Norway seminar 2007- AAR

From Ola

After 3 days of hard training under the guidence of Den I just had to sit down and write some words. Den never stop to amaze me, the man is full of knowledge and humbleness and he is always crediting all the other people out there. That is something you seldom see in todays society. For me that is a sign of real gentleman and a warrior with the right mindset, not only on combatives, but on life itself.

After talking about combatives and Den for some time now I was finally able to convince some of my friends to participate on the seminars and they where hooked straight on. We got a lot of new ideas to develope in our trainingroutine. I think the contingent of Norwegians at International this year will be bigger than just the three "regulars". I was very glad to see my friends from abroad like Slacky, Dave, Lynx & Random. You all put in a lot of effort to make the seminar such a great seminar. The same with Jono and Roza whose organised it all. Hopefully this will be a regular happening. Thanks very much, I am looking forward to seeing you all again at the International

Ola

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From Den

Thanks Ola, it was great seeing you again.
A terrific group of guys assemblem for the seminar. Besides a strong core of Norwegian enthusiasts we had Lynx fly in from Sweden as well as Anders J [who we first met at Camp Get Tough] and Anders L [who attended the last International] who came by train. Dave Mac [from the Edinburgh Gutterfighters] and SlackBladder came over from the UK.
I'll be putting some hotos and a review online here, but I just want to thank Ronny and Jo-Inge for organising the event and for looking after me so well.
Cheers,
Den
_________________
www.CqbServices.com

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From Den

The first of the photos from Norway....


[Ronny during the Edged Weapon Defence Program]


[The guys presented me with a beautiful custom-made Lapp knife]




[Lynx working the Chinjab as Ronny monitors]


[Slacky applies the pressure on Jo-Inge during an Aggression Drill]

...............more later
Den
_________________
www.CqbServices.com

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From Jono

Nice pictures
I think I speak of everyone when saying that we had a really good time. Nice hard work and great moments. Thank you for introducing me to the Tabata drill (already used again)

I must say that I totaly agree with Ola, when talking about Dennis. A world class instructor:D Thank you for taking your time to come over and visit us Den, and I really hope you will come over again, because we will for sure have you over. As Ola said, it would be nice to try to make it a regular

Nice to meet you again Slacky, and thank you for some great moments indeed

Thank you to all that participated, and that made this souch a great and memerable seminar to us all, and specially to Lynx. Nice to see some girls with real guts

From Lynx

Just got back from a 59min forest jogging/hill sprint session in the sun inspired by the delightful warm up drills Den had at the seminar... Ah, those tabatas brought back some wonderful childhood memories of sweaty training.. so - just had to get out there! Anyway - I'm still working my way through my impressions and extensive notes from the seminar. Working on something to post later but I felt I wanted to write this first:

Thank you to all attendees!

First; to Roza and Jono for making it happen and giving us the opportunity to do this. You were excellent hosts.
Second; to Den for sharing his knowledge and setting the example by being the excellent teacher he is. Not only great at instructing but also a great role model in many other ways.
Third; a thank you to the guys I teamed up with and trained with during the drills... And one especially to Slacky - you're a rock!
Last but definitely not least; a great "thumbs up" to the two girls I had the pleasure of meeting with during training. Pity there weren't three of us participating in the last drill during the neural based module on Monday...

It was a true pleasure to meet you all.
I hope we'll meet up again some time - looking forward to it.

Until then:
Train hard
Be Safe
Have fun
Lynx

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From Dave McC

Just to say to all the guys out there thanks for a great time, and a hard work out.
Special Thanks to Ronny who made me most welcome as soon as I walked in the door.
To Jo and Ola, for the trip to the museum with the other lads.
Again, to Ola for the kicking exercise.
Boy you want to see my leg a nice colour of black and blue.
Well done.
Nice to see Lynx as well, Great Spirit, keep it up.
Hope to catch up with you all soon especially to the lads coming to Edinburgh , dont forget, dont hesitate in giving me a shout.

