Budo Blog

Cross over. That terms has several meanings. For my fellow comic book book nerds it means when one character crosses over and shows up in another character's book.

Like this Batman / Hulk cross over from 1981

In that cross over Batman defeated Marvel's mightiest hero. How? Because he is the god damned Batman that's how

Cross over in regard to training means training in one discipline that crosses over and improves skills in another.

This blog entry will address both.

I'm sure you have heard the phrase - Haters gonna hate.

I’ve been “hated” on, and even though it bothers me to admit it publicly I have “hated” on others.

Begs the question:

Have you ever “hated” on someone you are doing better than?

There are guys in the fields of close quarter combatives for professionals (military / law enforcement) and private personal protection that couldn’t carry my jock.

But they don’t really care because they are too busy counting all the money they are making.

I will no longer waste time saying anything negative about these people because no, you don’t hate on someone you are doing better than.

I’ve decided to take that energy and spend it on doing better than them.

Easier said than done. If it was easy I’d already be doing it. Remember what I just wrote about saying negative things? So without wasting energy being negative let me just say, there are practices I’ve seen that are financially viable, but I am not willing to follow those practices.

Advertising and marketing are skill sets I do not possess (yet..)

However, when the student is ready the teacher will appear.

Enter obligatory pop culture reference here:

Luckily for me I have found that rare flower of someone that runs a commercially successful martial arts school and isn’t a sell out or a douche bag.

He doesn't water down his stuff, doesn't teach children, and he teaches martial arts and personal protection as separate things.

That brings us to the topics of this blog post

Martial Art vs. Personal Protection

And what are viable successful marketing strategies for personal protection

Martial art vs. Self Protection

Let me start by saying I love martial arts (duh right).

I’d even go so far as to say there are no “bad” martial arts.

Hell, I’ll even go a step further and say there is one art that is superior to all others.

OOOooooo controversial!

Calm down, that one superior art is different for everyone. It is the art you enjoy doing, that becomes a part of your lifestyle, and is something you will do the rest of your life.

As much as you love whatever that art is, no matter how bad ass it is, you must understand that martial art is not personal protection.

If you are studying a martial art for self defense buyer beware.

No martial art is complete for personal protection in the 21^stcentury.

The old schools ones were used before there were laws.

The newer ones were never intended for that purpose.

However, any art can be adapted for personal protection.

To do so you will need a full range of physical skills, and more importantly specific information your Sensei or Sifu never taught you

Physical Skills

To make my point let’s take look at a use of force continuum.

A use of force continuum is an example of rules of engagement found in most Law Enforcement agencies’ use of force policies.

1. Presence

Appearance

Physical Fitness

Awareness

2. Verbal commands

De-escalation

Communication Skills

3. Contact Controls

Touching or Seizing the offender

Escort Compliance

Standing Controls

Pain Compliance

Joint Locks

4. Compliance Techniques

“Soft Hands”

Take Downs

Throws

Pins

5. Disabling Techniques

“Hard Hands”

Impact Techniques

Striking / Kicking

Impact Weapons

6. Potentially Lethal Force

Strangles

7. Lethal Force

If you are going to employ your martial arts skills for personal protection you must assure that your own personal style covers all these aspects.

You will have to have skill sets at all levels of force. I like to use this model as a frame work for people to take the foundation of their martial arts training and develop their own operational style.

For example:

If you have been training in Karate you should be well versed in Disabling Techniques / “Hard Hands”. If you want to use Karate as a foundation for personal protection or professional use of force you will need to round out your own personal style with skills in

· Contact Controls
· Compliance Techniques
· Potentially Lethal Force
· Lethal Force

There are fantastic throws, sweeps and take downs in Karate, but how many Karate Instructors teach those aspects anymore? So this hypothetical person needs to find those lost / under taught elements in his own art or seek out supplemental training to develop those assets.

Integrating skill sets

Just as I learned that Karate, Aikido, and Judo all work together because they all evolved from the core art of JuJutsu. Anyone interested in rounding out their skill for personal protection should look for ways that complement each other.

If you train in one system that preaches always stay on your feet and another that suggests you pull an attacker to the ground on top of you, how are you going to make those skill sets work together under pressure against a violent attacker?

Your training must fit your rules of engagement, your personal ethical codes and work in the environment you are likely to find yourself in.

So, before you seek out additional training have an operational philosophy in mind to use as your foundation.

*If you are a professional (paid to protect others) or plan to incorporate fire arms skills into your personal protection method, I suggest starting with fire arms skills and building around that foundation.

For more information on that and to cover training in one discipline that crosses over and improves skills in another, please check out:
http://practicalbudo.blogspot.com/2012/08/cross-over-effect.html

Filling in the holes (don’t get cute with that)

Just as our hypothetical Karateka needed to seek out additional training. You are going to have to assess your skill sets and find ways to cover missing information. No matter what your martial arts foundation / background is, in order to use it for personal protection you will need to know:

How to hit hard

Not how to earn points in competition. How to generate power and deliver force into an enemy in order to disable an attacker.

How Joints lock / break

How to control someone using lower levels of force, and how to break someone when higher levels of force are justified

How to overcome an ambush attack

Not blocking, not evading, but turning the tide. The Japanese sometimes call this Sen No Sen or attacking the attack.
You are not defending but actively counter attacking. Something that protects you and allows you to deliver force (damage) into the attacker at the same time. All while improving your position so the attacker can no longer damage you.

How throws work

It is unlikely you will ever need to use personal protection skills against someone your own size or smaller. You need to be able to move a larger aggressive enemy. You need to be able to direct that enemy into the environment (walls, tables, the floor, down a flight of stairs)

How to move someone on the ground

You don't need to be a red belt in BJJ but you should be able to prevent your self from being taken to the ground, and if you end up there you have to be able to move a larger aggressive enemy.

How strangles work - Wreck a neck

You will need the ability to use potentially lethal force

*Edged weapons
*Fire arms

If you are very fortunate you may train in a system that covers most if not all of those physical skills. As complete as any system that could possibly cover all of that is, still more is needed to make those skills viable for personal protection.

More importantly than any physical skills you will need to know a block of information I like to call – things your Sensei never taught you

Understanding use of force law
Force Articulation

How your brain works – this is your brain

How your brain reacts to stress caused by conflict – this is your brain on violence

Social Violence

Asocial Violence

Conflict Strategy – Avoidance

Conflict Strategy – Escape and evade

Verbal Skills - Deescalating social violence

Verbal Skills - Deterring asocial violence

Logic of violence - Understanding criminal behavior

Threat assessment

Reading terrain

After

· Self care
· Talking to the police
· Psychology of survival

No matter how good your martial arts training is, if it does not cover all of the above topics in depth, it is incomplete for personal protection.

How can one learn the things your Sensei never taught you?

Shameless self plug 1

Every fall I host the Violence Dynamics Seminar in Minnesota featuring Rory Miller and Marc MacYoung. Over the course of the seminar all of the above mentioned necessary skills / knowledge is covered.

However, as you can imagine, that is a lot of stuff to cover so the seminar usually runs 7 to 10 days.

I got to thinking, I always performed better on tests that I prepared for in manageable study sessions over time. As opposed to cramming for 8 hours the night before a test.

The Violence Dynamics seminar is fantastic for all, but especially martial artists looking to fill in the holes so that their martial arts training can be viable for personal protection. However, as good as it is 80 hours of training over 10 days once a year is a crash course.

How could I present the information from the Violence Dynamics Seminar in manageable portions over time?

I developed the Violence Dynamics Semester course. The semester course is 10 weeks long. Two hours every Tuesday night. Generally one hour of academic training and one hour of physical skills.

Some weeks are entirely academic because the topic takes more time to cover*

Academic Topics Physical Skills

Understanding use of force How to hit hard

This is your Brain*

This is your brain on violence*

Social Violence Joint Locks / Breaks

Asocial Violence Counter Ambush

Conflict Strategy – Avoidance Throwing Mechanics

Conflict Strategy – Escape evade Ground Movement

Verbal Skills Deescalating social violence High end use of force - Wreck a neck

Verbal Skills deterring asocial violence Physical skills review - Drills

Logic of violence*

Threat assessment*

Reading terrain*

Fire Arms Training

Scenarios

I found a way to cover the essential skill sets necessary for anyone to use force (violence) legitimately for personal protection.

I even paired the Tuesday physical topics with Saturday Seminars so people seeking additional training can benefit from taking the fundamentals they learned on Tuesday and applying them to the same topic for three hours the following Saturday.

This has become the favorite class I teach and although I always look forward to teaching, I get more excited about this class than the others.

Why? For one reason, where I am at with my own progress and personal training this is exactly the type of training I need. I am at a place where I really could care less about individual arts, ranks, or organizations. I want to be the best there is at what I do. The best I can be. This type of training is ideal for taking someone from zero skill and getting them to proficiency as fast as possible. Focusing on training the individual, not passing on a tradition. Which also means it is very good for rounding out skill sets that may be lacking from any one art.

Another reason I have found is that professional users of force, Operators (Cops / Military) need training in personal protection.

What do I mean by this?

Just because you are skilled at using violence in one context does not mean that those skills cross over to other aspects and rules of engagement. No matter how bad ass you are, at the end of the day, at the end of your tour, you will find yourself off duty in the capacity of a civilian. Surrounded by other civilians. If you don’t know / have never been trained how to operate in that environment using your bad ass skills is going to get you into a world of hurt.

Lastly, the reason I get a little more excited about this class is it has become kind of a spy / commando class.

How to become Bourne, Bond, Bauer (or Batman) if you will.

I would never advertise the class as that. That was never my intention. However, because of my personality, and because I’m a pop culture nerd it has kind of morphed into that.

Maybe give it a cool covert operations group acronym like ODIN

Operational

Disciplines

Instructional

Network

Can you blame me? The class is held in a semi secret, semi hidden subterranean training facility.

Also people learn better and quicker by playing. Playing also wires the information to the part of the brain that will be active during conflict. So, many of the games I use or have developed myself involve playing the role of a highly trained operative

The problem I am having is, although this is my favorite class, I only have 3-4 students in the class. Most of who have had this material several times before.

Remember as I stated marketing and advertising are skill sets I still need to master.

A possible solution I have come up with is turning this class into a permit to carry class.

With all of the emphasis I put on understanding force laws there is a lot of cross over any way.

The pros:

Many people have asked me to do a permit to carry class (potential clients)

Permit to carry classes fill up all the time

If people that want permit to carry class get a taste of the other things the class offer they may become regular students. Or at least continue taking this class

There are plenty of skilled martial artists around. Part of them knows they need some sort of additional training to make their skills viable for personal protection. Many do not seek out this additional training because they have a deep investment in their previous training. And even as easy going and style neutral as I am, I feel many that would benefit from training with me do not because there may be a loss of face. “I’ve spent all this time doing (insert name here) and he is saying it won’t work for personal protection”. That is not true I never say that (re-read the beginning of this blog) but sadly that may be the perception, until I can actually get them on the mat and play with them

How is that a pro? I think fire arms are so far out of normal martial art skills that it circumvents that possible perceived loss of face. Get them in the door with fire arms, don’t let them leave until they can make their existing skills viable for personal protection.

The cons:

An average permit to carry class is 6 – 10 hours

My class is at least 20 hours.

So why would anyone spend 20 hours training with me to get the same permit to carry they could get with 6 hours of training anywhere else?

Anyone who has gone to an NRA instructor school and meets the minimum qualifications can teach a permit to carry class.

I far exceed those qualifications (please forgive the following shameless self-plug 2)

I am an Operator on multiple different tactical teams (well two, but that sounds sexy as hell right?)
I am a sniper

I am a SWAT team leader
I am a SWAT team training coordinator (which means I teach operational skills to tactical teams)

I have been hired by several tactical teams to train their personnel

I have taught at the SOTA Midwest regional SWAT conference multiple time (well twice, but I am rolling here)

I use what I teach professionally on a regular basis (It's not a hobby it is my profession)

Bottom line any one can teach a permit to carry class. I can teach you how to fight with a gun (America’s martial art).

Why the distinction, why do I think the extra 14 hours is necessary?

Let’s take a look at the Martin / Zimmerman shooting. Take away any possible political leanings. Take away any possible race implications. Take away any blame. Bottom line there was a conflict between the two. The conflict became physical. Any time conflict goes physical it has the potential to become lethal. Zimmerman was losing so he used his fire arm.

My hope is in the extra 14 hours I provide, the students will develop their own personal protection method that integrates fire arms with other necessary physical defense skills. So that situations like Martin / Zimmerman might not escalate to lethal force. And if God forbid it ever did the the academic skill sets would enable students to know when lethal force is justified and be able to articulate their actions.

Sounds like an awesome class right? You can see why I am so excited about it. Not only is it necessary, but it is fun and you can get your permit to carry after completion.

So how can I fill my classes?

Man needs to know his limitations. I need help. I am not worried about losing face, I want to develop the skills I need to fill that class.
1 I would like to make some money. I have become cool with that. Batman has money.
2 The information is no good if I can’t get the information out to the people that need it and will use it.

Which brings us back to the beginning of this blog. The cross over, just like in the comics. That rare flower (I'm sure he loves me calling him that) is Randy King of KPC. I met Randy at the Violence Dynamics seminar (which he regularly attends). He also produces a video blog Randy Rants.

Recently, we were discussing the problem I am having, and Randy’s last rant. The rant was against fear based marketing. One of those practices I will not follow that I mentioned earlier. The rant generated a lot of response. However, one internet troll wrote pages and pages on how he was wrong and basically called Randy out asking how you advertise a personal protection service if you are not going to exploit fear.

So here is the cross over. We decided to kill several birds with one stone. I will write a blog (the one you are currently reading) on the necessity of personal protection training different than adding the words “for self defense” to the end of any martial art you may be teaching. Kendo for self defense for example. I will also provide an example of what is required for personal protection. Randy will help me fill the class by showing me and the internet troll (p.s. fuck that guy) how to successfully market that class without resorting to practices I find distasteful.

Train hard, Train Smart, Stay safe...and Stay tuned for Randy's response

6 basics steps. I have only been actively / consistently performing 2 of those 6 steps. That is scary, but that also brings hope. Now I know exactly what to work on. I have something specific and concrete to work.

Given prep time and a plan I am hard to beat.

So I figured I would kill two birds with one stone.

Use this blog to help spread the knowledge that Randy shared with me (principle # 6 cross promotion) and put my plan down on paper to keep myself accountable.

Let’s look at those 6 basic steps. What I am currently doing, and how that can be approved

1 Specific mission – what are you teaching? – what are you trying to do?

Professional Use of Force Training

Fire Arms Training

Personal protection

Japanese Martial Arts

· Judo
· Karate
· Aikido
· Taiho Jutsu
· Kenjutsu

That is a wide spectrum. A shotgun approach as Randy discussed. I enjoy teaching all of those things but I can’t be everything to everyone.

Specific mission for each specific class

So what is my niche?

Because of his success, Randy gets to train whatever he wants to train. That, for him is martial art and self defense. He doesn’t teach a lil dragons kids karate class or cardio kick boxing to become financially successful in order to do what he enjoys doing.

That is what I want.

I don’t want to copy Randy. I want to understand what makes Randy successful and apply that to what I do

Demographics

Who are you trying to attract?

In my mind I changed this question to what are some common characteristics of the people I enjoy training with.

Who do I want to play with?

Age: 25 – 40

Gender: Male

Specific interests:

People serious about self-defense, but also cool / nerdy enough to embrace the legion of doom vibe

Not necessarily athletic, but non athletes that want to be more athletic

Nerdy enough to embrace covert ops / super hero training without being socially retarded.

I like the idea of older people that will be around for a long time.

My school is small but it is like a family. Family both like they are my siblings and like the mafia blood in blood out. I don't want to waste my energy on revolving door students

What is my niche and who do I want to play with? Two very important questions that I really never asked myself before.

Or I think more accurately phrased never took the time to answer before.

Questions that must be answered before any of the other 6 steps can be applied.

I wanted to respond to Randy’s vlog right away, but instead I took some time to think and discuss some of my ideas with people I trust.

One of those guys is Rory Miller. Luckily for me our conversation was over social media so I can just cut and paste and ½ my blog is written (work smarter not harder)

Rory Miller

Weird idea, but have you ever considered advertising in comic and gaming shops?

Kasey Keckeisen

Considered it,but didn't pursue it. Time to get off my ass, guys like Dillon, Myron and Randy are guys I'd like to teach. Think I can pick up some of them from a comic shop?

Rory Miller

As for getting a Dillon at a comic shop, nope. But you might be able to make a Dillon out of what you find there.

I had already been working on this plan / blog during this conversation so I shared the demographic listed above with Rory

Rory Miller

Too narrow. Make rehabilitating the socially retarded part of the program.

And if you get them at 16 they'll get addicted and you'll create a lifetime martial artist.

Kasey Keckeisen

Con com (conflict communications)would be perfect for people that want to improve their social interaction skills

Rory Miller

I did a post on using it for nerd rehabilitation.

Kasey Keckeisen

Down side is only brick and mortar shops are 30 - 45 min away, think guys will drive that far to train?

Rory Miller

So, some of those kids are traveling 30-40 miles for comic books.

That's assuming they don't live near you and drive to the shops.

Kasey Keckeisen

See, this is why it is nice to have smart friends

Rory Miller

I wouldn't know.

Kasey Keckeisen

Dick

Kasey Keckeisen

I figure I can't help but put that twist on what I do. It is just sort of me

I might as well embrace it

Rory Miller

It also makes for good branding.

Everyone else takes this shit way too seriously.

"Why so serious?"

Kasey Keckeisen

Nice!!!!!!

Rory Miller

And, people learn better when they are having fun.

Kasey Keckeisen

All book stores have a comic section I could advertise there too

Rory Miller

I could see a poster w/ a caricature of Lise in a super costume. An ass-kicking nerd granny might get a lot of people curious.

Kasey Keckeisen

All the zombie lovers want to know how to shoot too, so stuff on what to carry / urban survival will be well received too I believe

Rory Miller

You might be able to fold it into a full-blown Community Emergency Response Team training.

Some things I have been thinking about for a while sort of clicked into place after that conversation.

Also, after training last Wednesday Cody said, great class and now I get to go home and watch “Arrow”. Which was funny to me because I was thinking the same thing.

Hmmm?

A new approach

Personal protection is a serious topic. People learn better when they play.

How do you play serious?

I have an idea.

This idea is going to be the shit. The S.H.I.T.

Super

Heroes

Training

Kasey vibe – serious topic made fun through covert ops and super heroes.

So the class will be like the blog heart attack serious material but I can't (not like I shouldn’t, but I literally cannot) take myself too seriously

I want to be professional as possible while referencing Batman and James Bond.

How does one become a super hero?

No matter how hard you train you can’t become Superman, The Hulk, Wonder Woman or Wolverine.

I’m a good Instructor but nothing I can teach you can make you super human.

But I can teach you to be more than a man

I can help you be Arrow, I can help you become Batman

I can be Ra’s Al Ghul. I can offer the path of the league of shadows.

(Did that sound cool? It sounded cool in my head as I wrote it)

Great idea on paper, but logistics win wars. How am I going to get this done?

What I currently offer:

Professional Use of Force Training

Fire Arms Training

Personal protection

Japanese Martial Arts

• Judo

• Karate

• Aikido

• Taiho Jutsu

• Kenjutsu

Specific mission for each specific class

I am the owner and operator of Keishoukan Dojo LLC.

I also do business as:

· Special Operations Control Tactics (SOCT)
· KTC (Keckeisen Training Concepts)
· Chiron Minnesota

Each business name will have a specific mission.

All Law Enforcement, Tactical Operations, Fire Arms and Security training and consulting will be run through Special Operations Control Tactics. Connected to but kept separate from the covert op / super hero vibe. That training has always been separate anyway. The new approach is to fill weekly classes.

KTC Training and consulting will serve as a shell corporation. Like how Wayne Enterprises funds The Batman. KTC will be a cover for ODIN

Operational

Disciplines

Instructional

Network

ODIN like SHIELD (but way cooler) has a mission to recruit and train super heroes

ODIN will handle step 5* in a fun way.

All the academic topics I block under “Things your Sensei never taught you” will be covered by ODIN as covert operative training:

· Understanding use of force law
· Force Articulation
· How your brain works – this is your brain
· How your brain reacts to stress caused by conflict – this is your brain on violence
· Social Violence
· Asocial Violence
· Conflict Strategy – Avoidance
· Conflict Strategy – Escape and evade
· Verbal Skills - Deescalating social violence
· Verbal Skills - Deterring asocial violence
· Logic of violence - Understanding criminal behavior
· Threat assessment
· Reading terrain
· After
· Self care
· Talking to the police
· Psychology of survival

Heroes also clearly need physical skills. And I like Ninjas. Two great tastes that taste great together

Keishoukan Dojo is the league of shadows, or as we will refer to it in Japanese - Kagenorenmei

Members of the league will learn:

How to hit hard

Not how to earn points in competition. How to generate power and deliver force into an enemy in order to disable an attacker.

How Joints lock / break

How to control someone using lower levels of force, and how to break someone when higher levels of force are justified

How to overcome an ambush attack

Not blocking, not evading, but turning the tide. The Japanese sometimes call this Sen No Sen or attacking the attack.
You are not defending but actively counter attacking. Something that protects you and allows you to deliver force (damage) into the attacker at the same time. All while improving your position so the attacker can no longer damage you.

How throws work

You need to be able to move a larger aggressive enemy. You need to be able to direct that enemy into the environment (walls, tables, the floor, down a flight of stairs)

How to move someone on the ground

You don't need to be a red belt in BJJ but you should be able to prevent your self from being taken to the ground, and if you end up there you have to be able to move a larger aggressive enemy.

How strangles work - Wreck a neck
You will need the ability to use potentially lethal force
*Edged weapons
*Fire arms

Kagenorenmei is “Ninja” training for super heroes

Kagenorenmei is Keishoukan Budo:

· Judo
· Karate
· Aikido
· Taiho Jutsu
· Kenjutsu

Life is too short not to have fun. Remember Rory’s advice to me. "Why so serious?" and, people learn better when they are having fun.

When they are playing.

There are plenty of Ninja schools. Not to burst any bubbles or be disrespectful, but most of the Ninja aspect of these schools is simply made up.

For the most part the people at these schools understand that and continue to train because it is fun.

There is absolutely no reason that you can’t play Ninja and learn quality practical skills.

There is no reason folks that would have fun playing Ninjas wouldn’t have even more fun playing Ninjas with me.

How many times have I mentioned Snake Eyes and the Arashi Kage on this bolg

Clearly I like playing ninjas too. Now I have an excuse to play

Now that that is established (hey only took me 20 years) now we can move on to the next steps

2 Budget – how much cash do you have to spend?

I figured I could probably allocate $100 ($20 / regular student) a month on advertising. I had a discussion with Randy and he helped me find ways to get the best bang out of that $100

He suggested:

...then from your 100 a month spend 40 of it promoting one of your blogs on Facebook... Make sure that blog has contact info, website and all your social media on it.

Also that blog should be the one you are the most proud of that month.

Then send out a mass email (free) to your entire contact list about a huge sale on classes, have an expiration date on it.

Tell all of your current students if they bring in 3 more people over the month who pay they will get 3 months free.

“Bring me three train for free”

Use the other $60 on pay per click over the next 3 months.

Pick a start date and make sure all your ads and offers (each being different so you know what works) finish 2 weeks after your chosen start date

That should generate a bunch of biz over the next couple months

Also this way you know where to invest more money and where to hack cash off

I figure what I do is unique enough (clearly no one else is secretly training super heroes)that once someone that is interested in that niche finds out about us and checks out that person will be willing to drive 30 – 45 min to come train with us.

However, there is another market I haven’t tapped. People generally interested in martial arts training that will train where it is convenient. Regardless of what is being taught, or the quality or the instruction.

If a guy is willing to pay for the product at (insert name of first big chain “McDojo” that popped into your head) because it is near his house. There is no reason that similar people that live near the legion of doom wouldn’t be willing to pay for a far superior product.

What else can I do for free or low cost to attract them?

Signs on building.

KTC Training and Consulting

Fire Arms Training
Personal protection
Japanese Martial Arts
• Judo
• Karate
• Aikido
• Taiho Jutsu
• Kenjutsu

Secret entrance here - >

We will hide in plain sight. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.

Some one building an army of highly trained operatives clearly wouldn’t pretend to be a guy pretending to be building an army of highly trained operatives.

That’s just silly…or is it

I can also try to get the local Community Ed to advertise the class.

And clearly now that I have something fresh to advertise I can put up flyers locally.

3 What is your message

I am proud to be part of Rory Miller’s Chiron Training. The company tag line is we train heroes.

Again I can hide in plain sight - We train heroes, the super is implied

That message reflects the mission.

That message can be reflected in all media – web – flyers – business cards – social media – you tube – outdoor signage.

Which brings us to 4

4 Social media – pay per click

Blog
FB

Website

You tube page.

Out of all the 6 steps 4 is one of the two steps that I actually do. You are reading this blog aren’t you? Now I have ways to use this blog which I would be doing anyway to specifically advertise the class

5 Measure and track every thing

I am horrible at this. Lame, no longer acceptable. ODIN will keep strict records as a covert agency should. ODIN will also keep files and monitor the progress of all members and send out mass communiques to all associates on a regular basis.

