November 2013 Belt Promotions

Congratulations to all of the following students from Seabrook Martial Arts Academy on their recent belt promotions:

Alex K: Advanced Yellow
Ben K: Advanced Yellow
Adam G: Advanced Orange
Maria Z: Advanced Orange
Ethan B: Green
Maia G: Advanced Green
Brennan W: 2nd Degree Brown
Josh G: 2nd Degree Brown
John M: 3rd Degree Black (Head Instructor)
Evan W: 4th Degree Black (Senior Instructor)
Matt T: 4th Degree Black (Senior Instructor)

Happy 9th Birthday Madison!

Just wanted to wish my beautiful daughter Madison a very happy birthday today. I love you so much Madison!

October Belt Promotions

Congratulations to the following students who were promoted at Seabrook Martial Arts Academy in London, Ontario, in October:

Amy C: Yellow
Brandon D: Yellow
Joseph H: Orange
Anya F: Advanced Orange
Noah B: Purple

September 2013 Belt Promotions

Congratulations to the following students from Seabrook Martial Arts Academy who were promoted in September:

Victoria B: Advanced White
Cameron V: Yellow
Nathan V: Yellow
Scott B: Purple
Claire H: Advanced Green
Christofer L: Advanced Green
Joseph L: Advanced Green
Michael L: Advanced Green
Michael G: Junior Black
Morgan S: Junior Black

Morgan Seabrook Promoted to Junior Black Belt

After almost 8 years of training, I promoted by daughter Morgan to Junior Black Belt on September 26th. Morgan has been training with me since she was 3, and she is now 11 years of age. Morgan will now be learning the American Kenpo self-defense techniques (154 in total) as taught in our adult curriculum at Seabrook Martial Arts Academy, thus getting a greater hands-on approach to street survival. Morgan is an unbelievable fighter whose skills are clearly evident by her years of experience. I am very proud of you Morgan, and love you so much.

Here is a letter that I wrote the day of her test, and read to her upon completion of the grading:

It’s 12:30 in the afternoon and today you will test for Junior Black Belt. For the first time, I am starting to get choked up. I remember the day like it was yesterday that you were born. I remember the first time holding you in my arms. I remember being a young adult wondering what it would feel like to hold my child’s hand. Ever since I was a teenager, I envisioned what it would be like to teach my own children martial arts. To see them grow, develop, improve, and make mistakes. I remember your first group class in our garage at Wembley. You were only 3 ½. Almost 8 years later, you have grown into a confident young lady. You have overcome adversity, shown determination, discipline, and perseverance, all of which have made you into who you are today.

As a father, I have made many mistakes. I pushed you hard in martial arts when you were very young, sometimes setting up unrealistic expectations. One day you may come to learn that it’s not easy teaching your own children martial arts. But thank you for being patient with me, even when I was not patient with you. Teaching you and Madison has been the greatest gift that martial arts have ever brought me.

And as I’ve poured my martial arts knowledge into you over the years, it is such a joy to see that hard work pay off. You are incredibly talented, and are an amazing instructor and leader for children. You are a role model for both children and adults alike, and I am so very proud of you.

On Monday night Morgan came home from her testing feeling very sore and tired. But she said something to me that I will never forget. She said, “Daddy you are the greatest teacher in the world to me, and I am so glad I am your daughter.” And with that I promise to do my best as a father, to be there for you whenever you need me, and to make you the best martial artist you can be. Thank you Michael for going through this journey with Morgan.

2nd Annual East Coast Kenpo Camp

This past weekend myself and five of my advanced students attended the 2nd Annual East Coast Kenpo Camp at Miller's Dojo in Bradford, Pennsylvania. I was honored to be one of the guest instructors and taught a seminar on extensions to Reversing Mace, Raining Claw, and Shielding Hammer. My instructor, Sean Kelley, taught two seminars - one on Principles of Grafting, and the other on having a black belt mindset. The special instructor for the event was Grandmaster Michael Robert Pick, who also taught two seminars: (1) Knife to the kill; and (2) Quick Picks. I was literally blown away by his knowledge and skill, and my body is finally recuperating! A special thanks goes out to Michael Miller for making this event happen, and thanks to the guys at Miller's Dojo that I had the opportunity to fight on Saturday.

