Seminars--Best/worst experiences

[Brian R. VanCise]

Thanks Terry I really appreciate the compliment!


I have had the pleasure of attending so many wonderful seminar's and unique training sessions that it would be hard to pick one out. From Dan Inosanto, The Grand Tuhon "Nene" Tortal, Remy Presas, Mark O'Brien, Doron Navon, Greg Kowalski, Mike Asuncion, Brian "Buzz" Smith, Rich Parsons, Ken Blackburn, Caique, Rolker Gracie, Royce Gracie, Master Bro, Master Dave Weatherly, A couple Machado seminars, Remy Presas Jr., Dan Anderson, Cass Magda, my good friend Bob Orlando, Matt Lamphere, Noguchi Sensei, Shiraishi Sensie, Seno Sensei, Oguri Sensei, Hee Il Cho, General Choi of course Tai Kai with Hatsumi Sensei and so many more that I have unfortunately left out. Each opportunity offered some thing unique and precious and each helped shape my martial path! (I owe each a debt of gratitude)

Most importantly it simply is to attend as many different training opportunities so that you can learn, compare and experience what is out there.

I have only been to one seminar where the instructor was only interested in his experience. Even then that taught me a lesson early on that when I teach it is all about the practitioner's learning and that my goal is to give each person a great experience!

 

[sgtmac_46]

I

I too have hosted Dan he is a great guy you didn't take him to a buffet did you cause man he can eat

As a matter of fact we hit a Pizza buffet........and grazed for an hour and a half!

 

[Stac3y]

I've been to (and enjoyed) a couple of Bill Wallace sparring seminars; the second one had too many attendees to be great, but was still good. I also went to a Larry Fields breaking seminar that was really good; I was mostly there to help with the kids, but he made sure I got up front and participated as well.

 

[Grenadier]

The best seminars I've attended:

Clay Morton - Pick any of his seminars, whether they're dealing with an advanced Shotokan kata, or his "in the zone" seminar. They're very well-presented, and he teaches them in a way that is easy to follow. Thanks to him, I was able to really sharpen up my kata Sochin and Nijushiho.

Toshihiro Oshiro - He teaches things in a way that's fairly easy to understand, even for the more difficult aspects of Yamanni Ryu. Rest assured, if you have the privilege of taking his seminars, you'll come out of them more knowledgeable.

He's able to teach Yamanni Ryu kobudo in a way that can be "translated" by those who have a good working knowledge of empty hand Karate.

Admittedly, when I took his seminar last year, I wasn't prepared to handle some of the work, since my experience with the bo was up to Sakugawa No Kun. Now that I've been reviewing those things that were taught, I'm able to gain a much greater appreciation for the material. I only wish I had known then what I know now, but as the old saying goes, "better late than never."

Other excellent seminars: Tom Ryan (for Ju Jutsu and restorative massage techniques), James "Kimo" Wall, Tommy Hood (sport kumite, kata), Ridgely Abele, Carlos Quintero (Shito Ryu kata), Troy Price, Carl Wilcox, Vitus Bilking, Benny Meng (Wing Chun Kung Fu), Donna Judge (self-defense), and several others who I'll remember in a bit.


Worst: Where to begin? I won't name any specifics, regarding the style, but I would have to say that this event, which took place during a summer afternoon, was poorly run by someone who had never really taken time to organize things.

The worst part of this was where the speaker was asking a potential uke if he had experience with taking a fall properly. The potential uke acknowledged this, and said "yes." What the speaker failed to ask, was whether the soon to be uke was experienced taking an aerial fall (which he wasn't). As a result of the technique demonstrated, the poor fellow's arm was wrenched, and he took a very bad fall, indeed.

After that incident, the 40 or so people who had signed up to attend this clinic, has mostly dispersed, even though the seminar still had another 40 minutes left.


Another bad experience: This particular seminar had high expectations. There were about 90 people signed up for it, and everyone was eager to learn.

The only problem was, that the person who was supposed to teach the seminar, never showed up. For that matter, the would-be teacher decided to take a trip to the Bahamas instead, and forgot to tell us about not coming. By the time we managed to get a hold of this person (a few days later), the only response was "well, I decided to take a vacation. Can't you reschedule?"

