Marc McFann Seminar

Wednesday, 24 February 2010

Last night saw Sifu Marc McFann teach a two part seminar to a packed gym. The first half was all about leg locks with Marc showing us how to handle or defend mediocre techniques, that are all too common, whilst learning how to attack with higher percentage techniques. It adds a whole new dimension to your grappling game when you introduce leg locks but I think the key is to learn how to defend them first. On a note of safety, it was also mentioned that when rolling with leg locks included, you can be more susceptible to injury. The legs don't seem to have the same sort of pain receptors as other parts of your body and consequently people tend to tap much later or not at all - then SNAP! Something goes. So when rolling with leg locks you must not let your ego or pride cause you an injury that might see you out of training for 3 months. Tap and roll another day!!

The second part of the seminar covered the Knife. We first of all looked at a drill that allowed us to understand the importance of closing the gap and controlling the space and the knife. Then we went on to a variety of different disarms and controls. One thing that Marc pointed out was that the knife gives your assailant a technological advantage over you if you are unarmed and as a result of physically confronting that person you are more than likely going to get cut. Therefore avoid the situation if you can simply by running away or if that is not possible look at arming yourself with something - a stick, a chair, a rolled up magazine, a jacket - anything that will reset the balance. Then if you have to engage do so with intent. Morally that person has forfeit any leniency when they drew the knife upon you - some may argue.

Further to that, Pat and the other Kali instructors at the gym often mention the fact that training in our club for even as long as a year doing Kali and stick fighting does not give you the skills to take on an armed assailant. Get away as quickly and as soon as you can. A lot of the time you can even get stabbed or cut and not even know you have been seriously injured.

Any ways not to dwell too much on the seriousness of knife attacks, the second part of the seminar was brilliant too and lots of good drills for our development can be taken away and practised.

Peter and I got some good detail off Marc regarding the Palasut drills. What I tend to find with Kali in particular but also in other arts as well, is that as you progress through the system, you can be shown the same stuff over and over again. The difference is that every time you are shown, you seem to pick up more detail than you did the last time. There needs to be a period of growth i.e. practise and development in between times but the next time round it seems that there are always glaringly obvious mistakes. That's why I think I like Kali so much as it never seems to end, there's always something you can be doing better.

Overall a great night. Marc continues his tour around the UK visiting his UK instructors and ends the tour with the UFA Instructors camp this coming weekend at Northampton.

20 Tips for better Jits

Tuesday, 23 February 2010

1. Make every roll feel like the finals at Mundial. ALWAYS bring your A game. Unless you roll hard all the time you aren’t progressing.


2. Don’t bother washing your gi. In fact, keep it in a ball in your bag. That way when you put it on it’s already wet. Nothing like grabbing a guy with a cold wet gi.

3. Always leave your gi pants at home. Grapple in your top and shorts. Sambo style! When you do that don’t forget to grab the other guys pants legs for all your passes.

4. Always beat down new guys. That way they know the power of BJJ right away. They need to know how effective it is.

5. If you know a cool counter to what the teacher is showing be sure to show it RIGHT AWAY. Especially when the instructor is talking. That way you can look cool. By the way, every technique has a counter.

6. Always use full resistance in class. Especially when in learning stage. If your partner is learning an armbar for the first time you need to give them full resistance so that they know how that feels. Don’t let them get it!

7. If you are about to get subbed switch into coach mode. Coach your partner through the rest of the technique. That way you get credit for HIS sub.

8. If you get tired in a roll wait until you are in a bad position to stop.

9. When you get tapped by a bigger guy always tell them after the roll “Dang, you are strong!” That way you can blame their win on their strength instead of their technique.

10. Keep track of everyone you’ve tapped, what you used to tap them, and when it happened. Relive those moment with your classmates before every class.

11. Gun after everyone who is higher rank than you. That way you can put a notch on your belt for tapping out a higher belt.

12. When you get a tap immediately jump up and do a victory dance. Make sure everyone in the room knows.

13. Drop in and out of class as you see fit. Don’t bother to do the warm ups. If the material doesn’t look cool to you be sure to pull your buddy out of class and grapple on the side of the mat while class is going on. ALWAYS do this if class is covering something you’ve learned already. Review is for white belts.

14. Along those same lines, always show up late. That way you don’t have to even bother with warm ups.

15. When you have a visitor in from another gym you MUST put a beat down on them. That’s the only way they will know how good your gym is. It is your job to uphold the reputation of your gym.

