| Lansdale's Self Defense Systems |
April 2008
Volume 10, Issue 1 |
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"He who angers you conquers you." - Elizabeth Kinney
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CAMP LANSDALE #11 WAS GREAT! Camp Lansdale #11 continued the tradition of kick-butt training and was a weekend packed full of informative learning experience. And when we say packed, we mean PACKED. One look at the schedule revealed that we were all to get our money's worth in the amount of hours alone. But the icing on the cake was getting more than our money's worth of quality, hands on instruction from some of the most qualified self defense Martial Artists' around. Sensei Adam Coats and Shihan Richard Hartstein kicked off the weekend with the first session Friday evening. Many elements of the Shen Chuan StreetBoxing Division were brought to bear, explained and shown with devastating effect. Sensei Adam Coats has been assigned the development of this division as it goes through a transition from a more traditional Taekwondo / Kickboxing style to a more eclectic street combat, with elements of Judo , groundfighting and a little MMA thrown into the mixture of the kicking art it started out as. Shihan Bob Lacher took the reigns of the next session with a little bit of Shen Chuan Aikijujitsu flavor. Shihan Bob, who holds a 3rd Dan ranking in the Shen Chuan Aikijujitsu division and received his training directly from Professor Harry who heads that division is no stranger to the fluid, yet brutal aspects of Aiki when taken to the "next level". If you've never been locked by Shihan Bob, you're missing a real treat. Well, maybe treat is not the word as you're picking yourself up off the ground and muttering a few choice words. But you get the idea. Shihan Bob is now cross ranked and currently training in Shen Chuan and has attained the rank of 2nd Dan in our core system. And it shows. His instructional session was informative, concise and at one point, brutal during the locking phase. Just the way we like it! Shihan Bob ended up teaching his session before Shihan Paul Britt, contrary to the printed schedule, because Shihan Paul was goofing off somewhere between Rockwall and Nacogdoches. Seriously, the job demands of a police officer proved to be a little more demanding that day and threw Paul's schedule off. We flipped the session's and Shihan Paul came in just in time to start an 8 o' clock session. With that said, let the beatings begin. Shihan Paul's no-nonsense style of Shen Chuan has helped him escape real-world experiences as a cop that could have turned out crippling or even deadly. They have helped him "go home alive" as his logo so aptly puts it, on numerous occasions. The mindset of a cop shows in his style and his teachings. It's all or nothing folks. You live, or you die. And we learned it pretty quickly when Paul took the floor. Check out his article later on in this newsletter. It'll offer you a glimpse into that mindset. Professor Lansdale kicked Saturday off with some advanced striking, locking and throwing concepts. His session departed from the usual "ABC" techniques and delved into the advance aspects of each of these. It was like leaving high-school and entering college. The movements were old hat, but the application was unlike anything many students had ever seen. Headlining guest, Guru Mike Casto took the reigns at midmorning, and showed us why he epitomizes Professor Lansdale's idea of a great student. As most know, Mike came from Ohio to actually live in Nacogdoches and study Shen Chuan in order to obtain ranking and his instructorship in our system. Now that's dedication. But the real "student" aspect is actually applying what is learned and blending it with the core art, in Mike's case, Sikal, without it looking like it was "added". It becomes a functional aspect of the overall art. And Mike has achieved that, in spades. But not to brag on only what we have given him, Mike also demonstrated what he gave to Shen Chuan, via the system of Sikal. Y'all know we'll mooch and apply anything that has merit. Mike demonstrated those aspects as well. Sifu Brandon Jones was our special guest this year. Brandon demonstrated the self-defense aspects of the Seven Star Praying Mantis System, with devastating effect. Those that have never witnessed a true Gung Fu practitioner, who knows what they are doing and how to correctly apply it were in for a real treat. We have Praying Mantis elements within our system. But to see the actual system, applied with true self-defense elements was truly beautiful. And Brandon has put in the time and dedication needed to truly become a master of it. His application was awesome to say the least. Other sessions were held by Professor's Billy Jack Worsham, Coy Harry and Eugene Frizzell with assistance from Sensei Kelly Owens. It was a great time and a great learning experience. We can't stress enough that if you're a student of Shen Chuan (or any other martial art for that matter), you really need to attend these camps. Professor Lansdale has brought in some great Martial Artists' over the years. It's been an opportunity to learn from some of the greats, and some of the up and coming greats. And always at a price far less than those usually charged for such names and for full weekends! |
