8th February, 2012

It is already February and classes are back in full swing. Thanks to Brad, Greg, Genady and Christian for keeping you all working hard.

This year should start with a personal evaluation of where you want your martial arts to take you and how you are going to get there.

We are privileged in that we have a great resource in dedicated and skilled instructors whose primary goal is to take you from mundane to master.

Having these resources is only part of what you need to get to martial arts excellence. Dedication comes from your personal desire to achieve great things and utilise the instructors to ensure you get the best from your class.

Commitment is turning up to class and also going the extra and doing additional training outside class by yourself or with a fellow student, reading books and gathering knowledge related to what you are doing.

These additional elements are what makes the difference between someone who DOES martial arts and someone who IS a martial artist.

A reminder that Greg will be your instructor every second Thursday starting  tomorrow evening, the 9th Feb, whilst Genady will be instructing every Monday evening and the alternate Thursday evening.

"Think on these things....." - Bruce Lee.

9th January, 2012

First class will be starting Monday 16th January at Mount Colah Community Centre,our usual Monday venue, and Thursdays at Berowra Public School Hall.

9th January, 2012

Welcome  back to another year of JKD training. Students will continue to train with our highly qualified instructors, who bring a deep knowledge and skilled  based understanding in our study of JKD martial arts. 

And of course welcome to any new students joining our academy, who will find our school and students friendly, helpful and dedicated.

This is a short entry this month but I will like to leave with a Bruce Lee quote," A goal is not always meant to be reached. It often serves as something to aim at."

27th June, 2011

Looking back over the past 39 years of training had made me realise just what it takes to become good at what you do, how much dedication and time (in my case over 15,000 hours) is required to not only develop skills but also to hone and improve them.

Is it worth it, I don't know, we all take a different journey and our destinations are different. I liken this to a mountaineer, if you were to ask them what the ultimate goal is, they would say to climb Mount Everest, but so few people do, some succeed but more fail.  Many people don't get that far, they settle for lesser peaks, but the one thing they all have in common is getting up mountains. They train hard to develop the survival skills necessary, develop the ability to climb, overcome fear of heights, exhaustion, freezing cold, coping in low air pressure.  It would be easier for them to say, "you know it is a bit cold out today I think I'll stay home by the fire". The ones that do never get past the easier walk up Mt Kosciusko, the others overcome the comforts of home and get on with it.  They are the ones in it for the long haul, they are the ones who dream of Everest.

Martial arts is not that much different, there are those students who coast along, turn up for class occassionally and they eventually fall away never to be heard from again.  Then there are the students who have a goal, they have a desire and ambition to be better than they are.  Turning up to classes is only part of this, it is what you do there that will make the difference.  Look around the class next time you are there, notice the quiet achievers who are there night after night, notice the difference in ability between the tryers and the goers. Notice how much harder they train and notice their determination.

There is a place for everyone in a martial arts class, regardless of ability.  Just know what you want from your training and whether you are there for the long haul or just short term gain.

As an instructor it is my responsibility to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn to their potential in a safe and comfortable learning environment.  I teach adults, not children, so everyone who turns up to class is there because they choose to be there. It is my responsibility to ensure that what I teach is the best for the students and to the latest knowledge of the arts that I teach. It is my responsibility to pass on my knowledge without bias and without prejudice.  To teach what I know and not hide it behind the veil of secrecy and hidden techniques, to teach openly and honestly.  To give to my students more than they give to me. I do this because I love what I do, after 39 years I have been in it for the long haul.

I have trained with thousands of people over the past 39 years, most of these people are long forgotten memories. In my journey there has been only 4 people who have been with me this length of time, who are my friends and mentors.  These people have the skills and the passion and that is why they are still around.  They have climbed their Everests, several times over.  I have met some great martial artists and had the incredible opportunity to train with these people, they have inspired me and helped push me to places I never thought possible. I owe these people so much and again I got more from them than they ever got from me, but that is what it is all about, that is why we do it.  It is not for money, because most nights barely pays the rent, it is not for glory because frankly who gives a shit about a kung fu instructor. It is not for anything other than I can.

Why do mountaineers climb mountains, the answer is because it is there.  Why do people instruct Martial Arts, it is because they can.  It is because they have devoted the time and the energy, the sweat and the pain. They have trained through injuries, sickness, marriages and marriage failures, lifes problems and lifes good times. They have gone out on cold, hot and wet nights, put in the work, become something other than what they were and stuck it out for the long haul. Has it been worth it... 

Absolutely.

5th December, 2010

I have been advised by Walt Missingham, President of the Australian Jeet Kune Do Association that Ted Wong, an original student of Bruce Lee passed away on the 2nd December.  Ted was a student of Bruce Lee since 1967 and later a student of Dan Inosanto and has only ever trained in Jeet Kune Do. He was 70 years of age.

The last class for this year will be on Thursday 23rd December, this will be a special lesson on a surprise topic.  Classes will resume on Monday the 10th January.  I have been asked am I doing a DVD for this years camp, the answer is yes and it will be edited over the Xmas break and available to camp attendees in the new year.

I have been going over some old backyard training sessions from over 25 years ago recently and I realise how much I have learnt and have since forgotten.  It is easy to forget these things unless you practice them and continue to practice them until they are ingrained in your system. 

This is a benefit of drill training, it allows you to develop muscle memory of the action by repetitive training in a continuous exercise.  The downside to drill training is you develop the memory of the action but you do not develop a context for the action which makes it nearly useless in application.  Drill training should be a part of your training but only a small part.  If you are serious about developing as a competant martial artist who can apply the training to a real situation then drilling will not do this for you, in fact it could do the opposite. Students can be mistaken into thinking that, "Wow, I can do this drill so fast, I must be a great fighter...", not so, to be a good fighter takes much, much more than that.

 To be a good fighter requires skills not taught in drilling, these skills include power (a key essential in JKD), the ability to deliver that power to the attacker, the ability to enter inside a persons guard and attack, the ability to finish the opponent quickly and efficiently, the ability to do what is required.

Bruce Lee used to talk about forms and patterns as being like learning to swim by not going into the water.  They are meaningless as to their application.  Lee did not teach forms to his students however he taught the applications behind the forms, so his students knew what they meant without knowing how to do them.  This was only part of his teaching methodology but it was practical.  The same goes to instructors and schools that are reliant on teaching drilling techniques, the student does not and cannot learn to apply these in the random chaos of a real fight, and let's face it that is why most people learn Martial Arts.

20th November, 2010

The past couple of weeks have been extremely busy and I apologise for not keeping up to date with information.  Antti our new friend from Finland joined us for 3 sessions and showed us that he is quite an accomplished martial artist and we enjoyed showing him a little bit of JKD aussie style.  He has promised to translate his blog of his travels around the world training in martial arts which I will post as soon as I get it.

On Monday night we had a visitor from California join us, he is a mate of Andy who he trained with while he was living in the United States. It is great that the martial arts community is so united.

Tuesday night numbers are static though I would prefer a few more students to have a go, this class is designed to test and push you to your limits physically, there is a large component of skill development at this class targeted toward developing fighting attributes, whether for the ring or street. Those that join in are benefiting from the added workout and their fitness and stamina is improving.

This week we will be looking at knife defence from close range attacks, this usually involves the element of surprise and working from a held position.

Tuesday night group from Left to Right: Brent, Adam, Gena, Christian, Antti, Gary, John, Nick

"If you cannot answer a man's argument, all it not lost; you can still call him vile names."  ~ Elbert Hubbard

1st November, 2010

November is upon us and all students should be working towards a possible grading before the end of the year.

I would like to welcome our new friend Antti from Finland who is doing a couple of classes with us while he touring the world.  Welcome to Australia and I hope we can give you some additional skills to add to your martial arts knowledge.

Tonights class will be about working from the clinch, and using body shifting principles to destabilise your opponent.  Tuesday night will be all about power hitting, getting the most from the least effort, this is pure JKD principles and skills that all students should have.

If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true were really true, there would be little hope of advance. - Orville Wright

24th October, 2010

Well, all the hard work paid off and Christian is the new Australian Sanda Champion in the 80kg weight class. Christian had the hardest run to the finals of any competitor of the day.  In the space of 2 short hours he had to fight 3 opponents and finished the first two in 2 rounds in each fight, both these opponents were fresh, one having a bye in the first round.  His opponent in the final was over his weight limit but was permitted to fight, he stood a head over Christian and he had only fought once at this point, Christian was on his third fight and his second in 15 minutes.  This fight went to the 3rd round and only through good strategy and keeping to his game plan was he able to finish his opponent before time. This was a remarkable effort from someone having his first tournement experience. Christian not only had the support of all his fellow students and friends but he also managed to gather quite a lot from the general crowd.  They could see how tired he was but he still managed to put massive power into every punch.  I spoke with his competitor after the fight and he said he has had a bit of full contact experience before but he has never been hit that hard by anyone before.  His face certainly showed the results of his brief encounter with Christian.