Dave McC

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From Den

From Lynx

Quote :

Quote:
a great "thumbs up" to the two girls I had the pleasure of meeting with during training. Pity there weren't three of us participating in the last drill during the neural based module on Monday...

Here are the other two girls mentioned....


[Celia doing AxeHands]


[Maria holding the pad]

-----------
More pics....

[Ola driving in with Chinjabs]
Note: I tried to get a pic of Big Dave during the final aggression drill, but he blasted the Spar-pro, the base, and the guy holding it, right across the room, and out of frame!
Cheers,
Den
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www.CqbServices.com

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From Roza

Thanx guys!

We had some fantastic seminar days here in Norway, thanks to a world class instructor Dennis Martin, who is so amazingly nice and humble.
And off course to all of you atendees always giving 100%.

Special thanx to Dennis & Slacky from England, Dave from Scotland, and Lynx, Anders and Anders from Sweden, for taking the long journey. You are really nice guys!

And thanx to the visiting norwegians, and to our norwegian club members.

Big thanks to my seminar training partners: Dave, Lynx, Anders, Maria, Silje (Celia), Frode, Ole M, Knut, Fredrik, Kai, Ola and Petter. Strange, didn't I train with you Jo-Inge?

We hope to make a new seminar, maybe next summer?

PS: Thanks for the nice photos, and for the nice T-shirt Den!

THANX GUYS!

Ronny

From Roza

Here's a video from a MA show in Oslo 2004. Silje in the leading role. In other roles: Petter and Claus, who as well attended at the seminar.

Click on demo
http://www.ju-jitsu.no/index.php?name=Info_Om_Klubben%2FJu_Jitsu%2FSkedsmo_Ju_Jitsu.html

You should have audio turned on while watching the video.

By the way: This isn't how we train on regular basis.

Ronny

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From Sardonumpspa

It was a great seminar indeed. I had a terrific time, and as a rookie in combatives I picked up a lot of good and useful stuff. Den is an excellent instructor! I have been thinking about attending one of his seminars for quite some time, and I finally made it. And it’s probably going to change the way I train forever. I’m hooked. So now I just have to join the Norwegian contingent at the international this year.

And to all participants: It was an honour and a pleasure to meet you all; what a great bunch of guys and girls.

A special thanks to Jono and RoZa, who actually managed to get a world class instructor almost at my doorstep, and they did an excellent job organizing the event as well. Thanks for making me feel so welcome! It would be really nice if I can join your training group after the summer holiday.

Take care!

Best regards,

Knut

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From Den

Here's a shot of some of the group after the Friday session.....

Cheers,
Den
_________________
www.CqbServices.com

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From Den

A highlight of the trip, for me, was the free day we spent in Oslo.
Firstly we met at the Akershus fortress, site of the WW-2 Resistance museum


Here the activities of the patriots who fought against the Nazi occupation are honoured.



Norway had a very effective Resistance Movement, with the SOE Company Linge plus the MILORG units.


[Slacky, Jo-Inge and Ola checkout a display]

We then took a stroll to the Aker Brygge waterfront, with marinas, cafes and shops. Here we had a very pleasant lunch in an outdoor cafe, before returning to the fortress to visit the War Musuem. Here every type of weapon from a pike to a tank is on display. Norwegian forces are currently fighting alongside their British and American allies in Afghanistan, and there are displays of these operations at the museum.
All in all, a great day, thanks guys for organizing it.
Den
_________________
www.CqbServices.com

From Roza

I am really happy you enjoyed the visit at the museums in Oslo, Den.

Just a comment to one of the pictures (Kompani Linge) from the Resistance Museum:
The third picture from left was taken in Scotland at Forest Lodge in 1943 while King Haakon displayed an exercise. The Linge soldier climbed down the gutter, and jumped down at the “German sentry” and killed him with knife. And a kind of anxiety was made within the displaying guests, when blood started to well out of the victim.
To make the exercise as real as possible the “German guard” had put a bag of deer blood under his jacket.
(This must be GUTTER fighting!)

