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ARTICLES AND COMMENTARY

ISSHIN-RYU CROSS-TRAINERS
ALLIANCE

 OBSERVATIONS AND DECISIONS

  Saturday August 21^st there was a meeting held at the Steel Hand Dojo. Attending were the master trainers and development trainers, of the ICA.   

  The purpose of the meeting was to take a look at the exiting need of the martial arts community and if the ICA still had a viable answer to those needs. The other, was to establish a date for the next ICA training jam. 

  Before we did anything, we reviewed what our basic purpose and mission was. Our mission originally, was to be a fund raising vehicle of the Harold Long Foundation. Our dual purpose was to offer advanced multiple martial arts training, to the martial arts community. Both of those were successfully accomplished. The Harold Long Foundation fund raising succeeded to the point, that it is able to function on its own without affiliation with any other organization. This took away any accusation that it had a political agenda. The training mission was carried on, on an equally successful basis, but has become subject to reevaluation. The verdict was, that even as new as we are we need to continue to evolve and understand who we are, what we do, and more importantly, why. We do not want to fall victim to what other organizations and even businesses do in failing to read the wants of the people. I think people will put up with what you are teaching them just only so long if it does not fulfill their interest. Even the best information is of no use to the disinterested consumer.  So we (ICA) ask ourselves what do people want from the Martial Arts and does it differ from what we are presently offering. This is something that every dojo operator should ask themselves on a consistent basis. Hopefully, if the ICA can provide those answers to itself, it can provide them to the martial arts community as well. This passing on of information was and is of great interest to us. If people affiliate with us, one of the reasons should be information to take back to their dojo. Any organization that is going no where, can not help its members much either. So dues become a ticket on the Titanic.

   So with all  that said,  this is how we decided to position ourselves hopes that it would best give training options to people who really wanted them.

1)     Continue to operate as an alliance and not as an association. That means no dues.  The only time a fee will be charged to Jam participants is “IF,” there is a cause or need, within our Martial Arts community. We will be a fund raiser for people, or projects, in need. Otherwise, the jams will be free and open to all styles and disciplines.

2)     We will keep the Isshin-ryu designation of coarse, as this is our core system. We will however, welcome any other style or discipline, in order to continue a comprehensive training program for all who attend.  The hopes that other styles and any and all disciplines will attend is for the express purpose of acquainting them with what we may face in the streets, before we have to see it for the first time there. I have always said, that even if my students don’t learn how to do other disciplines themselves, they will have been educated as to what to expect.  We also recognize, that there is no pure style, as we are a melting pot of many styles and systems in Isshin-ryu as well as every other martial arts discipline. It is not our place to disassociate ourselves with anyone because they don’t do what we do, or how we do it. To cut yourself off and keep your head in your own training sand, sets up system inbreeding. This is why most early masters took one or more styles and traveled miles to learn others, before settling on a self styled system of their own. This was no more than everyone having the same building blocks and arranging them to suite themselves, as they envisioned their finish system.

3)     We will continue to promote people we deem worthy based on the collective rank and experience of our Master trainers, which is as formable and experienced as any organization in the country. Some people choose not to belong to any association because of the proliferation of politics. That does not mean that they do not deserve a promotion. It just means that they should not have to “Buy in”, to an associations personal agendas.

4)     We pledge that all of our trainers are actively associated with a dojo and are keeping up physically with what they are teaching. The only work out they get, will not be at your expense at a seminar. If so, they will be either dropped from the teaching ranks, or given a chance to start training again.

5)     When we (ICA) started offering our cross training, we were pretty much out there by ourselves. Naturally, this brought out the haters. But, it did not stop us and it did not stop others either. Now there are several mma/ cross training school and groups. They work independently and mostly support just their own group. There is no need to go to an ICA seminar/Jam, as they have a very good handle on what they do themselves. I believe we could still learn by visiting each other. Whether anyone visits me or not I intend to visit them. You can always learn something new.

6)  We (ICA) realizes that there are also a lot of people who are not interested in some of the things we do or do not do. If people are happy with what they are teaching and training on, then they are not going to take up something new, just for the heck of it. People are not so much traditionalist in their style, just in their habits and thinking. A point was made that sensei’s who do not know ground techniques, are stumped when they leave the seminar, or you leave their dojo, as to how to carry it forward. I know that feeling. I had only a basic knowledge of judo, so I had to learn along side my students and even try to keep up. That didn’t bother me at all as I was enjoying it and wasn’t worried that my students wouldn’t love me anymore, if they realized I didn’t know it either. Who was I to promote learning if I was not going to do it myself. It brought us a lot closer.  Now they tell me it made them respect me more too. Well thanks guys, but it made me respect me even more too. That was worth every sweaty, tired, achy beaky, hour.

