And Now a Word from Our Canadian Host

Aye Jeff,

Nice little place you have here ! :)

It's been awhile since we rapped. Believe me, we've been busy, training non stop. I broke two fingers, cross training with jiu jitsu.  It's proven to be a blessing in disguise.

A funny thing happened, a book had fallen out of my bookshelf. I picked it up and gave it a look, it was titled "the art of team coaching". It wasn't until I opened it up and started glancing through it, that I realized, I was meant to find that book. The opening quote in the book was written by a lad that although I didn't recognize, we played for the same lacrosse team growing up, the "whitby warriors". Could it just be coincidence? I don't think so. Intrigued, I kept reading and reading and reading...

As I progressed through the book, I realized that although I'm a fighter first, there are people close to me, who view me also as a coach and leader and that a part of me needs to fill those roles. I made notes, planned new drills and approaches to drilling techniques so that my teammates could not only reproduce the drills, but could understand the drills and make it their own.

I went back to the videos of your seminar and ran those exercises until every member of our team knew them. On my days off, I arranged to have one on one training sessions with different members of our clan to not only polish techniques but to build on them. Another funny thing happened, in the process of trying to make my teammates better at our craft, I was able to understand techniques differently, to make them my own and string them together, sometimes seamlessly, with other techniques.

I... and I do mean "we" had found a new "flow". Steve was a big part of that. In trying to make him a better fighter, he is making me a better fighter and a better coach. At 15 yrs old, he is holding his own against grown men who have far more experience and rank than himself. He has forgotten fear. His heart, skill and ability to push the pace of a fight speak for themselves. I credit him with a lot, but it isn't just him. Every member of our clan has added a puzzle piece to a larger picture. We are piecing together video clips to show you what we've been up to.

I want to thank you again for your time spent here with us, you and Jeff Danuloff.

I trust you are well and I look forward to sitting down again and exchanging thoughts and stories. I am intrigued by the picture you have posted on your blog of the gentleman standing amongst the various weapons.

It is only now that I see the link between that picture and a story you told me about your travels.

A good story to hear around a fire,
or a titty bar.... ;)

Take good care my friend.

Ps- your ancient Chinese secret ju-ju in a bottle is very potent. I've been calling it
"Boo boo, be gone". You weren't kidding about it healing bruises. Wow does it work well.

My very best, from myself and the rest of the warparty clan.

Kirk.

Seminar Review!

Guru Jeff Danuloff, Kirk Rodrigues, Guru Jeff Davidson

My name is Kirk Rodrigues, I represent “Warparty Tradecraft”.  We practice the sport and art of “Apache” knife fighting.  Apache knife fighting takes components of several different martial arts: the knife skills of Kali, the footwork and body movement of boxing, the strategies of point sparring and combines them for competitive sport application.

We practice many Kali knife drills for skill but as competitors, we have found many of the drills do not mesh well in high speed sparring. We have found that drills and sparring are often times, two very different animals. As a coach, it is my responsibility to push my team to be the very best they can be. Although it is a side factor, our goal is not for self defense but rather for performance.

We compete in a charity event every November called “Kick the Crap Out of Cancer”. The event showcases knife and stick fighting and competitors come from all over.

To give my team an egde on the competition, I wanted to bridge the gap between drills and sparring, by bringing in members of the Brotherhood of the Blade Guru Jeff Davidson and assistant Guru Jeff Danuloff, who specialize in tactical knife applications.

They were great company and are always welcome in my home.  I brought them with me to see a typical Friday night, training at multiple gyms so they could analyze and help me forge the nexus I was hoping for.

Their seminar was nothing short of fantastic. I heard one student say “It’s like they’re doing magic” when they started running their drills. Guru Davidson gave us a set of drills to practice which should help us bridge the divide. We video tape everything for reference and Guru Davidson’s material was no exception.

We are still dissecting and perfecting his lessons each day, developing them and finding a better flow each time, teaching our bodies to perform through repetition.

Not only was I looking for help with our training, I was looking to bond a new relationship between our schools, expanding our tribe. In the company of our new Brothers, we found that.

I want to thank them and show respect for the time they traveled and spent with us. We look forward to having them join us again.

My sincere and absolute best,

Kirk Church Alexander Rodrigues.

– Warparty Tradecraft and Toro Clan Niagara

Knife Skillz in Ontario!

 

This past weekend I had the pleasure of teaching a small seminar – Basic Knife Skillz – to a dedicated and enthusiastic group of martial artists in the scenic town of Port Colborne, Ontario.  I had a great time, and I think everyone else did as well.  One thing for sure, I LOVE teaching and reviewing the basics.  Solid basics make for a firm foundation on the path to Mastery.   

A special thanks to our gracious host Kirk Rodrigues.  Welcome to The Family!