Hello all, I just thought that I would let you all know that I've started a free newsletter. In it I will cover applications for techniques that can be found in the Chang Hon, Palgwe, Pyong-Ahn and Taeguk forms, in-depth interviews with Martial Arts Masters and kit, book and DVD reviews. It's monthly and if you're interested in signing up, please go to http://www.matthewsylvester.com/newsletter.html. Regards
I've just finished browing through the first newsletter and thought I'd add my brief thoughts on it here, as I think others might find it interesting reading. The main body of the newsletter is focused on Do San and the application of its techniques. I'm not overly familiar with ITF patterns so was interested to see your take on things in showing how they can be applied. Before going into this you touch on the subject of earlier patterns, citing them as "by far the most dangerous". I'd be interested to know the names of these patterns, and why you think it is that these are no longer practiced. Do you yourself practice them? If not, why not if they contain deadlier moves not found in modern patterns? Rather than explain the whole 24(?) moves of Do San, you focus on a set of three movements which allows you to go into more of a detailed explanation of your thoughts. Is there any reason to have chosen these over other moves in the pattern, and will you cover the rest in future material? The use of multiple exposure shots is nice as it helps remove a lot of that 'static' feeling you get with a lot of martial arts images. Looking at the image of the front kick it seems like your usual 'boot-to-the-balls' strike, is this how you would encourage your students to train the strike when performing the patterns on their own, or a modification made for your own application? You go on to explain that this is your technique you'd use in defence as its something you've drilled many times to the point of it being natural. I like the fact that you go on to mention that this is then completely different to how Ray would defend himself in the same situation, and encourage people to find their own method. I'm of the firm believe that self defence is all about the individual, what works for one person will not always work for the next. Its' good to see you encouraging people to think for themselves on this matter. As I've said, I've no great knowledge of the ITF forms so I'd be interested to see what other people here think about it. From the reaction to another thread I think its clear there are people here who drill their poomsae 'live', I believe seem even have a book about it.... I'm personally very interested to see what your take is on the taegeuk.
Hi Liam, By earlier, I mean 'lower grade'. Sajo Jirugi, Chonji, Dan Gun, Do San and Won Hyo are much more 'Japanese' in nature and as a result they still have a number of combinations of technique that correspond to effective applications. I went for these because the action of the wedging block closely mirrors the flinch response i.e., if something is thrown at a normal person (as opposed to a martial artist) they will generally raise their hands up in front of their face. All I've done is take this movement and drill it back to being instinctive. As you know, blocks aren't really blocks and the wedging block lends itself nicely to a clubbing/flailing strike which in this case just happens to track up the opponent's arm and into their neck/jawline. It's a low maintenance, low skill technique. I may well do alternative applications for this single technique in future newsletters. And I have thought about exploring the pattern more in-depth. Although we have set applications, I always teach the students that the perfect technique is only an 'ideal to aspire' to. As such if they were supposed to be doing an application that used low block, front kick and punch but landed too close to punch and used an elbow or a hook then that's still a perfectly valid technique and they've remained true (in my opinion) to the overall 'movement' of the pattern. Very early on in the development of Practical TKD I realised that what was effective for big old and experienced me, was not necessarily appropriate for my students and so started to look at techniques that anyone can use effectively, as well as teaching 'cheats' to make them more effective if necessary. I also realised that I shouldn't be expecting picture perfection from the self-defence techniques as I didn't want my students to be limited to a specific technique if the situation meant that they would have to adapt. If they weren't used to adapting they might be in greater danger of freezing mid-defence and I didn't want to see that. As such I always encourage people training with me to find their own path, whilst showing them as much as I can. As a result I have a large catalogue of techniques that I would not personally use, but pass on in case someone else can use them. At one point I nearly told my people to start making their own patterns based on techniques that they had developed (something else I made them do) or been taught and which they thought they would use. Well, funny you say that, but in my forthcoming book you will see two entire chapters dedicated solely to Taeguk Il-Jang and the techniques within the pattern are detailed in other chapters as well. I think you'll like it As we do the photos for the book you may well see some applicaitons coming through
Matt, We really seem to think very similarly... With regards to creating your own pattern that is something I tell my students that they will eventually do (the whole culmination of training thing) but it by no means starts until I'm certain that they have a good skill at reverse enginneering techniques into the given Patterns themselves. I'm not bothering to make me own pattern at present for a few reasons (not least is I don't feel I know enough for it to be worth stringing together) but mainly because I've got a personal project to make pretty much every move in TKD's forms practical and come up with a differing application for each move (or at any rate how the smae move can be applied in at least as many contexts as it occurs in isolation in the forms themselves). We really should meet up and exchange ideas at some point. Anyhoo, always interested to read those newsletters, thanks for spending the time on them. Can I ask what you've cross trained in? I'm just curious as to what extent the style you've cross trained has influenced the applications.