Here's a review of the seminar from Lynx, who flew in from Sweden...

From Lynx

Review of Combatives seminar with Dennis Martin, in Lilleström, Norway, 2nd – 4th of June 2007.

Friday 1st of June

I arrived to Gardemoen Airport, Oslo Norway on Friday morning. Meeting me at the airport was Ronny, who gave me a ride to the hotel to get checked in and then I was invited to join him and Jo-Inge on a shopping trip in Oslo. Which I did – and we had some very interesting conversations meanwhile in the car and during lunch, and quite many good laughs. I felt at home straight away with these kind guys, and their interest in Combatives and down to earth attitude made for a most enjoyable afternoon in Oslo.

After a few hours they drove me back to the hotel, I settled in, got some sleep and awaited the arrival of the Brits in the evening. Dennis and Slackbladder were also picked up at the airport and after they had got settled in we went out to have dinner at a local Chinese restaurant, together with a large part of the seminar attendees.

It was a pleasant evening with good company. I couldn’t wait for next day.

Saturday 2nd of June

Hard skills program

Dennis presented his hard skills program, starting up with a PowerPoint presentation and then it was “hands on” for the rest of the day. Finally I got some insight into all the different strikes etc. Since the NBI/International 2006 was my first seminar, I’ve longed for an opportunity to “start from the beginning”. Now I got it.

Within a setting of humble attitudes and an open atmosphere, the room was filled with guys and two of us girls, an aura of humility and willingness to learn – Den guided us through the basics of Combatives, understanding it’s use and approach to self protection (not self defence), the importance of keeping fit and how the mindset of Combatives is a way of approaching life while enhancing your own innate capabilities such as intuition etc and while developing yourself with the goal of keeping yourself safe. To me, the approach reminded me of the importance of self-love, self respect and the importance of self confidence in life, in training and especially if faced with a conflict. It became clear, that Combatives is an all-inclusive concept – bringing unarmed combat, impact weapons and firearms training together. Den explained why it’s necessary to have compatibility in between the different branches to have an easy to use self-protection approach. We covered the confrontational options, Lofty’s Vital Pyramid – which Den explained from the base and up. This weekend we focussed highly on skills…

We got a quick briefing on the history of Combatives, which again, I as a novice deeply appreciated as it filled out quite a few blanks… As a quick note: It never seizes to amaze me how much historical knowledge some of you guys have in this field. I admire the way you honour your predecessors and their work while keeping the inheritance alive, cherishing their legacy and continuously attempting to develop the material further.

"Martial art is what you do with someone - Combatives is what you do to someone" Kelly McCann

Dennis continued his presentation by introducing the essential concepts & principles of CQB:
Speed – technical speed, working speed and speed of reaction
Aggression – a controlled and disciplined, “cold fury” (term by Marcus Wynne) like a switch on/off when needed.
Surprise – the ability to turn things around, feign submission, distract, deception

Den then continued to go over the main principles of Fairbairn. By going over this, together with the concepts of CQB services - the picture of what Combatives was starting to become clearer and clearer. Why is it important to learn to throw every strike as if your life depends on it? It’s hard work and requires training; both technique wise and with general fitness and Den reminded us of just how important it’s to train that way and why. And – it’s good to know, that even the best get exhausted after doing a drill that way so no matter what your level is – the effort you’re putting into the drill is what matters since you’re doing the training for yourself, and everyone get just as exhausted when training like that, regardless of fitness level! When Den explained this and after I’ve had the pleasure of participating in his wonderful warm ups, it became a good reminder to me of how the gym and ordinary training could do with a bit more explosive stuff to be relevant to the Combatives training – at least to avoid the extensive soreness spreading through my body the next day! (Man was I happy that I’ve trained as I have lately at the gym though!) lol

The drills of the day included the tiger’s claw, elbows, axe hand blows, the chin jab and we also tried a strangle in various ways. I found it very satisfying that although there were some very competent people in the room, Den managed to keep us all happy and asking to make sure that we all had understood the blows and drills.


