Good training, Good friends, and a week off because carting around kids :)

So, here I am. Yep, still alive out here in Cali. I figured I'd better put an update here lest you all think I've given up training for good :)

I went up to Wisconsin the weekend of 4 - 7 December for training. Red Dragon Academy hosted me once again for a weekend full of fun, bruises...and a little bit of blood and vomit (not at the same time of course!). The training was actually over three days, and I flew back home the following Monday (7 Dec).

Day 1 (Friday) - I spent time with just their black belts. We covered basic concepts of real firearms defense, specifically with the pistol. I talked a lot about the psychology of the defense first. My favorite part of the night is when I had one of their black belts hold a pistol on me and demand my wallet. I then asked the crowd what the best defense was for that...which got me several interesting replies. In the end I said I learned the best one as a police officer, to which I handed my wallet over to my assailant :) That got some snickers and a few laughs from the group. I asked them who in the crowd could run 800 feet per second, and then explained that's why I gave him my wallet. There was nothing in that folded leather that was worth my life.

We covered several pistol positions in from the front, side and back. Each one linked with the other and the basic techniques we use are all interchangeable to prevent the "Oh Crap!" mind dump that comes from finite motor skills.

Day 2 (Saturday) - We began with a good (muwahahahahahahahahaha - insert evil laugh!) warm up. We covered basic use of full contact striking, kicking and distance. Intercept techniques to enter into the clinch range, 50/50 clinch fighting, clinch/clothe fighting, take down defenses and three simple "triple threat" take down defenses.

Day 3 (Sunday) - Last day we covered basic fighting positions on the ground, how to get back up and re-engage the attack, striking and VERY basic submission potential from the ground.

All in all it was a LONG three days for those involved and they were absolutely exhausted by the end. There was a butt load things covered this weekend, of which I expect them to remember maybe two or three techniques :) That's the nature of the beast in a weekend training camp though. You cover the four fundamental ranges of combat (stand up, clinch, ground and weapons) and then hope at least the philosophy sticks.

Also during the weekend I had the privilege of promoting two long time friends and students of mine. Jared S. earned his brown belt under me and Dan D. earned his blue belt. Both are great people, great friends and solid martial artists that have a passion for realistic and practical training. I'm so very proud of both of them!

Here are two photos of the weekend taken at the end of day two. I'll post the pics of Jared and Dan's promotion as soon as I get them.

Here's the group "trying" to be serious. You can see

new Brown Belt Jared S. on the left side of the photo.

...And here's the "no so serious" group :)

Training after the return was pretty much Nil. Between Hunter's cub scouts, volunteering at my church, Kaelyn's concerts and running the heathen's around I had NO time for Mikey. Its okay though. I counted this as my second week of the year that I took off from training. I try to completely veg for at least two separate periods during the year to let my body fully rest. I'm ready to go punish again starting tomorrow. Good times :)