Tag Archives: koryu uchinadi

Oct 05 2014
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Martial Arts

Training with a champion (or two)

Ronin

Training with former UFC Champion Carlos “Ronin” Newton, KAPAP instructor and Aiki Kenpo Jujitsu 7th-dan Avi Nardia (not pictured), me and 9th-dan Hanshi Patrick McCarthy.

It’s one thing to ground and pound with fellow martial artists, it’s quite the other to have a former UFC Champion teaching you the ropes.

Last week I had the immense pleasure of being instructed by some of the finest minds in the marital arts world, starting with Hanshi Patrick McCarthy, KAPAP founder and Aiki Kenpo Jujutsu Avi Nardia, and former UFC champion Carlos “Ronin” Newton.

Humble, kind, and intelligent, Newton’s passion for the martial arts is absolutely endearing. Literally, for that alone and talent aside, his attitude and generosity in teaching has made me a fan. It’s clear whenever he speaks about a technique or “style,” there is a genuine joy and appreciation for the art. Between Newton and Nardia, there were discussions of sparring distance, “the third arm” (in which one finds balance or imbalance), and determining one’s safety zone.

On the other hand, Hanshi McCarthy is a man of many words and even more wisdom and knowledge to support it. His historical mastery coupled with innate comprehension of the physical demonstrations and applications of kata is always refreshing. Whether it is a technique or series of movements within a kata, Hanshi’s explanations of practical applications is concise and most importantly, makes sense.

A long five days cut short (into three, very brief paragraphs), it was a blast.

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Feb 25 2014
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Travel

Adventures abound

DSC06223

The 12 Apostles, one of the many stops along the Great Ocean Road in Australia.

All adventures begin as soon as you step out the door, not when you arrive at your preferred destination. That being said, whenever one intends to travel to a location taking multiple airlines and stopovers, it’s bound to create a few stories.

Long story short: the first flight was delayed which resulted into a mad rush to catch the second flight, in which one of the passengers had a medical emergency that resulted with all the other passengers stuck on board when we landed until the paramedics attended to said passenger, followed by a second attempt at becoming the Flash to catch our third flight that was 14 hours in duration. The third flight had an adorable baby on board, and for an overnight flight of that length, the idea of having a baby on board is cringe-worthy in itself. Needles to say, I was quite surprised when said infant remained quiet for most of the flight, only letting out a mild protest once when being moved, but was otherwise a happy little fellow. If only all children who travel can be that well-behaved! I am also happy to say all the flight attendants were a pleasure to associate with and happy to assist with any questions, which is not always the case.

Customs is as it always is: long and tedious, coupled with interesting folk and stifled laughter, while baggage was less of a nightmare than usual.  However, it’s walking through the gates and seeing family again after a prolonged period that makes the length of any trip worthwhile. Ok, that and the warm weather after an unusually cold winter on the other side of the hemisphere. Shorts and tees, here I come!

As with any trip down under, and that’s where I am if you haven’t gathered from picture above, there will be lots of outdoor activities (more of the hiking sort than beach lounging), eating, committing to the mandatory tourist ploys before heading off the beaten tracks, along with training in between with some senseis that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in a previous trip, and catching up with family.

I currently train under an Okinawan-based martial arts known as Koryu Uchinadi, and will have the immense pleasure of learning from several senseis in Australia, including Hanshi Patrick McCarthy himself. If nothing else comes of this trip, I am looking forward to soaking up whatever knowledge I can from them, corrections and all.

Enough said for now, except allons-y!

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