Woof All:
As some of you may have noticed, I enjoy naming things in a way I find
humorous. For example, in our "Kali Tudo" (tm) subsystem a particular
movement is named "The Dracula" (see our first KT DVD for an intro to this
material).
In this regard, this past weekend I named a particular Dracula-based
combination as "Dracula brings the stake, hammer, and cross." The stake is a
particular uppercut (often done as a bolo punch) followed by a hammerfist
and a cross. Rhythmically it is a triplet and it is devastatingly
effective-- as the
saying goes "No brag, just fact." In training you must be careful not to
rock
or knock your partner out!
Punning horrifically, using the homonym "steak" for "stake" I start riffing
about wanting your steak well done, medium, rare, or bloody , , , and
humorously someone asked how Dracula could use a cross. I explained that
many years ago there was a movie called "The Fearless Vampire Slayers" by
Roman Polanski (yes the one who hides in Europe from US rape charges
concerning drugging a 13 year old girl) which starred Sharon Tate (who was
later murdered by the Manson family). Anyway, there is a scene where a
vampire bursts through Sharon Tate's window and she, bosom bursting out of
her nightie, whips out a cross and holds it towards the vampire to repel him
and the vampire responds in a heavy Yiddish accent "Ach! Haff you gott ze
wrong vampire!"... As Dracula I can bring the cross, unaffected by it,
precisely because I am Jewish." Then, in an example of the strange,
deranged erudition that runs through the DBMA tribe someone brought the
following to my attention:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/Shokel/011025_Vampires.html#fn0 Riffed
someone else "Why did Dracula cross to the head? Because he already threw
the stake and hammer."
But, as I so often do, I digress , , ,
Anyway, the larger point here is that it is a matter of deep fascination to
me to see the formulas of the Art begin to reveal themselves to me. Since
its inception in our "Kali Tudo" (tm) DVD, the Dracula Game has continued to
grow and to deepen into one of the most important and formidable games
within Kali Tudo; but as fun as it can be to blow someone's mind in MMA
sparring, the deeper point as I see it is in the reification of the promise
of the Art to have "consistency across categories"-- that our movements are
the same whether we know if the opponent/enemy has a weapon or not.
In the real world there often will not be time to discern whether a furtive
movement is the load of a punch or the access of a weapon and select either
a response for an empty handed attack or a weapon attack. Thus we seek
"consistency across categories" i.e. our movements are essentially the same
regardless of the fight in which we find ourselves. In "the interface of
gun, knife, empty hand" (a "Die Less Often" fight in DBMA parlance) it is
of profound help not to need to know whether the opponent/enemy has a weapon
in his hand in order to select the correct response. Our movement is the
same and the quicker for not having to make that determination. In the
split-second realities of DLO situations, this is vital! Furthermore not
only does the Dracula work really well in MMA, it is also a fundamental
close-quarter DLO technique, including for IFWA (In Fight Weapon Access).
In this regard I would like to mention that this winter's DBMA Training Camp
approaches soon-- February 6-7 to be precise at the Boxing Works Gym in
Hermosa Beach (Los Angeles) CA.
This winter's camp will include the Dracula Game and more-- including guest
instructor Kenny Johnson, whom I via Rigan Machado. Kenny is a world class
MMA Wrestling coach. For example, he was the MMA Wrestling Coach on Team
Noguiera on Spike TV's "The Ultimate Fighter". He coaches Anderson Silva,
BJ Penn,
and others of that ilk.
We got to know each other when I asked him for a lesson to help me
with certain wrestling based questions I had (re "the Rico" and also my
lousy underhooks) He was intrigued by what I was doing and we began light
sparring and exchanging knowledge. This has continued. A month or two ago
he came by my Monday "Kali Tudo" class. We taught together and the rapport
was really good. I think people will really enjoy this camp with the two of
us working together.
We know that with a camp that you must travel to us, so as we always do in
DBMA, we are keeping our cost to you down. The cost of the camp will be
$200. The LEO discount will be 15%. For active duty service personnel the
discount will be 25% and veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan the discount will
be 50%. Anyone with combat citations, the camp will be free.
For up to date conversation about the camp, the thread of record is
http://dogbrothers.com/phpBB2/index.php?topic=1955.0Walk as warriors for all our days!
Guro Marc "Crafty Dog" Denny
