Congrats to Kaitlyn for taking 1st place in Weapons Kata at the 2017 AKATO tournament

Congrats to Kaitlyn for taking first place in weapons at the AKATO Invitational tournament

I am thrilled when our students do good at tournaments.  At the outset I must state that we are not a tournament focused school; this year we only went to three, and I’m proud of the all of the students who participate in them.   We participated in three because it gives our students chances to test themselves in a venue outside of our school, yet I’m not going to subject my students to the circus. 

I forget who I heard this name “The Circus” (when referring to “Open” tournaments) from but the last time couple of times we (as a school) went to an open tournament the name fit.   We saw people throwing swords into the air only to catch them as they screamed KIIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!   People were twirling their swords between their fingers as others were hooping and a hollering as they back flipped and landed in the splits.  Seriously, I even saw one guy actually squat down in front of the head referee (like he was going to the bathroom) where he then reached behind himself to toss his kama upwards in between his legs only to catch it again with the same hand in front of this crotch.   Seeing this kind of behavior, I thought I’m going to lose more students than have students who want to compete in these tournaments so now we only go to three tournaments where are students are competing apples to apples.

The first tournament is the Monica Lopez Cancer Benefit tournament, which all of the proceeds go to a family whom cancer has touched and impacted.  The second is the Hearts for Honduras tournament where all of the proceeds go to help fund a mission trip to Honduras.   The last is the biggest, which is the AKATO Invitational Tournament.  In all three we compete against other like-minded schools so our students are competing apples to apples instead of against performance artists.   Now let me be clear here I'm not saying these performance artists aren't skilled or talented. I just don't find anything martial "of or relating to war, war like" in someone squatting like they are going to the bathroom and tossing a toy up between their legs, or someone throwing their demo sword in the air catching it and posing to scream their head off and call attention to themselves.   We can't compete with that cause I won't teach my students to do that. 

At the 2017 AKATO Invitational tournament several of our students entered in the Kobudo (weapons) division.   Because it was a small division they lumped our kids into the adult division.  So Kaitlyn (10 yrs old and a red belt), Kennan (8 yrs old and a 3^rd brown), Gabriel (10 yrs old and a red belt), and Kimberly (14 yrs old and a black belt) ended up all competing against four adults three of which were black belts and one red belt.

Kaitlyn and Kimberly

Kaitlyn took first place performing a combination kata of two Modern Arnis stick forms (form 1 and 3).   One of the senior instructors (the head judge.) came up to me afterwards and said Kaitlyn moved “so smoothly from her center”.   That was much nicer than hearing that she really threw her bolo high in the air, or that he was impressed with how loud she yelled (KKKIIIIIAAAAAA!!!!), etc. etc.  Kaitlyn even beat out her sister Kimberly who performed a traditional Bo kata.   Kaitlyn’s form wasn’t the hardest by any stretch of the imagination, it wasn’t the longest, she certainly didn’t demonstrate the most power (she’s 10 competing against adults).  Kaitlyn simply demonstrated her form with a training bolo the way the bolo should be used and she was judged on that as opposed to some act of showmanship.

Good job Kaitlyn you represented Hidden Sword well.   While Kaitlyn did beat out adults in this division she did go on to medal, or place, in both sparring and empty hand kata competing against other juniors that were her rank and age.

Looking for a new school to host the HSMA Presas Arnis Instructor Development Course classes in 2018

New Presas Arnis Instructor Development Course class to start in early 2018

Students and instructors attending one of the 2017 Presas Arnis Instructor Development classes at North Texas Karate Academy in Bridgeport TX.

Hidden Sword is currently looking for another school to host a new Presas Arnis Instructor Development Course for 2018 as expand the course.    The goal is to find a school in the DFW area that is willing to host the classes during the 2018 year.  If you are wondering what the Presas Arnis Instructor Development Course is read on.

In 2016 at the suggestion of GM Dieter Knuttel, who is the technical director of the German Arnis Federation (DAV), guro Lynn created the Presas Arnis Instructor Development Course for 2017.  Over the course of a year the students and instructors who took part in the Instructor Development course and tested for the basic levels of the Presas Arnis curriculum at the December class.  This class will continue on learning the intermediate levels in 2018.

The first class which started in 2017 meets in Bridgeport TX at the North Texas Karate Academy, with instructors coming from Oklahoma, Jacksboro, and North Richland Hills. Next year this group will continue on to learning the intermediate levels of the curriculum.    In 2018 Hidden Sword is planning on starting another class to further “beta” test the basic levels of the Presas Arnis curriculum and we are currently looking for a school to host the class.

The Presas Arnis Instructor Development course is designed to reach out to students, instructors, and schools who are not primarily studying the Filipino Martial Arts (FMAs), but are well grounded in their primary styles; be they karate, kung fu, krav maga etc. etc.. By building on the foundation (business model) that GM Remy Presas laid by reaching out to interested students and instructors who are looking for a martial art program to augment their primary style instead of replacing it. 

