Action Martial Arts Convention Review - The Great, the Good and the Ugly.

Background: The Action Martial Arts Magazine & Hall of Honours Convention is an annual event in Atlantic City. Put together originally by Master Alan Goldberg it now is one of the largest gatherings of Martial Artists around the globe.* Knowing that several of my friends were going to be teaching at the convention I couldn't wait to check it out.

The event was a fantastic time which had some solid highlights and good general qualities. However, like any event there were some parts that need improvement. I will cover the great aspects of the conference, the good aspects and the parts my friends and I thought were ugly.

My friend Sifu Tom Lugo drives a punch into my solar plexus.

THE GREAT
The Seminars: One of the major strengths of this convention was the fact that you had so many Martial Artists getting together and exchanging knowledge. I had the privilege of training with some very well known people like Robert Samuels, Bill "Superfoot" Wallace and Michael Jai White. Certainly star power was on hand giving seminars.

However, it wasn't just the star studded seminars that stood out. I attended a great seminar on Knife Defense Instruction with Nik Farooqui and another on Superior Striking with Tom Lugo. In fact all the teachers whose seminars I attended were great. This speaks a great deal to the vetting process that Master Goldberg puts into selecting who will teach.

My wife and I hanging with Bill "Superfoot" Wallace. 

Adaptive Martial Arts Association: Adaptive Martial Arts blew me away. A huge component of Martial Arts is physical fitness and strengthening your body. Yet, so often we forget that there are people who are challenged mentally and physically but would love to participate in Martial Arts. If Martial Arts is truly for everyone then it actually has to be for everyone which means catering to the deaf and blind, those missing limbs and the autistic.

This is where Adaptive Martial Arts comes in. Not just showing that anyone can be a Martial Artist but acting as a portal to connect people. On one end Adaptive Martial Arts helps people with challenges find schools that can teach to them. Should an instructor want to help people they may not have the resources to do so despite their desire. Just as Adaptive Martial Arts connects people to each other it also connects instructors to tools on how to teach. I highly recommend you look them up.

THE GOOD
The Vendors: The convention had numerous vendors, many of whom had amazing products. However, their were some that rose about the rest.

Damsels in Defense: If you have ever tried to get a woman into Martial Arts you quickly see that the industry is extremely one sided. There are pages of "Men's gear" online and "Women's gear" is typically confined to a single section or tab. Although some people might laugh at Damsels in Defense with their bright pink kubatons and other accessories one cannot deny that in an activity dominated by men this is a company that caters to women. If you are a woman or interested in getting more women into Martial Arts Damsels in Defense is a great place to start.

Sam and the Damsel in Defense Julie Greene.

AquaBag: Punching bags haven't changed much since their inception. Virtually every Martial Art has a history of filling sacks with a semi-pliable substance from sand to beans and hitting it. AquaBag moves away from the traditional fillings and created a bag filled with water. The first benefit is weight. Water weighs more per volume than grain or sand which gives you a good target without having an enormous bag. Second, because a bag filled with water is more forgiving you don't need wraps and wrist injuries are reduced. It really felt good to unload on. (My wife liked  it too!)

AquaBags felt seriously good to hit.

JiuJitsuThing: I have seen a lot of "Martial Arts shirts" over the years and they are pretty standard. They will have a famous quote from someone like Bruce Lee that the maker found on the internet. JuiJitsuThing goes above and beyond by showing they clearly do Martial Arts as well. Their jokes are a subtle blend of geek culture and Martial Arts references that real Martial Artists will get a great laugh out of.

Some of the awesome shirts that JiuJitsuThing sells.

The Networking: I would never have met gentlemen like Sifu Paul Cheng or other any of the other fantastic crew at Blue Phoenix Entertainment. There is something to be said about the people that you can meet at the convention. The seminars were a highlight but the downtime that you get to spend just talking with various people is certainly made the trip to the convention worth making. I now have contacts in cities across the country to work with.

Myself, Sam and the awesome Blue Phoenix Entertainment crew.

