The recent Grading went really well with students taking belts up to green. The standard was really high with a number of people passing with distinction and getting a first class pass. A couple even jumped a grade they did that well. Many thanks to all who took part for their determination and hard work. I know a few had bad nerves but it didn’t show that much on the night. In the sparring you could really see how the training is working well with lots of the students exhibiting advanced techniques and concepts. Now for the senior grades- can they do as well? Senior Grading and catch up grades on Thursday the third of June. I’ll be covering the syllabus strongly in the classes from Tuesday the 27th of April. We’ll also continue with the sparring practice that we’ve been doing so make sure you bring pads so you don’t get knocks and lumps.

The term passing the guard is well known for BJJ and grappling/ mma practitioners and there are a large number of variants you can use on the ground. However you can use this same approach in stand up to either grapple or strike or mix the two. The aim of lots of the trapping methods out there is to do just this. Whether its from Kali, Wing Chun they’re all attempting the same thing. These striking based methods can look very complex as things are moving fast that’s why people try to grip and slow the process down so that you get a non striking approach like Greco-Roman wrestling. However If you include striking in (and who wouldn’t ) you’ve made it much more interesting but in the process added more complexity to an already complex game of clinching. However like the floor or ground game passing the guard or immobilising parts of your opponents body just needs work and drilling. When I say drilling it’s not the complex unfunctional stuff that is sometimes represented as “Trapping”. Think of it as just passing your guard so that you can hit them at will or tackle/throw easily or negate their tools. Look at it as if you’ve passed their first line of defence. Keep it simple and train both clinch and striking components and you’ve got a unique game.

Once I’ve explained this concept to many of my friends who specialise in the ground the whole area becomes more interesting to them. It’s when you mix the systems up that it becomes really powerful Normally I start with a mix of Greco Roman standup and pummelling with the tie and untie stuff from Kali. So you’ve got the wrist, biceps and head tie’s plus the chained single traps which everyone knows as hubud. However that’s really just a term for the whole area. Once you’ve got that down you can add in the wing chun drills though everything from all the styles has to be adapted and be less buttoned up and be easy to learn too! The Greco is too grappling focused but fabulous. There’s no striking and there are no finger locks to help stabilise and slow down dynamic opponents. Though if they manage to crash through your fence or guard you could be flying through the air on the receiving end of a supplex. Therefore it’s even more essential you have great sensitivity and understanding here. The Wing Chun can sometimes be too stiff conceptually in this framework but is marvellous stuff and it’s designed for this range. The vertical fist means that your elbows are in and tight so the underhook is very hard to get and even harder to get when you’re being punched repeatedly in the face. Similarly the sideways palm strike defines which way your opponent can move next. A single choice. You can also add close quarter boxing and locks to this amazing mix. All of these clinch games are best when trained together or synched together after training them separately. I drill my students and Instructors on the various pummelling methods then we spar the standing grappling area looking for a body tackle or sweep or throw. Other times we’ll concentrate on striking from common positions just as you would work your defence from the guard or half guard on the floor.

Adding in the hits in with the clinch makes it more interesting. Here Kali’s panatukan comes into its own. Though often taught purely at boxing range it’s at loose clinch/grappling range that you get the best results as it’s slower. Trips and sweeps have similarities to those in Greco-roman but it’s striking based not throwing based. The aim is to half throw you then punch you in the head or knee you. Wrist pummelling where you’ve got an underhook on one side and you add the striking is very very similar to Wing chuns single arm work. add in grips and reversals and you’ve got a hell of a game.

Both Kusushi unbalancing from Judo and Thai clinch are only a step away from here. Obviously, this is an area where instead of a simple game like scissors, paper and stone you’ve now got six or ten variables or separate games, if you join the games or techniques together you’ve got even more. Finger lock to arm drag to rear choke is my current favourite though anything that works repeatedly is good. Unlike the ground where generally you’re going to pin before you submit here there’s a lot more possibilities. However, if you train it with the intention that you’re either going to tackle or throw, unbalance or hit your opponent then you get a simpler model and common positions come up time and time again. Then you can use whatever knowledge you’ve learnt to good effect.

Sometimes seeing the same problem from different style perspectives changes the way you train everything. What becomes clear is that everything trumps everything else, it’s just when and where you use it and how you set it up.

Training clinch in a multi disciplinary way like this means that you’re less likely to be a run of the mill fighter. Your sensitivity and understanding increases even if your focus is only in a sporting / martial arts way. In the street a large amount of the situations I’ve been in have been this standing clinch or tussle type of encounter. What better than to train for what you’ll probably end up having to do.

