Sean Sherk seminar at Fulinkazan

Last night at the Fulinkazan Gym, Mark “Spenna” Spencer hosted a great seminar by none other than former UFC Lightweight Champion, Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk.

I got to the gym and it was packed with guys all eager and excited about the experience and all the good stuff we expected to learn. Sean talked a bit about the training he does, his combinations, setups and how repetition was key. He stressed that there are no shortcuts and how basic things get drilled individually for 40 mins to an hour on some days.

He talked about using strengths and maximising them by setting things up and having the skills developed in other areas to bring you back to your strengths. It was all JKD to me!

Some of the things covered were:

Basic boxing evasion with slips and footwork

Boxing combos to set up the double leg

How to succeed with a takedown when the opponent attempts a guillotine as a counter

Arm pins from side mount

Bicep crush from an arm pin

3 submissions from Kesa Gatame as well as countering a body lock escape from the position.

There was a Q&A session at the end as well as photo and signing opportunities.

The atmosphere was great and everyone was working hard, it was a great night and a rare first hand opportunity to gain insight into the training and preparation regimen of one of the UFC’s best fighters.

I found the angles and footwork used in the double leg shoot very similar to the female triangle in FMA. Mixing techniques from one art and the next, the JKD blend, is something we do all the time and makes things easier to pick up and have a reference point you're used to.

Thanks again to Spenna and everyone involved at Fulinkazan for a great Monday night!

Triangle footwork

 

See you in class!

Brief FMA glossary

There are quite a few sites online that have a huge list of filipino words and their meanings, even in mulitple dialects. This is a list I think will serve you well enough but feel free to research yourselves.

Abanico = fan strike

Abierta = open position (note there is open high and low)

Arnis = (harness) Filipino martial arts

Bacalau = a circling, returning angle 1

Baston/Olisi = stick

Serrada = closed position (note there is closed high and low)

Cinqo Teros = 5 strikes

Corto = close range

Daga = dagger

Dakop = to cup/catch

Dakot = to cut/scoop

Dulo = tip of the stick

Dumog = Filipino grappling

Dongab/Dungab = a strike with the fist

Eskrima/Escrima = (skirmish) Filipino martial arts

Espada y Daga = sword/stick & dagger/short stick

Gunting (Guninting) = scissors (limb destruction)

Hubad (hubad lubad) = tie and untie, sensitivity/flow drill

Kali = Filipino martial arts

Largo = long range

Laptik = a strike that follows through

Medio = medium range

Redondo = circling power strike

Paglibut = circling parry similar to waslik

Pakal/pical = (earth grip) ice-pick grip with tip of weapon pointing down

Panantukan/Pangamot = Filipino boxing/hand skills

Paawas = parry

Punio/punyo = butt of the stick

Sac sac = (heaven grip) standard grip with tip of weapon pointing up

Songab = finger jab

Waslik = circling parry

Witik = a quick returning strike



As always, let me know if you have any questions.

See you in class!

5 ways of attack

Here are some fundamental principles, have a think about how you might apply them then play with it in sparring.


SDA/SAA - Single Direct Attack/Single Angular Attack:
This is, as described, a simple attack such as a jab or lead leg kick which is not followed by another attack and doesn’t follow a preceding attack.

PIA - Progressive Indirect Attack:
This is an attack that is setup, you might, for example, fake low but hit high.

ABC - Attack By Combination:
Any attack techniques used in combination, keep efficiency in mind so each attack can link you into the next.

ABD - Attack By Drawing:
When you bait an opponent you draw them in to an attack, you setup a trap for them and draw them in. I like to sometimes drop my lead hand then counter with a gunting.

HIA - Hand Immobilisation Attack:
This is when you trap or hold your opponents limb when attacking. The same principle applies to any part of your opponent, pinning their foot or grabbing their hair would also be an Immobilisation Attack.

See you in class!

Weaponry

In both the weaponry and empty hand classes we've started with very basic Hubud, we will develop on what we've done in upcoming classes. Here is my instructor Guro Bob Breen and top Academy Black Belt demonstrating some of the finer points of the drill. Enjoy!

See you in class!

Pad work

Courtesy of my instructor Guro David Onuma and good friend, MMA coach Glen Akwei, here's some videos of basic pad work we'll be adding in to the empty hands classes. Enjoy!


1.Jab
2.Cross
3.Lead hook
4.Lead uppercut to head
5.Rear uppercut to head

Video 1

Video 2

 Video 3

Video 4

Video 5

See you in class!

Dedication

While I was in London a couple of weeks ago Guro David Onuma was kind enough to make some time for a private training session were we covered a range of things from single and double stick to some empty hand techniques. He gave me some great tips and we caught up and had a bit of laugh.

I remember thinking several times that night how much I value training with him and look forward to every opportunity to do so.