[Silje using forward drive with AxeHands]

One thing I feel I must mention, is the excellent little café and bar across the street from the hotel, in which Den, Slackbladder and I became regulars during our stay. The bartender even remembered my desire to have my fruit tea in a certain pink cup I fell in love with and gave us very good service. In the evening most of the attendees went out to have another Chinese meal, which was most agreeable.

Sunday 3rd of June.

Tactical edged weapon program

"There is no certain defence against a knife.” W.E. Fairbairn

"The knife is the easiest weapon to learn to use – and the most difficult to defend against." Den

The knife is a fascinating weapon. It’s easily concealable and combined with a committed and able user – it’s a dangerous thing. Sometimes deadly. What I liked best about this day, was the way it all started from the beginning… Den didn’t take any skills or knowledge for granted but we started from the very basics – “What is a knife fight?” and “What is a knife?”

We went over the knife threat:

"In a knife fight, things go from bad to horrible real fast"… Jim Phillips, US Police Officer

The techniques and the defence. I thought I had a pretty good idea what a knife was, but I have to admit – I wasn’t as smart as I thought. There are, of course, the usual knives.. fighting knives and kitchen knives, the machete etc – but swords, screwdrivers, shears etc – lots of things I hadn’t really thought of. I knew screwdrivers are common and I’ve seen them but I didn’t know how serious they are. Anything with a (sharp) edge – that can cut or stab can be used as a knife… An eye opener.



[Editor's note: Lynx took lots of notes during the seminars, and here notebook became a combatives manual, with sketches, impressions, footnotes, diagrams etc. A great learning tool. Den]
We got to learn about the history of the knife and it’s attributes. After that Den went over the attributes of the knife fighter… What makes the knife dangerous – it’s not so much the knife but how far the person holding it is prepared to go and what it takes. Most of all – we all know what it feels like to be cut. We all fear a knife… We learned about behavioural indicators and cues since the early detection of the knife is crucial – it buys you time… We learned about the high-risk groups and the mechanisms of wounding, haemorrhage, the shock – traumatic and psychological and about loss of function for instance, by damage to tendons and nerves. We got to see some pictures of stabbings, slashes – knife victims and if you weren’t motivated to learn how to defend against a knife before that – I think you’d be afterwards!

There’s a lot of talk about targeting with a knife – as Den pointed out: a cut always causes damage. And the primary target of the knife is always – the skin. He explained certain legal concerns which I think are great to know about. It’s an important but sometimes neglected part of self-defence.

Den made some comparisons of the trauma from different weapons and went over some of the most common myths about knifes and their use. After that he introduced the knife into Lofty’s Vital Pyramid and discussed some case studies… After a break – it was hands on and we got into training first to use a knife and then to practise with each other how to defend against it. We learned different way to hold it, and went over the GUN system. We did a lot of drills and had a lot of fun. Bodies aching all over (well, at least mine! )…

In the evening – a few of us went to an Italian restaurant and had some well deserved pasta after that me, Den and Slacky stayed up way to long (again) chatting over cups of tea in the hotel room… Den did a great imitation of my late male dog in the sofa – (actually my dog also liked to have a pillow under his head and stretch out like that Den! I don’t think I showed you that picture though…?)

Monday 4th of June

Great day, fantastic weather.

In the evening we had the Neural based training module waiting but before that we went to the historical grounds of Akershus fästning in Oslo to visit the resistance museum. Waiting for the troopers to arrive, me and Slacky did a run at a temporary obstacle course that was place just inside the gates. Well done Slacky! I know it was though but somehow you pulled through! I’m quite happy I reached the top – felt like Queen of the world… Anyway – after a little silliness, and me finding an old canon I wanted to bring home with me, the other guys came and we finally got to the museum and it was intriguing!!! I could’ve spent hours in there just reading it all through.

