Hello All,

I have watched this video a number of times and everytime I watch it I am amazed by this it. Ajarn Chai and this boy are amazing. Big props to his parents and Instructors for teaching him the fundamentals, discipline and respect to have the talent level that he already shows.

This boy has better form & mechanics @ 6 than Martial Artists that I have met who have trained for 20 years. Enjoy this video clip it is awesome!!!

Hello All,

This is a question that I am asked quite often by my new students and people who have not trained. My interest level in Martial Arts began when I was around 9 years old. My Grandfather was a huge boxing fan, he and my Dad would watch boxing on TV and I would watch it with them as a way to bond with them. My Uncle was learning Tai Chi around this time and when he would visit from Connecticut he would show me some pieces of the Forms that he was working on.

As I grew up in the 1980’s Martial Arts was exploding, fueled Sijo Bruce Lee’s influence. I remember watching the Karate Kid movie and being so excited by it. We watched movies with Martial Arts movie stars like Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and many others. The Ninja craze was also going on then as well and for my 10th birthday I got a Ninja uniform complete with authentic Ninja Tabi boots.

As I got older my interest in Martial Arts died down some but was always in the background. I had a friend in High School that trained in Tae Kwon Do and that started to refuel my interest. In 1992 I began training Karate through a Community Ed program and my interest started to take off. Though I enjoyed the training the material didn’t seem to  fit what I was looking for. What I was really looking for how to protect myself and more importantly my brother Colin. He was having some issues with a group of kids who were ganging up on kids randomly. Colin always seemed to be on their radar, though in the end thankfully they never did anything to him.

This lead me to look into other Martial Arts styles including Tai Chi, Isshin Ryu, Boxing, and Bruce Lee’s Martial Art Jeet Kune Do. I was having some trouble finding a Martial Arts School that taught one of these styles in Livingston County. By sheer chance in the summer of 1994 I met John Noonan (http://www.independentmartialarts.us) who was studying Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Martial Arts. I trained with John for about 1 year.

In the spring of 1995 John and I went to Sifu Dave Hatch’s (www.attributivemartialarts.com) house for a private lesson. Sifu Dave at that time was an Apprentice under Guro Dan Inosanto (www.inosanto.com). I began training with Sifu Dave in fall of 1995 and he has been my primary Instructor since.

From 1995-2000 I put in approximately 12,000 hours of training in through training with Sifu Dave, teaching Cardio Kickboxing, private and solo training and seminars. During that time my friends would ask why I trained as much as I did. I would respond ” This is what I love to do, I get to meet and train with some of the best Martial Artists in the world!!!”

Like I said in the beginning I wanted to train to learn how to protect myself and my loved ones. Today I feel that I can do that and now I teach others to do the same. During the time I have trained I have learned a lot about myself, I feel that if I had not began training Martial Arts I would not be the person I am today. Martial Arts has helped me improve my self-confidence, self-awareness and helped me relate to people better.

I train now for the love of learning my Instructors are always learning new things and it inspires me to do the same. I have met people from Indonesia, Thailand, Brazil, China, Japan, Korea, the Philipines and many other countries. From them I have learned so much about the history and culture of their home land it is amazing. This diversity in training and understanding has gone along way to teach me that we are really all just people and at the core we are all looking for the same things.

One of the other huge benefits in training is my understanding of my body. Martial Arts has taught me much about how and why I move the way that I do. When I am teaching I feel that I am not just teaching them how to protect themselves and their loved ones I am teaching them to understand and accept their bodies better.

Thank you for taking time to read this post, I would love to hear what you have gained from training Martial Arts. If you have not trained then what you would like to gain from training.

Shawn

Hello All,

Well it’s the Holiday Season and you know what that means… Lots of shopping, going to parties, and the hustle and bustle of the season. I don’t mean to be Scrooge but here are some very important safety tips to keep you safe for the Holiday Season.

• Being on your PHONE IS NOT SAFE!!! It is a huge distraction when you are distracted that is a great time for MR. BAD GUY to ATTACK you.
• REMEMBER where you parked your car and AVOID using your KEY LESS ENTRY to find your car. This is a great way to let Mr. Bad Guy where you are at and how to plan his attack.
• If you are out enjoying some HOLIDAY BEVERAGES keep your INTAKE LOW and remember to keep track of your drink. It is very easy for someone to slip something into your drink. Also drink lots of water and eat consistantly this will help you moderate your alcohol levels.