7)  We also realize that we are in an area, that if you are not cross training somewhere, you are probably not going to do it anywhere. So we don’t recruit or encourage people to come that it makes them feel guilty or resentful. This has already happened. I thought I was doing friends a favor by soliciting their participation. Instead it only pushed them to the Haters. Haters depend on the, “us v/s them” approach. We don’t like none of ya, if we don’t like one of ya.. Bad poem, but true… So I/we are going to live and let live. East is east and West is west.

8)  We are unashamed and unapologetic that we cross train. We are not against any thing, or any body. We are just pro cross training. We are not TRYING TO RE-INVENT THE WHEEL. That has been said lots lately. We are adding a couple of spokes to the hub of Isshin-ryu. The first wheel was square and has been reinvented like everything else since time began. People worry themselves into extinction. It is not the system that fails the people. It is the people who fail the system by running off anyone who chooses to think for themselves or dares to not to do it the old way. Just stop trying to convince us that we are hurting someone by using our own God given skills to improvise and yes maybe even improve.

9)  To educate people that MMA to us means just what is says; Mixed Martial Arts. Not ground and pound. MMA is a generic term, denoting the use of multiple arts for a fighting defense. It does not indicate that we are going to train you for a cage or octagon. Few if any of us are interested in that. We do however, cover the training of every discipline you would need for that and have a few members that do “MMA.” It is for men women and kids that may lack superior stand up skills and could be taken to the ground. If you are too egotistical or have never been in a street fight and can’t admit, that you could be taken down; pretend you are jumped from behind, or two people grabbed you when you least expected it, or you slipped on a banana peal. I don’t care….. just get real.. That is if you want too. Some of this is like talking to someone about Matthew, when they have only kept reading Genesis.

10)   We will continue in the face of whom or what ever to “Train for Reality.”  This is made difficult when trying to mimic a real fight in your training. It is pretty much impossible to do. Unless you want half of your guys hurt and the other half to quit. At Jams, we want to tailor training to age groups, experience and interest. We have pretty much done that. What we know is you can’t train people of different ages the same, nor women and children. We use a training pace not a competition pace. There is a competition like segment, but not everyone does or should get involved. It s not an ego session. It is an improvement session. You don’t prove anything by getting stupidly in over your head in your training.

11)  We will not waste your time. We have to get down to the nitty gritty. You cannot defend yourself in the street with point techniques. I hope we can at least agree on that. You will not have a bo, a sai, a boat paddle, or tonfa in you possession while going to the store, a movie, a gas station, a run, walk or anywhere that you normally go. If you feel you should, move to another neighborhood or better yet; buy a gun. So we concentrate on your body weapons, a knife, gun and things that conceal easily and are readily available. We will do some kata as it has a training purpose. We will do bunkai, but not the uke driven kind. You will still have to learn to use it in a real fight. Close combat is a high risk place to be without jujitsu and ground experience. My teaching preference is showing you how to survive the ground without having to become student of jujitsu. I want you on your feet. You can end a fight in two seconds with a good strike. Anything that takes longer, the clock is ticking and you’re breathing hard. Or if you are the dramatic type, take your time putting them away, have fun, take a victory lap and get your jollies. It is your choice if you have “Trained for Reality.”

This is not all folks, but it is enough to give you an idea of our direction. We will continue to evolve as we go. Hope to see those of you who are interested. I’ll even come to your dojo and keep it a secret that I was there, if you are among some who have been told to keep your distance from the ICA bad guys. I will corrupt you. You can see how corrupt and untrained my Dragons are. Seriously, do what ever it takes to get the most out of the fantastic opportunity we have, to train and maintain our health and friendships, while doing so. So be well, train hard, and God bless………

See some of you at:

  Brad Hatchers Maryville Tn., JJU tournament, August 28th

  Chuck Reynolds Powel Tn., Open, w/continuous sparring Sept. 25^th

Next ICA JAM IS IN OCTOBER. DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON.