# Vee Arnis Jitsu Seminar in Kansas



## Andrew Evans (Sep 26, 2005)

"Making Your Martial Art Street Effective"

Absolute Martial Arts and Hokkien Martial Arts proudly present the Budo International Magazine 2005 Self-Defense Instructor of the Year, Sensei "Big" John Petrone for a 2-day seminar at Absolute Martial Arts (2909 SW 37th Terrace) in Topeka, Kansas on October 22-23, 2005. Times will be 1pm-6pm on Saturday and 9am-3pm on Sunday. 

Sensei Petrone teaches the highly effective street self-defense system, Vee Arnis Jitsu. He is a direct student of Professor David James, Grandmaster of the Vee Arnis Jitsu System, and is the co-owner of the Defense Institute, an organization that excels in training elite units of the military, to include such long standing clients as the 10th Special Forces Group, and law enforcement 
agencies, such as the CO Department of Corrections. There are currently over 100 units/departments utilizing the Defense Institute's Control Tactics and Threat Elimination (D.I.C.T.A.T.E.) program and Correctional Control Tactics (C.C.T.) program. The website is www.defenseinstitute.com

Cost for the seminar is $70 if paid by October 8. Afterwards, it is $80. This event is highly recommended for martial artists, law enforcement and military. Beginner to black belt will find real value in this training. All styles are welcome. Nobody under 18 allowed. Groin protection is mandatory. Be prepared to be blown away! 

Please contact Andrew Evans at (785) 213-1576, email hokkien@excite.com or visit www.TopekaKarate.com for more information


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## kaliace (Sep 27, 2005)

Andrew, 



WOW! Another great chance for some first class training! I am very happy that you are continuing to bring in some of the elite trainers in the Martial World. I look forward to it!



Respectfully, 

Michael G Olive


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## Mark Lynn (Sep 29, 2005)

kaliace said:
			
		

> Andrew,
> 
> 
> 
> WOW! Another great chance for some first class training! I am very happy that you are continuing to bring in some of the elite trainers in the Martial World. I look forward to it!



I second this, Andrew has done a very god job of bringing in various top ranked instructors.  I've attended two of these seminars and he has done a great job of hosting the events.  This one I expect will be same.  Who knows I might have enough brownie points stored up with my wife by then that I might even be able to make it.   

Mark


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## Andrew Evans (Oct 3, 2005)

Good to hear from the both of you!! 

Not many have experienced Vee Arnis Jitsu. I was blown away from the first time I saw it. Great stuff! It will be an excellent time and I hope you gentlemen can make it.

Take care,
Andrew


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## Andrew Evans (Oct 8, 2005)

A lot of top-notch practitioners and instructors are rolling into town! Sensei Big John is bringing a small group with him. We will have at least six Vee Arnis Jitsu personnel on the floor. 

Please see http://veearnisjitsu.com/videogallery.htm for video samples of VAJ.

Thanks,
Andrew


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## kempomama (Oct 21, 2005)

By popular demand, we have added another self-defense seminar in Topeka this weekend! Pick one or both!!

2-Hour Vee Arnis Jitsu Seminar on Saturday 10am-Noon($20) 
Sensei John Petrone will be giving a seminar from 10am-noon at Maximus Health and Wellness in Topeka, Kansas on October 22, 2005. The cost for this 2-hour event will be $20 for the general public and $15 for Maximus members. 

Two Day Vee Arnis Jitsu Seminar on Saturday and Sunday ($80)
See above!

Looks like this is the first time in years that we will have more hawaiian martial art practitioners than filipino ones. No matter, it will still be a great time.

sheryl


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## Pappy Geo (Nov 4, 2005)

How about a report? I watched the videos and that is my kind of stuff! 

0-8 seconds 1-2-3 slam and jam!

Tito Geo


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## Andrew Evans (Nov 10, 2005)

Pappy Geo said:
			
		

> How about a report? I watched the videos and that is my kind of stuff!
> 
> 0-8 seconds 1-2-3 slam and jam!
> 
> Tito Geo


Yes! There was a lot of that.

I haven't had a chance to write a detail review yet but one is forthcoming. Stay tuned...


