Chip Shop, shouting all kinds of crap, my dad got pissed off broke out the nunchucks and started waving them around in any shape or form possible i.e aimlessly as he really didn’t know how to use them, all the drunks ran off in fear of their lives with my triumphant Dad laughing at their sorry asses! However once a drunk pisshead came in to our Chippy, looking a total nobhead and slamming the door really hard, regular and racial expletive shooting from his mouth…instead of getting what he wanted he was greeted with Lun doing a perfect Nuchucka form in front of his nose and ended with the famous Enter the Dragon poster pose from Bruce Lee…the drunk must have shat his pants. In actual fact he left with a whimper.

Jam 14th we did some weights in the gym and Friday 19th we taught Richard in Eskrima. We now have a target to achieve as grading is coming up soon. It was good to teach again as I said in an earlier post practising the basics over and over again is such good practice not only for the student but for the instructor.
This was further backed up by Karl a Wing Chun Instructor from Glastonbury who I met with in Bath this past Saturday when Elaine and I met up with Elaine’s Sister Louisa and her boyfriend also called Karl (also Martial Artist) in Bath. Karl the Instructor is Louisa’s Sifu and was being helped by Louisa and Karl to find a venue in Bath. Elaine and I met up with them and Sifu Karl(as I will call him to avoid confusion) and I started talking. He was such a great guy and talked about similar stuff that he did in Wing Chun such as empty hand translations etc. He made reference to the Jet Li film Fearless, for those who haven’t seen Fearless, basically Jet Li is a badass cocky instructor who picks fights with people in the first half and then turns into someone who mellows out in the second half. He said the film reminded him of himself when he started out, cocky at first and then humble in later years which was interesting observation. Maybe something I have to watch out for in myself and fellow apprentice instructors.

Anyways enjoy my pics and thanks for reading!