We tried to explain, that it took a lot of time, energy, and $$$ to rent the gymnasium for that particular day, and that we would be happy to bring the teacher back for another date, but the person didn't really care. In fact, the response was "if you're trying to guilt me into coming back at a reduced cost, it ain't gonna work."

We explained that to pay the full seminar fee was simply beyond the budget, especially since the teacher didn't honor the original date. The only response was "whatever." as the teacher hung up.



Just as a word to the wise: be sure that the person you intend to bring in, is a reliable one, and not a flake.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I no longer attend seminars but many years ago I did and the best one I attended was with Fumio Demura. I went because a friend of mine convinced me to go but I really did not want to because at the time I had little use for anything labeled Karate. Fumio Demura changed my mind, his level of skill and knowledge as well as his attitude made the whole thing rather amazing. So much so that if his school was closer to me I would have quit what I was training and gone to learn from him.

The worst I will not name the sensei but he taught Aikijutsu and he decided to pick me out of the crowd to demo what he was going to teach and being taiji I tend to relax if you touch me and try to throw me, it is a reflex and I have to think really hard to not do it.

He could not throw me and then told me I couldn’t relax. I decided to just bow out and leave.

However it seemed that my relaxation reflex was no problem for Fumio Demura

 

[IcemanSK]

I'll mention a bad experience without mentioning names.

I was a kickboxing event in the late 90's. One of the legends of kickboxing was at the fight & was supposed to do a seminar about an hour away the next day, but it feel through. At the last minute, he was able to secure another seminar gig in another town an hour south of the first town, for the next day. I understand that he was stressed, & glad he had another place to hold a seminar.

He came up to my buddy & I like he was a used car salesman & tried to talk us into the "great opportunity" that he had for us in this seminar. He came off as smarmy like a snake oil salesman. My buddy & I both looked at him & walked away thinking, "what a jerk." He tried that hard sell on everyone in the room & got few takers.

I found it ironic that a fighter who could change tactics in the ring when something didn't work, couldn't do that to sell himself in a room full of people who were impressed with him before they met him, but were unimpressed once they met him.

 

[Gordon Nore]

I went to two seminars way back in my early days -- mid nineties. Both were hosted by my club. The first one was an Oleg Taktarov seminar just after his UFC win. I was green as can be and didn't have a partner with comparable experience. I ended up pairing with a BJJ black belt who was way above my level. Because of my inexperience, I tapped the mat, instead of my partner, and limped around with a sore knee for a couple of days.

Next time around was Gene LeBell. I had a little more experience and was working with three other guys I'd trained with for a couple of years, so I got a lot more out of it. Also, Gene is a wonderful instructor.

Since then I've attended two seminars that were basically groups of schools getting together and sharing techniques. That's a format I quite like.

 

[fyn5000]

I have to say this is a great thread. I'm really enjoying reading about everyone's experiences at the seminars they attended.

Thanks to The Opal Dragon for starting this thread!

fyn

 

[Aiki Lee]

My favorite seminars were the earth shugyo weekends in 2005 and 2009.

both those events hand not only tachniques from koto ryu and tagaki yoshin ryu that I had not seen before but also showed us how to "dissapear" at night, how to successfully infiltrate a building (with minimum security), and had a decent training game where we were sent to retrieve items without being detected. Plus 2005 was my first experience with different types of shuriken other than the senban shuriken.

The worst seminar would have actually been awesome if not for some idiots from another school. Our fire shugyo in 2006 had some cool ideas about group battle tactics and we even got to do some horesmanship which ruled. However many people from another school were disrespectful to the head of the organization, his wife, and damaged a lot of his property. So the event would have been gret if not for those people who had such huge egos that they wouldn't let you successfully practice a technique because they couldn't let themselves get beaten.

The water shugyo of 2007 gave me some mixed thoughts. We went canoing but there was a huge rainstorm the night before and we didn't realize the water level raised about six feet. So long story short, most of us crashed our boats and lost our equipment and had to rescue each other from drowning. It was rough, but no one got injured and we all came out of it more confident in our ability to handle an emergency and more trustworthy of each other.
We didn't get to practice any of the techniques since we had that fiasco but we did reschedule that for a later time at a swimming pool where we practiced fighting under water and swimming both silently and while carrying things and while bound hand and foot.

