Mr. Planas April 12, Colleyville, TX

[cdhall]

Mr. Planas will be doing a seminar on April 12th in Colleyville, TX.
I've posted reviews here once before. If anyone is interested in me posting some type of notes after the seminar, say so and I will. Otherwise I will not bore you all by trying to make myself look good or anything.

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by cdhall
Mr. Planas will be doing a seminar on April 12th in Colleyville, TX.
I've posted reviews here once before. If anyone is interested in me posting some type of notes after the seminar, say so and I will. Otherwise I will not bore you all by trying to make myself look good or anything.

No idea why the "Collyville Guys" post only 2 weeks before their
seminars.

 

[cdhall]

Originally posted by Kirk
No idea why the "Collyville Guys" post only 2 weeks before their
seminars.

Kirk, you know I'm in Austin. I usually have the ability to go to this stuff on short notice and it was only last night that I thought of posting a review. I missed the one you guys has in Feb even though I had the time and money to go... ah well.

Did they post about this somewhere else 2weeks ago? He is coming back to Texas in Sept. to the same location according to his website calendar.

See you when you have Mr. LaBounty in.
:asian:

 

[MinnieMin]

Originally posted by cdhall
Mr. Planas will be doing a seminar on April 12th in Colleyville, TX.
I've posted reviews here once before. If anyone is interested in me posting some type of notes after the seminar, say so and I will. Otherwise I will not bore you all by trying to make myself look good or anything.

I didn't know about this seminar, just found it out by your post.
Yes, cdhall, please Post the reviews. I think ppl would appreciated it. I do.

I think I will be in Mr. LaBounty's seminar in May. See ya there. :asian:

Min

 

[cdhall]

OK, due to OVERWHELMING DEMAND here are some notes from the seminar.
I just got in. I'm tired. These will just be notes.

The seminar ran from approx 2-5pm.
We covered "Problem Techniques" from a list made by the attendees. We got through Spiraling Twig, Flight to Freedom and Flashing Wing after some basic drills and discussion.

Items covered:
1. Rule #1 is Establish A Base
2. Kenpo Motto is "Accuracy, Power and (just enough) Speed (to make it work)
3. Techniques start with the first stance regardless of whether you got there by stepping in or stepping back or adjusting some other way.
4. Students generally don't spend enough time learning how to "read" your opponent
5. Action is faster than reaction.
6. Everything we do in Kenpo has a Term/Vocabulary word and a Definition. You need to know both. Knowing the Term can be meaningless without knowing the definition. If you look in a dictionary you get meaning, pronunciation, history, part of speech, usage... for nearly every word but a lot of people don't know this much about our Kenpo terms and this can hurt them
7. Another rule we have is "Don't get in your own way" or "Don't go around yourself"
8. A Neutral Bow is a stance for your Body and not just your feet. So your hands need to be in a proper guard. Your forward hand should not rise above your chin because it can obscure your vision. If your hand is open, your fingers stay at chin level. If you use a fist, your fist is at chin level so yes there is a difference there.
9. Finger Set contains "inserts" which you can and should use to go back and work into your techniques.
10. Many techniques won't work without an insert because there is too much time between your initial block/reaction and when you start to hit back. Striking blocks are very good inserts. Striking blocks meaning that you block and carry through to a strike such as a punch to the face. I may not be using "Striking Block" correctly here. I think he actually was talking about whether we "block through to a strike." Oh well, these are notes, not a recording.
11. All we do are Basics. That's it. Kenpo is the study of motion. Everything we do is a Basic or combinations of Basics. A Basic is a single move.
12. Being a good "Dummy" is better than being able to do a technique. It is harder. It takes more thought. A good "dummy" has to know how to react and why. It takes less expertise to execute a technique. To work your technique properly you need a good "dummy." Striking on a "statue" does not allow you to learn a technique well.

That's all I have at first blush. If you want something else let me know.

Yes, I was kidding about Overwhelming Demand, but now I'm going to paste this into my notebook like I did with the notes I put up from/for Mr. Speakman's Dec 2002 seminar. I have tried to omit posting what I was unsure of. This stuff is all what I clearly remember now and when I made the notes after class.
:asian:

So the point is, go to a Mr. Planas seminar when you can.

 

[jfarnsworth]

Doug that was really cool of you. Thanks for taking the time to put it up here. Also, it's nice to see you posting back on MT. :asian:

 

[MinnieMin]

Thank you, thank you Doug!!!
It is so nice of you to do this for others, and it will be so helpful to the people who weren't there or was there like me, didn't get half of what he says.
Again, thanks for your notes and your time!

Min

 

[cdhall]

Originally posted by MinnieMin
...or was there like me, didn't get half of what he says....
Min

You are all welcome. Whatever I can do to "help." It is also good for me. It gives me two motivations to get my notes typed up.

