The first annual American Martial Arts Institute Adult Seminar Day was held on Saturday, January 14th, 2006. The seminar was taught by Grand Master Crandall and the staff of the American Martial Arts Institute. Eighteen adult students participated in the full day event.

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Stretching

The seminar began with a short stretching session led by Mr. Phillips. The seminar included both physical and mental activities, and stretching helped the participants to warm up their muscles and focus their minds in preparation for the day’s events.

Katas

Katas are the backbone of any traditional martial arts style. To practice katas, the adults divided into smaller groups based on their ranks. Each group then trained with two or more certified adult black belt instructors and staff members, allowing for a lot of one-on-one training. During this segment of the seminar, the students had the opportunity to receive detailed instruction on their highest kata. In some cases, they learned a new kata required for their next rank. Students were able to ask about the application of techniques, the traditional history of the kata, and other questions. Everyone was provided with worksheets where they could record notes on what they had learned.

Instructional Sparring

After an hour of kata training, the participants put on their sparring gear and sat in the "horseshoe" format for an instructional sparring session. The students volunteered for a chance to spar and were taught in a safe educational setting. Grand Master Crandall reviewed and taught some of the principals of good sparring technique, ettiquette, and tradition.

History of the American Martial Arts Institute

After instructional sparring, the group sat down with Grand Master Crandall to learn some history of the American Martial Arts Institute. This was a rare opportunity for the students to hear about the formation of the school, Grand Master Crandall’s training in the United States, Japan, and China, in traditional arts as well as Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Okinawan martial arts, Hapkido, Iaido, Tai Chi Chaun were discussed. He also discussed some of the well-known martial artists that have trained with our school. Grand Master Crandall brought in pictures, books, magazine articles, certifications, and a variety of other historical items that detailed aspects of the school’s history. The information covered was only a small part of the school’s growing history, but it allowed the students to better understand the rich heritage of school’s traditional foundation and was enjoyable.

Lunch

The participants and staff members took a brief twenty-minute lunch break before getting back into the training.

Extension Tool Katas

The students divided into groups and learned segments of katas for five different extension tools. The katas included: Yom Chi (single tonfa kata), Kanegawa-no-nichougama (kama kata), Summer Storm Bo Kata (bo), Omou (naginata), and The Natural Walk Cane Kata (cane). Each group was taught the first several moves of each kata and their applications. They also had the opportunity to write down notes regarding each technique. For many of the students it was the first time they had experienced these extension tools. Although these were only five of the extension tools taught in American Eagle Style, they represented a range of different skills and experiences.

Seated Self-Defense

All of the students also had the chance to learn self-defense from a seated position. Grand Master Crandall taught a variety of ways in which the students could take control of an aggressive situation without leaving a chair. While these self-defense concepts are taught in the higher black belt ranks, this was the first time most of the students had ever seen these techniques, and it was another special opportunity because these techniques are not ordinarily taught in regular classes.

Ground Fighting Techniques

Later in the afternoon, Grand Master Crandall demonstrated a variety of controlling techniques that could be applied in ground fighting scenarios.

The Three Postures of Self-Defense

Grand Master Crandall also demonstrated and explained the three postures of self-defense and their application in Ippon-Kumites and general self-defense.

Kick Takedowns

The participants learned one of the kick takedowns from American Eagle Style. While there are many ways to take down an aggressor who has thrown a kick, there are three fundamental techniques documented for American Eagle Style, and they can be seen in the DVD Learn Takedowns Plus Counters Against a Knife and Gun. The students learned one of these techniques in small groups.

Traditional Philosophy and Meditation

The seminar concluded with a brief introduction to traditional martial arts philosophy and meditation. In the American Martial Arts Institute, meditation is a means of focusing the mind and does not have any spiritual involvement. The students learned some of the basic principles of meditation including: proper breathing, keeping the weight underside, and extension of ki, to name a few. Many black belt instructors choose to learn more about meditation during their training, and this was another special opportunity for all of the participants to learn about a skill that they would not normally learn during regular classes.

At the end of the day, Grand Master Crandall bowed the participants out, and they returned home with experiences that had given them a broader understanding of their school and style. It had also brought them closer together. Everyone had a great time. The next adult seminar day will be held in January of 2007.