Theory of Elite Performance

Hi Everyone,

There is a really interesting article that I read recently on elite performance written by Dr. Christine Carter, a sociologist from UC Berkeley. I highly recommend that all of you read it. The link for the article is Psychology Today - A New Theory of Elite Performance

Some of the key points that Christine makes are the following:

- hard work and passion matters much more than does innate ability when it comes to high-level achievements

- elite performers practice a lot to reach their key objectives, even if what they are not practicing it is not fun or pleasurable

- elite performers practice around the same amount every day, 7 days per week

- it usually takes about 10 years of consistent practice to be truly accomplished

- people who get to the top know when to rest

Although I am not convinced this is necessarily "a new theory of elite performance" as the author suggests, it does nonetheless stress the importance of dedication, perseverance, patience, and discipline to reach the top levels of performance, all of which are extremely important in the martial arts.

August 2013 Rank Promotions

August was a big month for Seabrook Martial Arts Academy. We had several students promoted this month, including a bunch who were promoted to intermediate/advanced ranks. Congratulations to all of the following students:

Alex K: Yellow
Ben K: Yellow
Joseph H: Advanced Yellow
Ethan B: Advanced Blue
Luke N: Green
Maxim F: Green
Timothy B: Green
Chloe B: Advanced Green
Maddie S: Advanced Green
Reese W: Advanced Green
Vince B: Advanced Green
Justin F: 2nd Degree Brown

Madison Seabrook Promoted to Children's Advanced Green Belt

Congratulations to my youngest daughter, Madison, who was promoted to children's Advanced Green belt last night at Seabrook Martial Arts Academy. I love you Madison, and am very proud of you.

Gracie Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt Promotion

In January 2012, Matt Trejo and I began studying Gracie Jiu Jitsu together. Learning the step-by-step requirements of the Gracie Combatives course, we had to learn 36 different techniques (with several variations of each) encompassing four key positions: mount, side mount, guard, and stand-up techniques. After 15 months of consistent training, the two of us were promoted to Blue Belt in Gracie Jiu Jitsu in May 2013.

As of August 2013, we have now begun working on the Blue Belt stripe 1 requirements which consist of an additional 60 more techniques just to earn the first stripe. The techniques for Blue Belt stripe 1 are broken down into seven positional chapters: mount, side mount, guard, half-guard, back mount, leg locks, and standing.

A lifelong journey into Gracie Jiu Jitsu continues.

Results from the 2013 Power Nationals

Congratulations goes out to Vince and Jennifer Brock of Seabrook Martial Arts Academy on their tournament success at the 2013 Power Nationals in London, Ontario. Vince Brock won 1st place in fighting, 1st place in kata (forms) and 2nd place in weapons; Jennifer won 2nd place in fighting and 2nd place in kata.

Both Vince and Jenn have been taking weekly private lessons with me to enhance their skills, so their success speaks to their continual hard work and commitment.

July 2013 American Kenpo Belt Promotions

Congratulations to the following students of Seabrook Martial Arts Academy on their promotions this month:

Peter Z: Advanced Yellow
Anya F: Orange
Maria Z: Orange
Noah B: Advanced Orange
Scott B: Advanced Orange
Jenn B: Green

Awesome job all of you!

Sport Martial Arts vs. Street Self-Defense

Before discussing the standards set at Seabrook Martial Arts Academy, let me begin by expressing my thoughts on the direction of the majority of martial arts schools today. Unlike the past, when martial arts were taught for street self-defense, and students learned how to effectively and efficiently hurt or maim an opponent if necessary, most schools today have become so commercialized that belts are awarded almost entirely on the memorization of kata (forms) or performance in sport tournament competition. As a result, many instructors award young children black belts because these children can outperform other children in their same age category, whether it is in kata competition, weaponry or point-fighting. The idea that a black belt should be able to defend oneself and defeat a much larger and stronger opponent is for the most part gone, with many instructors insisting instead that their children are "national" or "world champions" based on their victories in sport competition. The fact is that a "national champion' and "world champion" is crowned pretty much every month, simply by tournament promoters giving their competition a flashy name that implies high importance.

When thinking about what martial arts are truly supposed to represent, however, one needs only to look up the word "martial"; the terms refers to "warlike", "military", or being "appropriate for war". Clearly, this runs in complete contrast to schools that advance students quickly in rank based on sport competition. With respect to skill, much of what is now performed in tournaments is nothing more than baton twirling, gymnastics, and a game of tag similar to the one kids play during recess. The grim reality is that many of these regular tournament competitors could not win a street confrontation if attacked.

Similarly, when I hear about an instructor claiming that he/she had "graduated" hundreds and hundreds of students to black belt, that is not really something to brag about in my view. Isn't getting a black belt supposed to be reserved for a select few who have put in countless years of dedication and sacrifice to their training? Should effort and perseverance not so much be awarded, but rather expected?

