My New Dojo

So I’ve started training at a new school. KSK Martial Arts is my new training home. What a great group of guys, but more on the later.

At KSK the focus is on practical training, but still paying respect to the traditions of the martial arts. What it’s not is an MMA gym, there’s a culture of respect and humility, and an attitude similar to any you’d find in the most traditional studios. The instructor calls his system a curriculum, not a style. My understanding is that it’s a collection of techniques from Jeet Kune Do, MMA, and various Philippine martial arts. What’s different is the way, and the order in which they are taught. The system is broken down into: striking, trapping, clinching, manipulation, and grappling. Many of the techniques taught are surprisingly applicable in all of these classifications.

Guru T. Kent Nelson is the instructor you can see his qualifications here, needless to say he is an expert in what he teaches. The quality of the students reflect his teaching philosophy, they have been patient with me as I’m learning, quick to laugh, and talented martial artists.

The ground work is totally new to me, and instead of teaching me techniques right off the bat, guru Nelson has instructed me to take some time to get comfortable on the ground, working the wrist and arm techniques taught from the trapping drills. The students I’m rolling with are allowing me to really learn and get comfortable, without it being a competition when we hit the mat.

I’m very happy to have found KSK martial arts and add them to my expanding family of awesome martial artists.

Marharlika Kuntaw Seminar

Saturday, December 5th, Brian “Buzz” Smith taught Marharlika Kuntaw (Way of the Royal Fist or Filipino Art of The fist) at the Innovative Martial Arts dojo. It was eight hours of great concept-based teaching. Buzz has a real knack for showing a technique and then describing the concept behind it and how you can expand that concept. It’s not about learning more techniques, but it’s about learning a concept that opens up more techniques just by nature of doing it.

We also learned some staff work, applying the same approach. Always attack in a way that doesn’t help power your opponents staff into your skull. Sound advice! As I’ve always discovered, the concepts are actually so simple that they tend to get overlooked. “It’s so easy!” was a common phrase at the seminar.

We all got to share an incredibly intimate moment as Buzz proposed to his long-lost, recently found (well, 2 years recent ) high-school love, Deb. What a great testament to the family of martial artists that have sprung up in Grand Rapids. Thanks for being our hub Sensei Pippin.

PSP Seminar in Grand Rapids

Guru Sean Stark was kind enough to come all the way to Grand Rapids just to put the hurt on Sterling. Check back for an inspired post-seminar post.

For more photo’s go here.

To get more info on PSP go here.

Dojo Tour with Terry Trahan

I had the distinct pleasure to interview Terry Trahan at our Spring Gathering 2009. This was a great interview with some great advice from a guy who’s got real world experience. Follow a link to the permanent page and enjoy.

Dojo Tours (Terry Trahan)

Unarmed defense against a knife?

I’ve always been skeptical about unarmed defense against a knife (UDAK), I think it’s important to train in all aspects of the martial arts, but with UDAK is there really any point?

Watch the video, look at the size of those guys, and many of them seems well trained. But in a small room, with someone pumping a knife into your gut like a jackhammer, there’s little hope, if any, to survive. Many of the “survival” techniques in the video depend on you pulling out your gun. OK, I think it’s training for bodyguards and the like, but what happens to the poor sap that doesn’t have a gun? Screwed…

So where does that leave us? My advice, is to train with the assumption that your opponent is untrained, or you have a weapon. If you’re facing a trained knife fighter, even one with minimal training, and you don’t have a weapon, you will not survive.

There is a possibility that I’m wrong, no matter how slight. So, I would also say don’t stop experimenting and learning, and if you do find yourself in the unfortunate position, never stop fighting. Sometimes even a trained knife fighter can make a mistake and give you the opportunity you need to survive.