I hope that these help to keep you and your loved ones safe. We have ongoing Self-Defense classes on going during the holidays!!! Not only will they help you to be safe they can also help you avoid adding any extra holiday goodies to your waistline.

Happy Holidays,

Shawn

Hello All,

In this video clip Sensei Erik Paulson (www.erikpaulson.com) is teaching defending standing guard passes. He shows how to use your feet and hips so not to get your legs controlled, how to use your knees so that the person that is standing can’t punch your head and also he shows how to use an axe kick from your guard!!!

Also don’t miss the last submission combo he does it is pretty cool!!!

Enjoy

In drill we focused on securing a number of arm-bars from the guard. However, my main goal Thursday was to work on my butterfly guard  (BFG) passes during the rolling session. I have dabbled at it before but it occurred to me in the last class that it is the guard of choice for a lot of the experienced guys at our academy. I want to be able to pass butterfly guard as easily as I can full and open guard (on some players).

I only rolled twice after class so I could only work on it with Big Josh. I’ve noticed that we tend to nullify each other’s strengths so Josh was a perfect person to try it on. Usually when someone plays BFG I maintain my posture and try not to get sucked into playing his or her game. However for me to work my passes I had to go in close and in one pass I have to actually allow my opponent to wrap me up in order for me to practice the pass.

I noticed immediately that when I took this approach (trying to pass with an actual technique) it put Josh on the defense. I placed my right hand around his neck and with my left I tried to grab his left ankle and pull it so I could twist his body around and gain side control. I think with a smaller guy it might have worked more effectively. He’s about 6 ft and 215 lbs so it wasn’t as easy to pull his leg out from under him. I was able to force him on his side and make him switch to an open guard. When I tried the guard pass where you have to be wrapped up I allowed him to get position and then tried to work the pass. I was able to break the hold but not get the pass. The next time I baited him I think he sensed I was up to something. Almost as soon as he had me wrapped up, he let me go. He must have ’smelled’ my eagerness.  As we went back and forth I was able to pass his butterfly guard a couple of times but I couldn’t establish side control. I will try that at a later date.

I also rolled with another Josh. He’s more of an MMA guy but he often attends BJJ classes. I hadn’t rolled with him in about 5 months and since that time he has mastered the 360 guard.  When he was on the ground I spent the majority of time trying to hold him in place long enough to work an attack. I tried to hold his ankles and pin him to the ground but once he started spinning I had to let go. At one point he was able to get my back but I was able to defend and turn into his guard. Every time I tried to pass he started to spin. The most I could accomplish with Josh was two takedowns.  (I was on the ground and he was standing on both takedowns.)

An overall good practice….

La jornada del sábado comenzó con la derrota de Miguel Ángel Gorbe y de Carlos Polo en – de 74 kg en no Gi, el gran nivel de la categoría, y la mala suerte en el sorteo al enfrentarse en la primera eliminatoria, en el caso de Gorbe contra el campeón Griego. Pero los ánimos del equipo se levantaron gracias a la buena actuación de Fernando Gómez, en la categoría de – 84 kg, alzándose, tras cuatro combates, con la medalla de bronce en no Gi. Javier Abril no se quedo atrás ya que obtuvo las dos medallas de bronce en -66 kg, en ambos estilos, compartiendo podium con el otro luchador español, José Zapater, actual Campeón de España en -60kg.  

Zapater no defraudó. En su categoría, y ante la falta de luchadores en -60 kg, logró las dos medallas de oro, en Gi y no Gi. Pero ahí no terminó su participación sino que José Zapater decidió subir de categoría, a – 66kg y absoluto (se disputan combates entre luchadores de las diferentes categorías), alcanzando en ambas la medalla de bronce.   Pero sin duda, el resultado que elevó los ánimos y la ilusión de los luchadores turolenses, fue la plata de Carlos Polo en Gi, en -74 kg, medalla que logró tras disputar varios combates, enfrentándose en la final con el campeón suizo, Peter Mettler,  

Una jornada dura, en la que los luchadores del Freetime de Teruel se enfrentaron a diversos competidores procedentes de los nueve países participantes: Hungría, España, Croacia, Suiza, Alemania, Eslovaquia, Austria, Grecia, Serbia, Ucrania y República Checa, en total doscientos grapplers que lucharon sin descaso desde las once de la mañana hasta las siete de la tarde a cuatro tapices, en el Athletic Sports Hall of Semmelweis de la capital húngara.

