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ob2c
Guest
I was hoping that someone a little higher in rank than me would post about the Confederation event. It was awesome! My thanks to the IKCA for sponsoring this, and for all those who generously helped, both officially and unofficially.
Friday night they rented a room and several of us worked out on our own. A lot of people I still don't know helped and gave pointers. One of them was Howard Simms (I hope I got his last name right), a world class competitor. I also worked with Paul Metz and some of his students, from Wisconsin. The seminar hadn't even started, and I was already seeing some excellent Kenpo. One person tested for 4th, and everyone was bowled over by his Master Form. No words can describe what I saw there.
The first hour of the seminar was for us to get brought up to speed for our IKCA level requirements. Again, Mr. Metz took the lower belts ( I just started recently, and am at Orange level ) and did an excellent job taking us through our basics.
After that, the opening ceremony and then we were free to pick the classes we wanted. There were four 1 hr. classes going at all times for 6 hrs., and four 1/2 hour classes at the end. I saw that one of the grappling classes was a little light- almost a 1/1 ratio instructors and students- so I went there. Mr. Bob Barnett introduced us to BJJ. Well done and very informative. Got some idea of ground principles and a few basics.
Next, I went to Ground Fighting with Mr. Shaun Monday. He does Sambo, and competes in MMA limmited rules events. There was another Sambo practitioner there, who does it purely as a self defense art. Wish I could remember his name. But they sort of extemporaneously bounced ideas off each other and helped us to practice. We got to contrast what we'd done in BJJ, the Sambo, as well as some of the differences in sport and combat applications. I got a lot out of that class.
Ofcr. Jim Allards Weapons Disarm class was next. He only worked one pistol disarm. But it was effective from inside or out, front or back. I was very impressed.
At 1:00 I ate lunch. I figured I'd watch Mr. Monday's class while I ate. Instead, I crammed it down and got back into class. I should have known, I guess. It was as good the second time around!
Mr. LeRoux's Stick and Knife. I've worked with Kali and Modern Arnis guys before, and was paired with a BB that I'd worked with in some other classes who also had experience in the FMA's. How could that combination be anything but excellent?! The rest of the seminar should have been anti climactic.
Not so! SGM Steve Muhammad, GM Donny Williams, and Mr. Temple and some of the senior students from the BKF were next. I don't know what to tell you about them. If you've seen them, you know why I have trouble explaining the way they fight. If not, do what ever it takes to see them in person.
The last class was only 1/2 hour, since we had to clear the room early. But it was the key slinger class with Mr. Sullivan. 1/2 hour with Mr. Sullivan is like an hour with most anyone else for quality instruction. And that key slinger is effective.
I missed the Life Size Dummy(Paul Metz), IKCA Form(Chuck Sullivan), Business(Jim Buhisan), Freestyle(Antak and Parsons), and American Kenpo(Dian Tanaka) classes. But I hear that everything there was the same quality standard instruction.
They provided dinner, from KFC. We sat in the courtyard and fellowshiped, and I got to meet a lot of good people from all over.
Again, my sincere apreciation to everyone there for an outstanding learning experience. Special thanks to Mr. Paul Metz and his students for allowing me the privilage of working with them (and I sincerely mean privilage!). Also to Mr. Shaun Monday for the extra info and time, and allowing me to pick his brain the next morning as well. To Brenda King, who gave me some pointers on grappling as well, and all like her who shared their experience and knowlege while there to learn themselves. Of course, to SGM Sullivan and GM LeRoux for all they've done. And to every one who helped make this such a successful seminar.
Friday night they rented a room and several of us worked out on our own. A lot of people I still don't know helped and gave pointers. One of them was Howard Simms (I hope I got his last name right), a world class competitor. I also worked with Paul Metz and some of his students, from Wisconsin. The seminar hadn't even started, and I was already seeing some excellent Kenpo. One person tested for 4th, and everyone was bowled over by his Master Form. No words can describe what I saw there.
The first hour of the seminar was for us to get brought up to speed for our IKCA level requirements. Again, Mr. Metz took the lower belts ( I just started recently, and am at Orange level ) and did an excellent job taking us through our basics.
After that, the opening ceremony and then we were free to pick the classes we wanted. There were four 1 hr. classes going at all times for 6 hrs., and four 1/2 hour classes at the end. I saw that one of the grappling classes was a little light- almost a 1/1 ratio instructors and students- so I went there. Mr. Bob Barnett introduced us to BJJ. Well done and very informative. Got some idea of ground principles and a few basics.
Next, I went to Ground Fighting with Mr. Shaun Monday. He does Sambo, and competes in MMA limmited rules events. There was another Sambo practitioner there, who does it purely as a self defense art. Wish I could remember his name. But they sort of extemporaneously bounced ideas off each other and helped us to practice. We got to contrast what we'd done in BJJ, the Sambo, as well as some of the differences in sport and combat applications. I got a lot out of that class.
Ofcr. Jim Allards Weapons Disarm class was next. He only worked one pistol disarm. But it was effective from inside or out, front or back. I was very impressed.
At 1:00 I ate lunch. I figured I'd watch Mr. Monday's class while I ate. Instead, I crammed it down and got back into class. I should have known, I guess. It was as good the second time around!
Mr. LeRoux's Stick and Knife. I've worked with Kali and Modern Arnis guys before, and was paired with a BB that I'd worked with in some other classes who also had experience in the FMA's. How could that combination be anything but excellent?! The rest of the seminar should have been anti climactic.
Not so! SGM Steve Muhammad, GM Donny Williams, and Mr. Temple and some of the senior students from the BKF were next. I don't know what to tell you about them. If you've seen them, you know why I have trouble explaining the way they fight. If not, do what ever it takes to see them in person.
The last class was only 1/2 hour, since we had to clear the room early. But it was the key slinger class with Mr. Sullivan. 1/2 hour with Mr. Sullivan is like an hour with most anyone else for quality instruction. And that key slinger is effective.
I missed the Life Size Dummy(Paul Metz), IKCA Form(Chuck Sullivan), Business(Jim Buhisan), Freestyle(Antak and Parsons), and American Kenpo(Dian Tanaka) classes. But I hear that everything there was the same quality standard instruction.
They provided dinner, from KFC. We sat in the courtyard and fellowshiped, and I got to meet a lot of good people from all over.
Again, my sincere apreciation to everyone there for an outstanding learning experience. Special thanks to Mr. Paul Metz and his students for allowing me the privilage of working with them (and I sincerely mean privilage!). Also to Mr. Shaun Monday for the extra info and time, and allowing me to pick his brain the next morning as well. To Brenda King, who gave me some pointers on grappling as well, and all like her who shared their experience and knowlege while there to learn themselves. Of course, to SGM Sullivan and GM LeRoux for all they've done. And to every one who helped make this such a successful seminar.