2,
New Podcast: Karate-Jutsu / Karate-Do
A new podcast has been added to
the blog (www.blog.iainabernethy.com)!
In this podcast we discuss the concepts of
"jutsu" and "do" and the related benefits and
shortfalls of "karate-justu" (karate for real
fighting) and "karate-do" (karate for physical
and mental development). In the podcast we
examine both approaches and see where they
differ and where they have common ground. These
two suffixes are becoming more significant these
days as the need to differentiate between the
many activities that reside under the coverall
banner of "karate" increases.
In recent times, the term
"karate-do" has become associated with
ineffective karate that makes little or no
attempt to train in a realistic way. The other
side of coin is that those who tag themselves as
practitioners of "karate-jutsu" are often viewed
as dangerous psychotics who revel in violence
and who are base individuals unable to
appreciate the higher aspects of the martial
arts. Are these views justified? Are we using
the terms "jutsu" and "do" in the right way? We
also look at what a number of history's most
influential martial artists had to say on this
subject. This includes the thoughts of Gichin
Funakoshi (founder of Shotokan), Hironori Otsuka
(founder of Wado-Ryu) and Jigoro Kano (founder
of Judo). I hope you enjoy this podcast and I'll
be back with more in 2008!
Please follow the
link to listen to the podcast online or to
download it:
http://blog.iainabernethy.com/?p=91
All the podcasts
are also available via i-tunes under "Iain
Abernethy" (direct links below).
3,
Peter Consterdine Seminar Report
Please find below a report by Peter Consterdine, Jason Olsen & Ian
Travis (taken with permission from BCA newsletter). The report is on
the recent "Training Day" seminar. For those who missed it, the good
news is that a DVD of the event is availalbe (see
section 4).
Seminar Report by Peter Consterdine
Although I'm sort of reporting on my own seminar, I just wanted
to say thanks to everyone who turned up. It was a great attendance
and I really enjoyed the day.
As usual, there was a complete mix of martial arts backgrounds,
abilities and fitness levels, but I have to say that everyone pushed
themselves to their personal limits. What was clear, though, was
that whilst people did push themselves, the fitness level for some
people is set too low.
This is meant as an observation, not a criticism, because, as I well
know, our limits are often set by the training environment we have
been brought up in and, therefore we inherit as our own. How we were
taught and drilled by others may not have been to a level that
really stretched and tested fitness. It was clear that many people
had not had the exposure to the demands of very intensive drills.
We've had correspondence from people who ten days later were still
recovering.
I'd also make the point that whilst it was hard, it was not
intensively hard, rather there were hard drills, but the recovery
time was generous. During, for example, our Thursday morning
'Training Day' sessions, recovery is very short and the work is
compressed, but that having been said, the commitment from people on
the day of the seminar was excellent.
Thanks to my Co-Instructors on the seminar - Iain Abernethy, John
Skillen, Steve Williams and Peter Lakin. Many thanks to Sam Stewart
for his excellent dojo - Kyushinkai.
"BCA Training Day Diary" by Jason Olsen & Ian Travis
When Peter announced earlier this year that he was planning to hold
a "Training Day" seminar based upon the infamous 'Thursday morning
sessions', Jason Olsen and myself, Iain Travis, both of us being BCA
and CMAA Instructors, knew it was going to be an event we couldn't
afford to miss.
When the weekend of the seminar finally arrived, I spent a restless
Saturday night, unable to sleep, with thoughts racing around my head
of what might be in store for us, and would I be able to get through
the 6 hours of hard training I knew lay ahead of us down in Telford.
I met up with Jay around 7.30am for the 2-hour drive down to
Telford's Kyushinkai Dojo. On the way, we tried to imagine just what
6 hours of Peter's arduous training regime would be like having both
of its experienced, first hand, the incredibly hard`Thursday morning' session, which Peter and his team do week in,
week out. Surely it couldn't be as bad! - could it?
Taking the finial exit of the motorway, I was feeling a little
nervous, and having consumed an entire large bottle of sports drink.
I needed a leak; badly! We pulled into the services and to our
surprise, Peter Dawn and ooohh!! ****, his team of 'Thursday
morning' animals! – I mean coaches! All looking very relaxed and
confident. Well, there was no turning back now - they've seen us!!
We all set off in convoy to the venue.
The Kyushinkai Dojo is a great facility. It's light and airy, with a
good wooden floor and mirrors all around. Jay and I watched as the
Dojo began to fill up with martial artists from across the board. We
wondered if any of them knew what they were about to go through,
they all looked so relaxed. Never mind them, I thought. I need to
get in the zone, NOW!
