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ADCC Europe reports on "Grapplemania"
A recipe for success – Grapplemania hits the UK! Report by Carl Fisher ADCC Europe
Take six of the UK’s leading grappling instructors, add a wrestling centre of excellence as the venue, mix with a large number of eager participants and the result is what can only be described as the seminar of the year. Yes, Grapplemania made its debut on September 9 2000 at the English Olympic Wrestling Academy in Salford, Greater Manchester, offering students a cornucopia of grappling arts from afar afield as Russia to the Far East and all under one roof. There was a mixture of novices and black belts in attendance, all eager to experiment with new concepts and willing to step outside their own comfort zones and don the proverbial ‘white belt’ for the day. The atmosphere was one of co-operation and open mindedness, with lots of friends and contacts being made along the way as well. The event was organised by the Federation of Russian Martial Arts UK (FORMA UK) as a means to introduce the many grappling styles to students under one roof, as all the arts are interconnected and have a common thread running through them, namely that they have been forged on the battlefield and are ‘battle tested’.
The day began with the sporting side of grappling with Freestyle Wrestling, Judo and Sambo being the first on offer. The students were spilt into three groups and given their own full sized matted area for the day. The instructors then came onto each mat and gave a 45 minute seminar on their chosen field, before moving on to the next mat. Pens and notepads were at the ready, as students were keen to note down all the drills and techniques shown that day, as well as a little background history of each art. After a thorough warm up by Matthew Clempner, it was straight into Freestyle wrestling with Shane Rigby. A two times Commonwealth silver medallist and British champion at Freestyle, Shane began the class with a number of reaction drills that simulated single and double leg attacks, that are very common in freestyle. When a single leg was tapped by the partner, one had to drop down on one knee and when both legs were tapped, one had to drop back down on both feet, promoting good reaction as well as good defence. The class then moved up and down the mats drilling double leg attacks, which the class picked up rather quickly and then it was onto pummelling. Shane had all the class starting at standing pace, with one arm under the partner’s armpit and the other arm over the partner’s shoulder. Keeping nice and steady, the partners changed arm positions as though doing the front crawl, which took some getting accustomed to. When confident, the partners practised this on the move, which really tested everyone’s concentration and skill. Shane went on to demonstrate the endless openings for attacks and defence that can be gained from pummelling and impressed all the students when he stepped up a gear and continued to talk to the class whist controlling his opponent with effortless ease. Shane is also a veteran of ten submission wrestling matches in Japan and he gave the class a quick demonstration of drag downs onto the mat, finishing with chokes and face bars; although not freestyle, were well received and together with Shane’s expert coaching skills, the class were very impressed by the content and depth of knowledge Shane possesses.
All too soon the session was over and Sambo was to be the name of the game. This was taken by Darrin Richardson, fourth Dan Ju Jitsu and kickboxing and senior instructor for the British Combat Association (BCA). Darrin has an impressive record in Sambo competition, gaining 5th place at the World cup in Kostova, Russia and Bronze in –100 and +100 Kilo and silver in Open weight at the UK Sambo championships 2000 in Salford, England. He was also –90 Kilo silver medallist in the 1999 UK championships. Darrin first had the group practising warm up exercises and drills direct from Russia, designed to produce explosive entries into throws and leg attacks. These involved dropping down onto both knees and springing back up again – not as bad as it sounds, but extremely demanding on the legs! Darrin then centred the session on leg attacks, with which the Russians are feared for and use to devastating effect in competition. He took us through ten quick fire techniques, from scissors takedowns from different angles to single and double leg pick ups and throws, finishing with painful calf and achilles crushes and knee bars accompanied by plenty of tapping on the mats! All the students were very impressed by the wealth of technical knowledge Darrin possessed, with many having their eyes opened to this kind of approach to competition.
The group welcomed a quick break for fluids before finishing the morning session with 5th Dan Judo instructor Alan Carlisle. A master of sport and senior FORMA UK instructor as well as BJC national team coach and national veterans champion in 1999, Alan opened the seminar with two drills moving up and down the mats, which he stated were the cornerstone of ne-waza (groundwork). Alan then introduced the class to sangaku-jime (triangle choke) and demonstrated various entries and how one can easily flow into an oasekomi (hold down) position or gaining advantage to finish off in Vale Tudo style. From there, the class was shown two escapes from the side mount position, incorporating the drills practised at the start of the class. It was also a credit to Alan’s coaching skills that such a large amount was covered in such a short space of time. The class finished off with a three set arm bar drill that was easily picked up by the students and with a little imagination, the students were able to combine techniques learnt earlier in the day. Excellent stuff! The morning session all too quickly at an end and with a short cool down to calm eager minds, there then followed a 40 minute break for lunch and refreshments and the chance to catch up on old acquaintances and scribble down as many techniques as could be remembered; it felt like being back at school again!
