Today is the 16th and I'm back. I'm in North Wales, actually. With the exception of being stuck last night in Atlanta, everything is off to a good start. I am not going to see much of mark Wiley this visit as he has prior pressing family engagements. I'll try to sneak him off for an hour or two.
I'm with Ian Fusco, a kung fu/tai chi player and am schooling him on the Fast Track sub-system of MA-80. We're off to a good start. He trained with Mark for a bit and now is training with me.
We have covered the first steps of FT1 (volume one of teh Fast Track system) and now he is getting the hang of how the structure is set within the striking template.
For those of you who haven't purchased the Fast Track Arnis Training program dvds (shame on you) the FT program is based on setting up a template for motion and how to recognize motion and then how everything you do is related to that template. It is a very effective training program for people who are not training in an established FMA program. The first program deals with longer distance training and a six strike template. Volume two deals with medium to medium/close range, the twelve strikes and how to set your opponent up with feints and such. Volume three is a kids program. Volume four teaches the eight empty hand tactical forms. Each form is not so much a kata or anyo but a very specific action (block, trap counter is one of them) and how each 'tac form' can lead into locking and throwing, etc. Volume five (unreleased) is based on cane actions where you are not directly engaging cane on cane and this really heightens your awareness of distancing.
Anyway, day one coming to a close. I will be here with Ian til monday and then I am getting together with one of the east coast's pioneers of Modern Arnis, Joe Bridenstein. I hadn't met Joe in all the years I had been in MA until my trip here last march and Mark took me over for an illuminating (and too short) two hour visit. This will be fun. Over and out.
Yours,
Dan Anderson
PS - If all goes well I might be able to hook up with Frank Shekosky and Brian Zawilinski sometime mid week as well before I head to Boston.