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| Recent News and Tidbits And speaking of Sifu Brandon Jones, Professor Lansdale took an entourage of instructors and students up to Brandon's school in Tyler at the first of February. Here was Professor Coy's take on the trip; If you couldn't make it to Camp Lansdale back in October you missed a treat. Sifu Brandon Jones is an instructor of Seven Star Praying Mantis, a rare and unique system. His style and technique were very similar to Shen Chuan and Sifu fit right in with the family. Recently he invited Professor Lansdale to come to his school and show his Black Belts some of the finer points of Shen Chuan. Professor Lansdale was very well received by Sifu Brandon's students. They were fun to work with because of their experience and eagerness to learn new things. This seems like old hat to us but remember that very few instructors now days actually allow and encourage their students to explore the arts. This open mindedness comes from the instructor and Sifu Brandon's mentality and ability are very apparent with his students. Professor Lansdale showed concepts and principles from Shen Chuan that are shared with those of Sifu Brandon's system. He highlighted the similarities and the differences with his usual finesse and panache on Sensei Adam Coats and Shihan Richard Hartstein. Matt Partridge also made it up from Houston and I think he learned a good bit. We had a great time with a great bunch of fellow martial artists. I encourage you to visit Sifu Brandon in Tyler if you get a chance. His School is very nice and you will enjoy his instruction as well as working with his students. I would very much like us to keep a connection with Sifu Brandon and his school. We have a lot to share with each other and it will benefit us both. |
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THE METHOD OF THREE... by Professor Coy Harry
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SECRET TRAINING PHILOSOPHY... by shihan paul britt Every advertisement for Martial Arts and Self Defense touts their "Secret Techniques" to make you unbeatable and invincible. I wish that it was that easy in the real world. When was someone unbeatable in the real world? Ali was beat. Tyson was beat and the current crop of professional fighters will all suffer a loss one day. I have lost fights in my life. Nobody is invincible. The funny thing is that many people know the best kept secret already. The secret is not just one thing, it is made up of several different aspects. Part of the secret is that they know that they can be beaten on any given day. They work as hard as they can to enhance their chances of winning. Professional fighters train up to eight hours a day in the weeks before a fight. They work hard and continue to improve their skills. Oh wait; there is the other part of the secret, hard work. They want it more than the other guy, so they work their tails off in preparation for a contest. How does this fit in with self defense? The advertisements are a sales gimmick. They want your hard earned money, but cannot deliver on their claims. I do not believe that any martial art is the total answer, including Shen Chuan. I have never seen the one technique that will win every time. I do think that every system has something to offer, whether what to do or what not to do in life. I think that part of the real answer is realizing that you are responsible for your own safety. Knowing this you need to work hard at what you are doing, be it martial arts, exercise or your job. If you want to survive a fight for your safety, you have to work hard to make it happen. That does not mean you have to spend your whole life training and working out. You just have to work hard when you have the time to train. It is better to train thirty minutes a day at full blast than to do nothing. I believe that hard work is the most underrated "secret" out there. In today's world, everyone wants the quick and easy solution. Nobody wants to put forth the effort required to advance or improve in any aspect of their lives. They look at life as if they were owed everything with little output from their own efforts. I see it often in my martial arts classes as well as the classes that I take to improve my skills and chances. I often have people come to the school and leave after a few classes, because it takes some effort on their part to improve. I have seen people come to a Brazilian Ju-Jitsu class and walk out after realizing they would not be Gracie level after one class. It takes sweat and effort to become good at anything, but many people are not willing to make the effort. I recently earned my 5th degree black belt, it was not given to me just for showing up. I am happy to have earned it, but I am proud of what it symbolizes, years of hard work, years of sweat and toil to learn as much as I could. I apologize if this is more of a rant on a soapbox then a real essay. I believe in hard work to get anywhere in life. I believe that you are responsible for your safety, not anyone else. I also believe that I am responsible for my own failures and accomplishments. It all comes down to the ability to work hard to reach your goals and desires. I have a long way to go as I have not met mine yet, so hopefully we can take the journey together.