After changing into a dry gi, it was time to take to the mats once more for the afternoon session of combat arts and first on our mats was Professor Trevor Roberts, 8th Dan Ju Jitsu and 6th Dan Shiai Jitsu of Tetsu No Otoko Ryu Applied Ju Jitsu. Trevor is two times British wrestling champion and four times British ju jitsu champion, Sambo British champion and World Masters silver medallist in Sambo. Trevor gave an eye opening session on the self-defence side of ju jitsu that has kept him at the forefront of self-protection for many years both in the UK and abroad. Interspersed with side splitting humour and a no nonsense approach, the class were taken through escapes from rear bear hugs to start with. From this one escape, Trevor demonstrated traditional aiki-jitsu techniques such as nykyo (second control), nykyo gurama (second control entanglement), sankyo (third control), hiji-jime (cross elbow) and shio-nage (four directional throw). All these techniques were finished with a myriad of chokes, gouges and come along techniques unique to Trevor’s own system, with many gasps of astonishment from the class along the way. Trevor has used these techniques in live combat situations both as a doorman and as international bodyguard and was very patient with the beginners who picked the techniques up quite easily, again a credit to Trevor’s technical and coaching skills.
Time again was the enemy of the day and it was Matthew Clempner who took to the mats to introduce the group to Russian Martial Arts. The only non-Russian to be awarded the International Master of Sport by the Russian Government and chief instructor and President of FORMA UK, Matthew is a 5th dan judoka and ju jitsuka and 4th dan in Taiho Jutsu. He was on the Moscow Olympic team in 1980 for Freestyle wrestling and is former British champion at Sambo, Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. He is also Fellow member of the Society of Martial Arts, Churchill Trust and Brtish Association of Physical Training. The group was introduced to principles of locking, striking and throwing that are synonymous with RMA and the class began with breakfalls Russian style, to the bemusement of many of the class. Matthew went on to explain that this was a military art and as such was pratcised on wooden floors and the like, and so adapted their breakfalls accordingly. Matthew demonstrated this by taking his svelte 23 stone frame off the mats and onto the hard floor, where he began to breakfall with balletic grace. Having convinced the doubting Thomases, the class moved on to double hand grabs and escapes, blocking punches, takedowns, strikes, locks and throws using the Trinity principles and body movements of RMA. Strikes, locks, throws and takedowns are all done in threes and Matthew went on to explain that there are no such things as ‘techniques’ in RMA, but ‘body movements’ known as figure eight, triangle, spiral, carousel and question mark. These are usually applied in combinations of threes, keeping in line with the trinity principles. Body mechanics were also looked upon and the ease of the takedowns using these principles had all the students thoroughly absorbed and experimenting within the allotted time. The students were now using their brains more than their brawn and again the bell signalled the end of yet another session. Matthew is to be commended for his exceptional coaching skills and patience as for many of the students, this was their first introduction to RMA and the concepts were at first hard to digest, yet by the end of the session, they easily took on board the new ideas and ‘body movements’.
After a short break for fluids, it was time for Steve Crutchley to introduce to the class the art of Kali Silat. Steve is a 4th Dan Kali Silat and Karate instructor under the Steve Powell Chinatown Martial Arts Academy and is a qualified RMA instructor and –74 Kilo silver medallist at the UK Sambo Championships 2000. Steve has trained extensively with the likes of Abner Pasa, Daniel Lee, Larry Hartsell, Rick Faye, Rick Young and the legendary Dan Inosanto. The class was introduced to slipping the jab and countering with a number of strikes up and down the body, before finishing off with a grappling takedown. The class soon got into the swing of things and moved on to slipping a one two punch combination that ended with unleashing a tidal wave of techniques and grappling applications. When Steve went on to explain that these blocks and strikes are usually done with live blades in combat situations, one appreciated the true effectiveness of this art. The combinations and openings that Steve demonstrated were endless and again the students were in full flow, applying all they had learned in the day on each other and surprising themselves, myself included. Bombarded with questions throughout the session, Steve replied with technique after technique that left your head spinning and your arm aching from writer’s cramp! Inspirational stuff and sadly the final bell rang and Grapplemania was brought to an end. After a tumultuous applause for the instructors, it was time for photographs and the swapping of telephone numbers. The feedback was very positive from the students and the instructors are to be applauded on their content and approach to the seminar; primarily designed as a taster day, appetites were truly whetted and all left with drills and techniques to keep them going for months. Seminars are ideal when one hits a plateau in their training and one would be hard pressed not to leave Grapplemania without something new in the bag. It was also nice to see the morning instructors getting stuck in and joining the students on the mats and having a go. I have attended many seminars were the instructors ego arrive before they do, only to be shown nothing new throughout the day – not so here! All instructors took to the mats and demonstrated endless techniques (other than arm bar and triangle choke!) that make them the most sought after instructors on the planet and all with no hint of ego. Value for money was definitely the byword for FORMA UK, as too many seminars are charging way over the odds for below par instructors who fail to deliver the goods. At Grapplemania, there was a staggering 181 YEARS EXPERIENCE between the instructors and all available for £10 and £15 for members and non-members alike - unbelievable and a credit to FORMA UK!
