7th International Combatives Seminar, 2009 AAR

Just in from the first day of the seminar, and wanted to kick off the AAR thread.
What a great bunch of guys gathered together. It was great catching up with friends old and new.
I showed everyone a video message from Marcus and Mika, recorded last weekend in Sweden.
Richie was again on hand, so we will be gaetting fantastic photos.
More later

Before I shoot off on holiday, I would just like to thank Den for a great weekend and the guys for the great presentations and drills.

As always its was a great event and its the people that make it and you all made it an enjoyable weekend.

Cheers

Peter

Been home a little while.

Den & the Instructors, thanks for another good one.

Andy, nice to meet you buddy.

Phil, sorry about the bites.

Pete, great work in the suit.


Alan

Just got home from the Post-training-scoff
Here's a couple of pics....


[Course photo, on Sunday]


[Instructor group Standing = Tony, Phil, Larry, Deve, Paddy, Denis
Kneelingt = Pete, Ian, Den, Si, Ola]]

Just arrived back.

Unique experience and I feel privileged to take part.

Great seeing everyone again. The content was superb and I think I have come away with more to consider than ever before.

The skill and fitness level keeps going up a testament to the hard work everyone puts in all yaer round.



Denis

I can only echo what has already been said. A great weekend, where everyone - instructors and participants alike - put in maximum effort. Special thanks must go to Den for bringing everyone together, and to Si and Pete for their extra efforts in the suit.

Cheers guys,

Phil

I’m still horse from all the ‘specialist encouragement’ at the end there…..still waiting for someone to give less than 100% so I can bring out the big insult guns!!! Extreme doff of the cap to Si and Pete….extraordinary effort gents. And to the participants and instructors, again effort to the max. Of course to Dennis….the instigator…..thank you!

Always a pleasure to catch up with friends both old and new, and to come away with new things to think about and train, and new concepts to try and drill into the battered old brain cells.

Once more the bloody bar has been raised. Next year maybe they’ll turn up the heating….that’ll learn ya!

Many thanks to everyone for another great International, unfortunately only made it for Day 1, but it was full of useful insights and training methods that I can now bring back for the guys in London.

Its always great to see everyone giving their all during the drills, really inspiring stuff.

Keep up the great work everyone! Look forward to seeing you all soon.

Thanks to everyone for a fantastic experience on my first International.

With the benefit of a 4 hour drive back to Scotland with Alan as a debrief, it's always amazing to reflect on what you've learned and can take back to the club.

To Pete, Si, James & Phil - thanks for your "specialist encouragement"!

To all those I met (and those I didn't) I look forward to crossing paths again in the future.

Thanks again.

At the risk of being repetitive, that was a great weekend.

Thanks to all the instuctors for the planning and deivery of the sessions. I enjoyed the physical training and lots of the NLP stuff will be used in work starting today.

Once again: a big thankyou to all.

Mark

Please tell me I am not the only one.
That was the hardest one yet and I am feeling it today.
The whole weekend was great and the information was excellent.
I saw incredible feats of fitness.
Si, Pete in the suit simply awesome.

Dave McC

typing with one hand today as I sprained my thumb badly, but would gladly sprain the other in a heartbeat too, just to do it all again.
thanks to all of the instructors for fantastic presentations, would've like to have seen Paddys powerpoint as the stuff he was showing us would be great benfit to myself would like to have more info on this subect
the stuff on flow absolutely opened my eyes once I had something to equate it too, a nice gobbledygook free presentation that even a layman like myself could relate too, one point rocks!
Enjoyed all the subjects.
Si and the boys pulled out all the stops with the scenarios in the suit you guys must've been knackered great job!
Apologies to James for scratching your face sorry about that mate.
It was realy good to meet guys I already knew from other seminars Ben, Wolfie, Ellie.
And especally good to meet all the guys who stayed at the Premier, Alan (funny, funny, guy had me in stitches most of the time,) Stu, who was kind enough to provide a lift to the venue, Ola who I shared the breakfast table with and enjoyed great conversations, Denis, Dave Nick and everyone who's names I can't remember ( I'm terrible with names). anyway it's always great to make new freinds
Most of all thanks to Den for arranging all of this and bringing a great team of guys together.
Hope to see you all soon. Off to take some iboprufen!
Regards
Andy

I think everyone agreed it was the hardest yet, and the previous ones were no picnic! The standard just keeps getting higher, due to the outstanding work all the various combatives instructors and groups are doing, training regularly in halls, gyms and garages.
Some more pics from the first morning...