I love our seminars, I can't wait for shugyo 2010!

 

[AlanE]

Tim Larkin's Target Focus Training (TFT) at the Dallas YMCA was outstanding.

Pavel Tsatsouline's Tactical Training something something was also outstanding a few years prior to TFT. I use some principles I learned from him as... a HS Girl's soccer coach, if you can believe it.

No bad experiences that I can think of. Everybody has had something useful to teach.

 

[Blade96]

I have to say this is a great thread. I'm really enjoying reading about everyone's experiences at the seminars they attended.

Thanks to The Opal Dragon for starting this thread!

fyn

Yes, same. I'm looking forward to my very first seminar in Shotokan in 2010!

didnt have to go to the one in october last year cause i was a rookie white belt of just one month at that time.

So its good for me to read this thread!

 

[Rich Parsons]

Hello all,

I'm excited about going to my first Aikido seminar in over 3 years in January.

For those who have gone to martial art seminars, what are your best and worst experiances? No names need be mentioned for the worst, lest it possibly turn into a bash-fest.

...
Robyn

Good idea for a thread!

I would say that our own Brian Vancise does an excellent job and really has a very thought out plan for the whole day. I also enjoy Rich Parson as well, these two does a fantastic job at explaining everything and making sure the whole group gets envolved.

Terry, Thank you. :asian: I try to make sure that people of all levels get something. If I see some moving along when others arre struggling, I will give those moving along something in addition to work on as I walk around as well as make sure those learning it for the first time get a chance to grasp it and understand it.

I've been to a few seminars that were good memories. Bill Wallace in 1991 or '92 was a great time. He had us all laughing so hard that we really didn't care that he stretched the day lights out of us.
...

I've been to (and enjoyed) a couple of Bill Wallace sparring seminars; the second one had too many attendees to be great, but was still good. I also went to a Larry Fields breaking seminar that was really good; I was mostly there to help with the kids, but he made sure I got up front and participated as well.

I saw a Bill Wallace Demonstration at an event once. I was just 20 yer old young punk of a male just started out in the martial arts but had just enough bouncing experience to know better than to mouth off. But ...

So while we are watching four rings of action (* forms / sparring etcetera *) a real boxing ring was being preped. One of the guys on the floor (* me and my friend a senior to me in the art were up in the stands, maybe 30 plus rows. *) and we could hear him talking smack about his demo with Bil Wallace. Well we let it go with just a couple of comments about how he would get his. So we went back to our favorite past time of watching women in the crowd. A very attractive woman was sitting a few rows in front and to the left of us. so my friend started talking and he was just loud enough for her to hear us. We were complimenting her, and not being total d-bags about it. She even turned over her shoulder and smiled at us. So my friend makes the comment about possible talking to her, I said, she is probably here with someone on the floor. And given my luck he would be Bill Wallace and kick my butt for hitting on the woman with him.

We watched the demo and the kid talking smack got handed his rear end again and again. Bill did not start out that way even though he had heard the smack talk. But the other guy just tried to take it to him in the ring. (* This being in like 86 or 87 time frame. *) Well after Bill took it to the kind with ease and showed him up and worked him over, he just calming got out of the ring and walked up the stands to sit with the very attractive woman.

Now here is the kicker. The woman just looked over her shoulder again and gave us this big grin like she had just caught the bird. We laughed adn smiled back and nodded our heads to her. She never said a word to Bill about it as he never even looked in our direction.

Among my best experiences were the first time the Grand Master called me up to help him demonstrate something, and also a great experience as a promoter in one seminar I had over 100 people in attendance!
Every experience I have had I have learned from so I can't really give a worst experience.

I really enjoyed being used as the example or working with Remy. I learned a lot from the inside of all those techniques. Some people did not like the pain. Others did not like having others see them with the techniques being executed on them. I loved it as I got to learn more and faster. It was lots of fun.

