In praise of backyard training sessions

[roger hao]

Found this -
Kajukenbo started in Palamas Rec Center.
Then he opened his own school and there was more collaboration
at that time with others who basicly visited their or his school.
There was like 3 schools. At least that is what I get from this interview
with Sijo Adriano Emperado.

http://www.kajukenbo.org/history/

I do follow the sentiment about the backyard thing.

[Chris McKinley]

Not sure what that site mentions, but I would suggest you either read it again or read another site's inclusion of the history, roger. The original guys for whom the art is named all met in a backyard at first to form the art, before the first school was opened.

[Ralteria]

Part 4 of the video on the site mentioned above has Emperado talking about conceiving the art originally. It was just a few guys who knew martial arts training with each other at their houses and in abandonded building so no one would see.

On this same note, while I don't advocate hundreds of new styles of martial arts popping up and gaining some sort of media headway, it's necessary to figure out what works for you and just what works in general. This takes alot of experimentation and these backyard training sessions we are talking about is one way to really feel what works and to hear new ideas to add to your training repetoire without having to slog through learning an entire new discipline. If you can make it work for you, more power to ya.

If martial arts were learned/created like anything else in the world, it takes a bit of ingenuity, experience, and exchange of information to really grow. Thats what makes these things live and not die. Adaptability, honsety, and perseverance are the keys to survival of anything, including martial arts.

[Chris McKinley]

Ralteria,

RE: "If martial arts were learned/created like anything else in the world, it takes a bit of ingenuity, experience, and exchange of information to really grow. Thats what makes these things live and not die.". I'm glad somebody brought that up. I was eventually going to get around to making a point about avoiding stagnation and maintaining relevance in the face of waning interest and the threat of replacement by sportive systems, but you put it much more succinctly.

[chud]

It's been too long since I've done it, but this is my favorite format as well. Once my work schedule evens out I'd love to get a group of buddies together once a week, throw on the gloves and just box for a few hours. Afterwards we could go to Bill Miller BBQ and shove meat down our throats.

Bill Miller's? Where in Texas are you at man? I'm in San Antonio.

[bigphatwong]

It's been too long since I've done it, but this is my favorite format as well. Once my work schedule evens out I'd love to get a group of buddies together once a week, throw on the gloves and just box for a few hours. Afterwards we could go to Bill Miller BBQ and shove meat down our throats.

Bill Miller's? Where in Texas are you at man? I'm in San Antonio.

I'm in Austin. Just moved here from L.A. and loving it. Lots of clean parks and sparkly rivers!

[roger hao]

Ok - number 4 interview gets it. I am good with your
statement Chris - except - it wasn't exactly backyard - it was
in secret away from the individual school's doctrines at the abandoned
barracks. Same thing but I am thinking slightly different somehow.
Everybody talking about having beers - check out the first interview
where Prof Emperado gets handed a joint that is being passed around -
takes it looks at it a second and hands it back - LOL

[roger hao]

Big phat -
I am in Austin - where are you at in Austin?
North - South?

[Chris McKinley]

You may be right on a technicality, roger, but I've known a number of Kajukenbo practitioners and both they and most Kajukenbo website managers are all proud of what they call their art's "backyard" origins. Abandoned barracks or somebody's backyard....it's not the geography that matters, but the context. An informal meeting of the minds where everybody starts on equal footing and information exchange is free, open and experiential and the training occurs between people who trust each other seems to be the take-home lesson.

[roger hao]

Chris - not trying to be right or wrong - driven by curiosity.
As I said - I am down with your backyard training post.

[Darth Rock&Roll]

Regularly. As in weekly. The number shifts, and it's mostly in my private kwoon, but hey, close enough.

[daniel pfister]

Yes, weekly, but not in my backyard. It's fun and very important for all martial artists I believe.

[Dr.Rob]

Every Friday night before a long weekend. Been that way for 17 years"Out with the opium smokers" as my mom refers to it.

I have been adding to my outdoor training regime aswell. Telephone poles cut down. Mook Jong. Ropes from the trees. This weekend I just found a perfect granite boulder. 60 odd pounds. Dug it up out of Georgian Bay by hand. My wife flipped. My boys rode home from Killarney with the sucker between their feet. Ah...no machines..just crickets and stars.

The best backyard memory to date is on a cloudy night watching my Sifu and his best friend spar. But all you could see was the light from their cigarettes and hear their swearing cantonese. Then pouff a cloud of sparks an "oh fukk" "You blind from the ash?"

[Ralteria]

Aaaah, beer, birthdays, and some light sparring. Last night was fantastic. +1 for the backyard sessions.

[fisherman]

I'm looking at organizing a monthly or bimonthly backyard BBQ/bitter training day soon. I think it is an excellent way for new ideas to pop up in your training. When this happens I'll be sure to let you all know in the events section.