Thou Shall Not Miss Out Class

Picked up my very good friend, John Will, on Friday from the Airport and then straight to Newport for a BJJ seminar.  I had to sit this one out on the sideline but it was just as enjoyable as participating – practicing my mental skills.  Then we went to dinner for big steaks.  John was figuring out how I could make better use of my crutches up and down the stairs because YouTube was no help.   

Next morning we parked the car to do coffee at GJ’s.  I was starting to whine about the crutches and I had a little laugh when John said he would piggy back me.  He came around to my side of the car ,on the crutches, and I was starting to get worried and expecting him to say, ‘hop on my back’.  Luckily, that didn’t happen; must’ve been a gee-up.  Anyway, John did a great job taking care of me.  Whe we arrived at Newport, a little late, I told John to make his way to the school whilst I park the car because I didn't want him to be any more late than we already were.  As I was reverse parking I saw John standing behind the car and guiding me in then helped me out onto my feet!  They're the little things that give a person big character.

Then it was our turn for a seminar at West Pennant Hills.  I was not allowed to be the ‘water boy’ and John had me, this time, participate.  I’m glad I did, what a great seminar!  There is no such thing as ‘too many seminars’.  When I want to get good at something I have to do more than one thing.  The seminar is not like a regular class.   The content provided is from years of experience; you are not going to find it from books or YouTube.  Imagine doing a technique one thousand times over, usually in battle, just to find out which is the best way to do it.  I prefer, “PLEASE JUST TELL ME (I haven't got time to try it out a thousand times)”. 

A seminar is like a church gathering or special event.  There’s a purpose to it all and the people attending want something from it.  Once, again, I take my hat off to the people who came from the ACT, Danny Weir, Ben Langford (& his student) and our own guy, Storm.  These people must be very 'religious'. 

The seminar you miss or any class, for that matter, is not going to be every repeated again because each one is unique.  It's not like a movie when you cancel the morning session for the evening. 

I only believe in choosing the best persons for seminars.  It's all about improving everyone of us because martial arts is an ongoing quest for knowledge.

John and I had  a good discussion about the miraculous recoevery of his son, Ronin, who was stabbed to death recently (literally).  It's absolutely amazing to hear the whole story how this young pulled through beating the odds, one in 10 thousand chance of survival.
GA