...
Why do people pay good money for a seminar, then hide in the back rows? There should be a fight to get in the front in my opinion, and generally, the front rows are quite sparse. Why would you be afraid to be out front and centre? If Sensei picks on you, great, let him rip you apart, that’s what you’re paying for! At Seminars I have always tried to be in the front, I want to hear and see what is going on, and if Sensei decides to show the class how crappy my sword work is, so be it, there is no other way to get better then to have someone tell you that you’re doing it all wrong.

If I am working the seminar, I stay in the back, so I can make a discrete exit if I have to go get lunches, or what have you, and I won’t disturb the class. If I’m not working, I try to be in the front row.

Anyone else notice this trend?

Yes some people like the back, others like to only work with a certain partner. I try to move around and work with people during the practice portion of the seminar I am giving. This gives me a chance to work with them and also possible find someone to demo the next technique or sequence with. So I work with them and then pull / call them up to demo at the next instruction phase of the seminar.

In a recent, local seminar I brought up a younger girl yellow belt as I had worked with her just before and asked her is she knew something. She new the technique in the gross pattern so it was enough to show that moving slow and with intention was a good way to learn. She missed the pattern a couple of times starting out but I just wokred with her until she got over being in front of people and she just did it with me.

So yes I see it and I try to bring the people up myself to give them something and some confidence.

Thanks Terry I really appreciate the compliment!


I have had the pleasure of attending so many wonderful seminar's and unique training sessions that it would be hard to pick one out. From Dan Inosanto, The Grand Tuhon "Nene" Tortal, Remy Presas, Mark O'Brien, Doron Navon, Greg Kowalski, Mike Asuncion, Brian "Buzz" Smith, Rich Parsons, Ken Blackburn, Caique, Rolker Gracie, Royce Gracie, Master Bro, Master Dave Weatherly, A couple Machado seminars, Remy Presas Jr., Dan Anderson, Cass Magda, my good friend Bob Orlando, Matt Lamphere, Noguchi Sensei, Shiraishi Sensie, Seno Sensei, Oguri Sensei, Hee Il Cho, General Choi of course Tai Kai with Hatsumi Sensei and so many more that I have unfortunately left out. Each opportunity offered some thing unique and precious and each helped shape my martial path! (I owe each a debt of gratitude)

Most importantly it simply is to attend as many different training opportunities so that you can learn, compare and experience what is out there.

I have only been to one seminar where the instructor was only interested in his experience. Even then that taught me a lesson early on that when I teach it is all about the practitioner's learning and that my goal is to give each person a great experience!

Yes, seeing lots of people is good in my mind. It allows you to see different ideas and approaches and one can decide. How does one know if they like chocolate cake if they only have french vanilla.



My worst seminar(s) I did learn from as Brian stated one can learn from everything.

I think when the host saw me working with one of his students who was not getting it and I was going slow with him came over and then worked with me to show he knew it and that his guy must obviously know it so the problems were all mine. He started fast and I met his speed so he slowed down and I did as well. He then stopped and talked, I listened out of respect. He then started up fast again and slapped me across the face and said you obviously do not know this. He student gasp in shock and I turned to see if he was swining as well as he was behind me and the shock was still on his face. I then checked him with my right and started to swing with my left. The host was walking away fast through the crowd. GM Remy Presas, checked my arm from behind. I turned to fight what I thought was a third possible hostile and saw him. I stopped. He looked at me and said he does not understand. I will take care of it. The orignal student I was working with just looked at me and apologized and asked me not to beat him up. I smiled and said we should switch partners to avoid problems from either group. He said thank you.

The host was and is still today an ***. But many of his students have left him and they are not.

I learned that hosting is not all about the host. It is a total experience, that effects lots of people.

Our group drove down the next year to see the GM there again. We would see him and bring him in other times through the year as well. We walked in all amped up from watching fight movies in the motorhome and drinking Mountain Dew. Remy walked over before we could get in far enough to pay, and put his hands around me an a senior and told the rest to follow. He walked us out, and said, "You must go now. Thank you for coming. I see you later." I laughed and shook my head.