The Experiences: There is certainly something to be said about the experiences that you will have at the convention. Just getting the chance to talk to former WBO Boxing legend Ray Mercer was worth gold. Watching his face light up as he talked about knocking out former UFC champion Tim Sylvia and the joy at shutting him up after "all the shit he talked" was amazing. You could see the fire that built a champion Boxer.

Hanging with Ray Mercer

THE UGLY
The Organization: There isn't much bad to say about the overall experience. However, like any event there is room for improvement. Some instructors had their classes mislabelled and the times weren't always accurate. This led to some confusion as some instructors found out they were teaching seminars on subjects they had no qualifications in. It would also be nice to have an interactive schedule they gave me an instructor bio and their credentials. Otherwise I was forced to pick people by how cool their name sounded.

Jeet Kune Do Instructor NiK Farooqui is promoted to Krav Maga 
instructor and is giving a 7 hour seminar?

They claim to have five tournaments but I couldn't find any registration for the "Sticks of Thunder" tournament. It must have been one of the secret tournaments that they have in Martial Arts Movies. The "Main Stage" was similarly hidden so I had a hard time seeing any of the demonstrations. However, with the map being mislabeled it could have been my own lack of literacy that lead me astray.

Conclusion: All in all the Action Martial Arts Convention was a good event. I am not sure I would make it an annual pilgrimage unless the organization improved dramatically. However, to check it off every few years or if you have never been before it is worth it. I will certainly be curious to see what they do next year.

Best regards and keep training,

Martin "Travelling Ronin" Fransham 

*I don't have numbers on other conventions so we will take them at their word. 

If you are interested in training together I would love to get together with you. Drop me a line on facebook and we can connect. I would love to learn from you. 

Find me on Facebook for more updates and daily videos: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Travelling-Ronin/583588935029877

Check out the Travelling Ronin Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKCqy-phSBs&index=1&list=PLwXDjTjOSVMm3-98e0gHUXLlQecYRkcvN

I also have the privilege of writing for Martial Science Magazine. They have great articles and you should go take a look.

Martial Science Magazine on the web: http://www.cienciamarcial.com/#!english-magazine-/c3uy

Martial Science Magazine on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/373149206152604/

Mixed Martial Arts Striking: United Elite MMA: Dekalb, IL

Background: One of the many things that I love about the sport of Mixed Martial Arts is the diversity it brings to the table. By blending so many different styles we get a melting pot of techniques that highlight the most devastating techniques across so many arts. In general terms MMA can be broken into two distinct areas, the standup game and ground game. Both are equally important for fighters to know and train in.

The standup game in MMA was born from a variety of Martial Arts, however, kickboxers were the first to forge a name for themselves. Early MMA was dominated by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu whizzes and wrestlers. These early days taught us that despite what the claims of being able to crush someone with one punch likely the fight would be much rougher. Kickboxers made the transition first based not on the fact kickboxing was “better” but rather on the fact you had a great pool of highly skilled athletes that had the physical prowess to defend against takedowns. Guys like Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva and Mirko CroCop are all great examples of the early “Sprawl and Brawl” kickboxers that took the sport to its next level.

This is what a Superman Punch looks like a split second before it hits you in the face.

I met the head coach of United Elite MMA at a business lunch for Martial Artists and we hit it off. When he started describing his gym I knew I had to see it. A full cage and ring along with grappling mats sounded just like the place for me to spend a night. Yet, much more than equipment or the facility I wanted to see Coach Villamar’s striking class.

Standing at 6’6 I stand a good deal taller than Coach Villamar. At first glance this may seem like a horrible mismatch of body sizes. Many Martial Artists seek to find a coach similar to them and emulate their style completely forgetting that different body sizes and types force fighters to come to different ways of seeing a problem. As a counter-puncher I have a great grasp of distance and timing but I have trouble carrying the fight to my opponent. As a shorter man Coach Villamar is constantly bringing that pressure to his opponents. Grabbing my bag I set off to learn how to close the gap in between me and my adversaries.

Sparring with United Elite MMA was awesome.

