Tao

Camps I go to are usually three day (Friday, Sat, Sun),with many different instructors from around the country, and around the world. Sometimes they are based on a series of similar movements out of kata, but different bunkai. Sometimes it's a group of pressure points, but different ways to target them out of kata. Darce, being from Finland, have you heard of a Master by the name of Terro, Or Pekka Sappan?

I have a very different first name. I got picked on alot in school because of it, and got into alot of fights, so my Dad started me in basic judo when I was 8. I am 37 now, and still studying!

That's funny, I was reading through the post and that was the first thought through my mind....slave!

Shut the lights off, lock the doors and see who walks out!

Coco, Where did you hear that!!?? What part of the State government runs that test? What are Their qulifications for grading teachers of MULTIPLE arts???

As long as every one has respect for one another, it's good to have a sense of humor

I was just trying to get a rise out of the Dillman bashers on this forum . I have the utmost respect for Grandmaster Dillman. Mark Kline happens to be a very close friend of mine.

Low stance training can be used for building stamina, strength, balance, and chi. Spinning punches are good for balance, focus, and getting your aiming point. And, kata bunkai you can never get enough of. What you learn through the bunkai should be used for street application, not in the ring. In a real situation you react the way you train. If you train with sport intent, your gonna get pummeled in a real fight, but it sounds like your sensei is teaching real applications, which is a good thing.

I feel you should train in your first style for awhile, then after you get past the basics try everything. If at all you get to learn other disciplines way of thought, and you have a better idea on how to defend against them.Read as much as you can about every style possible, including boxing. If your that hooked on your original style stay with it, but learn as much as you can about others. If it works for you, run with it. If it doesn't, disregaurd it and move on.

State of the Arts Karate Institute Piscataway, N.J. http://www.markklineskarate.com/

Good for you Laurie, good luck!!

So are Dillman's.....LOL!

Unfortunately, anyone can open there own school and make themselves any rank they want. There is no government standard that has to be followed like the licensing for a plumber, electrician, or nurse. If you do not have a lot of expierence or good teaching skills, your school will not go far. I found this out when I was a green belt and my sifu was trying to talk me into opening a franchise under him. Glad I didn't. If you want a respectable school, you must train under a good teacher, devolope good people skills, and learn your art inside and out. To be an instructor within the school you are going to is up to your sensei. Some schools have only a couple of instructors under the sensei, other schools require you to teach after you reach black belt. Most styles require you to teach before you can get your Master's rank. As for the topic of your post, unless you own your own school, or teach at seminars......no. Unless you have worked something out with the owner of the school that you would teach everyday kids classes and or adult. Not just when you decide to show up.

I started with basic judo when I was 8 years old, I'm now 37, and still going strong with my studies. You'll find there may be times that you have to put your classes on hold, or you get discouraged with the school you're training at. Take a little time if you need it. Always read anything that interests you about different styles. The more you study, the more diversified your abilities, the better martial artist you will be. I have studied judo,wing chun, akido, shaolin gung fu, jeet kune do, arnis, kali, wah lum gung fu, small circle jujitsu, ryuku kempo, kyusho jitsu, toaism, budhism, and I'm still searching to see what works best for me. Do not limit yourself to one way of thinking. Keep your tea cup empty when you come to drink at the table of knowledge, and you will go far with your studies.

There is alot of internal training done in authentic Shoalin styles, as is external training. There has to be a balance of yin and yang in everything to make it effective. Hitting the heavy bag strengthens muscles and bones, but meditation and chigong help the body's energy and health which is just as important.

Dillman was four-times National Karate Champion (1969-1972) and during this period was consistently ranked among the top ten competitors in the nation by major karate magazines. During his nine-year competitive career, Dillman claimed a total of 327 trophies in fighting, forms, breaking and weapons. George was no bum off the street, Sensei Soken knew who he was. "From what I understand, if he did walk up to Dillman and talk to him about his kata, and if he did work with Dillman for a weekend, then yes, I'm sure Dillman came out of that training a much more humble person than when he went in. Also, I assume Dillman speaks the native Okinawan language or Spanish, or had a translator because O Sensei spoke basically no English, and little Japanese (he hated that language). " Yes, George has said that he came out of that room very humble. Walking in thinking he was this big karate champ and having this little Okinawan dude kick his but. He said he couldn't understand much of what Hohan had said, but sure knew where it hurt when he touched him. As far as perfectly learning every technique, obviously not. When you go to a seminar and are shown multiple techniques, you can't remember all of them, but you get new ideas that you can work on and grow from there. He never claimed that he walked out of there knowing everything. Actually he came out of it questioning his own abilities as a martial artist because Hohan beat the crap out of him so easily. "BTW, just on a personal note, there is no one touch knockout such as Dillman claims in our system (or any other I'd bet). There are many techniques within everybody's katas. If they were just repetative movements without much meaning, then why have they been around for hundreds, even thousands of years? Some of the Wah Lum forms I have learned are about 2000 years old. Unfortunately my Sifu did not did not go indepth on meaning to the movements we were doing so it was just repetative motion. "What is this move for Sifu? You broke some one's foot. How? Nevermind, next form." That's all I got for an answer "Next form." I started learning about pressure point application, and wow! A whole new meaning went into my forms. The mantis hand seemed pretty basic, but there is a one touch ko that I stumbled apon that works great, and have done it many times since. Any one who has studied ppnt's knows that a combination of 3 points will create a knock out. Be it within the cycle of destruction,or on the same meridian. Well, were I hit with a rolling mantis hand lines up 3 points and down they go. Everybody has a great potential. All you have to do is disect the movement of your katas, ask questions, and look for answers. If something works for you, great! Use it. If it doesn't, then disregard it and move on. As Bruce Lee once said "Seek your own truth".