 

[Drac]

Among the best were my first Combat Hapkido seminar in Denver CO, where I met Carlson Gracie Jr, AWESOME, and man could he eat.. Halfax Nova Scotia, met a lot of great folks up there in the Great White North..The yearly one the ICHF use to have in Lexington KY, it where I was first introduced to Master Moore and his Dan-Bong and GM Shuey and the Canemasters.The one that was held in Independence Ohio...What a min, that was mine and Master Steve's...Never mind..LOL...

The worst was one in Southern Ohio that hosted GM Pellegrini..The host never came out of his office or even bothered to offically start the seminar by introducing the Grandmaster, that job fell to a visiting student...

 

[shihansmurf]

My Best experience with a seminar was at a Huk Planas seminar. He was very personable and the knowledge he has on forms is astounding.

My worst was a Dillman seminar I attended. Lots of no-touch knockout stuff. I got to be one of the uke and when neither the No Touch nor the Light touch knock out worked on me I was told that my inner energy was too condensed for the material to work.

On the other hand, I did learn about a lot of grappling applications in the kata so the event wasn't a total bust.

Mark

 

[Grenadier]

Our dojo just had a clinic taught by Sensei Bob Allen (Shotokan Karate). I missed the kumite clinic, but was able to attend the Shitei Kata clinic, that covered kata Jion and kata Kanku Dai.

I'll say this much: Sensei Allen really knows how to get the message across, while keeping the clinic entertaining and lively. He doesn't talk down to people, and everyone enjoyed his clinics. I can easily see why he's one of the coaches for the US National team, and anyone who takes his clinics will certainly come out of them for the better.

 

[Stac3y]

My son and I went to a great sparring seminar by Ross Levine a few weeks ago. My son also went to his bo seminar the night before. Both were excellent--he packed a lot of teaching into a few hours, but not so much that we couldn't absorb it. Also worked our butts off--my poor son's legs were so sore the next day that he could hardly walk, and I developed (and then ruptured and further damaged) a blister on my foot that was so bad it bled off and on for a week. The class was so good that I didn't notice the blister until it was too late to prevent it.

 

[Mark Lynn]

Been to a lot of seminars over the years and they have all have been great times.

Of course there was excellent teaching, but looking back on it now what made many of the seminars so cool were the people at the seminars, my training partners and the other students.
1) I remember at the Modern Arnis Summer Camp in Houston training with my roomate until 1-2:00am in our room after the seminar, going over stuff from the camp and then sharing stuff from our other arts. Then getting up early and training all day again and well into the next night.
2) I remember going to a FMA seminar in stockton in 1999 and even though there was low attendance at it, we went to a big cookout in a park with Filipino dancers, a pig roast, a great get together that was all part of the seminar.
3) I had a great time in Germany at the Dav Summer camp and sitting around in the evenings drinking beer and visiting with different people. Of course the training was excellent as well.
4) All of the times spent getting to know the other instructors, dinner with GM Remy, GM Ernesto, Hock, Dan Anderson, Dieter and a host of others what great times.
5) I had a great time in 1999 flying to Buffalo to see GM Remy and Dr. Gyi in a seminar hosted by Tim. What was cool though was walking around the mall prior to the seminar with the instructors and visiting with them.

There were great training experiences like at Abon's camp in FL. training on the outside patios and the steps leading up to them with aluminum knives, till we were told we were freaking out the golfers below. Or our stick training in the ocean and wrestling on the beach. Times like at the Modern Arnis Summer Camp in Brevard learning table top defense with Dieter, and hanging out after hours learning bull whip techniques. Training outside at Hock's PAC camp at Camp Dodd in 2000 learning knife and stick work. Probably the most grueling was Master Chi's Thai Boxing seminars and the endless rounds on the Thai pads and focus mitt training.

Out of all of it I can't really remember anything that was bad, I had a few problems with other students. Like at the 2nd Inosanto seminar I went to in 85 at Raymond Crow's school my training partner knew only two responses lop sau and pak sau to anything we did. So if we were learning a espada y daga technique it still somehow became lop sau/pak sau. At one of Remy's camps I had a female partner who knew nothing but full on pressure when my fingers were being crushed in between the sticks while practicing the disarm off of the high backhand.

Overall WAY MORE GOOD TIMES THAN BAD.