This year's course teeshirt.


Dave during his explanation of the technicalities of the strangle


Denis demonstrating the strangle on Steve


Denis showed how a fitness roller can be used as a training aid to work the strangle full-on


A nice teeshirt

Thank you to Den for putting together another brilliant programme.
Si & Pete once again performed super human feats in the suit; they're surely the best there is at running these scenarios and Si continually pushes us year on year. It must only be a matter of time before they actually have to kill one of us to keep us on our toes (it was nearly me this year!)
On the whole though, I've taken an incredible amount of learning from each of the instructors and from the trainees as well, so big thank you to everyone involved.

I've been to see Paddy this morning, he's worked his miracles and I'm (almost) ready to go again! As he said in his excellent presentation, the 2 outcomes we want from these events is learn and change. Hopefully the learning we got from the course will continue and the change begins today.

Well, I'm just in the door and wanted to say big thank you, from myself and Dave, to Dennis, all the instructors and everyone who was there. It was a good weekend and we both agreed we feel lucky to be able to take part.
Particular thanks to guys who were conducting the pre-suit "warm-up"! It was a good reminder as to how massively unfit I actually am! If I had a hat on I'd remove it to Si and Pete, I am in awe of your abilities to keep going in that suit over and over again.
All round good stuff and I look forward to seeing you all at the next one!

Cheers,

Chris

[Den kicked off the day with his overview of NLP for Combatives]


Tony, Paddy and Ian chatting]


Si during his presentation on countering the grappler

Hi everyone,
I can only echo the sentiments of the previous posts. Great course and great people.
A coule of special mentions to -

Tony and Ian for the "one point / flow state" section (the hour waiting outside for the scenario was the perfect time to practice)

Si - I especially appreciate the personal touches you made during my turn against the suit (letting me know what you were going to do to my wife just before you punched me in the head was a master stroke!)
Finally big thanks to Den for putting it all together
Roll on next year
Thanks
Mark

Another brilliant weekend, thanks to Den for arranging the programme and all the instructors for their very informatve modules, as usual a lot of information to digest.

Thanks to Si and Pete and the co instructors for a very challaging scenario!!!

Its great to catch up with the regulars and to meet new particpants and also have a chance to discuss training tips during the intervals, thanks Denis for your advice on groundwork .
Looking forward to the next gathering.
Steven

Sorry it's take so long to weigh in guys, but I've been nder the cosh with work - though I managed to go home on Sunday and shoe is some of the quality information delivered by Phil on the "survival arc" into the presentation I was doing on Monday morning. It went down a treat.

Thanks Phil, it was an eye opener.

All of the sessions were quality. After day 1, Den and I were discussion how "perfectly" the day flowed...... or maybe Tony and Ian hypnoitised us? I don't know, but having been to all 7 Internationals....this one felt special and flowed brilliantly. Everyone one there added to the supportive atmosphere of learning and training.

I always learn alot at the International, especially about myself........in terms of what I ave to do to keep the bar as high as it was set by the other instructors and participants. Damn it! This year was no exception; the step forward in fitness, neural techniques and commitment to self protection was outstanding.

Its always great to catch up with friends, then beat down on them in the suit a bit later on.......but this year was something else. It really was like walking into a room full of old friends, each hand shake makng me smile with good memories and dread of the efforts to come!!!

Big thanks to you all: Paddy for fixing me and then brigning that same special hlep to the public forum. Amazing performance by Pete who did more fights than I. And I think we would agree, he is one awkward SOB to fight.

