American Martial Arts Institute
SEMINAR DAY 1999


Left Master Frank Dux and right Grand Master Crandall at Yorkville training hall before Seminar Day began.

The American Martial Arts Institute had its 1999 Seminar Day on September 25, 1999 combined with its bi-annual Black and Brown Belt breakfast. The breakfast is held twice a year to recognize new black belts as well as black belts that have earned new rank since the last breakfast. With a great breakfast plus the stimulating comeradery, the instructors left the morning ceremony at 11:30 for the Mohawk YMCA to begin the first American Martial Arts Institute Seminar Day.


The day is designed to offer new areas of interest and instruction in a convenient time frame surrounded in an educational and comfortable setting. With plenty of time between lecture/classes, the whole program is designed for learning and fun. The schedule of the day is being given here for family and friends of participants to see as well as an open invitation to other schools to share in our success by allowing you to consider the format for something you may do.


Time frame and Topic Areas
 First Lecture (time period: 1:00-2:00)
Ninja: THE HISTORY AND TRADITION. Taught by recognized Ninjitsu Master Frank Dux of the Dux Ryu Style and by Master Instructor and Ninja Historian Jill Crandall. This class included weapons, fighting methods, and historical accounts of some of the major wars ninjas played a part in. Everyone took part in this class in what was identified as room A.

Second Lecture (time period: 2:30-3:30)
Room A: Forms, all belt levels, including 1st degree Black Belt forms.
Room B: Traditional Iaido forms, Takenouchi-Hangan-Ryu style.
Room C: Tai Chi Chuan, Traditional 24-move form.
Third Lecture (time period: 4:00-5:00)
Room A: Breaking, the theory and application, plus formulating your own break.
Room B: Stretching information with Tae Bo Aerobics.
Room C: Understanding self-defense techniques called SD1 and SD2, along with the ten Korean Ippon Kumites.

The evening seminar was for Black and Brown Belts only. This seminar was taught by Master Frank Dux and taught self-defense and retention and defense against a knife.



Master Frank Dux left and Master Jill Crandall right after co-teaching the ninja lecture/class to a packed gym.


With the start of the second lecture/class period the YMCA building was filled with each room practicing forms. First picture of the gym and American Eagle forms, second picture is one of our fourteen Superkick students practicing. Picture three and four are traditional iaido and picture five and six Tai Chi.
Picture one and two.


Picture three and four.

Picture five and six.

The breaking class was started by Grand Master Crandall explaining that there was no trick to breaking wood or blocks, but there was information that could be know that increased the percentage of success by not going against some of the basic laws of physics and nature. For example: how to choose your boards, what to look for in a piece of wood, how to place it on the cinderblocks or to have your holders stand and prepare themselves, as well as what parts of the body and what techniques are most effective. One hundred and eighty pieces of wood were broken and twenty patio blocks. The students chose their own breaks and method with the instruction of one of the black belts with them each step of the way.



Master Hillicoss headed up the team of black belts who taught the breaking lecture/class.



Everyone Breaks from white belt to black belts.


More pictures to come.

The evening seminar was added as part of the seminar day even though most of the participants were instructors or staff of the school. Normally a guest speaker is brought in to the school each year to share their knowledge with the instructors and brown belts of our school. This year having the evening seminar the same day as the school Seminar Day 1999 allowed the instructors who enjoyed working with the students in the afternoon to become full students themselves in the evening. The seminar started at 7:00 p.m. and ended at 8:30 p.m. and was followed by Master Dux spending over an hour signing books for all the participants. More information about the evening seminar can by found on our website for September under the title "Master Frank Dux Self-defense and retention and defense against a knife."