Min, were you there? I was the guy who went up early for the speed drill and then had my brain rattled with two "minor" handswords during Flashing Wings.

 

[cdhall]

Oops. I forgot a few items about the 60's.
Mr. C. will like some of this about Right and Left and Right Hand Bias.
I'll pick up at 13:

13. Mr. Planas said he liked to work our minds more than our bodies

14. While warming up we did a drill from a horse where Mr. Planas would call off a move or series of moves (punches) and we had to do them alternating Right and Left. Eventually we did this with triple punches with each punch Also having to go to a different height zone. He said this makes a good game for teaching. When someone messes up, they bow out. The last one standing knows their basics the best. I can't remember exactly how or what he said but this seemed to reinforce the point that equal proficiency on the right and left sides were both important. Although, he did say that under stress you will react with/favoring your dominant side. Nevertheless he seemed to make it clear that you need to work both.

15. I also believe he emphasized this when telling us how the Black Belt test went in the 60's. He said for sure that "in the 60's" the Black Belt test was 6 techniques. You'd face a semi-circle of attackers and Mr. Parker would be behind you and he'd point to an attacker. The attacker had to attack realistically but could do whatever they wanted. Now it gets "fuzzy" for me. I may be interpolating more of what follows.

It seemed obvious that they would be coming in at you, I don't know how or if Grabs/Hugs/Holds/Locks/Chokes were used as attacks. I also don't remember how he said that the attacker was vigorous/realisic/hard and fast but this seemed clear to me. You then had to defend with a technique that worked. You had to do a different technique for each attacker. And I also think he said that you had to alternate Right and Left. Thus you must use a "left sided technique" alternately with a "left sided technique." I'll try to get clarification on this. I thought, later today, that this all seemed to invalidate some people's claims that requiring only "right-hand proficiency" was enough.

16. He also said that in the air, you should do the technique properly as it is prescribed but that in a testing situation or with an opponent you were expected to adjust to make the technique work.

This is also interesting because if I'm not mistaken Mr. Duffy runs his tests this way. When he calls off techniques during that phase of the test, then you must be doing your technique on an imaginary opponent of your same size as it is prescribed as a Base Technique. But during the partner phase, if you mess up the base technique or do the wrong technique then you are Not to stop and to start over but to continue through with something that works. This is good for me because I have always thought for a long time (probably beacause I was taught this way) that we are trying to make stuff work spontaneously and the system is designed to get you there. It is Never important that you do an actual Base Technique "by the numbers" but by drilling Base Techniques you get proper body mechanics into muscle memory so that you can employ them successfully later without thinking. Mr. Speakman addressed this issue once by saying that in a fight there should/can be an attack and you Explode with energy and then you try to figure out what technique you did. He meant that you Just Do It and worry about what/how later. How/when/why/where to move should be a subconscious process at some point in your training.

17. In the 60's new students went straight to the Basics Class and stayed there until the instructor thought they were good enough at the Basics to move up into the next class and start learning techniques. I have seen the Vintage Kenpo tape or some other IKC tape and Mr. Sullivan says that lower belts should not teach the basics and that one of the things he is proud of is that (via video?) he teaches the basics himself and checks you on them so that they are right. I think that is the same concept employed in the 60's. The Basics must be good before you can proceed. Mr. Planas said something like it was not good to be showing people Five Swords and Thundering Hammers on their first few lessons because there is no way they can do these right yet without having good basics.

18. I'll try to do this quick as I'm getting tired. Relative to our system being Right Hand biased, most strikes with/off/from the Left Hand seem to be minor strikes that set up a Major blow from the right hand. Left-handed people of course, would do the technique the Opposite way to work their strong side. But he did point this out with Flashing Wings that the first elbow is a major strike, the second is minor because of limited torque/travel, the third blow is a minor handsword (even though his minor handsword to my neck could have knocked me out) the fourth blow is minor because it is your left hand and these all are positioning the guy to take that final right hand strike "from the South Forty" which is intended to "end the fight." This seems to be a theme. I have not seen many of his tapes, but I bet if I go back and work all my techniques this way that they could be a Lot different than the way I have them now.

19. Most techniques start with some type of block. If you miss the block, then you probably get stuffed by the attack and therefore can't do the technique. I think I paraphrased this accurately. This does not mean that you can't hit them on the first move. The first move of Flashing Wings for example works Best if you block through with a punch to the face. He even said that the technique may not work without this "insert" and I think I mentioned inserts in this context already.

Whew. Goodnight.

