Sundays memorial seminar to Honour Roger Barnes  went really well. . It was mothers day so we were really pleased with the turnout. Teaching was done by Grand Master John Harvey who turned up to support plus David Onuma and myself. John is an old academy member and trained with me for about twenty years so we had a great time talking about old times. David is a master communicator so all the training was fun and easy to follow with everyone learning something.

Susan Barnes came with all the family so that made it an even better day. John started of with a warm up and then simple box pattern defence. I took over and followed the same theme just working principles and how to disarm or follow up. Then john showed some fancy and fun follow ups where you tied your opponent up totally. David O then taught timing principles and how to intercept as an intro to the box or any situation. We had a short break with john starting after lunch with variations on the vine disarm and I covered what happens when your opponent punches to a couple of compression throws and follow ups on the ground. We finished up with David O showing knife defence scissors or gunting defence against attack numbers one through five.

It was a really easy and fun day with lots of humour, and lots of photos. The lasting thing the day taught me is that life is short and you have to fill it with good times, great experiences, good fun and  friends old and new, all of which we did yesterday. We spoke of Rogers great achievements and his unrelenting good humour and gentleness. All in all  a great example by which to lead our own lives. Thanks to everyone who came and made it so much fun. Special thanks to Sandra Heaney who came and gave her own time to collect money and do the door.

The Breen Instructor group camp at the weekend was a huge success. Lots of the guys training rated it as one of the best in many years. As usual we mixed art and function so that everyone understood how the art worked.  Everything was tested in sparring so as an instructor you know how to make it work for you and can pass it onto your students.

The group is now very strong and the level very high. We had some great people there so that everyone learnt from each other as well as from the instruction I gave them.  Regulars included Tony Ligorio, Lele Tandurella, Allesandro Tavanti, Michael Schmidt and his father Herbert. The senior side of things was well represented even though this is a two day fighting course with lots of sparring. Alex ‘Judo’Livingstone who was great, still training hard for two days at the age of 61, Herbert Schmidt who’s almost that age and Luciano Manzi to name just a few. Luciano is one of the corner stones of BIG and has helped it prosper over the years. Other seniors like Steve Martin, Ben Richardson and Barry Harte were joined by club members and old hands like Nigel Rowlands and Steve Butler and Nick Rees. In truth we had too many people to name everyone but we’ll be setting up a facebook page so we can more easily post things on the BIG project. Thanks to all those who came. I had great fun. See you in May.

Guys looks like it’s going to be a great weekend of training ahead. We’ve got the usual suspects coming from all over Europe. Whilst I’ve been off with a cold I should be fine for the weekend. We’re also doing a special offer for all members who wish to train. Just ask if if you’re eligible.

As usual we’ll be taking a unique look at combat in general and how the classical techniques of JKD and Kali  relate  to and exemplify these same principles. It’s a case of’  less is more’  plus you’ll be learning to flow. Not just practicing esoteric martial knowledge but keys to functionality and a way to simplify your fighting. We’ll use the same principles throughout the two days whether it’s empty hands, knife or stick. That way you embrace the BIG concepts into the core of your being. We have many champions who regularly attend and they all attest to how it’s taught them how to think and changed their complete approach to martial arts. Join the group. Elite training for normal people. See you there.

Lots of the stuff I learnt in my Karate days often now seems relevant when watching people train. Though the Karate had lots of downsides it was a great learning experience. Let’s look at stance. Karate has more of a fixed way of looking at stance. It’s not bad but it leads to rigidity. Boxing and JKD have a more fluid approach though basically a similar thing. Looking at the box made by your feet changing the weight distribution changes the stance totally.  Front stance ,back stance and cat stance are just a weight change and maybe a little foot drag apart.  Using this structure you can hit with the hands in the front stance like boxing and then when you’re opponent comes to hit you back just sit back with the weight on the back leg and stop kick him with your lead leg. This principle is the same in Karate or Thai boxing.

Watching an Instructor friend spar the other day his experience was obvious. He did little but stop kick his opponent. The other guy was trying everything but badly needed coaching to make him more thoughtful and more strategic. My friend Matt had great alignment with his body focused behind his lead leg. In Karate they’d call it a cat stance but in Thai you just post on the back leg and let them come in. When the stop kick worked well he followed up with another kick or stepped forwards (into front stance) and used his hands before retreating to his back stance again and repeating the same formula. His opponent a good level Black belt fighter was too square. Anything coming could be seen more easily coming as it did from the corners and intersected with the centre line foot jab. If you do this low to the shin or thigh and then to the stomach / hip or face it’s very hard to handle. In many ways it’s pure JKD. Controlling the centre line. Using the closest tool to the closest target. Then moving in to jam with a raised leg if you aren’t fast enough.

Many inexperienced fighters want to do lots and get big rewards. In the process they take big risks and get chipped away at by the experienced guy. To improve your fighting just being aware how much distance you can create WITHIN your stance without moving is a good place to start. It’s classic ‘do less and be more’. Obviously, sometimes you’ve got to move your whole position backwards or forwards but the principle still endures. Once you’ve got this down also concentrate on alignment so that your body is focused behind the tool you are using whether jab or foot jab. Have the foot aimed at his centre. When that’s working you can throw in the big guns but you have to set your opponent up. Just swinging away is like the lottery. Sometimes you win big but most times you lose. The best way to work this is slow sparring concentrating on just this working from the front of your stance when boxing to the back stance to either crush or foot jab/ stop kick. It’s a case of now I’m here and then now I’m not. Just playing the distance inherent in your stance will pay dividends. Once he’s all over the place from your foot jab then you can play what games you like. His confidence is shot. Good sparring.