I know everyone at the academy is very proud of your achievement and this was evidenced by the huge cheer at the medal presentation.  Well done Christian.  

Just because the championships are now over does not mean that things will slacken off on Tuesday night classes, that's right, these classes are still on and at these sessions we will be maintaining our heavy training regime and working particular skill development.  So continue to support this class and help yourself to achieve higher skill and physical development.

This week will see a focus on empty hand to weapon defence.

18nd October, 2010

Just a reminder that at the State Sports Centre this Sunday (24th) commencing at 9am will be the Australian Kung Fu / Wu Shu Championships. Tjios competition has been run now for several years and this year features the introduction of San Shou or Sanda as it is now called as an event.  This is a full contact amateur competition and the rules make for an exciting spectacle. We have Christian Cowles fighting from our school and Walt has 2 fighting Steven Sum and Peter Boyd, these guys have been training very hard for this and putting the effort in on a Tuesday night, exercising and sparring to hone their skills.

Tickets to this event are $10 each for a full days entertainment and that includes parking at the centre.  Cheapest day out in Sydney.  I still have tickets available so please do not miss out on this event and also give our guys some support and encouragement, believe me it is not easy fighting in front of an audience and all credit to the guys for having a go.

This weeks lesson plan is all about entries to takedown and ground finishes.  Should be a bit of fun.

The first step in the acquisition of wisdom is silence, the second listening, the third memory, the fourth practice, the fifth teaching others. - Solomon Ibn Gabriol

2nd October, 2010

Class this Monday 4th will be a special lesson on developing power in punching and kicking.  Power is an essential element of JKD and it is important that students are aware of the concepts in the development of power and of the necessary key components that make up power.

Thursdays class will be on advanced Filipino boxing essentials and we will explore seldom taught areas of stickwork involving the use of the punyo.

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There's no use being a damn fool about it." - W.C. Fields

23rd September, 2010

13th September, 2010

"We do not have to visit a madhouse to find disordered minds; our planet is the mental institution of the universe." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

8th September, 2010

It has been a couple of weeks since my last update and it has been a busy time with the camp and follow up.

Speaking of the camp, the Return to the Hunter 2010 was an incredible success.  With over 50 participants and a host of instructors, the weekend kept everyone working hard.

Attendees started arriving around 4pm on the Friday evening and were allotted their rooms at the Australia Hotel and settled in to meet back at the hall for welcomes and supper.

After a hot breakfast things got under way at 8am with drilling, exercises and a killer run around the grounds of the school, did I mention the stairs.  On to more exercises and lots of push ups and sit-ups and I was so glad the majority heeded my warnings about not having bacon for breakfast.

Now the masses were warmed up and the blood was circulating we got down to some serious work, the first session I took them through entries to grappling, which involved a lot of ground work, leg locking and control of your opponent.

After a short break and morning tea came the dreaded beep test, most people participated and Nick and Glenn were the winners in each test with scores of 11.2, which was a great effort and a lot of work, well done to both of them.

Brad Casey then took over and put everyone through a very interesting and tiring session on Muay Thai.  Brad showed elbow drilling and kicking drills then went on to working from the plum, an often overlooked but essential component in Muay Thai.

By this time everyone was looking forward to lunch and after a lunch of salads, cold meats and cake the batteries were recharged and the I went through a segment on Filipino weapons, first single stick, then single knife and followed with espada y daga.

Another short break and more fruit and cake and it was Sifu John Suttles’ time to take the troops through a very enjoyable and well received kick boxing lesson.  John showed them just why he is such a prominent and well respected martial artist.

This bought the day to a close and after a hot dinner of vegetables and pasta, lasagne, chicken and salads everyone was ready to retire to the Hotel and socialise or sleep.

The morning arrived and breakfast, more runs, exercises and push-ups as well as killer shoulder drills warmed everyone up enough for Sifu John to again take them through a session on classical Kung Fu.  John clearly explained the whys and how’s of the horse stance and showed some great leg drills for developing kicking power and speed.

John had to leave us at this point as he had a long drive in front of him to get back to Queensland for work on Monday.

The next session was on Capoeira and Christian with some guidance from me demonstrated some ground to standing moves which everyone was able to pick up as well as some standing work from a close position.  In traditional Capoeira schools this range is seldom taught but it one of the most effective areas to use Capoeira.

After lunch we were treated to a rare pleasure with an amusing and somewhat confronting section by Mr Walt Missingham.  Walt showed everyone why he is the premiere Martial Artist in Australia and well respected around the world.  His knowledge is second to none and his teaching style is unique and very forthright.  Walt went through the basics of power punching and empty hand to knife, in a no-nonsense, just do it approach.

The last session was on Pentjak Silat and I shared this with John Stevens, my senior and long time training companion. My section was on Bukti Negara and we went through entries and how to get inside the guard to make the throws and sweeps work, John took over and showed some excellent examples of tying up the opponent from Harimau and Panca Bela.  This was very unique and he showed long range and short range tie ups, all very effective.

After this there were presentations and a closing speech by Mr Peter Conroy, deputy Principal of Mount View High School.

I would personally like to that the following people who helped make this weekend something special.  The instructors Mr Walt Missingham for taking the time to drive up after leaving Melbourne to get here, to Sifu John Suttle for driving from Queensland and bringing with him Rob Legat and Michael Bromley, Brad Casey for another unforgettable Thai experience, John Stevens for coming up and helping when he could and just being part of the weekend.  To Greg and Christian for assisting during some heavy sessions. To my lovely wife Carolyn for preparation of the food and always having it ready when it was needed.  Thanks to Leeah and Lerryn for all the help leading up to the camp and all the help during, you made it possible, a thank you to Kim for looking after any injuries, to Mr Conroy for always supporting these events. A thank you to Garry Luton and Mitch who travelled from New Zealand just to be here. Last but not least a special thank you to all the participants who joined in and had a great time and made the camp a resounding success.

My feelings I take from this weekend were that it was wonderful to see a great mass of people all getting together and sharing knowledge. 

A good teacher teaches their students good, a great teacher teaches everyone great, with no ego, no bias and no hiding of knowledge behind closed doors.

18th August, 2010

Brush up on your general knowledge and martials arts movies and all things trivia for the Return to the Hunter trivia game on the Saturday of the camp.  It is now a little over a week to go and Saturdays entertainment will feature the trivia game as well as some nostalgic moments as we look back over the years at some of the stuff us old guys got up to.

 John Suttle has put together a DVD of some demonstrations (reminds me what an awesome Martial Artist John is), plus a piece that John and I did in 1987 on Sportsworld to promote the Kung Fu Championships.  It has only taken me 23 years to get that from John.  I also have some old stuff that I will show as wll and this is your opportunity to have some fun at our expense.

 A reminder to all camp goers travelling from Sydney, you need to allow about 1 hour 45 minutes from Hornsby end of the F3 to Cessnock, take the Freemans Drive turnoff and follow the signs.  Use the map on the camp application form to get you to the school.  I would like you to be there at 6pm so you can get your room keys, get settled, have some dinner and return to the school for 8pm.

Tuesday classes are having their effect on the students attending, they are putting in the hard work and I think there are some good improvements already.  Class this Thursday will be on knife defence from the icepick, you can never do enough of this.

To test your trivia knowledge, answer this question:  Which film featured the "Blue Meanies" ? 

It's frustrating when you know all the answers, but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.

10th August, 2010

Final preparations are now being made for the camp and here is the final itinerary.  As you can see there is a complete program of activities and some very exciting sessions are scheduled. 

We have completely sold out our accommodation and more people are attending this year which only goes to show that this camp is the premiere martial arts training event in this country with some of Australia's most experienced instructors.

Be prepared for a very tiring weekend that will push you physically and reward you immensely.

6th August, 2010

August is finally here and this month is going to be a busy one. The first Tuesday night class left all participants tired and little bit sore, but the workout was worthwhile.  These classes are for the student who want that extra edge which will propel their training to greater levels.  Having a greater level of fitness will enable better learning and therefore greater skill development.

