Developing

Last week I had a marathon of Martial Arts, roughly 10 hours of training with the legendary Bob Breen at the Breen Instructor Camp over two days which was fantastic.

Being someone who doesn't like missing opportunities and always wanting to make the most of everything, I had also arranged a private training session with none other than CFS founder and Head Instructor, Guro David Onuma.

I've spoken before about how important it is to have a skilled instructor and to make the most of their teachings, on Sunday morning I walked in to the gym and started some warm ups and had a catch up with Guro David and got started with some Panantukan and trapping padwork, we then moved on to grappling and finished the session off with a light roll.

The thing about training with masters is their skill to teach you things when you are barely aware of them, Guro David had this way of letting me do things while rolling that increased my positional knowledge and overall movement, I've felt this before when sparring on the feet as well and it's a testament to his skill and knowledge and one of the many things that makes him as good as he is.

I am extremely proud that Guro David promoted me to Apprentice Instructor Level 1 in both Jun Fan/JKD and Filipino Martial Arts. This was completely unexpected and I thank him for all the time he has given me over the years and all he continues to teach me.

Oss!

B.I.G. Camp May 2013

This past weekend I was in my home town for another great weekend of training with the Breen Instructor Group. It was a fantastic weekend of technical and practical training with some of the most dedicated martial artists I know.

On Saturday Guro had us work the back sweep and pointed out the subtleties of finding it as well as more easily executing it. In true JKD spirit we covered many things from a few basic techniques and openings  and it was easy to see how the same shapes and positions offered themselves within boxing, knife and pummeling/clinch work.  

Almost like Matryoshka dolls the variations that Guro had us worked from key techniques just kept coming, but form the same source. I've always remembered what Guro has said about doing more with less and what we covered on the weekend with single stick and trapping was exactly that. 

I must admit one of the many highlights of the weekend was ending off the training on Saturday with cake Judy had brought along, which was superb!

I got to see and train with friends and share notes and had a fantastic weekend, looking forward to the next one!

A big thank you to everyone I partnered up with on the day, see you at Knife Day or the next B.I.G. weekend! Oss!

2013

Every year we make intentions to make improvements and do better than we did in the previous year. The fact is nothing gets better without working for the improvements we desire, whatever they may be.

We're starting the year off with hard work and will continue to work hard to make gains in all we do in the classes. We will be having fun, as always, and there will be a 4 hour seminar every quarter covering all areas (dates to follow).

Regular attendance along with additional training in seminars and any open mat sessions that are available will really make a difference to your game. There will be a lot more pictures and videos on the blog this year as well to help with training so check back soon.

As always, I'm here if you have any questions, suggestions or requests.



See you in class, Osss!

Etiquette

I wanted to put this up as it's easy to forget some things however basic they may be.

Hygiene and well being:

• Spraying deodorant doesn't always cut it! hygiene is important, wash after each session - yourself and your clothes.
• Antibacterial soap never hurt anyone, especially after a particularly sweaty class!
• Clip your finger/toenails, it's no fun spotting little cuts after a session and wondering whose dirty nails cut/scratched you.
• A good antibacterial spray extends the lifespan of your gear, gloves, headgear, shin-guards etc. a quick spray after each session then leave them out to air dry.
• Wear the appropriate gear to the class you're attending, goggles are often neglected in weaponry classes but you only have two eyes and getting poked in either by a stick is no fun! 
• If you have injuries let the instructor and your training partner(s) know.If you're sick, ill or otherwise have any type of condition let your instructor know and think about taking some time off. It's no good training when you're not well, especially if it's something catching!

 Training:

• Arrive on time, let the instructor know when you arrive if you arrive late.
• Don't invade a class. Enthusiasm is great but don't get on the mat and start warming up or hitting the bags while another class is in progress, check with the instructor if it's ok to do so first.
• Show respect to your sparring partner, senior students and those that are older than you.  
• Pay attention to the instructor, he/she is giving up their time to share things with you.
• Don't chew gum when training, not all chokes are successful sub attempts!
• When partnered up for drilling or sparring, show respect to your partner. You can touch gloves, knock fists, high five or bow etc. 
• If you're more experienced than someone you're partnered/sparring with, don't take advantage. Make it more challenging by working your weaker areas or better yet, by offering tips to help them do better against you. 
• Remember that we are all friends in the gym, these are people that help you improve. 
• When sparring don't be afraid to ask your partner to slow down or bring the pace down a notch, similarly don't go too hard unless your partner has agreed. Sparring is to aid learning and raise conditioning, don't hit harder than you're willing to get hit.
• Remember that you do, to some extent represent your school or gym, but especially if you're competing and fighting out of the gym.
• The gym is your gym, keep it tidy and help maintain it for future use.
• Have fun, you learn and improve more when you're enjoying yourself!

Osu!

CFS at the London Open & European No-Gi Championships 2012

Check out my instructor (CFS Head Instructor) Guro David Onuma's fantastic blog with loads of great instructional material

Here's a picture of the post on the tournament... Read more here!

Congratulations to all the CFS warriors that fought on the day!