All the "butter fighters".....outstanding group of inspirational combative practitioners. Each and everyone of them outstanding in their own rights, whether they sport the maroon colours or not; thanks for yor friendship and the stuff you teach me! Apols to Mark for jibes about the missus, Den put me up to it ...........but what a performance!

Always great to see Ola and the Norwegians in general - great session dude!

Thank you to all the guys that travelled from Brum (andy) and the sheffield crew (tough fellahs!).

Al and Stu - what can I say but you are legends........

My dear friend Dave Mc and Bug Den Mc........you rock the scene fellahs and stand out because of your great skills and annoying humilty.

JAmes and Phil, I don't quite think the Internationals would be the same without you....thansk for the learning, friendship and abuse.

Giles, Ben, Ellie and Wolfie - I am scared of you lot - but you know what I think of each and everyone to you. Its people like you who make me train harder!!

Keith and Steve - beasts and they put me through it each week. You have my thanks and respect.

Mark G - glad you made the saturday; great to see you guys - pass on regards to Gav and co !

Apols to anyone I've missed, please don't be offended (especially Dave and Chris...just hate you equally for the pain you bring in the suit fights xx), I'm going off memory and with all the headshots.......well, y'know.


Thanks finally to Dennis for being the brains and inspiration behind it all! In an offlne conversation with some of the lads, were we telling each other of how we loved their materials, one of the phrases that came out, summed it up for me:

"We stand on the shoulders of giants" - I kid you not, I have done many martial arts seminars by some great guys offering great information. But this stuff is life changing in terms of confidence, understanding of self, skill development and mindset training. I don't think anyone can complain.

Thanks Dennis, you are a (n) (inter) national treasure, despite the "tactical sandals".

Thanks to each and every one of you too, for making the whole weekend work.

That should be "BIG Den Mc"......the headshots affect my typing! Sorry Den.........

Ian taking the guys into "flow state"


The class going through a knife drill to install "flow state"

Hi all,

An excellent weekend; thanks to all those instructors that presented material, everyone who participated so whole heartedly - and of course Den for getting it all together.

As always there was lots to think about, digest and then incorporate into our own training. Great stuff! It was also especially good to meet some new faces.

Thanks all, Giles

The program was,
SATURDAY
Overiview of NLP by Den
Strangles by Dave Mac and Denis Mc
The Flow State by Tony and Ian
Countering grappling attacks by Si
Punch-out drill by Den

SUNDAY
Survival Options by Phil W
Combative knife by Ola
Kit discussion by Den
oundation Fitness by Paddy
Combative fitness equipment by Larry
High-stress scenario by Si and Pete

Many thanks to all the above instructors, plus the other instructors who pitched in and helped throughout the weekend. Of course, thanks to all participants for turning up and making the International such a worthwhile event.
The dedication and determination of the combatives community guys never fails to impress me.

Some more pics....

Phil during his presentation on Survival options


Ola introduces his topic...


Ola demonstrating with the knife

This really is getting repetitive now, but what a great weekend! Thanks to everyone there for 2 days of great training - not just in terms of the content but also the whole atmosphere.

I learned something from every single module, and will be passing it on the guys in Leeds.

Some of the anti-grappling techniques Si showed us will be getting practised very soon, as will strangle applications from Dennis and Dave, and knife-accessing from Ola.

Phil's presentation was fascinating and has inspired me to look further into the subject.

Den's NLP presentation will influence the way I teach, and I will also be sharing much of the content with the guys I train with.

Paddy's material will also be getting passed on - his stuff has been a great help to me and others.

I hate to leave anyone out here - as I said I think i benefitted from each and every presentation/drill.

Thanks to Si and Pete and the other instructors for the final pressure test. I got a lot out of this one.

Thanks to Den for making the whole thing happen. It probably goes without saying that the International is the high point of my training year.

As usual I came back buzzing with ideas and enthusiasm.

Ben

Hi to everyone, I can whole heartedly agree with everyone of the above posts, it was great to see everyone again, the seminar was both informative in content and just plain old fun culminating in feeling like i was going to puke and being punched in the face, who could ask for more? Again thanks to den and everyone else there for a great time.

si