Afterwards we went for a stroll down to Akers brygga and the guys had lunch. I sat and sketched in a little pad – it was a lovely view (and so thought the guys too – some really good looking Norwegian women were strolling by but when I was asked to find a good looking guy I was disappointed because I didn’t spot one that was even close to “my type”!!! Life isn’t fair! lol).

After lunch I headed off on my own in Oslo, the guys went back to Akershus to visit what turned out to be another great museum. I got myself back to the hotel – got some rest and then Slackbladder came to wake me up and we headed down to one of the bars next to the hotel – the guys for tea – I needed to EAT! Not very smart considering Den’s upcoming warm up as it turned out, but I needed some food.

The Neural based training module

At 18.00 we all assembled for another training session. This time, Silje hadn’t managed to get there in time to join in but instead I got to meet Maria who was also a very nice girl. Brave – I don’t think I would’ve voluntarily held that pad for Ronny’s Thai kicks!!! Goddamn it girl, that must’ve hurt! I had my huge shrimp, salad and mayo foccacia reminding me to take it slow but after the warm up things started to settle and I joined in with Slacky and the guys in the drills.

We started up with Den introducing us very quickly to the Neural based training and NLP for Combatives and Self Protection. He mentioned the famous Jedi Project and the results that came from this type of training. After that he went over the 10 fundamental concepts which in all – highlighted the importance of a positive mind . He explained about the importance of state management and anchoring and how it can be done and about the importance of teaching to all the representatory systems – visual, auditory and kinaesthetic senses… This by modelling. He also introduced the confidence loop – which explained why it’s so important to address one’s beliefs to fully develop one’s potential. He also suggested the one book he usually recommends: "Introducing NLP" by Seymour and O’Connor.

(Personal note – my favourite book on NLP in sports is by O’Connor and it’s a really good one! I might get this one as well in the future.)

After this came the warm up and some basic drills – with the weekend’s mantra echoing over the floor “control the space around you” yet again... After that Den had the guys (and girls) gather around him. He had Ronny show the Thai kick and then he talked us through a visualisation of it. Very well he did it too. Afterwards everyone had increased their power and performance of the kick. After that followed a few drills on triggering aggression. Den again talked the guys through a visualisation of the switch/lever, in detail. After that we got into groups of 3 and started to work on bringing it out. After an exhausting drill going “all in” (sorry ‘bout the elbow Slacky) – we did the last drill, which was great . We got into 2 groups. Lined up – first do push ups, then run through some pad men and eventually get to the spar-pro.. You should then go at it full power and aggression – in our group Slacky was monitoring and providing pressure then when you “got it” – break and turn back off… It was great to see the guys perform. And Maria did really great too. It was really great to share this experience with another girl.

After chatting around a bit, some still slowing down from the last drill (you could almost smell the hormones in the room) we all said our good byes and parted and Den, Slacky, me and our hosts went for a bite to eat. I had had so much fun that when the guys ordered food – I ordered myself a dessert as a treat! Then we went back to the hotel – and had some more tea and chats – then off for bed. The next morning we got picked up by Roza and driven to the airport. It was kind of sad to say good bye, but I know that I’ll see Den and Slacky again at the Gutterfighter’s anniversary so... I managed...

Great seminar!
Since I’ve already posted my thank yous earlier in this thread – I won’t repeat it all.


Warmest smiles with hopes of meeting up with some of you again,
Lynx

From Slackbladder

Apologies for the delay in my reply, I literally stepped off the plane and have been working or sleeping ever since.


This trip was a last minute event for me, so the travel plans were typically chaotic and improvised. I came home from a night shift, had a shower, got dressed and fell out of the front door to get to the airport. The flights were relatively painless, and arriving at Oslo, I was thoroughly pleased with the lack of "finger in bum" treatment from Norweigan customs officials, compared to my previous experiences at the hands of other border security services.