The session began with a shoulder burnout and anyone who didn't know
what they were in for, certainly knew it now, as within the first 2
minutes we were all having to grow an extra lung! The room rang with
the sound of focus mitts being pounded for what felt like an
eternity, with Peter and his team walking amongst us offering advice
on technique and encouragement to 'keep going'!
The high level of intensity continued, interspersed with technical
advice aimed at improving the transition from one technique to the
next, especially from punch to kick and back. This included how to
deliver maximum impact by separating the movement of the hip from
the delivery of the striking hand or foot, a concept which is used
in all other sports that require a ballistic effect from the hand
e.g. a tennis serve, or a golf swing, so why not deliver a punch
that way too? We were also treated with an impressive demonstration
of Wing Chun, which brought back home just how good that system is
at close range.
Towards the end of six hours I was beginning to wilt. I could feel
the dehydration setting in, even though I had been drinking
throughout. I'd also lost a lot of salt into my drenched clothing.
When the instructors came to have one of us lie on the floor with
one leg out straight whilst the other jumped over it from side to
side against the clock, Jay and I looked at each other both knowing
how we were feeling and both knowing we weigh in at around 14
stones apiece. Taking up the position on the ground, I looked up at
Jay and issued one request "Just don't land on my f*****g leg".
After that drill it was all over we'd managed to get through it, but
only just! Group photo then home!
Peter and his team of coaches are all very fit, fast and powerful
strikers - both hands and feet - and the volume of accurate powerful
strikes they can deliver on target in any given time is something to
behold. They all have one thing in common that has allowed them to
reach this level of performance: they love to train, and train hard
with close attention to technique and the look and feel of
everything they do. Their 'Training Day' seminar was really tough
going but very enjoyable and well worth the effort. So if missed
this one and are serious about training, then look out for the next
one and you'll not regret. See you there!!!
Some pictures from the
event can be seen at:
www.iainabernethy.com/news_page.asp
4,
New Peter Consterdine DVD
The
British Combat Association presents "Peter Consterdine's
'Training Day' Seminar". The DVD of the seminar which, for
the first time, demonstrated Peter's approach to not only
pre‑emptive impact, but how that impact can be developed at
speed with hands & feet. This seminar is about very high
level martial arts and anyone who is serious about improving
their 'stand-up' game should buy this DVD. Peter has a
uniqueness in his approach to explosive, powerful yet
aesthetic technique.
Only
£25.00 inc. UK P&P (For orders within Europe add £2.50 P&P -
Rest of World add £4.50 P&P)
Tel: 0113
2429686 - 24 hour order line (Overseas +44113 2429686)
Send
Cheque or Postal order (payable to "British Combat
Association") to The British Combat Association, 4 New
Market Mews, Castlegate, Stanley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire,
WF3 4AL.
Note from Iain: As one
of the helpers on the day, I was called upon to demo a
number of the drills. So that's another DVD that isn't mine
that I feature on! (See section 12) I'll make it my new
year's resolution to blag my way on to as many as possible
in 2008 ;-)
5,
Principles
by Jamie Clubb
This is
the second article in a series of four by Jamie Clubb. The
first part - "Common sense" - appeared in a previous
newsletter. If you missed it, the you can read it online via
the following link:
http://www.iainabernethy.com/articles/Jamie_Clubb_8.asp
This article follows on from
part 1 and looks at "Principles" (physical and non-physical)
and is well worth reading.
Principles by Jamie Clubb
The Clubb Chimera
Martial Arts "process" is designed to be a very organic and
natural form of progression that guides an individual to
fulfil their personal potential. A criticism I can
anticipate early on from many martial artists is that the
structure appears very loose and generic. This all emanates
from a decision I made early on to never include techniques
in our syllabus. I do not believe anyone has the right to
tell anyone else what technique they will use when their
life is in danger. Under stress you will do whatever comes
natural to you and whatever the mid-brain has, through
experience, deemed to be the most efficient for you. This is
why CCMA is more about teaching than accumulating
theoretical knowledge. We want our students to think like
teachers because when you teach you learn faster and more
efficiently, simply based on the fact that you become more
committed to material you have learnt. The best way to learn
anything is through practical experience. So, our structure
may seem quite loose because we are trying to look at the
broader picture by not trying to make people fit into a set
and complex way of doing things. We accept that times
change, people change and environments change, so therefore
training methods and learning methods also need to evolve.
