Sunday, April 29, 2007

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!