This month will end with the "Return to the Hunter" camp on the weekend of the 27th.  Bookings are closed for this now as we have had a great response and we have run out of accommodation.  This year will have visitors from Queensland and New Zealand helping to make this a camp to remember.  I am personally looking forward to catching up with a lot of friends I made last year as well as getting together with people like John Suttle who I have known for over 30 years.  I hope that Adrian joins us again this year after his recent illness (all the best mate).  There is still a lot of preparation work to do, organising the food, people, room allocation and a few surprises too.

This weeks class on surprise rear neck lock attacks was well received and I hope Jaysons worries have been put to rest.  Any student is welcome to suggest a lesson unit that they would like to do, just email me or ask during class.

I have never met anyone who wanted to save the world without my financial support.  ~Robert Brault

People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.  ~Dave Barry

31st July, 2010

I have been asked by a student involved in the security area about control of people when grabbed around the neck and head.  This is particularly hard to answer as there are quite lot of different ways of grabbing a person and each has their own way of dealing with this situation.  I believe the most difficult to deal with is grabbed from behind around the neck by surprise.  To make this situation worse particularly when you are working in the security field is you are usually distracted by other people in your field of vision who have your concentration.

This coming Monday and Thursday we will be looking at these scenarios.  Tuesday night is the introduction of our new class at the Berowra Public School Hall, this class will have a slightly different format to the other 2 classes.  This will help all students and particularly those who will be competing in the Australian Wushu Championships in the Sanda or Sanshou category in October to get the extra workout they need as well as those other students who know they need the harder workload.

Students coming to the camp should be thinking about getting extra training before the weekend so they are prepared and able to get full benefit from the courses taught.

Remember today is the tommorow you worried about yesterday.

Protect me from knowing what I don't need to know.  Protect me from even knowing that there are things to know that I don't know.  Protect me from knowing that I decided not to know about the things that I decided not to know about.  Amen.  ~Douglas Adams, Mostly Harmless

Lord, lord, lord.  Protect me from the consequences of the above prayer.  ~Douglas Adams, Mostly Harmless

28th July, 2010

This Thursday we will be working more knife defence following from Mondays class. The new hall at Berowra is a marked improvement on the old space we had and I am sure we won't miss the carpet burns when doing mat work.

As mentioned at last Thursdays class I am considering starting a class on Tuesday evenings on a trial basis to give students a bit more choice on which lessons they can attend, this will be at the Berowra Hall and will start from Tuesday 3rd August.

The camp is only a month away and people should be finalising their paperwork and getting any  last minute applications in (you know who you are), as well as preparing for the workload of this weekend.

"To develop proper distance and penetration against a moving target, use a partner equipped either with a body protector or an air bag. He can either stand still and take the brunt of the kick, or he can back away from the attack. The former teaches proper application of the kick, especially valuable in teaching beginners. The latter training is to teach penetration. As soon as your partner thinks you will attack, he tries to back away as fast as possible. This practice is valuable to both men; one learns to penetrate and the other to back away quickly. The body protector is sometimes used for sharpening the attack. The partner will not attack but will maintain a correct distance in a ready fighting pose. As you begin to attack, he will try to counter, block, or move away. You will have almost the actual feeling of hitting your opponent in a real situation."- Bruce Lee

20th July, 2010

This Thursdays class will be in the new hall at Berowra Public School at the corner of Berowra Waters Road and Hillcrest.

Today marks the 37th anniversary of Bruce Lees death.  The impact this one man had on martial arts and martial artists around the world is such that even today 37 years later Lee is still recognised as the greatest martial artist of all time.  I thought it would be timely to put a few of his thoughts here.

Jeet Kune Do is training and discipline towards the ultimate reality in combat.

Jeet Kune-Do is the only non-classical style of Chinese Kung Fu in existence today. It is simple in its execution, although not so simple to explain. Jeet means 'to stop, to stem, to intercept,' while Kune means 'fist' or 'style,' and Do means 'the way' or 'the ultimate reality.' In other words--'The Way of the Intercepting Fist.'

I have not invented a "new style," composite, modified or otherwise that is set within distinct form as apart from "this" method or "that" method. On the contrary, I hope to free my followers from clinging to styles, patterns, or molds. Remember that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a mirror in which to see "ourselves". . . Jeet Kune Do is not an organized institution that one can be a member of. Either you understand or you don't, and that is that.

There is no mystery about my style. My movements are simple, direct and non-classical. The extraordinary part of it lies in its simplicity. Every movement in Jeet Kune-Do is being so of itself. There is nothing artificial about it. I always believe that the easy way is the right way. Jeet Kune-Do is simply the direct expression of one's feelings with the minimum of movements and energy. The closer to the true way of Kung Fu, the less wastage of expression there is.

Finally, a Jeet Kune Do man who says Jeet Kune Do is exclusively Jeet Kune Do is simply not with it. He is still hung up on his self-closing resistance, in this case anchored down to reactionary pattern, and naturally is still bound by another modified pattern and can move within its limits. He has not digested the simple fact that truth exists outside all molds; pattern and awareness is never exclusive.

Again let me remind you Jeet Kune Do is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is to be discarded and not to be carried on one's back.

The techniques, though they play an important role in the early stage, should not be too restrictive, complex or mechanical. If we cling to them, we will become bound by their limitation. Remember, you are expressing the technique, and not doing Technique number two, Stance three, Section four?

A fight is not won by one punch or kick. Either learn to endure or hire a bodyguard.

Forget about winning and losing; forget about pride and pain. Let your opponent graze your skin and you smash into his flesh; let him smash into your flesh and you fracture his bones; let him fracture your bones and you take his life. Do not be concerned with escaping safely - lay your life before him.

18th July, 2010

With great relief the federal election has been called for the 21st August, I have been worrying over the speculation that it may have been called on the weekend of the 28th and hence creating major problems for our camp as the school would be used as a polling station. Now I can rest easy.  This years camp is now international with news that we will be having vistiors joining us from across the Tasman, add that to the Queensland contingent and we are in for a great weekend.  Training sessions are now set and everyone will get a huge amount of information this year.  It is not too late if you have been holding off and still wish to go, there are still some vacancies but you need to contact me before this coming Friday.

There was a good response to last weeks lesson plan so we will continue this week on Monday with more from Hsing I and on Thursday we will be adding an Asian flavour with entries from Mongolian Wrestling (this will be an interesting lesson).

How is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not good enough to recollect how often we have told it to the same person?  ~ François Duc de La Rochefoucauld

15th July, 2010

Nobody seems to notice the comments I make here until I stop making them.  It has been a couple of weeks since I last entered something on this page but I have had quite a few people remind me of that fact, I have a good excuse as I have been recharging my batteries in Cairns.  Snorkelling, white water rafting, quad bike riding and just getting back to nature in the Daintree does a lot to clear the stuffiness from the old grey matter and revitalise the system.

I would like to thank Peter Cutland for a couple of awesome sessions on Muay Thai while I was away, had a lot of positive feedback, thanks Greg and Christian, Gena and Grant for helping out and Meyrick for getting all the equipment to classes.

On Monday we looked at entries from Capoeira, not orthodox but quite effective and rarely taught, tonight will continue the theme and we will look at entry and blending of Hsing I a traditional internal Kung Fu system with a dark side.  There is an external element to this art that is seldom seen and I was shown this by my instructor nearly 30 years ago.

To the camp, I will be closing applications at the end of next week, this camp is not only for students of JKD it is open to anyone who would like to attend, there are still a few vacancies left so if you are interested download the forms and get them back to me before the closing date of the 23rd July.

Big things are happening, I warned you earlier this year and I hope to make some announcements in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

"We also know how cruel the truth often is, and we wonder whether delusion is not more consoling"  - Henri Poincare (1854-1912)

28th June, 2010

Well it would seem I was premature in announcing the move to the new hall, the school at the last moment decided they weren't going to allow the hall to be used until the new term, so another 3 weeks.

I have organised some special lessons over the next 2 Thursdays, Peter Cutland will be attending and doing 2 full class sessions on Muay Thai.  These will be a unique learning experience as Peter is a certified Instructor under Master Chai and you will gain quite a lot from these sessions. This week we will be working some empty hand to finish using Filipino boxing and Kali Silat.

On Thursday it was great to catch up with an old friend and student from 10 years ago, Andrew left Australia to live in Northern California and now he is back and will live in Northern NSW, it was good to see him again and he has been fortunate to attend many training camps and seminars with Guro Dan Inosanto, Paul Vunak, Master Chai and many others. 

"If you cannot answer a man's argument, all is not lost; you can still call him vile names."  ~Elbert Hubbard

18th June, 2010

Finally after a long wait next Thursday we will be moving into the new hall at Berowra Public School.  The facilities are cleaner, more comfortable and they have proper amenities. There is a dedicated area for mat work so people grappling will not interfere with the general class. Parking will be in Hillcrest Rd outside the hall or in High St off Berowra Waters Road.