El Club de Lucha Freetime de Teruel se ha llevado más que un bueno recuerdo de la ciudad de Budapest, ya que tras su participación en el I Open Internacional de Grappling de Hungría, los turolenses se alzaron con cuatro merecidas medallas, tras su paso por los dos estilos propuestos por la Federación Internacional de Lucha (FILA): GI (con kimono) y no GI (sin kimono). con experiencia en varios campeonatos del Mundo en Grappling, y ganador del trofeo al mejor luchador del torneo, y al que no pudo someter bajo su técnica, pero si compartir podium, con ese segundo puesto en la clasificación.

    Para  los que formamos parte del Club de Lucha Free Time el mejor luchador del torneo fue sin duda un pletórico Fernando Gomez del que como adelanto os dejamos los mejores videos de grappling  no-gi en la categoría -84 kg, aunque Fernando dio en la báscula 80 kg.
OCTAVOS DE FINAL 1ª PARTE

OCTAVOS DE 2ª PARTE

CUARTOS DE FINAL

SEMIFINALES

TERCER Y CUARTO PUESTO

Jose Zapater “Titin” -60 Kg luchó en -64 Kg

Javier Abril -64 Kg

Carlos Polo -74 Kg

TODAS LAS IMAGENES EN NUESTRA SECCIÓN FOTOS

(Buy here!)

Now this really is a treat.

All the way from Japan and ready to send to you first class postage. You could have it in a few days!

Art Junkie is an uber-cool Japanese pop art / fashion company with strong ties to the MMA and pro-wrestling world. Their stuff is very distinct, very stylish, very Japanese.

I’ve chosen a few things from their line to offer on sale exclusively here. You really won’t find these anywhere else outside of Japan.

This is the Megumi Fujii shirt, available in white or black. For those of you who don’t know Megumi Fuji, she’s a female Japanese fighter with a hell of a record and a penchant for destroying people’s ankles.

Check it out:

The design is crisp and cool. The slogan on the front reads: ONE TACKLE ONE KILL. Naturally. It’s a typical piece of Engrish that I absolutely love; a little bit of nonsense that captures the spirit perfectly.

One the back, it says “Suppose I try something in my life, I must not spoil myself.” Um, I’m not entirely sure what that means but I guarantee you this: no one else you bump into is going to have it on their shirt!

The shirts are excellent quality. Comfortable and strong, with the highest standard of print.

Buy them here!

Hello All,

In the last month we have had 3 really big events @ Synergy Martial Arts (SMA) so here is the update on all the happenings.

• On 10-12-09 we moved into our new location Hamburg Fitness Center (www.hamburgfitness.com) and since we have moved in we have had 6 new students join SMA.
• On 11-12-09 Synergy Martial Arts Instructors Shawn Kitzman, Jeffery Lopes and Jerry Whiting taught a 2 hour Clinch Workshop @ Gladiator MMA (www.gladiator-mma.com). We had a blast the guys @ Gladiator were eager to learn and worked really hard on the material.
• The feedback was tremendous and we were approached to teach @ Gladiator. So beginning on 12-10-09 Synergy Martial Arts Instructors Shawn Kitzman and Jeffery Lopes will be teaching from 7-9pm @ Gladiator.

For our regular students Jerry will continue to teach the Thursday night 6-8pm classes.

I would like to thank Jerry and Lopes for all of their hardwork and dedication. SMA would not be where we are at without them and my skill level as a Martial Artist and Instructor would not have grown the way that it has. Thanks guys : )

So there is all the news for now. Check back soon there is gonna be another big announcement soon.

Shawn

Blast off!

Check out the store here.

Products include:

• Scramble T-shirts on pre-order
• Yukinori Sasa Paraestra Jiu Jitsu Instructional – Top Game
• Yukinori Sasa Paraestra Jiu Jitsu Instructional – Guard Game
• Loads of BJJ Spirits (Jiu Jitsu Damashi) and Grappling Spirits magazines
• Robert Drysdale’s Japan Only No Gi Instructional Magazine/Book
• ART JUNKIE very exclusive imported t-shirts!