Guro Lynn is the chief instructor at Hidden Sword Martial Arts and has been involved with the martial arts for 36 years and involved with the FMAs for 35.  Guro Lynn has earned black belts in five different systems of various degrees so he has designed this course to reach out to other styles and help them to see how Presas Arnis can enhance their primary system, and not to tear it down.  The focus of the class is to teach instructors how to potentially use Presas Arnis as a revenue generation vehicle for their school as an potential upgrade program, or to enhance their weapons self-defense tactics for their primary art, or perhaps as a vehicle for personal growth for the student by giving them a better understanding of impact and edged weapon defense. 

Currently students meet once a month at the host school for three hours and go over the curriculum.   Afterwards the students are encouraged to work together to practice till the next class.  Students and instructors who are enrolled in the Presas Arnis Instructors Development course are given access to the private Hidden Sword Presas Arnis Instructor Development Face Book page; where videos, photos, and discussions take place as another method of support.  Students can also visit the Mark Lynn Hidden Sword you tube channel for more videos.

If you are interested in attending or hosting a course class please email guro Lynn at [email protected]

2017 HSMA Presas Arnis Instructor Development Course overview

2017 Hidden Sword Presas Arnis Instructors Development Course

In February of 2017 Hidden Sword started their Presas Arnis Instructor Development Course at the North Texas Karate Academy in Bridgeport TX.  The Presas Arns Instructor Development Course is based on the Modern Arnis/Presas Arnis program that is taught at Hidden Sword.   Once a month the class meets for a three-hour class where guro Lynn would teach the attendees the Presas Arnis system.

  

As the name of the class implies this course is designed to develop instructors in hopes of them teaching the system and spreading the art. So guro Lynn concentrated on not only teaching the drills and skills of Presas Arnis but also the history of the art and instruction concepts behind the drills.  Over the course of the year the Presas Arnis Instructor Development class has also been helping to develop the students and instructors of Hidden Sword. Guros Jackie Bradbury, and Tomas Mendoza have each month assisted guro Lynn in the instruction of the class by walking the floor helping and training the students. However, it has also been a time of cross training for several of Hidden Sword’s students as well; Scott, Gabriel, Kaitlyn, and Kimberly have all traveled out to the school to train with the students of the class at one time or another.  

Currently there are two groups of students in the class; we have students who are interested in learning the art and improving their weapon based skills, and we have a select group of instructors who are interested in learning the art and being an instructor.  While the class was envisioned to primarily consist of senior students and black belt instructors of different arts, it has developed over time to include under black belt students of various ages as well.  On the 16^th of December 2017 the instructors at Hidden Sword tested two of the students for belt rank in the Presas Arnis system as well as four students for the  Basic Instructor Rank for those black belt instructors in other martial arts.

 (Note all photos are from earlier classes throughout 2017 North Texas Karate Academy in Bridgeport TX.)

In the photo to the right Jackie Bradbury is working with Randy Redus from Oklahoma on the supported blocking drill, she has just checked his stick hand with her empty hand.

 Photo to the left shows HSMA's chief instructor Mark Lynn translating the double stick material to empty hand techniques to the class.









In the photo below guro Lynn is demonstrating how a double stick  technique can be adapted to the Okinawan sai.

 In 2018 the Bridgeport class has elected to continue and will move on to learning the intermediate level material in the HSMA Presas Arnis curriculum.

HSMA is currently looking to start another beginner program at another school.  If interested in either hosting  or attending this class, please email guro Lynn. 

In the photo below guro Mendoza is helping a junior student on a double stick disarm.

Dieter's Photo Lesson at the Zoo

(All photos by Emily)

This morning (Friday the 25^th) after only getting a few hours of sleep Dieter (who’s staying at my house for the seminar) was up and ready to go.  Prior to his arriving in America I asked what else besides martial arts did he like to do and as it turns out we had a common interest in photography so we decided to go to the Ft. Worth Zoo to take photos and see the animals.  Emily who also has an interest in photography was also eager to go so we spent the afternoon at the zoo.

Right off the bat you could tell there is a huge difference between Dieter’s and my approaches to photography.  Dieter was outfitted with the packs for the various lenses, the adjustable tripod thingy, the sun deflectors on the lenses, all hooked onto his belt with quick release clips etc. etc.  Then there is me with my camera and my long range lens shoved in my pants pocket.

Who do you think got the best photos?  Of course Dieter.  He knew more about the subject, he was better prepared with the equipment, he had more control over his equipment (referring to adjusting his camera to different setting to get better results).  Once again Dieter was eager to share his expertise with Emily and I and he coached us on taking better pictures.

To me this is how we should approach our study of the martial arts and Modern Arnis in particular.  GM Remy passed onto us a living art, one in which there is room for growth and individualized expression in the art.  How boring would it be if we all tried to be Remy clones; if we all tried to speak with Remy’s tonal inflections, if we all tried to teach in the demo format that Remy taught in, if we all stayed with practicing only as we thought Remy taught it.