What did I learn?: I wanted to learn how to close with my opponents better and I showed up on the right night to learn. In class we went right back to basics and started with some slipping. Coach Villamar caught me leaning back to slip and encouraged me to slip forward instead. This sounds incredibly basic, however, as a tall guy I have the habit of rolling back and tucking my chin behind my shoulder while countering with a jab. While great to do defensively it left me a limited offence. By slipping forward I had many more options in terms of attacks including combos and takedowns.

Coach Villamar also caught me doing the same thing with my kicks. Something I love to do is to sway back and throw a kick. I throw a lot of lead leg kicks especially the front kick and inside round kick. Again this pulls my head and shoulders away from my adversaries granting me a strong defensive position but a limited offence. By staying over the kick I got more power and kept myself in-line for a better follow up. It added a lot to my arsenal to close between myself and an adversary.

Ben throws a wicked kick into the pads.

What was Awesome?: Sometimes when I travel to other schools I hone in on a technique or training methodology that stands out. Sometimes it is an extraordinary move or combo that blows me away. With United Elite MMA what I found was incredible was one of the most basic exercises done in almost every gym and dojo under the sun. It was their shadowboxing.

Coach Erick Villamar working with his students during the shadowboxing rounds.

Here is the standard format for Shadowboxing. The instructor says something like “3 rounds of shadowboxing!” and retires to the side of the class. Occasionally the instructor may yell at his students to “keep their hands up” or “don’t quit.” Ultimately, this is a great way to kill 10 minutes of class time without having to work. Students are paying for the privilege of flailing wildly at the instructor’s air while he or she relaxes and takes a break. It is so ingrained in many schools they just consider it part of the warm up.

Where Coach Villamar surprised me is he was actively involved in his student’s shadowboxing. All throughout our rounds he was circulating and giving real advice to his fighters on how they were moving and what would help smooth their techniques out. Shadowboxing moved from being “just a warmup” to legitimate time spent drilling technique.

Putting our drills to work.

Conclusion: I had an absolute blast with the guys and girls of United Elite MMA. They run a great program that has you working hard but also developing skills the entire night. Between rounds they laugh and joke making for a fun and dynamic atmosphere where one moment you can be exchanging techniques and the next rocking out to Bruce Springsteen. 

 United Elite MMA is a great crew to train with.

Best regards and keep training,

Martin "Travelling Ronin" Fransham 

If you are interested in training together I would love to get together with you. Drop me a line on facebook and we can connect. I would love to learn from you. 

Find me on Facebook for more updates and daily videos: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Travelling-Ronin/583588935029877

Check out the Travelling Ronin Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKCqy-phSBs&index=1&list=PLwXDjTjOSVMm3-98e0gHUXLlQecYRkcvN

Check out United Elite MMA: https://www.facebook.com/pages/United-Elite-MMA/412352645462551y

I also have the privilege of writing for Martial Science Magazine. They have great articles and you should go take a look.
Martial Science Magazine on the web: http://www.cienciamarcial.com/#!english-magazine-/c3uy

Martial Science Magazine on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/373149206152604/

Mixed Martial Arts: Infinite MMA Academy: Loveland, CO

Background: Despite never having been involved in Combat Sports himself my father has always enjoyed a good fight. One day he came home with something new in his hand. It was  a VHS tape titled “The Ultimate Fighting Championship.” We plopped down on the couch and fired up the VCR with anticipation. I was taking kids Karate classes and with all the blind faith of a preteen child I prepared to see Karate dismantle every other fighter with crisp, clean hits. Instead, like so many other people, I watched a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner named Royce Gracie run through the competition in one of the most dominant displays of martial talent ever. Martial Arts changed for me right then and you could no longer excuse not having a ground game.

I get shown how roll an opponent from reverse-scarf hold. 

Over twenty years later I had the privilege of visiting Infinite MMA Academy run by Adam Martinez. Coach Martinez is a PAN AM medalist and trained directly under Royce Gracie. On their website you will see claims that they are a home to Pro Fighters that have made it as far as the UFC and Bellator. Once you walk through the door you can see why Infinite MMA Academy produces champions. You have a clean, professional gym with a cage and ring that speak of dedication and hard work (Hint: Schools often visually provide a reflection of the staff).