I am organising a Sunday sparring session for anyone who wishes to have a go; this will be at a kickboxing gym so you can learn how to move around in a ring, what to do and what not to do.  Details will be avaliable when they are finalised.

A reminder to anyone who is coming to the camp in late August and those that want to come to the camp, I need you to get your applications in as soon as possible as I need to finalise the accommodation.  This is a great event and will be a wonderful learning experience and an opportunity to meet and train with some of Australia's best Instructors.  On the Saturday night we will be having movies, demonstrations, history lessons and competitions.

Next weeks classes will work range shifting and concentrate on high to low entries.

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.  ~Mary Engelbreit

11th June, 2010

Classes on Monday will still be on even though it is a Public Holiday and as usual I have something special planned.  This Monday will be warm ups and exercise as usual followed by a film on knife attack and survival.  This documentary is from the perspective of the police and is quite graphic in its approach to knife attacks.  I have a few other short films also to show which I am certain you will find interesting. Class may go a little overtime so please be prepared for this eventuality.

Thursday classes will continue where we left off on the espada y daga last night.  I was very impressed with how well everyone picked this up and I believe you all got quite a bit from this session.

Monday night is an important session so I encourage as many of you to come as possible so you don't miss this opportunity.

"I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes."  - Author Unknown

6th June, 2010

Two key elements of any competent martial artist are fitness and stamina, without these elements you would be mediocre at best.  You need fitness to get you through a training session, to allow you to push harder and achieve greater satisfaction and reward; you need stamina to maintain a constant workload to keep the muscles working and also to help prevent injuries.

31st May, 2010

Last week I finished the 4 week Self Protection Course for Women, it was attended by a group of enthusiastic women who discovered power they didn't know they had and learnt life skills that hopefully will prevent them coming to any harm in the future.  These courses remind me of the need to work on reality based martial arts rather than the mediocrity that a lot of martial arts schools teach.  Women need to develop strong fighting skills and a strong sense of their own inner need to protect themselves. The majority of people do not involve themselves in martial arts because they already believe they are capable of looking after themselves already or they have watched martial arts classes and decided the could not offer what they were after or they are too embarrassed to admit they cannot look after themselves.  There are many other reasons but the main thing is the perception of martial arts in the general community.  Because we don't do an acceptable sport like cricket or tennis or footie, we are on the outer and pushed further away by the uniforms, the teaching in Japanese and Chinese and the air of superiority some martial artists present.

Let's take a moment to analyse what it is we do, we say we teach martial arts but martial arts is about fighting and a majority of martial arts schools still teach fighting appropriate to the 14-15th Centuries.  This is not relevant to what todays people expect. They need a quick fix, instant gratification and don't want to waste their time on something that doesn't work.  Tradition only goes so far.

Self analysis is very important as an instructor and we need to look at what we do as instructors and decide if something is relevant, does it work, can it and will it be easily used and if the answer is no then discard it.  There is always a need to keep traditions alive for history sake and these can be taught but it needs to be stressed that this is what it is and no more.

Women in the martial arts tend to stick to competitive or softer arts, this is great for them as they are exercising and developing skills, however survival skills are not learnt.  Over the years of teaching these courses I have met many women from traditional backgrounds and they are amazed at how little they really do know about fighting and defending themselves and they realise that what they are doing doesn't prepare them for the real world. 

Training for the reality is not easy, it is not delicate but it is worthwhile.

This week we are going into Filipino weaponry, defence against knife and stick.

"The gentleman has eaten no small quantity of flapdoodle in his lifetime."

"What's that, O'Brien?" replied I...

"Why, Peter," rejoined he, "it's the stuff they feed fools on." - P.Simples, Marryat, 1883

24th May, 2010

Ground fighting is a very useful addition to any complete martial art system, but is the emphasis on ground fighting like in Ultimate fighting challenges, and mixed martial arts at the expense of good old street fighting stand up and smack 'em down type techniques.  When watching these fights on television the commentators always make mention that so and so is a BJJ black belt and his ground skills are second to none.  Since MMA are the closest thing to combat that is allowed as a spectator sport one would necessarily assume that to be a good fighter one must be a good grappler.  The majority of fights, real fights usually involve one or more people, most fights start and finish with both people on their feet, if one is on the ground it is usually because he is punched down.  When you are knocked down, grappling only becomes relevant if the opponent pursues or goes to ground too.  If you are grappling with an opponent on the ground you become a stomping toy for his mates, multiple opponents means stay off the ground.  Should weapons come into play, groundfighting is not an option, you CANNOT effectively control a weapon.  The ground is not a soft training mat and can be covered in broken bottles, concrete, rocks, etc. so again avoid going to the ground. Intentionally going to the ground and basing your fighting structure from this position is not an option.

A good boxer will always beat a good wrestler toe to toe, a good wrestlers will always beat a good boxer on the ground provided the boxer hasn't hit him first and knocked him to the ground.  During WWII every unarmed and hand to hand combat instructor for the US, French, Canadian and British forces had a jui-jitsu, wrestling or judo background yet they emphasised basic, simple blows in favour of throws, using the adage " Blows should always be used in preference to throws".

I am not saying that grappling is a bad thing, anyone that knows or trains with me knows I like it and I teach it, it is core to what we do, however and emphasis on upright fighting is essential to any combat system and grappling an essential supplement.  Any complete system of fighting will have a component of grappling.  Take UFC for what it is, hard and tough competition and great to watch, but with rules that prevent most of the things expected of you in a real street fight and a referee to stop the fight when you are hurt.  Most knockouts occur from punching whilst on the feet, tapouts happen on the ground in the absense of so called dirty fighting tactics.

Tonight we will be taking contact reflex to the next level and on Thursday we will be working on ground avoidance.

Hope to see you at class.

"An expert is a man who tells you a simple thing in a confused way in such a fashion as to make you think the confusion is your own fault." - William Castle

15th May, 2010

I apologise for not updating the news last week, I received quite a bit of head kicking from some students because of it.  It is good to feel wanted.

Nobody could have failed to notice the media attention focussed on Jessica Watson when she sailed into Sydney Harbour today.  Not only was it so remarkable that she sailed around the world on her own for 270 days but that she still hasn't turned 17 yet.  It has to make you think of what we ourselves have done in the years we have had, how much we have endured to get to where we are today and what we have to endure in the future.  None of us can even begin to imagine the loneliness, the fear and the feelings of despair that must have shaken her faith in herself and her yacht in the late of night whilst battling 10 metre waves in 80kph winds.

As a parent it would take guts the size of an elephant to put your 16 year old in a boat and say, see you later, you are pretty much on your own and your survival is now your responsibility.

Hang on, don't most parents do that now with their kids, don't they let them go out at night and on trains and into the city by themselves and aren't they now responsible for their own survival, because help is quite a distance away.  Jessica was prepared, she trained for her sail, she had the opportunity to learn from some of Australia's best yachties and had emotional and psychological assessments as well as putting in the hours of preparation to handle any contingency.  She planned and prepared and she come up a winner.  Our poor kids we have shipped off on their own haven't had any training in survival in the wild oceans of the streets, they have no safety nets to protect them and as parents have we done enough to train them for any or all situations.  Most parents are not skilled in street defence tactics or survival and are poorly equipped to teach their children these lessons.  Jessica's parents sought out skilled sailors for that knowledge it saved her life time and again.

Sometimes we need to look hard at the things we do in preparation for our own safety and survival, we plan our savings strategies, we plan our retirement 40 years before we need it, we insure our houses against fire and theft and think nothing of doing that, but we don't insure ourselves against the most important thing we have and that is our lives.  Sure we can take out life insurance but that doesn't come with a bodyguard and doesn't really help you when you need it. We need to take responsibility for our survival and ensure the people around us do the same.  Having a dad who has a black belt doesn't help you in the least when the smelly stuff hits the fan.

When you are alone on the streets at night confronted by an angry, drunk thug, it is too late to get the training and support you need.  Prepare now and survive later. 

Jessica did.

I recently watched a movie on critical thinking called "Here be Dragons" by Brian Dunning, it is a free download in many formats and it is interesting and thought provoking.  Keep an open mind and I would be interested to know your thoughts.

You might have noticed that there are links on every page to the camp, you need to start getting your applications to me as soon as possible to ensure your booking.

This week at class we are continuing our look at Capoeira for the streets. 

To the students that ask me when they don't turn up to class, "Did I miss anything?", my response will always be "Yes, you missed everything!"