However, there is
a structure in place and it can be far more focused than
even the most regimented of training systems. What we are
discussing here are principles. Because our principles are
so focused, the rest of our structure can afford to be
malleable as there is no insecurity about the core. Our
principles are grown from the fertile ground of "common
sense". To keep the terminology simple Common Sense, in CCMA
terms, is a fusion of intuition (our experience driven
instincts), and actions determined by obvious data.
Principles are general rules we can take from common sense.
These principles are general, but as robust as possible at
the time of writing. Our non-physical principles are perhaps
best embodied by our five CCMA tenets of respect, awareness,
courage, discipline and open mind.
Non-Physical Principles
A simple
principle for good self-defence is to adopt or develop a
proactive attitude. This is an attitude where you take
complete control and responsibility for your life. Without
independence how can one hope to take control of another
individual intent on controlling you? In fact, if you spend
your life being dependent on others then you will be
seriously under-equipped to take charge of anything. The
self-learning approach CCMA and, indeed, other progressively
thinking self-protection programmes takes is a step in the
right direction to becoming a master of you. This inner
security makes for a firm foundation to build strategies and
tactics that will enable you to better handle others.
Such an attitude
should run through all your training – you are in control of
your mind, you are in control of your body. It is up to you
how much you value your existence and at what stage it is
worth giving up. Survival is defined by the will to keep
going and to keep living, so if survival is what you are
after then it follows that your attitude should be of the
"never give in" type. It is certainly easier said than done,
but appears to be a simple hard truth of life.
For me, a lot of
attitude comes down to self-respect. The first thing I teach
any new student is respect. It is a corner stone of most
martial arts systems, often expressed in the rituals
practiced by a particular art. We are not big on rituals at
CCMA, but do keep a salutation or bow as an accepted
standard beginning and ending lesson mark of respect. We
believe in teaching inner-respect, so that you feel that you
are worth fighting for and also that you have confidence in
your ability to fight. Further on from that we teach an
outer-respect to others, to society in general. If you have
done the inner-respect bit right then there is little fear
of being naïve at this stage. A good sense of respect for
others will help you avoid becoming arrogant or cocky, which
in some areas of society can inspire confrontation and an
unnecessary physical situation. In a more holistic sense
promoting greater respect helps develop a safer society,
which is ultimate self-defence in the long term ...
6, Jamie Clubb Ireland Seminar
On Saturday the 29th of March, Jamie Clubb will be teaching a
seminar in Dublin, Ireland. Jamie and I are good friends and he is
one of the most thoughtful and pragmatic martial artists I know.
Jamie and I have spent many hours discussing the martial arts /
self-protection and his knowledge and insights never fail to impress
me. Get to the course and learn from the man himself! You'll be sure
to enjoy and benefit from it. This is a great opportunity and
further details can be found below:
Jamie Clubb is a multi-faceted martial arts instructor who has
worked with biggest names in the realistic self-protection industry.
He regularly writes for both Martial Arts Illustrated and Combat
Magazine among various other marital arts publications. He has
certification to teach self-defence under Geoff Thompson and Mo
Teague (World Combat Arts), and is a British Combat Association
instructor under Peter Consterdine and Geoff Thompson. He also has
instructor certificates in Muay Thai, Sakiado, Kickboxing and is a
registered instructor and an A1 level 3 NVQ (National Vocational
Qualification) Assessor with the Martial Arts Standards Agency under
Steve Rowe.
Jamie has a wide experience of the martial arts and is a key
creative coordinator at the European Festival of Martial Arts in
Disneyland, Paris. He also has many years experience training in
many different fighting systems, including a blue belt in Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu under the world-class black belt grappler, Braulio Estima.
His DVD series, "Cross Training in the Martial Arts", was the
fastest selling martial arts instructional series in Summersdale
Productions' history. His system of Clubb Chimera Martial Arts is a
revolutionary teaching method that reveals every individual has
their own unique style, based on intuition and common sense. His
course will cover self-protection for the individual and the most
productive ways to utilize cross-training."
Course Curriculum:
Strategy one – striking, pushing and maintaining distance
Pre-emptive striking
Transitional hand striking drills
Transitional kicking drills
Strategy two – covering, grappling and closing distance
The cover
Transitional grappling drills
Primal grappling
Venue: Pobalscoil Rosmini, Gracepark Road, Drumcondra, Dublin
9
Date: Saturday 29th March
Time: 9am - 1pm (lunch provided from 11-11:30am )
Price: €100:00
Certificate of completion awarded by Jamie. To book your
place visit www.kravmaga.ie or
call Aidan on 00353 87974 2566
7, BCA Grading Success
Since the last full
newsletter went I out, I have conducted a practical martial arts grading for
the British Combat Association with James Cockill and Luke Randell of
Evolution Martial Arts Academy (www.evolutionmaa.com).