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu has two primary facets to it. A competitive, sporting side to it where the Gracies have been instrumental in creating the UFC and most recently Metamorphosis, and a self-defence side. The self-defence aspects of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu don't feature in the limelight as often as the sport side but it is an important piece that grew from Helio Gracie, was carried by Royce Gracie and continues to be passed on by Coach Martinez and his staff.

I shake, bump and roll with Coach Martinez.

As a traveller I get to meet people around the globe and being active in forums I find that Jiu-Jitsu often is short changed by members of the Reality-Based Self-Defence (RBSD) community. You will hear arguments like “Jiu-Jitsu only works on the mats” and “what if the guy has a weapon? Jiu-Jitsu is useless.” This has always struck me as both misinformed and ignorant. First, there is ample footage and stories  of Gracie challenge matches where they fought on all types of terrain from hardwood floors to the streets. Second, we have very recent stories of fighter’s disarming and submitting armed robbers including one where UFC Champion Jon Jones took down a purse snatcher in the streets. Third, and sometimes forgotten by the RBSD crew, most fights don't end in horrible eye gouging, genital mangling terror. In the vast majority of cases restraining someone is in order. Any police office, bouncer or security professional spends the majority of their conflicts restraining a belligerent not shredding them to pieces. 

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu helps prepare their students for a vast number of scenarios. It could be restraining a drunk friend to multiple attackers. Coach Martinez stressed that you didn't always want to go to the ground in a grapple. However, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu gave you the ability to choose those moments instead of ending up on the ground against your choice. 

I swing my leg over to lock up an armbar I was shown.

What did I learn?: Infinite MMA Academy is a true Mixed Martial Arts school. While there I followed their Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, no-gi grappling and Muay Thai programs. Needless to say, I learned a lot in my two days. However, if there was something I learned it was during their Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and Judo classes. Wrestling with a Gi has always been my weakest area. Although I have a background in Russian Sambo I have always concentrated on the no- gi areas. My personal neglect of of the jacket has led to some major holes in my game that are exposed by people like Coach Martinez.

 I take full mount after drilling a sweep.

The wonderful thing about Jiu-jitsu is that you can wrestle with anyone as Coach Martinez and many members of his school obliged me with a roll. I am a big heavyweight standing 6’6 (2.2m) and weighing in at 275 pounds. Coach Martinez is perhaps 150 pounds and certainly not my height or build. Looking at us you would think that I would crush him based on my size advantage. Instead, I was flipped and tossed around to be submitted in any number of ways from armbars to chokes.

Both him and Coach Troy (The Judo Coach) demonstrated to me that the principles that made Jiu-Jitsu and Judo so strong was the emphasis of leverage over strength. By using the correct leverage fighters can multiply their strength several times over without gassing out while stronger opponents struggle and deplete their cardio reserves.

 I make the mistake of putting hands on a coach.

What was awesome?: Attitude makes a successful gym and fostering that atmosphere is impossibly important. I have been to gyms filled with great fighters but have such a poisonous atmosphere they implode under the weight of their own negativity. Rickson Gracie published a great article on how to train and how you don’t need to try and kill your partner. Instead, you should be training to learn and to help your partner grow. A close friend and teacher of mine, Sifu Nik Farooqi, calls this not “Training for Pain.” It does nobody any good to let your ego run rampant and hurt your partner.

Pro Fighter Nick "The Natural" Laney snaps a jab out.