Enjoy!

Hello All,

Upon my looking thru youtube today I found a clip of Sensei Yori Nakamura demonstrating the Shoot Wrestling Lock Flow series 1 and it is amazing!!!

For those of you who don’t know who Sensei Yori is here is the background that I have been told on him. He trained at the Super Tiger Shoot Wrestling Gym in Japan under Satoru Sayama in the 1980’s and came to the Inosanto Academy (www.inosanto.com) in 1989.

At the Inosanto Academy here is a small list of the people that he taught

• Guro Dan Inosanto (www.inosanto.com)
• Sensei Erik Paulson (www.erikpaulson.com)
• Sifu Dave Hatch (www.attributivemartialarts.com)

I know that there are many more people that he taught while at the academy. Those 3 have had a huge influence on me and my training. I remember when Sifu Dave would go to the academy and get to train with Sensei Yori he would come back and rave about him and how dynamic he was. There are many clips on Youtube of Sensei Yori this one stood out to me.

Hope you enjoyed this video clip as much as I did.

Shawn

Hi people, how are you today? Sorry I have been a little slow with the blog over the last two weeks, I have been extremely busy teaching and trying to build the school! But let me just say I have some exciting things in store for you!!! Starting with:

-A special interview with BJJ/Grappling/MMA Super Coach Lloyd Irvin!

-Feature Technique of the Month! And the first one is just awesome, with credit going to Royler Gracie for teaching it to us during his recent Australian seminar tour!

-Special guest “Cross Training for Self Defense’ article!

-An interview with BJJ Super Star Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles!

-Special guest “Strength & Conditioning Advice for Grapplers” article

-And far too much more to list right now so stay tuned!

Like I said, there’s so many new and exciting ideas in the pipeline and I can’t wait to share them with you! the Jiu jitsu Kingdom Blog is going to get even bigger and better as we head towards 2010! So join us for the ride, help spread the word and lets take our Jiu jitsu to a whole other level!!!!

Good luck with your training and Happy Rolling!

Felipe

Jiu jitsu Kingdom

Everything is almost ready to go.

Just waiting for the last batch of shirts to clear customs and be delivered. I can’t wait to get going and bring all this cool stuff to you guys.

Watch this space!

After being away for such a long period I felt as if I hadn’t missed any time at all.

Ryan (purple belt) instructed class today and he was teaching us the “100 percent” technique that he has been working on the past few months with Art. He showed us how to achieve three submissions using it (guillotine, another neck crank and an arm-bar).

After drilling different variations of the 100 percent we began rolling. I first rolled with Eric, who is a fellow blue belt. Since I have been out for 2 months I decided to play by the adage, don’t let your opponent do anything he wants to do. I also decided not to voluntarily go to my back or let myself be reversed since Eric is hard to get off of me when he gains a dominant position. He started in butterfly  guard and I on my knees and at the end of four or five minutes that’s where we ended up. During that time I managed to almost pass his guard a number of times but he always recovered before I could gain full control. I rubbed my ear against his shirt at one time and felt the nastiest stinging sensation I have ever felt on my ears since I’ve been grappling. It stills feels sore tonight so I will have to keep an eye on it.

The next guy I rolled with (forgot his name, sorry) surprised me with with his improvements since the last time we rolled (about 5 months ago). He felt stronger than I remembered and his game had totally changed so once I was able to establish top control I held it until we finished. When we finished he kept saying I was strong. I kid you not he said it at least three times to me and then I heard him telling other people as I went to grab some water. I didn’t think I was using any extra strength but when we started grappling he had a new ‘wiriness’ that I didn’t remember so I played him tight instead of allowing him to play his game.

I rolled with another new guy (new to me) and he told me before he started that it didn’t matter if we stood up or started on our knees because he was going to go to his back as soon as he could. So we started on our knees. He is the kind of grappler that will wrap up your arms or head with his legs from any position. I was eventually able to tap him with a knuckle choke.