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## NARC (Nov 11, 2005)

_Great to see Professor David James and company getting exposure on MT. I had the pleasure to train in NYC with Prof. James for 6 months while on detail for the World Trade Center Bombing Trials. Good bunch of Martial Artists! very nice facility._
_Prof. James very intense and motivated to say the least! _


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## Andrew Evans (Dec 19, 2005)

Holy smokes! I sent this out via email a while ago and just realized that I never posted it here. My profuse apologies to everyone! So heres goes...

Review of Sensei John Petrone Seminar

After an excellent weekend of training with Sensei Big John Petrone, I thought for a while as to why he isnt traveling across the country giving seminars at least every other week like many top national instructors. Thats when it occurred to me that Sensei Petrone is one of the most underrated self-defense instructors of our time. 

Sure, he was named Budo International Magazine 2005 Self-Defense Instructor of the Year but why arent he and the art he practices (Vee Arnis Jitsu) a household name in the martial arts? VAJ and Sensei Petrone think outside the box. Instead of trying to improve techniques, which is what many martial arts do, VAJ focuses on teaching you new concepts and realistic ways to look at a street self-defense.

How come VAJ isnt practiced in more places? VAJ standards are extremely high. Only a handful of dedicated VAJ practitioners that have spent several years training become blackblacks each year. 

VAJ training is realistic. It is in your face and keeps things real. 

Someone once tried to insult Sensei Petrone by calling him a thug in a gi. I personally would not consider that an insult. After all, who would you rather learn about street self-defense from? A church choir boy or someone who has been there and done that? Ill take the person who can show me what the dark side looks like and that person is Sensei John Petrone. In addition to growing up in rough neighborhoods, he has worked as a bodyguard and been a bouncer in New York Citys busier nightclubs where he experienced countless situations on a nightly basis. (He has plenty of stories but it's better for you to hear them firsthand).

Still stuck on the thug concerns? Let me briefly address them. Sensei Petrone acts appropriate and does not insult the instructor. While he criticizes some aspects of various arts, he explains that he realizes that some techniques are part of a fighting art (dojo attack) as opposed to what he believe is realistic self-defense (real attack). He does not blow participants out of the water. Instead he takes time to show them how minor tweaks in what they do will make their material more street effective.

The VAJ drills that Sensei Petrone taught are not power-based, where one has to have a certain level of strength to make them work. They require the strength of a 12-year-old. This makes sense. If your material needs a lot of power to be effective, thats a problem because chances are the creep who attacks you will be a lot bigger and stronger than you. Also, VAJ material cuts to the chase. They are not complicated and are easy to learn. 

The material from his seminar will keep you going for a while. We just reviewed some of them last night. Do I recommend his seminars? Yes!!! Heck, if hes giving a seminar that within a couple hours of travel time from you, I urge you to drop what you are doing and attend!!

Regards,
Andrew Evans


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## NARC (Dec 20, 2005)

Thanks for the review! While I trained in the New City Studio under Shihan James it was just the same in your face training. High energy and very physical...Shihan shouting "Hit, move, hit , move" "stick it, and move"
Always very exhausted at the end of class but pumped up just the same.
Then I would ride home on the subway back to Prospect Park from lower Manhattan. Worth the trip in every other day!


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## arnisador (Dec 20, 2005)

Thanks for the review!


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## Carl Magnuson (Jan 7, 2006)

Greetings to All,

I would like to make a belated second to what Andrew Evans said in his earlier post.  I am one of his student's and was fortunate to attend the seminar with John Petrone.  As has been said, the material was great.  I also would like to comment on Sensei Petrone's teaching style.  He has a skill for organizing the material around central concepts, which makes it much easier to learn and recall later.  In addition, I want to say how much I appreciate the degree to which he interacts with and instructs the students.  All too often I have attended seminars in which the instructor shows the material, but remains distant from the students.  Sensei Petrone constantly worked the room, correcting errors and challenging us to be better.  He is a great teacher with strong communication abilities as well as a excellent martial artist.  

It was an excellent experience and I hope to repeat it again in the near future.  

Best wishes,
Carl


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## Guro Harold (Apr 4, 2006)

Mod Note:

Thread split and new a thread was placed in Seminars and Camps thread here 

Best regards,

Palusut
MT Senior Mod


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## Andrew Evans (Apr 4, 2006)

I agree Carl! You can repeat the experience again. 

Please look at the previous posting regarding information about the next seminar is located in the Seminar and Camps section.

Thanks,
Andrew


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