My week in Martial Arts: January 30th 06 to February 3rd 06

Hi All

Although we had good week in Martial Arts training, my brother and I were sad to hear the passing of Carlson Gracie Sr who was one of the most prominent figures in Jiu Jitsu and the Martial Arts World. My brother Lun and I were lucky enough to attend a joint seminar with Samuel Kwok that he held in Manchester England 2 years ago.

Ironically I recently mentioned in this entry that we purchased the DVD of the seminar. It was a great experience for my brother and I in our first every BJJ class/seminar to be taught by such a prominent figure. He was very enthusiastic about Martial Arts and although he had limited English he was very friendly and funny. With a couple of assistants and a translator he took the time to oversee and give advice to everyone at the seminar while we were practising including my brother and I. The picture above is from my Carlson Gracie Sr T-shirt that I purchased from the seminar. The Jiu Jitsu and the Martial Arts world has lost another great.

This week my brother and I returned to Karl Tanswell’s Straight Blast Gym. We did a lot of clinch work and defences against the clinch. The defence was when someone was trying to grab your neck but you shrug them off with your shoulder and swat their arm away. There was more to the clinch work as we worked various entries and used the whizzer, which is a defence arm lock\take down type manoeuvre. It was a very good lesson.(The picture shown is clinch work sparring being used in Warriors Eskrima by our instructor Simon and Ray)

Tuesday was Capoeira day. It was cool, we did cartwheel’s over each other and played the game as well as learning kick sequences. We had a small class again Ken was there and a beginner called Pat who usually trains with Kim who couldn't make it.

I suggested to our instructor we print off some leaflets for the beginners. Like a glossary for some of the Capoeira terms as sometimes it’s difficult to pick up the names of the moves. Well I am going to write it out as he asked me to do it. Me and my big mouth….but I shall enjoy writing it and probably have to do some illustrations for the moves.

Again the conversation of Martial Arts popped up at work. I was explaining why I did Eskrima to my most senior manager. “But why Filipino style?” he asked. I told him it was very effective but I also told him that it the Filipino arts are also used in Jeet Kune Do. It’s very interesting when explaining different Martial Arts to the laymen.

Wednesday we were back at Karl Tanswell’s Straight Blast Gym. It was another great lesson as we did some jab, cross and hook combinations and then some stand up wrestling work. It was great workout again.

Again we couldn’t make it to Steve Powell’s JKD class, I have to redouble my efforts to try and get there next week. I feel disappointed that I couldn’t make it this week. I really to practice my punching and start their Eskrima system but the timing has not been good this past week.

Before I forget as I didn’t mention this last week my work colleague Wellington is part of this club and asked me to plug this British stick fighting club. Both are very interesting sites.

Thursday went to the gym did some benching and worked on upper body, we saw Simon Campion and bench pressed with him. My brother and I also practiced some knife work and did some of the stuff from Karl’s. We also spoke to a Chinese guy called Simon who trains there regularly, he was telling us some cool stories of Masters Chu’s lion dance club and the fact that he and two others including his brother were at one time the only 3 Chinese practicing the Chinese art of Lion dancing at that club. In retrospect I wish my brother and I gave that class a try. I do find it sad that there are not a whole lot of British Born Chinese like me are not into Martial Arts these days, considering we all watched a load of cool Hong Kong actions films as kids. There are a few of them like my brother and I, Ray who goes to Eskrima, Wellington and one of the instructors at Karl Tanswell who my brother and I have yet to talk to but I am sure we will one day. Maybe I am wrong but I don’t see other guys carry on like you see some kids who turn into adults still playing five a side football/soccer.




Friday was Warriors Eskrima day. We did a 15 minute warm up work out and Simon wrote a list of exercises for me to practice so I could do it in the morning. During the work out we did press ups, squats and various other warm ups.
My sit ups were pathetic though as I wasn’t doing them fast enough so I need to work on them. We did some stick disarms, locks roof block drills and then we did some single stick sparring techniques. We also did some clinch work and my brother and I knife sparred.

All in all a varied week of training, next week will be one heck of a training week for me as I prepare for the Manchester great run in May I am going to incorporate running training into my work out. Again enjoy the pictures.
Thanks
Kit