These are some of the additional thoughts/rememberances I've had since Saturday. I hope they are useful. Feel free to email or PM me if you want to discuss, confirm or deny any of this. If you were there and you know I got something wrong, Please speak up and let me know. Thanks.
:asian:

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by cdhall
14. While warming up we did a drill from a horse where Mr. Planas would call off a move or series of moves (punches) and we had to do them alternating Right and Left. Eventually we did this with triple punches with each punch Also having to go to a different height zone. He said this makes a good game for teaching. When someone messes up, they bow out. The last one standing knows their basics the best. I can't remember exactly how or what he said but this seemed to reinforce the point that equal proficiency on the right and left sides were both important. Although, he did say that under stress you will react with/favoring your dominant side. Nevertheless he seemed to make it clear that you need to work both.

Ah, yes ... but did he say you needed to work on both equally?
Did he say that you should be tested on all techs on the left side
to earn rank?

 

[MinnieMin]

Originally posted by cdhall

Min, were you there?

No, I wasn't there, but I was in the seminar at San Antonio earlier this year, where I met your student, Michael.
I am looking forward to meet you in Mr. LaBounty's seminar in May. :asian:

 

[cdhall]

Originally posted by Kirk
Ah, yes ... but did he say you needed to work on both equally?
Did he say that you should be tested on all techs on the left side
to earn rank?

Kirk, you missed your calling. You should have been a Surgeon. You can split hairs like a champ!


No I don't think he said that. He just made us do it...

If all we do are basics, and you have to know your basics on both sides... what does that mean?

I know what you are saying, I think. He did say that you will react with your strong side under stress, but I will email Mr. Hazelwood or see if I can otherwise confirm that Mr. Planas said that for the Black Belt test you used to have to also alternate a left and right side technique. Although, that still would not put this particular question to rest.

I'll email Mr. Planas.

However, Joe Lewis told us once in a seminar that I took from him "You get 2 fouls..." so he would "accidentally" jam a right side thrust into his opponents lead leg to take out that leg even though he'd get a foul. Then he said he'd jam another kick and get a foul. Now he has two fouls and you can't kick (maybe you can't even move very well). Do you think he'd do that in a real fight? In a real encounter is it likely you will be up against someone who would take out a weapon of yours like this? What if he played the odds and disabled your right arm somehow, or just hit it first as a target. Now you need your weak side so what shape should it be in?

Another instructor of mine at Mr. Swan's school used to teach us, during sparring, to throw a crescent kick to your opponent's guard, to a) get it out of the way and b) weaken it as much as you could.

I do this sometimes when I'm fighting. Not so much to disable, but if you came at me and I didn't think I could take you out right away, you bet I would try to take out your lead arm or leg, and if you are a Kenpo guy that doesn't work your left side then have I reduced you by 25% or 50%?

Just a thought. Mr. Planas also discussed "Going along with the program" during a fight or a technique. This was in conjuction with his being a good dummy/natural reaction theme and he said that in a real fight, most people won't cooperate. He meant that you may have to and you may need to make a technique work because your opponent will resist.

If he will resist being hit by you, do you think he will resist "playing by the rules?" I think so.

If we were talking about clerical skills, like "do I need to staple the papers on the Left and the Right corner?" then perhaps "No, so what?" woud be a good answer, but this is a fight remember. You need everything you have. You are trying to not let him hit you until you disable/neutralize him.

More succinctly, Mr. Planas said "I like to work your mind more than your body." He told us that all we do are basics. He said that in the 60's you used to go to basics class until you got good enough to go to class. He put us through a drill working basics on both sides to determine a "Basics Champ" as it were [My phrase]. What is the natural conclusion from all this evidence?

I think it is that both sides are important. Some people can pick up both sides faster than others. Some people will be equally good on both sides. Some people will never be anything like equally good on both sides. You are always going to use your strong side. Therefore there may be no "prescription" for how many reps or what level of proficiency you need to achieve on both sides because it could vary so much by individual. Mr. Duffy told us just last week that we need to be as good as we can on the weak side but that he does not expect anyone to have equal proficiency. That is my attitude really. It helps to be good on the weak side.

Covert Bailey talked about the true definition of Cross-Training in "Smart Exercise" I think it was. He said something like "doing curls with your left arm will cause your body to strengthen your right arm" even though it is injured and can not do curls per se. I think this concept may translate well into Kenpo. Mr. Parker may even have expected as much. I don't know about that.

I'll report back what I get from Mr. Planas on this. I'm not saying that you are wrong, but we seem to have a different view and I think I've now explained mine to death.

I know there are prominent instructors who don't require much proficiency on the weak side. My point really is that it does not hurt to work the weak side as much as you can.

Did Danielson do Wax On on the left side or the right side or both?