The aim of the seminar was to provide a strong connection in the martial arts fraternity as well as providing a non political environment in which to cross train and fully develop an individuals full potential. This was in evidence on the day and the fact that the doors are now open to striking arts from the UK and abroad as Grapplemania 2 is scheduled for early 2001. This is an opportunity not to be missed and for those who should have been there – shame on you all! FORMA UK is now set to take Grapplemania to new heights of professionalism and quality of instructorship. Credits go to Hazel Clempner and the back stage team for laying the mats and keeping everyone fed and watered during the day. Special thanks go to Darrin Richardson who travelled up from Portsmouth on the Saturday, taught all day and then drove back down the same evening! FORMA UK as well as Trevor Roberts and Shane Rigby also voted Darrin in as the National Coach for Sambo.
Already the Southern area rep for FORMA UK, Darrin will be responsible for sending a team out to Russia to compete in March 2001 - well done and well deserved! ADCC correspondent Carl Fisher also joined FORMA UK as principal sports therapist, to look after the sports injury needs of all members. All the Grapplemania instructors are based in the Greater Manchester (except Darrin) and are all available for seminars via contacting FORMA UK and instructors wishing to teach on the next Grapplemania seminar can also contact FORMA UK on the following:-
FORMA UK
PO Box 45
M28 2FR
United Kingdom
Carl Fisher ADCC Europe
Take six of the UK’s leading grappling instructors, add a wrestling centre of excellence as the venue, mix with a large number of eager participants and the result is what can only be described as the seminar of the year. Yes, Grapplemania made its debut on September 9 2000 at the English Olympic Wrestling Academy in Salford, Greater Manchester, offering students a cornucopia of grappling arts from afar afield as Russia to the Far East and all under one roof. There was a mixture of novices and black belts in attendance, all eager to experiment with new concepts and willing to step outside their own comfort zones and don the proverbial ‘white belt’ for the day. The atmosphere was one of co-operation and open mindedness, with lots of friends and contacts being made along the way as well. The event was organised by the Federation of Russian Martial Arts UK (FORMA UK) as a means to introduce the many grappling styles to students under one roof, as all the arts are interconnected and have a common thread running through them, namely that they have been forged on the battlefield and are ‘battle tested’.
The day began with the sporting side of grappling with Freestyle Wrestling, Judo and Sambo being the first on offer. The students were spilt into three groups and given their own full sized matted area for the day. The instructors then came onto each mat and gave a 45 minute seminar on their chosen field, before moving on to the next mat. Pens and notepads were at the ready, as students were keen to note down all the drills and techniques shown that day, as well as a little background history of each art. After a thorough warm up by Matthew Clempner, it was straight into Freestyle wrestling with Shane Rigby. A two times Commonwealth silver medallist and British champion at Freestyle, Shane began the class with a number of reaction drills that simulated single and double leg attacks, that are very common in freestyle. When a single leg was tapped by the partner, one had to drop down on one knee and when both legs were tapped, one had to drop back down on both feet, promoting good reaction as well as good defence. The class then moved up and down the mats drilling double leg attacks, which the class picked up rather quickly and then it was onto pummelling. Shane had all the class starting at standing pace, with one arm under the partner’s armpit and the other arm over the partner’s shoulder. Keeping nice and steady, the partners changed arm positions as though doing the front crawl, which took some getting accustomed to. When confident, the partners practised this on the move, which really tested everyone’s concentration and skill. Shane went on to demonstrate the endless openings for attacks and defence that can be gained from pummelling and impressed all the students when he stepped up a gear and continued to talk to the class whist controlling his opponent with effortless ease. Shane is also a veteran of ten submission wrestling matches in Japan and he gave the class a quick demonstration of drag downs onto the mat, finishing with chokes and face bars; although not freestyle, were well received and together with Shane’s expert coaching skills, the class were very impressed by the content and depth of knowledge Shane possesses.