16. Nobody minds if you roll with open sores. Go ahead and grind that scab in my face. I don’t mind at all.

17. Long fingernails are a great sparring weapon. Don’t cut them. Toenails either.

18. Small joint locks are your secret weapon. Grab and twist fingers. Do it hard and fast.

19. Don’t tap! Doesn’t matter that the arm is totally straight and you can hear the tendons ripping. You might still get out! Your pride is worth it.

20. Slam on all submissions hard and fast! That way you get twice as many. Doesn’t matter that your partner won’t have time to tap until it’s too late. This is BJJ. If you don’t want to get hurt then take up yoga or TKD.

Marc McFann

Sunday, 21 February 2010

Marc McFann returns to Aberdeen this week to hold a seminar before continuing on down to Northampton to teach the UFA Instructors that weekend.

I first met Marc way back in 1996 and immediately knew I wanted to train more with him. Pat had got Marc up to do a seminar and this is where I first met Ewen Campbell as well. Both Ewen and Marc showed me a fun but effective side to Jeet Kune Do that I had not really seen until that point.

After a few years of attending Marc's seminars and Marc and the UFA getting more and more involved with Pat and AMAG, I found out I could become an instructor under Marc but I would have to sit a test. This test is called the UFA Instructors Test and every candidate instructor has to sit and pass this test. However, this test is like no other test I have ever sat in my life up until that point or since!! It is a test of heart and is unique to every individual sitting it. Marc and Ewen test the candidates (using their considerable experience) by taking them to the point where they almost 'fail' - as individuals - and watch them to see if they can rise to the challenge. The vehicle of the test is Boxing, Muay Thai, Kali, Silat, Ground fighting and physical capacity. If you pass the test the feeling of achievement is like nothing else you'll ever experience.

We have three candidates at AMAG, who are preparing to test and this year at camp we might see it.

BJJ is gay

Monday, 15 February 2010

Watching Yourself

I can remember years ago when camcorders came out, that it was the big thing to video yourself taking a swing. Then you would watch yourself later, on the TV and see if you could spot any mistakes, like lifting the head too soon or not bringing the club up at the right angle.

In this day and age, it's so simple to video yourself training because everyone's mobile phone has a video recorder on it, just about. Even if it isn't hi-def, 1080p the subsequent footage could reveal a lot about your technique and possibly help you correct some really obvious mistakes.

As an instructor, I'm used to looking at people and watching them to see if I can help them improve their technique. However, on Saturday I was making some video notes with my brother reviewing some of the Kali we did at Guro Inosanto's seminar the previous weekend.

It's now a lot easier to film what you do at a seminar than take notes and try and describe the complex movements on paper. Have you noticed that the descriptions hardly ever make much sense 6 months later unless you are continuously practising the drills. (In which case the notes aren't needed!!)

So I was looking back on the video clips and putting some video titles on the clips when I noticed some mistakes I was making during the drills. I then went back and watched the clips casting my eye as an instructor upon myself and my brother. Now I have some finer details I need to improve upon.

So my advice is: Film yourself frequently and look at yourself afterwards with a view to spotting any mistakes, just like the golfing guys did back in the day when the camcorder first came out. You might learn something about yourself.

Guro Inosanto Seminar pt2

Monday, 8 February 2010

Well the seminar was great!! As usual we managed to have our minds blown by Guro and his assistant Joel. The way Inosanto can move and respond to slight differences in Joel's feed is quite honestly amazing. At one point they were both doing a stick trapping drill and it just looked so fast and complex and natural, when they finished everyone just clapped.Then after the applause Guro invited us to try it haha.

The other wonderful thing about this seminar is that it brings loads of different people into the one room for two days and you get to catch up with the friends you've made over the years (all of them great martial artists in their own right) from all over the UK and Europe.

This year saw me have two of my students come down to the seminar for the first time on the Saturday. They both thoroughly enjoyed it and were of course blown away by Guro and Joel. They both claimed they're doing two days next year. I'm glad they manage to make it. It's a repeat of when Pat encouraged me and Peter to come down to the seminar for the first time only a few years earlier (1994 haha). So the cycle continues.

It was great to see Pat there too as he had been to the hospital on the Friday and it looks like good news for him hopefully. He will keep you up to date here though.

Ewen (our senior instructor in the UFA-UK) had broken his foot and was sitting with crutches on the side lines all weekend getting frustrated that he couldn't take part. He hurt his foot when he fell off the third ball in the Total Wipeout TV show trials....

Guro Inosanto Seminar

Friday, 5 February 2010

A number of us are preparing to go to the Guro Inosanto Seminar this weekend. Guro is only managing one UK seminar this year and Sifu Rick Young is hosting it in his home town of Edinburgh.