2nd May, 2010

It is May already and since we are 5 months into the year this is the time to evaluate your training regime, look at what you are doing and how much effort you are putting into your training.  As the colder months approach days are getting shorter and there is a strong desire to stay in where it is warm and not to venture out.  Be mindful of getting into poor training routines, it is easy to miss lessons but you lose more than training time, your fitness levels drop quite rapidly and motivation starts to wane.  Regular training sessions will keep you motivated and activity based training will keep the circulation flowing so the cold won't be an issue (our centres are heated as well).  Over the colder months we will be doing more intensive training and this will help in the lead up to the camp in late August as well.  Also this month we should be moving into the new hall at Berowra which will give us more space to move around in.

Also a reminder that this years camp info can be downloaded from the link on this page (flashing icon above).

Classes this week will have a Brazilian flair as we take a little look at Capoeira and how to use it effectively and simply. Now is also the time to read the article on Capoeira on the articles page if you haven't already done so.

29th April, 2010

Camp details for 2010 are now available from this site.  There have been changes to the location as I outlined previously, Milson Island proved to be impractical for our needs so with great fanfare I am pleased to announce we returning to Cessnock, hence the theme for this camp is "Return to the Hunter 2010".

The camp is open for to any person interested in coming whether you have any previous skill, knowledge or training or are male or female.  We are honoured to have John Suttle joining us this year giving us a look at kickboxing and traditional Kung Fu.  John is a highly skilled martial artist with over 35 years experience who has won National Full Contact Championships, gone 3 rounds with Benny "the Jet" Urquidez and a successful kickboxing trainer.  Brad Casey will be returning to continue the Krabi Krabong and Muay Thai and I will be doing some sessions on Close Range/ grappling, Kali Silat, JKD trapping and more.

This camp promises to be bigger and better than last year (if that is possible).  Numbers will be limited by the accommodation I have organised so get your deposits in quick so you don't miss out.  Download the Info Pack here or on the link above. 

This website will be the critical link for all information camp related so keep checking for updates.

24th April, 2010

This is a reminder to all students that classes WILL be on this Monday 26th April.  As usual we will devote the entire lesson to working on one particular phase of development.  The topic for this lesson will be blind side attacks and how to deal with these.  Not everyone fights fair; that is standing toe to toe and then getting into it, the majority of attacks are surprise attacks and you are in trouble before you know it.  This lesson will show essential skills every person who wants to take their self defence up a notch needs to know.

As a reminder the Womens' Self Protection Course is getting close, if you have a wife, partner or teenage daughter then these 4 lessons just might save them from harm one day. 

There are a couple of new questions and answers on the Q & A page, one goes back quite a bit and my spam filter dealt with it, that is now fixed.

15th April, 2010

On Tuesday evenings 4th,11th,18th and 25th May I will be conducting a Women's Self Protection course at the Central Coast Adventist School, Penrose Cr, Erina commencing at 7pm.  This course will equip you with the skills and tools necessary to avoid and deal with a confrontation.  Time is a valuable asset for women and I understand that this limitation may prevent you from attending a structured Martial Arts class, however over a 4 week period ( 8 hours in total) you will participate in a tailored program that will give you the secrets to unlocking your potential.  This course is suitable for women aged 15 and over and will challenge your current thinking and boost your confidence.

Remember 1 in 3 women are victims of assault in Australia, this course may just prevent you from becoming a statistic.

12th April, 2010

Bruce Lee once said there is only one basic principle of self defence.  You must apply the most effective weapon as soon as possible to the most vulnerable point of your enemy.  This maxim holds true and though it is simplistic in nature it requires a reasonable period of training to accomplish.  All facets of self defence require certain basic principles and these include offensive and defensive tactics.  Not all situations are pre-emptive and you must respond defensively if attacked suddenly.  The ability to turn that defence into offense is often difficult to do and this week at classes we will have a look at some of the things we can do to turn a defence into an attack.  On Monday (tonight) we will look at attacks from the legs and on Thursday from knees. 

Shortly I will be running another Self Protection course for Women, details will be available soon and posted on this site.  This course is a comprehensive program designed to raise awareness and skills appropriate for women.  I have been asked before that if it is a womens course shouldn't it be run by a woman.  My answer is always why? Who is a woman most at risk from... a man; and these same techniques and skills can also be applied against a woman who might wish to harm you.  Learning from a woman may give you a sense of feeling that a woman understands the problems you would have and the emotional issues, but hey, let's get real here, this is not about social networking and putting down men, it is about learning how men think and how to stop an attack from men, and a man is the best person to teach that. In these sessions we look at the psychology of an attack, practical, useful and effective applications that do work and ways to apply these every time.  I am assisted by women who can show how effective these moves are on men.  This is not a martial arts class it is purely about self protection.

5th April, 2010

Classes this week will have a Filipino flair, tonight will be single and double stick drills and exercises with Thursday devoted to knife defence.  Because tonight is a Public Holiday we will be taking a holiday approach and not do any grade related work.

29th March, 2010

This is a reminder to all students that classes WILL be on next Monday 5th April (Easter Monday).

This week we will be Pentjak Silat entries and sweeping, this will cater to all skill levels and will be good revision for those that should know and an introduction for those that don't.

24th March, 2010

George has sent me this link to an article on Bruce Lee that makes for an interesting read.  Bruce is getting the recognition he deserves as an all round fighter and innovator and now the UFC is taking quite a bit of notice.  Many of the fighters in MMA trained in JKD and most were certainly inspired by Bruce.

http://www.fighters.com/02/17/bruce-lee-the-original-mixed-martial-artist-and-hes-coming-back

Thanks George.

22nd March, 2010

Self defence is a catch phrase used by most martial arts schools, but what does it really mean?

First you need to define what it means to you.  Every person has their own personal definition of self defence.  Some might say it is stopping someone else from hurting you no matter what you have to do, others might define it as using awareness and spatial abilitites to avoid confrontation at all costs.  Whatever your personal feelings are on defending yourself if threatened you better have a plan now, because without a clear plan you most likely will not do the right thing if a situation presents itself.  No amount of awareness will protect you from a directed attack against but it will help you avoid the majority of situations.

Consideration must be made to your ability, your belief systems, your ethics and morality in considering your self defence plan. The time to think about whether you have the physical ability to deal with a confrontation is not when the guy is standing in front of you wanting to give you a new look.  Morality issues may prevent you from injuring another person, this is a hindrance to you. Do you believe that you are fighting for the right reasons or are you worried about the legal parameters behind responding to an attack.  Consider these things now while you can, formulate a survival plan and take into consideration what is important to you and what you would do to prevent it from being taken from you. Unfortunately what ever you do you will be on your own and have to deal with the consequences later.

Assault and robbery, drug associated crime, sexual assaults have all changed over the years.We now have drink spiking, all night pubs and clubs, ethnic based gang culture, we live in a 24 hour cosmopolitan atmosphere and crime rates are rising at an alarming rate. Police figures will indicate this is not so but the majority of crime is not reported and when it is the category it is put in does not truly reflect the actual nature of the crime.  Part of your survival plan needs to take into consideration your lifestyle, your job, your neighbourhood and local environment.  Consider how close the police are to your home and what their potential response times might be.  In my area they have closed and sold two local police stations, this has a huge impact on response times as they now police an even larger area command.

So this is what I am suggesting.

1.  Do a risk assessment of your potential threats

2.  Do a Survival Plan (be honest)

3.  Do what you need to do to ensure your survival plan will work.

4.  Discuss your plan with your family so they know what you believe and what you want.

5.  Put it into action.

Knowing what you will do and planning for it now may save you later.  Airline pilots train for crashes yet that is the one thing they don't want.  But if they are put in that situation at least they know what to do.  Prepare now to survive later.

This week we are looking at Down and Dirty Tricks that you can use and may be used against you in a fight. These are tried and proven moves that may not look good but are very effective and useful tools in your growing knowledge base.

15th March, 2010

This weeks special lesson unit will be on the 5 ways of attack.  This is a fundamental cornerstone of the Jun Fan system as developed by Bruce Lee and we will look at what they are and how you can apply these principals in everyday application. 

8th March, 2010

I have been reading up on something called Cognitive Dissonance which is an uncomfortable feeling people have when dealing with two contradictory ideas simultaneously. Sounds fancy but what exactly does this mean, an example would be when a person is a smoker, they know smoking is bad for them but they justify the habit by saying it won't hurt me or I don't smoke that much.  It allows the person to deal with their contradiction, I know it is bad for me, I want to do it so how do I justify it to myself so that I can cope.  Another example is if someone attempts a task that has a reward attached and they fail the justification is that the reward wasn't good enough or I didn't really want it anyway.