This can also be the foundation for the distance learning program and “branch offices”

6 Cross promotion

Like this current blog step 6 is the other step out of 6 that I have been actively doing. Stay tuned for more.

OK the idea is out there now. I put up my plan for the world to see and to hold myself accountable. Now to follow through.

I hope this cross over blog / vlog / blog helped. There are lots of great instructors out there. I hope anyone of them reading this picked up a trick or two that will allow them to be independent and teach what they are passionate about.

And so it begins….

Welcome to ODIN

If Clark wanted to, he could use his superspeed and squish me into the cement. But I know how he thinks. Even more than the Kryptonite, he's got one big weakness. Deep down, Clark's essentially a good person... and deep down, I'm not.

-- Batman

The other day at work I stopped by the local stop and rob (that is cop slang for convenience store / gas station) to grab something to drink.

As I was leaving the clerk said, “Go out there and beat up some bad guys”

I couldn’t help but grin the cocky grin that gets me into trouble on occasion and proceed with some impromptu grass roots violence dynamics education.

I don’t “beat up” bad guys. If circumstances call for it I use force to stop criminal behavior.

However, {evil grin again} if the day happens to yield those circumstances I’m not going to shed a tear about it {wink}

That conversation got me thinking. I like to employ the analogy of the judicial use of predatory tactics as hunting. More accurately big game catch and release.

Not fighting – Hunting

Hunting has rules.

Even beasts in the wild have "the law of the jungle"

If you violate that law you will die

Wild predators don't have regulations. They don't have bag limits because the DNR (department of natural resources) told them so.

If they over hunt, if they take too many females, too many cubs eventually their prey will no longer exist. The predator will have to find new prey or new hunting ground. Both of which are very risky.

So predators that over hunt die out

Prey that is over hunted dies out

Nature finds harmony. The predator is not evil. It's job is not nice but it is a necessary and natural process.

The predator culls the heard, the weak, the diseased, the old are removed. Only the best genes are passed to the next generation.
A better generation of prey is harder to hunt.
Only the best predators feed. The weak, the diseased, the old are removed.
Only the best genes are passed to the next generation.
Natural harmony.

If a predatory beast instinctively knows "rules" how much more so a thinking man.

“The key isn't winning -- or losing, it's making the attempt. I may never be what I ought to be, want to be -- but how will I know unless I try?
Sure, it's scary, but what's the alternative? Stagnation - A safer, more terrible form of death. Not of the body, but of the spirit.

An animal knows what it is, and accepts it. A man may know what he is -- but he questions. He dreams. He strives. Changes. Grows.”
― Chris Claremont, Wolverine

There in lies the rub. Most people today have not eaten anything they have killed themselves. Even fewer would have gone hungry if they did not hunt and kill something to eat.

The further a modern thinking man gets away from natural harmony the more he vilifies the predator.
To the point where he has created psychological barriers / social norms preventing him from using the predatory skills that kept his ancestors alive.

Know the laws so you can use them to your advantage

Don’t get trapped by limiting norms

"Good guy"
There was a time where I self identified myself as good guy - the hero.
That lead to arrogance. That arrogance under the most slight of different circumstances could have gotten me and my partner hurt. I was lucky enough to learn a lesson with out leaving a scar.

"I'm not the devil but I won't be your hero"
I can be a "hero" but I don't have to be nice. In fact I have to give my self permission to not be nice in order to be a hero.

Brings us back to the quote I started the blog with.

-- Batman

When I lecture about asocial violence I like to use the example of a bear

Anything you would do to fight a bear you have to do to fight a predator.

▪Would you talk to a bear??

▪Would you apologize to him?

▪Would you try to reason with him?

Would you try to be nice? Would you use low level force options while you were taking damage?

Superman can be a “nice guy” because he is all but a god

He can try to reason with the bear while it chews on his arm

Batman is a mere mortal just like you or me

Batman can't be nice.

If he doesn’t hunt the bear and end its ability to harm him he will get ripped to shreds

That doesn’t make him less of a hero. But he has to give himself permission to do what is necessary to survive.

A quote I like to help remember this is from "Coogan's Bluff"
Clint Eastwood's character, Coogan is asked why he dosen't have any compassion.
He responds "Compassion is a puddle of blood on an Arizona bus stop floor"
Once Coogan was "Nice". That lead to arrogance. That arrogance lead to a knife between his ribs and him nearly bleeding out on the floor. His lesson left him with a scar, he wasn't as lucky as I was.

Coogan is the hero of the show but he is no longer nice.

If you haven’t asked yourself hard questions, given your self permission to be “mean”, practiced doing harm to another human being don’t expect to be able to flip that switch when needed.

I have written on this blog many times that it is hard to go from officer friendly to being able to use high levels of force fast enough for any force to be effective

You have to start as a wolf hiding as a man and be pleasantly surprised when no force was necessary

So, how do you practice predatory tactics mind sets with in the law with out taking unreasonable risks.

Fake it until you make it.

Another reason for / justification of the ODIN project.
People are wired to learn by play. You can read my words until you memorize them but that will not ingrain predatory tactics.

Playing a game where you pretend to be a covert operative and you have to sneak a cloths pin onto someones clothing with out them noticing will ingrain predatory tactics.

It will also help you to better see the other predators and circumvent the circumstances they need to hunt you

Train hard, Tarin Smart, Be Safe

Be a hero, just don't be nice when it is not time to be nice

Hey everybody welcome back to the Budo Blog and thanks for reading.

Couple things bouncing around the old noggin recently

Roots
Expansion and contraction
Obtaining knowledge, refining that knowledge to its base principles

The purpose of Operational Disciplines Training (ODIN) is to get a trainee to an effective level of proficiency in the practical application of personal protection as efficiently (see also quickly) as possible.

From zero training and experience to competency in 9 to 10 weeks

Or from Dojo / Dojang training to practical application (not nearly the same thing) in 9-10 weeks

To do this I have drawn heavily on the WWII Combatives training methods / protocols.

20 hours of training is more than WWII ear Operatives / Commandos received

Their training was refined down to the most efficient means to accomplish the tasks required of them in the environment those skills would be used.

I have been having a lot of fun developing the ODIN program, and seeing people learning through play.

The process of developing a program has forced me to grow as a teacher. If I am honest with myself I have neglected many aspects of running a school (paper work, tracking students’ progress, monitoring enrollment, and drop out of students) to focus on what I find important, and what I enjoy doing,

In organizing ODIN and with advice from Randy King I have come to realize that if I am going to attain the success I want I can no longer ignore those aspects of running a school.

To help get my poop in a group I have been working with my friend Omar Ahmad and the USMAA

[Side note – shameless self plug, if after reading this blog you would like to experience the type of training I am describing I will be teaching at the USMAA national training camp in St. Louis this July
Check out this link for more details - http://stltkd.com/usmaa.htm]

Cool thing about the brain, taking information you know and organizing it in other ways creates more and deeper pathways to that information.

Knowing it is one thing

Being able to teach it is another

Being able to write about it - teach with out being with the student is another
Teaching others to teach others is yet another.

As such organizing what I know into a logical system that other people can follow and teach got me thinking.

I had been training in martial arts for nearly 20 years before I started refining what I had learned down to what is most needed, what can be readily taught to and retained by the student, and focusing on the principles that makes those things work.

If we make an analogy of the end product of that refinement as the fruit, then we must acknowledge that the fruit could have never have bloomed without strong roots.

I am proud of the ODIN project and I have seen students make great strides. However, I have also noticed that the students that pick it up the fastest also have strong roots in traditional martial arts. If those roots have ingrained skills with out building blinders.

Those students are able to make bridges to previous learning and more easily understand the core principle or concept that make 1000’s of techniques work (as opposed to memorizing another 1000 techniques)

This observation along with several conversations continued the thinking that knowledge organization started, and when I think I blog.

I can’t be all things to all people all the time.

If I try it will be to the detriment of all – “The hunter, who chases two rabbits, catches neither one.”

ODIN is for quickly achieving proficiency. I must fully embrace this and market it as such.

Budo is for surpassing proficiency and attaining mastery. It is as necessary and can be as fun as ODIN. It simply has a different delivery system and target demographic.

How can both be done without being detrimental to each other?

Different strokes for different folks and a solid Venn diagram.

What do I mean by that? Let me start with a story.

Funny thing happened to me on the way home from the Dojo…

Last Tuesday’s ODIN training was on asocial violence and counter ambush tactics. We discussed the “interview” and how a predator will use social skills to set up a predatory ambush.

The interview is a term to describe how predators get close to you and determine how easily you will give up what they want, and if it is worth the risk.

What the predator wants:

· Proximity
· Knowledge of you as a victim
· Distraction
· No Witnesses

Be aware of anyone trying to get TOO close.

People get close to you all the time.

· On a bus,
· Busy streets,
· Crowded restaurant.

That is a fact of life and is unavoidable. What you need to notice are patterns.

Everybody crowds everybody in a busy bar. People don’t crowd at an ATM at night. If someone is trying to get close to you but isolate you from others (wean you from the heard) be cautious

Knowledge of you as a victim

· Testing how you control your space.
· How do you send the signal that your space has been invaded?

If you pretend not to notice if you shrink you are sending the message that you are a good choice as a victim.

Meek and silent may prevent social violence, but it will encourage asocial violence.

Hence important to know the difference and make the distinction quickly.

Distraction

· What time is it (gets you to look at watch)
· You got a light (ties up one hand in your pocket)
· How do I get to…(engages your brain in a cognitive process)

I made the point that someone holding a map and asking for directions has the perfect set up to close distance and distract you.

A student asked something along the lines of - “Are you saying we should never help anyone”

I replied that you have to assess the situation and trust your intuition.

I’d be much more inclined to help Lise than I would to help Clint

That is Lise ( The one with less facial hair)

That is Clint. Clint gives Bane nightmares.

But even if Lise was giving me the creeps I have to allow myself to be rude. Lise can slip a knife in my ribs just as easily as Clint. Even easier if you underestimate her.

Anyway...

Thursday night we had a proto type run of the Budo class I will describe later (Thursday’s class focused on Aikido and it’s Daito Ryu and Kenjutsu roots – it was a blast)

My girls love coming to the Dojo, and because my subterranean semisecret training facility is hidden underneath a bar, and because they didn’t have school the next day I treated them to popcorn and chocolate milk after class. (In the bar because I'm classy like that)

Ironically enough as I am packing 3 little girls into my truck in a now all but abandoned parking lot outside a bar (Avoid places where violence is likely to happen) I see a big bald tatted out guy approaching us.

We make eye contact and he keeps coming.

{If someone is trying to get close to you but isolate you from others (wean you from the heard) be cautious}

I think no fucking way is this really happening, am I going to have a great story next week on how I justifiably used force on a criminal that happened to hunt in an apex predator’s back yard?

When Neck Tats (that is the name I gave him in my head) got to the line I mentally drew in the sand, I hopped out of my truck and asked him what he was he was doing.

{How do you control your space?}

He asked if he could borrow my phone

I simply told him no

{How do you send the signal that your space has been invaded?}

He asked if they (The Legion) was still open

I told him yes and they even have a public phone he could use.

Was this an interview precursor to an ambush? The world will never know, because there was no way I was going to let that guy close to me or my little girls.

I often say that anytime you allow things to get physical there is the potential for things to go lethal. So don’t fight over anything you are not willing to kill or die for.

Nearly everything in the world I am willing to kill for was in my truck (My daughters not my comics) so fuck yeah I was willing to go physical. However in calmly showing that I have seen this guy, recognized what he might have been doing, and confidently using social skills to deter potential asocial violence I sent subtle but real not to be fucked with signals to Neck Tats that precluded the need for any physical confrontation.

Whoopty f’n doo - what is the point of this story, what does it have to do with this blog?

I faced a potential violent confrontation after class in the Dojo parking lot.

If someone with absolutely no training came to an ODIN class and gods forbid needed to protect themselves on the way home from that first class, I want them to be able to pull off whatever they were taught.

It doesn’t take much training or skill to punch a guy in the dick, but it sure works well

To get to proficiency that quickly many things from traditional martial arts training must be stripped away. There is simply not enough time, and people interested solely in self protection have no interest in those aspects anyway.

(Different strokes for different folks)

Some of the things that I am capable of doing, some of the things that I do instinctively (and therefore sometimes forget to teach) are only possible because I have been training in Japanese martial arts for 22 years.

There is a product I can provide for those interested in traditional martial arts training.

An organization, defined requirements, skills testing, rank.

All of that, but more importantly martial art for the simple pleasure of martial art. Being able to do certain things (difficult things) with your body that others without training are incapable of doing. Just for the fun of it. As I mentioned previously Thursday’s class was a blast.

How can both be done without being detrimental to each other?

ODIN training is based on fundamental principles without the trappings of martial arts

Budo is traditional martial arts training, with the caveat that it cannot ingrain bad habits or sport mentalities that would be detrimental to practical application.

Just as I want ODIN students to be able to use their skills that very day.

I want all of my Budo students to be able walk into any Judo, any Yoshinkan Aikido, any Kyokushin Karate, and / or any Kenjutsu Dojo in the world and hold their own, know their shit, handle their business.

To do this I have borrowed heavily form a variety of sources but two in particular.

1) Mixed Martial Arts.

Anyone who trains in "just" MMA generally sucks at MMA.

Those who are most successfull have a day of:

Muay Thai

Wrestling

Jui Jitsu (Yes I misspelled it, that is the way MMA guys spell it)

And then a day of MMA to work all aspects together

2) The Air Force Combative Measures Instructor Course (From 1959 until 1966)

The 155 hours course consisted of the following:

· 36 hours fundamental Judo

· 12 hours Aikido

· 12 hours Karate

· 12 hours Air Police techniques

· 12 hours air crew self-defense

· 18 hours Judo tournament procedures

· 5 hours Code of Conduct

· 48 hours training methods.

There was also a 20 hour combative measures course and a 12 hour combative survival course for air crew members.

In order to deliver the best quality product to interested demographics I have adopted the following training format.

Monday:

Kyokushin Karate

Tuesday:

10 weeks of the year ODIN – Violence Dynamics / Permit to carry

The rest of the year Keishoukan Budo (how all these aspects work together)

Wednesday:

ODIN – Super Hero Training

Thursday:

Keishoukan Budo (Traditional Roots Training)

· 1 week Judo

· 1 week Aikido and Kenjutsu

· 1 week Karate

Saturday.

1 week ODIN – Violence Dynamics / Permit to carry

1 week Judo

1 week Aikido and Kenjutsu

1 week Karate

I run 10 week Quarters. Like the Air Force Combative Measures Instructor Course that should give students the following :

ODIN

[Things your Sensei never taught you] – 18 to 20 hours

Understanding use of force law

Force Articulation

How your brain works – this is your brain

How your brain reacts to stress caused by conflict – this is your brain on violence

Social Violence

Asocial Violence

Conflict Strategy – Avoidance

Conflict Strategy – Escape and evade

Verbal Skills - Deescalating social violence

Verbal Skills - Deterring asocial violence

Logic of violence - Understanding criminal behavior

Threat assessment

Reading terrain

After

· Self care

· Talking to the police

· Psychology of survival

Scenario Training

Firearms Training

BUDO

Judo – 18 to 20 hours

Keishoukan Budo – 36 hours

Yoshinkan Aikido – 18 to 20 hours

Kyokushin Karate – 36 hours

I have had a lot of fun organizing things this way and rediscovering aspects of my training I haven’t played with for a while.

The traditional roots Thursday class follows a format:

30 min warm up. That warm up has to cover specific basics and skill sets required for that art.

That leaves 90 minutes to be broken into 6 -15 minute training blocks.

Limiting the teaching to 6 topics forces you to prioritize and value asses training.

What is the essence of the art you are teaching? How do assure that if your student visited another Dojo that teacher would be impressed with their skills?

I can’t teach 1000’s of techniques, so I am forced to focus on the principles, that once mastered allow students to understand every technique.

ODIN is for proficiency

Budo, beyond the fun of martial arts training is for surpassing proficiency and obtaining mastery.

If you have no interest in martial art ODIN training is complete and sufficient in and of itself

If you are only interested in martial art Keishoukan Budo can provide a quality product.

The Venn diagram -

If you are interested in both, the Keishoukan Dojo is uniquely equipped to provide training that provides functional personal protection skills first and foremost, and also provides an outlet for a lifelong study of the martial arts.

In a way I’ve come full circle

I’ve spent years gaining knowledge, then refining that knowledge down.

Now I’ve come to see that, that refined product can be enhanced by reviewing the previous training with new eyes.

Keeping with the ODIN vibe let’s look at the Norse tree of life

Full circle

Strong roots - Traditional Training

Trunk - Fundamental Principles

Branches / fruit – what you can / choose to do with those principles

Circle – return to the source seeing the roots with new perspective after having used them in application

And it all starts again, but now you know which roots when tended to yield the best fruit.

With that tree of life cycle in mind , what I am excited about, the experiment I will be conducting is…

Can I use this training methodology to surpass my teachers?

How fast can I get a brand new student to proficiency?

How fast can I get a student to with previous other martial arts training proficient in practical application?

How fast can I get either of those students past proficiency to mastery?

How fast can I get them to surpass me?

So I can't and won't be all things to all people all of the time.

I will provide ODIN for those interested in Personal Protection
I will provide Budo training for those interested in Martial Arts Training

I will also encourage those interested in either to eventually cross train in the other for the betterment of both

Full circle

Train hard, Train smart, Be safe

I was watching “Once Upon a Time” with my daughters the other night. In that particular episode two characters travel back in time and get stuck there. One even jokes that they need to find Marty McFly. Ironically enough a few scenes later she accidentally prevents her parent’s first meeting and must spend the rest of the episode putting the time line back on track so her parents fall in love and she doesn’t blink out of existence.

Got me thinking about time travel

No I didn’t crack my head on the toilet and come up with a flux capacitor. More along the lines of “Somewhere in time”

I remember watching this movie as a kid. If you haven’t seen it here is the low down

Christopher Reeve plays a playwright. After the premiere of the first play he has written he is approached by an elderly woman who places a pocket watch in his hand and pleads, "Come back to me." Years later he develops a crush on an old timey picture in an old hotel. Does some research turns out the old broad is the gal in the picture.

Yadda yadda tries to hypnotize himself into visiting the past and fails. Then he finds an old hotel guest book from 1912 with his signature in it and realizes that he will eventually succeed.

Tries again with this time because of the guest book, his absolute faith in his eventual success becomes the trigger for the journey back through time.

More of a romantic drama than a sci fi adventure but I remember it because it was the first time I was exposed to the concept of a temporal anomaly.

If he never went back in time she would never have had the watch. If she never gave him the watch he never would have gone back in time.

Does your head hurt?

Another thing that has always fascinated me about time travel (at least how time travel is depicted in fiction) is the ripple effect. How changing one seemingly minor event in the past can have a profound effect on the future.

As mentioned before when Marty accidentally interfered with the event that lead to his parents falling in love he nearly destroyed his family and changed the effects his family’s existence had directly on the world and also on everyone that they came in contact with and the influence of every decision they made.

Along those lines, the ripple effect is one of the problems I have with the show “Continuum”

Rachel Nicols plays a Protector (Military / Police) from a future where an amalgam of big business (Corporate congress) rules the world. She accidentally gets sent back in time along with a terrorist organization that wants to use the ripple effect to destroy the corporate congress.

She has to struggle to keep the time line as it was so her family still exists if/ when she can find a way back.

The terrorists want to stop these big corporations. Imagine how different the world would be today if someone went back and stopped Apple from ever being founded. You wouldn’t be reading this blog on your IPhone. Hell, there might not even be such a thing as a blog.

How could this time line exist without access to the Budo Blog? I shudder to think.

My problem with the show is there is a third group of time travelers called free lancers. They are a nearly 1000 year old organization dedicated to protecting history and preserving the time line (kind of like Timecop but without mullets).

Instead of being exactly when and where the terrorists and the hero appear in this time line and killing them instantly so they can have no ripple effect, they allow them to have weekly adventures fighting echo other. Lame

OK back on point. Where am I going with this?

So besides being a sci fi nerd why did I bring up those time travel stories?

Two points I want to hit on:

· Ripple Effect
· Belief that it can be done

We discussed how the ripple effect is described in popular media. Changing one seemingly minor event in the past can have a profound effect on the future.

Time travel exists.

We all do it every second of every day ever forward into the future.

We can’t go back. However we can imagine where we would like to be in the future and find a way to get there.

If you could go back in time, say 5 years – what would change? What information would you give a past version of yourself?

Where do you want be in 5 years? What changes do you need to make, what information do you need to get there?

We can’t go back, but we can create our own ripple effect moving forward.

If the end of the ripple is who you want to be / what you want to be doing 5 years from now.

What are the pebbles in the pond that would cause that particular ripple.

Pun fully intended

Work that backward to changing seemingly minor events.

What would you have to have in place 2 ½ years from now to be who you want to be / what you want to be doing in 5 years?

In one year?

Next month?

Today?

Like in “Bill and Ted’s excellent adventure” - remember to put a garbage can here. It only works if you go back and put in the work to have all things in place when you need them.

We can’t go back but we can put those things in place for our future selves.

Set you goals. Develop a road map to get there. Work the plan.

NEVER GIVE UP!

Changing one seemingly minor event in the past can have a profound effect on the future.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore is not an act, but a habit”

-Aristotle

What do you need to repeatedly do to be who you want to be / what you want to be doing in 5 years?

Have you done that today?

If not, why the hell not?

Asking myself those selfsame questions I have decided that every day I need to spend at least 1 hour on:

· Fitness
· Writing
· Business
· Family time

I also need to do dry fire drills regularly not for an hour, and not every day, but regularly. I have also found that I need to pay constant attention to my nutritional intake or it catches up with me.

Like the old saying - A moment on the lips a life time on the hips.

If you don’t have a plan it is easy to fall into behavior patterns that are not affecting the change you want. No pebble in the pond, no ripple.

For myself I have found it easier to stay on track if I start each day with a to do list. Then fit that list into a time line for the day. When I am done with the things I have to do I can play with the things I want to do as a reward.

Put in the work every day and watch the ripples.

That reminds me of an article I read in “Aikido Journal” years ago

{Side note and shameless self-promotion (which kind of proves my point) – this blog has been featured on Aikido Journal Online http://blog.aikidojournal.com/2011/02/03/reality-based-scenarios-by-kasey-keckeisen/ }

That article asked how do you become strong in Aikido. The author asked that question of several high ranking Aikidoka for different training backgrounds.

One replied you must perform misogi. (Misogi is a Japanese Shinto practice of ritual purification by washing the entire body. Usually under a water fall)

Another replied you must deeply contemplate Osensei’s teachings and read all his writings.

For every “master” they asked there was a different answer.

Except from the Yoshinkan guys. Every Yoshinkan guy they asked responded almost verbatim.

There is only one way to become strong in Aikido. Show up at the Dojo on a regular basis and train hard.

That brings me to the second point I wanted to hit on (like your mom)

Belief that it can be done

Absolute faith in your eventual success.

Whatever it is you want show up every day and work for it.

Know deep down in the marrow of your bones that it can be done. All the work is paying off, even if you can’t quite see it yet.

Nothing succeeds like success. Set small reasonable goals. Accomplishing them conditions your mind that it is possible. Continuing in reasonable increments of difficulty until you are there.

Dedicate yourself. Everything you do can bring about that future ripple.

Granted, we all are all just human. You will need rest days, cheat meals, mental health breaks. But they should serve to re-energize you to get back into the struggle for what you want. Not take you in the opposite direction.

I want future me to thank me for all the work I put in.

Not to curse me for sitting around day dreaming about what could be, without working to make it a reality.

Nearly a year and a half ago I decided I wanted to be Batman. I defined what it meant to me to be Batman and developed a plan to get there. Now I am about 6 weeks away from the deadline I set and I am on schedule to meet those goals.

I didn't always have absolute faith in my eventual success. There were plenty of times (especially while running) I wanted to quit. But I didn't. And every time I didn't quit I got just a little closer to being Batman.

All those just a little closers added up. Now I'm almost there.

Stay tuned for results.

Nothing succeeds like success - absolute faith in my eventual success.

I know that not all that long from now published author financially independent Kasey will look back at this blog and smile.

Did he some how write this blog? Without this blog would he ever come to be?

Now my head hurts.

Train hard, Train smart, Be safe

Decide what you want and put in the work to get it. Let nothing stop you.

The other day at the Violence Dynamics Semester Course we were discussing asocial violence and predators.

Because, if you haven’t noticed, I’m kind of a pop culture guy, I quoted a recent episode of “Fargo the Series”

Here is the set up:

Billy Bob Thorton plays Lorne Malvo, a predator. A professional criminal / hit man. What makes this character cool is he is an agent of chaos. Sure he does plenty of criminal activity himself. But he likes to get people to do things that they might not normally do, and then watch their worlds burn around them.

Colin Hanks plays Deputy Gus Grimly, a rural Minnesota law enforcement officer. Grimly is low man on the totem pole at his department, even working part time as animal control when/if the regular animal guy calls in sick.

Grimly (a single father) is working overnight and talking with his daughter over a walkie-talkie when a car runs a stop sign and goes flying by him. Grimly pulls the car (driven by Malvo) over.

