2017 Hidden Sword Martial Arts Christmas Party

On December 15^th from 6-8:00pm HSMA will have it’s 5^th annual Christmas party in our room upstairs.   We will have a pot lock dinner and the sign-up sheet is available on our Facebook page where we have created an event for the party.

Come join us as we wind down our year of training and relax while meeting with the other families that train at Hidden Sword.  Here are some photos from last year.

Working with Others

 As an instructor I want to give my students every opportunity to grow and train in the martial arts.  I believe strongly in having my students cross train in other arts or with other students and schools outside of my classes. I believe also that it is my responsibility to reach out to other schools and other instructors to not only set up training opportunities for them but for me as well.  I believe no instructor is an island and we all some added input to help us become students again.

My daughter Em. and I demoing and instructing double stick combative responses during the MAPA seminar.

 

Recently on May 3^rd we (my students and I) hosted a cross training event at the Roanoke Rec. Center for my arnis students.  While we held it on May 3^rd of 2013, the idea came about in September of 2013 when at an Iain Abernethy seminar; I was approached by an old Modern Arnis seminar buddy Guro Abel Martinez.  Over several discussions we were trying to set aside time to get our Modern Arnis classes together to cross train.  Then my assistant instructors (Jackie and Kevin) reached out to Guro David Beck about also getting our classes together and in time MAPA was born.

Guro John Bain instructing on finger locks with Kevin

The Metroplex Arnis Players Alliance (MAPA) was formed with the intent of setting up cross training events with other Filipino martial artists, and others martial artists who are open minded to learn and work with each other.  While it was a lot of hard work to arrange and then to put on it was a big success overall with over 20 people showing up from 10 year old kids to adults from several different martial art styles.  We hope to set up another seminar this summer in August.

Double stick training during the MAPA seminar

Right after the seminar I had to travel to Houston for work, and while I was there I met three other Modern Arnis instructors and trained with them.  On Monday night I worked out with Master Ed Kwan and his students, then Tuesday morning bright and early (like 6:00am) I trained with John and his students, and then Tuesday night Master Earl Tullis was gracious enough to set aside time for me to train with him.

Empty hand drills

Master Kwan instructing

A week later Master Ed contacted me and told me that he was coming to Dallas on business and asked if he could visit my classes.  The only problem was he was visiting on my Tae Kwon Do nights.  However seeing a cross training opportunity for my students I invited him to work with my students on empty hand drills.  Master Ed showed up early and worked with my Modern Arnis students and then taught my advanced Tae Kwon Do class empty hand tapi flow drills and applications.

Class photo with Master Kwan

 Lately on Wednesday nights after my Modern Arnis class I travel to another martial arts school in Hurst for a JKD Kali/Pekiti Tirsa class.  This class is a lot of fun for me since I can be a student again and just sit back and relax with the sole intent on learning.  No pressure to formulate lesson plans, no need to jump in and correct etc. etc.  I just have the pressure that I put on myself to keep up with the other students and to adapt to their drills and techniques.

In future posts I’ll discuss more about how each one of these training opportunities affects my teaching, my training and learning.

Metroplex Arnis Players Alliance Inaugural Seminar

Well I haven't posted much this month (March is almost gone already), and just because I haven't posted on this blog doesn't mean I'm not actively working on creating opportunities for my students to train.  I have been steadily working on arranging for my TKD advanced students to help out and spar on a black belt exam, getting other students ready for an upcoming tournament, teaching on the side etc. etc. as well as arranging this seminar so my arnis students can have a cross training event like my TKD students do.  This is so much worth the effort, I can hardly wait for the 3rd of May.  After a lot of work, a lot of emails, phone calls etc.etc. I'm very glad to announce the following.

On May 3rd 2014 at the Roanoke Recreation Center in Roanoke TX Hidden Sword Martial Arts will be hosting the first (hopefully of several more to come) Filipino Martial Arts seminar for the Metroplex Arnis Players Alliance (M.A.P.A.).  This kickoff seminar will feature three instructors who all earned instructor ranks and have trained in different Filipino Martial Art (FMAs) systems along with other martial art styles and all of whom teach the FMAs in their respective schools.  For a VERY low price of $15.00 for preregistration and $20.00 at the door every participant will receive over 3 hours of training and instruction from these three experienced martial arts instructors.  We know the price is way way low for us as professional instructors; cheaper even than a one hour private lesson, or frankly any seminar event like this that I have ever attended, however we decided to create an event to promote cross training in the martial arts first and a price structure that basically just covers our costs and time.