The grading was physically and technically demanding and covered
a host of theory, pad-work, bag work, grappling, various types of sparring
etc and both guys did really well. James and Luke proved themselves to be
very fit guys who are technically very crisp. Their knowledge of what works
and what does not was also first rate. James Cockill was promoted to 4th dan
and Luke Randell was promoted to
3rd dan. A
most impressive performance! A picture taken on the day can be found on the
website:
www.iainabernethy.com/news_page.asp
8, Choose Life by Paul Johnson
"I love this book,
the author really knows his stuff, his voice is strong and his message
profound. I highly recommend this to anyone that wants to change their
life." – Geoff Thompson
This is traditionally
a time of year where people take stock of their lives and make commitments –
sometimes firm commitments to a focused plan; other times superficial and
hollow token gestures – to better themselves and their lives in the coming
year. This newsletter would therefore seem to be the perfect opportunity to
let you know about a book called "Choose Life: Where Personal Growth meets
the Stressfully Reality of Modern Life" (www.lulu.com/content/1221554)
The author of the book
is Paul Johnson – who is a fellow martial artist – and the book comes highly
recommended by Geoff Thompson. I'm enjoying the book and, with Paul's
permission, I've copied a little bit of the text from the book below:
Preface
The following pages chart the progress of an ordinary man's journey, facing
the trials and tribulations of modern living, and finding real problems
dealing with stress and anxiety along the way. We all accept stress as being
part and parcel of modern day living – the constant rush, always busy,
frequently run down and drained of energy. On occasions finding ourselves
short of the ability to think, let alone cope. There is also the impact on
society round us - growing dependencies on drink and drugs, increasing
violence, road rage, stress related illness and disease, not to mention
mental health issues. But what can we do?
First things first - this is not a 'how-to' book. It isn't packed full of
techniques clinically proven to reduce your stress levels, it doesn't
explain how to achieve personal enlightenment in ten easy steps, or reach a
higher state of consciousness in thirty days. What it does is to examine how
much control we have, or even need. It considers that much of our
frustration is due to the limited options and lack of quality that often
appear to be our 'lot', and our growing awareness that there must be more to
life, that this can't possibly be all that there is. If we are to get beyond
this point, then our purpose in life has to be more than our base instincts
of sleeping, eating and just getting through another week. Instead our
expectations must go beyond the day-to-day drudgery. A sound philosophy to
adopt for life was described to me some years ago as - we must do all that
is possible to survive, in order to experience everything that life has to
offer.
The journey within these pages shows how to find our own clear path through
life, and uncovers one or two universal truths along the way. All of this is
based on modern 21st Century living - a busy family life with a focus
predominantly on domestic issues rather than spiritual ones. It brings
together this domestic lifestyle with a few thoughts and principles from
some of the Eastern philosophies, and finds that these two worlds are not
separate and distinct from one another after all. That in modern times, real
wisdom might indeed lie somewhere between the two. An unlikely direction?
Perhaps, but this has come from the desperate need to discover how to cope
now, in our busy and often stressful lives. Not halfway up a mountain in
Japan, sitting cross-legged and contemplating the universe, but right here
and now, in what we laughingly refer to as the 'real world'...
So
what exactly is it that we're aiming for here? Well, you know the moments of
clarity that you get from time to time – it could be playing with your kids,
or reading a book with one of them. It could be standing on a beach looking
out to sea. It could be a moment shared with your partner, when the day to
day crap falls away and you really connect. The moment where you feel both
joy and peace, and say to yourself – ah, this is what life is all about, it
doesn't get any better than this. But before long, the moment passes, the
rush of day to day life catches up and the pressures kick in once more. It
doesn't get totally lost, but instead is forgotten, until the next time. The
next time that we accidentally find ourselves in the right frame of mind to
see things as they really are.
I
have found myself left with a vague feeling of loss, of some slight grief.
Some sort of knowing that things should be better than this, but unable to
find a context for this feeling, or know what to do about it. This has
become my motivation – why can't we have more of this? Why should we only
experience a few moments like this each year? Why can't we access this every
day, and truly appreciate the wonders that are in front of us, that are in
fact all around us? WHY?
If
there is one gift that we can give to each other, one genuine treasure we
can share, worth more than any material object – this really is it. Surely
this is worth striving for, more than anything else in this life? We put
huge efforts into juggling work, home, hobbies and interests, but generally
accept that 'we are what we are'. If we were to sink even a fraction of our
time and energy into discovering what really brings us happiness, then this
could be a turning point for each of us, truly a life changing experience.