Grimly asks Malvo for his driver’s license and proof of insurance. You can hear his daughter’s voice over the walkie-talkie from his squad car.

Malvo responds, we could go down that road, or you could walk back to your squad car and pretend you never saw me.

Grimly asks why should I do that? Malvo looks back at the squad car from which Grimly’s daughter’s voice can still be heard and says…

Because some roads you shouldn’t go down.

Because maps used to say – There’d be Dragons here.

Now they don’t.

But that don’t mean the Dragons aren’t there.

Grimly let him go with a warning.

A couple days after the class Lise asked me – Hey, you started as a rural Minnesota law enforcement officer. What would you have done if you pulled someone over and they laid that dragon line on you?

I hope I would have said something cool like – Hey that is cute, ever hear of a fella named St. George?

There is a reason maps don’t read – There’d be Dragons here anymore.

Step out of the vehicle please.

Lise replied, yeah you are not animal control.

No, no I am not. But all professionals started somewhere.

There are still dragons out there, don’t be fooled (the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was to convince the world he didn’t exist).

There will always be dragons. There will always be a need for Dragon Slayers.

Everyone starts somewhere and Dragon Slayers will always be needed.

So, how does one go from “somewhere” to Dragon Slayer?

Competence
Tools
Experience
Attitude / Mental baring
Teamwork

Competence

When I first starting writing this confidence was the first quality I listed. However, the more I thought about it, I felt a need to change it.

Confidence in and of itself is worthless. Especially now when an entire generation has been constantly told that they are special and everything they do is wonderful. False confidence can be fatal.

Confidence earned through merit is a different matter entirely.

Competence - the ability to do something successfully – breeds useful confidence.

Do you have the skills necessary to take the Dragon down? (Do you have fangs?)

What skills are needed? I have used this analogy several time during the course of this blog but I still feel the best way to summarize the skills necessary is to examine a sample use of force continuum.

1. Presence

Awareness

Physical Fitness

2. Verbal commands

De-escalation

Communication Skills

3. Contact Controls

Touching or Seizing the offender

Escort Compliance

Standing Controls

Pain Compliance

Joint Locks

4. Compliance Techniques

“Soft Hands”

Take Downs

Throws

Pins

5. Disabling Techniques

“Hard Hands”

Impact Techniques

Striking / Kicking

6. Potentially Lethal Force

Strangles

Weapons Techniques

Impact weapons

Edged Weapons

Firearms

Improvised weapons

Professionals have to have skill sets at all levels of force.

Even if you are not a professional user of force, that does not mean you will not have to face a Dragon. You will need those skill sets too.

Competence is ingrained over time. It is developed by a daily investment in yourself. Competence is the result of a particular lifestyle not just a hobby or even a profession.

Do you work those skills on a regular basis?

Are you 1% better today than you were yesterday?

What have you done today to be a better hunter?

"Saving people, hunting things. The family business."

—Dean Winchester

C’mon you didn’t think I would have a blog about hunting monsters without a "Supernatural" reference did ya?

Tools

Do you carry the tools necessary to hunt?

If you are a law enforcement officer or hold a carry permit, do you carry a firearm with you?

Is it uncomfortable? Is it inconvenient?

If something happened that you could have stopped had you been prepared could you live with yourself?

An excerpt from “Gun owner’s last prayer”

... Let NOT my last thought be, if I only had a gun,…

An amature sees a potential threat and wonders could I take him. A professional sees a potential threat and devises the best way to take him. Having the tools necessary gives you more options

Not just weapons.

Phone - call first responders. Take photos, film video

Clothes – can you run / fight in what you are wearing

One of my favorite episodes of Justice League Unlimited is titled "The Once and Future Thing- part 1"
Reader's Digest version:
Batman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman end up in the wild west of America in the 1880's
As soon as they arrive they are jumped by outlaws. After they kick the outlaws asses they take their horses.

They also take their clothes to be less conspicuous

Wonder Woman complains that the boots hurt.
Batman replies,"Dianna you routinely fight crime in high heels"
She counters, "High heels that fit"

My point is, and I tell this to my daughters - I am clearly not a women's fashion expert, but if you can't fight in it don't wear it. If you can, cool beans. Wonder Woman can pull off fighting in high heels, me not so much.

"Look at her shoes, if a fashion magazine told her to she'd wear cats strapped to her feet." - Giles

C’mon you didn’t think I would have a blog about hunting monsters without a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" reference did ya?

Other Gear / Tools
If you get cut / shot can you patch your self up until more / better help can arrive?

Israeli bandage
Tourniquet

Have you been trained in basic buddy care / self care?

Do you carry enough cash to get things in an emergency like:

A cab
A hotel room
Food / water
1st aid supplies

Batman is clearly bad ass. But much less so without the tools of his trade.

You probably can't pull off wearing a utility belt in public.

However, consider putting together an inconspicuous "go bag" with all the things you need to slay Dragons, and keep it with you.

Experience

My first DUI (catching one not being caught if you were wondering) was a lot like that seen from Fargo that started this blog.

It was my first job. I was young and inexperienced. I was all by myself working in a city in rural northern Minnesota.

Call came in over the radio. Be on the look out for this make and model car possible DK driver. I was getting a sandwich for dinner at the gas station. The only restaurant open in town during the winter. Sure enough a car fitting that description went right pass. I threw my sandwich in the passenger seat and followed to observe driving behavior.

Wouldn't you know he crosses the fog line then crosses the center line back and fourth like that. I turn on the lights and sirens and call it in.

I get out of the squad and start my approach as I had been taught. He rolls down the window and leans out (spidey sense tingles) "What the fuck you want?"

I pulled you over because you were swerving between lanes is everything OK?

"I swerved to miss that deer didn't you see it?"

His breath reeks of booze

No sir I didn't, have you had anything to drink tonight?

"No"

Would mind stepping out of the car and taking some sobriety tests

"Fuck you I ain't taking any tests"

Shit just got real - adrenalin hits me. I am going to arrest this guy. Looks like I'm going to have to fight this guy.

"If I'm wrong the tests will prove it and you can go on your way"

"Fuck you I ain't taking any tests"

Then I don't have much choice your are under arrest get out of the car.

No response

I open the door and attempt to guide him out

He locks onto the wheel real tight.

I yank him out of the car put him into the snow on the ground and cuff him. My heart is beating a mile a minute. My first really real hands on with a bad guy. Shit now what?

I am kind of smart enough to get him in the car, notify dispatch, and start towards the law enforcement center.

Luckily for me a County Deputy lived in town, was working that night and listening to his radio. He offered to meet me at the LEC to run the intoxilizer.

Did you read him his rights?

Did you read the implied consent?

OK this is what you need to do.

At a time when my brain wasn't working so well, that Deputy made sure everything was square by the time we got through testing and booking so everything was legit.

There was a moment between the intoxilizer and moving him to booking that the suspect tried to get behind me. I moved so he couldn't and escorted him to the Sally Port.

Later, the Deputy said he noticed what I did there, and that I would be just fine. I had passed his test I guess, because from then on he kind of took me under his wing and taught me a lot about copping that I never learned graduating with honors from Mankato State.

Next time I had a DUI I wasn't nearly as adrenalized and I handled my own business.

Moral of the story? If you are going to hunt Dragons learn the craft from a Dragon Slayer. If someone is willing to mentor you, be your "Rabbi" take full advantage of their time and experience.

[Also understand if you do this the Universe will require you to pay it forward and Mentor some other dumb ass kid down the road]

The second moral of the story is every time you hunt Dragons and live it gets easier to hunt Dragons. You retain cognitive function longer. You get good at it.

“Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster... for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you.”

― Friedrich Nietzsche

The difference between me and the character from Fargo is I understood I had a duty to act.

On the show people died because he let Malvo go.

Even though pulling that guy over was scary at the time, had I not pulled him over, people could have died.
If I pulled him over and then let him go because dealing with him was difficult / uncomfortable, people could have died

That was something I was not going to let happen.
That was something I could not have lived with.

Which leads us to...

Attitude / Mental baring

In a later episode the Deputy Gus Grimly character admits that he never wanted to be a Cop. He tried to be a mailman but the Post Office wasn't hiring.

That is fine. Postal workers help people. They get to know the community. They have a good government job with decent benefits.

Law Enforcement Officers are not - can not be Mail Carriers that happen to wear armor and weapons.
Sadly there are plenty of Officers like Grimly that should be Mail Carriers.

Every few years I help teach a an active shooter class. Part of that class is a frank discussion on what is required of responding Officers to effectively end an active shooter scenario.

The world learned hard lessons from Besaln Russia

http://www.amazon.com/Terror-Beslan-Russian-Tragedy-Americas/dp/0976775301

One of those lessons being the longer armed response waits the more time the enemy has to harden the target and do horrible things to the people inside.

That means the first shooters on scene have to get in there and well, start shooting.

That is scary. You may die. But all the time the shooter is shooting at you he is not shooting kids. You give more time for more shooters to get there and do their jobs. So on and so fourth until the attacker (attackers) is no longer a threat.

Statistically in the U.S. when the assailant meets force the confrontation ends quickly. Many times with the assailant taking their own lives.

When you look into the abyss the abyss looks back. These guys didn't want a gun fight. They just wanted a high body count. If they wanted a gun fight they would go to a Police Station or a gun range. When folks start shooting back it is a different ball game.

At this class we ask the Officers to take a hard look at themselves.
Are you willing to run towards the sound of gun shots and if necessary die to save innocent lives?
I overheard one Officer say under his breath no way would I go in there, it's dangerous

Clearly that guy is not a Dragon Slayer
Clearly he is a mailman with a gun

If that is how you feel, that is fine. That is smart. But stop being a cop. Go get hired by the postal service
Not everyone can be St. George

Professionals have a duty to be
In many versions of St. George's legend he saves an innocent young girl from the Dragon.

I have a house full of innocent young girls.

I expect the Officers that would respond to my daughters' school to go in and slay that mother fucker before it can lay a finger on my girls. If I expect that, I can give no less to the people I am responsible to protect.

I wonder if that mailman with a gun could live with himself if gods forbid innocent children were killed (or worse) because he would not act.

Everyone dies...

So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.

Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and

demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life,

beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a

friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all

people and grovel to none.

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy

of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only

in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones

to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are

filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep

and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way.

Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.

- Chief Tecumseh

For further discussion on living your life (getting your shit together) that the fear of death can never enter your heart, please check out this previous blog:

Risk of death from another perspective - Blog

Don't read any of the above as advocation of throwing your life away stupidly.
One of the best ways to slay a Dragon is bring friends. Lots of friends. Lots of friends with guns.

Team Work

As cool as the above picture is, unless you have a mutant healing factor and unbreakable bones, that picture is the results of shitty tactics.

You may not have a choice. If you are dealing with a Dragon because they were hunting you, you most likely will have to slay them on your own.

However, if you have the option / resources use team work.

Calling for back up is not a pussy move. It is smart. So is stalling until back up arrives and the odds swing to your favor.

Even in the aforementioned active shooter situation you usually go in teams of at least two if not four.

Batman doesn't have a mutant healing factor and unbreakable bones. But he is pretty smart...

Let's review - how do you become a Dragon Slayer:

Competence

Understand the skill sets you will require and work those skills every day.

Tools

Carry the equipment you will need with you. Always better to have it and not need it than the other way around.

Experience

It gets easier. Create a habit of doing what needs to be done (see building competience) especially if it is difficult, scarry, or you just don't feel like doing it.

Attitude / Mental baring

If you are a mailman be the best mailman you can be. Don't do a job that requires you to slay Dragons.

Maps used to say – There’d be Dragons here.

Now they don’t.

But that don’t mean the Dragons aren’t there.

Anyone reading this may have to deal with a Dragon. As bad and scary as they are they are still just 7 liters of blood in a skin sack. Their spinal cords are only protected by thing rings of fairly fragil bone. You don't fight a Dragon, you slay a Dragon.

I mean have you seen Billy Bob Thorton? The only reason he is scarry is he is willing to and enjoys using violence.

The only way to stop evil violent men, is for good men (and women) to be more skilled (and willing to use) violence

Teamwork

Be smart use the resources and personell available to you.

Train hard, Train smart, Be safe

I posted the Batman by 40 blog in December of 2013

Now in June 2014 a couple weeks before my 40th birthday it is time to put up or shut up.

If you will recall back in December of 2013 (This is starting to sound like an episode of "How I met your mother") I was looking at the fitness portion of military.com and came across the Spec Ops fitness challenge

http://www.military.com/military-fitness/fitness-test-prep/special-operations-fitness-test

There is a new Special Forces / Special Operations fitness test making its way around the Team areas and creating a fun and competitive event for many of our Army, Navy, Air Force, USMC Special Operators. It is called the Upper body Round Robin (UBRR). The test consists of seven upper body exercises, a speed and long distance run. The UBRR provides a minimum standard for passing which are reasonable scores as you see below, BUT if you want to be competitive with the best of the best you have to push yourself far above the minimums. See events and grading scale below:

The UBRR (Upper Body Round Robin) Events:

Event Min. Standard Grading Scale for Min. Plus

1 Minute of Pushups 40 +2 Pts Each Rep Above Min

1 Minute of Situps 40 +3 Pts Each Rep Above Min

Pullups 6 - Not Timed +3 Pts Each Rep Above Min

Dips 6 - Not Timed +2 Pts Each Rep Above Min

Bench Press 80% Body Weight 6 - Not Timed +3 Pts Each Rep Above Min

20 ft. Rope Climb in Body Armor

or Weight Vest - 25# 1 Pass / Fail

1 Minute Kip-ups 6 +2 Pts Every Rep Above Min

4 x 25 M Shuttle Run Max 24 Secs +2 Pts Every 1/10 of a Sec Under

5 Mile Run Max 40 Mins +2 Pts Every Full 15 Sec from 35 to 30 Min

If you do not meet the minimum standards in EVERY event you will fail the entire test. The least you can score is 900 points. By adding your extra repetitions / time per exercise you can create a team competition or have a way to grade prospective candidates seeking to enter these Special Operations Teams. A good score is considered 1300 and above with some scores getting about 1500 in many of the Spec Ops units.

At the time I exceed all of the minimum standards….except run 5 miles in 40 minutes. I had just run a PT test and had to bust my ass to run one 8:15 minute mile, much less five of them in a row.

That did not sit well with me

So I decided I was going to beat the Spec Ops fitness challenge. In order to achieve that I’m going to have to tweak some things. Basically I am going to have to become Batman.

So I started adapting the Super Soldier Project into operation……

Batman by 40
Goals:

225lbs
40 Min 5 mile
6 min 1 mile
15 pull ups in one minute
60 push ups in one minute
60 sit ups in one minute
20 dips in one minute

What did I do to reach those goals?

Well, that will actually be several chapters of the book. I'm not going to get into the specifics here, that would make this blog far too long.

However I will begin an ongoing "Becoming Batman" blog series detailing general aspects of the program.

What I would like to address in this blog is the use of Batman or any other hero to inspire.

Super heroes are defined as characters with skills, abilities or powers, fighting against evil.

“I seek the means to fight injustice. To turn fear against those who prey on the fearful.”

- Bruce Wayne - Batman Begins.

By most definitions, characters do not strictly require superhuman powers to be deemed superheroes.

Terms such as crime fighters or adventurers are sometimes used to refer to those such as Batman and Green Arrow without powers who share other superhero traits

Heroes serve to inspire us to be more than what we are.

To become the best that we can be

Plenty times I wanted to quit (especially on the treadmill or running in the snow)

Batman doesn't quit
So then neither do I

As I made progress, and saw results achieving my goal became more important. It was easier to refrain from or eliminate things that deterred from that progress

Nothing succeeds like success

"Hey we are going out for ice cream want to come"
No thanks
"What are you going to have for desert?"
Discipline

The closer I got, the more real it became, the more I wanted it.

WWBD
What would Batman do? Heroes serve to inspire, that became my mantra

It's raining out I don't feel like running
WWBD?
It's been a crazy day at work and the DVR is full of cool stuff, the couch is just downstairs and the Dojo is so far away
WWBD?
This bed is so soft and warm, sleeping in would feel so good maybe today can be a rest day
WWBD?

That is what Batman would do

How do you become Batman?
There really is no secret. The short answer is, make a plan that you can stick to, then stick to the plan.

On days you don't feel like sticking to the plan find inspiration.

It doesn't have to be from Batman or even a Super Hero. Here is a picture of my Sister after crushing a 7 mile run in 1 hour. You can see she draws inspiration from Captain America and Batman.

But I draw inspiration from her. She isn't a genetic freak gifted with amazing athletic abilities. She busts her ass and eats clean everyday.

Make a plan that you can stick to, then stick to the plan

You may never reach your goals. Sad but true. However, in your attempt to reach those goals whatever they are, you will make much more improvement in the attempt than if you never try to do anything great.

“The key isn't winning -- or losing, it's making the attempt. I may never be what I ought to be, want to be -- but how will I know unless I try?

Sure, it's scary, but what's the alternative? Stagnation - A safer, more terrible form of death. Not of the body, but of the spirit.

An animal knows what it is, and accepts it. A man may know what he is -- but he questions. He dreams. He strives. Changes. Grows.”
― Chris Claremont, Wolverine

So, Did I make it?

Now 18 months and a whole lot of hard work later (Drum roll please)......................

Batman by 40 Results:

195lbs
40 Min 5 mile
6 min 1 mile
33 pull ups in one minute
62 push ups in one minute
69 sit ups in one minute
34 dips in one minute

C'mon guys it's me of course I did it.

I am the goddamned Batman!

Besides reaching the Spec Op goals I set for myself, here are some other pretty cool Batman stuff I have done

There is a signal used to call me when I am needed to apprehend a criminal too dangerous for the police to handle on their own.
I have driven heavily armored assault vehicles retro engineered for crime fighting
I wear a utility belt containing weapons and gadgets to fight crime
I’ve crashed through windows
I’ve smashed in doors
I’ve smashed through walls
I’ve entered locations before the SWAT team and handled the situation to minimize risk to others
I’ve repelled off buildings
I’ve repealed off buildings up side down
I’ve climbed buildings to stoically observe criminals from the roof tops (brooding optional)
I've used explosive powders as a distraction (theatricality and deception)

As cool as all of that is it doesn't really mean shit
What have I done for you lately?

The world will always need a Batman

Project Batman Beyond:
It would be easy to sit on my laurels now
WWBD?
Steve Jimerfield always says you should retire more fit than when you were hired.
Hell, he didn't even really start working out until he was 50

So Project Batman Beyond has two facets
One is to maintain this level for the next decade.

The only way I can figure to do that is to make constant progress.

Two is to train worthy replacements to take up the mantel of the Bat when I am gone

Stayed tuned for results

Train hard, Train smart, Be safe

Knock knock
who's there?
Becca
Becca who?
Because I'M BATMAN!

Effort required for effortlessness

Wow! It has been a great couple of weeks. 80's action movie level awesome
Starting with the events chronicled in the last Budo Blog I recently turned 40. Coming off the gratifying high of achieving my Batman by 40 goals I vowed not to rest on my laurels and to push on further. Project Beyond Batman (more on that to come). In mid July I was forced to put my money were my mouth (and or blog) was by entering the Minneapolis / St. Paul Tough Mudder.

If you have never heard of the Tough Mudder, it is an endurance event series in which participants attempt 10–12-mile-long (16–19 km) military-style obstacle courses. Designed and created by British Special Forces to test mental as well as physical strength, obstacles often play on common human fears, such as fire, water, electricity and heights.^[1] The main principle of the Tough Mudder revolves around teamwork. The Tough Mudder organization values camaraderie throughout the course, designing obstacles that encourage group participation. Participants must commit to helping others complete the course, putting teammates before themselves, and overcoming fears. The events are untimed, and an average 78% of entrants successfully complete the course.^[4]

The first Tough Mudder challenge was held in the United States in 2010.^[5] To date, more than 1.3 million people worldwide have participated in Tough Mudder events.^[6]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tough_Mudder

My sister Kay had running the Mudder with her son Kelly (a Mudder Legionnaire) as a bucket item list. She invited me, our brother Kent and his son Ben to join them. the K-Team.

If I am going beyond Batman how could I possibly back down form my sister.

I achieve more when I compete so running the mudder wasn't enough. I asked Kelly what a good time was. He said under 3 hours was a good time. So that is the goal I set for us. Just completing the course is easy in comparison to completing the course in a competitive time (not completing stops being an option).

K-Team finished in under 2 hours. That is how we roll!
All obstacles completed, no walking, helping each other, helping other mudders.

Not just because of her kick ass shirt, Kay was defiantly the Captain America of our team. She brought us together and she kicked the courses ass. I'm proud of all of us but especially her.

Only a week after the Tough Mudder I was off to St. Louis for the USMAA National Training Camp.
I always enjoy training with those guys and was happy to be invited back to teach.

Also, I may have forgotten to mention this but I was the reigning Barny Fife Top Cop Award for excellence in the field of greatness trophy winner. I had to return to defend my title.

Here is some video of what I taught

A new twist this year

My senior students are getting to the point where I can no longer promote them .
I haven't tested or been promoted in several years
Embracing the roots of the combatives I teach, I have recently re-kindled my my love for martial arts
To help me achieve more through my school I decided to join forces with the Katamedo JuJutsu Organization.
Part of that process was a demonstration / skills testing for the grade of 6th Dan in Judo, JuJutsu and Aikido

It was a tough test. The review board was comprised of men I respect. Many of whom have been training longer than I have been alive. Even more, some of these men have written the hand book or testing protocols still used by major Judo organizations to this day.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog things have been hectic lately. I was scheduled to test Friday evening. I figured Dillon and I could use the down time on Thursday to review the demonstration portion.
We hadn't had time to go over it yet.
Before lunch Thursday Omar Ahmad advised me that things have changed and I was up tonight.

This is Omar dressed as Wolverine and Bane breaking my back

Death does not wait for you to be ready! Death is not considerate, or fair! And make no mistake: here, you face Death.
- Ra's Al Ghul (and Omar Ahmad)

So Dillon and I reviewed my plan a couple of times. Then David Bleeker was nice enough to allow me to bounce some ideas of of his head. Which was really cool because not only is Dave an excellent martial artists, he was also going to be on the review panel. An excellent opportunity I wasn't going to squander. (More on Dave later)

The demonstration and test went well, I was promoted and accepted into the organization.

After the test, I was told that during the review panel discussion it was said:
Many martial artists come before the review board and ask for a promotion
Clearly, I did not come here to ask
I came here to take my promotion from them

All false modesty aside, it felt pretty good to hear that. 10 year old ninja movie loving Kasey that still lives inside my head was really stoked. It took a lot of effort not to smile in front of the review board before I was dismissed.

Michael Abels, David Bleeker, Omar Ahmad,Steven Jimerfield, Michael Makoid, Larry Hamby, Gary Rudenick

Before I go on bragging on myself I have to say that none of that would have been possible with out the help of family and friends.

After putting me through the Tough Mudder my sister Kay and her husband Jim hosted us in the St. Louis area and were very generous. Dillon took off time from work to be my Uke only a week before his own rank testing at the Kyokushin Karate Gashku. Alex Bleeker also helped me as Uke. Rudenick Sensei, made the trip all the way from Minnesota listening to Dillon and I talk like Batman and Bane. Omar helped me through the process, and I am also very grateful to the entire Board for the opportunity.

Thank you all, sincerely.

As rewarding as successfully completing a difficult task is (Batman by 40/Mudder / Promotions Test) that wasn't even the best part of these last couple week.

The best part was getting my ass kicked by three guys pushing 70, and a couple of heavy weights that excel in addition to their size and strength, not because of it.

Why was that the best?

After turning 40 part of me feared that that the best of journey may be behind me.
Rolling with Mike Makoid, Steve Jimmerfield, and Gary Rudenick (all in their late 60's / early 70's) I realized how much more I have left to learn. I was also happy to come to the conclusion that if I take care of myself I still have at least a solid 30 years of training (doing something I love) in front of me. Not too many people can say that.

It reminded me of my youngest daughter. She is this unique amazing little person. Neither my wife or I ever used "baby talk" with the kids. I always talked to them like adults. Now that the youngest can talk, it is cool getting to know her as a person. It is also interesting seeing how speech allows her to interact with people and learn about the world around her.

Rolling with the older Judoka at training camp I started to touch the magic. (that sounded way straighter in my head)
I felt like a child that has just become conversational. I am hopeful that my learning can become exponential, like my daughter's

Makoid Sensei said:
We are martial artists, not street thugs. We are thinkers always learning, ever adapting never stagnant. As such we are doing things our teachers never dreamed of. We have an obligation to our students to find ways to get them to where we are now faster than we did it our selves.

For me, the magic that I am chasing, what I want to understand so well I can pass it on to others, is what Makoid Sensei called "Old Man Judo"

You don't have to be old to do it. Nor does it necessarily need to be Judo.

The best word I can use to describe that magic is effortlessness.

Effort required for effortlessness -

Every Aikidoka wants the magic that Ueshiba did towards the end of his life.

They try to copy his movement at that stage. However, I feel that effortlessness was only possible because of all the hard work from his youth. Ueshiba was a bad ass. You can't mimic effortlessness you have to earn it.