Yeah, I know. Where is that cold glass of "shut the hell up?" Is that guy still on the board? I guess I need one of those now. :shrug:

 

[cdhall]

Originally posted by MinnieMin
No, I wasn't there, but I was in the seminar at San Antonio earlier this year, where I met your student, Michael.
I am looking forward to meet you in Mr. LaBounty's seminar in May. :asian:

Aack!
Thanks Min, but Michael is not "my student" he just frequently comes to the class Mr. Duffy lets me teach. I want to be sure no one thinks I have my own students, particularly inside Mr. Duffy's studio. Although there is one person who can only come to my class, but she and I both are properly referred to as Mr. Duffy's students. Not a big deal, I just don't want it to become a big deal... you never know out here on the "internet" what might happen...

But otherwise thanks for clearing that up for me and I will look forward to meeting you in May as well.

 

[MinnieMin]

Originally posted by cdhall
Aack!
you never know out here on the "internet" what might happen...

I know what you mean, sorry about that.

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by cdhall
Kirk, you missed your calling. You should have been a Surgeon. You can split hairs like a champ!


No I don't think he said that. He just made us do it...

If all we do are basics, and you have to know your basics on both sides... what does that mean?

I know what you are saying, I think. He did say that you will react with your strong side under stress, but I will email Mr. Hazelwood or see if I can otherwise confirm that Mr. Planas said that for the Black Belt test you used to have to also alternate a left and right side technique. Although, that still would not put this particular question to rest.

I'll email Mr. Planas.

However, Joe Lewis told us once in a seminar that I took from him "You get 2 fouls..." so he would "accidentally" jam a right side thrust into his opponents lead leg to take out that leg even though he'd get a foul. Then he said he'd jam another kick and get a foul. Now he has two fouls and you can't kick (maybe you can't even move very well). Do you think he'd do that in a real fight? In a real encounter is it likely you will be up against someone who would take out a weapon of yours like this? What if he played the odds and disabled your right arm somehow, or just hit it first as a target. Now you need your weak side so what shape should it be in?

Another instructor of mine at Mr. Swan's school used to teach us, during sparring, to throw a crescent kick to your opponent's guard, to a) get it out of the way and b) weaken it as much as you could.

I do this sometimes when I'm fighting. Not so much to disable, but if you came at me and I didn't think I could take you out right away, you bet I would try to take out your lead arm or leg, and if you are a Kenpo guy that doesn't work your left side then have I reduced you by 25% or 50%?

Just a thought. Mr. Planas also discussed "Going along with the program" during a fight or a technique. This was in conjuction with his being a good dummy/natural reaction theme and he said that in a real fight, most people won't cooperate. He meant that you may have to and you may need to make a technique work because your opponent will resist.

If he will resist being hit by you, do you think he will resist "playing by the rules?" I think so.

If we were talking about clerical skills, like "do I need to staple the papers on the Left and the Right corner?" then perhaps "No, so what?" woud be a good answer, but this is a fight remember. You need everything you have. You are trying to not let him hit you until you disable/neutralize him.

More succinctly, Mr. Planas said "I like to work your mind more than your body." He told us that all we do are basics. He said that in the 60's you used to go to basics class until you got good enough to go to class. He put us through a drill working basics on both sides to determine a "Basics Champ" as it were [My phrase]. What is the natural conclusion from all this evidence?

I think it is that both sides are important. Some people can pick up both sides faster than others. Some people will be equally good on both sides. Some people will never be anything like equally good on both sides. You are always going to use your strong side. Therefore there may be no "prescription" for how many reps or what level of proficiency you need to achieve on both sides because it could vary so much by individual. Mr. Duffy told us just last week that we need to be as good as we can on the weak side but that he does not expect anyone to have equal proficiency. That is my attitude really. It helps to be good on the weak side.

Covert Bailey talked about the true definition of Cross-Training in "Smart Exercise" I think it was. He said something like "doing curls with your left arm will cause your body to strengthen your right arm" even though it is injured and can not do curls per se. I think this concept may translate well into Kenpo. Mr. Parker may even have expected as much. I don't know about that.

I'll report back what I get from Mr. Planas on this. I'm not saying that you are wrong, but we seem to have a different view and I think I've now explained mine to death.

I know there are prominent instructors who don't require much proficiency on the weak side. My point really is that it does not hurt to work the weak side as much as you can.

Did Danielson do Wax On on the left side or the right side or both?

Yeah, I know. Where is that cold glass of "shut the hell up?" Is that guy still on the board? I guess I need one of those now. :shrug:

I'm not saying don't work the left side. I'm just asking if Huk
thinks it should be part of a belt test. He told me that Kenpo
works both sides through forms, and that working the left side
of techniques will help you understand the techniques better, ...
but he also said that doing the techniques in reverse will help
so serve in that capacity also. It's all about how good you want
to be. We do drills in school, hit focus mitts, do hubud, and
kicks and punches to the bag ... but none of those are on a belt
test either. Why is the left side techs, and not doing them in
reverse part of tests (in varying schools). I hope I'm coming
across clearly ... but who knows