Having fallen apart, I was fortunate to stumble upon some simple but
earth-shattering truths, which enabled me to rethink and rebuild my life. As
I began to realise the significance of what I had found, that this was
indeed a path towards real happiness and fulfilment, I felt a drive, an
obligation almost, to share this experience with others. To share this in
order to help others lift their lives without having to go through quite the
same pain. If just a handful of people can be helped up from their knees by
learning from some of my mistakes, then I will know this whole endeavour has
been worthwhile.
Paul Johnson
June 2007
If you'd like to read more of the book,
further details can be found via the following link:
www.lulu.com/content/1221554
(The book
costs £8.25 in paperback and just £3.99 to download)
9, Kris Wilder UK Seminar: Book your
Place Now!
April 2008 will see Kris Wilder visit the UK, for the very 1st time, for a
two-day seminar on Kata Bunkai and Effective Karate!
Iain Abernethy has invited renowned kata bunkai expert Kris Wilder over from
the USA to teach an exciting and information packed two-day event on the 5th
and 6th of April 2008! Kris Wilder is the co-author of the superb book "The
Way of Kata" (along with Lawrence Kane). This book is widely regarded as one
of the most thorough and practical books on the application of kata and has
received praise from many martial artists including Patrick McCarthy, Loren
Christensen, Dan Anderson, Rory Miller & Iain Abernethy. This is a
not-to-be-missed opportunity to train with one of the "big hitters" of kata
bunkai!
Information:
http://www.iainabernethy.com/Kris_Wilder_April_08_UK_Seminar.asp
Date: Saturday 5th of April & 6th of April 2008.
Time: 10am to 4pm each day.
Cost: £35 for one day / £50 for both days (sessions stand alone as well
as complement each other).
Location: Kendal Judo Club, The Dojo, Parkside Business Park, Parkside
Road, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 7EN
Clothing: Standard Karate Gi
Contact: Iain Abernethy c/o NETH Publishing, PO Box 38, Cockermouth,
Cumbria, CA13 0GS. Phone: 01900829406 / Email:
iain@iainabernethy.com
By Cheque: Cheques to be made payable to "NETH Publishing" and sent to
address above
Credit Card: You may also book by credit card by calling 01900829406
Online: You may also book online at
www.iainabernethy.com. Visit the
site and click on "Order". Choose the option to order online. Select the UK
section. On that page you find the link you need to follow to book your
place. Alternatively, please follow the link below:
http://www.iainabernethy.com/acatalog/Kris_Wilder_April_2008_Seminar.html
IMPORTANT:
This seminar is limited to 16 years and above. All participants must have a
valid licence (to be produced on the day) and be practising martial artists.
Purchasing a ticket guarantees your place, and as such all tickets are
non-refundable. You will be sent (by mail or email) a booking number that
you will be checked off against on the day.
Kris Wilder has been involved in the Martial Arts since 1976. Earning black
belt ranks in Karate, Taekwondo and Kodokan Judo, which he teaches at the
West Seattle Karate Academy. He has trained under Kenji Yamada; Shihan John Roseberry, a student of Seikishi Toguchi; and Hiroo Ito, a student of Shihan
Kori Hisatake. Kris is the co-author of "The Way of Kata", the author of
"The Way of Sanchin Kata: The Application of Power" and several other books.
He is also a contributor to Traditional Karate Magazine and promoter.
http://www.iainabernethy.com/Kris_Wilder_April_08_UK_Seminar.asp
10, Kris Wilder Online Bunkai Footage
In
the recent edition of the "Martial Minute" Kris Wider included the
following:
"I have included some
kata applications on my MySpace page at:
http://www.myspace.com/kris_wilder that you might
enjoy. And,
after watching them you can read my ever-so-brilliant thoughts regarding
martial arts in the blog section"
The clips can be viewed
online and are certain to be of interest to you all. If you'd like to
receive the "Martial Minute" directly, please email Kris at
thedojo@quidnunc.net
11, Upcoming Iain Abernethy Seminars
Below you can find
details of the open seminars taking place over the next few months.
If you want a seminar at
your dojo in 2008, I'd be grateful if you could get in touch ASAP as my
diary is starting to fill up quite rapidly.
If there are any questions about any of the seminars please don't
hesitate to contact me (iain@iainaberenthy.com).
www.iainabernethy.com/news_page.asp#Seminars
27th
January 08 –
Worcester, West Midlands
This
seminar will take place from 12pm to 4pm on Sunday the 27th
of January 2008. It is to be held in the Fernhill Heath War
Memorial Club, Droitwich Road, Worcester, West Midlands. It will cost £25 per
person (inc light snack afterwards) and a deposit of £10 is to be paid
by December.