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Q AND A... by professor billy jack worsham After the discussion was over I went back and reread our discussion and came to the realization that this would benefit others who may have had similar questions, yet did not ask them. So I ran it by Professor Lansdale and we decided to print the discussion in it's entirety, and with Mike's permission in a sort of Question and Answer format. Mike's questions and statements will be italicized while my answers will be in normal type. Hey, just thinking about what you said last night. Did you say we should give some tension and take it away (shotgun analogy)? I was thinking it's best to just be completely relaxed and blend more with the interception and then drop your weight into it. Thanks, Mike Close. What I said (or meant) is that when I shoot I lock everything in tight (meaning getting a good shoulder lock to stock, good lock on cheek to buttstock... they call it welding). The welding can take as long or as little as needed in shooting, depending on the situation. It's instantaneous in Shen Chuan. Now when it is time to sight and pull the trigger there is an "in breath", then a release and hold at the bottom of the breath, as the trigger is tickled. At that moment, everything is relaxed and fluid. There is that moment in time when only the bullet exists... not me, the trigger, the firing pin nor the gun. A structure was built during the weld, but it is not rigid at this moment. It is merely a platform that won't move, disrupt or interact with the bullet path. This refers more to rifle (hunting/sniper) shooting. In MA (more specifically Shen Chuan), that's the moment that an interception happens. You've made contact with the offending digit and your structure instantly welds to it to give the attacker a minute sensation that you "blocked hard". Well we don't "block hard". With us there was only the minutest of contact (this is the point of blending if you've come to understand that yet). Just enough that he "thought" it was enormously rigid and he believes he's in control. In that split second that he believes he has you, by the sensation that he feels, that is when you relax to the point that you "disappear" from his senses. This is where we tell you to "drop your hands", or "don't set him back up", "don't reground him" or other little analogies that mean don't give him something that will allow him to regain his senses on you. The great thing about working with Jared is that he'll take your dang head off if you screw up. That means you get a committed, real life punch aimed square at your nose. Something that allows you to "know" the concept is working. Or in a worst case scenario, that it didn't work at all... As he threw the punch at my nose, my interceptional movement to his arm was essentially a "reach". Not a muscle driven "axe" sent out to chop it off. That relaxed. You have the time. The next point in time is when my hand "got in touch" with the fold in his arm above the elbow. At that point there was a "destruction" as I struck him hard enough to hurt, and disrupt his initial thought process (i.e. to bust my nose). At that split second (minute tension and blending), my "destruction" went limp as a noodle and my hand dropped. What did his body do? He lost all sensation in what he "thought" was going on, and literally fell into my arms (which is the void you hear us discuss. Nothing exists there). As he was falling into the void, literally on top of me, the other hand came into play and caught him with the money shot. Which was amped up exponentially, because (1) it was super relaxed which gave it allot of speed, and (2) he was literally falling into that void with all of his mass and energy that he had put behind that punch, only to find no contact at the end of it. And with Jared, that's a hell of allot of energy! A 90 mph crash instead of a 55 mph crash, between a Porsche (myself) and a Mack truck (Jared). What else didn't happen after that point? The rest of the technique we were doing. The initial precision and brutality of the first contact ended the threat and I didn't get to do the other 20 strikes that would have made it look awesome. Which is what we always hope for anyway. There is allot of advanced concept/principle and theory behind those few paragraphs. Some of it I know you already understand. Some of it you have an inkling of what it is but no way to apply it yet. And some of it might have flown over your head like an F22 Raptor kicking the afterburners...LOL. Take what you can from it. If I confused you more, ask for clarity. If you have anymore questions, don't hesitate to ask and I'll try to break it down further. One last thought... I said "minute tension" allot. That was an effort on my part to use your word, tension, and to simply say, give him enough "sensation" that he "thinks" there is enormous tension. After all that was said, you are correct in that you should be relaxed, blending and dropping. But it amps it up, and his brain must register that there was tension (when there really wasn't much), so that his brain remains committed to the initial thought. That being to bust you up, and that it believed it just accomplished it. I'm glad you were cogitating on the lesson. The mark of a true student!... bjw Okay, couple of things. 