My final roll was with Ryan. I had to play a defensive game with him as he is very adept at using grips to disrupt your train of thought while he is working on something altogether different. After two minutes of me defending against him pulling my gi and trying to sweep me while he was in butterfly guard we eventually ended standing up. After a few moments I was able to get a hip toss. He immediately swept me when we hit the ground. The next minute or so I spent fending off his attacks. I need to work on securing control after my throws.

I was extremely happy with my performance today because I never tired and I didn’t sit out any rounds, which is excellent for me since I have been out for a while. I just finished a round of P90x (90 days) last Saturday and I believe this is why I was able to jump right into the swing of things.

 El Club de Lucha Freetime de Teruel participará en el primer Open Internacional de Grappling en Budapest este próximo fin de semana.

Cuatro luchadores del Club de Lucha Freetime de Teruel participarán este próximo sábado 21 de noviembre en el Primer Open Internacional de Budapest organizado por la Federación Internacional de Lucha (FILA).

      Los luchadores Javier Abril Civera, en la categoría de -66 kg, Fernando Gómez en la categoría de -84 kg, Carlos Polo y Miguel Ángel Gorbe, en el peso de -74 kg, competirán en este primer open internacional en las distintas categorías en lucha grappling y en las dos estilos propuestos por la FILA: GI, en la que demostrarán su destreza con kimono, y No-Gi, sin kimono. Ambas modalidades se ajustan al reglamento internacional de Grappling, al ser una competición organizada por la Federación Internacional.

       Dentro de la competición participarán más de doscientos luchadores internacionales, de diversas nacionalidades se darán cita en esta competición, dada la magnitud del evento. Este I Open internacional se desarrollará  a cuatro tapices simultáneos en el Athletic Sports Hall of Semmelweis en Budapest.

 La concentración de los luchadores dará comienzo a las 9h de la mañana del sábado 21 de noviembre, aunque el día de antes, el viernes 20 de noviembre a las 4h de la tarde comenzará el pesaje y el reconocimiento médico, para comprobar que los luchadores se encuentran en perfectas condiciones para competir, y que cumplen con el peso.

         Sin duda el objetivo de el primer equipo de lucha del Freetime es alzarse con algún puesto en las distintas categorías o estilos y representar a España, a Aragón y como no, a Teruel, apostando por la presencia de un luchador al menos en cada una de las categorías (-66kg, -74kg, -84kg), la mayor participación en torneos de Grappling en la presente temporada 2009 por parte de este club de lucha turolense.

 De esta manera, por parte del club se pretende finalizar la temporada de Lucha Grappling participando en este evento internacional, para el que ha contado con la colaboración y el apoyo tanto de la Federación Española de Lucha así como de la  Federación Aragonesa, en la tramitación de las inscripciones y licencias.

A bit about judges and the judging process:

• **A judge is accredited, sanctioned and selected based upon his character, experience, stature in the MMA world, knowledge of MMA systems and impartiality.
• ** There are THREE judges.

As for the judging, it’s a 10-point must system with scoring based on:

• **clean strikes – efficient (total number landed) and effective (total number of heavy strikes landed)
• **effective grappling – takedown and active guard position
• **octagon control – dictating the pace, place and position of the fight
• **effective aggressiveness

Additional, abbreviated, instructions and explanations – interesting points:

Striking and grappling take priority in determining effectiveness

The heavier striker who lands with efficiency, deserves more credit from the Judges than total number landed.

• **If the striking power between the fighters was equal, then the total number landed would be used as the criteria.
• **The total number of strikes landed, should be of sufficient quantity favoring a fighter, to earn a winning round.

Grappling:

• **A Judge shall recognize that a fighter on his back in an active guard position, can effectively grapple, through execution of repeated threatening attempts at submission and reversal resulting in continuous defense from the top fighter.
• **A Judge shall recognize that the guard position alone shall be scored neutral or even
• **A Judge shall recognize that if the fighters remain in guard the majority of a round with neither fighter having an edge in clean striking or effective grappling, the fighter who scored the clean takedown deserves the round.

In my opinion, the problem lies in the 10-point must… If the round really is close, seemingly tied, the judges MUST pick a winner of the round. In every sport where judging is involved, when things are close to the line, the champ or more established athlete gets the nod. It’s just a fact of life.