Something I've learned from training with Guro David and Guro Bob is to always appreciate and take in what your instructor gives you, it might not always click on a given day but when it does you should relish it... especially when things start clicking like sticks in a well executed flow drill!

B.I.G Camp Oct 2011

As you guys know classes were canceled a couple of weeks ago as I made a trip to London for a training camp with Guro Bob Breen.

At the camp I saw good friends and training partners and throughout the day thought about how Guro Bob never ceased to amaze me. The variety of things he taught us and the way it all linked together was inspiring. Empty hand counters, locks and take downs as well as single stick techniques and flow drills. All excellent stuff!

After a couple of bruises and scratches from the Velcro of the gloves in sparring, two on one as well as stick, a few of us had a light bite and lost track of time catching up.

Training was amazing, company was great and everything that we covered that weekend was highly valued. I can't wait for next time!

New Classes, New Location

I'm happy to let you all know that there will be classes on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons at a great new location! The new classes will be at the Fulinkazan Gym, classes will be Fridays from 19:30 and Saturdays from 15:00 

The full address is:

Floor 2, 114 Sunbridge Road, 

Bradford BD1 2NE

Join in the first class on Friday September 16th at 19:30 where principles of JKD and Panantukan will be covered, followed by an hour of weaponry (single stick).

The gym's existing price structure applies, single sessions are £6 a class or £8 for a day pass.

There will be no more classes at Addictive Fitness, I'd like to thank them for providing a great space and the students that trained there, especially those who now come to the Friday and Saturday classes.

Any questions, don't hesitate to contact me.

 

See you in class

Attitudes towards training and martial arts

Over the past few months I've had the good fortune of speaking to many different individuals about martial arts. What I find interesting is the misconception that martial arts training, is or should be, rough and violent. It's a view I've encountered from experienced martial artists to complete beginners.

By its very nature martial arts training is about learning skills to overcome violence, this doesn't however, mean that we should be violent with our training partners and classmates to see personal improvements and gains. A class should be a controlled environment where you can work towards goals and aims, if it was all about brutish violence there would be a lot of injuries resulting in less training, which in turn leads to less development and skill.

It may be easy to put the gloves on and beat up on each other... But what's the point when your  technique isn't too good and your defences are shabby because you haven't bothered to learn them? You will only progress so much in this way and stunt your growth. 

The same applies to stick fighting, believe it or not I've had people think we go into class and whack each other with sticks for an hour! Don't get me wrong, weaponry as well as the empty hand arts do involve contact and sparring to test what we learn, but the fact remains that we have to first "LEARN" then apply, sensibly. 

To think that martial arts are, or should be, "hardcore" "dangerous" or "rough" doesn't make you those things, martial arts training doesn't have to be those things unless you want it to be. It's no good to think in such rigid and restrictive ways, one cannot plant a seed in stone, instead we plant it in soil because it allows for growth. Having an attitude of stone towards training may appear tough but we know that soil yields more crops.

The study of martial arts is to learn and refine, it takes time but the rewards are plenty. I'll end my rant by suggesting you think about the following next time you go training........

Due to his skill and effectiveness the late GM Wong Shun Leung was known as "King of Talking Hands", one cannot talk without first learning words.

Filipino Martial Arts

The Filipino Martial Arts refer to the arts known as Kali/Arnis/Escrima as well as sub systems and styles such as Panantukan (Filipino Boxing) found across the Philippines.

FMAs date back to methods of warfare and combat of the indigenous people of the Philippines. In addition, the rich history and martial history of South East Asia provides insight to a landscape that often overlapped in culture and martial arts styles.

In terms of martial arts, there are aspects of arts native to neighbouring countries of the Philippines, which share many similarities in not just technique and application but also in terminology. 

To better understand this it is well worth looking into the Majapahit Empire which consisted of present day Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, southern Thailand, the Philippines, and East Timor.

More information to follow...
for additional reading check out the links to the right as well as FMAs and the Majapahit Empire

Jeet Kune Do

Jeet Kune Do (JKD) was founded by Bruce Lee and means Way of the Intercepting Fist, highlighting the efficiency sought in fighting using a defence and attack simultaneously.

Unlike more traditional martial arts, JKD does not have patterns or forms, it is more a philosophy with guiding principles to enable a martial artist to grow and develop utilising their unique attributes and abilities.

JKD emphasises ranges of combat (Kicking, Punching, Trapping and Grappling), with techniques flowing smoothly between them.

Bruce Lee believed that combat was spontaneous, and that a martial artist cannot predict it, only react to it. For this reason the use of any means and techniques to defend oneself are employed, regardless of origin or style or how unorthodox they may be.

"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." - Bruce Lee

"A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer." - Bruce Lee

"It's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential." - Bruce Lee

"Showing off is the fool's idea of glory." - Bruce Lee 

More information to follow...
for additional reading check out the links to the right as well as JKD