Kyuzo Mifune, was known as the empty jacket. Even though he was very small he was all but impossible to throw. Like trying to wrestle an "empty jacket". He had the magic. Effortlessness, sometimes called Ju, sometimes called Aiki.

Mas Oyama is not known for Ju, or Aiki. Even though he was trained in Judo and Aikijujutsu. He may be best known for fighting bulls. Or for fighting a 100 man kumite. On the surface that seems like a lot of effort, extreme effort, and clearly it is. My point being if Oyama did not have an understanding of this effortlessness I doubt he would have lasted through all 100, much less dominated like he did. What may appear hard comes from soft. (Don't get cute with that)

Recently I have been working Kyukoshin Karate with Dillon. Somewhere in my mind was the idea the Karate had to be stiff and rigid. A point I have been working on, is breaking that idea. Staying relaxed (soft), subtle power generation + structure = Old man Karate

In doing so I now hit much harder than I ever have before. Getting closer to our shared goal of being able to hit someone so hard they shit out their own skeleton

Like Mifune, and Ueshiba, Oyama didn't just wake up one day with the magic. He trained like a maniac. He lived alone, training in the mountains for years.

Everyone would like to be the small guy who tosses the huge Marine across the room.
Very few are willing to put in the work and time to be able to do that, much less do it effortlessly

You can't mimic effortlessness you have to earn it. Lots of people are envious of Omar's size and strength. They forget that for a better part of a decade he spent 5-7 hours a day 7 days a week training Judo. That effort allows him to capitalize on his size and strength, not rely on it.
Also one of the reason Dave is so impressive. He is a large powerful man. He looks like a Grizzly Bear. But he is smooth, almost gentle. That allows him to keep his mass in reserve. He can be gentle until he decides to not be gentle. He is skilled in addition to his size not because of it.

These men put in extraordinary amounts of work to obtain effortlessness. Obtaining this magic is what I am most excited about on my own martial arts journey. Also, as Makoid Sensei said - we have an obligation to our students to find ways to get them to where we are now faster than we did it our selves.

How?

One way I see is by focusing on principles. Makoid Sensei gave the example of a young teacher and an old teacher. A young teacher wants to show the world all the things he knows so he teaches 300 techniques at a a seminar, and the students maybe remember one. An old teacher shows one or two principles. The students can remember one or two principles. Once they know the principles the students can do 300 techniques. I would add also that because they know the principle they can create their own technique spontaneously as circumstances dictate.

Tearing down barriers we create
Principles are universal and work across the spectrum. Just as I mentioned with Karate. If relaxation and natural movement improve Judo and Aikido performance, for the principle to be sound it must also improve Karate performance. Building barriers between the different aspects serves only to diminish them.

For me to surpass my teachers I must break down those separations and focus on universal principles.

Case in point. Makoid Sensei was teaching the principles of a throw (I learned a lot from Makoid Sensei in case you couldn't tell already)

All throws require 5 things:

Grab / Contact - Kumikata
Move - Sabaki
Offbalance - Kuzushi
Fit in - Uchikomi (and or entry - Tsukuri)
Exicute - Kake

Where things got really interesting for me is when he started talking about..
Stuff them in the hole

Makoid Sensei suggested thinking about if you were in a mystery novel - where would you put the body?

When you are throwing you and your opponent have a shared center of gravity and a combined base.

Every combined base has an inherent hole. If you move the opponent to the hole, where they can not resist you with out changing the base you throw them without effort.

If they are able to change the base you simply take them to the new inherent hole they created.
If you get to know this instinctively you can adapt as necessary and can effectively throw anyone - effortlessly.

This is the first time I heard this applied to throws but it sounded so familiar.

Duh, it is the exact same concept I train for ground escapes. Rory Miller has an entire ground movement class based on this concept.

Again, things I knew from one aspect that somehow I created walls in my mind separating / isolating the principles from other aspects.

Principles are universal, they apply across the spectrum

Endeavoring to persevere

So how does one balance / justify physciality with effortlessness
How do you, why would you embrace physical culture if you are pursuing the magic of old man judo?

1- I feel you can't own the principles required for effortlessness with out learning the lessons taught by hard physical training.

2 - It's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

3 - To ensure I am still functional, and mobile at 70

Endeavor to preserve.
As a Police Officer I respond to a lot of medical calls. I've seen what 70 can look like. Scary, something I never want to see in the mirror. I have also seen pushing 70 as represented by Makoid, Rudenick, and Jimerfield Sensei (Sensei is the plural of Sensei)

I must continue to embrace physical culture to maintain a body able to continue training that long. I want to rock my 70's.
Beyond Batman - 70 is the new 30

Here are some pictures of Frank Miller's Batman from Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.
I include them here because in the book Batman returns from retirement at around 65 and looks like this..

So clearly, I want to look like that at 65.
Speaking of, here is a video of Rudenick Sensei knocking out a few easy "old man" push ups

Here is a clip from Batman Beyond with Bruce at 75 or so

In summary train your body like a young man so that you live long enough to learn to fight like an old man.

Great trip. I accomplished what I set out to do. Learned a lot, and grew closer to friends and family.

When I returned to Minnesota I learned that a local area Police Officer was murdered in the line of duty.

The Mendota Heights (MN) Police Department lost Officer Scott Patrick in the line of duty while on a traffic stop.

So how does one balance / justify physciality with effortlessness?
How do you, why would you embrace physical culture if you are pursuing the magic of old man judo?

I need to be able to sprint to cover. I need to be able to drag my partner to safety. I need to be able to respond in a crisis. I need to be fit to do my job.

On those days I feel I have done enough, that I deserve a break I just need to remember....

These guys are always training.

The only way to defeat evil violent men, is with good men who are better at violence.
I am a Cop. I am also a Martial Artist. I am not street thug. I am a thinker always learning, ever adapting never stagnant. I am capable of things my teachers never dreamed of. I have an obligation to pass on what I have taken to those who need these skills the most.

I had breakfast with a friend (also a Cop and trainer). He asked me how this death has effected me.

I told him about a question I was asked during the promotions test. The question went along the lines of ...A Shodan (Black Belt) is an advanced student, 3rd-5th Dan are usually teachers, but they are still taking more from the art than they give. At 6th Dan you are expected to give back more than you have taken. How do you plan to give back?

That is a tough question, and a difficult task to accomplish as I have taken quite a bit.

My answer went along the lines of striving to get this information, these skills out, not just to people who come and find me to train but to seek out those who do not train, but are the most likely to need what this training has to offer.

I mention this here so there is record of it and those of you that read my blog can keep me to my task.

Cops don't train. Military don't train. Women who are on most victim profiles don't train.
I will always enjoy training with all who come to the Dojo, but I will actively seek out the above mentioned groups and make training opportunities for them as convenient as possible. Remove all their excuses not to train.

Back to Cabot's question, how does it effect me? It hardens my resolve. Trying to get cops to train can be like smashing your head on a wall. It sure would feel good to stop. To just say fuck it I will take care of myself.

More is expected of me, I expect more of myself. I will not quit.

When an Officer dies it is sad but puts things in perspective for me. I will not quit.

Cops can't quit in a fight. Submission is death. I will not quit.

It is weird after a cop dies. There might be 5 minutes where the fuck the police posts on face book go away. You don't here much about the militarization of Law Enforcement for awhile. Less questions on why cops would possibly need armor or armored vehicles in social media, and people coming up and thanking me, shaking my hand.

That is nice, I'd prefer you just remember this feeling next time you see the media painting Law Enforcement in the worst possible light to make a sexy story.

You will never have to thank me.

Train hard, train smart, be safe

It is getting to be that time of year again.

Several people have e-mailed me or contacted me via social media asking for the details of this year's clinic.

I usually reply with something like stay tuned - details to follow

Recently I was advised if I want to generate new clients and keep ones I have, I should actually keep track of and return calls / emails to people asking how to train with me.

Hmm, go figure. There is a reason Batman has Lucius Fox run the business for him.

So this is me putting all the information that has been confirmed in one place to send any inquires to.

First, what is the Violence Dynamics Clinic? Why should I attend?

The VD Clinic (hmm maybe I should re-phrase that) takes principles and concepts that usually take professional users of force years to comprehend and provides a common language / lexicon for dealing with violence.

More than any other skills understanding how violence happens, and how your body deals with violence is what separates professionals from hobbyists.

Real violence happens faster and harder than most people's training takes into account.

Come and learn from three amazing trainers that know about and have lived through the ugly side of life.

If you want realistic training that answers the problems of today, than this is the seminar for you!

2014 Violence Dynamics Information

Total Seminar $699

Monday – Friday $599

Weekend only $399

Per Day $199

Per Class $99

* 25% off for Military and 1st Responders

Classes:

Monday October 13^th 2014

Session 1 Efficient Movement 0900 – 1030

Session 2 Context 1100 – 1230

Session 3 Power Generation 1330 - 1500

Session 4 Self Defense Law 1530 – 1700

Tuesday October 14^th 2014

Session 1 Ground Movement 0900 – 1030

Session 2 Violence Dynamics 1100 – 1230

Session 3 Plastic Mind 1330 – 1500

Session 4 Self Defense Law 1530 – 1700

Wednesday October 15^th 2014

Session 1 Infighting Striking 0900 – 1030

Session 2 Threat Assessment 1100 – 1230

Session 3 Blind Fighting 1330 – 1500

Session 4 Wall and Dynamic 1530 – 1700

Thursday October 16^th 2014

Session 1 Environmental Fighting 0900 – 1030

Session 2 Weapon Retention 1100 – 1230

Session 3 Neck Manipulation 1330 – 1500

Session 4 Edged Weapons Defense 1530 - 1700

Friday October 17^th 2014

Session 1 Conflict Communication I 0900 – 1030

Session 2 Striking into takedowns 1100 – 1230

Session 3 Conflict Communication II 1330 – 1500

Session 4 Ground Control 1530 – 1700

Saturday October 18^th 2014

Session 1 How to Run Scenarios I 0900 – 1030

Session 2 Environmental Fighting 1100 – 1230

and Improvised Weapons

Session 3 How to Run Scenarios II 1300 – 1500

Session 4 Talking to Cops 1530 – 1700

Sunday October 19^th

Environmental Awareness Training 1000 – 1600

Monday - Friday all classes will be held at the Mermaid Convention Center

http://mermaidminnesota.com/convention_center.htm

2200 County Road 10 Mounds View MN 55112

Thursday will be a unique training opportunity that is offered no where else. However, the very nature of this training day which makes it so uncommon precludes me from divulging any further details until the day of training.

As you can see from the above schedule Saturday's training will focus on successfully running scenario based training. Saturday's training will take place at the Blaine Police Department Tactical Warehouse 9900 Xylite St NE Blaine MN 55449

Back by popular demand!!!

Sunday's training will take place at the Mall of America and focus on environmental awareness and urban survival
We will meet at 10:00 sharp at Nickelodeon Universe in front of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ride (C'mon, where else did you think we were going to meet?)

For Law Enforcement Officers attending, all classes are MN POST approved

Lodging and accommodations.

Americinn Hotel and Suits 2200 County Road 10 Mounds View MN 55112

http://mermaidminnesota.com/americinn_hotel_suite.htm

For reservations please call 763 786 2000

Social activities

I have found from these clinics that a lot is learned over a meal or a drink with the instructors (sometimes even more than from the class).

So we have built in some social time Tuesday and Friday evenings after training.

(More details to follow - I promise)

*There is no charge for awesomeness or attractiveness

Physical Training

There will also be supplementary physical training opportunities at Allegiance Fitness

http://www.allegiancefitness.com/

Discounted day passes for the gym will be available to any attendees that want to try the "Gotham City Challenge"

Sounds Great!!! How do I sign up?

Email us today to reserve your spot, space is limited.

samurai2717@hotmail.com

Once your reservation is confirmed you will be sent a pay pal link.

Also check out Rory's page

http://www.chirontraining.com/Site/Home.html

There will be pay pal options there soon as well.

I hope to see you all there

Train hard, Train smart, Be safe!

Sometimes I get the feeling (and it is an excellent feeling) that I am in the right place at the right time, doing what the universe intended for me to do. Things that I've been working on / towards (struggling with) for years start falling into place.

This installment of the Budo Blog is one of those times.

I've been working on an idea...

All the recent media attention on incidents in Missouri and the outrage that attention has caused has cast a spot light on a perception that community relations with Law Enforcement is at a low.

I want to create an opportunity for the public (especially the youth of the community) to interact with Law Enforcement in a positive manner.

Some of the best success I have had with the DARE program and National Night Out was due to the simple opportunity to talk to people outside of regular Law Enforcement duties, and let them see that cops are just people too.

I feel that a Police Activity League would be an excellent opportunity to establish a community outreach program.

My Police Department already does something along those lines with the DNR gun safety course each fall.

However, another perception stemming from recent events is how under trained Law Enforcement is.

Clearly that is a fake laugh because the filmer wanted the Officers to be embarrassed

Yet another issue I've discussed on this blog is how "soft" the youth of America is and how hard it is to train up coming generations of Law Enforcement Officers.
http://practicalbudo.blogspot.com/2014/01/outside-box-thinking-and-addressing.html

To address all of these concerns I decided to start a Police Activity League Judo program.

To me Judo and Jujutsu are interchangable trems.
Jujutsu is the techniques and or skills
Judo is how you chose to use those skills. How you chose to live your life.

The Judo that I enjoy the most, and will be teaching is old (pre WWII) Judo. Including elements of Aikido and Karate like the SAC combative measures program.

The purpose of the PAL Judo program is to provide a safe, positive and energetic environment for youth and adults to enjoy the art of Judo.

Judo, which means "The Gentle Way", is a Japanese martial art based upon the ancient techniques of Jujutsu. Dr. Jigoro Kano, incorporated the best of these ancient techniques into the new art of Judo.

Judo is mostly known for its spectacular throwing techniques but it also includes numerous techniques for safely controlling an opponent while on the ground.

The goal of mutual welfare and benefit was an extension of Dr. Kano's belief that Judo could help the individual become a better member of society. Dr. Kano felt that the personal discipline that Judo taught would extend beyond the dojo into daily life and could allow the Judoka to become a more productive member of society.

In 1964, Judo became the first martial art to be sanctioned as a medal sport in the Olympic Games. Judo is now the second most popular sport in the world.

People practice Judo for many different reasons such as exercise, sport, self-defense, a social activity and for many practitioners Judo becomes a way of life. But if you ask most Judoka why they train Judo, they will say that the practice Judo because it is fun!!

Citizens getting to know Officers outside of their regular duties and having fun with them has a profound effect on public perceptions of Law Enforcement.

Program Logistics:

15 week course
Ages 14-21 (any one over 14 is welcome)

Monday & Wednesday Nights from 6:30 – 8:30pm (9 for adults)

Allegiance Fitness
2240 Woodale Dr Mounds View MN 5512
http://www.allegiancefitness.com/

Tuesday & Thursday Nights 7:00 - 9:00pm
Elk River American Legion
525 Railroad Dr, Elk River, MN 55330

Class Fees
1 Semester (15 weeks) $100 - Includes club T-shirt
1 month $40

Yearly registration and insurance fee $15

*This is a not for profit organization. All funds raised are used for the running of the program

Classes start in October
Sign Up Today!

Contact 763 360 7200
Or check us out at judomn.org

Benefits of this program

• Civilian

• Law Enforcement

Civilian Benefits

Besides all the inherent benefits that come from Judo training, this unique PAL Judo program allows citizens to see just how difficult safely controlling someone can be. An informed public is a safer public

In a free and peaceful society where so many have been taught that all violence is always wrong, citizens are often confused and dismayed when officers use force, even when the force is perfectly lawful and justified.

Some highlights of training alongside with Law Enforcement include:

• Explanation of policy and laws that officers are taught.

• An examination of use of force

o How to define a threat

o The difference between excessive force and unnecessary force.

• Who is the “bad guy” and who is not?

o How to make that call (in actuality, and in perception).

• Understanding of how an officer’s decisions are examined.

• Exploration of how officers see the world that they live in.

o Sometimes decisions will be made in a fraction of a second and on partial information.

o Sometimes a decision will change the lives of everyone involved—forever.

• Information on how to safely interact when faced by an officer.

Verbal Judo

Participants in the PAL Judo Program will also receive training in Conflict Communications

Conflict Communications presents a functional taxonomy to see, understand and manipulate the roots of conflict. If you have ever wondered why your boss ignored a suggestion that could save millions of dollars, or why you have the same argument again and again with your spouse, the answers are here. As well as the tools to do something about it.

Law Enforcement Benefits

To be effective for law enforcement, martial art training must include empty-hand techniques as well as weapons techniques. It must rely upon sound principles that allow a smaller individual to control a larger, stronger opponent. Also, it must provide the Officer with the skills needed to control a suspect while minimizing injuries.

Judo has been taught to Law Enforcement around the world since 1886. In fact Judo contains Renkoho Waza and Taiho Jutsu designed especially for Law Enforcement and is the foundation of many modern defensive tactics systems.

I feel that if Law Enforcement can get paid to train or are allowed to on duty that will greatly increase the likely hood of their receiving more and better training.

In order to accomplish this all licensed Law Enforcement Officers participating in the PAL Judo program will be able to receive MN POST credit for their training.

Concurrent with the Judo program Law Enforcement Officers will be trained in One On One Control Tactics

One-On-One Control focuses on gross motor skill, high percentage techniques that are effective for all Law Enforcement Personnel regardless of their size or gender.

This program is not meant to replace the defensive tactics system you have, but will enhance and supplement your program, increasing officer’s competence in hand to hand confrontations both standing and on the ground.

One-On-One Control Tactics protect LEOs physically, legally and they also project a positive public perception.

Over the last 30 years One-On-One Control Tactics have been proven effective in application on the street and 100% defendable in court.

Use of these techniques have resulted in:

• 0 – LEO injuries

• 0 – Suspect injuries

• 0 – Use of Force complaints

With the courts looking at every contact police officers have with the public, this integrated One-On-One Control Tactics system has been found to be non-obtrusive to the public, while at the same time maintaining officer safety and giving the officer maximum control without causing injury to the suspect or to the officer.

To further encourage to seek out and create training opportunities Law Enforcement Officers that complete two 15 week semesters of this program are eligible to become One On One Control Tactics Instructors for their departments.

In addition to physical skills Law Enforcement Officers will also receive training in Conflict Communications.

http://www.chirontraining.com/Site/Seminar_Information.html

Conflict Communication Improves your understanding of violence, and interpersonal communications.

Increases verbal skills and helps to reduce the number of use of force incidents.

If you're emotional and caught up in the default human conflict behaviors, the best de-escalation training in the world (Verbal Judo, C.I.T., etc) is of no use to you. You're not going to be able to do it.

The essential message of Conflict Communications is -De-escalation starts with you

The goal of Conflict Communications is to teach you how to prevent conflict whenever possible and to minimize its impact when it is unavoidable.

Most conflicts can be successfully controlled by using the principles of this system. This is not specialized education only a select few can master. The program is designed so anyone can use it to prevent a conflict. We do this by teaching you to de-escalate yourself first.

Originally designed for law enforcement to be used when confronting violent felons, the principles of this program also work in business, social and casual situations

By understanding how and why confrontation occurs, Conflict Communications will show you conflict management, de-escalation, situation resolution and, if necessary, articulation of why action was both necessary and reasonable

Another public perception that has recently come to light are that Law Enforcement Officers are generally in poor physical condition.

Physical Fitness benefits

Judo is great exercise. It promotes flexibility, develops speed and co-ordination, strengthens the cardiovascular system, and promotes balanced muscular development.

Judo not only works out the body, but it also works out the mind. Judo will help you build self-confidence, trust, self-discipline and respect for yourself and others.

Judo has also been known to positively affect the lives of special needs individuals and build confidence in others who have been bullied or picked on.

When you combine physical activity, self-defense skills, spiritual development and peace of mind together, you’ve got the makings of a great activity that will not only keep you fit but that will also keep you motivated.

Benefits The Martial Art of Judo Can Make In a Child’s Life

Violence in our country and around the world seems out of control. There is countless news stories, thousands of victims suffer at the hands of bad people. You see and may have been a victim of violence yourself; violence is in many video games, our music and television shows.

Many of our children suffer the mental and physical violence bullies inflict on them on a daily basis. So, what can you do as a parent?

Improved physical fitness

Kids will experience physical and mental enjoyment through sport recreation. Teen age obesity is a problem in our and many countries. Through the physical activity of judo practice your child will lose and maintain a healthy weight.

Courage

Your child will be able to withstand pain, failure and difficulties.

Discipline

Develop strict obedience while striving for a goal.

Humility

Boys and girls will find freedom from pride and arrogance.

Non-Violence

Rage and violence extinguished through consistent discipline of regular judo practice. Students will learn why they go through a range of feelings and how to control their emotions.

Respect

Your child will learn that they are important and what they do matters. They will learn to be courteous to you and others and that means that you are important to them. Respect is demonstrated by good manners and behavior.

Honesty

Your child will learn always to tell the truth. Would society be better if everyone were more honest in our daily lives? Honesty is feeling good about who you are and not feeling the need to lie.

Maximum Efficiency/Minimum Effort and Mutual Welfare Benefit

Every student will learn and perform the 2 principles of judo.

Your child will learn basic techniques to help them efficiently solve problems and to empathize or understand the limitations of others and help them achieve their goals.

Martial arts have proven to help your child perform better in school and to become a better citizen contributing to our society.

Sportsmanship

Develop the spirit of fair play and teamwork.

Develop the vision for a positive outlook on life

We have a great foundation to start from with two solid training locations generously donated by Allegiance Fitness and the Elk River American Legion

Long Term Goals

I would also like to use this as a Teacher Development Program and expand the times and locations training is available.

I work a pretty cake day shift. So it is easy for me to train weeknights after dinner. There are plenty of other Law Enforcement Officers that work different shifts that may want to train at different times of the day, or live far enough away that it is a hassle to come up and train.

One of the goals I have for this program is to make training as convenient and excuse free as possible.

So if you are an Officer or Instructor willing to work with Officers as part of the PAL clubs and you can train, for the sake of argument lets say on Tuesdays at 2pm in Minneapolis -
If you can, and you want to train then and there, you just volunteered to be responsible for the Minneapolis PAL Judo Club.

In order for this to meet the community outreach mandates of the program, the alternate training times have to work for the community too.

So maybe overnight guys want to train before they go to bed day guys that want to train before their shift can train before school say like 7am.

Night guys that want to train in the afternoon after they sleep could train after school say like at 3pm.
Or before they start shift like at 5pm

To start you don't need to be an Instructor, just responsible for holding that class and a safety officer for that training so no one gets hurt.

A teaching guide will be provided for you.

I would like to build these "Coaches" up into Instructors.

I would like to get up to around 10 clubs with 10 guys each.

I would also like to make it so club members could train at any other club house.

Then when we have a big event like Violence Dynamics or Steve Jimerfield coming to town we can get all 100 guys to train together.

Some reading this might be thinking, that sounds cool but I don't do Judo I do (insert what ever here)

Awesome! My goal is training opportunities for cops, and positive interaction with the community.
I am using a Judo model because there is already a PAL Judo frame work, and because I love Japanese martial arts.

Remember Judo was a blanket term cops back in the day used for any combative training. If you have expertise in something else you are willing to share that is fantastic! Do that. Just also add the technique or principle of the week from the training guide into your lesson plan.

So anyone reading this that would like to volunteer their time effort and expertise to help me with this project it would be greatly appreciated.

Help me, to help others

Train hard, Train smart, Train safe

Caveman Judo

The Violence Dynamics Seminar was two weeks ago already.

I took some time to let ideas bounce around in my head for a bit.

The next couple of blogs will be a brain dump of a type to help me sort out all of the information.

This blog post I want to focus on takedowns.

At the seminar I taught a class on striking into takedowns. It was later in the week after we covered some basic fundamentals.

In my mind this class was an opportunity for students to practice practical application of those principles.

If I am honest with myself the takedowns class ended up being just a group of techniques I like to do

Instead of application of the principles we had worked, it became memorizing technique.

That is perfectly fine for a martial arts seminar of one particular style, but directly antithetical to the Violence Dynamics ideal of developing better individuals.

As opposed to producing flawed copies of the instructors.

So I started to think - how can I teach a principle based approach to takedowns?

Start at the beginning – What is required to throw another human being?

Any throw will need the following:

Grab
Move
Off balance
Fit in
Execute

Fair enough, but...

How do you know if you should even try to throw someone?

When you do know, how do you know which throw to do?

The - Grab, Move, Off balance, Fit in, Execute process can be refined down further. With further refinement those questions answer themselves.

In order for a throw to make any kind of sense tactically you have to be close enough to throw.

Therefore the first principle of takedowns has to be positioning.

Positioning -

(Relational position and orientation)

In sport application of grappling arts there is a gentlemen’s agreement between the participants.

I will not hit, kick, bite or spit at you if you agree to do the same.

This makes throwing “safe” from anywhere

Before (and outside) of this agreement, if you are in range to throw you are in range to get hit.

{If the enemy is in range, so are you and incoming fire has the right of way}

That means outside of such an agreement there are only so many places where it is “safe” to throw someone from.

For style neutral reference I’ll use this chart

2 ½

0 is called 0 because you want to spend ZERO time there. All of the enemy's offensive weapons are viable and not only are you in range you are in the cross hairs.