At Seabrook Martial Arts Academy, we put street self-defense first. To obtain a 1st Degree Black Belt in American Kenpo, students learn 154 street self-defense techniques, and must be able to do them effectively on resistant training partners of all sizes. Moreover, all stand-up fighting is continuous, with no stops based on who gets the first "point". Could you imagine a UFC fighter stopping every time someone lands one strike for a point? Of course not, because that's silly and says nothing about one's fighting ability. When a fighter steps into the cage, he/she is there to fight, and leave no doubt about whom the winner is going to be.

Just as worse as focusing on tournament point-fighting and calling this effective self-defense, is that most commercial schools teach their students nothing about what to do if they are taken to the ground by a much larger and potentially stronger opponent. Should this occur, most students would learn quickly that much of their training has been in vain, and that their punching and kicking techniques have been rendered ineffective once they are on the bottom of a larger opponent. At Seabrook Martial Arts Academy, we devote time to teaching students how to effectively escape and submit an opponent who has taken us to the ground by using techniques based on timing and leverage. This is important because the distance in a real fight is different than that which is allowed in a point-fighting tournament setting. In a street fight, an opponent might grab you and take you to the ground, which of course is completely illegal in today's karate tournaments.

Keeping with the street self-defense perspective, pretty much every potential student who has ever inquired about training at my school has done so wanting to learn effective street self-defense skills. Yes, they may have wanted to get in better shape, improve mental health, and/or participate in an activity with another family member; but these factors have always been by-products of wanting to learn how to save their life if necessary.

At Seabrook Martial Arts Academy, I am 100% committed to helping you achieve that endeavor. Are you ready?

June 2013 American Kenpo Belt Promotions

Congratulations to the following 3 students who were promoted this month at Seabrook Martial Arts Academy:

Harrison F: Purple
MacKenzie F: Purple
Brennan W: 3rd Degree Brown

Awesome work!

Strathroy Invitational NMAC Circuit

This past weekend, two students from Seabrook Martial Arts Academy competed at the Strathroy Invitational tournament, which is now part of the National Martial Arts Circuit (NMAC). Vince Brock won 1st place in Fighting and 3rd place in Forms, and Jenn Brock won 3rd place in Fighting.

Congratulations to both of you!

More Tournament Success from the Brock Family

This past weekend, two students from Seabrook Martial Arts Academy competed at the 2013 Windsor Open Karate Championships in Windsor, Ontario. Jenn Brock won the silver medal in sparring and the bronze medal in forms, and her husband Vince Brock won bronze in forms and bronze in weapons. Congratulations to both of you!

May 2013 American Kenpo Belt Promotions

The following students of Seabrook Martial Arts Academy were promoted in American Kenpo in May 2013:

Cameron V: Advanced White
Nathan V: Advanced White
Benjamin K: Advanced White
Alexander K: Advanced White
Joseph H: Yellow
Aaron A: Advanced Yellow

Great work all of you!

Ryan Welsh Wins at the 2013 Kumite Classic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

A big congratulations goes out to Ryan Welsh for winning 1st place in Black Belt Kenpo forms this past weekend at the 2013 Kumite Classic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ryan is a 2nd Degree Black Belt in American Kenpo at Seabrook Martial Arts Academy in London, Ontario.

2013 Summer Special at Seabrook Martial Arts Academy

For anyone interested in learning practical, life-saving self-defense in London, Ontario, if you sign up for 3 months at Seabrook Martial Arts Academy in the month of June, you will receive a FREE uniform as well an extra FREE MONTH of training! Seabrook Martial Arts Academy has been in consistent operation serving London since 1995, and students can expect to get in top physical condition, and improve their mental health. This promotion is for new students only. Spread the word!

www.jamieseabrook.com

2nd Annual CKF East Coast Fall Kenpo Camp

From September 20-21st, 2013, CKF Associate Professor Michael Miller will be hosting the 2nd Annual Chinese Karate Federation (CKF) Fall Kenpo Camp at his school in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Camp instructors for this event include Grandmaster Michael Robert Pick, Senior Professor Sean P. Kelley, and myself. Mr. Pick will be teaching two seminars: (1) Quick Pick's; and (2) The knife. Mr. Kelley will also teach two seminars: (1) Black Belt Mindset; and (2) Principles of Grafting. I will be teaching a seminar on American Kenpo Orange belt technique extensions.

