My friend & teacher Jim Keating posted a little 'rant' on his website that caught my eye this morning. His student Jay had been selling something he calls 'The Battlescarf'. It looks like some of the trolls on one of the FMA forums have been slagging it down, which I find kind of strange, as arts like Silat have a long heritage of using flexible weapons. Many of our martial systems have some form of flexible weapons. Japanese martial arts have the manrikigusari, kyoketsu shogue, kusuri-gama etc etc. The chinese arts have the meteor hammer, steel whip etc. The Korean arts have something similar to the manrikigusari in Po Bok Sul, a weighted rope.
I have seen several high level FMA instructors teaching the use of the Sarong as a weapon. Jim had an experience a while back with trolls on the same forums decrying his Bandanna tapes, & probably becoming quite embarrassed when it was pointed out to them that Inosanto, Tarani, Sulite etc, were all teaching flexible weapons in the shape of the Sarong. The thing was, how many guys in the west (apart from David bloody Beckham) wear a Sarong? So conceptualising those methods so they're used with a bandanna makes sense, as a bandanna is a bit more realistically carried by people. The same can be said for the Battlescarf. So I have this to say to the trolls, do us a favour & shut your stupid whiney little mouths! Try to step outside of your obviously small intellects & try to think conceptually. All the flexible weapons material can be done with ANYTHING. If you want to wear a Sarong (try this walking through most towns in Scotland & I'll be laughing my tits off at the number of times you take stick) then fine, but isn't a bandanna or a scarf a bit more practical?
This same bunch of whiney little cretins did a flame job on me a couple of years ago. A friend of mine alerted me to a thread where a some little bitches who had never met me or contacted me were questioning one of my qualifications 'because they had never heard of this system'. I don't think thet expected me to pop up in the thread & politely correct them, pointing out that the martial arts world was quite big & that the potential of running into instructors they didn't know & offshoots of systems in other countries was quite high; & tell them that if they had any doubts I was happy for ANY of them to visit me & first hand see what I teach. Haven't had any takers yet!
I'll say this. In the past 30 years I've trained in more martial arts systems than these little girls have probably even heard of, under some of the best teachers in the world. I've been blessed with the opportunity to experience many different systems, & sub-systems; some good, some poor. Out of ALL the people I've trained with in the years I've been training, including some VERY highly regarded FMA instructors & masters; James Keating stands head & shoulders above any of them! His personal skill has to be experienced to be believed, & his teaching style makes him by far my favorite person I've trained under! One thing these trolls should remember is that unlike ANY of them, Jim has actually USED what he teaches. Jim has been a bit of a 'bad boy' in his past, & he's seen the elephant! They might be able to do a nice pretty 600,000 count sumbrada, but my guess is that they have probably never faced the things Jim has faced & actually had to use their skill-at-arms! They really should just shut up.
Anyhow, I'm going to paste in Jims little rant below-
The other day I saw on a popular FMA forum site where some idiots were dissing the Battlescarf. Those type did the same thing when I put out my Bandanna Fighting DVDs.
Then after they found out that Edgar Sulite did it first, well hell, then it was ok-official. Fuuuggg - how sad, racist, biased and short sighted, what haters and losers... What they do not get is that there is a STRONG body of work already out there in the silat world and kali too - where one uses a SARONG to defend oneself. Yeah, sorta like a giant bandanna, heh. Well, the Battlescarf is just a cold weather sarong. We love the sarong stuff, but where we live no one wears them and its too cold anyway. We chose a logical alternate and made it available. So once again the FMA forum idiots have shot themselves in the foot, they demonstrate their own ignorance of the conceptual side of martial arts. They deny the entire flexible weapons curriculum (scarf, bandanna, sarong, belt, whip, buntot pagi, etc etc.) What have any of those maggots ever done to add to the betterment of the arts? NOTHING! Just shit talking maggots that run their forum mouths like bitches in heat without doing any background work, any questioning ... just hate. Jealous fucks who daily beat down anyone on their way up. Beat down on anything positive. Well fuck those ignorant pricks. Their mocking bullshit is always the same. Birds (turds) of a feather really do flock together. Ignorance guides ignorance
I stand behind Jim & Jay. Jay's dvd 'Fat Jays Drunken Backyard Kung-Fu' has to be seen. Its a dvd where Jay is quite 'big', they are drunk, & it is filmed in his back yard. Its VERY funny, but it has good stuff in there as well. When I first heard about it I thought that just the title would ruffle the feathers of those in the Chinese arts who take themselves a little too seriously. Jay is a good guy, & a very able practitioner; & I would pay to see some of these little trolls locked in a room with him for a very short while, hehehe:o)
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Friday, 22 January 2010
A Salute to our troops
When I'm in the USA one thing that always brings a lump to my throat is that everyone shows their uniformed services so much respect. When you're in an airport you'll see people going up to uniformed servicemen & shaking their hands saying "thank-you for your service". I just think this is wonderful, & I wish we did this more in this country. In Tactical Edge we do our little bit to say "thank-you for sticking your life on the line to keep us safe" by giving serving military free training in our classes.
