This week in classes I’ve been focusing on showing the guys how just making small changes forwards and backwards can totally upset your opponents rhythm. What most people do is stand fairly statically and let their opponent or partner do their thing. This is most evident when doing pad work. This is essential at first as you need to know what good striking is. Static stuff lets you work your body mechanics and power generation. The next thing to do is keep this power and mechanics but do it moving around. Then when you’ve got this then you can add other things. This week I’ve been concentrating on showing how sliding or snapping back out of distance before his attack totally throws his stance and balance off. Similarly, doing the opposite and closing with your partner means that he has to change his balance and footwork so that he isn’t too close. He wants to keep your pads, or your chin, right at the ‘sweet spot’ where he generates the most power. Your aim is to thwart this or to challenge him to adapt quickly. Once you see the mayhem this simple in and out movement does to your opponents setup then you know you’ve got to do it in sparring. A word of warning: when holding pads don’t take them too far away so that he injures his elbow rather just use it to challenge his distancing and footwork so that he learns to read you and learns how to keep you in the ‘sweet spot’ whatever you do. Make sure he still hits the pads and doesn’t overextend. Importantly realise how devastating this simple changing of distance is to your opponent. Practice and get comfortable on the pads then apply the same principles in Sparring. Good luck

The urban knife day was a great success. As usuall those attending had a great time. We mainly focused on knife defence showing all the various knife tapping methods. The reason for tapping is that you can’t deal with the knife in the position it’s in and have to move it to a position where you can disarm or throw or lock. Alternatively, it’s for when your attempt to block or grab hasn’t worked and it’s moving. Tapping helps you control his arm and allow you time to tie him up or finish. After lunch it was disarms and finishes then ending in sparring games and pressure testing.

We had a number of old black belts in attendance, in particular Steve Eldridge who hasn’t trained at the Academy for twenty one years. He loved it. As usual the day was a mix of hard training and fun. Knife is always the hardest thing to learn mentally. Often you are exhausted mentally afterwards as there is so much to take in, and at speed. I think all of us went home and slept afterwards. We plan the next one in February and also are looking at doing knife seminars all around the U.K.

Over the years the Academy has  become a Martial Arts institution, producing great champions, great fighters and brilliant instructors, however after forty years it’s time for a change. This is partially due to hugely rising costs and also because it’s time to do something different. I’ve decided to take the essence of the club and refocus on a smaller more elite group. We will be using Space sports centre, Falkirk st near the current club as a venue. This may be an interim venue and we’ll know about possible new premises as soon as we find something suitable.

On a personal note  I also have lots of other martial arts based projects I’m keen to do and spending less time in the office and more time in the dojo will help those projects fly. I hope you’ll join me on this evolution, this quest. It’ll be fun.

We’ll have timetables of the new schedule soon. Beginners will still be welcome. The move takes place in October. We’re looking forwards to an exciting future.

Class times: We’re sorting out the timetable for the new place and will have one up very soon. i’ll of course still be doing our successful Instructor group and teaching a lot more seminars.