Many places for this seminar have already been taken and hence you are
encouraged to act quickly if you wish to attend.
No on the door tickets will be available. All cheques should be made
payable to "Nigel Lee" and sent to 46 Pear Tree Way,
Church Meadows, Wychbold, Droitwich Spa, Worcs, WR9 7JW. Nigel can also
be contacted via 07901657249 and
okkokarate@hotmail.co.uk
3rd February 08 – Shipley, Bradford
On the 3rd
of February I'll be teaching a seminar in Shipley, Bradford. The seminar will run from 11am to
3pm and will be held at Victoria Hall, Victoria Road, Saltaire, Shipley,
Bradford, BD18 3JS. The seminar will cost £25 per person and payment
(cheques made out to "zen karate") should be sent to Zen Karate, 25
Beaconsfield Road, Clayton, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD14 6LQ. You can
also pay by debit or credit card by calling Jason Murray on
07896319718. You can also book online by following this link:
http://www.zenkarate.net/bookings.html For further details please
contact Jason via
enquiries@zenkarate.net or on 07896319718.
9th February 08 – Thornaby, Stockton On Tees, Cleveland
This
seminar will take place from 11:00am to 3:00pm and will be
held in the Harewood Space Sports and Arts, Robert Atkinson
Centre, Thorntree Road, Thornaby, Stockton On Tees,
Cleveland, TS17 8AP. The cost of the seminar is £20 (full
amount or a £10 deposit secures your place). Cheques should
be made payable to "Taisho-Do Karate" and sent to Mark
Raistrick, 18 Birkhall Road, Thorntree, Middlesbrough, TS3
9JP. Mark can also be contacted on 07870550848 or
Taishodo@aol.com for further details
17th February 2008 – Carlow, Republic of
Ireland
This seminar is being hosted by Colin
Keating of the Carlow Wado-Kai. I've really enjoyed my trips to Ireland
and the seminars at Colin's dojo have always been a lot of fun. The
seminar will take place on Sunday the 17th of February from 10am to 2pm,
and will cost 50 Euros. Places for guests are strictly limited and you
are therefore encouraged to get in touch ASAP to avoid disappointment.
You can get further details from Colin at
carlowwadokai@eircom.net or by
calling 00353(0)879502333. You can also write to Colin at 30 St. Killians Crescent,
Carlow, Co. Carlow, Ireland. You can also visit the
website at www.carlowwadokai.com
2nd March 2008 – Denny, Scotland
On the 2nd of March I'll be teaching an
open seminar in Denny, Scotland (venue yet to be confirmed). The seminar
will run from 11am to 3pm and will cost just £20 per person. For further
details, and to register your interest, please email Craig Penman on
craigpenman20@hotmail.com or
call him on 07729922251. To book your place please send cheques (made
payable to "Craig Penman") to Craig Penman, 68 Ochil View, Denny,
Stirlingshire, FK6 5NH.
29th & 30th March 2008 – Lerwick, Shetland
On Saturday 29th March and Sunday 30th
March 2008 I'll be teaching a weekend of seminars in the Shetlands! The
training will be held in Clickimin Leisure Complex, Lochside, Lerwick,
Shetland, ZE1 0PJ from 10am to 3pm (with a lunch break) both days. The
cost will be £30 for one day, or £50 for both days. Spaces are limited
and people need to book and pay in advance. For further details, and a
booking form, please contact Neil Pottinger on
pottingerneil@yahoo.co.uk
or call him on 01595 859326 or 07808 975083. Alternatively you can also
contact Stuart Nisbet on 01595 692150 or 07767 093830
12th April 2008 –
Niederstotzingen, Germany
This open seminar will take place
from 10am to 1pm and
from 2pm to 5 pm on Sunday the 12th of April 2008. It is to be held in
the City Gym, 89168 Niederstotzingen, Germany. It will cost €20 (20
EURO) per person. No deposit needed. There are only on the door tickets
available. You can get further details
from Claudia at
info@ak-kitai.de or by calling
0049 (for Germany)- (0)171-6102192 or on the homepage
www.sk-kitai.de
www.iainabernethy.com/news_page.asp#Seminars
Details of Iain
Abernethy's upcoming seminars can be found on the News Page of
www.iainabernethy.com To organise a seminar for your club, write to
seminars@iainabernethy.com or call 01900829406
12, Mike Liptrot DVD coming soon!
