C&S Online
An Online Newsletter For The
C&S Self Defense Association
Fall 2002

Confidence. Fitness. Success.

Views From Around the Association...

There are three keys elements in this Joint Lock. They are: Moving with the opponent, pivoting 180 degrees, and taking the opponent down.

Moving with the opponent is broken down into grabbing the wrist and moving the leg. As depicted in figure 2, grabbing the wrist is the first thing that needs to be done. One of the most common mistakes is to reach for the opponents' wrist. Why? You don't have to reach, the opponent will be presenting his own wrist to you as he moves forward near your free hand. You won't have to waste time and energy, and you will be centered on your opponent. As shown, the defender is centered on the opponent and the opponent is centered away, thus the defender has more tools to use and the opponent, literally, has none.

In figure 3, you see the left leg of the defend moving with the opponents' right leg. The crucial portion of the move is to move only one step. Any more, and your mental focus will be on catching up to the opponent. You cannot afford to be thinking about catching up to the opponent just to do the technique; you must be completely focused on taking the opponent down.

Try this out. Get a partner and have him/her grab your wrist and start to move to one side. Then, take two or more steps…how hard was it to execute the technique? Now, do it again, this time take one step…how hard was it this time?

Pivoting is the next key element to be discussed. This element is broken down into two segments as well: breaking away from the wrist grab and moving the leg to get centered.

After you walk through, with the opponent, raise your arms up high. As you do this, you will notice (figure 3 and 4) that the wrist grab the opponent has on you is loosened (if not broken). Complete the separation of the wrist grab by utilizing the technique taught in the Joint Lock Series I, which is going against the thumb. Moreover, by pivoting the defender also torques the opponents' wrist to create pain.

After the wrist escape is completed, simultaneously, take the free hand and grab the other side of the opponents' wrist (this is not depicted here as my body is in the way) and pivot your body 180 degrees (figure 5.) Keep the knees bent as affords a quicker response time.

Taking the opponent down (figure 5 and 6) is the last element and it starts with bracing the back of your shoulder to either the opponents' shoulder or elbow (this will depend on the size of the opponent). Also, this presents the opponent as being off-balanced and is quite easy to take down.

To end this technique, simply lower your center and drive the opponents hand to the ground (figure 7.) There is nowhere else for the opponent to go. While on the ground there are a myriad of techniques to use for compliance.

   

   

   

   

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Sandan Tim House has been living the Martial Arts since June 15, 1981 and studies under Sensei Bruce Vinciguerra at Somesworth School of Self Defense. If you would like to contact Sandan his email address is thouse@ttlc.net.

I'd like to share with you 2 letters I have received: one from a former student and one from a total stranger. I think you will find them interesting.

The following is a nice note I recently received from a former student, Robert Dimoff. Bob trained with us back in the late '70s. I think it is instructive to listen to what he says about how the martial arts training he received from me has continued to impact on his life over 20 years later. Here is Bob's letter.

It has been more than a few years, but I was browsing through the internet looking for a martial arts school in Bethesda, MD when I thought about seeing if you had a website. What a pleasant surprise to find that you and your school on the internet.

To get straight to the point, I was a student of yours back in December 1976 through June 1977. I was a sergeant over at Pease AFB. You might remember a letter I sent concerning a mugging that I happened to fall into. The most perfect back kick I will ever hope to accomplish stopped the mugging and allowed me to run to safety. I have never forgotten that event and I've never forgotten the instruction I received in your school.

Now I am looking for a school for my six year old daughter, wife, and myself. My rugby playing days are over (you might remember that I enjoyed kata and fighting) and mentally I've always wanted to return to martial arts. The time and circumstances are now in line for me to get back into the art and bring my wife and daughter along. I am using the lessons I learned through you to find a good school. I've enclosed a picture of myself to kind of jog your memory. It was at a tournament we participated in down in Boston somewhere. My memory of that tournament was winning the first fight but losing the second because I couldn't control my punches well enough; I tapped him on the head about four times. Four of his five points came courtesy of my lack of control. Strange thing, I wouldn't have minded losing so much if he had actually beaten me - there is always someone better. What annoyed me was that he won because I handed him the victory. Ah well - to use the modern parlance - GET OVER IT.

On the personal front, I've been married since August 1983. My wife and I have a lovely little girl, six years old now. I've been working for the Department of Defense since 1980. Somewhere around 2006 I will be retiring. It's a good living and has allowed me the opportunity to travel quite a bit. I've gone to Africa a few times, Russia, and I spent 93 days in Kosovo two years ago. As I mentioned above, while rugby has been a passion of mine since 1969, the martial arts have never left my heart. I studied it while at George Washington University and received a Green belt. It was during that period where the mugging took place. After GWU I entered the rugby world with gusto. Funny thing though. When I led the stretching drills I always used the drills we did in class. My rugby teammates always thought I had some weird ways of stretching but hey it worked. I still spar with a heavy bag when I get the chance. I've always seen the martial arts as a lifetime devotion and do want my daughter and wife to at least be exposed to it. I remember there was a family studying with you while I was there. They had two daughters Jan (5 years old then) and Jill (13 back then). Their studying together always stayed with me. Are they still studying? How about your disciple (forgive me but I forgot his name)?

