We’re on track to get some video onto the site and have just published our first filmed stuff on Youtube. Just tap in bob breen and you’ll have a choice of two clips one is a small overview of some of the boxing classes plus Corey Donghue and Dave Birkett plus Stephanie Dehowes and Fighting Dad Ian Oliver. The other clip is of Steve Wright and I just having some easy fun exchanging knife disarms. It’s nothing polished or rehearsed but we thought we’d better get started.

We’ll be putting a lot more stuff up on Youtube and on this site over the coming weeks so keep coming back. Some of the first stuff will be tips on sparring to go with my book. Hopefully this will clarify things for those of you who have the book: Sparring-strategy tactics technique.

The Breen Instructor Group is going from strength to strength. We’ve got a superb group of people all training hard and passing on what they’ve learnt. The aim to raise the level of Martial Arts knowledge and wisdom amongst the group and show ways to pass this on to our students in the most beneficial way. This weekend we covered a lot of stick fighting starting with double stick drills and more importantly where and when to use them. Later on we showed the same entrances to single stick combat so that you get a real useable knowledge of the skill or technique. Knowledge in depth. I showed four ways to exit when in close combat or after crashing. This can be one of the most disturbing things to have happen to you when your opponent disappears and starts hitting you from behind. Everyone loved this as we sparred it, thus ramming the lesson home. A constant favourite Panantukan or Filipino boxing was as usual a great hit. We covered limb destruction / guntings in a truly combative way so that you can do it against anyone. No theoretical stuff here. get up loops were next these are challenging on your conditioning and very relevant street combat wise. No hanging about on the ground grappling where you can get kicked. Finally we finished with knife defence and covered repeat stabs or pumped attacks. The thing that was emphasized all weekend is that irrespective of the weapon or empty hands method your using it’s all one art. To be a combat wizard you have to be adaptable. All in all a fantastic weekend with an amazing group of guys. If you’d like to join we’ll be having start-up Instructor courses later in the year.

Last weekends Boxing camp held in memory of Roger Barnes was a huge success. Roger’s wife Susan came with all the family to share in what was a really fun day. Students came from all over including contingents from Rogers club in Northampton, Gary Hoptroff’s club and of course the Academy. Lots of ‘old boys’ turned up to train or show their face and give support. What was great was the sense of fun allied to good training with padwork, sparring and technique all led by ‘Fighting Dad’ Ian Oliver, Wayne Rowlands and Owen Ogbourne. I personally came and trained with my old friend Savash Mustafa and had a great time. Next week we hope to continue the fun and hard training with the B.I.G (Breen Instructor Group) Instructor camp. Lots of Instructors are coming from around Europe to train, learn lots and be inspired. This is becoming a really tight group and very friendly but also very hard training. All instructors welcome.