I just received this email, & rather than forwarding it via email I thought I'd stick it on my blog & website.
Last week I was in West London attending a conference. While I was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me beginning to clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed one of the greatest acts of patriotism I have ever seen.
Moving through the terminal was a group of soldiers in their uniforms, as they began heading to their gate everyone (well almost everyone) was abruptly to their feet with their hands waving and cheering. When I saw the soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and cheered for, it hit me. I'm not alone. I'm not the only red blooded Briton who still loves this country and supports our troops and their families. Of course I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us so we can go to school, work, and enjoy our home without fear or reprisal.
Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our service men and women a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old, ran up to one of the male soldiers. He knelt down and said 'Hi,' the little girl then asked him if he would give something to her daddy for her. The young soldier didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself, said he would try and what did she want to give to her daddy. Suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek.
The mother of the little girl, who said her daughters name was Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Corporal and had been in Afghanistan for the last 5 months. As the mum was explaining how much her daughter, Courtney, missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up. When this temporarily single mum was done explaining her situation, all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military looking walkie-talkie. They started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it.
After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, 'I spoke to your daddy and he told me to give this to you. He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying 'Your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is coming home very soon.'
The mum at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young soldier stood to his feet he saluted Courtney and her mum.
I was standing no more than 6 feet away as this entire event unfolded.
As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people resumed their applause. As I stood there applauding and looked around, there were very few dry eyes, including my own. That young soldier in one last act turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek.
We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families and thank God for them and their sacrifices. At the end of the day, it's good to be British.
RED FRIDAYS
Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? British men and women who support our troops used to be called the 'silent majority'. We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing. We get no liberal media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions. Many British people, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of Britain supports our troops.
Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that every Briton who supports our men and women afar will wear something red.
By word of mouth, press, TV; let's make Great Britain on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football team. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family, It will not be long before Britain is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once 'silent' majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on.
The first thing a soldier says when asked 'What can we do to make things better for you?' is...'We need your support and your prayers'....
Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example; and wear something red every Friday.
IF YOU AGREE , THEN SEND THIS ON
IF YOU COULD NOT CARE LESS THEN HIT THE DELETE BUTTON.
IT IS YOUR CHOICE, but let me know your choice.
THEIR BLOOD RUNS RED, SO LET'S WEAR RED!
Lest we Forget.
I just think this is bloody wonderful!!!!
I just received this email, & rather than forwarding it via email I thought I'd stick it on my blog & website.
Last week I was in West London attending a conference. While I was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me beginning to clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed one of the greatest acts of patriotism I have ever seen.
Moving through the terminal was a group of soldiers in their uniforms, as they began heading to their gate everyone (well almost everyone) was abruptly to their feet with their hands waving and cheering. When I saw the soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and cheered for, it hit me. I'm not alone. I'm not the only red blooded Briton who still loves this country and supports our troops and their families. Of course I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us so we can go to school, work, and enjoy our home without fear or reprisal.
Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our service men and women a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old, ran up to one of the male soldiers. He knelt down and said 'Hi,' the little girl then asked him if he would give something to her daddy for her. The young soldier didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself, said he would try and what did she want to give to her daddy. Suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek.
The mother of the little girl, who said her daughters name was Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Corporal and had been in Afghanistan for the last 5 months. As the mum was explaining how much her daughter, Courtney, missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up. When this temporarily single mum was done explaining her situation, all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military looking walkie-talkie. They started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it.
After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, 'I spoke to your daddy and he told me to give this to you. He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying 'Your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is coming home very soon.'
The mum at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young soldier stood to his feet he saluted Courtney and her mum.
I was standing no more than 6 feet away as this entire event unfolded.
As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people resumed their applause. As I stood there applauding and looked around, there were very few dry eyes, including my own. That young soldier in one last act turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek.
We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families and thank God for them and their sacrifices. At the end of the day, it's good to be British.
RED FRIDAYS
Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? British men and women who support our troops used to be called the 'silent majority'. We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing. We get no liberal media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions. Many British people, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of Britain supports our troops.
Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that every Briton who supports our men and women afar will wear something red.
