THA Vidcast Feb. 2010

Posted February 14, 2010 * Comments(0)

The Tactical Hapkido Alliance proudly presents: Our Feb.2010 VidCast with Hosts Pastor Chuck Edwards & Grandmaster Barry Rodemaker. “Focus on Fundamentals”

As always we welcome feedback, and if you have any questions, comments, or concerns then please let us know.

http://tacticalhapkido.com/

http://blog.tacticalhapkido.com/

info@tacticalhapkido.com

feedback@tacticalhapkido.com

~GM

THA VidCast Jan. 2010

Posted January 20, 2010 * Comments(0)

The Tactical Hapkido Alliance proudly presents: Our first VidCast with Hosts Pastor Chuck Edwards & Grandmaster Barry Rodemaker. We discuss current THA News, the new THA Encyclopedia, the THA Ministries, and a special guest interview with Reverend Pat Summers of Think Missions.

As always we welcome feedback, and if you have any questions, comments, or concerns then please let us know.

http://tacticalhapkido.com/

http://blog.tacticalhapkido.com/

info@tacticalhapkido.com

feedback@tacticalhapkido.com

~Mike

THA Podcast – Season Two Episode Two: Merry Christmas.

Posted December 22, 2009 * Comments(0)

We are back with Season Two of our THA Podcast! GM Barry Rodemaker and I (Mike) discuss the current news in the THA. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, and we also have a very special guest to help us ring in the holiday season, Dr. Joe Parrish from the United States Head of Family Martial Arts Association.

 

For our bandwidth impaired folks out there (aka dial up internet users) please feel free to listen a copy of our low bandwidth podcast. Please keep in mind though that this is a much smaller file, and with the compression used to make the file size smaller, we have had to sacrifice a good bit of quality. However you should find streaming the podcast much easier on lower bandwidth internet connections.

 

As always we welcome feedback, and if you have any questions, comments, or concerns then please let us know.

http://tacticalhapkido.com/

http://blog.tacticalhapkido.com/

info@tacticalhapkido.com

feedback@tacticalhapkido.com

~Mike

   

Seminar video clips

Posted December 4, 2009 * Comments(0)

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Grandmaster Rodemaker performs a seminar at the United States Head of Family Martial Arts Association Hall of Honor November 14, 2009 on concepts and principles of the Tactical Hapkido system.

Thank You and God Bless,

GM Rodemaker

THA Podcast – Season Two Episode One: Shout Out!

Posted October 10, 2009 * Comments(0)

We are back with Season Two of our THA Podcast! GM Barry Rodemaker and I (Mike) discuss the current news in the THA, Welcome everyone back for Season Two, and give an awesome shout out!

 

For our bandwidth impaired folks out there (aka dial up internet users) please feel free to listen a copy of our low bandwidth podcast. Please keep in mind though that this is a much smaller file, and with the compression used to make the file size smaller, we have had to sacrifice a good bit of quality. However you should find streaming the podcast much easier on lower bandwidth internet connections.

 

As always we welcome feedback, and if you have any questions, comments, or concerns then please let us know.

http://tacticalhapkido.com/

http://blog.tacticalhapkido.com/

info@tacticalhapkido.com

feedback@tacticalhapkido.com

~Mike

   

Praise the Lord for His Faithfulness

Posted August 31, 2009 * Comments(0)

The Lord has given me and my wife a beautiful new home…For sometime now we have been praying for God’s mighty hand to work in our life’s…..Well he has been working and changing my heart and life…During prayer time with God He told me he would grant my prayer’s well he did in a big way……The devil fought us tooth and nail….one hurdle after another, but God kept his word and we got the home we prayed for!…..I will keep everyone updated on the next Breakthrough…PRAISE GOD for his faithfulness

If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  Luke 11:11  ( Note: God gave this word during prayer)

Praise God from which all blessings flow.

GM Rodemaker

Heal Our Land

Posted July 21, 2009 * Comments(1)

       If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.   (2 Chronicles 7:14)

 
We are living in a time where political correctness is trying to stop the preaching of the Gospel. They call it “hate speech”  God does not Hate people he loves them, He died for them on the cross. God does hate Sin!   Remember all sins are equal to God, Sin is Sin…We need to preach the word in a loving but truthful way, because peoples eternal destiny’s are at stake.  The foot at the cross is level…. All are in need of Jesus.

We who are called by his name and love him with our whole heart must pray and seek his face so he will heal our land before we wake-up in a PC nightmare.

WAKE -UP Children of God to your knees in prayer we must go! Pray for our leaders, pray for our pastors, pray for our family’s and pray for God’s mercy to be upon us.   

tha prayer

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints”  (Eph 6:13-18)

God Bless,

GM Rodemaker 

Priorities!

Posted June 22, 2009 * Comments(0)

Originally posted at my personal blog //Phreekbird.Net//

“…I show up for Church, a lil late, no worries though, when its all done and over i can go home, grill out, and rest for the better part of the day. Then it hits me, the guy I just checked in (his Family had kids to check in and it was my day to volunteer)  has a smile on his face, and believe it or not, he is happy to be here… were are my priorities? — they were on my coffee!