All too soon the session was over and Sambo was to be the name of the game. This was taken by Darrin Richardson, fourth Dan Ju Jitsu and kickboxing and senior instructor for the British Combat Association (BCA). Darrin has an impressive record in Sambo competition, gaining 5th place at the World cup in Kostova, Russia and Bronze in –100 and +100 Kilo and silver in Open weight at the UK Sambo championships 2000 in Salford, England. He was also –90 Kilo silver medallist in the 1999 UK championships. Darrin first had the group practising warm up exercises and drills direct from Russia, designed to produce explosive entries into throws and leg attacks. These involved dropping down onto both knees and springing back up again – not as bad as it sounds, but extremely demanding on the legs! Darrin then centred the session on leg attacks, with which the Russians are feared for and use to devastating effect in competition. He took us through ten quick fire techniques, from scissors takedowns from different angles to single and double leg pick ups and throws, finishing with painful calf and achilles crushes and knee bars accompanied by plenty of tapping on the mats! All the students were very impressed by the wealth of technical knowledge Darrin possessed, with many having their eyes opened to this kind of approach to competition.
The group welcomed a quick break for fluids before finishing the morning session with 5th Dan Judo instructor Alan Carlisle. A master of sport and senior FORMA UK instructor as well as BJC national team coach and national veterans champion in 1999, Alan opened the seminar with two drills moving up and down the mats, which he stated were the cornerstone of ne-waza (groundwork). Alan then introduced the class to sangaku-jime (triangle choke) and demonstrated various entries and how one can easily flow into an oasekomi (hold down) position or gaining advantage to finish off in Vale Tudo style. From there, the class was shown two escapes from the side mount position, incorporating the drills practised at the start of the class. It was also a credit to Alan’s coaching skills that such a large amount was covered in such a short space of time. The class finished off with a three set arm bar drill that was easily picked up by the students and with a little imagination, the students were able to combine techniques learnt earlier in the day. Excellent stuff! The morning session all too quickly at an end and with a short cool down to calm eager minds, there then followed a 40 minute break for lunch and refreshments and the chance to catch up on old acquaintances and scribble down as many techniques as could be remembered; it felt like being back at school again!
After changing into a dry gi, it was time to take to the mats once more for the afternoon session of combat arts and first on our mats was Professor Trevor Roberts, 8th Dan Ju Jitsu and 6th Dan Shiai Jitsu of Tetsu No Otoko Ryu Applied Ju Jitsu. Trevor is two times British wrestling champion and four times British ju jitsu champion, Sambo British champion and World Masters silver medallist in Sambo. Trevor gave an eye opening session on the self-defence side of ju jitsu that has kept him at the forefront of self-protection for many years both in the UK and abroad. Interspersed with side splitting humour and a no nonsense approach, the class were taken through escapes from rear bear hugs to start with. From this one escape, Trevor demonstrated traditional aiki-jitsu techniques such as nykyo (second control), nykyo gurama (second control entanglement), sankyo (third control), hiji-jime (cross elbow) and shio-nage (four directional throw). All these techniques were finished with a myriad of chokes, gouges and come along techniques unique to Trevor’s own system, with many gasps of astonishment from the class along the way. Trevor has used these techniques in live combat situations both as a doorman and as international bodyguard and was very patient with the beginners who picked the techniques up quite easily, again a credit to Trevor’s technical and coaching skills.