Action is always faster than reaction if you find your self in this position you need to go on offense to get off the X

1 is safe to throw from as long as you are outside of the enemy.

To clarify - Let's say you move to the 1 position on the left side of the enemy. To be outside of him means your right leg is to the right or out side of his right leg.

If your leg is inside of his you can easily get kicked in the giblets and your leg is also vulnerable to sweeps (see removing structure coming up)

Although 1 is safe to throw from when kuzushi, the next principle is applied the positional relationship between you and them usually changes to 2 or 21/2

2 is a great place to throw from, especially with your center line on their hip bone. I have found that overbalancing to the front works best from here.

2 1/2 is also great your hip bone on their hip bone.

Offbalancing to the back works better here. You can also offbalance forward but the process of offbalancing puts you in the 2 position.

3 is clearly a gold mine.

Also there are only so many ways to get into those positions.

You can:

Talk your way there (see references to werewolfing in previous blogs)

Strike your way there

Find yourself there after a counter assault from the front

Find yourself there after a counter assault from the rear

It has to work in both offense and defense.

No matter how you ended up in a good throwing position you are not going to throw anybody if they can maintain the ancient Japanese principle of HA or headou over assou. Translated as head over ass.

Therefore....

The second principle of takedowns has to be off balancing.

Kuzushi

Generally taught as the 8 directions of the compass.

However, I have found there are really only 3 ways to off balance someone

NOT – Nose over toes (Number 1 on the chart above)
HOH – Head Over heals (Number 2 on the chart above)

HOS – Head over side “I’m a little tea pot” (Numbers 3-8 on the chart above)

As mentioned previously many times the position you throw from will dictate the offbalance that makes sense.

Also as mentioned sometimes offbalancing changes or dictates the position.

You need to get their head outside of their cone of balance (see picture above)

With that in mind I have found...

HOS works best for bringing bigger guys down to your size allowing you to take them NOT or HOH.

So really there is one way to cut "giants" down and two ways to kill balance.

Once you get to a place it is safe to throw from you will have to take their balance from them (binary decision either front or back). If your position dictates the offbalance, or the enemy is already off balance due to your effort to get that “safe” position, the decision tree reduced even further.

No decision needed – take the gift

Bone slave - Puppet Master

The "Platinum" move
Much like Rory Miller’s Golden Move, only better

Improve your position

Worsen their position

Protect yourself from damage

Damage them

* Twist them up in such a way that they cannot move

Once you are in position, and they are off balance, bone slaving / puppet mastering is twisting them in such a way that it is difficult for them to use any of their strength. Also you are forcing them to bare all of your weight. For all intents and purposes removing their ability to move in any direction except the one you want them to which causes the throw.

From here there are only so many ways to make someone hit the ground.

Therefore...

The third principle has to be method.

Methods to put someone on the ground:

Lever

Area Denial

Remove Structure

Trebuchet

Bone Slave / Sacrifice

Lever

I place lever throws first because I feel they are the least complex of the throwing methods I describe. A lever throw is when you lock the spine so it is one big lever arm. You use that lever arm to put the head so far head over heals or nose over toes (outside the cone of balance) that the enemy cannot recover his balance and falls.

Example of a rear off balance lever would be Aikido’s Irimi Nage or variations of Judo’s Kuchiki Daoshi

Examples of a front off balance lever would be like from the video above, except you drive their face into the ground instead of spinning them around, giving them back their balance then taking their balance to the rear.

Area Denial

The only way to recover from a lever throw is to change your base. There are only so many ways the enemy can move their feet to regain their base to prevent being thrown. If you put something in the way of that, say your own foot, you are denying them that area. When they try to regain their base they trip over your feet and fall

Like Tai Otoshi to the front or classic WWII combatives “Hip Throw” to the rear

Remove structure

If somehow they were able to regain their base (area denial failed). They are now dependent on that leg to maintain that base. While keeping them off balance and twisted remove the structure of their base by cutting off “sweeping” that leg

From a rear offbalnace this would look like Osoto Otoshi

From a front off balance like uchi matta or even harai goshi. All dependent on how you and the enemy fit together.

Trebuchet

A trebuchet traditionally consists of an arm resting on an axle, which rests high on a base structure. The arm of the trebuchet is like an off-center see-saw with a huge counterweight on the short end and a sling attachment on the long end.

Principles by their nature do not need to be forced. The results of following them should be all but effortless. Sometimes in the process of stepping in to deny an area or remove a structure your hips will slip under their center of gravity.

When this happens your combined structure is like that of a trebuchet. If you drop your weight quickly as you hang on to them, they sling shot around your body.

At Vio Dy we touched on this a little bit.

Take advantage of the gifts offered don’t hunt for or force a throw (any “technique”)

Seio Nage is an example of what I call a trebuchet throw

In my most humble opinion Seio Nage is hard to set up and execute.

But assholes jump on your back

Seio Nage is instinctive, natural and makes sense when an asshole jumps on your back.

It feels (to me anyway) artificial and forced when attempted from the front.

Also when attempted from the front it is very easy to counter. Simply pushing on their hips or just dropping your weight is usually all that is required to squash it.

I find the using that sling shot around your body as opposed to over your shoulder has a much higher probability for success and is easier to use for smaller stature people vs big guys. (it is unlikely that you will be attacked by someone smaller and weaker than you)

Examples of this would be Uchi Makikomi as opposed to Seio Nage

Uki Goshi as opposed to O goshi

Bone Slave / Sacrifice

Bone slave – I’m going to lock our skeletons together so we are like conjoined twins. Where one twin goes the other has to follow.

This concept can / should be stacked on top of all the other principles to make them work even better. As a stand alone principle it is the basis for a sacrifice throw. I have a tactical need to put you on the ground…

Vio Dy flashback, before we go further let’s look at why force is used

Escape
Control
Damage
Fight

Of those categories, in which of those does it make sense to go to the ground?

Escape? Hard to run while you are tied up on the ground with someone. In order to escape by putting someone on the ground you are going to have to control or damage them first anyway.

Control? – Sure that makes sense. Cops take bad guys to the ground for cuffing all the time.

Damage? – Yup

Fight? – Yes but fighting is social violence done for fun or to display dominance and is not a legitimate use of force anyway.

So back on point, tactical needs to go to the ground are reduced down to control or damage.

If you need to go to the ground to control or damage you can throw yourself to the ground and your conjoined twin has to follow. The mean little trick is to twist in such a way that they hit the ground first and provide you with something soft and squashy to land on.

Another place where sacrifice throws make sense strategically is when you need to increase chaos.

If you are losing (see also taking damage) you have nothing to lose by making things more chaotic

If you are being thrown to the ground there is a point where physics take over and there is nothing you can do to stop it. So drag that son of a bitch to hell with you. Remember, the mean little trick is to twist in such a way that he hits the ground first and provide you with something soft and squashy to land on.

Even if you hit the ground first, you can’t quit. Quitting is death. Keeps the momentum of the throw rolling. Find a way to win.

We have discussed removing their balance and structure to throw them. To be able to take advantage of their loss of balance and structure, and to prevent ourselves from being thrown. We must maintain out balance and structure.

Therefore...

The fourth principle has to be maintain your base.

Combatives.

My definition of combatives is starting with your primary weapon as a foundation and working back to empty hand from there.

I bring that up now because a good rule of thumb in maintaining structure throughout the throw is to ask your self "Am I in a solid shooting position?" "Would I fire a weapon from here?"

If the answer is no it probably means your structure is shot.

That is Judo's Jigo Hontai or defensive posture. Solid structure. You can also move while maintaining this structure. If your attempt to throw takes you away from a solid structure it is much more difficult to deliver force into the enemy.

When position and off balance come together the delivery method becomes more instinctive / obvious. Circumstances will dictate the throw. Use this naturally, accept the gift. Don’t fight it to get the Kodokan ideal.

Lots of Judo throws have added flash to make sure the ref saw what you did and you get credit for a full Ippon.

I don't need credit from a ref. I just need to smash that fucker into the ground.

A perfect example of this was Makoid Sensei's demonstration old man Osoto Gari on me last summer

He used the following model:

Grab
Move
Off balance
Fit in
Execute

But that model fits within the principles I mentioned today.

Grab - got into throwing range

Move & Offbalance - he moved into a position it was safe to throw from as he took my balance to the rear and twisted me so I couldn't move and all our weight was on my right foot.

Fit in - he maintained his structure while preventing me from regaining mine.

Execute - he removed the structure of my post (leg).

His feet never left the ground. He had no need for flash. It just had to work against a bigger, stronger, younger opponent with out much (if any) effort.

Takemusu Aiki is the spontaneous creation of technique

Position off balance and delivery come together as a spontaneous gift appropriate for the circumstance and the defender / threat factors.

Another thing Makoid Sensei said to me last summer, was that young instructors try to show how much they know by showing tons of techniques that no one remembers.

Old instructors show one or two principles that are remembered and give the students the ability to master tons of techniques.

It took me a while to figure out how to teach a few principles.

I have come to call these principles "Caveman Judo" although it can be applied to any style of throwing.

Why Caveman Judo you ask?

A couple reasons

To describe one of the reasons Rory Miller references the book "Angry White Pajamas". The book is about a guy from England that enrolls in the Yoshinkan Aikido Honbu Dojo Senshusei course.

Anyway in the book there is a story about some of the greatest Aikidoka of the time out drinking while mourning Shioda Sensei's death.

A fight breaks out and they all end up rolling around on the ground throwing wild punches.

Some of the best and most severely trained guys in the world and none of that skill was used in actual confrontation.

Rory makes the point - Under pressure you are going to be a cave man. Might as well train to be the best cave man you can be.

Another reason...

So easy a caveman could do it.

For throws to make sense tactically they have to be all but effortless. They have to be giant killers that small stature people can use against nightmare attackers.

Finally, like a caveman these throws are fairly brutal.
Slamming someone into the planet will cost them.

In review - The principles I have come to understand that make throws work:

Positioning

1
2
21/2
3

Offbalance

NOT
HOH
HOS
Platinum move

Method

Lever
Area Denial
Remove Structure
Trebuchet
Bone Slave / Sacrifice

Maintain your base

Takemusu Aiki

The spontaneous creation of technique
Position off balance and delivery come together as a spontaneous gift appropriate for the circumstance and the defender / threat factors.

It has been two weeks since the Violence Dynamics Seminar.

Since then I have been implementing these principles in my teaching, and the results have been impressive.

Lise has thrown me so hard (see brutal like a cave woman) I could smell colors

Rob (roughly 1/2 my size) "accidentally" threw me with a Harai Goshi. - Takemusu Aiki
Rob threw me effortlessly in such a manner that if I were in the air any longer I would have received frequent flyer miles from Delta.

Luke who started training with us two weeks ago, and Greg who has trained with us of and on are throwing spontaneously under pressure. Throwing at a level that usually isn't seen until brown belt (approximately 3 or so years of regular training)

Kristen was throwing instinctively after her first class!

I've been receiving requests on my face book page to explain these Caveman Judo principles further.
This blog is just a first step.

Soon an ODIN YouTube page containing video of these principles in action

After that I plan on putting together an e-book

Stayed tuned here for further updates

Train hard, Train Smart, Be safe

Also I just noticed I went an entire blog with out a comic book reference.
So for your entertainment here is one of my faves showing Batman kicking Superman's ass with Judo....and Kryptonite

Post Violence Dynamics brain dump

As I previously mentioned the Vio Dy seminar was a blast again this year. One of the reasons I go through all the work of putting something like that together every year is it always blows my mind.

So again, this blog will primarily be a brain dump of sorts to get the thoughts in my head on “paper” before I forget them. Allowing me to further develop them throughout the year.

So where to start?...

ODIN

Yeah, that is a real thing now. It has evolved from me getting grown ass folks to play G.I.Joe and Super Heroes with me in to a real brick and mortar / blood and bone entity.

We have card carrying members

We have active ongoing operations

I have a need to provide services I boasted I could accomplish.

So now I am in a place that looks a lot like – holy shit how am I going to pull this off?

Like eating an elephant, one bite at a time.

First bite - What is ODIN?

• Operational

• Disciplines

• Instructional

• Network

O.D.I.N. is the code name for the world's daring, highly trained special mission force.

An independent international intelligence service

Its purpose: to develop human potential.

Recruiting and training operatives to use their inherent abilities to defend human freedom.

O.D.I.N. training can provide the means to become more than what you are

To become the hero you are meant to be

People are wired to learn through play. As we get older we get “too cool” to play anymore and learning becomes a chore. Exercise stops being fun and becomes work.

ODIN / Super hero training is a way to be active and play again.

It is a fun way to develop yourself, and help others. It is in no way an actual independent international inelegance service hiding as a training program or a game. Because that would be ridiculous.

What are our goals?

Things I have stated on this blog that am I trying to accomplish:

Re-establish physical culture in American youth
Improve the level of and availability of training for professional force users.
Help individuals become more selfactualized - who they want to be. Not so much for their personal vanity but more so for the betterment of society.

In this way you are able to perfect yourself and contribute something of value to the world. This is the final goal of Judo discipline
- Jigoro Kano
“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people and more useful in general.”
- Mark Rippetoe

If it was easy someone else would have done it already

What is our purpose?

To do good

ODIN will provide the means to become more than what you are. To become the hero you are meant to be, so that you can be of service to others

How am I going to pull that off?

Well, I have a substantial to do list, and honestly I will need help.

What to look for in the not too distant future (also note any one with expertise in any of the following fields willing to donate said expertise any help would be appreciated)

ODIN website:

· Learn through play
· Distance learning
· Splinter Cells
· Operations

k
o

Again most of this (blog) is broad strokes, throwing spaghetti at the wall type deal. Getting my ideas down so that when I talk with people that know what the hell they are doing I can explain what I would like to make happen.

Learn through play

ODIN evolved from games I played when I was in college…

See Kato Cato experiment – http://practicalbudo.blogspot.com/2010/11/kato-cato-experiment.html

And playing Ninjas and Spy Girl with my daughters. “Spy Girl” is what we called the television show Alias

The premise of ODIN is whatever name is on your driver’s license, pass port, student id etc…, that is just your cover. You are (insert cool code name here) who is actually an agent of ODIN deep undercover.

How does this work through the web site?

I would like to set up a role playing type of game of a sort. The twist being, you are the character you are playing, and the goal is to “level up” that character into who you want to be.

How much time / effort does someone spend leveling up a character in a video game or even a table top D&D type game because it is fun?

If ODIN is fun enough can that transfer to leveling up one’s self?

I am currently working on developing and coopting tests to set baseline attribute scores.

Strength
Intelligence
Dexterity
Constitution (Toughness / Heart / Game)
Wisdom (Common Sense / Life Experience)
Charisma (Social Skills)

Ideally these tests will be fun / play as well. Like the which Star Wars character are you type quiz people take on Face Book to kill time.

http://www.zimbio.com/quiz/Ukldm8Pi5Ub/Star+Wars+Character

But more like this
http://www.kevinhaw.com/add_quiz.php

Instead of data mining to sell you shit you don’t need or set you up for identity theft, these quizzes will help you get an objective look at yourself. Allowing you to see what victim profiles you may fit into, what your strengths are, and where you could use improvement.

I am also currently working on ways players can earn experience points by working on areas that need improvement.

I’d like a phone app that connects to, gains info from other apps. For example let’s say physical fitness is an area you need improvement on. My fitness pal is a great app that tracks your work outs. I’d like to be able to link that app to the game so you get so many points for working out.

Here is an advertisement for a work out game on Xbox one...
Add some fun to your fitness routine - Tired of going to the gym and repeating the same old boring workout routine? Shape Up is the game that proves working out and having fun is possible. It features unique and entertaining 90-second challenges that transform the chore of exercise into a good ol' time. You might even find yourself looking forward to your next cardio blast or circuit training session.

Something along those lines. Making training fun, a game. No matter what area you are working on improving

Also in RPG’s skills are different from attributes. What skills do you have? What skills do you want?

How do you become:

James Bond

Jack Bauer

John Wick

Batman

Operational Disciplines (Skills)

Fire Arms

Edged Weapons
Blunt weapons

Urban Survival

Wilderness Survival

Understanding Force Law

Violence Dynamics

Conflict Strategy

Avoidance

Escape / Evade

De-escalation

Fundamental Combatives

· Structure / Power Generation
· Joints Locks / Breaks
· Counter Assault
· Striking
· Take Downs
· Ground Skills
· High End Use of Force

1^st Aid

· Self Care

· Buddy Care

EVOC – Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (Driving Skills)

Scuba Diving

Flying

Sky Diving

Rappelling

Interview / Interrogation

Investigation

Asset Recruitment

Computer Skills

Code / Cipher Skills

Leadership

Operation Development

Training Development

Operational disciplines can be scary subject matter. There be dragons here.

How do you convince those that are afraid and risk averse, that risk can be enjoyed, and skills learned that will help one navigate uncertainty.

Sadly, the people that need this most tend to be the least likely people to seek it out.
The 250 lb. former linebacker gets a kick out of learning to be Jason Bourne.
However, the 120lb sophomore co-ed is the one that is on nearly every single victim profile. She is the one that needs Bourne's skills.

How do you get her to train in scary things? To face her dragons?

How do you sell the idea in the first place. That it's a good idea at all ... especially to those that are just waiting for society to become safe?
"Why should I train?, men should be trained not to rape"

Provide a safe environment to expose yourself to scary things.
Establish that what we are providing is in no way blaming the victims of crime for not having this type of training or for night fighting back.

You can have all the training in the world and you still may become a victim of crime.

I like to compare it to swimming, even the best swimmers occasionally drown.

However, in an emergency, that swim training can tip the odds in their favor.

No one calls swim lessons or competitive swimming drown victim blaming.

Everyone is afraid of the water until the learn to dog paddle.

Swimming is fun

Learning about awareness is not about being afraid or that danger lurks everywhere

A lot of people (women particularly) don't like to even consider it as it makes the world seem more threatening.

ODIN makes awareness a game, if you pretend to be a spy it isn't as scary

fake it until you make it

If you play the game enough that it becomes a habit you have ingrained operator skills

Those ingrained skills send off subtle not to be fucked with, find easier prey elsewhere vibes that pros and assholes will pick up on. Removing people from victim profiles

ODIN is fun

Be the best you. Not everyone has a need or a desire to be Batman. There are lots of very cool characters in the Batman books without whom the Bat could never exist.

Not everyone wants to be Batman so in order for ODIN to be fun for everybody, and to benefit from different skill sets and points of view ODIN (the game) has to have different character classes.

Just as every Marine is a rifleman 1^st then what ever job they are assigned, all ODIN agents will work to improve and gain new Operational Skills while benefiting society with the other skill sets they already have.

Examples of other character classes / ODIN branches may include

ODIN Scientific Branch

Scientific Branch skills may include

Research

Web Design/ Development

Game Development

App Development

Equipment Development (Q stuff)

ODIN Artistic Branch

Skills may include

Logo Design

T-shirt Design

Poster Design

Clothing Design

Watch Making

Jewelry Design

Furniture Design

Wood Working

· Training Weapons

Knife Making

As the game evolves and more people play I’m sure more character classes will develop. I want everybody willing to contribute their skills to do good to have the opportunity to do so.

[Anyone who has game playing (DM) experience and or computer skills that could help me develop this please contact me in the messages]

Distance learning

Once a month I put on Super Hero training for the Hamline University Martial Arts Club in St. Paul covering a broad spectrum of Operational Disciplines throughout the academic year.

Physical Skills

Physical Agility Testing
Structure / Power Generation
Principles of Joints Locks
Counter Assault
Principles of Striking
Biomechanics of Throwing
Fundamental Ground Movement
High End Use of Force

Academic Topics

Introduction to Operational Disciplines
State Statutes and understanding force law
Violence Dynamics 1 – Social Violence
Violence Dynamics 2 – Asocial Violence
Conflict Strategy 1 – Avoidance
Conflict Strategy 2 – Escape / Evade
Verbal skills – De-escalation
Verbal Skills deterring asocial violence

We have been having a lot of fun, we have been learning through play and I have been figuring out ways to provide elements of this experience through the website.

Video of Academic Lectures
Power Point Presentations
Self-training exercises and drills
Work outs
E-books
Lesson plans

The N in ODIN is Network right?

Batman traveled the world to train with experts in many disciplines.

On the site I would like to have at least some basic intro level material on all the Operational Disciplines previously listed.

I have tapped some guys already, and or if you are reading this and I know you have skills in a particular area expect a message / phone call soon.

I also feel this can be a great opportunity to drive business to people I know are excellent but are relatively unknown.

Which if I may say so myself is an excellent transition to…

Splinter Cells

A couple of goals / ideas I have with this

1) Those previously mentioned unknowns. This sounds arrogant as I type it but I’d like to have some sort of stamp of approval for folks I know are legit and I can confidently send people their way to learn quality skills. Like a subtle logo on their website or something.

People that know the logo will know. The uninitiated will not. Also shows those in the know that there are active agents in that area. Mission capable agents (more to follow)

...But we are initiated aren't we Bruce...

2) For folks that live nowhere near anyone listed in 1). Splinter cells can be groups of people doing the distance learning programs together. They are a way to develop study groups. These groups can then host training opportunities and we can send Instructors to them.
We can develop instructors in these areas.

Teaching

Training

Conditioning

Play

Always return to play

Part of the mission statement is to do good.

How does one go about doing that?

How is that play?

Do good

On the way to the airport with Rory Miller we had a conversation. That talk planted the seed of how I could make this happen.

We were talking about guys that dress up in Super Hero costumes. For the most part they seek out opportunities to be seen in their outfits. Halloween only comes once a year. There are only so many comic cons or free comic day events they can go to. Sometimes in order to be like heroes they will dress up and give sandwiches or first aid to the homeless.

Sometimes even pros play this game.

Helping people to be seen is one thing.

I'd like to offer another

Helping people from the shadows.

Learning through play, make helping people play, learn while helping people...without being seen

I'd like to make part of the game earning xp (and other rewards) for successful completion of altruistic operations, and developing such operations (creating opportunities for Operatives to use their skills to help others)

Good deeds done dirt cheap

The O – Team

If you need help..If you have a problem... if no one else can help... and if you can find them... maybe you can hire... The O-Team.

Ideally we will be able to set something up like the TV show "Stingray"

On the show, Ray, who lives in Southern California, devotes his time to helping those who are in trouble. His background is shadowy; all that is known about him is that he advertises surreptitiously in newspapers, ostensibly offering a "'65 black Stingray, for Barter Only To Right Party" and including a telephone number (555-7687). Those wishing to enlist his services, presumably having learned the ad’s real meaning by word of mouth, can call him for help.

Ray does not charge money for his help. Instead, he extracts a "favor" from his client in advance that the client will repay Ray in the future by performing this favor, perhaps easy, perhaps difficult, upon Ray’s request. This favor must be given by the client. The favor can involve the current case on which he is working, or a future case.

Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, consider this justice a gift on my daughter's wedding day.

— Don Corleone, The Godfather

Sound Cool? I think so

I imagine something like this once we are up and running. One guy wants to earn xp designing an op. So he gets a flyer advertising volunteer services placed in the Sunday newsletter of a local church. Some grandma goes to a page on the site and fills out the request form. Or calls a number and someone else does the web stuff because computers might scare grandma. Either way the parameters of the mission are set, and we get to know some things about grandma. For the sake of explanation lets say she needs her lawn raked and tree removed. We also learn that she enjoys knitting and is part of a knitting circle that meets Thursdays from 3-5pm.

So guy goes to the website and sends out the Bat signal:
Need Operatives in the greater Minneapolis area for lawn care and tree removal next Thursday from 3-5. If special skills were required it could be listed as a requisite for participation. Also gives people with those skills an opportunity to earn points using them to help others.

So guy gets a crew of say 10 operatives. A couple of specialists with landscaping skills and equipment and some others that can handle a rake. They cut down the tree and clean up the yard and disappear like shadows.

Kagenorenmei.

Specialists earn points they can use to level up or trade to acquire new skills, say like one free class ant the next VioDy seminar.

Grandma comes home and it is a miracle, what she asked for happened.

Next week she receives a call or an email.

We require no payment. If you want to show appreciation tell others how to contact us for help. Also if you would like to help others, your knitting circle could make 30 pairs of gloves.

Guy gets points for running an op and turning an asset

Next month 30 pairs of gloves somehow show up in a warm clothing drive for the homeless.

If we do our job right only those we have helped will know we exist
We will become an urban legend

Ok that is the general idea. Nothing to it but to do it.

Anyone that wants to get in on the ground level and help me get this beast up and running any help would be appreciated

Train hard, Train smart, Be safe (don't get caught)

Yo Joe!

Project Goshin

That sounds like a cool spy flick.

James Bond will return in - Project Goshin (Que theme)

Goshin Jutsu has been on my mind a lot lately.

Dillon and I have been working on the Keishoukan Budo Syllabus for 2015.

Incorporating Dillon’s Karate instruction as a regular part of the “Dirty” Judo class.

As such I wanted to make sure that our Atemi Waza covered all of Judo’s Atemi Waza.

In doing so I discovered that good information on Judo Atemi Waza is difficult to find. Usually just a chart of anatomical weapons to use and another chart of vulnerable points on the human body that are good to hit.

