# Gathering of the Pack?



## searcher (Mar 28, 2005)

Has anyone ever been to a Dog Brothers Gathering of the Pack before?

I have been thinking of going and was wondering what to expect.   I have done similar types of fighting before, but not with there lack of equipment.   Any info would be helpful.

I posted this on another forum, but have since been banned and I can't check to see if anyone has followed up.


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## bart (Mar 28, 2005)

Hey There,

I've only fought in one but I would do it again. Expect nice people, good attitudes, and lots of bruises. Bring soft pads for your knees and elbows, a mouthpiece, a cup, and a fencing mask of reasonable strength. Check out their website www.dogbrothers.com for more in depth info. 

A couple words of advice, if you don't have any stickfighting experience, then you need to get some before you go into it. At the very least you need to let your opponents know beforehand that you are new to it. It's like rugby. If you haven't played before, you can get seriously hurt. There is also the lesser chance that you might injure someone unecessarily because you don't know the game. Vital strikes are not part of the play. It's not a competition but rather a vehicle for growth. I would also suggest going to one and watching it before you do it. I went twice before I tried it out myself.


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## John J (Mar 29, 2005)

I have not participated in the actual Gathering but have fought in 2 DBMA seminars over 10 years ago, fought in the 1st DBMA style stick-fighting tournament in Delaware back in 96 and occasionally spar in the same manner. My 1st word of advice is experience the intensity of limited armor and heavy stick first. Try it out with people you trust but utilize the same minimal protective gear. You will know right away if you are prepared to take and give a hit. If you are immediately over-timid then dont enter the Gathering.   

Sure the hype surrounding the Gatherings are intense but your only concern should be your mindset and approach to fighting. The fact that these players take it to another level does not make them better stick-fighters. I have seen the same carelessness and inabilities in Gatherings and similar events to those seen in WEKAF etc. Like anything else, be elusive, use effective blocking, strike and counterstrike with power and dont close the gap unless YOU are prepared to grapple. If you have stick-fighting skills, use them! There will be many attempts to close the gap so make your strikes count. Make them think twice about shooting in again with strikes that hurt. If there is a charge, use a lot of lateral movement and counter striking. If hes on the highline, alternating checks to the face while counterstriking works well. This is what they teach in the 1st DBMA video series and works well. If you go on the offensive with combinations, monitor your distance because if you go corto like in WEKAF, youll simply be brought down or end up exchanging in a range you may not be comfortable with. 

Yours in the Arts,

John J
www.swacom.com


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## searcher (Mar 29, 2005)

Thanks for the info.   I have been trying to get more info on times and locations of WEKAF events, but have had little success.   I don't have experience with the use of baston in a sparring situation, but have done weapons sparring with gear on.    I specialize in the use of Okinawan style staff (bo) and have trained with other weapons.    My sole interest in DBMA comes from wanting to grow as a martial artist, not for recognition or winning.   I will check into watching beforehand to get a better idea of what the expectations are for fighters and what to expect for myself.


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