I'll push off now. I hope all is well with you. Are you still a student of Master Brock? When I was at your school you had recently received your 5th Dan. It is great to see you are now an 8th Dan. I hope to hear from you. Cheers.

Yours,
Robert Dimoff

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I want to include another communication which I received just recently from a total stranger who stumbled into my personal website. Though Lauren did not intentd her note to refer to a karate or martial arts issue, it does. I think my reply is instructive as to what I mean by "I live my life as I study my art." Here is Lauren's letter.

Gosh...I had to email to thank you for helping me out .....hmmm, without your even knowing how or knowing me directly.

I'm now living in Bristol, England...but lived most of my life in Portsmouth. My dad is still there, as is my brother. Dad lives in the white house next to the Kittery Pt Yacht Club on Goat Island. The family name is Wright (as in the Baker-Wright garage....was my grandfather).

I was reading about your sailing interests as your website popped up whilst I was searching for a webcam for Portsmouth ...never did find the web-cam reference once on your site. No matter.

You helped me tremendously because you logged your life-story, particularly how you were mentored by the Chicago architect. All the spiel about having to be passionate about your life's work to be successful, etc was exactly what I was looking for.

I have a lovely stepson who is 30 yrs old and a university graduate BSc from University of Sheffield (Yorkshire). He graduated smack in the middle of the 1990's early recession and never did get into a career. After dibbing and dabbing in several things...he was finally (after 10 years) confident enough about wanting to go for a science career to sign-up on an eco-dive expedition in Fiji. This is through an NGO type organisation for surveying coral reefs. Well, he is there 3 weeks now and working on completing his dive-master rating, is 2nd science officer, and now told us he wants to go for a masters degree after this trip in the spring and is checking out Oz uni programmes. This announcement came about following an email I zapped off to him quoting much of the dialogue from your visit with the architect. Powerful stuff.

Soooo. Simply put. THANK YOU! Cheers,
Lauren

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To which I replied:

Hi Lauren,

Thank you for your kind words. Sometimes I get an email such as yours and it makes all the gut wrenching work of exposing myself, my fears, and my mild triumphs in cyber html land rewarding - more so than the simple enjoyment I get from dumping my thoughts out.

That story about the architect was one of those "Ah-haaaaa" type experiences; one that truly was a pivotal point in my life. I was even bright enough at the time to recognize it as such. I never forgot that meeting, the words/advice, or the implication.

To have a passion for something - to NEED it - is success in itself. But from that passion comes commitment and joy. The rest just sort of falls into place after that. I was only a teenager when I learned that and it's as true today at 53 as it was back then. Except then I only understood its power. Today I know its power.

So many people hide from their fears. I tell my karate students that we have more of a fear of loss than we have of a want for gain. I learned to not only face my fears but to embrace them. Fear is good, but to be afraid is not. Stanley taught me that if I had passion for something in my life that I would not have fear. Fear is caused by what we do not know and what we think we cannot do. But passion blinds us to all of that, and we press forward without considering failure. Even accepting failure as one more step to success. I will never forget that lesson, and it is one I pass on to my students at every chance I have- to those who will listen. We have had some stunning successes as a direct result of "paying it forward" (if you have seen that movie).

I am glad my story helped you. And you in turn have helped someone else. Please be sure your stepson "pays it forward". My best to your stepson as he starts on his journey to success!

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Grandmaster Peter M. Rose holds an 8th Degree Black Belt. He began his studies with Grandmaster S.A. Brock in 1968. He has operated the Rose School of Karate in Portsmouth, NH since 1972. Grandmaster Rose is a senior software analyst, designer, and technical project manager. Grandmaster Rose can be reached at zzrose@yahoo.com , or you can visit his personal web page at http://www.zzrose.com/pmr.html.

As the Introduction states this book is a compilation of forty-one essays written for Ohara Publication's magazine; Martial Arts Training.

Each of these essays address topics that many martial artists ask themselves during their training. They also answer many questions for which students, both new and old, have trouble getting answers

Reverend Furuya applies his thirty-five years of experience in Aikido and Iaido in a way that is neither too academic, or oriented to any one specific martial art, but applicable to all. His writings connect the 'ancient ways' that are a part of our Art's traditions with today's problems of training.

I found this to book to be visually stimulating as well as informative and easy to read. The book is filled with wood block prints, copies of artwork, photos, and edge-notes that act to condense portions of the material and give yet another perspective on the topic being discussed.

I recommend this as one for any Dojo's bookshelf.

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Mr. Parker holds a 3rd degree (Sandan) black belt rank with the C&S Self Defense Association. He began his training with Grandmaster Rose in March of 1978. His study of the martial arts began in the Fall of 1970, while attending college. Because martial arts classes were extra-curricular activities and the available instructors came from the student body on a volunteer basis, he experienced a number of different styles that included shotokan, uechi-ryu, judo, and kempo karate. Following college, he trained in shotokan karate with Sensei Frank Caligeri, where he received a green belt. He is currently Head instructor of the Mountainview Martial Arts Academy of Spokane, WA. and a Senior instructor with the Strike Three Karate-Do Group, of Dallas,TX. Mr. Parker holds a Bachelor of Science degree, in Electrical Engineering from Grove City College. He is employed as a Project Engineer with Cutler-Hammer Engineering Service and Systems, a part of Eaton Corporation. Sandan Parker can be reached at maddogparker@excite.com.