Can you imagine if throws were taught this way?

This is a picture of your hand use it to grab him. Here are some places that are good for grabbing.

The strikes of Judo Atemi Waza are rarely taught as they cannot be used in randori or shiai.

Mostly they are in the Kime no Kata and Goshin Jutsu Kata.

"Applying techniques of throwing and grappling to which body attack techniques are added, Kime no Kata is formulated to aim to acquire the most basic and effective way of defending ourselves from unexpected attack of others. The practice of Kime no Kata aims to study not only the principle of defense and counterattack but also the principle of manipulative body movement. In the practice of Kime no Kata, tori and uke should breathe in good harmony with each other, and further, tori has to work his body manipulatively without laying himself open to an attack of uke." Kata of Kodokan Judo Revised, 1968

Kime no Kata, also known earlier as Shinken Shobu no Kata (Combat Forms), was developed as a Kodokan kata around 1888.

*judoinfo.com

The Kodokan Goshin Jutsu was created nearly 70 years later in 1956 by a Kodokan working group to update the older kata with more modern forms of self-defense. It also shows the influence of Kenji Tomiki, one of Professor Kano's students, who also studied Aikido under the founder of Aikido.

The intent in this kata is different than with normal Judo practice, in that this is a self-defense kata, the intent on the part of both participants is to hurt the other. While the actions are controlled, so that the attacker is not hurt, the defender's actions can easily be modified to disable the attacker.

*judoinfo.com

"I seek not only to follow in the footsteps of the men of old, I seek the things they sought."

- Matsuo Basho

What was Kano seeking in the use of Judo for self defense?

“to acquire the most basic and effective way of defending ourselves from unexpected attack”
“the defender's actions can easily be modified to disable the attacker.”

I seek those things too. I don’t need to copy them exactly from 1888 of 1956 I need to focus on universal principles that allow one to defend from unexpected attack and respond in a scalable fashion depending on the goal as dictated by the circumstances.

Fighting to the goal - 3 reasons to use force:

· Escape
· Control
· Damage / Disable

"Judo is the study of techniques with which you may kill if you wish to kill, injure if you wish to injure, subdue if you wish to subdue, and, when attacked, defend yourself."

- Jigoro Kano

The more I look at incorporating fundamental striking to achieve those goals the more “old timey boxing” or “BKB” Bare knuckle boxing makes sense.

Here is an example form Carl (Judoka and WWII combatives Instructor)

Old school Bare Knuckle

The fundamentals of BKB may appear silly to modern boxers but they made perfect sense for their time place and purpose.

That most closely matches up with the needs of personal protection (Goshin Jutsu)

Those principles are what are needed for effective self defense striking and have a common core with the striking of WWII Combatives and pre-war or Okinawan Karate.

Boxing removed from sport rules applied to personal protection has been embraced in the Filipino Martial Art Panantukan or “dirty boxing”

Panantukan is just boxing unrestricted by sport rules. As such looks a lot like old timey BKB boxing and old Karate.

Just as judo unrestricted by sport rules is the devil ( I mean that as a compliment to its effectiveness) and looks a lot like old timey catch wrestling

The principles that work are the same and survive the test of time no matter what you call them.

K.I.S.S.

Keep
It
Simple
Samurai

As I mentioned in the last blog when looking with a critical eye at Nage Waza (throwing techniques)

I have begun to think that a stone has too many moving parts.

What do I mean by this?

The more parts (bells and whistles) the more things can go wrong.

Better served by a few very solid principle based skilled sets that work against nearly everything.

“to acquire the most basic and effective way of defending ourselves from unexpected attack”

“the defender's actions can easily be modified to disable the attacker.”

As opposed to trying to memorize a specific technique as a counter to every possible specific attack.

Learn to handle what happens most and you can handle most of what happens.

Video of silly stuff gone wrong

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2014/12/29/7460253/watch-risky-mma-attacks-gone-wrong

Ok smart ass how do you plan on doing that?

2015 Keishoukan Budo Dojo Format

In Japan a 3 hour Judo class is the norm. In the west that may seem extreme. Many successful commercial schools offer a variety of 1 hour classes.

I find one hour very limiting and I do this for my fun and personal development more than as a business so like Sinatra said I have to do it my way

Average American martial arts class – 60 Min

Probably 20 min warm up, 20 min skills, and maybe 20 min drills

This is how we roll

Keishoukan Budo class 21/2 hours (150 Min)

15 Minutes Warm up

45 Minutes of Striking

- That is a lot of striking for Judo class. That is more striking than a typical Karate or Boxing class.

- Why so much you may ask. If the need for striking skill for personal protection hasn’t already been made by the first part of this blog, allow me to include a portion of Omar Ahmad’s White Paper on Katamedo Jujutsu

A practitioner of Katamedo JuJitsu will be able to compete equally in any grappling or mixed martial arts setting. Katamedo stresses that the principles of grappling are constant, as are the skills involved... The principles of the arts are common, only the rules differ. As such, a JuJitsuka must also learn the principles and tenets of atemi waza, or striking, which are common to many traditional arts…. The most confident fighter is one who can compete on equal ground no matter what the rules.

Or as Bruce Lee said...

Continuing...

40 Minutes of Ground Skills

50 Minutes of Standing Grappling

And once a week we add an additional 30 minutes of Randori (Freestyle)

One of the reasons Judo replaced Jujutsu was randori and shiai. Being able to go full out against a resisting opponent. The allowed techniques were paired down for safety but that training methodology gave Judo (any art Wrestling , Boxing) an advantage against those that offered no such similar training.

Military Schools, and Police Academies used to have Boxing, and Wrestling clubs (sometimes Fencing clubs too) for this very purpose.

I have ranted before how today’s youth going into careers that use force professionally have never been in a scrap.

We cannot teach them the same old ways.

I want to offer a relatively safe way to learn those hard lessons.

So in summary, Project Goshin is my quest to use Judo to defend from unexpected attack and respond in a scalable fashion depending on the goal as dictated by the circumstances for:

• Professional use of force

• Personal Protection

In order to do that I have further incorporated the principles and tenets of atemi waza, or striking, which are common to many traditional arts (Karate and BKB Boxing)

Further to provide safe ways to pressure test skills and expose students to resistive conflict we will have weekly fight nights exploring different styles of free style training for the different aspects of combatives.

- ONE STEP

- NE WAZA

- NAGE WAZA

- ATEMI WAZA (Kumite / Boxing)

- JYU WAZA

- RANDORI (FREESTYLE JUDO Rules)

“I have found that anyone who trains in a system and uses sport or stress training is way better off than reading every violence dynamic article and book you can get. But just so you know, you should do both. Educate yourself in self defense and sport.”

- Omar Ahmad

If anyone would like written out rules / explanations of how we do those freestyle drills hit me up in the comments.

In conclusion I want to end with promoting Freestyle Judo

With all of the nonsense the IJF is pulling…

http://www.bjjee.com/featured/international-judo-federation-prohibits-judo-athletes-to-compete-in-bjj-other-grappling-competitions/

… it is refreshing to see others saying we have to do it our way as well.

http://www.freestylejudo.org/

You can check out their site from the link above but I wanted to include this excerpt:

Freestyle Judo - The way Judo ought to be

There is only one Judo, and that is the Kodokan Judo of Jigoro Kano. Judo is more than simply a sporting event; rather, it is a complete martial art that has adapted over the years to various fighting styles and techniques. Kodokan Judo includes techniques from wrestling, sambo, and of course modern jujitsu. However, over the past two decades many of these fighting styles were discouraged, and eventually penalized, in tournament Judo for reasons cited as "better television viewing". Unfortunately, the resulting rule changes resembled Greco-Roman wrestling in a kimono, all the while professional Mixed Martial Arts grappling gained in television popularity.

Freestyle Judo brings back the "Golden Age" of Judo competition by embracing the fighting styles of wrestling, sambo, and modern jujitsu. Competitors who specialize in standing techniques can throw for ippon. Wrestlers who prefer lower body attacks can shoot for the legs. Grapplers who specialize in submissions have the time and flexibility to fight on the ground. All of these styles are good Judo.

A judo coach observing a Freestyle Judo match for his first time remarked; "That looks just like judo." The answer was; "That's because it is judo. It's just judo the way it ought to be done." Good judo is good judo and the rules of Freestyle Judo allow judo athletes to use all the skills of judo during a match.

Freestyle Judo encourages participation from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestlers, and Mixed Martial Arts enthusiasts by providing an open-ended competition format.

Freestyle Judo is endorsed by Dr. AnnMaria De Mars, World Judo Champion, former president of the USJA, and mother of Ronda Rousey, UFC Champion and 2008 Olympic Judo Bronze Medalist, as the "Ultimate Judo Style for MMA".

Freestyle Judo is an outgrowth or continuation of judo as a sporting activity with adaptations in how a judo match is scored making it an interesting and positive approach to judo competition. It's most definitely not our intention in any way replace the Kodokan Judo of Jigoro Kano. Judo, as a combat sport, has stood the test of time and whether people realize it or not, has been the technical and theoretical basis for many other combat sports as well. There is only one judo and that is the Kodokan Judo founded by Professor Jigoro Kano in 1882. How people view a sporting event is directly affected by the rules of the game. Judo is no different. The rules of the sport of judo have changed through the years, and as is the case with any physical activity, these changes in the contest rules affect how people teach, learn and train in judo. Freestyle Judo's rules offer athletes and coaches another opportunity to compete and dispay their skills in the sport of judo. Freestyle Judo is not intended to replace the existing rules of judo; rather, Freestyle Judo offers more competitive opportunities for everyone who takes part.

Freestyle Judo is not a different "system" of judo. Good judo is good judo. The rules of Freestyle Judo encourage all the skills and strategy of good judo to be used.

Freestyle Judo uses a numerical point scoring system for both throwing and ground fighting. This provides an objective set of criteria for allowing the athletes (and not the referees) to determine the winner and loser in the match.

Freestyle Judo is Judo, the way your sensei did it. If you are old enough to remember how judo was done in the 1960s through 1980s, you will remember that judo is really a combat sport. Freestyle Judo allows all the elements of good judo to be used in a safe and fair way. No soft or rolling Ippons and the referees allow the athletes time to engage in newaza. Freestyle Judo is not for the faint of heart. It is what judo was intended to be as a combat sport.

Freestyle Judo is the only form of sport judo that includes a "no-gi" category. Basically, no-gi Freestyle Judo is "judo without a jacket."

You can have the sport of Judo without the art. But you cannot have the art of Judo without the sport. Freestyle Judo rules even if just for in house randori give a solid foundation to enhance the art through the sport.

Train hard, Train smart, Be safe

Every September Katamedo Jujitsu schools around the world (particularly St. Louis) participate in self defense September.

As the name indicates training focuses on the personal protection aspects of Jujitsu.
That is right in my wheel house. Other Instructors help me with different aspects (competition / sport side) of Jujitsu

I figured this was an opportunity for me to contribute.

First martial art is not self defense.
People train in martial arts for a variety of reasons such as exercise, sport, a social activity, and for self-defense.

Martial art is not self defense.
However, martial arts can serve as a solid foundation for self defense but certain specific skill sets and knowledge are required.

"Judo is the study of techniques with which you may kill if you wish to kill, injure if you wish to injure, subdue if you wish to subdue, and, when attacked, defend yourself."
- Jigoro Kano - Founder of Kodokan Judo

I wrote this primarily for the Katamedo schools, but the games / drills described in this blog can be enjoyed by anyone reading this.

Playing at being an Operator allows you to develop Operator Habits(fake it 'till you make it). You practice being aware. Those habits send a distinct - not to be messed with vibe

An experienced threat will recognize you as a hard target and move on to an easier victim, minimizing the probability of ever having to use physical skills.

Physical skills training should not be ignored, clearly. If for no other reason than you need to be competent to project confidence.

The physical skills of martial art is largely personal preference. The best martial art in the world is the one you enjoy doing and will practice the rest of your life.

To make that martial art viable for self defense requires an understanding of:

Self defense law and local statutes
Violence Dynamics (social vs asocial violence)
How violence happens and how criminals operate
Conflict Strategy

Avoidance
Escape / Evade
Deescalation

Counter Assault training to survive long enough to use your physical martial art skills.

More important to self defense than any physical skills is developing the attributes of adaptability and awareness

As I mentioned last blog Katamedo Jujitsu has developed progression training specifically to inculcate adaptability.

So then, how does one train awareness?

Awareness is one of those topics that tends to receive only lip service.

"You should always be aware"

Well no kidding.
That is like saying "You should always be undefeated" and then never practice.
Ok sign me up for the tournament, coach has a plan, step 1 win, step 2 don't lose - I think I got it

If you don't train tested / proven methods of winning saying don't lose doesn't help much.

Always be aware - duh, but how?

As discussed previously, people learn faster and the information becomes “wired” to the part of your brain that will be most active in conflict when you learn through play.

So let's play

(Push Play)

Your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to join ODIN in playing a series of games designed to ingrain awareness and operator habits into your every day life.

Should you, or any of your ODIN team be caught, captured, or killed the Director will disavow any knowledge of you assignment.

Good luck.

This message will self destruct... eventually (faster if you are using Microsoft)

What is ODIN you ask?

Operational
Disciplines
Instructional
Network

O.D.I.N. is the code name for the world's daring, highly trained special mission force.

An independent international intelligence service

Its purpose: to develop human potential.

Recruiting and training operatives to use their inherent abilities to defend human freedom.

It is a fun way to develop yourself, and help others. It is in no way an actual independent international inelegance service hiding as a training program or a game. Because that would be ridiculous.

Game 1 Escape / Evade

This game can be played anywhere but it is especially useful to play when you find yourself in places where violence happens (as we covered in avoidance)

For example at a Restaurant - Bars & Grill - Sports Bar:

People get their minds altered

There are private places

Bathrooms
Parking lots

Young men gather

Territories are in dispute

Rival Sports teams

Limited mobility or escape routes

Crowded

You, are no longer you. The information on your driver’s license or school ID is just your cover identity.

You are an undercover operative for ODIN behind enemy lines.

If you are captured you will be tortured and killed

You can’t risk a physical confrontation if spotted

Your best chance for survival is escape

Locate all the exits and avenues of escape

Doors
Emergency exits
Bathroom windows if any
Kitchen
Walls you could break through
Windows you could break

Threat assessment scanning

Consciously seeking out anomalies in pattern and discovering why things are different

Scan every one up and down once break sideways

(Be discreet, don’t bring attention to yourself)

Things to check for :

Hands
Weapons bulges

Partners

Unusual behavior

Are they sending a creepy vibe ? (trust your instincts)

What is their physical description?

Are they a threat?

How would you take them out?

(Without being noticed)

Game 2 Predator Eyes

Awareness is a word that is used a lot. But what does it really mean?

What should you be aware of?

If you look for every thing you’ll see nothing

So instead, know you are looking for behavior on either side of normal.

Do you remember the song from “Sesame Street”?

♫♪“One of these things is not like the others,♪ one of these things does not belong.”♫ ♪♫

That is what you need to look for. Something out of place, something that does not belong

Ask any person that does crowd control, works a door, bounces, or enforces laws (professionals), they will tell you they look for the disturbances, the unusual in the patterns and once they find that disturbance then they identify why it is unusual.

To help ingrain this skill, instead of looking at every place where you could be attacked, look at places you could use to set up an attack if you were a predator.

How would you hold up the restaurant?

Is there anyone doing things you would need to do to hold up that restaurant?

Is that weird?

Other Examples:
On your daily route where would you wait to mug yourself?
If you were a process predator (enjoy the act) where would you set up to make a quick snatch?
How would you break into your own home?
Where would you come into your office on a shooting spree?

Is there anyone at those places?
What are they doing?

Is that weird?

Ingraining the habit of active threat assessment scanning will discourage the threat. It sends a signal.

Professionals (those who deal with - use violence for a living) will recognize the scan if even only on a subconscious level.

An experienced threat will see you doing this recognize you as a hard target and move on to an easier victim.

Those first two games are like learning a technique. The next game is like drilling the technique that you just learned in order to be able to do it in competition against resistance.

Game 3 Clothespin game

We play this game every fall at the Violence Dynamics Seminar
Holy seamless transition Batman
Click here to sign up spaces are filling up fast, sign up today

(More on Vio Dy 2015 next blog)

We play the Clothespin game at Vio Dy because it is one of Rory Miller's Drills as featured in

"Drills:Training for Sudden Violence" By Rory Miller
(You should buy the entire book, here is a link Buy this book)

Here is how Rory explains the game:

WW1: The Clothespin Game

This one is fun and appropriate even for children. It could be done in a training hall, but I was introduced to it in a Challenge Course Facilitator Training program and the outdoors works for me, as will any place where you have a group of friends or training companions together.

The game requires a clothespin and a group. It can be done while you are doing something else—out hiking, doing a survival class, running through scenarios, whatever—

Early in the day, before the first meeting or briefing, when people start to show up, you clip the clothespin to one of the people. This shouldn’t be hard. If you can’t attach a clothespin to one of a group of unsuspecting people without being caught, you probably aren’t ready for this game.

After that you announce, “One of you has a clothespin attached to your clothes. That person has been assassinated.”

Then you explain how the game works. If you find the clothespin on yourself, you can get rid of it by putting it on someone else. If you catch someone trying to pin you, they can’t try on you again and, if you want, you can announce to the rest of the crowd who to watch. It is in your own best interest not to let people know if you find the clothespin and not to tell the person who is currently pinned.

At the end of a designated time—half hour, hour, or whenever the group leader feels like it-- “It’s time. Who has the clothespin?”

Whoever has the clothespin has been assassinated and must sing a song to the assembled group.

The primary purpose of the drill is obvious. To succeed you must be extremely alert to who is entering your space. Further, you are playing this game while doing something else—nature photography or building shelters or rock climbing or shopping or whatever. That is a different type of awareness, a hindbrain-forebrain link where most of your mind is concentrating on the task at hand while the rest keeps watch.

The secondary benefit is in public singing. Some people rate public speaking as their greatest fear. In my experience, the adrenaline from performing tastes like the adrenaline from interpersonal conflict. You don’t want to sing in public and make a fool of yourself. I can guarantee you won’t want to fight and take a chance on being killed or crippled. Both are things that you don’t want to do on a very deep level. Both are things that you must force yourself to do.

Singing is a major step in using will to overcome the freeze.

ODIN sprang from games I played in college, and games I play with my daughters.

Here is an example from an article I contributed to the aforementioned "Drills:Training for Sudden Violence" By Rory Miller
(Did you mention you should buy this book? I even provided a link for ease of purchase - Buy this book)

Kasey Keckeisen is a good friend, a superior martial artist and a SWAT operative, leader and trainer. Several of us have done experiments and exercises like his Kato-Cato, but few have written about it so well. And so with his permission:

I did an experiment years ago in college that helped me start to understand some concepts about how violence happens in the world and how to adjust training methods to compensate for the differences.
I called it The Kato - Cato experiment because it happened in ManKATO University and it reminded me of Cato from the Pink Panther movies.

Around 1997 – 1998 I was going to Mankato State University, I was a black belt in Aikido cross training in Goju Ryu Karate and Judo. I had just read “Autumn Lightning: The Education of an American Samurai” by Dave Lowry.
In the book there is a story of a young Samurai who seeks out training from a sword master. After the master finally accepts him as a student he begins a series of grueling and unusual training methods. One of these methods was that the master would wait until the samurai was engrossed in one of the many menial tedious tasks (cooking, cleaning, gathering firewood, daily life, etc…) required of an apprentice, then jump out and whack him with a bokken.
At first the samurai would get knocked out. Then he would barely get out of the way but spill all the food or firewood. Eventually the samurai would evade or block the bokken with the lid from the teapot or the kindling he was carrying continuing on about his business. Only then would the master start allow him to pick up a sword.

I decided that I needed to recreate that training experience for myself. At that time I was living at the fraternity house with 20-30 some odd guys.
I chose 5 guys that lived at the house, had classes with me, and knew my schedule. Basically they had access to me 24 hours a day. I gave these guys a big piece of neon colored chalk (the kind kids use to write on driveways) roughly the size of a tanto.

I made a bet with them that if they could leave a chalk mark on me in a vital area (not just counting coup or point sparring) I would buy them dinner and they could sign the clothing they marked and I would have to wear it for 24 hours letting everyone know who “killed” the great and powerful Kasey.
They got one chance for a lethal attack. I had one chance to block / evade. I promised I wouldn’t lock, throw, or strike them – just block / evade.
Some lessons that stuck with me:
•Awareness
•Reading Terrain
•Improvised weapons
•Threat Assessment
•Counter Ambush
•Midbrain or Monkey brain - My Kryptonite
•Violence Dynamics

I didn’t have terms to express the lessons I learned until I started reading and training with Marc and Rory. Many professionals have experienced these concepts and reality for themselves. However, it is difficult to express in words and even more difficult to convey to others. Luckily Marc and Rory have been developing a common lexicon of terms to express the realities of violence. Like Syd Hoar’s book “The A-Z of Judo” where he lists all the different names the same technique go by. When I read that book I was like I know that technique only I call it x. With the realities of violence its like, I’ve experienced x only I call it y. I played this game in 97 but I will use terms I’ve recently adopted into my teaching method to convey the lessons I learned.

As Paul Harvey used to say here is the rest of the story.
Just playing the game improved my awareness. Again, becoming actively aware that you are looking for anomalies in pattern makes a tremendous difference in the identification and assessment.
First I was looking for those five guys, which was fairly easy. Then those guys would give the chalk to other guys I didn’t know were playing the game. However, unless you’re a sociopath hunting and killing people even just playing at hunting and killing people is hard. There are telltale signs. Subconscious weapons checks, hiding hands, target glances.
They came at me when I was sleeping, they came at me when I was eating, they came at me at school and I was very successful at detecting and deflecting their attacks. How was I killed you ask? A lot of these attack prevention skills are used by your forebrain. I was killed when I was forced into my Mid Brain or “Monkey Brain”.
Monkey brain is where the term monkey dance comes from. Basically your monkey brain is concerned with the f’s. Fight, Flight, Freeze, Feed, and Fornicate. I used fornicate because my Dad say I use the f bomb too much in my writing. I hear you thinking “Kasey you didn’t answer the question how did you get killed?”

Ok, so my buddy who is beautifully devious was dating a very attractive girl. She reminded me of Neve Campbell and she had a belly ring (this is back when belly rings were new and exotic and only for women who had nice tummies). So he gives her the chalk. She blatantly flirts and uses her feminine wiles. All my Samurai skills awareness, threat assessment etc...(forebrain) turn off. Monkey brain takes over. All the monkey can handle is Fight, Flight, Freeze, Feed, and Fornicate. So where my Forebrain should have thought:
•I have a girl friend
•She has a boy friend (my good buddy)
•Why is she acting like this?
•Basically looking for anomalies in pattern

My Monkey brain thought:
•Boobies
•Tummy
•She totally digs me
•Ouch how did I get stabbed with chalk?
Good thing I had an understanding girlfriend (she eventually married me.)
The “temptress” used social skills to commit asocial violence. That’s how I got killed
And now you know the rest of the story.
So how can I prevent getting killed in this manner? Learn how to prevent or delay the monkey brain from taking over.

A lot of people have talked and written about the Cooper Color Codes. White for oblivious in a safe place, Yellow for on alert, Orange for imminent danger, Red for under attack.
I have heard at least one instructor say that you can’t live in condition yellow. That’s not true. Not only is condition yellow perfectly natural, it is not stressful or paranoid. It is energizing. It is simply paying attention. The same skill that will let you know when a human predator is disturbing the flow around you will let you know that the gulls are swarming a school of fish you can’t see, or read tracks in the frost or smell a change in the weather. There is nothing special about condition yellow, it is just living, aware, in the moment. It is natural for all animals.
Any time you spend in condition white you aren’t living anyway.

Which leads us to game 4

If games 1 and 2 = Technique
And game 3 = Drill

Game 4 = Competition against resisting opponents

Straight out of the Kato / Cato Experiment

Game 4 The Chalk Game

You will need at least 5 players and a box of side walk chalk. (I suggest that All of Katamedo St Louis play)

Rory added the following italicized portion in the Drill book. Use it to set up the guidelines of how you want to play the game.

•Real risk. Whether pain, the embarrassment of singing in public, wearing a shirt with the winner’s name or buying a dinner on a student’s budget, it has to hurt to lose.

•Incomplete control. You don’t get to know all the rules. Kasey’s friends recruited others. He didn’t see that coming the first time.

•Train for what you are training for. The purpose of a global awareness drill is to detect danger, not to practice impromptu knife fighting.

Attacker gets one chance for a lethal attack. The attacked gets one chance at Counter Ambush - block / evade.

•As important as real danger might be, you have to make it safe on a number of levels:

oYou don’t want people to get injured, so safe training weapons are actually better than unarmed attack. Part of what you need to sense is commitment.

oYou don’t want anybody going to jail. This is simply covered by recruiting smart friends. Smart friends will recognize that they don’t want to draw a scene or attract attention at something that, at a distance, might look like an attack or a fight. Excellent, because real criminals don’t want witnesses either. This safety factor makes it more, not less, realistic.

Also Remember!
Should you, or any of your ODIN team be caught, captured, or killed the Director will disavow any knowledge of you assignment.