Being hurt is always something that scares me in being a “Travelling Ronin.” As I stood across from Pro Fighter Nick “The Natural” Laney I was wondering how sparring with him would be. We had spoken briefly before the round agreeing that neither one of us was there for a fight, yet, I had my reservations that I would be in trouble if Nick  decided he wanted to “impress me” or “teach me a lesson.” Instead of a fight we had an awesome round of sparring. From the moment that we touched gloves to the takedowns and ground and pound everything was beautifully controlled

Coach Martinez told Nick that he wanted him to work on hustling someone against the fence and takedowns. With Nick keeping his composure it allowed me to work with him and to not mind being thrown because I knew I was in good hands. It also meant that when something happened I wasn’t expecting, like the ground and pound, I wasn't hurt. For my part, despite all my travels it was the first time I had trained in a cage. I have always fought on opened mats and rings. Therefore, as Nick was working the drills for his upcoming fight I was studying everything he did and getting a first rate education on cage strategy. After the round we both left in good shape and in good spirits. Creating and keeping that attitude is key to creating a great school and Infinite does it incredibly well.

Looking up at Nick as he rains punches down on me. 

Conclusion: Infinite MMA Academy is one of the top places to train in the North Denver area. If you are in the area you should certainly go check them out. The mix between competition sports and self-defense is a great balance in a gym with a great attitude. 

Best regards and keep training,

Martin "Travelling Ronin" Fransham 

If you are interested in training together I would love to get together with you. Drop me a line on facebook and we can connect. I would love to learn from you. 

Coach Martinez locks up a great armbar as we close out an awesome night of training.

Check out the Travelling Ronin Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKCqy-phSBs&index=1&list=PLwXDjTjOSVMm3-98e0gHUXLlQecYRkcvN

Find me on Facebook for more updates and daily videos: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Travelling-Ronin/583588935029877

Check out Infinite MMA Academy: https://www.facebook.com/infiniteMMAacademy

I also have the privilege of writing for Martial Science Magazine. They have great articles and you should go take a look.

Martial Science Magazine on the web: http://www.cienciamarcial.com/#!english-magazine-/c3uy

Martial Science Magazine on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/373149206152604/

Lohan Kung Fu: School of Chinese Martial Arts: Parker, CO

Background: I was going to Colorado and I didn't know anyone to train with. Normally I go to Google to give me a school to reach out too but this time I decided to try something different. I participate in a forum LinkedIn and decided to ask my network if they knew anyone that I could learn from. A friend of mine, Matt Relyea, told me that I had to check out the "School of Chinese Martial Arts." An email and phone call later I was having coffee with Shifu Wayne Hinton.

After a great conversation where we discussed our past training and where we had both come from Shifu Wayne took some time to work with me personally before class started. On his floor I noticed that there were two triangles. I have seen triangles in almost every Martial Art I have visit. They are a fundamental piece of architectural engineering due to the strength that the structure creates. The strength they confer on the human body is no different. 

Lohan Kung Fu can be beautifully graceful and wickedly powerful.

When Shifu Wayne took me over to the triangles and asked me what I saw. I talked about structure and strength and how the triangle granted both. He smiled and then added to my answer pointing out that the triangle on the floor also showed how to take structure. To illustrate the point he shoved me straight on. Predictably, I rocked back on my rear leg and returned to my fighting stance. Taking a step to the side he gave me a much gentler push. No longer able to brace myself I rocked back and ended up pedalling through the air to catch my balance.

Shifu Wayne pointed out to me that we are all essentially three-legged tables that only have two legs. You need to understand not only your own structure but your opponent's as well. It was a pertinent lesson that you need to not only focus on yourself but on yourself but on your assailant as well. Quoting Sun Tzu, "If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles*."

Takedowns on triangles. Sifu Wayne gave me a great lesson on balance. 

What did I Learn: Lohan Kung Fu is characterised by large swing hands. Their big movements are designed to help a fighter generate the maximum amount of power possible. There are several very good reasons to train like this. First, you can offset relative strength. There will always be stronger fighters and you may require additional power to win the fight. In the Lohan system you use body mechanics to build that additional power which can give a "weaker" fighter a strength advantage over a much "stronger" opponent. 

Lohan fighters training with weights to develop power. 

However, the second reason is even more important. These big movements teach you to carry through on your strikes. A friend of mine, Paul Ingram of the Kali Center, often says "under pressure you will perform at your lowest level of training." I have seen really good fighters begin to choke under stress and begin to pull their punches. Once this happens that fighter is no longer committed to the attack and they get picked apart. 