It’s so old that it annoys me but I’ll say it – “You can’t leave it in the hands of the judges.” I don’t mean that in the more traditional sense, that the judges can screw up (which they can) but I think if you’re going to win, you should go out and finish it!! Then you truly deserve the win.

Hello All,

Synergy Martial Arts began in the Summer of 2005 and since then we have often been asked if we teach Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). The answer to that is yes and no. Now I know that was and incredibly vague answer but it is the truth and here is why.

Synergy Martial Arts has been and always will be dedicated to

1. Giving our students the most effective training methods and material that we can find so if the need ever arises they can defend themselves or a loved one.
2. Exposing our students to a variety of training methods and material so that we as a group are well-rounded Martial Artists. It is not our intention to create the “best” Muay Thai, Kali, Grappler etc. If along the way a student becomes a great Muay Thai fighter/Instructor that is great but it is not our intention.
3. Create an atmosphere where Martial Arts becomes a lifestyle not just a hobby. This will create relationships that go far beyond time in class. Our hope is that students become not just fellow students but training partners and get together outside of class to train and socialize.

With all of that being said MMA is a sport and for many MMA practitioners and they often train a small amount of stand-up, clinching and grappling so that their fight game is streamlined and simple. What I have found over the years is in that simplicity they often miss out on other training methods that will help them as they mature as fighters.

One of the most well-rounded and talented MMA fighters that I know personally is Martial Arts Unlimited Founder Chris Malgerie (www.maunlimited.com) look @ his bio and you will see that he has trained in many different Arts and has many different Instructors. Chris is a Martial Artist first and MMA fighter 2nd.

Here is something that saddens me when I talk to MMA competitors quite often after they are done competing they will leave Martial Arts. This happens because their entire focus revolves around training and competing. They don’t have a love for Martial Arts just competing. In my opinion what they are missing is the amazing experiences, relationships and lifestyle that Martial Arts offers.

At Synergy Martial Arts we have been training with Instructors that have been involved in aspects of MMA for 30 years. My Sifu’s Dan Inosanto, Dave Hatch and Paul Vunak have been at the front of spreading Muay Thai, Grappling Arts, Boxing and Jun Fan Gung Fu/Jeet Kune Do since the late 70’s.

 I began personally training Muay Thai, Boxing and Grappling Arts in 1995 along with Filipino Martial Arts, Jun Fan Gung Fu/Jeet Kune Do, Filipino/Indonesian Silat and Wing Chun. We also are constantly researching what we train and teach two of our influences are also top MMA trainers/coaches.

So to again answer the question do we teach MMA? The answer is yes and no. While it is a vague answer I can promise you this if you compete in MMA I believe that training with us will give you strategies and training methods that will help improve your fighting game.

Shawn

Whether it’s Grappling, Muay Thai or Kick Boxing- they are all forms of MMA. The first time you clash shins is going to be the first time you wished you did not go cheap on mma shin guards. Imagine cracking 2 baseball bats together- that’s the equivalent force behind 2 people swing their legs at the same time.

Before you purchase that cheap pair of shin guards, there are a few things you should consider. My MMA training includes over 25 years of Taekwondo training- this is where I learned the value of the quality MMA shin guard.

The main thing to look for in a shin guard is the “Spine” that goes down the front of the guard. It needs to be re-enforced. With my Taekwondo background, this is a feature that is very important. All of the MMA shin guards I have seen do not have this feature.

Perceived value

I have found that people buy the most expensive things because they think they are better in quality. In my years of working with MMA gear, I have found this is not the case. A perfect example is Hayabusa and Combat Sports. Both have about the same padding and are very similar in design. I think it is all in the marketing that allows Hayabusa to charge more.

Please don’t take this the wrong- I think they are both very good brands.

How the shin guards are strapped onto the legs is another important thing to consider. The Sock type guards are better suited for grappling and also striking like muay thai. The sock type will not fall off or get spun around when you’re on the ground.

So, before you buy those cheap shin guards- think about how yours shins are going to feel after your first shin-to-shin full contact. Remember to look for a re-enforced spine down the front of the guard. If you are looking for quality, a higher price does not always mean they will protect any better. Consider the use- are you going to be rolling on the ground or are you just doing stand up.

One more thing to consider is the weight of the shin guard. Obviously the cloth-type are going to weigh the least. There are some really heavy duty shin guards made of leather. These also have some very uncomfortable straps too. I would avoid these.

