Shout Out

David Silver at YMAA just sent the preview DVD of the Jointlocks video.  Damn.  I think we knocked it out of the park.

Don't want to get into the video too much.  It's important, I think, because it takes one of the building blocks of martial arts (locks) which are reputed to be difficult and complicated and shows how you can get untrained people improvising under stress in an hour. If the world goes the way I want, there will be viewers, experts in their own specialties, who will go, "Shit! We're teaching X wrong!  I can teach it ten times as fast if I think about it differently!"

 We train to fight ruthlessly and efficiently.  Why not teach with equal efficiency?

But that's not what this post was about. There are some good people in the video, people who I miss.

Bill Giovannucci.  Haven't seen Billy G. in a while.  Missed him on my last two floats through Boston. On the rare occasions when he comments here, I recognize his posts immediately because of the depth. He's smart, though he hides it behind a rough and tumble Boston accent.  He's skilled. You'll see that on the DVD, especially when you realize that his art is about hitting not locking...and  speaking of hitting, he gave me one of the best smashes of my life.  An extraordinary brother, and missed.

Teja Van Wicklen of Devi Protective Offense. A cool kid.  If you look close, during the lock flow drill, she can't help but to throw in some brutal, sneaky strikes.

Chris Thompson who now runs Just Train in Rhode Island.  Skilled, smart, with a vision.  He's one of the next generation of martial artists, the ones who will change everything for the better.  Both a thorough (physical skills) badass and a supremely nice and thoughtful guy.

Mike Migs, who I get together with in Boston when I can.  Clear thinker.  Smooth and effective martial artist.  And we can talk about stuff that would horrify most of the world.  While giggling.

Tia Rummler is one of my 'handlers' in Boston.  My wife trusts her to make sure that I eat real food and get enough sleep and don't pick fights with neighborhoods.  She is also the one who introduced me to storytelling as a way to sharpen your intuition about people.

Alexander Bandazian and Eric Testern were the two I barely knew when we filmed, but both had a great attitude, good skills.  Maybe we'll see each other again and have a narghila at Habibi's.

Dr. Lisa Coaray is one of my other handlers, and the one who arranges Toby's seminars in New England.  Smart, tough, and totally and continuously underestimating how awesome she is... you'll see her on TV soon.  No kidding.

Jeff Burger is the man in Boston.  Good friend, smart as hell, and one of the people I would most hate to have seriously gunning for me.  If you're in the area and you want someone who really knows, look up Jeff.

Erik Kondo offered to let us use his place.  "Not Me! Self Defense" has a headquarters in Massachusetts that includes a danger room, and he let us use it.  Erik (along with Billy G. Jeff Burger, and Jake Steinmann) are part of my East Coast Brain Trust, the people I go to for insights and reality checks.

Anyway, I saw the video and was impressed (and I really, really hate watching instructional videos, so that says a lot) but I was mostly homesick for old friends.

So, old friends, snuggle up by the fire with someone you care about and have a wee dram in my memory. And I'll do the same for you.