Lohan Kung Fu gets fighters to always commit to their attacks. When Lohan fighters fall back on their training they are always active and always striking. Some of the striking might look wild but techniques are sound and aggression has its own value. Roy Nelson, a Kung Fu practitioner, uses these techniques all the time to lay fighters out in the UFC. Similar techniques always give him a "puncher's chance" and he seems to chance on luck a lot. After all, a good defense is a strong offense. 

Take out the weights and the techniques just flow.

What was Awesome: Coming from a Kung Fu background I loved the atmosphere of a traditional school. But what really stood out to me was the philosophy of "many trees, one forest." You will see this quote on the website and in everything that Shifu Wayne is teaching. When I spoke to with him, Shifu Wayne explained to me that a number of his students had backgrounds in numerous Martial Arts. He had two choices, he could try to remake each student in his image or embrace the differences in his charges. 

Thankfully, Shifu Wayne has chosen to embrace to the later. Instead of forced conformity he provides a framework for his students to follow but encourages them to add their own flavour. By giving a structure and system the students have all the tools they need in order to effective fighters yet the freedom to grow and experiment. 

Continuing to drive forward I crash into my partner. 

Conclusion: I had a great time with Shifu Wayne learning about Lohan Kung Fu. It is both amazingly simple and incredibly complex. I can see why the basic techniques are staples of top MMA Fighters. Kung Fu will always be a balance of grace and raw power. Lohan Kung Fu has both these qualities in spades. 

Best regards and keep training,

Martin "Travelling Ronin" Fransham 

If you are interested in training together I would love to get together with you. Drop me a line on facebook and we can connect. I would love to learn from you. 

School of Chinese Martial Arts is a great place to train Traditional Kung Fu.

Check out the Travelling Ronin Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKCqy-phSBs&index=1&list=PLwXDjTjOSVMm3-98e0gHUXLlQecYRkcvN


Find me on Facebook for more updates and daily videos: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Travelling-Ronin/583588935029877

Check out School of Chinese Martial Arts: http://parkerkungfu.com/

I also have the privilege of writing for Martial Science Magazine. They have great articles and you should go take a look. 

Martial Science Magazine on the web: http://www.cienciamarcial.com/#!english-magazine-/c3uy

Martial Science Magazine on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/373149206152604/

* Translating ancient texts is always tough and I found a couple of translations of Sun Tzu's words. If you don't like my translation you can find plenty of other takes on the saying at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/sun_tzu.html#l3etShClpRv2myDP

Tae Kwon Do: Warriors Martial Arts Club: South Chicago, IL

Background: Tae Kwon Do is one of the most recognised Martial Arts in North America. It came flooding into the continent after the end of the Korean War. Similar to the way that Karate was brought to North America by veterans after the end of World War II Tae Kwon Do was witnessed by many of the soldiers stationed in South Korea. Given the strong military military presence after the end of the Korean War which has continued to this day, it is no wonder Tae Kwon Do is so popular.

It is also one of the two Asian Martial Arts to be an Olympic Sport. With competitors coming from almost every country the influence that Tae Kwon Do has had on modern Martial Arts is undeniable. A quick search on Youtube will turn up dozens of videos featuring wicked knockouts and vicious kicks. Of course someone will also point out that there is a lot of videos of absolutely awful Tae Kwon Do as well. In my opinion, by having so many practitioners you will see both good and bad. I choose to spend my time learning and working on the best aspects of an art not pointing out a Youtube failure.

We start working on some basic strikes. 

Tae Kwon Do is well known for its spinning techniques. Watching fighters fire off spinning back kicks or hook kicks is fantastic. Many criticisms were leveled against Tae Kwon Do in the early days of Mixed Martial Arts. However, today Tae Kwon Do has become an piece of many high profile fighters' game. Anderson Silva, Anthony Pettis, Benson Henderson, etc... are just a few of the many MMA fighters that have trained in the art and employed the devastating kicks,

I met Instructor David Pugh at a seminar on gun disarms. Throughout the evening we ended up working together and I developed a great respect for him. At the end of the night I found out that he was teaching Tae Kwon Do on the south side of Chicago and knew I had to go check out his class.