Guros Lynn, Martinez, and Beck all share a common bond in training at one time or another with with either Grand Masters Remy or Ernesto Presas; the creators of Modern Arnis and Kombatan Arnis respectively. the Guros also share their instructor's vision of  learning from, connecting, training with, and reaching out to martial artists of all styles and systems.  This seminar was created in the spirit of wanting to connect with other like minded practitioners and instructors in the FMAs, and then through discussion amongst others  we expanded the vision of the training opportunity to include students or instructors from all martial arts.  To register for the event go to

Modern Arnis seminar     

 (Note: type in Modern Arnis seminar in the search engine for the class, please be aware that there is small fee for internet and credit cards usage.  This is the Rec. Center website, none of the instructors have any control of this nor gain any income from these fees.)

Short Bios on the Instructors

Guro Abel Martinez has over 20 years training and teaching experience in the martial arts; earning black belt ranks in 5 arts; Northern Shaolin/Preying Manits Kung Fu (3rd), Progressive Jujitsu (4th), Progressive Jujitsu -Kempo (2nd), Modern Arnis (2nd) and Luzviminda Arnis( 1st).  Guro Martinez currently teaches Modern Arnis and Thai Chi at TNT Self Defense in Stephenville TX.


TNT Denfense Website

Guro Martinez will be instructing on connecting mid -close range distances with using solo baston flow drills.

Guro David Beck is a multilevel black belt in Hapkido (6th dan), TKD (4th dan) and Arnis Delon (lakan Isa, 1st dan).  Guro Beck has trained for over 30+ years in the martial arts and over 20 years in the FMAs training with Guro Anding Delon, GM Remy Presas, GM Ernesto Presas, Datu Tim Hartman, Guro Dan Inosanto  and others.  Guro Beck teaches Hapkido, TKD and Modern Arnis at Jerome's Gym in Richardson TX.  For more information see Guro Beck's website at

Beck Martial Arts website

Guro Beck will be teaching on the use of the punyo (butt of the stick) to aid in locking and striking of pressure points.

Guro Mark Lynn is a multi level black belt in Renbudo karate (7th dan), Pacific Archipelago Combatives (6th dan), Kombatan Arnis (Lakan Lima, 5th dan), Modern Arnis (Lakan Apat, 4th dan), and Kobudo (traditional weapons 1st dan) with over 30 years experience studying and teaching the martial arts.  Guro Lynn has received instruction from some of the leading teachers in the FMAs including GM Remy Presas, GM Ernesto Presas, Hock Hochheim, Datu Dieter Knuttle, SM Dan Anderson, Datu Hartman, Guro Dan Inosanto, The Masters of Tapi Tapi, to name but a few.  Guro Lynn is the chief instructor for Hidden Sword Martial Arts and currently teaches Modern Arnis and American Karate at the Roanoke Recreation Center in Roanoke TX.

Guro Lynn will be teaching on translating double stick techniques to empty hand defenses.

"We're the Recreation Center Martial Arts Program" or The Other Guys

We're Different

The Roanoke Recreation Center where classes are held.

Yesterday was the Celebrate Roanoke festival in our town, and for the first time our school Hidden Sword Martial Arts had a booth.   I was horrified as I heard Jackie (who along with her husband was graciously helping me man the booth) start off her greeting potential customers with “We’re the Rec. Center martial arts program”.  Not “We’re Hidden Sword Martial Arts…….” and then she would start with the pitch “we offer classes in this and that etc. etc.”  Now Jackie who has a background in advertising, as well as her husband have really helped me in the past to promote our school, so when she proudly sat down in a chair and told me “We’re the Rec. Center Martial Arts program, we’re different I like that!” I listened to her.  As far as promotions/advertising she’s the black belt and I’m the student.

You see in most martial artist's eyes as well as the general publics, words like Rec. Center, Parks and Recreation, after school martial arts and the like scream out HOBBYIST, PART TIMER, and those that can’t cut it in the real martial arts teaching world.  I mean the general consensus is that the real true masters are the guys who own a school; they are the ones who are teaching hordes of students, they are the ones that train their students so they become the Texas Tournament Champions of the Year school.   The bigger stand alone schools have the painted signs on the windows in bright day glow letters that say “train with the Insert state or country champion here”, have the most black belts etc. etc.