How does this relate to Martial Arts, well, as students we need motivators to push us to further achievement, grades are the common motivator as it raises your status and you get to learn new things.  Students learn in phases, we take in new information, play with it a while, process and absorb it, and then use this new knowledge to take it to the next level.  It is during this processing phase when the student's  progress slows that the conflictions come into play, which usually is I like coming to training but I am not learning anything new so therefore I am wasting my time and money.  The solution to this confliction is usually with the instructor who can advise ways to shorten this processing phase by devising new ways to look at the same problems.  Understanding what a problem is leads to its solution.

Lessons this week will be on knife defence from obscure angles, what to do and how to avoid.

1st March, 2010

Lessons this week will focus on trapping and using trapping as entries from intermediate range.  The traps will be from Jun Fan Kung Fu and Kali.

22nd February, 2010

Last weeks start to the Freshwater class went well and Greg did a fine job at running his own class.

Those that watched UFC 110 yesterday saw some great action by some of the best MMA fighters around, there were a few surprises and quite a bit of blood.  Which brings me to comment on this.  MMA is a great sport to watch and I admire the skills and talents of the fighters and I love to grapple myself but the free flow of blood is a real concern to me.  In the majority of sports, blood means stop and get off the field, in boxing usually the fight is stopped.  Blood born diseases are a real risk in any sport and what we see in UFC is a real concern because generally there are 2 people, both bleeding and mixing their blood as well as getting other peoples blood in their mouth and eyes.  I know the firghters are screened and medicals are taken regularly, however, the incubation period and the time it takes for the results to come in mean that anyone fighting in these events runs a very real chance at infection and this is at the elite level.  This does not take into consideration the hundreds of MMA clubs training in Australia where  students are training hard to get a chance at a fight in one the many club competitions, cage fights and contact sports events where they are fighting only for prestige and not money.  There is a reason that we have risk management policies (including blood management) in place and as an organisation with accredited instructors we take these matters seriously as any chance of infection is just not worth the risk.  I welcome comments.

Classes this week will be on close range defences from close quarter control. 

15th February, 2010

This week is the opening of the Freshwater class on Wednesday night, I hope this class will be successful as we get quite a few requests for classes on the Northern beaches and it is the first time that JKD has been taught this close to the city.

We will be looking at conditioning exercises this week.  Most of what we do is body contact and a side effect of this is bruising and aches. A conditioned body with good muscle coverage is essential to minimising the risk of serious injury and reduces the amount of minor injuries as well.  But as they say no pain, no gain, well to condition the body does involve pain in one form or another, but it doesn't always and that is what we will be discussing this week.

UFC 110 is coming to Sydney and it sold out within 2 hours of ticket sales opening which is bad news for those that wanted to go.  The good news is that it will be shown live on Channel 1 from 2pm on Sunday 21st February with a great line up of fighters including Joe "Daddy" Stephenson, Keith Jardine and Wanderlei Silva to name a few, so get some friends together and have a great afternoons entertainment.

7th February, 2010

To all the people who attended the camp in November 2009, the DVD is now on sale.  This DVD is over 3 hours of instruction from the camp and covers most of the sessions, this is an essential resource and will help you refresh the content shown on this weekend.  Anyone interested in getting a hold of this can contact me at the above email and I will make arrangements to ensure you get a copy. The cost for the DVD is $25.  This is a once only release and they will not be reprinted.  This DVD is also only for attendees of the camp.

This week will feature something a little different.  Monday will have a different lesson than Thursday and you will need to attend to find out what these are.

A reminder that the Freshwater class will commence on Wednesday 17th February at 7pm.  Anyone wishing to attend just click on the relevant day on the class time box on the left and a map will open showing the position of the class and how you can get there.  The lesson format of this class will follow the other classes.

31st January, 2010

Lessons for the coming week will involve contact reflex responses.  We will be looking at various ways to develop this and looking at the importance of this to improve reaction time in close.

Remember that all students should be looking to get a grade shirt over the next couple of weeks. 

23rd January, 2010

More changes are happening with the website, there is now a Q & A page where you can ask questions regarding martial arts or classes and I will try and answer them for you or if you just want to make a comment on your training or the website.  This is not limited to students and anyone can join in, however I will be monitoring all questions before they are posted and provided they follow basic rules of etiquette they will be posted along with an answer. 

Thanks to Phil Evans at Choruswebhosting for doing this for me following a request from Christian only yesterday.  Phil is a legend and also a talented musician (check out his band at www.3bs.com.au for a great night out).

Classes next week will focus on the unarmed defence against a single stick, baton, baseball bat, machete etc.  We will look at the basic rules and the do's and dont's and what you will need to know to prevent serious injury to yourself if you are ever in this situation.

There is also a new article on the Articles page on Capoeira, I look at it from an historical perspective and with a leaning toward trying to understand what make Capoeira different and unique. Worth a read and if you wish to comment on this then please do so via the Q & A page.

I have a large stock of T shirts now and everyone will have the opportunity to look good.

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" - Sir Winston Churchill

17th January, 2010

Wow, what a week that was, welcome to all the new students, it was great to see so many new faces (and the old ones as well). This coming week will be focussing on knife defence from the perspective of Pentjak Silat.  A little different to what you may have been used to as there knives are a little different.

The starting date for the new class has been finalised and classes will commence on Wednesday 17th February at the Harbord Literary Institute, 2 Oliver Street Freshwater (http://www.warringah.nsw.gov.au/community/HarbordLiteraryInstitute.aspx) .  Parking is at the rear of the facility and classes will commence at 7pm. Greg can be contacted on 0417 268 356 if you have any questions regarding this class.

I am working on some articles at present and I will be posting these shortly so keep a look out for these.

This year I will be instituting a uniform policy. Up till now I have been casual about uniform, but I will be insisting that all students wear a grade shirt to class.  I have a large stock coming in shortly and there will be no excuses for not having a shirt after that.

12th January, 2010

It was great to see so many at class for the first lesson back, though I suspect there were a few who had too much Xmas.

I am in the process of organising this years camp, I know the last one was only a couple of months back but this year we are changing venues and we are going to be captive on an island.  The camp will be late August and will be at Milson Island ( http://www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/milsonisland/ ) Sport and Recreation Centre.  The camp will have activities like swimming, fishing, basketball, volleyball,  bushwalking and of course over 15 hours of Martial Arts training.  As usual you will be pushed to your limits and then pushed a little more with activities to stimulate your minds and bodies.  I will be booking in the next week for 50 participants and I will need expressions of interest from anyone who would like to come.  I will be preparing a detailed itinerary shortly.

In other news we will be opening a new class on the Northern beaches of Sydney in Freshwater (formerly Harbord) to cater to the disadvantaged people in that area who don't have access to Jeet Kune Do.  The class will be on a Wednesday evening from 7-8.30 and the Instructor will be Greg Millington.  Greg has been training at the academy for 13 years and he has helped with the instruction of students for over 6 years.  He is a Level 1 accredited Instructor with the NOAS.  Classes will be commencing shortly and I will let you know the exact date and venue.  Of course I will be sticking my head in from time to time to see how things are going and taking the occasional class.

4th January, 2010

A Happy New Year to all.  This year promises to be interesting and exciting with quite a few events planned and some surprises for all students.

Plans are already underway for the second martial arts camp after the success of the previous camp.  I am looking at various venues that will provide everything we need and more, I can assure those who will be coming that this event will challenge you both physically and mentally.

Classes resume next week on Monday 11th at Mt Colah so I hope you are preparing yourselves and trying to shake off the Xmas excesses.  The lesson topic for this first week will be effective use of our primary weapons for use in street applications.

I am looking forward to catching up with you all. 

21st December, 2009

Tonights lesson is the last for the year.  As usual we will be having an extended lesson finishing at 9.30pm.  The lesson will be on Filipino weaponry.  If any students are interested we can have a sparring session at the end for those wanting to end the year with some bruising.

Classes will resume on Monday 11th January 2010.  I wish to take this opportunity to wish everyone all the best for the Xmas break and a safe and Happy New Year.

17th December, 2009

It was great to see everyone at the Xmas dinner last night, there were 23 present and the food and company made it a very enjoyable evening.  This is what makes a club strong, it is not just the training and the sweat it is the meshing of individuals with a common purpose who are all willing to get in and help each other.  I am blessed to have a class of people who have a laugh, help each other and work hard together to better themselves ands make the classes stronger.  Martial arts is not only about self defence or fighting techniques it is a way of life.  People who are not involved do not appreciate what we do and how we are a community of individuals drawn together to work harmoniously and without ego to grow as people in and out of the class environment.