I am talking to someone in my martial arts class, a friend of mine, he is excited about what God has done in his life, and shares with me all the great things that are happening. Tells me stories about being lucky enough to share the good word with people. And I think … man, wish I were so outgoing for Christ. – Priorities!

It seems no matter what, I seem to be more IN the world, A PART of the world, instead of just an observer. God is to be the center of our lives, and more and more I find that other stuff is the center of my life. TONS of worldly things… were are my priorities

Whoever thought that being a christian was easy was WRONG… oh wait that was just me =p … it seems the more I become like Christ, the more crap i see in my own life I have to carve out, chisel off, and throw away.

I want God to be my priority. I want to wake up and the first thing I think about is God, our relationship, and what I can do that could bring glory to Him. I don’t want to think about coffee, about breakfast, about chores or work. The first thing should be Him. and not just that, but throughout the entire day, I want my life to be centered around Him. I want to be bold, to not be afraid to share Gods word. I want, for once, to have someone else look at me, and to see in me, what I see constantly in others. I want to show them Christ through me.

And so, my brothers (and sisters) in the Christian and Martial Arts communities,  you have been told. please help to hold me accountable in this…”

~ Mike

THA Podcast – Episode Three: Real Martial Arts

Posted June 4, 2009 * Comments(0)

GM Barry Rodemaker and I (Mike) discuss the current news in the THA and we talk with esteemed guest, 10th Degree and 8th Black Sash Grandmaster and 38+year practitioner of the Jeet Kune Do Martial Arts, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do Association, Professor Gary Dill.

To learn more about Grandmaster Dill, Jeet Kune Do, and/or the Jeet Kune Do Association, please visit http://www.jkd-garydill.com/.

To learn more about our Double Impact Seminar featuring GM Rodemaker and GM Dill please visit the THA website at http://tacticalhapkido.com/.

 

For our bandwidth impaired folks out there (aka dial up internet users) please feel free to listen a copy of our low bandwidth podcast. Please keep in mind though that this is a much smaller file, and with the compression used to make the file size smaller, we have had to sacrifice a good bit of quality. However you should find streaming the podcast much easier on lower bandwidth internet connections.

 

As always we welcome feedback, and if you have any questions, comments, or concerns then please let us know.

http://tacticalhapkido.com/

http://blog.tacticalhapkido.com/

info@tacticalhapkido.com

feedback@tacticalhapkido.com

~Mike

   

How to use the Tactical Hapkido Training System:

Posted May 19, 2009 * Comments(0)

Tactical Hapkido is a unique training system that has removed the redundancies found in other systems. It is a pyramid conceptual base structure where as the student progresses in the system each progression level builds off the previous.

This is a major difference in martial arts thinking, that takes some individuals some time to grasp due to the flexibility it gives in learning.

Let’s explore this difference, since many styles have many techniques that a student can regurgitate quite well and expertly, but they have very little understanding of the concepts which is masked by the sheer volume of techniques.

A concept can be defined as a broad abstract idea or a guiding general principle, the most basic understanding of something; a method, plan. A technique can be defined as the procedure, skill, or art used in a specific task, the skill or expertise in doing a specific thing.

Did you notice the difference?

Techniques are locked in and rigid. Basically you are following the instructions and repeat, if you want advance further in your rank then perform these instructions skillfully.

A concept is flexible since it is an idea of a principal; the way is to have no limits. It is not set in stone, thus the student can explore the “what ifs” and modify a concept within a variety of techniques on their own.

On the bottom of this pyramid are the breakaways, these basics are what supports the rest of the system. Even though they are simple to learn, they are sometimes over looked and not practiced enough. What these examples are teaching are very important to be successful in the rest of the system as you advance higher. The concept here is to free the grabbed wrist while experiencing a variety of dynamic re-directional movements that is decided upon by the perpetrator. The weakest link in the grip that you can take advantage of is the attacker’s thumb.

The student must practice off their strong side first, remaining static and practicing slowly, thus building up the muscle memory. Once you are comfortable off your strong side, teach yourself by practicing off the weak side next. Then move into the dynamic stage where your practice partner pulls and pushes your grabbed wrist. Using the dynamic re-directional motion, over time, you will notice that the break away becomes effortless; which is the clear indicator that you are performing the technique correctly and understand the concept. To take this to the next level, practice performing the break away while grabbing to the attacker’s wrist with your cover hand or blocking a punch, which will help prepare you for the next level of progression utilizing the breakaway to your advantage.

Since you do not have to fight against the attack, but merely use the dynamic motion against them, you will come to understand the core in any Hapkido training system. They push you pull, they pull you push them.

While the student is still at the basic level, it is where they learn the most critical items in the system. As taught by your instructor, you must learn the proper way to fall, roll, strike, kick, and stances while developing muscle control. At this level the new student is fresh to educational development, so introduction to the Tactical Hapkido trapping drills are necessary. For later in the system, they will take these skills and easily apply the concepts taught earlier.

After you are proficient at breaking away, students are introduced into what I call the main conceptual core of the Tactical Hapkido training system, the Same Side Wrist Grabs. In most Hapkido styles there would only be techniques taught here, quickly moving to the next batch of grabs.