The camp is open to students ages 14 and older, and the cost of the event is $140 if pre-registered by September 1st, or $150 cash if paid at the door. Pre-registration for the event can be paid by cheque, money order, or through VISA, Mastercard or Discover.

This is an event that you just can't miss!!

American Kenpo Travels With Me Wherever I Go

This past Sunday my family and I returned from a 11 day vacation in Florida. We had an awesome time and spent pretty much every day at a theme park. We went to Discovery Cove where we had the opportunity to swim with dolphins and stingrays. We went to Aquatica which was a huge outdoor water-park. We also went to Sea World and Busch Gardens. At Busch Gardens, I overcame my fear of heights through a lot of persuasion from Morgan and went on the Sheikra, which takes you up 200 feet and then drops you straight down at 70 miles per hour (110 km). Throughout all the fun and excitement, I still make sure to pack American Kenpo in my suitcase wherever I go, and ensure that I get at least 1 hour of solid training in per day.

Here is a photo of me by the pool in the backyard of our condo. I also added in a photo of the Sheikra ride at Busch Gardens.

April 2013 American Kenpo Belt Promotions

Congratulations to the following students of Seabrook Martial Arts Academy who were promoted in April:

Joseph H: Advanced White
Kate B: Advanced White
Sarah B: Advanced White
Cole B: Yellow
Jack B: Yellow
Talan P: Yellow
Raine B: Advanced Yellow
Adam G: Orange
Scott B: Orange
Jenn B: Advanced Blue
Tiffany B: Advanced Blue
Maia G: Green

Great work everyone!

Madison promoted to Children's Green

A few nights ago, my youngest daughter, Madison (age 8) was promoted to Green Belt in American Kenpo. Madison has been training with me for 4.5 years now. Along with several other people testing, all candidates fought for 45 minutes straight in continuous sparring, constantly rotating in new opponents. I am very proud of Madison for this big accomplishment.

March 2013 Belt Promotions

March was a big month for belt promotions at Seabrook Martial Arts Academy. Congratulations to all of the following students on their recent promotions:

Ryan H: Advanced White
Peter Z: Yellow
Anya F: Advanced Yellow
Maria Z: Advanced Yellow
Ethan B: Blue
Luke N: Advanced Blue
Maxim F: Advanced Blue
Timothy B: Advanced Blue
Chloe B: Green
Christofer L: Green
Claire H: Green
Joseph L: Green
Madison S: Green
Michael L: Green
Reese W: Green
Vince B: Green
Nathan T: Advanced Green
Micah W: 2nd Degree Brown (Children's)

Lambeth Lancers Win Championship!

This past Sunday the Lambeth Lancers won the hockey championship in a best of three series against South Huron. My youngest daughter, Madidon (age 8), plays defense for the team. Here are a couple of post-game photos.

Boot Camp 2013 Postponed

Please note that Dynamic Academy of Martial Arts has postponed the 2013 Boot Camp scheduled for April 12-14th in Sarnia, Ontario, and the event will now be held sometime in the fall. I will keep you updated about dates, times, and seminar topics in the coming months.

Leafs-Pens Hockey Night

Last night the Toronto Maple Leafs played the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. There will be no guessing which team is my favorite and which is Madison's favorite. Despite being down 3-1, the Leafs battled back to tie the game 4-4 late in the third period and sent the game into overtime. Five minutes of overtime solved nothing, and the game went to a shootout. A shootout against the talent of the Pens is also a scary situation, and lo and behold, Sidney Crosby got the winning goal in the shootout. The Pens beat the Leafs 5-4, and Madison won the family battle after a day of trash-talking both ways!

February 2013 Belt Promotions

Congratulations to the following students of Seabrook Martial Arts Academy who were promoted in the month of February:

Talan P: Advanced White
Cameron R: Advanced Yellow
Evan M: Advanced Yellow

Keep up the great work!

Ryan Welsh Wins at Ontario Provincial Open

Congratulations goes out to Ryan Welsh who won 1st place in Black Belt Weapons at the Ontario Provincial Open in Hamilton, Ontario, February 23rd. This annual tournament brings out some of the best tournament competitors around, so this is a huge victory for Ryan! Keep up the great work Ryan!

6th Annual Boot Camp 2013

For those who are interested, Dynamic Academy of Martial Arts is hosting its 6th Annual Boot Camp April 12-14th in Sarnia, Ontario. Over the course of three days, there will be 15 hours of adult seminar instruction, not including a 3-hour children's camp on Saturday morning. Seminar topics include sparring, knife disarms, forms, self-defense techniques, flow drills, stick work, and many others. Register today!