Throwing out a front kick under the watchful eye of Instructor Pugh.

What did I learn: I have spent a lot of time around fight camps and one thing that always amazes me is the ability for fighters to tweak techniques to offer a new twist on them. As a bigger Martial Artist I have seen the power that spinning techniques can generate. Twisting your body builds up power like a coiled spring. However, how you uncoiled that stored energy can be very different.

I worked on two spinning techniques with Instructor Pugh that evening. The first was the "spinning sidekick" and the second was the "spinning back kick or mule kick." Early in my Martial Arts career I became familiar with the concept of tradeoffs. My first teacher, Sifu John Hum, taught me that there were no good or bad techniques. However, every technique has a series of tradeoffs that you must be willing to accept in order to reap the benefits.

I get hammered with a spinning sidekick.

The spinning kicks we worked on really drove this home for me. The first variation was the spinning sidekick. You started up by coiling your body, however, to maintain the visual contact with the target you begin to uncoil before you fire the kick. The benefits are obvious, by keeping eyes on the target you have greater accuracy than the mule kick and more power than if you threw a normal sidekick. However, the tradeoff is that because you started to uncoil you lose some of your power.

The mule kick on the other hand starts exactly the same way with the difference coming in the execution of the technique. The mule kick fires the leg straight back with devastating force by capitalizing on the full amount of stored energy as you coil. Just like the spinning sidekick there is a tradeoff to get that extra power. Since you are kicking straight back you can't keep the same visual contact and are effectively unleashing the kick blind.

My turn to practice the mule kick.

Both techniques are equally valid and come down to the fighter to choose the application. A faster fighter will dodge the mule kick making the spinning sidekick the preferred technique in order to keep tracking and fighting your opponent. Later in the fight as the same opponent slows down and stops maneuvering keeping the visual contact is less important allowing you to slam them with a mule kick.

What was awesome: Normally I am training with adult classes with morals and ethics being focused on as an afterthought. Adults have largely formed their moral compass and just need to sometimes have it reset but rarely reformed. Participating in a family class was wholly different.

There is a knife in my hand which you can't see as Instructor Pugh hammers it away. 

Many of the school's students are young and impressionable, looking up to the adults as role models.
That is where Instructor Pugh steps in and runs his class perfectly. The class opens and closes with the “Principles of Tae Kwon Do” where the students repeat what they are striving for. Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-control, Indomitable spirit. Better yet, at the end of class Instructor Pugh goes through each one of the principles and how they apply outside the Dojang.

I am threatened with a knife by a student.

Martial Arts is supposed to make us better people and provide a variety of life skills. In a church basement in South Chicago I had the privilege to witness it. Warriors Martial Arts Club lives the principles they teach and I couldn’t be happier to witness Tae Kwon Do making a positive impact not only on individuals but also on a community as a whole.

Conclusion: I learned a lot about Tae Kwon Do in the night that I was with Warriors Martial Arts Club. This wasn’t the biggest lesson I took away. I learned much more about being a teacher and creating and image that people look up to and how to inspire the next generation. 

A group shot with just a fraction of the class. 

Best regards and keep training,

Martin "Travelling Ronin" Fransham 
If you are interested in training together I would love to get together with you. Drop me a line on facebook and we can connect. I would love to learn from you. 

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Travelling-Ronin/583588935029877?ref=hl

Go see the Youtube site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G6B0oxDdao&list=PLwXDjTjOSVMm3-98e0gHUXLlQecYRkcvN&index=1

Check out Warriors Martial Arts Club: https://www.facebook.com/warriors.selfdefense

I also have the privilege of writing for Martial Science Magazine. They have great articles and you should go take a look. 

Martial Science Magazine on the web: http://www.cienciamarcial.com/#!english-magazine-/c3uy
Martial Science Magazine on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/373149206152604/