Above all if you’re into MMA or ground see the trapping systems that are out there as fodder to add to your standup clinch game. Just like on the ground where its could be closest or furthest knee to pass the guard with, the same structures apply here but with the hands. Understand the concept and add techniques then spar that area trying to get what you’ve been training to work. Is it easy? of course not. But if you work it you’ll learn loads. You’ll have games you can play when injured which pay off when you’re not. You’ll find your own way and add depth to your original stuff in the process. Keep an open mind and embrace all systems and you’ll prosper. I’ll be covering this on the BIG instructor camps and on the Filipino Boxing day later in the year. Good training.

One of my old friends and sparring partners and one of the Academy old guard Black belts Peter Dunne showed me this today. It’s his daughter Stephanie and friends recording a song she wrote. This is just a rough edit but it sounds great. Hope you like it too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlHJnHYty_c The band is called scarlet avenue and they are on youtube if the link doesn’t work.

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.

One of the main aims of martial arts training is to enable a smaller opponent to beat a larger opponent through the use of technique and skill. This is obviously composed of a number of factors: Placement, timing, experience, speed, and efficient technique. One of the most important though is leverage. Give me a lever and I can move the World Archimedes is supposed to have said. The original concept of Kano’s Judo system was just this; that a clever technically competent player could throw a much bigger man. The greatest embodiment of this was Mifune who had one of the softest styles,  yet could throw you as you were throwing him. Mifune went with the flow and used leverage to the maximum. A slight man he couldn’t fight his opponents using strength but had to use their strength against them. Helio Gracie the leader of the Gracie Jiu-jitsu family as we all know was also a very slight man. Everyone I’ve spoken to who grappled with him said he just used leverage to the maximum. Setting his body so you couldn’t crush him and using the stronger parts of his body in unison against weaker parts of yours. Both these men embodied the true martial arts way. Sparring and training against all comers until a very old age. Wisdom and leverage are a potent component.

Lauding leverage as I am doesn’t mean that strength isn’t to be sought after and used. It’s great to have strength and conditioning but these are easier for everyone else to also attain. The downside is it requires hard training and lasts only as long as you keep up the conditioning and strength programme. Training with strong people you realise that they don’t use half of their potential because generally they can power their way against less strong or less big opponents. I’ve been working with a number of large strong opponents lately and we’ve been sharing our experience. They’ve blasted through some of my tricks and I’ve been showing them how they can be stronger and make their techniques more painful by just focusing on improving the leverage of their techniques.

Initially this can just be making the lever arm of the technique longer. Think of an arm bar where you’re grabbing the wrist then move it up an inch or so towards the hand and you’ve almost doubled the force. Similarly use the whole of your body to put on locks not your arms. Standing arm wrenches and arm bars are much more effective when you rotate the whole body and on the ground using the hips and legs to do the work rather than the arms turns you into a superman. Even hitting or kicking I see people just hitting with their arms or legs and not their body as a unit plus not using gravity to help. Think of gravity as free bonus leverage points

There’s also lots you can do by hitting at the leverage sweet spot where you get the most power. (Think of a tennis player on his serve and you’ll know the sort of place) Distance makes a big difference as your lever arm is longer as does bringing more levers to bear on the problem. When using arm bars it’s also important to use the fulcrum well. Many people have a sort of blurred fulcrum using all of their chest to do a two on one instead of focusing your power on his joint by rotating and making the shoulder a sharp fulcrum. Where you put the fulcrum in relation to his joint is also hugely important. Do it in the wrong place and he can counter or power out of it. Do it right and it’s like turning on an electric light it’s so fast, and painful too.

You can see that it’s not more technique that’s important but understanding how to get the most out of what your doing. Above all look at, and polish, everything you do to see if you can make your levers more effective. If you have to work hard or use lots of effort thats not it. Feel the grain in the wood and go with that, not against it. Going with the flow is leverage in another way. You’re leveraging the moment. This approach makes training very Zen like. Is this easy? No but that’s the art.

Sometimes you have to have it done on you or be shown the way to appreciate how great it is when done well, but once shown you have to do your own research. When you can, use leverage principles in other areas of your life. Where can you get the most for the least effort?  Above all don’t beat yourself up about any of this the most important thing is to enjoy your training and enjoy it’s ebb and flow. Like all arts, it only takes a lifetime!

We now seem to have full power back at SPACe and I look forwards to seeing you all this evening for hard fun training. Apologies to those who missed training on Monday or Tuesday. I’ll also be changing the grading date by a week to reflect the missed time this week. See you all later. Bob