Nor Cal Matt Thornton Seminar: January 13-14

[FJJ]

Well said Punisher.

I love that old "how about if I train ****kwon-fu with aliveness?"

Well, then it would probably evolve into something that looks more like ...wrestling, BJJ, Boxing, Kickboxing....etc, etc. If it didn't then it would probably fall apart on it's own merits unless it was kept alive with some sort of ritualistic agenda.

[Punisher]

Don't get me wrong. It would probably be possible to train an art, wing chun for example, with aliveness. If fact the good wing chun schools do this. They use the three keys to aliveness (timing, movement, and progressive resistance) to enhance their training.

The "dead" part of those schools is they artifically limit themselves to just techniques found in wing chun. Find a move that works better, too bad, you can't use it because it isn't "wing chun".

Even arts like BJJ sacrifice aliveness in order to "keep their art pure". IMO the Gracies are somewhat guilty of this. A lot of BJJers think if Helio didn't come up with it, it must be crap and won't use it. Others like Eddie Bravo, are pushing the limits and evolving the art all the time.

It you want to keep your art pure and not evolve into MMA, that's fine. Just realize you are compromising combat effectvieness in order to stay in your comfort zone. As long as you recognize that and tell the truth to your students, I don't have a problem.

In fact that's pretty much what I do. I own a school that teaches Five Animal Kenpo. We try to train with aliveness, and our techniques are big step in the right direction compared to some most kenpo styles I'm familar with. As good as it is, it's still kenpo.

My 3-5 year plan (maybe shorter if I can get some help) is to develop a Five Animal Fighting curriculm to teach at my school. We'll still use all the concepts, princples, startegies in the kenpo system, but will no longer limit ourselves to "kenpo" techniques. When we get there we'll be teaching MMA.

I still plan to keep the kenpo curriculm though. Primarily for kids and people that prefer the traditional route over a sports based apporach.

[Virus]

So you're going to teach armbars, chokes and the guard and call it kempo?

[Punisher]

So you're going to teach armbars, chokes and the guard and call it kempo?

No, not at all. The style of kenpo that I do is based on a compreshesive fighting strategy, called the Five Animal Fighting Theory. You can find the details about this theory in an article I wrote way bach when for the site.

http://www.bullshido.net/modules.php...warticle&id=14

This theory transcends arts, it looks at fighting as whole. I currently study and teach Five Animal Kenpo, but someone else could easily take the theory, apply to another art and create Five Animal Jiujitsu, Five Animal Aikido, Five Animal whatever.

Although my style of kenpo is based on this theory, it doesn't completely adhere to it. This is because, as good as it is, it still restricts itself to being kenpo. In order to fully implement the theory, you need to do MMA.

My main martial art is Five Animal Kenpo, but I also train BJJ, boxing, kickboxing, and submission wrestling at local MMA gym. As a result, my fighting style isn't kenpo anymore. Its something else. As I learn better and better techniques, my kenpo moves end up getting replaced and I move closer to MMA just like Matt Thornton predicts. What doesn't change is the Five Animal Fighting theory that dictates how and why I apply those techniques.

What I'm planning to do is come up with a combat sport based MMA-style curriculm that is guided by the Five Animal Fighting Theory. That's Five Animal Fighting, and has nothing to do with kenpo.

[Virus]

Why didn't you include the hedgehog? That's discrimination against the Erinaceinae familiy.

That's all well and good but I've already come up with something far more simple and streamlined. Four Animal Fighting Theory.

[Punisher]

Why didn't you include the hedgehog? That's discrimination against the Erinaceinae familiy.

I didn't come up with the theory, so I didn't get to chose the animals. If it makes you feel better you can replace Leopard with the Hedgehog. But it has to be blue and run really, really fast.

My favorite animal is the monkey, and I was very sad for a long time that I couldn't work that into the theory somehow, and thus not use it in the logo for my school.

Then I had an epiphany. The problem with most martial arts is that they focus on just one "animal" and thus have a hard time adapting and changing strategies if things start going wrong. What makes Five Animal Kenpo/Five Animal Fighting/MMA different is the focus of developing and overall game.

A fighter that only focuses on Tiger can only be a Tiger, so he will be in trouble if he comes up against a bigger, badder Tiger. Five Animal Fighter is different kind of animal, altogether. (Pun intended) He is a talented mimic. He can choose which strategy to employ and when. He will likely never be as strong of a Tiger as someone who focuses exclusively on that strategy, but he will know enough about Tiger to handle any Cranes that come along, and enough about Dragon to handle the big, bad Tigers too.

So the sixth, hidden animal of the Five Animal Fighting Theory is the MONKEY, respresenting the Jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none type of fighter. As the fighter trains, the monkey evolves, eventually becoming a human who is master of all the animals.

DO I THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS, OR WHAT?

That's all well and good but I've already come up with something far more simple and streamlined. Four Animal Fighting Theory.

You're so clever. I never heard that before!

Besides, as I pointed out, Five Animal Fighters are really just one animal (monkeys), and it doesn't get simpler or more streamlined than that.

[FictionPimp]

What about my goldfish?

[Punisher]

Do forget things quickly, to the point people need to keep repeating themselves to you?

If so you can be a goldfish.

Do forget things quickly, to the point people need to keep repeating themselves to you?

If so you can be a goldfish.