1st I feel pretty comfortable with getting off line (probably the most important thing, right?). Of course, we are learning new techniques, I occasionally focus more on the technique and not getting off line! Definitely a bad habit to work on. I think a lot of that is a function of thinking too much. What am I going to do after the interception kind of thing. Like I said... alot of that was way beyond your level, so don't sweat what you're not grasping yet. #1 is always get offline, no matter what the technique. After you intercept, your arm becomes a lead weight. You don't care that his arm is there. You just want yours to take on Mars gravity, as you let it fall/relax. My problems/concerns are around how you give someone that "minute tension" without becoming tense. Now, I tend not to try to have any tension or strength in my arms as I intercept a punch (good), so I'm not giving the attacker anything at all (very good... you're giving more than you think when perfectly relaxed). Thus, I'm not getting that balance disruption that you were able to get (not yet). So, how do I do this? Drop my weight/mass/being/intent (whatever keys YOUR brain. My brain keyword is intent) (not muscle tension) into my hand as I make contact (yes)? Should I be relaxed 1st and then drop my weight? You should be relaxed from the time you "reached" out to the attacking appendage. The only point that will NOT seem relaxed at your level is the point of contact, which should have that bite/snap/destruction, and then go relaxed again. If I reach out and STOP a door from closing, I stop it with tension at the end of my extension... Hard style karate. If I want to "pop" it back open before it ever closes, I reach for the door and "trampoline" it back open, never intent on stopping it. As I touch the door (that is the attack and where the strike would actually be), I don't try to continually "push" the door back open, I just "pop" it back open. After I do that, I don't walk thru with my hand in the air. It falls to my side perfectly relaxed (blending/relaxing/weight all come together here). Also, as you did the "pop", doesn't your weight (your mass) back it up, or help it, or fill in that void? It pulled you thru the opening door in a sense? The extent of what had to back it up relates to how much the "pop" needed to achieve. Yeah, I tend to want to understand how/why things work. I'm not a learn my techniques as I can kind of person. I just want to be good at the basics/fundamentals (one reason I attend Wed. nights). I think if you have the "concrete" base as Prof. Joe said last night, everything else will take care of that. Dang right it will. The whoop ass comes from Joe's base/fundamentals. That is what you are learning right now, at your level (with little windows like I threw at you last night). And those extra classes with Coy show, because you are getting what we are discussing here. I know because he does the same with me in our one on one stuff. Most of what we discussed is above your level. But I just gave you one of those "windows to the future", because you asked and because you're smart enough to gnaw on it till it makes sense. Don't sweat what you can't grasp right now. What I wanted you to do last night, as a purple belt, was three things: relax the arm you fired to intercept Jared's arm... don't stop IT, let it come to you and intercept (2) AFTER your destruction/interception, which WILL have tension/bite/structure for a split second, relax to the point of your arm falling to your side (carrying his in the process from its weight) and (3) don't over think it, because you get tense when you "try" to make it work and over think it. One thing I've found, Shen Chuan is maybe more mental than it is physical. THANKS AGAIN! Mike There's allot of truth to that. I don't know that it's "more" mental, but it's a huge part of it, especially at higher levels. Look at the upper levels. There is not one of us that's not smart, or heavy thinkers. Look at the degrees and/or IQ's of the top tier. Shen Chuan is an institution of higher learning. It's not the falsely interpreted hard style of say, TKD. We both came from TKD, so you know I'm not putting it down... Heck, we both have our sons enrolled in it... but we both know a low block wasn't a low block! Professor, in the beginning and continuing to this day, and the top tier of his students for that matter, have spent allot of time picking this stuff apart. So now y'all are reaping the benefits of that struggle. You won't understand some of it till you've been thru grade school (the low ranks), middle school (the higher ranks), high school (the first dans) and then college and graduate school (high dans). Heck, we're working on our PhD's and still learning every day. Oh... and exchanges such as these, that put theory and practice into words that help to understand. Hopefully! Billy Jack
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| TRIPLE IMPACT In September, Professor Billy Jack will be traveling to Guru Mike Casto's school in Kentucky to be a part of his annual "Triple Impact Seminar". This has become one of those events to look forward to, in that, like our own Camp Lansdale, this is a weekend choked full of quality instruction from quality martial artists'. While still in the planning stage, Guru Mike provided some early information so that we could get it in this newsletter as seen below: Triple IMPACT '08 will kick off on the evening of Friday, Sept. 5. This session is completely informal. Mostly it's a meet & greet but there's usually some training involved, too, since "meeting and greeting" amongst martial artists usually entails some comparison of notes. On Saturday, September 6 & 7, we'll open the doors at 10 AM for registration. We'll train from 10:30 - Noon then break for lunch from noon - 1:30 PM. We'll have a training session from 1:30 PM - 3 PM and another from 3 PM - 4:30 PM. If we have any guest instructors they'll teach from 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM (I'm sure we'll have at least one guest instructor but I haven't confirmed anything in that regard yet so we'll leave the 4:30 - 5:30 PM training as "TBA") I haven't made the specific teaching assignments yet but usually it works out like this to accommodate flight schedules Saturday: 10:30 - Noon with Guru Mike Noon - 1:30 PM Lunch 1:30 - 3 PM with Guru Ken 3 PM - 4:30 PM with Professor Billy Jack 4:30 - 5:30 PM TBA Sunday: 10:30 - Noon with Professor Billy Jack Noon - 1:30 PM Lunch 1:30 - 3 PM with Guru Ken 3 - 4:30 PM with Guru Mike 4:30 - 5:30 PM TBA More to follow at a later date. |
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