Training tour part 1

So the first part of my training tour started on Fri March 30. Myself one of my Students Scott Roper and my Jeet Kune Do instructor Rob Doley headed to Toronto for a two day seminar with the "God" himself  Guro Dan Inosanto who is the world's top authority for Bruce Lee's Martial Art (also was one of his best friends).

All was going well until we got to the Halifax airport, I had borrowed a training bag of a friend of mine who teaches at my club, Vince is a Filipino Martial Arts instructor and has lots of weapons so I made sure the kit bag was empty before I went. Well you can imagine my shock when it went through the scanner at the airport and I saw this huge long machete on the screen. "sir do you know you have an illegal weapon in your bag" at this point I was going to say "that's what she said" but I passed on that and just explained my story of who I was and where I was going, all went ok but of course they took the knife.

We got to T.O after what could have only be "planes, trains, buses, automobile's" we made it to our hotel ready for the "brain melting" seminar that would take place the next day.

"Brain melting" That is the only way I can describe a Dan Inosanto seminar, picture say 35 people and most of them have a lot of experience, some have 20 or more years of training, I started in 1975 training everyday but when Guro Dan teaches you are a complete beginner who might as well sit and suck there thumb and cry when compared to what he knows. I am talking any area of Martial Arts, grappling, striking, weapons, throwing, pressure points..anything. You could show him something like "Hey Guro look at this arm bar" then he could show you 50 more and 100 counters to everyone.

The first day he covered Jun Fan Kickboxing then into trapping, of course he shows you 4 things and you got about 3 or 4 min to work on it before the next 4 to 5 techniques are given to you. Everyone who attends his seminar knows the way he teaches, the idea is you pick up what you can and then go and try to find the stuff you missed at some point in your training. You have to seek out the info, people just can't hand it to you. The second day was covering Filipino arts including training with the stick. Again so much info your brain melts and about 40min before the seminar was over I just stopped and watched the rest of it, my cup was full.

We got to have lunch with Guro Dan and had had some great conversations. Also my instructor got to be the training "dummy" for a few techniques and I was very happy to see that, he has been dedicated to Guro Dan since the 80's. We got to meet a lot of great people and after we got our flight home.

This Sat I am off to the second part of my training and going to have may stories, I am going to even train with the guy that made Steven Segal crap his pants, (for real..not joking) form choking him.

All the best and be sure to check back.

Ray