Great minds ... great minds I'm always up for that, in fact I have Nigel Lee from OKKO coming down at some point, maybe we could double it up. I'm also giving a seminar in Fernhill Heath Memorial Club 23rd Feb, 12-3 pm if you're able to make that. Right, this is what I've obtained belts in, attended seminars for, and trained in but not graded (aka 'dabbled' ) Striking Styles RBPP - Instructor/UK Advisor FAST - Instructor Ao Denkou Jitsu - BB Kubotan SD - BB TKD - BB Shunryu Kempo - Sankyuho Shotokan - Green Belt Kempo Ryu Karate Kickboxing Kenpo Karate Kempo Karate Kickboxing Shidokan Karate WTF Taekwondo Muay Thai Amateur Boxing Grappling JuJitsu BJJ Hapkido Kuk Sul Won Ninjutsu Weapons Eskrima/Arnis
I still maintain that Do San's "parry down, fingertip thrust" is a grab and headbut. This may just be because I like headbuting, but it worked very nicely on one of my students when we went for it padded up and full contact the other day. I've enjoyed a lot of Matts stuff, look at his Youtube channel if you haven't seen it already. Mitch
They do BB's in Kobatan? Who did you get that under Matt and whats the training system for that.. I didnt realsie it was a style in its own right so to speak? I ask as I trained some via a JJ instructor many years ago. I take it the ADK BB was under Rick Clark, but who did you grade your TKD BB under eventually.. I thought you were with SWITF originally but left before then!! Hows the police thing going.. are you still doing it? Ill look forward to the book.. sounds like your covering a few different areas to mine (like WTF patterns).. any more insights and whens it due mate? Stuart
Whilst Im in a questioning mood.. a quick one for Alexander! Alex, how come on your syllabus you have ALL the Ch'ang Hon patterns needing to be learnt by 2nd kup (red belt). EG. you have Tong-Il, Ul-Ji, So-San, Yong-Gae & Moon-Moo needing to be learn at that level, but in the Ch'ang Hon System they are 4th, 5th 7 6th degree patterns.. hence my curiosity? Reading it it seems you dont do dan gradings, just up to BB right? How come and how come you have a purple belt in there? How many tags between grades are there? All asked out of interest and curiosity Oh.. whats the average time spand for someone to get a BB as your school? Cheers, Stuart
Hi Stuart, I did it under PMA/MAP's Dave Baker it's Kubotan and Self-defence. He has a great open system which I think you would definitely be interested in. Well worth contacting him. Yeah, politics are great aren't they! I ended up grading under Paul O'Leary. I'm doing a lot of Reality Based stuff now yeah, and found that Lee Sansum's FAST system really compliment's Jim Wagner's Reality Based Personal Protection (which I'm Instructor and UK Advisor for). I hope to have the first draft finished by the end of the month. It will then be going out to various people to see what they think. We're also in the process of arranging the photo shoot and once that's done it's down to the publishers as to how fast it gets out and distributed! This year for sure though! Hopefully the first half but I just don't know.
Where you find his syllabus? I'd love to have a look at that, always good to get ideas The dan grading thing is interesting as well.
Yup.. I was chatting to him at the MAP meet seminar a while back. Did you have to travel to Ireland to do that? What did your grading involve? I ask as knowing Paul I can bet it wasnt the usual sparring/patterns/desruction/theory... details please Where do you find the time for all this... blimey! Cool. Have you got mine yet btw? I aint buying yours if you aint brought mine.. not cosIm not interested, but out of principle LOL. Are you utilizing your contacts at Summersdale or going a different route (PM me if top secret) Ah! The interent detective was used lol.. na, its on his Uni site.. http://www.dur.ac.uk/dutkd.club/index_files/Page375.htm Hope that was okay to link it Alex! Actually, I shouldnt have posted that here as its off topic so start up a new thread for discussion if you wish... sorry bout that! Stuart
I meant the Alex's syllabus thing... not your bits & bobs (as they followed on from your post ) Stuart
i just thought i'd throw my bit in about the newsletter! as i had read most of the content before the it was issued i found it great to see them laid out with the pics to give my brain a rest trying to work out what was being said since matt and myself started training and working together (is it 3 or so years ago now?) we've really enjoyed bouncing ideas off eachother. while still being true to our own paths which seem to be parrell it was on my first visit to exeter that we talked about how techniques had to be adapted to suit different body types as matt would have one way of using an application and i would adjust it to suit my shorter height and added body mass we don't restrict a persons natural responces while drilling applications as this is where they develop there best defences and ideas. also working with different people, with different body size and weight can also help work out the kinks in your armour. as matt is so much more literate than me it's great to see this stuff finally getting out there! we do hope to put a book together at some point in the future well done bud !!
ve just picked up Jim Wagner's Reality Based Self Protection which looks interesting, i may have to pick your brains later Matt Mitch
Thats interesting! As doesnt Jim Wagner feel patterns/kata are a waste of time!! How do you teach something with such a conflict of interest in the area you are clearly interested in and promote? Stuart
just because jim might not have faith in patterns as a tool for learning self defence does not mean that matt cannot learn from jim or adapt his training methods to his own work? if matt thought like that then he would not have went to bjj classes and lost out on that experience also. there are many martial artists who train and teach in seemly conflicting styles. but this is more a generalisation than a fact in most cases.
