Camp Lansdale #4 was a MAJOR SUCCESS, if somewhat smaller in attendance than expected. Our guests this year, other than Professor Lansdale himself, were Grandmaster John Pellegrini and Master Pedro Rodriguez of COMBAT HAPKIDO, and Guro Mike Casto of SIKAL.

Grandmaster Pellegrini taught trapping and locking, Master Rodriguez taught groundwork, Guro Casto taught stick, knife and "found" weaponry, and Professor Lansdale taught balance disruptions, escapes from holds and grabs.

A series of techniques, concepts and principles, were presented on the last day by Soke Dai Coy Harry, Senior Student Eugene Frizzell, Sensei Billy Jack Worsham, Sensei Paul Britt, Sensei Richard Metteauer, and Guro Mike Casto.

From the calls and letters we've received, this camp has led to greater interest in all the systems presented.

At the camp, Grandmaster John Pellegrini received recognition from the Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce for his contribution to Martial Arts, and October 9th was declared John Pellegrini day!

Shen Chuan is closely allied with the Combat Hapkido system, and Grandmaster Pellegrini and Professor Lansdale proved to be an exciting team. The response from participants was electric. Letters, phone calls and E-mails poured in after the camp, not only from participants, but from those they energized by telling them all about the seminar. Nothing better than word of mouth.

Participants loved the co-operative nature of all the instructors, and were especially impressed with the philosophies of self-defense presented by Grandmasters Lansdale and Pellegrini. A few participants felt that their way of doing their own martial art had changed dramatically due to the seminar.

You can't get higher praise than that!

Mostly black belts this year, there were testings in all Shen Chuan Divisions, Combat Hapkido, and Aikido.

Especially impressive were Soke Dai/Master Instructor Coy Harry and Senior Student/Master Instructor Eugene Frizzell, testing for fifth dan in Shen Chuan. They performed mainstream techniques, an accupressure brown-out, balance disruption, defending against headlong rushes, mug attacks with knives and guns, demonstration of lazy hand techniques, defense against set attacks, limited defenses against spontaneous attacks, as well as open ended defenses against spontaneous attacks, defenses from a seated position or against a wall.

Sensei Frizzell demonstrated Filipino style weapons techniques, and Coy Harry demonstrated how he has adapted Shen Chuan concepts and principles to use of the traditional Japanese sword.

Master Instructor Billy Jack Worsham and Sensei Paul Britt tested for fourth dan, and Paul Britt has been recognized now as a Master Instructor of Shen Chuan. Sensei Billy Jack demonstrated his remarkable speed and ability to lock up and throw with minimal movement, and Sensei Paul Britt illustrated how he uses Shen Chuan in law enforcement, including ground lock ups and controls.

Sensei Jimmy Crow demonstrated his Aikido prowess, as well as use of the jo, and tested successfully for first dan in Shen Chuan StreetBoxing and Shen Chuan Aikibujutsu.

Sensei Jim Moore revealed his precision of technique, and gave a very interesting lecture on applying readiness to everyday life. Jim also tested for, and was promoted to first dan in Combat Hapkido, as well as second dan in Shen Chuan.

Sensei Richard Metteauer demonstrated how he uses the concepts of Shen Chuan to enhance kickboxing techniques, and tested for, and received his first dan in Combat Hapkido.

Sensei Jared Taylor tested for his red belt in StreetBoxing, and was asked, to his surprise, to demonstrate second dan level techniques for Shen Chuan (the base system). He proved more than ready and was promoted to second dan in Shen Chuan, as well as red belt in StreetBoxing.

Norma Almanza was promoted to first dan in StreetBoxing, and is now our two-time K.A. Fight Night Women's Boxing Champ!

Richard Hartstein, a second dan in Tang Soo Do, was promoted to first dan in Shen Chuan StreetBoxing, as well as first dan in Shen Chuan.

Lower rank promotions: Kelly Owens, Stoney Nelson, Doug Cottel.

Thanks for an exciting two days! We look forward to this year's rank camp.

A Private Lesson with Professor Lansdale, Volume 1:

• Attacking Accupressure Points
  
• Attacking Nerve Cavities
  
• Attacking Muscle Points
  
• Simple Ground Controls Using Minimal Pressure
  
  

Although the mainstream video series (white to first black) has been filmed, it remains to be edited and voiced over. In the meantime, Professor Lansdale, Sensei Coy Harry and Sensei Eugene Frizzell, have made a non-studio, 45 minute video showing how to use basic accupressure points, nerve cavity strikes, and muscle attacks to defend quickly against an attacker. This video demonstrates how to get your opponent down fast, then how to control him on the ground without wrestling.

Also demonstrated is a light knockout, showing point, angle and direction. You'll be amazed at how effortless these techniques are.

This video is presented in an informal class room style, and though best suited for the viewer with some martial arts experience, and not designed to cover all aspects of this fascinating branch of martial arts, it's like a private introductory lesson with Grandmaster Lansdale.

It's a video all serious Shen Chuan students should not be without. Price: Only 20.00. Available mid-February.

Future videos in preparation are: Volume 1, BASIC BALANCE DISRUPTION.

Volume 2, ACCUPRESSURE AND WEAK POINT STRIKING.

We hope to continue this series with more videos on balance disruption, speed striking, lazy hand techniques, Shen Chuan weaponry, ground controls, as well as concepts and principles tape that will allow martial artists to apply Shen Chuan's concepts and principles more effectively, or will allow non Shen Chuan practitioners to apply these highly successful concepts and principles to their own art.

2002 CAMP LANSDALE 6 will feature Professor Lansdale's friend and renown martial artist, Grandmaster Chuck Sullivan, one of Ed Parker's first black belts, now head of THE KARATE CONNECTION, A CHINESE KENPO SYSTEM. You'll love not only his techniques, you'll love what he can tell you about the history of Kenpo and martial arts in America in the early days.