Time again was the enemy of the day and it was Matthew Clempner who took to the mats to introduce the group to Russian Martial Arts. The only non-Russian to be awarded the International Master of Sport by the Russian Government and chief instructor and President of FORMA UK, Matthew is a 5th dan judoka and ju jitsuka and 4th dan in Taiho Jutsu. He was on the Moscow Olympic team in 1980 for Freestyle wrestling and is former British champion at Sambo, Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. He is also Fellow member of the Society of Martial Arts, Churchill Trust and Brtish Association of Physical Training. The group was introduced to principles of locking, striking and throwing that are synonymous with RMA and the class began with breakfalls Russian style, to the bemusement of many of the class. Matthew went on to explain that this was a military art and as such was pratcised on wooden floors and the like, and so adapted their breakfalls accordingly. Matthew demonstrated this by taking his svelte 23 stone frame off the mats and onto the hard floor, where he began to breakfall with balletic grace. Having convinced the doubting Thomases, the class moved on to double hand grabs and escapes, blocking punches, takedowns, strikes, locks and throws using the Trinity principles and body movements of RMA. Strikes, locks, throws and takedowns are all done in threes and Matthew went on to explain that there are no such things as ‘techniques’ in RMA, but ‘body movements’ known as figure eight, triangle, spiral, carousel and question mark. These are usually applied in combinations of threes, keeping in line with the trinity principles. Body mechanics were also looked upon and the ease of the takedowns using these principles had all the students thoroughly absorbed and experimenting within the allotted time. The students were now using their brains more than their brawn and again the bell signalled the end of yet another session. Matthew is to be commended for his exceptional coaching skills and patience as for many of the students, this was their first introduction to RMA and the concepts were at first hard to digest, yet by the end of the session, they easily took on board the new ideas and ‘body movements’.
After a short break for fluids, it was time for Steve Crutchley to introduce to the class the art of Kali Silat. Steve is a 4th Dan Kali Silat and Karate instructor under the Steve Powell Chinatown Martial Arts Academy and is a qualified RMA instructor and –74 Kilo silver medallist at the UK Sambo Championships 2000. Steve has trained extensively with the likes of Abner Pasa, Daniel Lee, Larry Hartsell, Rick Faye, Rick Young and the legendary Dan Inosanto. The class was introduced to slipping the jab and countering with a number of strikes up and down the body, before finishing off with a grappling takedown. The class soon got into the swing of things and moved on to slipping a one two punch combination that ended with unleashing a tidal wave of techniques and grappling applications. When Steve went on to explain that these blocks and strikes are usually done with live blades in combat situations, one appreciated the true effectiveness of this art. The combinations and openings that Steve demonstrated were endless and again the students were in full flow, applying all they had learned in the day on each other and surprising themselves, myself included. Bombarded with questions throughout the session, Steve replied with technique after technique that left your head spinning and your arm aching from writer’s cramp! Inspirational stuff and sadly the final bell rang and Grapplemania was brought to an end. After a tumultuous applause for the instructors, it was time for photographs and the swapping of telephone numbers. The feedback was very positive from the students and the instructors are to be applauded on their content and approach to the seminar; primarily designed as a taster day, appetites were truly whetted and all left with drills and techniques to keep them going for months. Seminars are ideal when one hits a plateau in their training and one would be hard pressed not to leave Grapplemania without something new in the bag. It was also nice to see the morning instructors getting stuck in and joining the students on the mats and having a go. I have attended many seminars were the instructors ego arrive before they do, only to be shown nothing new throughout the day – not so here! All instructors took to the mats and demonstrated endless techniques (other than arm bar and triangle choke!) that make them the most sought after instructors on the planet and all with no hint of ego. Value for money was definitely the byword for FORMA UK, as too many seminars are charging way over the odds for below par instructors who fail to deliver the goods. At Grapplemania, there was a staggering 181 YEARS EXPERIENCE between the instructors and all available for £10 and £15 for members and non-members alike - unbelievable and a credit to FORMA UK!
The aim of the seminar was to provide a strong connection in the martial arts fraternity as well as providing a non political environment in which to cross train and fully develop an individuals full potential. This was in evidence on the day and the fact that the doors are now open to striking arts from the UK and abroad as Grapplemania 2 is scheduled for early 2001. This is an opportunity not to be missed and for those who should have been there – shame on you all! FORMA UK is now set to take Grapplemania to new heights of professionalism and quality of instructorship. Credits go to Hazel Clempner and the back stage team for laying the mats and keeping everyone fed and watered during the day. Special thanks go to Darrin Richardson who travelled up from Portsmouth on the Saturday, taught all day and then drove back down the same evening! FORMA UK as well as Trevor Roberts and Shane Rigby also voted Darrin in as the National Coach for Sambo.
Already the Southern area rep for FORMA UK, Darrin will be responsible for sending a team out to Russia to compete in March 2001 - well done and well deserved! ADCC correspondent Carl Fisher also joined FORMA UK as principal sports therapist, to look after the sports injury needs of all members. All the Grapplemania instructors are based in the Greater Manchester (except Darrin) and are all available for seminars via contacting FORMA UK and instructors wishing to teach on the next Grapplemania seminar can also contact FORMA UK on the following:-
FORMA UK
PO Box 45
M28 2FR
United Kingdom
Carl Fisher ADCC Europe