Den was scheduled to land in Oslo some time after me, so I settled down to survey the crowd and pick our gracious hosts out from the crowd. I diligently sought out persons with clothing and apparel that might set them apart from the herd. I finally concluded that I had spotted our host. Stout footwear, plain but weatherproof jackets, robust watch and a leatherman on the hip all identified a man as something apart...
I was very miffed indeed that two very nondescript gentlemen greeted Den as he emerged from customs, where my chief suspect didn't even look up. So much for the skill of observation.

A whistlestop tour of Lillestrom ensued, and we were deposited at the hotel. Den has a supernatural ability to discern the presence of tea within the locale, and the presence of a tea bar next to the hotel is to Den what the Atlantic Ocean is to a dowsing rod. We were soon drinking exhorbitantly priced, though very delicious, tea and ruminating on the forthcoming training event. The Norwegians proved to be excellent hosts and we dined well on Chinese food that evening.

Saturday opened up with a confusing breakfast. The Norse, God love them, prefer to pour yoghurt over their cereal rather than milk. This is most disconcerting to the unwary, though it is rather tasty if the change in texture does not bother you much. Lots of tea and eggs and bacon abound.
The weather had brightened considerably since the previous day. It was now scorching summertime and the sun beat down on the picturesque town. The days training was to be the 'Hard Skills' syllabus, and commenced with a presentation on the why's and wherefore's of being violent. If such gentle beginnings do lull the unwary into a sense of security, then the "warm up" is guaranteed to blow a few cobwebs loose. I confess I have been lax in my worship at the altar of physical culture of late, and I was soon the reddest, deepest breathing, slowest moving thing in the training hall. I was thoroughly trashed by the shuttle sprints and by the time tiger claws were introduced, I was losing my hearing and the world was going monochrome. I retired to a back room and ate vast amounts of dextrose tablets washed down with delicious tap water. After 15 minutes, I was vertical again and back in the thick of things. Axe hands, elbows, strangles and and chinjabs all followed in rapid succession.
The Norse proved to be excellent students to a man (and woman). Fit, strong, aggressive and quick to learn, they all made rapid progress and were soon hitting things with wild abandon with the least encouragement.
The international translation for "tabatas" appears to be a sigh of weary acceptance and a shake of the head. This was in evidence from representatives of all nations.

Dinner that evening was the typical Chinese meal with post-training banter. Sinking into large wicker seats and drinking water that is so costly, if it doesn't grant eternal youth I want my money back, one cannot help but think that Scandanavia would be a nice place to live were it not for the habit of giving obscene names to their banks.

The next day was Edged Weapon Defence. Another powerpoint to kick things off, and the sobering information that followed was enough to convince the crowd that knives are bad things in the hands of the angry and upset. Training folllowed to ensure that in our hands, knives were an asset. The GUN system of edged weapon defence was introduced (no, it doesn't involve a loud BANG and a carefully chosen quote from "The Untouchables".) and the whole room was full of people screaming "KNIFE" at the top of their lungs. A small twinge of sympathy went out for the occupants of the apartment complex next to the training hall. They clearly planned on enjoying the summer day on their respective balconies, only to have their tea and prawns on bread enjoying the same airspace as the very aggressive louts for the vast majority of the day.
The day ended with an Italian meal that merely cost the same as Botswana's national debt ($520m) and a stroll around the town. Very nice it was, too.