Matt, If it works for you, run with it. If it doesn't, move on and find what does. It's not brand new information. Just trying to insert pressure point application to kata bunkai. I had 17 hand forms and 3 weapons forms with the Wah Lum style and they didn't mean squat. I had thrown them out for a while because they were more of a cardio workout than a martial art. When I started adding the pressure point ideas to them, it opened up a whole new meaning to my katas. I've started practicing them again with new questions and getting answers from them. When it comes right down to it, who cares what George says, or Oyata. Have you found something that works for you?

I know that he did go to a number of seminars, and he had some private teachings with Oyata. I'll see George next weekend and I'll ask for specifics. I have seen a few pictures on the walls of George's dojo of both George and Oyata together. One even of them at George's dojo. But I'll ask.

"Dillman claimed origionally that he approached O Sensei Hohan Soken about teaching him the "secrets" of tuitte and pressure points from his sytem (BTW, there are no secrets, just things you haven't learned yet!). " "According to Dillman, O Sensei Soken apparently, DURING JUST ONE WEEKEND, taught Dillman all of his "secrets". I don't care who you are, you're not going to learn, retain and be able to perform HALF of these techniques in a weekend of training! " George was competing at a tournament when Sensei Soken aproched George and asked him if he knew what has was doing in his kata's. George said " I'm blocking a kick......"and so on. Hohan then spent ONE weekend teaching George, but did not show him all the "secrets". Hohan kicked the crap out of George showing him a number of techniques and he gave George a book that contained alot of pressure point information that he, his wife, and close students have been working on since. I believe Erle Montague was another to get the same book from Sensei Soken, and has gone in his direction with the same information. I have known George for about 4 years now and have talked to him many times. I just spent a whole weekend training at his dojo in Deerlake Pennsylvania. " he gives slightly different variations depending upon who is in the room" I've heard him speak to many different people many different times and what he says has not changed. No matter if its at a seminar, out at dinner, or in the dojo. " NO TOUCH KNOCKOUTS, KIAI KNOCKOUTS" , rather we have worked on practical applications " True, no touch is not practical now for an agressive situation, but that's why you train in the dojo. To work on techinques over and over till you get it right. I've seen it take over a minute for someone to be knocked out, I've seen it take seconds, and I've seen people completely flop at it. It is not a practical thing to use in a fight at this stage because there can be too many factors to make the technique flop. But, that is why you practice, study, and try to perfect techniques. It's also not something dwelled apon every training session. As I've seen it and tried it, it's once every couple of months we try something.

" From Oyata's perspective, the two barely met. " Again I say George ticked off Oyata and he doesn't have anything good to say about George. George did alot more than a couple of seminars with Sensei Oyata, and does nothing but give Oyata credit. I'm not just saying this second hand. Like some others. Nidan Ryukyu Kempo Nidan Kyusho Jitsu Black Sash Wah Lum Gung Fu

White Crane is very deadly, as is snake, and dragon forms beacuse of thier fluid unpredictable movements.

"Oyata to this day does not acknowledge any relationship with Dillman including that of student-teacher. " That's cause George ticked him off by being as open with his teachings as he is. It's like a father disowning a son.

The Ryukyu Kempo came from Sensei Hohan Soken

Grand Master Dillman first learned of pressure point application by Grand Master Hohan Soken. Hohan Soken gave George a dairy of sorts that contained alot of pressure point information that he,his wife Kim, and many of his students (Rick Moneymaker was one of them for some time) had been studying. He trained under Sensei Oyata, Sensei Daniel K. Pai, Professor Wally Jay and others. He also trained with Muhhamed Ali, Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, the late Sensei Ed Parker, too many others to mention. He gives great credit to all when ever he teaches at a seminar, in all of his books, and on his video tapes.

What's wrong with Sensei Ed Parker's system?