But Same Side Wrist Grabs are one of the best ways for a new student in Tactical Hapkido to grasp the concept being taught. It is quite simple; the joints only bend in a few directions. Elbows back and forth; go past any of these directions and it becomes a lock, dislocation or break depending on the amount of force applied. Wrists move up and down, side to side, at any direction it can end up in the same outcome.

As such, the Same Side Wrist Grabs provide the best method for the student to experience the lock, as well as actually seeing a concept work in action. And being a same side grab, it makes it easier for the student to practice both sides. Then as done before in the breakaways, the student progresses from the static stage to the dynamic stage applying the concept while maintaining control.

Once you have grasped this core of the system it moves into the modification phase of the tactical training system, where you are now using previous conceptual knowledge to modify into a few example techniques that are given. Through proper training and practice provided by your instructor, the student can take any of the concepts learned in the same side wrist grabs and apply the concepts in a variety of situations, or what I call the techniques.

Attacker grabs one of your wrists with both of their hands, what do you do?

It’s simple, you have either a same side grab or cross wrist grab. Chose a concept you like and use it. But one thing is certain; you don’t have to worry about being struck.

If both of your wrists are grabbed, you are taught how a breakaway can be utilized to flow into a joint lock. 

Grabs from the side, back, or at any point on the body, you are taught the concept of directional angle positioning to revert to either a same side or cross wrist grab.

Not sure what to do in a situation?


Practice by reverting back to the core of the system, the same side wrist grab, and then take your practice partner’s hand to either your shoulder or lapel and do the same technique using conceptual modifications taught in that example.

Punches, one can think as nothing more than a dynamic grab in progress, but with severe consequences if you have not been practicing your trapping drills properly from the start. As you practice imagine that you are turning the punch into a same side or cross wrist grab by using the concept of deflection and re-directional movement in the block.

But remember, assuming that an attacker is throwing a punch can be a fatal mistake since a knife slash or stab travels in the same direction as a punch would. Thus, the student already knows the knife techniques base off the concepts, but it expanded for defense against a knife. For knives you control the wrist as you would perform in defending against a punch. And never, ever, practice by disarming and then hand the knife back to your practice partner. Disarm, lock up and then create distance. After a moment when you brain catches up, then go ahead and repeat the technique. For if you ever encounter the real situation, your mind will revert back to the subconscious muscle memory and you will do what you practiced.

As the student practices knife techniques, the best way to visualize the how bad they will be wounded is by putting chalk on the blade. Some will say that a properly performed knife technique will lead to no cuts on you. But when practicing with a chalked blade with the real intent of your practice partner of trying to place as many chalk lines on your uniform, you will quickly realize that this can be a fatal assumption. Sure one may be lucky on a one to one fight, but in the real world they will most likely be two or three perpetrators since there is more confidence in a pack. And surely they will not be standing there watching their comrade being disarmed.

A gun that is used for intimidation, key word here is intimidation, since the purpose of a gun is so you do not have to get close in the first place. So if the attacker is out of range to where you can not get a hold of the gun, simply put, you are dead. A gun intimidation attack is static by nature, so a student can apply the concepts found previously as in any body grab. Thus the student already knows the techniques base off the concepts, but it’s expanded upon. For guns you control the weapon and get out of the line of fire.

During class practices, the best way to visualize if the student gets wounded is using a squirt gun. Keeping in mind that some of the techniques you can not fully finish since the end result is the “de-gloving” of the flesh on the trigger finger. The main concept that the student will learn, quite quickly, is to get out of the line of fire while controlling the weapon.

And as for the knife techniques never practice by simply handing the gun back to your practice partner immediately after performing the weapon disarm. I teach my students the following, perform the technique, slap the clip in (in case it became loose during the weapon disarm), chamber a round by pulling back the slide, and back off out of grabbing range.

During practice many of my students often bring up the subject of

Detective Riggs in the movie Lethal Weapon 4 when the slide on his Beretta 92F/FS was separated from barrel. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but on this version of the Beretta the takedown lever on the frame of the gun is rotated downward at a 90-degree angle; this is how Jet Li was able to separate the slide and barrel from the frame so quickly. Even though this is possible if found in this situation, I wouldn’t recommend it or even think about it. It is only a movie, a good movie at that.

To tie everything up is the Tactical Hapkido Manual. In most schools this is their procedure on how to do the techniques, a closely guarded secret. But in the Tactical Hapkido system this is only a tool. It is written with the general description of the techniques for guidance to help jolt the memory, with the names written to help describe the motion found in the technique.

But did you look closer at it?

Unlike other manuals or books; there is a lot of white space designed on each page. What I encourage my student to do is to write own notes in this space. Put the technique/concept you learned in your own words that will make sense to you. For on average the first three months are the most confusing and overwhelming to a new student, since you are bombarded with the new concepts. But every student I have taught, at the end of the third month everything just clicks. And when you look back, you realize how easy you can use the Tactical Hapkido concepts in any situation you are found in, and then the real expansion begins.

~ Master James W. Ziots Jr.

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