Welcome to keyboard guro

Welcome to keyboard guro. This site is dedicated to all FMA practitioners, but especially to those who are challenged by age, or injury, or both.  My goal is to provide useful training ideas, and combative concepts, and also to provide an example of how someone can carry on with injuries. I have had a total hip replacement on my left hip (will put article on site),  but am currently strength training, and doing solo FMA training, with the guidance of my physio.  Can I do what I used to do…no.  But I can still maintain my health, and the roots of my art.

My main Martial Arts influence is Modern Arnis, specifically Datu Shishir Inocalla’s Arnis Maharlika.  I have also had the honour of training with Guro Louis Lindo, and Guro Loki Jorgensen.  I recommend any of these gentlemen as instructors of talent and skill.  As well, I have been able to attend seminars with Datu Kelly Worden of Natural Spirit… I recommend both Datu and his dvd materials highly.  Steve Grody has been very influential via tapes and email correspondence in rationalizing my art, and preventing me from getting caught up in the superfluous and the fancy.  His art is very complete, and his instructional material is very well organized and thought out. I have also done JKD concepts with Gary Hermann, and catch wrestling with Derek Kinnocan, and Jason Crawford.  I can recommend all of these men as fine instructors, and human beings. I would also like to thank my longtime training partner, Elliot Wiltshire, who helped me develop my own art of Bango (theory is good, but you need to test it, so put on the gear and bang, thus Bango. Bango also means sweet smelling in Tagalog…I hope my art is both sweet and powerful) I want to thank all my instructors for their aid, instruction, and patience.  Any misunderstandings, or misapplications are mine….in the end each of us will find our own art, or it will find us, and like us will evolve over time.

As for physical training, I grew up in a small town and ran track, and played rugby in High School.  There was little instruction given on how to prepare yourself for competition, and strength training was frowned upon. However as a small (5 foot 5 and ½ inches) and slight athlete, I hungered for the strength to bolster my speed and quickness.  I perused every book on or by athletes in the local library, I ordered a set of weights, and used the York training protocols that came with it.  I learned that weight training should be simple, full body, and progressive.  That is still true today, for any training.  If you do just a little bit more, and just a little bit better, every session, you can achieve your dreams. At Simon Fraser University, I practiced football….and that phrasing is deliberate, and true. I seldom played, but I always practiced, and looked for ways to improve myself. This was the early and mid 70’s and offseason training, and strength training was required, but not supervised.  I learned the Bill Starr method of training 5 x 5 on major lifts, bench press, power clean, leg press (we had no squat rack), and eventually bench pressed 305 lbs two reps, at a body weight of 149 lbs. After my brief, and injury riddled football career (two knee operations, broken ribs, dislocated jaw),  I became interested in Tai Chi Chuan, and HIT training with weights…why not hit both ends of the spectrum?.  Then I met Datu Shishir, at his first seminar, and then his first training facility in Vancouver. I fell in love with the flow and the sticks of Arnis, and his balanced approach to Martial Arts and life…we practiced Wholistic Martial Arts, a blend of hard style, soft style, FMA, meditation and yoga.  Since then Datu’s art has had different names, and different outward manifestations, but it has always balanced soft and hard, internal and external, and I have tried to maintain that balance. Thank you Datu. I have also competed in Triathlons, and went from non swimmer to the front 1/3 of the pack…. And swimming and cycling have remained part of my training, and I highly recommend them for all people, but especially for the older person seeking gentle but full exertion.  I have also studied tape material from Matt Furey (Combat Conditioning) and Scott Sonnon. (CST) My current number 1 fitness instructor is Trish Dong of Code5Fitness in Vancouver. Trish teaches kettlebell, body weight conditioning and other modalities.  She has a talent for teaching and leading people to the edge of their physical abilities.  If you have a chance to train with Trish…GRAB IT.

In the Martial Arts and in Physical Training in general, my approach has always been to try many things, or instructors.  Even if you find yourself disagreeing with every thing you are shown, you learn what doesn’t work for you, which is very important.  Also remember, just because you can’t make it work, doesn’t it mean it doesn’t work. Stay humble. Remember, no matter how different someone’s art, or training may be, we are all in this together. 

Hello.

Welcome to keyboard guro. I said I will start this blog by the end of May, and here it is.  I will be adding some material tonite (an introduction,  and some notes. ) I will try to add something every week, except when I am on holidays.)

Today's note is simply my workout today...the workout of a pretty ordinary guy, who juggles several interests, and a life.

Todays workout, warm up - 2x 6min sword and shield work.
6 mins of snatch  with the 20 k.(8rpm), switching hands every 4 reps, 1 min rest, 6 x 4 double jerks with the 16ks.  Start a new set every min. 
Rationale for workout :  Warm up is to allow me to move a moderate wt (2 lb sword, shield ) in a variety of movements, while getting extra practice in with those weapons.  The snatch work out allows me to get more reps in than if I did GS style (which would allow only 1 switch).  The jerks let me get reps in without burning out. Eventually i will move to GS sets as I get stronger.  Will do a short hike at lunch to get ready for trip to Banff.  I will probably not reach my full potential at sword, or GS, or hiking on this program, but I will enjoy myself, and get better at all of them.