Mike Liptot's first
Judo DVD will
be released early in 2008! Mike has been my Judo coach for the last 12
months and he suggested that I do an "Alfred Hitchcock" on the DVD (#). By
which I took him to mean a short dumpy bald bloke should appear in the
background and add very little to the onscreen action. I fulfilled the
role perfectly! It's hardly "Where is Waldo?" as myself and "Jurgen"
(real name "Michael") are performing a drill for the outer reaping throw
as Mike explains it. Be
sure to keep an eye out for me ;-)
I've now seen the first edit of the DVD
and it's very impressive. Mike is a superb coach - who has been training
in judo since the age of 6 - and his ability to break down the key
requirements of any technique is very impressive. However, not only does
the DVD break down a number of key throws, it also includes training
methods and groundwork follow ups. The DVD also includes the associated
breakfalls and gymnastic exercises. As usual, Summersdale have made a
great job with the post production and I can easily see this being one
of the most popular DVDs of 2008. A must for anyone, regardless of
style, who wants to make their throwing and grappling work. You won't
have long to wait and I'll be sure to keep you up to date via these
newsletters.
One of the other bits of good news is that
Mike is intending to make lots of specially filmed grappling and
physical conditioning clips available by via his soon to be launched
website. I warn you now though that you'll never be able to watch the
Flintstones in the same light ever again! Better explain that one: Mike
has a great functional strength routine that uses nothing but rocks that
is affectionately called the "Barney Rubble". I'll also be certain to
let you know when this material is also available.
(#) - In case you don't know,
Alfred Hitchcock always
appeared as "an extra" in all his films.
13, Iain Abernethy in Germany (April
2008)
As mentioned in the
seminar section, I'll be back in Germany in April 2008. The following
taken from the website of the organisers of this particular trip (www.sk-kitai.de):
_________________________________________
2008 werden wir unser 10-jähriges Jubiläum feiern. Daher wird es einen
Jubiläumslehrgang
am 12. April 2008 geben.
Als Trainer wird kein Geringerer als Iain Abernethy agieren - wer
mehr über den Ausnahme-Karateka erfahren will, wird auf seiner Homepage
www.iainabernethy.com Bestens
informiert.
Nähere Infos wie Trainingszeiten etc. werden hier bekannt gegeben.
_________________________________________
I had a great time during my recent trip
to Munich and many were asking when I'd next be in Germany. The details
have now been finalised and are copied below. I hope to see you all
there!
This open seminar will take place
from 10am to 1pm and
from 2pm to 5 pm on Sunday the 12th of April 2008. It is to be held in
the City Gym, 89168 Niederstotzingen, Germany. It will cost €20 (20
EURO) per person. No deposit needed. There are only on the door tickets
available. You can get further details
from Claudia at
info@ak-kitai.de or by calling
0049 (for Germany)- (0)171-6102192 or on the homepage
www.sk-kitai.de
Some footage of my teaching in Munich can
be view via the following link:
http://blog.iainabernethy.com/?p=89
14,
BCA Combative Handgun Course
The
BCA are running a Close Quarter Combat Handgun Course in February (open to
all). I'll be going on it and I feel it will probably be of great interest
to all those who subscribe to these newsletters. All the details can be
found below. Hope to see you there!
BASIC
CLOSE QUARTER COMBAT - HANDGUN 5 DAY COURSE
BRITISH COMBAT ASSOCIATION
In Association with Shield Consultants
The above course is designed for students with little or no CQB or weapons
training experience. The aim of the course is to introduce the student to
firearms training, building a high level of knowledge in respect of weapon
safety, weapon and ammunition types and methods of carry. The course will
then advance and develop the close quarter combat abilities of the student
in the use of the handgun. The course is of five day's duration.
The instructor student ratio is high due to the nature of the course so
personal supervision and instruction is guaranteed. The course will progress
at a safe and appropriate pace for the individual student, advancing to a
high standard of professionalism and ability.
The cost of the course is £1,100.
This covers return flights to the UK, accommodation and all training.
The course will take place in Prague from the 11th to the 15th of February
(flying on the 10th and returning to the UK on the 16th).
COURSE CONTENT:
HANDGUN SPECIFICS
Weapon & Range Safety
Weapon Types & Characterisations
Ammunition types and requirement.
Methods of carry, both concealed and overt.
Handgun safety training and operational carries.
Field stripping and maintenance
Principles of shooting & marksmanship
Positional Shooting
CLOSE QUARTER COMBAT
CQB shooting drills
Methods of drawing the handgun from concealment
Turns & Pivots
Both one handed and two-handed shooting positions
Low-light shooting
Multiple Target Engagement
Reactive target shooting
Combat shooting under high stress
Close quarter shooting techniques
Weapon Retention and Disarming
Tactical/Speed reloads
Use of Cover & Barricades
Shooting on the Move
Use of Associated Equipment
FINAL QUALIFICATION SHOOT
The course will culminate in the student undertaking a qualification shoot,
involving all aspects covered during the course.