•No safe times or safe places. You might want them or think you need them. You don’t. If a place is safe it should be because you made it safe, not because of an artificial rule that can become a habit of thought.

•On-going throughout the exercise and again afterwards, you should have personal ‘debriefings’ where you go over the lessons that you have learned in each encounter and each encounter avoided.

Participants that successfully complete all four games during the month of September will be eligible for consideration of recruitment into ODIN on a trial basis upon approval of you Regional Directors.

Good Luck!

Train Hard, Train Smart, Be Safe

Be aware

Don't get caught

It is that time of year again. Time to start promoting the Violence Dynamics Seminar

We strive to refine the product and improve the training every year.

This year we changed the seminar to a four day format to make attendance more viable for everyone.

We chose to break down the massive nine day format into three different four day seminars. Each focusing on a different aspect. Rotating the focus between the three every year. This allows for more time and in depth training.

Some new instructors are presenting material from different perspectives. We are also alternating between physical and academic to help participants stay fresh and promote a more sustainable learning environment.

Additionally the Q-Crew from Querencia Fitness (Check out their Facebook page here) will be presenting principal based movement to help us all move better in the long run and survive the physical training in the short run.

Classes fill up quickly and capacity is limited so be sure to sign up soon

You can sign up now by clicking the link to Randy King's KPC Self Defense web site (Click here to register)

I am very excited for this new format. This seminar has traditionally been very successful, and I feel this is the best version of it yet.

All the fundamental things that make Violence Dynamics unique and necessary are covered, plus new twists and deeper training variations for the OG's (Original Gangstas - Participants that have attended multiple Violence Dynamics Seminars and lived to talk about it).

So, if you haven't already clicked the button to reserve your spot, let me further entice you with a brief run down of the seminar

THURSDAY 11 / 19 / 2015

The Mermaid Convention Center Atlantis Ballroom 2200 County Road 10 Mounds View MN 55112

8-8:45

Introduction to Violence Dynamics

Class Description

Welcome to Minnesota
Introduce Instructors
Get to know participants
Introductory Paper work

Instructor

Kasey Keckeisen

9 – 9:45
Introduction to basic drills
Every year at the Violence Dynamics Seminar there are basic drills we run. This class will be an introduction to those drills, safety briefing for training, and serve as a "pre-test" to help individually customize training.

Taking a note from the Q-Crew's book, the "pre-test" also serves to show the participant how much they have progressed when we revisit these drills through out the seminar.

Instructor

Kasey Keckeisen

10 – 11:45

Social Violence

Class Description

Students will demonstrate an increased knowledge of violence as it relates to interpersonal conflict

Course Objectives:

At the end of the course students will understand the different types of common violence; the motivations and patterns and be able to distinguish physical and de-escalation tactics appropriate to each type.

Training Topics Include:

Maslow’s Hierarchy and Types of Violence

Patterns of Social Violence

Monkey Dance (MD)
Group Monkey Dance (GMD)
Educational Beat Down (EBD)
Status Seeking Show (SSS)

Distinguishing Social and Asocial Violence

Instructors

Marc MacYoung & Randy King

1 – 1:45

Striking Power Generation

Class Description

Students will demonstrate the ability to apply power without relying on strength

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, students will understand the elements of delivering power in a strike and will be able to effectively demonstrate three ways to apply power that do not rely on size or strength.

Training Topics Include:

Structure

Using gravity as a force, speed and range multiplier

Power Generation

Combining all these factors

Instructor

Dillon Beyer

(I think this was his Kindergarten ID photo)

2 – 2:45

Striking Targeting

Class Description

If the last class can be summarized as how to hit hard, this class can be summarized as where to hit and with what

Instructor

Dillon Beyer

(Hey Omar, watch me break Kasey's ribs)

3 – 4:45

Asocial Violence

Class Description

This class is the sister to the Social Violence class and completes the understanding of Violence Dynamics. The ability to recognize the violence you are facing and the skill to deal with it appropriately.

Training topics include:

Patterns of Asocial Violence

Panic / Primal
Resource
Process

Distinguishing Social and Asocial Violence

Instructors:

Marc MacYoung & Randy King

(So tempted to use the most embarrassing picture I could find but I kept it professional)

That is quite a day, I'm sure you are scrolling back up to the top to hit the register now button. But wait - there is more

Day 2 - FRIDAY 11 / 20 / 2015
8 - 8:45
Counter Assault A
(Discussion and principles)

9 – 9:45
Counter Assault B
(Application and drills)

What is Counter Ambush?

Counter Ambush is about the first contact of an assault. The critical quarter of a second.

When a threat attacks you, he has a plan and is counting on surprise. He is expecting you to freeze, allowing him to succeed. An operant conditioned response will kick in before that adrenalin dumb. At the speed of nerve. It will give you one technique with all your speed, power and precision before your fight or flight response kicks in and robs you of your fine and complex motor skill. An operant conditioned response will mess up a threats plan, especially if it causes him damage. It will force the threat to reorient and have his fight or flight response kick in. It doesn’t guarantee victory (nothing can) but it sure helps level out the playing field

- Rory Miller (Author of Meditations on Violence and Scaling Force)

Training Goal

Students will display the ability to recognize pre attack indicators, prevent opportunities for assault, and recover form ambush attacks to regain the initiative.

Specific performance objectives

Students will be able to:

• Understands what victim profiles they may fit

• Recognize where / when they are most at risk

• Recognize the conditions necessary to launch an ambush

• Protect themselves from violent attack by mitigating those conditions

• Understand the physical and psychological factors involved in high stress human performance

• Develop conditioned responses to sudden violence

• Follow up with tactics and techniques to quickly end the confrontation

• Prevail in violent close quarters confrontations

Instructor

Randy King

(Following the pattern of this blog I probably should have another picture of Randy here but I found this photo of a really really really attractive Police Officer demonstrating some of the counter ambush skills we will be covering and we all know sexy pushes blog views)

10 – 11:45
Logic of Violence

Class Description

This is an advanced class. It isn’t about escaping from a wrist grab or what to do when menaced with a knife. From the very ground up, we are going to use the tools of disaster planning to create and evaluate self-defense systems.

Does it require advanced martial knowledge? No. But it will require attention and creativity. If you are still collecting techniques or stuck in the belief that self-defense is primarily a physical skill, this class isn’t for you.

If you already feel that you know everything and the answers you have been given by some higher authority are unimpeachable, this class isn’t for you. If the deep purpose of your instructor or system is to make sure you always have an answer and never have to think for yourself, stay home.

If you want to explore and experiment with the subject of violence; if you want to engineer your own high-end self-defense plans; if you want or need skills in understanding violence, predicting violence and articulating your decisions; if you are a creative professional who wants your characters and worlds to ring true... then this class just might be for you.

Topics Include the goal,parameters,victim profiles, and locations of different types of violence

Instructor

Rory Miller

(Look at all that hair, and all those working joints)

Allegiance Fitness (Judo Room) 2240 Woodale Dr Mounds View MN 55112

1 – 2:45
Mechanics of Throwing

Class Description

Judo is best known for its spectacular throwing techniques. However, in sport Judo these throws work because of a “gentlemen’s agreement” not to hit or kick each other, to follow a specific set of rules, and competitors are separated into different weight and gender categories .

Practical applications of throwing principles have to work without such an arrangement, against a hostile aggressor that will attack you in any manner available to them.

Training Goal

Participants will display proficiency in taking subjects down and controlling them on the ground

Specific performance objectives

Participants will be able to:

•Understand the principles of what makes a takedown work

•Takedown and control larger stronger Subjects

•Improvise takedowns under pressure

•End violent confrontations quickly

•Avoid unnecessary force

Training Topics Include

How to fall

Maintain Your Base

Fundamental Motions

Positioning

Getting a Grip

Off Balance - Destroying their base

Delivery Methods

•Lever

•Area Denial

•Remove Structure

•Trebuchet

•Body Throw / Sacrifice

Instructor

Kasey Keckeisen

The Mermaid Convention Center Atlantis Ballroom 2200 County Road 10 Mounds View MN 55112
3 – 3:45
Force Law (Pre-arrest)

Class Description

A break down of the common elements of use of force law, state statutes, and policy.

The goal of this class is to escape from legal jargon and give participants a functional usable understanding of use of force law.

Go home safe
Don't get sued...successfully or for civilian personal protection, don't get arrested.
Dont't end up on you tube

Instructor

Kasey Keckeisen

(I don't represent the law, I am the LAW)

4 – 4:45
Force Law (Post-arrest)

Class Description

What to do if/when you are arrested for using force in a self defense scenario

Learning Goal -- Citizen interface with investigating officer

Course Objectives -- At the end of this course students will demonstrate an understanding of assisting an officer in his/her investigation over a use of force incident. As self-defense is an affirmative defense articulation of circumstances that justified the use of force must be clearly conveyed.

Topics Include

Self-Defense -- affirmative defense

Justification -- The act by which a party accused shows and maintains a good and

legal reason in court, why he did the thing he is called upon to answer.

Articulation

Officer's job:

Personality test:

Initial contact:

Making a statement:

Instructor

Marc MacYoung

5:00 – 6:00
Principle based movement

Q Fitness

Operational security alert

The folks at Querencia Fitness asked me not to give away their lesson plan on a open intel source. (Julio wouldn't even tell me his real name for 2 years). So if you want to discover what they have in store for us you are going to have to come and find out first hand. From the training I have received from them previously, I know it will be outstanding.

Plus there is a high probability you will get to see Dillon wearing lululemon (lady's lululemon)

How much would you pay for this seminar? $1000, $2000?

But wait there is more!

Day 3 SATURDAY 11 / 21 / 2015

The Mermaid Convention Center Atlantis Ballroom 2200 County Road 10 Mounds View MN 55112

8-8:45
Con Com A

This is one of my favorite classes we offer and has served me well personally and professionally. Saturday will be heavily focused on Con Com with every academic training block dedicated to it
9 – 9:45
Con Com B

1 – 1:45
Con Com C

2 – 2:45
Con Com D
Instructor Dillon Beyer

To help prepare for this class you can click here (Buy Rory's Book)

10 – 11:45
High End Use of Force

Course Description

Students will understand when the use of high levels of force is justified and have the skill sets necessary to end violent confrontations efficiently with or without weapons, regardless of size, age or gender.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

Students will demonstrate basic understanding of how human anatomy can be exploited to end violent confrontations.

Students will demonstrate skill protecting themselves against lethal threats

(Just kidding, they are not hugs, or free)

Allegiance Fitness (Judo Room) 2240 Woodale Dr Mounds View MN 55112

3 – 4:45

Ground Skills

Students will show proficiency in moving a opponent on the ground

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, students will understand the elements of balance as it applies both standing and on the ground and will be able to demonstrate an ability to manipulate those elements.

Topics Include:

Elements of balance:

Finding the most efficient line:

Manipulating the base:

Manipulating the Center of Gravity (CoG)

Ethics and application of pain:

Integrating all elements:

Instructor Rory Miller

(Guys that work over nights hate it when you try to take off their satin sleepy time mask)

I know you want to scroll back up to the top to click the buy now button, but wait there is still more!

Day 4 SUNDAY 11 / 22 / 2015
8-8:45
Basic Drills Post Test
Keckeisen

8:45 – 9
Conclusion paper work
(Course reviews)

9 – 9:45
Mall Training Brief
Miller

The rest of the day I am going to play close to my chest. I know Rory has some surprises in store. Also we are going to be in an open public location, so more specific details will only be reveled to participants with confirmed course reservations.

Did that sound cool? It sounded all covert spy craft as I typed it

That is the most in depth course description I have ever provided for VioDy.

If you are a Law Enforcement Officer Minnesota POST credit is available.

Along those lines I read some feedback on facebook I wanted to address directly

The description on the website is preaching to the choir. I want to attend because I know Rory, etc but I also want to share this with an audience that doesn't know your instructors and doesn't have a clue what the abbreviations on your schedule mean.

It would be great to see a description that your mom could read and understand.

I get that it's lots of fun to play with the same people all the time but this information is soooo important and useful for people outside of your usual audience.

Here's hoping we can make it from Alaska.

Other feedback included

Learn how the bad guys think and how to avoid them and/or defend yourself from them.

This training is going to be amazing! I took a class from Rory Miller 2 weeks ago entitled Ambushes and Thugs. It changed the way I look at the skills I need to defend myself and those I love from a threat.

Don't be intimidated by the instructors or description. All skill levels will get something from this class.

1) I hope this blog can serve as a description my Mom can read and understand

2) I am proud of the high level teachers we have assembled for this. However, these guys have the smallest egos, and are some of the easiest people to work with I have ever encountered in the field. Everyone there is interested in making the participants the best versions of themselves they can be. As opposed to creating flawed imitations of the Instructors for personal gratification.

I can see how coming into this from outside the "tribe" can be scary. However there is no reason to be intimated by any of these guys. They are very inclusive, even if you have never trained with us before. Just ask my wife who ends up cooking extra food for rando strangers that get invited to our house after training every year. (Seriously stop inviting people my wife doesn't know to our house, she knows where I sleep and where I stash my weapons)

So now you know all about the training. You know that it is for all regardless off skill level or physicality.

How much would you pay for this training opportunity? $1000?, $2000?

We probably should ask for that much, but all involved are passionate about getting the information out there.

So we offer this seminar for the low low price of $425 for the entire seminar or $160 per day

I am attaching a poster for the event. Please post in your school, place of employment, gym, Police Department, any where you think people likely to be interested might see it

If you bring three, you train for free.

Meaning if you bring three people with you, your registration is free.

Train Hard, Train Smart, Be Safe

See you in November

Hey everybody, I am excited to announce that Maija is coming to the greater Minneapolis / St. Paul metro area.

Who is Maija Soderholm?
Author of the Sword and Circle Blog
Author of The Liar, The Cheat, and The Thief

Maija is a student of the Visayan Style Corto Kadena and Larga Mano of Maestro Sonny Umpad

Sonny's method encompassed empty hand, feet, short and long blades, sickles, projectiles as well as sticks and canes. Though primarily an edged weapons system, the cane and the Bogsai are also considered vital parts of understanding the whole.

One of the most interesting elements of the system is learning how to use short weapons in the manner of long weapons, and longer weapons at very close range.

Maija is in the Cites to work on, and I quote "A super secret project". Her days will be filled with what ever she crossed state lines to accomplish and does not feel comfortable discussing with a Police Officer.

Luckily for us that leaves her nights free to play.

The following is a fairly laid back schedule and subject to change.

Wednesday 10/7/15
7-9 PM
Jujitsu at Allegiance Fitness.

One of the cool things about this trip is getting to see how the things that Maija does and the things that I do work together. What aspects are the same , where are they different and why. To get that ball rolling I figured a good start was for her to see a basic Jujitsu class.

Thursday 10/8/15
7-9 PM
Play time at Allegiance Fitness - Kung Fu

I know Maija has a Tai Ji teacher who lives in Minneapolis she wants to meet up with.
Dillon won't shut his yap about how he wants to steal as much of Maija's Kung Fu as he can.
So I figure we can use Allegiance Fitness as a centrally located training facility and just play.

Play, but with the vibe of Kung Fu.
I'll also use this opportunity to introduce some fundamental motion exercises that relate to the fire arms training we will be doing later on.

Friday 10/9/15
7-9 PM
Play time at Allegiance Fitness - Tacticool

One of the things I would like to work with Maija on is deployment of an edged weapon at close quarters. So if you carry a blade regularly as part of your every day carry, bring a training version of it and we will play. I also invite all Law Enforcement and Military reading this to bring in their kit and trainers (if possible) to see if they can get to their blades under pressure. I'll be bringing my gear and rigging equipment (Molle / Tie Downs) if I or anyone else needs to re-rig their kit after the experience.

I will also use this opportunity to further explore how fundamental motions of empty hand martial art apply to fire arms skills.

Saturday I don't have to work, and Maija's super secret project should be wrapped up so we get to play all day

Maija's primary purpose on coming to Minnesota is the super secret project.
Having a martial arts seminar is secondary to that, but can also help off set her costs.

So we are going to have a seminar.

The folks at Q Fitness stepped up. They wanted to host the seminar. Cool, one less thing I have on my busy plate. All I have to do is show up and train? - Fantastic!

I started planning, they started planning. They didn't know I was planning the same thing.
Hey, that is a snake. No that is a tree. Wait it is an elephant.

I take full responsibility for any confusion, that is on me, but it actually turned out pretty cool.

The seminar is to off set Maija's costs. Maija likes to keep the numbers down for more one on one instruction. Both Q and I planned seminars.

So guess what?
2 seminars on Saturday!!!
Double the opportunities to train

When: Saturday 10 / 10 /15
10 - 1 (or earlier so we can eat and get to the after noon seminar)
$25
The after noon seminar can pay for Maija's travel expenses
This money can pay for scotch, cigars,admission to the SPAM museum, and bail money depending on how the super secret project goes

Where: Allegiance Fitness 2240 Woodale Dr Mounds View MN 55112

I want to thank Anna Valdiserri for making this poster for me. If you don't already, you should be reading her blog God's Bastard at https://godsbastard.wordpress.com/

When developing this seminar with Maija I figured I am pretty confident in the edged weapons skills I am most likely to ever have to use. However, I have old shit knees from Football and Wrestling. It is not outside the realm of possibility that I may need a cane some day. It would be really cool to be able to pound the piss (justifiably and within state statute of course) out of some one with a cane.

Fast foreword to about 2:48

So for Maija's part, the workshop will focus on power generation at short range and give a glimpse at the incredible versatility of the cane as a weapon. In a way it is even more complex than the sword, having 3 distinct ranges, 2 ends, and the ability to switch right and left hands.

Based on what I learn playing with her Thursday and Friday, my part will cover the similarities of stick and knife with Jo and Ken and how those fundamental similarities apply to effortless / combat effective throws.

Sounds cool right?! I'm excited

Saturday After noon will be hosted by Q

<< Sword/Play :: Exploring Human Movement with Maija Soderholm >>

Join us in welcoming Maija Soderholm to Minneapolis! She has graciously offered to share her expertise in the pursuit of self mastery through the lens of martial studies--mostly Filipino style weapons, and sword play specifically. Take advantage of this incredible opportunity to experience excellence in teaching, learning and movement.

The weapon is said to be an extension of the body, and in this Sword/Play workshop we will look at how different weapons demand different movement paradigms depending on their usage. Form follows function, and in this case, the function is defined by the weapon and the opponent.

WHEN: Sat., Oct. 10
WHERE: St. Louis Park, MN
WHAT: Maija Soderholm teaching in MN!

There are only 10 spots for this seminar! Registration will be first-come-first-served, pre-paid (by credit or debit card), and online. Registration will open at 3am (yes, 3AM) on Friday, September 25th.

*** Email start.here @ querenciafitness .com with subject "a minute with Maija" to receive the link and instructions to register. ***

(photo credit: http://anglerangetiming.blogspot.com/)

Looks like we are keeping Maija very busy on her trip to "The North"

There will be some down time as well. One of the evenings after training I plan on having her over to stately Keckeisen Manor for some steak, scotch and cigars.

It has become tradition for my daughters to try to "assassinate" any instructors that visit the house.
They have earned the collective code name "Gungnir" because they have never missed. They have "killed" them all.

Gungir was Odin’s own spear. Its main ability was that it hit whatever you threw it at. It didn’t matter how strong or how skilled you were, whatever you threw Gungnir at, you hit.

Around the fire over scotch and cigars is actually where I've learned the most form folks I've invited to come teach.

So I figured it would be cool if I could re-create that environment for the readers of The Budo Blog, which leads me to ...

5 questions with...
Clearly the first instalment will be 5 questions with Maija Soderholm.
In the comments bellow write a question you would like me to ask Maija. Top 5 questions make it into the interview. Interview will be posted on YouTube, and this blog.

Maija warns, "People may not get the answer they want if they ask boring/obvious questions ...."

So ask good questions and make me look really smart.

Last but not least Sunday 10 11 15
Just as Q is experimenting with hosting a martial arts seminar, I am experimenting with presenting tactical fire arms training to the public.

As this is a trial run it is by invite only. If things go the way I hope this will be a regularly offered ODIN presentation.

The effective use of firearms is the logical “next step” in martial arts weapons training. Certain forms and principles remain the same.

I am excited to establish these forms and principles early on in the play and see how they manifest on the range.

Helping me with this is Cabot Welchlin

Who is Cabot Welchlin?

Cabot Welchlin retired from a 33 year law enforcement career that included employment in both police and sheriff’s departments. He functioned in many capacities, but most notably the past 21 years as a use of force instructor; serving as Lead Instructor, SWAT Team Leader and SWAT Training Coordinator. Welchlin and Chameleon Survival strive to provide instruction and insight for both law enforcement and the ordinary people of their communities. Lessons and course work are flexible and will seldom be considered repetitive, boring, or run-of-the-mill; constantly changing and adapting …….. Chameleon-like.

Check out his website here Chameleon Survival

Cabot was the SWAT training coordinator before he groomed Mike and I to take over for him

Regular readers will know I don't give out compliments easily, nor will I call just anyone Sensei. Cabot is my shooting Sensei. As confident (cough, cough, arrogant) as I am with my skills. There is a reason Cabot will be the lead Instructor for this training. Clearly, he is a good shot. But I have never meet anyone who is as good at making other shooters better than Cabot.

I have been talking about making this presentation a real thing for a couple years now, I am excited to finally (pun fully intended) pull the trigger on it.

If you are in the area next week come and play
If not write a question for me to ask Maija

Stay tuned for here for future training opportunities

Work Hard, Work Smart, Be Safe

Katamedo translates as the way of grappling

A major tenant of Katamedo JuJitsu is that the principles of the grappling arts are common, only the rules differ.
Whether the rules are department policy or rules of engagement for professional use of force, state statutes for personal protection or sport rules for competition in any grappling or mixed martial arts setting.

The principles of grappling are constant, as are the skills involved; it is the techniques of applying these skills that holds the potential for the progressive evolution of the art.

A practitioner of Katamedo JuJitsu will be able to use these skills within the context appropriate to the circumstances

For example, a great freestyle wrestler will be able to adapt to sport judo, jujitsu, Sambo, Capoeira or Greco-Roman wrestling, and vice versa.

The most confident fighter is one who can compete on equal ground no matter what the rules.

For personal protection and professional use of force you have to be able to compete on equal ground no matter what the rules. Confidence in this is built through competence. Competence is built using modern sporting methods to prepare practitioners for the situations they will be called upon to face and train them to deal with those situations in the most realistic manner safely possible.

This is what separated Kano's Jujitsu from other older schools and led to Judo becoming the preeminent Jujitsu style in Japan.

Live training that embraces all forms of grappling.

There was a time when Judo was growing that the Kodokan sent out representatives to teach and compete all across the world.

This interaction with other grappling styles spurred positive changes. Judoka were getting taken down with a double leg, so Judo incorporated Morote Gari

Morote gari (双手刈) is a double leg takedown adopted later by the Kodokan into their Shinmeisho No Waza (newly accepted techniques).

This is representative of the best attitude shown by the best people I have trained with.
If you catch them in something, they don't get mad. They don't bump up the intensity to retaliate. They respond with something like - Wow! that was cool how did you do that?, or show the class how you did that to me?

Then they work on incorporating what you did, or learning how to defend against it.

Sadly, that is not the case in Judo any more. Instead of incorporating or defending, rules are changed to make more and more things illegal in competition.

Some Judo organizations going so far as to bar their members from participating in any other form of grappling competition besides Judo.

The primary focus of my school is personal protection and professional use of force.
I employ modern sporting methods so that we can train against a resisting opponent as realistically as safely possible.

I also want to offer students interested an opportunity to compete. Randori in class and Shiai competitions are not "fights". However, there are some things you can only learn by stepping in the ring - pushing yourself to do something uncomfortable.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

- Theodore Roosevelt (Boxer, Wrestler, Judoka)

I want my guys to be able to do this safely with out a rule set that will ingrain negative habits that could get them killed in an actual confrontation.

The best rule set I have found is USA Combat Wrestling

WINNING THE MATCH:
1. Tap or verbal submission to joint lock or strangle hold
2. Technical victory via 12 point differential
3. Majority of points.
4. In case of equal score, the winner will be determined by the following factors:
a) Player with less cautions wins
b) If neither player has any cautions, the player with the highest scoring throw/takedown will win
c) In case the score is still equal, two extensions of 3 minutes are permitted. In the two extensions, the player who scored 2 or more points first wins. If the match finishes without a clear winner, the referees can vote to declare a winner based on his performance (active game play, willingness to finish the match, submission attempts).

POINT SYSTEM:

1. Throws/Takedowns:
1 point for throws/takedowns landing the opponent on his front (belly) or on his buttocks, and he is not lifted off the mat.
(What would be Koka in Judo)

2 points for throws/takedowns landing the opponent on his side.
(What would be Yuko in Judo)

4 points for throws/takedowns landing the opponent on his back, or throws which lift the opponent off the mat with full rotation over of elevation higher than the attacker’s hips (landing position is not considered in throws where the player is rotated or lifted above the attackers hips for a throw).
(What would be Waza-ari in Judo)
There is no Ippon or win by throw

*Pulling/jumping guard risks being scored against as a throw.