By word of mouth, press, TV; let's make Great Britain on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football team. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family, It will not be long before Britain is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once 'silent' majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on.
The first thing a soldier says when asked 'What can we do to make things better for you?' is...'We need your support and your prayers'....
Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example; and wear something red every Friday.
IF YOU AGREE , THEN SEND THIS ON
IF YOU COULD NOT CARE LESS THEN HIT THE DELETE BUTTON.
IT IS YOUR CHOICE, but let me know your choice.
THEIR BLOOD RUNS RED, SO LET'S WEAR RED!
Lest we Forget.
I just think this is bloody wonderful!!!!
Sunday, 3 January 2010
Big Jays Battlescarf
I'm a big fan of flexible weapons. I'm a big fan of 'grey' or 'improvised' weapons. My friend over in Walla Walla, Big Jay, has brought out his own take on flexible & covert weapons- The Battlescarf.
I really enjoy working with flexible weapons. Some folks get a little too flowery with the stuff they do with them for my taste; I think thats maybe because they haven't really had too much real life experience of just how insanely fast & frantic real combat can be. However, using the right simple base of techniques they can act as a great force multiplier. I love Jim Keatings Bandanna material, & I always have my 'loaded' bandanna with me. With a couple of £1 coins in the corner it'll take teeth out when it's used like a whip. It works like a shorter version of a manrikigusari, & it's damn effective. I have a couple of James Pioreks V-Gar's. These are fantastic. Its a plastic coated steel cable with a loop at one end & a titanium impact tool at the other. It can be swung to keep someone at distance, or when held between two hands you can still strike with either hand, use the impact tool, or use the wire to trap, crush, or constrict. When you use the 'overhand loop' to snap down on the arms with the bandanna it really hurts. People on my seminars very often just can't believe how 'hard' a piece of cloth can become. When you do it with the V-Gar is HUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRTTTTTTTS! I demo'd it to a guy in SF a while back who wondered how it was used, & he had a beautiful black & blue bruise across where it got snapped for about 2 months!
The Battlescarf looks like a great bit of kit. Jim Keating said to me that he really likes it, & that is REALLY WORKS. I'm ordering one (perfect when its -a zillion degrees outside like it is in Scotland just now- Scotland is a wonderful country, but they forgot to build the greenhouse over the top of it; bring on global warming, who gives a shit about polar bears anyway!). Jays dvd- 'Fat Jays Backyard Drunken Kung-Fu' is an absolute hoot. It is filmed in his backyard, & they are drunk! The dvd is actually really good. The Battlescarf comes with an instructional dvd which looks pretty good too. Check out the videoclip on the website, for some reason it reminds me of the video for the song 'My United States of Whatever', hehehe. Anyway, I'm buying one, & if it sounds interesting to you check out his website www.battlescarf.com
I really enjoy working with flexible weapons. Some folks get a little too flowery with the stuff they do with them for my taste; I think thats maybe because they haven't really had too much real life experience of just how insanely fast & frantic real combat can be. However, using the right simple base of techniques they can act as a great force multiplier. I love Jim Keatings Bandanna material, & I always have my 'loaded' bandanna with me. With a couple of £1 coins in the corner it'll take teeth out when it's used like a whip. It works like a shorter version of a manrikigusari, & it's damn effective. I have a couple of James Pioreks V-Gar's. These are fantastic. Its a plastic coated steel cable with a loop at one end & a titanium impact tool at the other. It can be swung to keep someone at distance, or when held between two hands you can still strike with either hand, use the impact tool, or use the wire to trap, crush, or constrict. When you use the 'overhand loop' to snap down on the arms with the bandanna it really hurts. People on my seminars very often just can't believe how 'hard' a piece of cloth can become. When you do it with the V-Gar is HUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRTTTTTTTS! I demo'd it to a guy in SF a while back who wondered how it was used, & he had a beautiful black & blue bruise across where it got snapped for about 2 months!
The Battlescarf looks like a great bit of kit. Jim Keating said to me that he really likes it, & that is REALLY WORKS. I'm ordering one (perfect when its -a zillion degrees outside like it is in Scotland just now- Scotland is a wonderful country, but they forgot to build the greenhouse over the top of it; bring on global warming, who gives a shit about polar bears anyway!). Jays dvd- 'Fat Jays Backyard Drunken Kung-Fu' is an absolute hoot. It is filmed in his backyard, & they are drunk! The dvd is actually really good. The Battlescarf comes with an instructional dvd which looks pretty good too. Check out the videoclip on the website, for some reason it reminds me of the video for the song 'My United States of Whatever', hehehe. Anyway, I'm buying one, & if it sounds interesting to you check out his website www.battlescarf.com
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