For more details and how to apply contact:
The British Combat Association & Shield Consultants
4 Newmarket Mews
Castle Gate
Stanley
Wakefield
WF3 4AL
Telephone: 0113 2429686.
e-mail: info@peterconsterdine.com
15, Iain Abernethy Interactive
Martial Arts Drills DVD
The new Interactive Solo Training DVD is now in stock! But only
just! The DVDs were delivered to us and three days later we had none left!
We ordered another batch and, even at these rates of sale, will certainly
have enough stock to see us well into the new year. This DVD has been a long
time in the making this DVD and I'm absolutely delighted to finally have it
out there! The initial feedback has been great and I'm grateful to all who
wrote to give us a little feedback.
The NTSC version (USA and Canada) is still being produced and I'll let our American and Canadian
contingent know when
their version of the DVD is available via these newsletters.
You can find further details of the new DVD on
this page:
http://www.iainabernethy.com/videos/MartialArtsDrillsInteractiveSoloTrainingDVD.asp
Watch a trailer for the DVD here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8irjd31oCo
I've
copied a brief write-up below that explains what the new DVD is all about:
I want to tell you all about my new DVD! We've been working on this project
for two years and I'm delighted that it is now available. It's probably an
overused word these days, but I really do think this DVD is revolutionary.
Up until now, martial arts DVDs have been instructional in nature, or
contained a single workout for the viewer to do along with the DVD. However,
the technology of DVDs means it is possible to make a DVD which is a totally
interactive training tool.
The DVD is designed to help you develop a wide variety of martial attributes
and get you motivated to train on those days where you don't have a training
partner or can't get to the dojo or gym. The DVD will provide a complete
martial workout every time it is viewed and is split into 10 sections. You
can select to do any or all of these sections in any given workout. Each
section contains a variety of drills, and each of these drills has further
options within it. Instruction is provided for all the drills on the DVD.
The DVD also contains all the required timers and counters and will
automatically take you to the right one for each drill! To use the DVD you
need no equipment except a little room and the DVD itself.
The upshot of all this is that the DVD will provide a huge variety of
workouts. Indeed, you need never do the same workout twice! The drills are
also constructed so that they will be relevant to all styles and all
abilities.
The DVD includes a Warm-Up, Repetition Drills, Shadow Fighting Drills, Will
Drills, Skills Training, Lower Body Conditioning, Upper Body Conditioning,
Exercises for the Abdominals, Back and Neck, Flexibility Training (basic and
advanced) and Mental Training. Not bad for a single DVD!
As I said earlier, the DVD is constructed such that I will ask you to make
selections from the on screen menus as I guide you through each workout. It
is therefore totally up to you what each workout consists of, how hard it
is, and how long it is! To my knowledge nothing like this has ever been done
before in the martial arts or fitness worlds. If the technology is there
though, we should be making use of it! I feel this DVD will add a whole new
dimension to your solo-training and I'm sure you'll enjoy using it.
Best Wishes,
Iain
The DVD costs just £19.99 (including UK
shipping) and can be
purchased by following the link below:
http://www.iainabernethy.com/acatalog/shop.html
16, A totally pointless (but fun)
way to kill a little time!
Some of you are almost certain to be reading
this whilst at your work on Christmas Eve. Having read the newsletter and
listened to the podcast - during your assigned breaks obviously - then I
figured you may also enjoy playing this little game that was forwarded to me
by Richard Barnes (the webmaster and creator of
www.iainabernethy.com Also the
guy doing the dropping punch to the pad being held by Jamie in the article
in section 5 of this newsletter). The game involves throwing a simulated
paper aeroplane as far as you can. I'm told the trick is to throw it through
the open window at the other end of the office ... but I could not get it
that far so I sulked, wrote the game off as "stupid" and got back to what I
should have been doing in the first place ;-) Regardless of my ineptitude,
it's a harmless bit of fun, for those who have a few minutes to kill, that I'm
sure you'll enjoy:
http://flightsimx.archive.amnesia.com.au
That's all
folks! If you've any comments or suggestions relating to the website
or these newsletters, please don't hesitate to drop me a line:
iain@iainabernethy.com
All the best,
Iain Abernethy
E-Mail:
info@iainabernethy.com
Website:
www.iainabernethy.com
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Hotline (UK): 01900829406
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