Hayabusa Shin Guards Click Here
Hayabusa Shin Guards Click Here
Click for Hayabusa Shin Guards

Hello all,

In Part 1 I gave a little of my background and my definition for Self-Defense and Street-Fighting. In Part 2 I want to use a story to further cement my definitions of both to you.

Let us say that I am out with my girl-friend and her 4-year-old son @ a Disney on Ice show (or insert other family outing here). On the way back to the car that is a couple of blocks away we run into a group of 3 guys who just got kicked out of the bar and are pissed off looking to take it out on someone. Now here is where the situation gets a little dicey in my opinion because I believe that when you train self-defense you should have a high level of awareness of your surroundings especially when in an unfamiliar enviroment.

 But let’s say that they just got tossed out of the bar and we run into them coming around a street corner. I accidentally bump into one of the guys and he in his drunken pissed off mood he takes this personally and pushes me and starts saying some less than complementary things about me and my girl-friend. Ok again we are at another crucial point here in that I verbal banter is usually something that I think that you should engage in while trying to get out of the potential Self-Defense situation.

As he is talking to me I get some distance and try to diffuse the situation by apologizing saying that I didn’t see him etc. Now I am at a very critical stage here because I can’t just get enough space to turn and run because I have 2 other people to think about one of them being a 4-year-old that I would have to pick up and carry.

Regardless of what I say to him I cannot diffuse the situation and he starts to aggressively move towards us. Lets say that he is the only one acting aggressively and but because of the situation I can’t get a good read on his friends. I am left with no other option but to defend not only myself but I am now also protecting two other people.

I hope that this scenario paints the picture in your mind that this was an unexpected situation and I really had no choice but to stand and defend us. Now here is my definition of Street-Fighting.

I hope that this helps clarify my definition of Self-Defense and Street-Fighting. Also that scenario while fictional can happen to anyone especially if they are not aware of their surroundings.

 I will leave you with two questions that you can answer for yourself.

1. What would you do if something like that this happened to you?
2.  Do you have the skill sets to get yourself and your loved ones out of a situation like that as quickly and safely?

If you are not sure or answered no to question # 2 contact me. I don’t care if you live in another state or country I will help you get yourself into a quality Self-Defense that will give you the skills to keep you and your loved ones safe.

Here is my personal email synergyma@comcast.net

God Bless,

Shawn

Hello all,

I have been training Martial Arts since 1992 and my original intention for training was Self-Defense along the way I have fallen in love with the Arts and studying different cultures, meeting new people and the constant learning that comes with training.

In the 80’s and 90’s the catch word for Self-Defense was Street Fighting and I heard it brought up the other day while teaching. The student that brought it up was in his early 20’s and does some bouncing for a local bar, shortly after he said the term Street-Fighting another student in his 40’s said something like “it’s not called Street-Fighting it’s called Self-Defense”.

Now here is the question that I am going to pose to you all. Are they really talking about the same thing? Is Street-Fighting and Self-Defense the same thing?

My own personal feeling is no they are not and I will explain why as I go on but first let me give you a little back ground from my experience and researching of the Self-Defense field.

My own journey started with a Karate program through Community Education. It was fun and a great intro to Martial Arts but immediately I felt & still feel that the actual material that could be used in a Self-Defense was pretty small.

In 1994 I watched a Paul Vunak (www.fighting.net) Instructional Video Attributes 2. Now what I saw was really what I thought Self-Defense should look like. It was pretty brutal he was talking about head butts, knees and elbows from clinching range. All of these tools are very damaging to the human body. During that time Paul had a tape series called the Straight Fighting Series that was actually made from his experiences in actual Street Fights.

So here is my definition of both Self-Defense and Street Fighting.

Self-Defense: Is the need to defend oneself or loved ones when in a situation that is unexpected and unavoidable. Here is a situation that I think of often that may help you understand my definition better.

Street-Fighting: A situation where an individual or group is in an aggressive state and are looking for a violent way to blow off some steam. Often alcohol or drugs have influenced this heightened state of aggression. See part 2 story and take a guess at which group falls in the definition of Street-Fighting.

In part 2 I am going to use a story to further explain my definition.

Shawn