The gallery page is undergoing some changes to make it faster (I hope) so that you can view the images easier.  I have put up a gallery of some photos taken in the 1980's and early 1990's of some of the greats I have had the pleasure of working with and knowing personally.  The likes of Guro Dan Inosanto, the late Larry Hartsell, Erik Paulson, Ajarn Chai Sirisute, Grand Master Cacoy Canete and Bill Superfoot Wallace to name a few.  These people in particular Dan and Larry had a profound impact on me as a student.  I cannot thank these two for the amount of their time they gave me freely and without reward to train me and guide me in their particular interests at the time.  The first time Guro Dan showed me Silat I had no idea what he was doing and how it could be at all useful, he had just been given permission to teach it at the time and he was so excited to be showing it to me and said you need to get this it will make a huge difference to the way you move and how you fight. He struggled with me for over a week (4 hour sessions most days) and by the end I was just starting to get the idea.  The next time I saw him (6 months later), I had worked out what it was all about and was able to apply it in a rudimentary way.  He then sat me down and drew out the entire curriculum and demonstrated the forms and patterns and all the sweeps and how to apply them. I still have the notes he wrote that day.  Larry Hartsell had me up early most mornings taking him to the gym for a workout, followed by a run.  It was hard work, and I was rewarded in the afternoons with 2 hours on the mat with him going through lock flows and drills.  I owe so much to these people, we had many meals together, many talks about their early training and the people they had trained with. Grand Master Cacoy Canete who was in his 70's at the time held 7 hour seminars and still had the energy to selflessly train with us in his recreation time for many hours at a time day after day on the finer point of Doce Pares and Escrima. Sparring with him was rewarding and very painful. 

This is what I was talking about in the first paragraph, we are a community of individuals with one common aim. As instructors we see ourselves as merely guides to help people find their way, and since we are all on the same path heading the same way we help each other along and encourage ourselves to take the next step.  The steps get longer and steeper as you move towards your destination but the rewards get greater.  You need to ask yourself, am I ready to take that next step...

14th December, 2009

This weeks lesson plan will focus on the utilisation of range as a defensive and offensive tool.  This will add to your knowledge base following on from speed, power and timing.  Choosing the correct range to launch an attack and to defend from is critical to entry positioning.

"Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster" - Sun Tzu The Art of War

10th December, 2009

Have just posted some images from the recent camp in the gallery.  I am busy editing the video for the DVD as well but it will take a little time as there is 5 hours of footage to go through.  This should be available for purchase by camp attendees early in the New Year.

6th December, 2009

It is December already and it is time for students to plan their commitments and goals for the coming year.  To assist with this we are looking at speed this week at both classes.  We will explore what makes up speed in delivery and use some training tools to help achieve this aim.

The last class for the year will be Monday 21st December and as usual this will be a special lesson on a topic to be advised, so stay in touch.  The Xmas dinner will be held on Wednesday 16th and you will have been advised about this by email.

"Any technique, however worthy and desirable, becomes a disease, when the mind is obsessed with it" - Bruce Lee

29th November, 2009

This weeks lesson plan will be about feinting and drawing.  Bruce Lee wrote  "...one can say that JKD is built on feints and the actions connected with them."   Feints are an essential item in your arsenal of tools for the successful launching of an attack, misused and mistimed they can be a hindrance however well used will guarantee successful penetration of an opponents guard.

Last week we looked at power development and we used some strange methods of feeling the power possible within each of us, I think all students could feel their potential and it will be a good foundation for building their punching power.

24th November, 2009

Just uploaded an article sent in by Peter Cutland ( Hunter Valley Bash ) . Peter is a student and Instructor of Walt Missingham and is a certified Instructor under Siruchai Sirisute. Thank you Peter for your involvement and assistance at the camp and the lead up to it.

23rd November, 2009

This weeks lessons will be on power development in punching, we will be looking at different exercises that can be done to gain additional punching power as well as looking at what makes a punch effective.

20th November, 2009

I wasn't going to post any more comments on the camp but this one from Michael Bromley had to be shared.  Michael is a student of Sifu John Suttle on the Gold Coast who came along to see what all the fuss was about and here are his words.

Gary,

Firstly, what a great weekend! I have returned to Queensland a different person. A couple of you would know I was on a bit of a soul searching journey for around five days, including the weekend at Cessnock. I turned up completely on my own and was immediately welcomed, included, and looked after by Greg and friends; I was truly humbled by the humility, openness and generosity of all.

Unfortunately, Sifu John Suttle could not make it due to work committments, but he always says "Be like water, my friend, flow and follow the path of least resistance...." I took his advice and I enjoyed the whole trip, there were no problems and I fell on my feet everyday.

There were a lot of hours of training, but the pace was just right. As someone else has said, we could have listened to you and learned from your vast experience ongoing. For me, it was an awesome learning experience, I had not trained in most of the subjects covered, so it was new and I was kind of excited about it all.

Brad Casey's sessions had a good level of intensity, cool drills and applications, and an informative history lesson. It was great to meet him and I appreciated his flexibility with my hip injury.

The camp itself was well structured and organised. I want to take this opportunity to thank Leea and Lerryn and all involved behind the scenes in making it smooth and pleasant for the students. When I spoke to young Dwayne, he said they nearly didn't make getting the food out on time etc., we as guests didn't notice that you had been rushing around, very professional.

Gary you have done an outstanding job overall, and I'm looking forward to returning next year. Thanks to all that helped me during training also. You said it would be memorable and we would have sore muscles, and you were correct.

I also want to mention a special thanks to Dwayne and Jeannie at Little's Winery for your unforgettable generosity. You are blessed to be in a beautiful part of the world, and good karma will definitely return to you.

Apparently, there were a few people I was meant to cross paths with for various reasons, personal, philosophical, technical and general martial arts. There were lots of people that were influential, but thanks to Greg, Richard, Matt, Danny, Tristan and Merryck, Gena, Peter, John and Rod Holden. I hope I didn't forget anyone, you have given me, not only a wine drinking laugh out loud, but to keep it brief, a life changing holiday.

And yes Gary, with much respect, I did find what I was searching for.

kind regards
Michael Bromley

All those mentioned should give yourselves a pat on the back, Michael travelled a long way and he was certainly most welcome and he fit in very well with everyone.  He has made a lot of new friends in Sydney and Cessnock and we all look forward to catching up with him again soon.

19th November, 2009

A review of the camp has been posted on the articles page ( cessnock.pdf ).  This article was written by Matthew Hazlett. I thank him for taking the time to do this.

18th November, 2009

I have received a couple of emails from some attendees at the recent camp and I thought I would share them with you.

Gary,

I just wanted to thank you for organising the Hunter Valley Bash weekend. I found it interesting with a good mixture of different activities which provided everyone with a range of challenges.  I know many people from Sydney finished the weekend very tired but happy with the opportunity to learn and challenge themselves.

The weekend’s events balanced good physical activities with a relaxed environment which gave attendees a chance to have some social time and mix with the other clubs. To provide such a broad mix of training such as Muay Thai, Krabi krabong, groundwork, Kali, Silat and Capoeira at any time is impressive, but to have covered all of these in such a short time and for such a reasonable cost, shows the great deal of effort put into the weekend.

I am sure next time, there will be plenty of attendees and more of us will be prepared for the fitness challenges…

Paul

Thanks Paul, comments like this make me realise that all the effort wasn't wasted.

Here's one from Cath

Hi Gary

Just want to say thanks again for the Camp. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was good value for money and I enjoyed the training as well as socialising with the other clubs.

Everyone in our classes have been talking about it and how much they enjoyed it

We are all looking forward to another one!!

Thanks again

Cath

and another from Peter

Hi Gary,

Just like to say thank you for the camp.  I enjoyed the time I had up there and it was a great chance to meet and share knowledge with other practitioners. There where some real eye openers for me and gave me the opportunity to be out of my comfort zone.

It gave me a new appreciation for things that I didn't like before but after doing them and seeing them in a practical sense made me realise my ignorance. Overall it was great value and an eclectic mix.

And I thank everyone that organised it and look forward to the next. A good quote that reflects my experience of the camp is  " Don't think, feel! It is like a finger pointing away to the moon. Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory"

regards,

Peter Boyd

A full write up on the camp will be posted shortly, so keep in touch.

A couple of small changes have happened with the website, the Links page has become an Extras page so I can put things there I can't find a place for anywhere else; so check that out from time to time and see what may be useful.

