Guro Inosanto 1985 at Raymond Crow's school demonstrating a kali counter to a turn kick |
My Influences in the Martial Arts
This was originally part 7 of a series on the main
influences on my training in the martial arts of what has yet to be posted, but
then since Guro Dan was the man who got me started in the FMAs, I guess it is
appropriate he is first one I post about.
In a few hours I’ll be
attending a seminar with Guro Dan Inosanto in Hurst TX, as
usual for events like this I couldn’t sleep so I’m up at 4:30am ready to get
going, I thought I should write.
It was about 32 years ago (in 1982) I saw a flyer about a Dan
Inosanto seminar in Sherman/Dennison TX that ended up changing my life. I was
20 at the time and was as a Orange belt in
American karate. I knew nothing about
the FMAs but I knew Dan had worked with Bruce Lee. I called up the instructor
to find out about the seminar and he tried to explain the FMAs to me, finally
telling me that “Do you remember the cellar scene in Enter the Dragon? Do you remember Bruce Lee using the two
sticks? That’s Filipino martial arts and
Dan taught those sticks to Bruce.”
Cool, I was sold.
Guro Dan, Sifu Larry
Hartsell, and I think Cass Magda were there at that seminar, Since I had needed
to get a pair of rattan sticks, I went to my friend who was in the SCA at the
time and got some huge piece of rattan (like 1 ½ “ diameter) 5 ft long and I put in a lot
of work cutting, sanding and heat treating those sticks.
I was swinging those sticks and beating the crap out of my partner’s
sticks during Sinawali drills and I remember Larry laughing at them (as he took a look at them). I think he let me borrow a pair of his for the
remainder of that seminar.
Anyway what I saw and
practiced at the seminar influenced me enough that it changed my direction in
the martial arts in many ways.
·
It sparked my
interest in the FMAs (which became a HUGE influence on my martial arts journey)
·
It sparked my
interest in JKDC (and adapting other techniques and strategies to my primary
art)
· It sparked my interest in training with other martial artists in other martial arts; such as Larry Hartsell (JKD, boxing and grappling), Master Chai (Thai Boxing), Master Toddy (Thai boxing), Ted Lucay (JKD Kali), Tuhon Gaje (Pekiti Tirsa) and others.
· It sparked my interest in training with other martial artists in other martial arts; such as Larry Hartsell (JKD, boxing and grappling), Master Chai (Thai Boxing), Master Toddy (Thai boxing), Ted Lucay (JKD Kali), Tuhon Gaje (Pekiti Tirsa) and others.
Guro Dan and Sifu Hartsell demonstrating a Thai Boxing drill/technique at the same seminar |
During the 1980's-1990's I attended several seminars with Guro Dan and what always impressed me was his
interest in history, his interest in promoting the FMAs and teaching and
documenting what he learned from his teachers or his influences. Guro Dan is a great communicator so his
instruction is pretty clear if you understand where he is coming from.
Over the years I stopped
going to Guro Dan’s seminars, the last one I went to was in 2000 so it’s been
almost 14 years since I last saw him. My
main interest was in his FMA instruction and that was getting less and less
time in his seminars, so I went elsewhere for that instruction. But what Guro Dan for me did was to lay a
solid foundation that others (my other influences) built on.