Training in Hawaii

[Gerry]

I was wondering for those of you who train with Bruton in Hawaii, what is it like. I mean, do you do drills on Thai Pads, focus pads and kicking shields? Do you train with and without the gi? How often do you train stick and knife fighting? I know this is a broad question but I was hoping to gain more insight into how you guys train.

Gerry Barone

[Jim McRae]

Hi Gerry:

In the group sessions here in Honolulu, Burton always makes a point of trying to train all four ranges in class. A typical class will run as follows.

We start out with shadowboxing for a couple of minutes to warm up. Usually, this is skill-specific: Burton has us shadowbox in all ranges, but we focus on certain techniques that he will be teaching in that class. Then we usually do a quick two-person coordination drill such as faking a hand strike and following with a kick, or light, open-hand sparring, etc.

Then, we will get out the focus mitts or thai pads and work some kickboxing skills. In the advanced classes, Burton usually has us do some skill-specific sparring with the headgear and gloves to dynamically apply what we just learned on the pads.

Then, we will move to clinch range to work holds, positioning, striking, takedowns, counters, etc. This may or may not utilize focus mitts. Again, we will often put on the headgear and spar to try what we have learned with some resistance.

Last, we get out the mats and work full speed takedowns and ground grappling. As with the clinch, this may involve focus mitts. We will usually then do some submission-only, skill-specific sparring, or put on the armor and add the striking.

Burton tries to work stick and knife into the curriculum about once a week. We do everything from basic evasion and blocking drills to disarms to sparring with padded weapons. Burton keeps the weapons work as dynamic as possible; we don't spend a lot of time on things like the box pattern or knife tapping. The only techniques he teaches are those that will actually come up in a real fight. We have an open training session on Saturdays where anyone can work on anything they want. Some of us (Burton included) will grapple in gis to give us a different feeling on the mat.

Hope this was helpful. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Take care and train hard,
Jim

[Gerry]

Thanks for the reply Jim. It sounds like awsome training. How long do the classes usually last? Due to the amount of material you guys cover, it sounds like the class is probably a couple of hours long.

Gerry

[Jim McRae]

Gerry:

Actually, our classes are only one hour long (two hours for the open sessions on Saturdays). Becuase of the time constraints, Burton doesn't spend too much time on any one technique. He gives us enough time to get a good feel for it and then moves on to something else. If a student wants to drill a technique for a long period of time, he/she is encouraged to do so during the open training on Saturdays, where Burton spends a lot of time answering questions and working with students on an individual basis. This method of teaching works really well for studious people who take notes after class and spend some time thinking about JKD in their spare time.

Take care and train hard,
Jim