All uniforms except older ones in stock, are 60 dollars with school patch. Weapons, all arnis sticks, 12 dollars. Rubber training knives, 10 dollars.

SENSEI COY HARRY INTERVIEW - PART II:

Question: You trained under the same Aikido instructor Professor Lansdale trained under. Are you doing Aikido in the same way that you were taught?

Answer: No, I am not doing the same Aikido that I was taught. I have a different understanding of the art than my teacher, and I bring that to my classes. Even though I don't like my former Aikido teacher as a person, I respect him and will be the first to say that without his instruction I would not be the artist I am today.

Professor Lansdale considers Aikido's concepts and principles, if not so much pure Aikido itself, as a valuable contribution to the development of Shen Chuan. Do you agree? Can you explain that? Yes I agree whole-heartedly. Aikido has brought the power of relaxation, balance disruption and mind body coordination to the art of Shen Chuan. Like I said in the beginning of the interview the concepts and principles of Aikido changed the style of Professor Lansdale and this change was a door that opened a whole new approach for him. If you watch him you will see what I'm talking about.

Professor Lansdale feels the Shen Chuan system can be either external or internal or both. Do you understand what he means by that, and can you explain it? Yes I understand, and I'll try to explain. But I fear it is difficult for some to understand. The external part of Shen Chuan is learned the moment you walk in the door. It is simply the physical application of the techniques of the first few ranks. We like to call it East Texas whup-ass. It is punching, kicking, locking etc. Now the internal is a little more complicated to explain, but I will try. We look at the internalization of Shen Chuan as the ability to take all of the techniques previously learned and take them to the next level. What I mean by that is being able to hit with lazy hand strikes, being able to lock with very little effort, and producing exponentially more pain. As I said it is hard to explain, but if you want I can show you. Now we don't teach this internal side overtly. It comes naturally to those able to understand the true concepts and principles.

Shen Chuan uses Accupressure striking, which is often called Dim Mak or Kyusho Jitsu, but even though Shen Chuan gets the same results as such systems as the Dillman Method and The Dragon Society, you explain your approach differently. Professor Lansdale considers you the system's theorist, and although he says you'll deny knowing all the "whys", you have developed a different approach to teaching these techniques and the system is adopting them. Can you give us a bit of information concerning accupressure effects, such as weakness, brown outs and knockouts? Why the different approach and what do you hope to accomplish by going this route? Well, all of the effects that others get by doing knockouts using the traditional Chinese methods are completely reproducible using a basic understanding of anatomy and physiology. Our body is controlled by a vast network of nerves, each of which have differing jobs. The master of this network is the brain. If you affect the way the brain interprets the messages sent by the body you can shut down parts of or the whole body. I hope to be able to give students a way of learning how to do light force knockouts without having to learn the traditional Chinese five-element theory. Although, I do use the Chinese designations to teach areas of the body to strike, grab, etc.

You are also a student of Chi Gong. Do you consider this a part of your martial arts, and doesn't this fit into the traditional aspects of the martial arts that you are changing as far as Dim Mak is concerned? Do you see a conflict? I do consider Chi Gong a part of my martial arts, but I use a different understanding of how it works. I don't see a conflict because I still don't believe in Chi as a metaphysical entity. I feel that it is nothing more than the bioelectricity inherent in all living beings. To me, Chi Gong allows me to increase blood circulation to my body as well as working and stretching muscles. Probably the best thing I get from Chi Gong is blending my mind and body along with relaxation.

What is your view of the traditional versus the non-traditional in martial arts? Well I believe traditional arts are limited in that they have only one way of looking at the arts. To me the beauty of the martial arts is that the learning never ends. No matter how long or hard you train you will never know everything. I feel that many traditional martial artists are missing out on the true essence of the martial arts. I also feel that many traditional styles are doing a disservice to their students by teaching many things wrong and sending some poor sap out into the world with the feeling he is invincible. As we all know, no one is invincible. I also think that the closed mindedness of many of the traditional systems is ridiculous. I personally have seen traditionalists scoff at a technique that was better than their way and not even try it even though it was obviously better. To me, that is more than sad. Please don't misunderstand my previous comments. I don't mean to bash traditional systems. Without them we would have nothing. But I think a revamping is in order.

Shen Chuan is different from a lot of systems and styles of martial arts in that it encourages the study of other styles and systems. Isn't that potentially dangerous to the system itself? What is gained by this kind of cross training? On the contrary, it isn't dangerous at all. It helps to make Shen Chuan even better. The gain of cross training is immense. First of all, we know that we don't know everything. So we go to those who know things we don't and "steal" their knowledge. Second, we bring back concepts and principles and integrate them into Shen Chuan making it stronger. How can that be dangerous? I guess you mean, are we afraid of losing students? Well it hasn't happened yet. Those students who have left and trained with others have always come back. How many arts do you know that don't allow cross training, sad huh?

Shen Chuan has no set time for belt ranks. You get it when you get it. But your system seems able to promote people quickly. Why is this? And what kind of students do you think your method of teaching produces? We do have time limits for the first few ranks. As for the others, it is based on ability. We are producing some of the most well rounded martial artists I have ever seen. I believe this happens for several reasons. One is the way that the Professor gives principles and concepts techniques at the beginning of every class. This allows students to improve at an accelerated rate by being able to understand the essence of Shen Chuan more quickly. Second I think that Shen Chuan itself attracts people of a certain quality. Those that are of questionable character never stay. This base of quality people help to make the art what it is. Thirdly, by promoting on ability only, Professor Lansdale has taken ego out of the dojo and students are more motivated to learn.