15th November, 2009

The camp has finally come and gone, I am writing this with an aching body, it is a good ache though as I know I have earnt it.  As did the 50 participants at the first Martial Arts training camp of this type held in NSW in recent memory.  I had a great time and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting all the participants, making new friends and greeting old ones.  I hope that I have made you think this weekend and I certainly hope I have worked you hard enough over the 16 hours we actually exercised, sweated, studied and participated together.  I know I did.

I would publicly like to thank all the people who gave me assistance to make this weekend an unqualified success.  Firstly to Brad Casey for taking time out in his busy schedule to do 2 Thai components on Saturday ( Muay Thai and Krabi Krabong), secondly to Peter Cutland for organising people and assisting Brad with his units, to Greg Millington for assisiting me and being available at all times to help, Genady Rudenko for taking some very hard hits and taking them all in grand style, to Christain Cowles for doing an impressive Capoeira display and showing just how much power can be generated with these awesome kicks.

I would like to make a special thanks to Leea and Lerryn Allsop from Dragon Den Defences in Cessnock for organising the school gymnasium, the bus for the wine tour, all the food, personnel,big things, little things, things I would never have thought of, for having Kim on hand to deal with any potential injuries (you were awesome), for Jaimie and Gail for their cooking, for all the people who prepared the meals, cleaned up after everyone and did just about everything, to my slave Dwayne for just being there whenever I needed him, to his mum Jeannie for all the wine and snacks on Saturday night,to Mr Conroy Deputy Principal of Mt View High School for his support by allowing us the use of all the schools facilities, to Michael Husband for his sponsorship to Mayor Alison Davey for taking the time to visit and close the event, Carlie Allsop for always taking the perfect photo (over 700 I believe) and finally a big thank you to all the people who joined in, participated and enjoyed this weekend; without you all the hard work would have been meaningless.

Photos will be posted soon (when they are available) and some camp reports as well.  I know there were many memories created this weekend, and I know they were all good.

I would appreciate any feedback,comments and suggestions on the camp, just send to the email address at the top of this page.

On to class matters, this week we will be looking at some close range knife defences on Monday and Thursday we will be covering spontaneous reaction to stimulus (mouth guard required).

12th November, 2009

All students travelling to Cessnock from Sydney need to allow sufficient time to get there by 6pm, Friday afternoon traffic being the major consideration.  You will need to allow 90 minutes from the start of the the Freeway to get there on time. Directions to Cessnock are pretty straightforward, take the Freemans Drive exit (about 10-15 minutes past the twin service stations, you will know when you pass these) from the freeway and follow the signs to Cessnock. Drive down the main Street (Vincent) and turn left at the lights at the end, then make the 3rd right into Mount View Rd, the school is on your right.  You will be met by a representative and shown where to go.  A lot of time and effort has gone into all preparations for this camp and the host school Dragon Den Defences have done an incredible amount of work to make this happen. My thanks go to Leeah and Leryn Allsop and her students for arranging the venue, staff, first aid, meals, wine tasting etc. What can I say, but thank you.

Tonight will conclude the empty hand to stick defences and the mats will be out.  Also any student wishing to spar tonight MUST have a mouth guard, all other protective equipment is available if you don't have them.  Personal protective equipment all students must have are mouth guard and eye protection, you should also have your own focus mitts and bag gloves if you have been coming for awhile now.

7th November, 2009

Camp Update - less than a week to go now and the final itinerary has been set. On the Saturday we now have 2 sessions with Brad Casey, the first on Muay Thai and the second on the seldom taught Krabi Krabong, this is the Martial Art that the sport of Muay Thai is adapted and will require the use of 2 sticks to simulate the swords used in this art.  On the Sunday we have added a session on Capoeira which will be demonstrated by our own resident capoeirista Christian Cowles.  This will take you on an exploration of this Brazilian art and finishing on blending for street use.

Classes this coming week will be on empty hand defence against stick attacks.  I will be bringing along soft sticks so we can work at a higher level than we can with wooden sticks, eye protection is essential for this training.

2nd November, 2009

I have uploaded an new article on a party I was asked to supervise, this was an experience that could have got out of hand but somehow didn't even when there were people trying to agitate the crowd. The article tells of my experience and findings. Go to the articles page and have a read.

Anyone who has their own experiences on parties or situations that could have or did get out of hand, drop me an email or write an article to share with others.

Camp Update - less than 2 weeks to go now. Anyone attending should try to get to the venue by 6pm on Friday for registration and room allocation. This will give you time to have dinner before assembling back at the venue at 8pm. Uniform is optional and if you have head gear and boxing gloves it would be a good idea to bring this along with you, it could add some variation to our activities.

30th October, 2009

First off congratulations to Adam Bennett on the birth yesterday of his first child Archie, long sleepless nights and lots of joy await Adam and his wife.

Those who attended this week gained some interesting insights into controlling a knife attack using takedowns and restraints.  Next week we will be looking at close range contactive techniques using Jun Fan Gung Fu as the source. 

For those unsure of the difference between Jun Fan Gung Fu and Jeet Kune Do, a quick explanation is the Jun Fan was the starting point that Bruce Lee used on his path to Jeet Kune Do.  Jun Fan was in essence Wing Chun based with influence from other Chinese systems.  Jeet Kune Do was where Bruce Lee was at the time of his death and had integrated many other systems that he and Dan Inosanto were exploring together, it was the big brother of Jun Fan, more efficient and it encompassed the knowledge that Bruce had accumulated up until that point.

It is only 2 weeks now to the camp and there has been been a cancellation.  If anyone is still interested in coming and thought that they couldn't, then this is your opportunity to jump in.  Final preparations are being made now and the excitement (or nervous anticipation) is starting to build.  Anyway you look at it we will have a great time.

A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.- Thomas Carruthers

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former. -Albert Einstein

23rd October, 2009

The link page has been updated and there is now a link to the Art of War DVD website. 

This product was 2 years in production and interviews were conducted with experts in their field, from West Point Colonels to Business Leaders and University Professors, all with knowledge and special interest in the Art of War and how it can be applied in their area of expertise.  The footage and comments clearly explain the concepts of the Art of War and bring a 2,500 year old book to the modern world.  Highly recommended for all students of Martial Arts as an essential resource.

Those students who attended classes this week gained more understanding of the requirements for multiple attacker training, gaining a useful insight into the practicalities of what works and what doesn't.

Next week we will be looking at takedown and restraining techniques as counters to knife attacks. This will involve close range knife applications and control.  All students are reminded that eye shields or goggles are mandatory for this type of training.

Motivation is what got you started. Habit is what keeps you going. - Jim Ryun

18th October, 2009

This weeks lesson plan will be about multiple opponent defence capabilities, this segment will help better prepare you for defence against multiple opponents.  The bureau of statistics crime report 2007 show that the number of assaults are increasing and the number of attackers in multiple assaults are more than 2.  With these statistics in mind we are going to discuss and evaluate different scenarios to help understand what you can do in this type of situation.  This will be a different slant on multiple defence, and one that is certainly overlooked by most people.

Remember that if you train hard you will fight easy, train easy and you will fight hard, and possibly lose.

15th October, 2009

The website is continuing to take shape but there are still a few things left to do.

Lesson for tonight will continue with our close range entries, this time working from hooking strikes.

A reminder that the camp is now only 4 weeks away and all students attending should be looking at getting additional training in to build up their conditioning.  This will not be an easy weekend and I will be pushing you all so you can get the most out of this.  Numbers are now complete and there will be 50 people attending which is a great response since this is the first time this has been done.  I am certainly looking forward to this camp and I can see this being an annual event. 

14th October, 2009

Hi, and welcome to the new website for Jeet Kune Do in the northern suburbs of Sydney.  This site is a resource for current students of these classes to keep informed about what will be happening in coming weeks.

This site is not only about Jeet Kune Do as taught by Sifu Dan Inosanto, but also about the many different systems taught within our school and these will be showcased with articles and video as the site evolves.

I would like at this point to give thanks to several people for their support.  Firstly  to Walt Missingham, my mentor and the Head Instructor of Jeet Kune Do and Lin Wan Kune Do our base art.  Walt's leadership and friendship over the past 35 years has been an essential part of my growth and development as a Martial Artist and I thank him.

Secondly I would like to thank my wife Carolyn who because of her encouragement helped me take the steps to running my own school 18 years ago. I would also like to thank my students for putting the effort in week after week and making the classes a joy to teach.  Lastly I would like to thank Phil Evans for putting together this site for me,  Phil may not know much about Martial Arts but he makes up for this by being a truly creative individual.

Gary James