Monday was something of a day of rest. In the name of education, we were to visit the two primary war museums resident in Oslo. I always enjoy visits to foreign cities, for the reason that you are typically treated like an adult. If there is a big hole in the road, it is your responsibility not to fall in it. Things like orange marker tape, big signs saying "CAREFUL!" and windows that will not open fully are scarcely encountered in Europe. Should you wish to open your window wide enough to hurl a bed from your room, you can do so. If you do not look where you are going, you may be badly mauled by a large heap of gravel. Its nice to be trusted not to fling yourself in dangers path by the authorities.
Coming from the UK, it was odd to simply wander into an army base. The gate was wedged open and genial looking fellows in DPM clothing were arranging tables near the guardhouse. I remember visiting an RAF base in my childhood and having to wait in the rain while my parent's car was carefully searched for plastique. The Norse don't have the same trouble, clearly. During the wait for the rest of our group, I decided to pit myself against the Norwegian Army Assault Course. A carefully designed apparatus designed to sorely test the disciplines of strength, agility, speed and endurance, I warmed up and threw myself into an attempt to set a course record under the supervision of the Nepalese staff.



7mins, 26s
My sherpa guide had plunged to his death on the red tarmac far below, and I had run out of sherbet lemons. I confess my spirits were low at this point.




2hrs, 32mins, 16s.
A moment of crowning glory captured on film. The tricky fingertip hold that had refused earlier attempts had been successfully negotiated. This was when I started to suspect that the course was actually possible to complete.




13hrs, 17mins, 43s.
This picture, taken by unmanned reconnaisance drones due to altitude, captures the lowest ebb of the expedition. I had been forced to eat the mascot, my beloved armadillo, Terrance. Because I had been forced to jettison the knife, fork and spoon to lower the load, I was forced to inject liquified food into my left nostril in order to survive. I had lost eight stone in bodyweight and several dozen kroner in small change to the yawning chasm beneath.




21hrs, 2mins, 51s.
This photo was taken by the rescue team. You can see that hypothermia had already drawn me close to its chilly bosom. Attempt abandoned.

Further examination of the castle grounds proved interesting. Large, unmarked drops lay behind innocent grass knolls. Our hosts told us that on national holidays, when the population as a whole imbibe large amounts of hugely expensive beer, occasionally a merry-maker will plunge from the ledges like a large, alcohol sodden lemming. Darwin is very much an active participant in Norwegian population control, and very happy they seem to be for it.
The Resistance Museum was extraordinary. A thorough and happily bilingual exhibit throughout, it was an education. I have never before heard of the campaign to get food into Norway from Sweden, or the actions of the Quisling government. The more spectacular operations led by the Norse SOE contingent were given their rightful and proper place in the musuem, as well as details of the seemingly minor, but nevertheless breathtakingly brave souls who set up illicit weapons factories and other subversive logistical support in Oslo itself.

A fine memorial to the resistance fighters who were executed only months before the wars end stands a short way from the musuem. A sobering place, which gives weight to the realisation that these men were not professional soldiers or spies by trade. Ordinary men performing extraordinarily dangerous duties that carry the ultimate penalty if anything goes wrong. Brave guys.

A short and wallet-shrinking dinner at TGI Friday refreshed us for a second visit to the national war museum. A large building, we toured the intial modern exhibits, before moving onto the hard core of lots and lots of sharpened steel in various shapes and guns big enough to crush a car. After an illuminating trip, newly educated on naval conflicts during WWII, we emerged to be greeted by the most senior officer on the campus. A brief chat about Fairbairn-Sykes pattern knives ensued and contacts were made that may make the return trip a whole lot more interesting for chaps involved in our very specific interests.

The neural based learning module was a brief, but intense look at aggression and modelling skills. The performance of the students at the close of the days training was by far the best they had performed the course of the weekend, and everyone walked away with a big grin that only comes from having pummeled the living daylights out of something.

All in all, the weekend in the land of Norway was a joy. A holiday and more. An excellent result for lots of hard work put into organising the event by Roza and co. Fantastic stuff, lads.

Here's a group photo from the successful seminar in Norway 2007.



I wish we can make it again ! :-)

Great memories, Ronny.
I'd love to come over to Norway again
Cheers,

Thank you Dennis, very kind of you. It would be fantastic to do it again!

Ronny :-)