8-)My first Gathering Experience…
I must admit that at first I was stand off’ish and took the time to observe the Tribe and how they acted as a pack. The energy was good and as I settled into the scene I found myself wanting to jump into the middle of the pack.
Being a stray mut from a slightly different pack kept me with a slight concern of how the Dogs would react to my presence. My concern was not what I would call fear of pain but fear of getting broken and disappointing my teacher. You see, I had hinted that I may fight at this gathering but had the wisdom mind fighting my emotional mind. I really wanted to jump in and play (which I ended up doing). I had/have committed to assisting my instructor Prof Greg Harper (aka Kaju Pit) with training a fighter for the upcoming show called “Fight Quest”.
Fight Quest will be Discovery HD's prime time flagship program of the Spring and Summer of 2008, airing in 80 countries worldwide, the exposure will be enormous. They will be filming November 28 through December 6 , 2007. Doing the work for the Discovery network is North South Productions. A New York-based Producer of documentary series on the Discovery HD network.
In this series, two American martial art students, Jimmy Smith and Doug Anderson, travel the globe to investigate different schools of martial arts. From an intense form of stick fighting in the Philippines (Kali) to studying Muay Thai in Thailand. Jimmy and Doug immerse in each culture, learn about its history, train in their traditional martial art, and ultimately, test their skills and courage against a local fighter skilled in the art. The students enthusiastically embrace the teachings of their Instructors and the traditional rituals of the cultures, while struggling to learn a fighting style that they will have to put into action after less than a week of training. They are along for their visceral, educational, and sometimes dangerous journey through the worlds most renowned and respected fight forms.
The students will be trained individually by a different "Master Trainer" at a training facility over approximately a week-long duration. At the end of the week, each of the students will go head to head in a fight with a few of the master's experienced trainers to see how much they've learned . During the week, the extremely respectful, curious, patient and hard-working students would be at the mercy of the instructors - following their every command, working and training on the same level as any of the others at the facility. Because the program will also be looking at the culture surrounding Kajukenbo - the instructors and others at the facility will introduce the students to special ceremonies, traditions of the martial art and customs, etc.
Great Grandmaster Gaylord will head up the program as "Great Grandmaster". He will also be one of the "Master Trainers" putting one of the students through a week of Kajukenbo Training in the Hayward training facility.
Professor Greg Harper will also be one of the "Master Trainers" putting one of the students through a week of Kajukenbo Training in the San Jose training facility.
For more information on North South Productions and the show please visit the web site at
www.northsouth.tv and click on Fight Quest.
With that being put out there, I am happy to have walked as a Warrior with Warriors at this “Gathering of the Pack”. I left with a few bruises and a nice lump on my head (Lesson learned – Thank you Dog Corey).
I feel confident with my knowledge of the Stick but had not “Stress Tested” my skill sets in this way, in much more than a controlled setting in the past. I feel that I did not shine and did not perform the way I wished I had… Distracted and outside of myself most the day
. But none the less, I did get out there and the Pack made me to feel welcome.
I look forward to future gatherings. I will be better prepared and less distracted next time.
Thank you everyone, especially Junkyard Dog and Dog Pound. We will cross again and I look forward to crossing with all of you over time.
Respectfully,
Dean
