Dan Harden?

Anyone know anything about Dan Harden? His name creeps up on on several other forum but I cannot find any info of any worth about what he teaches. Places where he does post himself he doesn't seem to be very forthcoming with info either and if you want to attend seminars with him you need to submit an application form which he may or may not reject!

 

Aikiweb..

He's a regular there.

 

And very secretive about what he claims to know...?

Very much like the aunkai stuff so I'm reliably informed.....

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbvipmVYGzA"]YouTube - Aunkai Akuzawa demo[/ame]

 

He has himself said he teaches MMA, so there you go.

 

Interesting.. looks like he has a fair amount to TCMA influence on his practice. Anyone know his background?

powchoy

 

''Born in Gunma prefecture, Japan, Akuzawa started Tai Chi when he was 16 and the art of Hsing-Yi when he was 19.

After successfully representing Japan in the International Sanda Tournament in the early nineties, he happened across several individuals within the Japanese Koryu world who placed little importance on the trappings of form and shunned the limelight. ''

from http://www.aunkai.net/eng/aunkai/bio.html

Answered my own questions ;' )

powchoy

 

Yes I've read that but he also says he teaches aiki based mma, whatever that is!

 

I only know him from some very well-informed posts over on the SWORD FORUM INTERNATIONAL, but that was quite some time back FWIW.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

 

Yes it seems he is a sword smithy and makes good replicas from all accounts.....
As for his IP/IS? I have no idea, but I would hazard a guess that it's good if he is a smithy.... Same as anyone who has a physically hard job....
I was a sparky for 20 years working mainly heavy installation.....

 

He is still active at swordforum. Why do you ask GB-UK? It sounds like you are fishing for something?

 

Re. Dan Harden

I'm going to his forthcoming seminar here in London, sometime in May.

I know he posts on some of the aiki forums but he posts on a CMA "internal" forum as well, which is how I got to know him/ about him.

His main exposure I believe to be Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu in the Japanese arts, although he seems to have a diverse backround including exposure to some CMA (eg. Chen style tai chi chuan)

He is knowledgable about weapons, I've noticed and JMA/ koryu. The main reason I'm seeing him is regards what he calls "IP" or "IS".

This is what he teaches at his seminars - this he regards as 'the engine'. Application wise he does "mma" in that he doesn't teach any particular style of TMA in terms of technique.

I'm aware of the kind of thing Akuzawa teaches and I do believe it is fairly similar in terms of the exercises and the whole ethos. Which is to first develop the martial body a certain way through these exercises.

 

Sorry, Cloudz....I'm trying to pull this together in my mind.

I have this picture of a person teaching a kind of "full-contact push-hands" but without being beholden to actual CHEN practice. Am I anywhere near the ball-park?

Best Wishes,

Bruce

 

The best handle I have on what he teaches would best be described as solo and partner exercises to develop martial attributes and power. The use to which you put this to can be described in different ways. You can use it to apply TMA techniques in isolation, it could be in a sparring format, it could be mma or even "full contact push hands". The latter is not his main teaching focus.

Whilst I believe he describes his own personal application of what he terms "IP" as being mma. I don't believe his focus at these seminars is to teach any "waza" or application of whatever kind.

As in theory, you take the body skills and attributes and apply them into whatever techniques and fighting formats that you wish. They can apply to both striking and grappling ranges, so I imagine whilst he would show examples in both these ranges, it wouldn't be style specific in any particular way and the point of the seminars is not to teach techniques or any particular fighting format.

Having said that, I get the impression that grappling is more of a favourite with him. This may be due to it being easier to demonstrate as well as safer.

The tradition of exercises is most certainly aiki/ Japanese based, according to Dan. He's an Aiki guy, not so much a Taiji guy so to speak. What I gathered is that he's confirmed for himself from meeting certain CMA teachers as well as from other means: that there's a lot that is very similar between the Chinese "internal" arts and what he teaches from the Japanese arts.

Hope that is a bit clearer..

 

Thanks, Cloudz; very much appreciated.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

 

I had seen him mentioned on another forum but could find anything about what he teaches other than mma.
Thanks Cloudz you have answered my question!