I have tried hard to distance myself from the view that I’m a hobbyist, a part timer, because I teach at a recreation center.  Those that know me know that I have invested a lot of time and money into making sure that my students have good quality training equipment to train with, just like the big schools.  They know that I teach and offer several classes per day for both adults and children at the rec. center, they know that I assemble exam boards of outside instructors to examine our students and to give me feed back on our program.  They know that I have been training and teaching now for 32 years and earned black belts in 5 different martial art systems.   Also many of the parents who have been with me now for several years also know that last year I gave up a career at American Airlines after 22 years (30 years in the aviation career field) to pursue my calling as an instructor, so I’m not a part timer.

If you have ever seen the movie “The Other Guys” than you have an idea of how I was feeling we were being promoted; you know, we’re not the A team we’re the other guys.  Wisely though I listened to the master and got what she was saying.  We are different, we are the other guys and we should be proud of it.  You see we don’t do things that many other schools do.

·        We don’t give kids black belts. (I’m seen them as young as 7 get their black belt and there seems to be a race now for schools to promote the world’s youngest black belt.)

·        We don’t test a student for black belt in a couple of years. (Our program is based on 4-5 years)

·        I don’t teach 6-7 year olds knife defense (I’m serious, I’ve seen this).

·        We are not a tournament centered school, we don’t train for the Olympics, we don’t even teach Olympic style Tae Kwon Do.  

·        I’m not a tournament champion, I don’t fight in rings or octagons.

·        I don’t teach XMA type weapons forms with fake and play toy weapons (see the earlier weapons blog for pictures of what I mean). Nor do I teach 7 year olds kamas (farm sickle) or any weapon for that matter.

·        Our weapons program doesn’t last only a couple of classes so the students can say they have learned Nunchaku, Sai and Kali sticks.

·        We are not a belt factory, nor do we have long contracts (we don’t promote on a time table due to the parent paying for a contract or a belt program).

·        I don’t have a high pressure sales pitch, in fact if I talked with you at Celebrate Roanoke that was my pitch.  When I think about it, my sales pitch yesterday really centered around us being the other guys, and our program being different.

So what do we do, here at Hidden Sword at the Roanoke Recreation Center?  It is very simple really, we teach three different martial arts; American Karate/TKD, Kobudo, and Modern Arnis to kids through adults.  Ours is a monthly on going program where the students progress from one class to the next as they move up in rank.  When they are an advanced belt (purple through black rank) the student has the opportunity to cross train into Kobudo and on a case by case basis Modern Arnis.  This gives the student a chance to widen their training experience and grow in the martial arts.

·        The American Karate/TKD program is based on the Chang Hon (Blue Cottage)Tae Kwon Do patterns.  However the training drills and self defense training come from many different influences not just from Tae Kwon Do.

·        Unlike many schools, training with real weapons is reserved for the higher ranks and the classes are taught weekly on Saturdays.  Our Kobudo training helps the student to learn focus, control and confidence as they learn katas with real training weapons and two man drills where they learn to hit something.  Kobudo is an extension or a bridge art for our Tae Kwon Do program.

·        Our Modern Arnis classes are centered around learning the Filipino martial arts and it is taught as a stand alone complete art not just as an add on to the Tae Kwon Do program.

·        Training drills and techniques from Muay Thai, Arnis, Karate, Jujitsu etc. etc. are freely exchanged between the programs to help the student to develop their skills.

·        Kata applications (applying techniques from the kata) are taught from a self defense view point instead of a physical performance based (i.e. tournament) view point. 

·        We train in a simple classroom environment; we don’t have dream boards, loud music to motivate students, flashing disco lights etc. etc. just plain old kicking bags and shields.

Being a competition orientated school isn't bad, it’s just we aren’t one.  We focus on being here for the student who wants to learn self defense, not those students who want to compete every weekend.   We don’t teach mixed martial arts for the octagon or UFC type fights, but we do teach mixed martial arts (i.e. three arts which I pull drills, techniques, and skills from and that my students can cross train in).  We don’t teach from the perspective that the martial art is sacred and is above the student at all cost; rather the art is secondary to the student.  However we also don’t put the student’s felt needs, nor the want of money above the learning of the martial art (as in a belt mill) or above a person having to earn their rank.  I don’t teach 6 year old Yellow belts arm bars and joint locks along with knife defense and call it self defense.

So we are different, we are the “other guys” and you know, I’m proud of it.  So if you want something different come visit us at the Roanoke Recreation Center we are the martial arts program there.