*Players are not penalized for disengaging subsequent to a throw (in other words, you can urge your opponent back to their feet).

*Players who lift a grounded opponent (from turtle or belly down position) above the elevation of the attackers hips can score throw points.

*Wrestlers using flying armbars, flying triangles, etc, must bring his opponent to at least his knees for action to continue. Otherwise, the submission attempt will be considered a standing submission (illegal) and action will be stopped.

2. Positioning:
1 point for back mount (two hooks in for 3 seconds).
1 point for mount position (held for 3 seconds).

*Back mount and mount points can only be score once per match.

3. Pins:
Pins are scored when the top player has immobilized his opponent with torso to torso positions passed the guard (mount, side control, north-south, chest compression, etc). A player can score a pin from a back to chest position IF he is not being threatened by submission from bottom player. Pins can’t be scored from guard or half guard.

1 point will be awarded for a 10-19 second pin.
(Koka)
3 points awarded for 20-29 second pin.
(Yuko)
4 points awarded for 30 seconds.
(Waza-ari)

There is no Ippon or win by pin
*A maximum of 4 pin points can be scored per match. If the pin is applied in the end of the match time, the immobilization will be allowed for the full length, even if exceeding the duration of the match.

For in house randori we usually don't keep score, but if we do I like to add 2 points for a reversal and 1 point for an escape like "folk style" wrestling.

CAUTIONS AND RELATED TOPICS:

1. Inactivity. If the two players are not active on the ground, the referee will break them up and the action will be restarted from standing in the center of the mat. The referee can award cautions to both players at his discretion if Inactivity continues after verbal warnings.

2. Failure to engage. If one of the players is reluctant to fight and continues to fail to engage after a verbal warning, the player will be awarded caution and 1 point will be granted to his opponent. If the inactive player continues to avoid engagement, a second caution will be awarded and 1 point to his opponent. A third caution leads to immediate disqualification.

3. Rude and un-sportsmanlike behavior and/or verbal & physical aggression towards any event staff or official, by any player or his coach, corner man or team-mate.

4. Disqualifications: In case of 3 cautions. The referee can disqualify any player at his discretion in the case of a serious foul. Malicious or uncontrolled application of any submission can lead to a disqualification.
5. Prohibited actions:
a) Use of closed guard (full guard).
b) cervical and spinal locks.
c) Small joints manipulation (fingers/toes/wrists).
d) Heel hook.
e) Spiking on the head
f) Throws against the joint.
g) Standing joint locks.
h) Any kind of striking.
i) Slamming
j) Use of Vaseline or any similar substances on the body.
k) Biting, scratching, eye gouging, fish hooking.
l) Any kind of non- sportsmanship behavior.

Two mottos of the Keishoukan Dojo are:

Maintaining traditions of the past.

Utilizing the best training methods of today

and

Time Tested

Pressure Tested

In order to safely use modern training methods to pressure test your skills you need to take a smart and considered approach.

The following video is fairly lengthy, but makes a lot of good points.

A lot of the suggestions they make, especially for people in their first 6 months are built directly into our training methods.

I like to work a 12 week peak program
We start with principle based drills to help people learn to see and improvise.
Then we start to use more force on force drills focused on problem solving with each person having a specific task to accomplish.
Finally we move to freestyle drills.

Even in freestyle although we are competing the focus is on helping each other learn.

After 12 weeks we start again with principle based drills.

This method helps prepare students for increasingly difficult training.

Sadly most of today's youth have never played a contact sport yet alone been in a fight. Also most young women grow up never rough housing. So they never learn the unwritten social rules of violence, and all violence becomes perceived as wrong or evil. (Not good when you need to use violence justifiably to protect yourself)

This method also helps me get a read of who I am teaching.

If someone gets overly aggressive (emotionally out of control) or competitive during the intro drills they will be dangerous at higher speed drills

I reserve the right not to teach anyone.

The Dojo has to be a emotionally safe place to practice physically dangerous things.
It also has to be a physically safe place to practice emotionally difficult things.

That sounds pretty profound right? Honestly I just stole it from Dillon I don't if it was his or if he was quoting someone else but the sentiment rings true.

Another tenant of Katamedo JuJitsu is that every person has his or her own set of abilities and disabilities. Katamedo embraces practitioners of all abilities, races, religions and creeds.

Katamedo believes that organized sports and occupations can assist in providing important values and habits that help to organize the individual and assisting him or her in everyday life. One may have a challenge in life like attention deficit disorder, depression, visual impairments or an amputation. These in themselves do not preclude performance. They may initially impede performance, but in the end, the diversity and richness that these individuals provide improves themselves and all others involved.

With this 12 week peak method I want to provide everyone an opportunity to receive the positive benefits of force on force training.

Some of my students are dealing with a life time of injuries. I can't let them get hurt. I want them to learn, the things you can only learn by stepping in the ring - pushing yourself to do something uncomfortable.

So I wrestle them. I am confident in my control that I won't hurt them. I know I won't get all weird competitive.

I also benefit from this training. I improve my skills by the just enough method.
What the hell is the just enough method?

Rory Miller told me a story of his Sensei Dave Sumner.
Rory was young and dumb and thought Judo was the only thing worth while in the world, and while he couldn't train in Judo at the time he would give this Old Jujutsu school a try. So he sat in seiza and watched an entire class. Eventually he introduced himself. Finally he rolled with Dave, and although Dave was tough, and the head of this school he just barely beat Rory. Then Rory watched him roll with someone else, and Dave just barely beat that guy. So fourth and so on until...
Rory realized that Dave was so good he could roll with anyone adjust what he was doing so his partner was striving and struggling and learning, and then beat them by just enough.

Any chuckle head can crush someone of lesser skill and or physical ability. It takes something much more to to win by just enough.

So, all my guys have an opportunity to train in randori no matter what physical challenges they may face.

I also want to provide opportunities to compete for those interested.
I am working with Allegiance Fitness in the Metro and Lee's Champion Tae Kwon Do in Mankato to host a USA Combat Wrestling open grappling competition twice a year (Once in spring and once in fall)

Why USA Combat Wrestling?
Besides the rules that embrace all styles of grappling as mentioned before, the reason I chose to work with this organization is Tim Kuth

I met Tim (on line at least) 6 or so years ago through Taiho Jitsu International. Steve Jimerfield's organization.
Tim is a Police Officer and runs a martial arts school TK Martial Arts
click here to check out his school

Tim is also a Katamedo JuJitsu Instructor.

Sounds pretty cool right? I know a guy just like that. When guys have this much in common they either become good buddies or bitter rivals.

I got to meet Tim in person this summer at the USMAA National Training Camp where he taught Muay Thai.

Luckily we became pretty good buddies. So when I saw he was involved with USA Combat Wrestling I looked into it further and liked what I saw.

They are inclusive to all grappling styles. The rules make sense. The rules are for safety, not to give an advantage to any one style over another. Nor to make grappling more exciting for the spectator.

Judo, Wrestling, any grappling sport is not a spectator sport. Honestly it is boring to watch and no adjustment to the rules is going to change that.

Grappling is boring to watch...unless you grapple, or know the person who is grappling. Then it is very exciting.

Grappling is a participation sport not a spectator sport. If we (as a grappling community) want to increase viewership of grappling events, we need to increase the amount of people that are actively participating in grappling.

USA Combat Wrestling is a way to achieve that.

My sister Kay loves to watch collegiate wrestling. Why? Because she knows how to wrestle. She was the practice partner at home for my older brothers for years. When she would come home from the Air Force for Christmas she would routinely kick my ass through my sophomore year (even then I think she was taking it easy on me so I wouldn't cry).

As fun as wrestling is to watch for someone who has wrestled, and watched family wrestle. Watching wrestling will never be as fun as WRESTLING.

USA Combat Wrestling can provide opportunities to my daughters that my sister never had.

It can also be a life long pursuit. It is easy to let your self get soft. If you continue to challenge yourself, doing what is necessary to maintain capibility becomes habit. Not a hobby, a lifestyle

Do you want to be part of USA Combat Wrestling?
Of course you do. Who dosen't?

Well, you can't be any geek off the street. You have to be good with the steel if you know what I mean.

Do you know the riddle of steel?

"Crom is strong! If I die, I have to go before him, and he will ask me, 'What is the riddle of steel?' If I don't know it, he will cast me out of Valhalla and laugh at me." ~Conan the Barbarian

The true strength of steel is in the hand that wields it – in other words, it is the resolve and commitment we bring to a task, not the quality or quantity of tools we use in performing it, that is the most important factor in determining success.

So if you are willing to put in the work you can be part of USA Combat Wrestling

USA Combat Wrestling is open to any club from any wrestling or grappling style that wishes to join USACW in our efforts to help promote Combat Wrestling in the United States. If you practice, compete & encourage training for the Combat Wrestling rule set at your club, you are eligible to be listed in the club directory. As your club becomes more active with USA Combat Wrestling and earns competitive achievements, they will be noted along side your club’s directory listing.

To apply click here

Train hard, Train smart, Be safe

I really like this quote from the movie “The Forbidden Kingdom”

Jackie Chan as Lu Yan:

“Kung Fu is hard work over time to accomplish skill. A painter can have Kung Fu, or the butcher who cuts meat with such skill, his knife never touches bone. A musician can have Kung Fu, or the poet who paints pictures with words and makes emperors weep, this too is Kung Fu.”

A similar description for Kung Fu was given in the Netflix series "Marco Polo".

It makes sense as the writer for both of those is John Fusco

Small world, Dillon used to train with John at Vermont Kung Fu Academy

The point being hard work over time to accomplish skill is a path to "the way".

"The Way" can be used for anything

Another way of looking at this was mentioned in a recent episode of Doctor Who titled "The Woman that lived"

In the previous episode Ashildr was made functionally immortal. In this episode the Doctor catches up with her 800 years later.

- The Doctor: You're immortal, not indestructible. You can be hurt - killed, even.

- Ashildr: 10,000 hours is all it takes to master any skill. Over 100,000 hours and you're the best there's ever been. I don't need to be indestructible - I'm superb.

Cool episode, made even cooler by the fact that Ashildr is played by Maisie Williams who also plays Arya Stark on Game of Thrones (she is my fav)

Fanboy mode off, let's get back on track.

Why I bring this up now, is that after last week playing with Maija Soderholm using different weapons and styles I feel "the way" reveals itself through motion.

Regardless of what you are using the motion for there are only so many ways a human body can move. Some motions are more efficient than others.

When you remove all the motions that require strength or speed,or are representative of only one very specific physical endeavor, the remaining motions are going to look awfully similar.

None of us are indestructible, or even immortal, however, we can all be superb.

We can't devote 100,000's of hours to training in different skills. So we must make the most of the 10,000's of hours we can train and learn how to make that work for other skills.

The trick is not to let things get compartmentalized. Rather use your way the way as you know it for new purposes.

Adult learning theory calls this building bridges to previous learning.
Building a new skill out of parts of things you already know how to do.

Recently I helped Cabot put on a class - Firearms for Martial Artists.

After a solid level of familiarity with the weapons was attained you could see the fundamental motions sneak through as the students had to move to cover and transition to different shooting positions.

The information was no longer compartmentalized as gun stuff over here, martial arts stuff over there. Gun stuff is martial arts stuff. This is how I move, becomes no different than this is how I move with a gun.

We were out there for about 6 hours. In those 6 hours we pushed the students further than I have ever pushed a beginner's class before. This was possible because they were like sponges, they wanted to be there, and didn't have bad habits to break.

This was also possible because Cabot excels at building bridges to the students' previous knowledge.
It is customised individual training. Not a one size fits all cookie cutter approach.

Because they were sponges, and martial arts "nerds" they asked for home work.

- Ashildr: 10,000 hours is all it takes to master any skill. Over 100,000 hours and you're the best there's ever been. I don't need to be indestructible - I'm superb.

These are the type of folks, that if you give them a drill they will find time to work that drill to mastery.

So I told them I would post some drills on the blog.
With out further adieu - Gun Fu.

"I know gun fu"

C'mon you know you just read that in Neo's voice

Dry fire drills

I started typing out all the dry fire drills that I do. It was a pain in the ass, and if you haven't already done the drills the descriptions really didn't make much sense.

So I figured I'd talk one of my partners into filming a couple of the drills.

Randy King makes a video rant like every 4 months so how hard can it be?

Bullet Balance

Move Draw Shoot

So there you go, two very basic drills you can work every day to be a better gun fighter.
All it costs you a a little time and effort.

Hard work over time to accomplish skill.
You won't be indestructible, or even immortal, however, we can all become superb.

I hope you liked the videos, if you would like to see some more gun fu, let me know in the comment section.

Making the videos was actually much harder than Randy makes them look.

Train hard, train smart, be safe

Been a long time since I rock and rolled.

I'm back, sorry for the delay

That is one of the things I will be writing about on this installment of the blog

Post Batman by 40 I have had ups and downs. .

There is no stasis, no good enough. There is only improving or deteriorating.
Victory had defeated me. I grew complacent to some extent.
No longer.

I have learned a lot, I have access to experts, and thanks to Omar Ahmad I have a group that supports the effort and holds me accountable to a higher standard.

Now time for Beyond Batman. Prepping for my 43rd birthday, my 25 year high school reunion, and re-firming the foundation of continued progress.

Steve Jimerfield often says you should be more fit when you retire than when you were hired.
Challenge accepted.

This point was driven home recently. I responded to a lift assist. 80 something male had fallen and could not get back up. When I entered his house I noticed several framed pictures of Karate competitions and various rank promotions. My partner and I helped him up and waited for the ambulance. While we waited we talked about Karate and martial arts. He spoke of all the things he used to do and how he missed them. He wondered if he would need to move to a rest home because he can no longer get around. I was polite and we had a pleasant conversation. However, the whole time we were talking I couldn't help but thinking to myself, no fucking way. I'm never going to allow myself to be this guy.

That call made me think of my Dad

That is him in the North-stars shirt

My Dad is older than that guy. Everyday he is on the treadmill or lifting weights. It has been that way since around '86. His quality of life is exponentially better than the guy I helped. Dad enjoys his life and is still capable of doing the things he digs (Hunting, Fishing, etc...).

After that lift assist I called my Dad to thank him for the example he has set for me and for my daughters.

I want to be the guy that was on the mat practicing martial arts the day he died. Not the guy stuck in a chair pinning for the days he used to do martial arts.

I want to be like these guys
Bronx Judo and Martial Arts

I hope that link works. The video is posted on Facebook, not YouTube so there may be some technical difficulties.

If you can't see it, the video is of a 90 year old man in randori with a 75 year old man.

I figure the best way to be able to move then, is to never stop moving

Hence project - Beyond Batman
What worked - best practices

Running 3 times per week

What can be improved

Incorporating compound movement, and kettle bell exercises along with suspension body weight exercises into my strength training.

Developing runs that better help me achieve my goals and timing them so that I hit them with fresh legs

Logistics - how do you make this work with you life / available equipment
Time Management

I challenged the group I mentioned earlier to list their goals, with a deadline and to list the steps necessary to achieve those goals.

Here are mine

18 month goals 43rd birthday / 25 year class reunion

205 lbs
A) Because that is a light heavy weight in the UFC
B) Putting in the work needed to achieve the Batman by 40 results got me down to 195, so my goal is to be that lean but have 10 more lbs of ass kicking muscle
C) I don't really care about that number as long as the performance objectives are accomplished.

40 Min 5 mile
6 min 1 mile
35 pull ups in one minute
65 push ups in one minute
70 sit ups in one minute
35 dips in one minute

Here is the 1st 12 weeks of my plan

Figuring out where I want to go

Setting a reasonable time to get there
Breaking the work down into manageable daily assignments

Increasing incrementally (boiling the frog) enjoying the progress, and the process with out burning out.

This method has served me well

Now time to apply it to other areas of my life, especially business.

After Violence Dynamics this year, it was the holidays, and I wanted a break.
I took the progress the school has made for granted, and fell behind the 8 ball.
Victory had defeated me
No longer.

This maybe secret, may be another cross over blog w/ Randy King, maybe part of Randy's book.
So, I won't get into a lot of detail here but Randy King has been helping me with business and marketing.
He has broken it down in a way my brain understands.

It takes prep time and and consistent work 5 or more days a week

Awesome, that is how I roll

Do you know why....

It might look familiar.

Figuring out where I want to go
Setting a reasonable time to get there
Breaking the work down into manageable daily assignments
Enjoying the progress, and the process with out burning out.

Plan the work, work the plan. Keep grinding it out. Small work everyday yields big results over time.

Easy to say. Time to put up or shut up.

So - Accountability, no bullshit, this is the standard I will hold myself to, this is what you can expect from me.

New Budo Blogs weekly
New video content monthly
Here is a sample

Please like and follow our YouTube channel

Keishoukan Dojo

Writing assignments -
I owe:
Garry Smith
Loren Christensen
Kevin Keogh
Rory Miller
Each a writing project. These will be delivered by the end of January.

With the help of many, but especially Anna Valdiserri my book will be done this year.

One book per year for the next 3 years.

Four traveling seminars a year.

I have planned the work, now it is time to work the plan.
Nothing to it but to do it.

Manageable daily assignments / tasks
Enjoying the progress, and the process with out burning out.

Thank you for your patience.
See you here next week.

Train hard, train smart, be safe
Keep moving

I touched it, at least for a moment on Sunday. Ha, don’t get cute with that.

I touched the magic I have been chasing.

What is that “magic” you might ask. Best way to describe it is to share a conversation I had with Dillon about it.

Me - Do you know of a Japanese term meaning effortlessness?

Dillon - What's the context?

Me - That's the rub, hard to put into words in any language

The feeling is when you are just doing the motion as if you are doing kata or just in the air.

Then when you use that same amount of effort with a person, especially a resistive opponent and they go flying through the air like Hong Kong wire work

Dillon - I mean, in martial arts my go to for that would be Kano's Seiryoku Zenyo.

The "maximum effect/ minimum effort" from Judo.

But I don't know of a term for "effortless" in the same sense as we'd use it.

That is close, probably as close to what I’m trying to express as I’m going to get.

As far as I know there is no succinct term or phrase meaning:

Real time, practical use of martial arts nerd stuff that seems like bullshit until someone half your size tosses you get across a room, or hits you so hard it feels like you crapped out a sizable portion of your skeleton and you just want to lay in the fetal position for a few minutes.

These things have happened to me. The magic I seek is the ability to reliably and consistently do that to bigger, stronger resisting opponents.

I have written about training geared to get from 0 to proficiency as quickly as possible. The magic is going from proficient to mastery, to effortlessness

I think I am on the trail. I touched it on Sunday. On Sunday we had a VPPG (Violence Prone Play Group) meeting. The idea of VPPG is there isn’t a student / teacher relationship. Everybody that attends is tasked with bringing a problem they want to bang out, or a general idea they want to work on. When it is their turn everyone else helps to solve the problem with insight / experience from their unique perspective. Then there is some form of sparring / dynamic resistance to test out the potential solutions. Everybody works on that idea for themselves. Then we move on to the next guy

It started with Greg’s request

Me - Anything in particular you want to work on?

Greg - Yes, basic trips if getting to the dead side isn't an option. Some of the old timey ones from some of your videos you've posted.

I thought he wanted to work on attacking the legs from 0. That is cool because that is part of the Katamedo Jujitsu curriculum anyway.

Effort and prep time are what allow Batman to fight against super powered demi gods

So, following that example I put work in to prep for the VPPG. Working ashi waza (leg techniques) no Gi, from striking (in offense and defense).

I reviewed The 65 throws of Kodokan Judo DVD’s from the USMAA.

I took mental notes as Phil Porter Sensei, an American pioneer in martial arts who has coached Judo at the highest level explained how Ko Uchi Gari (minor inside reap)works. I won’t get into too much detail, but I mention it because his ability to translate esoteric martial arts ideas into physics, kinesiology, biology that I can understand is outstanding.

If the “magic” can be understood through science, then it is obtainable.

Side note as I was writing this blog I contacted Mike Makoid. I told him that I would be referencing the DVD’s and asked if there is a link readers could click to purchase them.

To paraphrase Makoid Sensei, access to those DVD’s is benefit of attending the USMAA National Training camp.

I have never endorsed a product on the blog before. I don’t see a penny from sales. So when I encourage anyone who enjoys a throwing art to get these DVD’s I hope that attests to the quality of the information they hold. Clearly no book or video can replace a good instructor and training buddies to roll with. However, these DVD’s are an excellent supplement to your training.

Click the link below, register for National Training Camp, spend a weekend training with some of the best Instructors in the Country, take the DVD’s home with you.

Easy - Peasy - Japanesey

http://stltkd.com/usmaa.htm

Now as Paul Harvey would say and now for the rest of the story.

If the “magic” can be understood through science, then it is obtainable.

It is real, it is not just demonstration side show sleight of hand nonsense.

The idea of maximizing positives and minimizing negatives is a part of it

I’m sure I’ve written it here as well, but many times when I am teaching I talk about how you can’t make yourself instantly stronger. If you could you would turn into to the Hulk, or you would flood your blood stream with Venom like Bane in times of need and training would be unnecessary.

You can’t make yourself instantly stronger, but you can remove everything that makes you weak, bleeds off your power.

You can also maximize the strength that you do have. I talk about the “tyrannosaur triangle”, bringing the threat to where you are the strongest, as opposed to breaking your structure in an attempt to deliver force into the threat.

Another aspect of maximizing the strength that you have is sometimes described as - Old man strength

Here is an entire article on the subject

Old Man Strength

The Urban Dictionary defines it as - The crazy insane strength you gain when you become an old man

In context:

Did you see grandpa pick up that keg of beer?

Yeah he has sick old man strength

Although ligament strength developed over a youth of rigorous labor pays off later in life, I feel a more significant factor is experience using strength.

An example that comes to mind is training with Steve Jimerfield. Steve is very strong. However, we will be working on something and he will show me some sort of bone alignment, or tightening of ligaments, or finger extension. When he does it in that way, it isn’t just a little stronger, it is exponentially stronger, scary stronger. No bullshit practical applications of the “unbendable arm”

I know the magic is real. It can be explained, it can be obtained. I have found it from time to time. I have felt it with Jimerfield.

I have also felt it with Marc MacYoung.

Just as removing anything that bleeds power from you, and maximizing your strength is part of it, minimizing their strength another part of it.

Putting weakness into them, for lack of a more elegant term.

One of the first times I played with Marc he brought me down to where he is strongest, twisted me up in such a way that all my advantages in size and strength meant nothing, stepped in such a way that all my avenues of escape were blocked, then chucked me across the room.

That was very cool!

Here is a picture from after that seminar from when Lise tossed a dude twice her size through a wall.

A concept I use to help explain this is unlocking gates. If I can unlock the gates (break the framework) you need to use force against me, then clearly it becomes much more difficult for you to do so.

Inversely I can lock gates (create a frame work) in you that allows me to move you to where you do not want to go.

Dillon mentioned this idea is like playing with one of these

Collapsing or creating structure with their skeleton

Factors in being able to scientifically reproduce “the magic”:

Removing anything that robs you of power
Maximizing your strength
Minimizing their strength (unlocking gates)
Sensitivity

Sensitivity is putting these all these ideas together, and being able to switch gears between them as the circumstances dictate. This can be seen in things like casting a net in Kung Fu, or the rowing exercise in Aikido

Back to last Sunday, we are working on the above mentioned factors, some specifically, some by coincidence.

Greg is working with Dillon on ashi waza (leg techniques). No Gi, from striking (light sparring). The leg sweep Greg is working on is most often a trip with the thrower landing on the opponent and transitioning directly into ground work.

Dillon is built like a fire hydrant, genetically engineered not to be thrown. Without getting too inside baseball or bogged down by details, as Greg reaps the leg he drives Dillon back sending him through the air. So much so Dillon had to cover his head as he landed so he didn’t crack his skull.

Holy shit!

Greg tosses me, and Jake the Snake. Now it is my turn.

Ko Uchi Gari has never been one of my favorites, until that Sunday.

Minimal Effort, maximum effect.

Guys didn’t just trip, guys flew off my leg. Very cool!

Sadly, I didn’t catch that on tape. I was busy doing it. I’ll see if I can at the next VPPG play time.

Until then, in his own search of this magic Dillon has been learning Bagua. Part of his homework is to find applications of basic Bagua forms. So for your enjoyment here is some video of Dillon throwing me all over God’s green earth using the throwing applications of one small part or on Bagua form

Train hard, train smart, be safe

Find the magic. Even if you never do the search itself will be worth it

Cross over blog

I see the league of shadows resurgent.

I'm not a nice person

Strong Roots - Useful Fruits

Time Travel

Dragon Slayer

Beyond Batman - Batman by 40 18 months later

Effort required for effortlessness

2014 Violence Dynamics Information

That Ju Do that You Do so Well

So easy a caveman could do it

So, this is a thing now

Learn through play

Operational Disciplines (Skills)

ODIN Scientific Branch

ODIN Artistic Branch

Distance learning

Splinter Cells

Do good

The O – Team

Project Goshin

Self Defense September

Violence Dynamic 2015 (The only VD clinic you want to go to)

Swords and Smokes, Coffee and Kung Fu - Maija Soderholm is comming to visit

USA Combat Wrestling

Gun Fu

Victory has defeated you

Chasing the magic