We were all there to practice taking photos and the subjects were the animals.  However we each had different animals or birds we liked to use as subjects.  We had different equipment with different settings all achieving different results in our photos and yet often times we were shooting the same subject.  Just like each of us learning a lock, or applying a lock, or a disarm, or a drill etc. etc.  Sure the technique might be the same but you could really tell a difference once it is applied, just like viewing a photo.  Some are photos are good but some are really WOW!  These are the ones that can really move you, just like most locks hurt but then there are those that put you on the ground with tears in your eyes.

It would have been boring if Dieter explained how to take a photo and then set it up, focused it and set the settings on the camera and stepped away and said “OK now go press that button” click.  Instead it was “Emily, do you know the Golden rule (referring to the rule of thirds)?  Here let me show you”.   Then after she took some photos he would say let me see and compare the pictures, make some suggestions and move on.  By the end of the day we all had a great time showing off the pictures to my wife and talking about them and again the education continued.

Through Dieter’s guidance today Emily and I learned more about operating my camera as well as how to take better pictures.  While it would have been fun (and probably painful) to play with arnis all day, and there will be plenty of that for us this weekend, taking a break from all of the martial art talk gave us a different lessons to be learned and fun memories for all.  

 

Boy Have I got it Wrong

Private Training with Dieter

 

I picked up my friend Dieter Knuttel from the airport last night, after having a light meal on the way home we came to our house and Dieter asked what our password was for the WiFi.  Duh I don’t know, I racked my brain, I couldn’t even remember setting up the password, so for the next 20 minutes or so I try and figure it out to no avail all the while feeling like an idiot.  Emily and Holly get home and we ask them and Emily’s says “Oh I got this” and gets him connected.  I was shocked but then Dieter said kids know this stuff because when they bring their friends over they all want to connect to the WiFi.  Simple statement and true, very logical and straightforward.  I had no clue that this simple straight forward, logical approach, to problem solving would set the tone for my arnis lesson later that night.

Dieter was use to traveling so he knew to push through wanting to sleep when crossing time zones, so when Holly needed to excuse herself to head to bed she warned me “He looks tired don’t keep him up!”  It was about 11:00pm or so.

  

“I won’t honey he wants to watch some videos, I’m not keeping him up.”  So I got the computer and we watched some videos I recorded at some recent camps.  I tried to set up the sound but Dieter says “I don’t need the sound I just want to watch.”  This should have been my first clue but I thought how will you know what we are doing?  (I’ve never claimed to be the sharpest tool in the shed, well aside from my family but….)  Anyway that’s when it hit me or I should say the stick hit me, obviously I still didn’t get the lesson cause it hit me again and again and again for the next couple of hours.  He just wanted to watch how I did things and help me do them better, he didn’t need sound, he just needed to observe what I did.

It started off with releasing his hand from grabbing my stick hand.  As we watched the video he said, “I teach it differently, we call it Stopping #1 and #2.”  I figured I saw this lesson at an earlier training camp so I had the correct answer to the problem.  Dieter says “Why do you release my hand?”

As I’m staring at him holding his stick above his shoulder I reply “To defend against getting hit on the leg.”  This is a standard response in the Tapi drills and we were just drilling on this Wednesday night in class based on his lesson from the Brevard camp in 2005.  “OK release my hand” he says.  So I go for it, WHACK he hits my hand, “Try it again” he tells me; so I got for it WHACK he hits my head.  It was a painful lesson cause he keeps telling me to go for it, so I do and I keep getting hit.

“Why do you release my hand?”  Now I’m confused, if I don’t release the hand I get hit in the leg, if I go to release the hand I get hit on the arm, if I go to release the hand and even make it I get hit in the head.  Dieter turns it around on me then.  “You release the hand only because I’ve given you a problem to solve (as in defending from an incoming strike), otherwise you don’t have to release the hand.  If the person has their stick up here they haven’t given you a problem to solve so you need to not provide an answer to a question that hasn’t been asked.  So why do you need to release the hand?  Hit me with it.” As he shows me that his face is open.

Dieter explained that they train with a different attitude, a different training methodology.  The feeder, the leader, or the driver in the above example is the one who is in control and must give the student the proper problem to solve, otherwise what happens is the student in going for the hand release is actually leading the drill at that time, because the instructor then would automatically feed the low strike since that is what is expected in the drill.  So everyone (as feeder’s) waits for the student to release, when actually the feeder is open for a counter, like the head hit by waiting.  So then he starts explaining to me their hand release and it starts to make sense but I’ll cover that in my next post.

Folks don’t make the mistake of missing the opportunity to train with Datu Dieter, we have him for a seminar for two full days this weekend and he showed me just the tip of the ice berg last night.  We are going to have a blast.