Results from NMAC Tournament

Today, three students from Seabrook Martial Arts Academy competed at the National Martial Arts Circuit (NMAC) tournament in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. All three students were very successful.

Ryan Welsh won 1st place in Black Belt weapons, 2nd place in Black Belt team forms, and 3rd place in Black Belt fighting.

Dana Broadhead won 1st place in Black Belt fighting and 4th place in Black Belt forms.

Jennifer Brock won 1st place in Kyu Belt forms, and also went on to win the Grand Championship in 15-adult forms.

Congratulations to all of you!

January 2013 American Kenpo Belt Promotions

Congratulations to the following students who were promoted by me this month in American Kenpo:

Cole B: Advanced White
Isabella B: Advanced White
Jack B: Advanced White
Liam B: Advanced White
Raine B: Yellow
Madison M: Orange
Harrison F: Advanced Orange
Mackenzie F: Advanced Orange
Timothy B: Blue
Brennan W: Green

A great start to the new year!

Logging Your Training Routine

Hi Everyone! Happy New Year!

As a lot of you already know, one thing that I highly recommend is logging your martial arts training routine. I have been doing this on a daily basis for the past 9 years, and it has helped motivate me to practice more, work out harder, and to balance my training consistently in all areas (e.g., forms/sets, techniques, stand-up fighting, ground-fighting, weapons, and so on).

One of the biggest changes to my 2012 workout routine is that I started training in Gracie Jiu Jitsu in early January 2012. I am going to write a lot more about this journey in a future blog, but for now it will suffice to say that it has made my American Kenpo skills much stronger. I also started training with the kettlebell 3 days per week to improve my strength.

The following is a breakdown of my entire training routine for 2012:

Days Practiced: 330/365
Taught Kenpo (days): 193
Total # of Classes Taught: 579
Sparring (days) – 54
Random Kenpo Techniques – 5187
Sit-ups – 17,880
Weight Training/Kettlebell (days): 115
Blocking Set 1 – 131
Blocking Set 2 – 101
Kicking Set 1 – 55
Kicking Set 2 – 16
Finger Set 1 – 61
Finger Set 2 – 13
Coordination Set 1 – 26
Coordination Set 2 – 12
Striking Set 1 – 32
Striking Set 2 – 12
Stance Set 1 – 71
Stance Set 2 – 15
Two Man Set – 22
Staff Set – 12
Short Form 1 – 116
Short Form 2 – 100
Short Form 3 – 101
Long Form 1 – 58
Long Form 2 – 82
Long Form 3 – 45
Long Form 4 – 25
Long Form 5 – 12
Long Form 6 – 24
Long Form 7 – 13
Long Form 8 – 12
10 Yellow Techniques – 12
12 Orange Techniques – 12
12 Purple Techniques – 12
16 Blue Techniques – 12
20 Green Techniques – 12
20 3rd Degree Brown Techniques – 12
20 2nd Degree Brown Techniques – 12
20 1st Degree Brown Techniques – 12
20 1st Degree Black Techniques – 12
2nd Degree Black Techniques (Orange ext) – 12
3rd Degree Black Techniques (Purple ext) – 12
4th Degree Black Techniques (37 Blue-Green ext) – 12
5th Degree Black Techniques (36 Brown ext) – 12
Anyo Isa – 40
Anyo Dalawa – 19
Anyo Tatlo – 5
Anyo Apat – 5
12 Basic Strikes (control) – 53
12 Basic Strikes (pull back) – 2
12 Basic disarms: 5
Center lock (cross; same side): 7
Backward throw (outside; inside): 3
Slice blocks: Block, check, counter to 12 basic strikes – 24
Tapi Tapi (block, check, counter, check counter): 4
Cut Block to Arm Bar (Angle 1): 5
Cut to Forearm Disarm to Standing Center Lock (Angle 1): 5
Cut to Can Takedown (Angle 2): 5
Six-count drill (canes) – 14
Six-count drill (empty hand) – 2
Six-count drill (knives) - 1
Trapping hands (De cadena) – 19
Trapping hands (block, check, counter to 12 basic strikes) - 11
Downward figure eight – 2
Figure eight vs. angles of attack (1-2) – 3
Reverse figure eight vs. angles of attack (1-2): 2
Banda y banda vs. angles of attack (1-2): 3
Rompida vs. angles of attack (1-2): 2
Single Sinawali (traditional canes) – 7
Single Sinawali (modern canes) – 15
Single Sinawali (modern with double vs. double poking drill) – 11
Single Sinawali (modern with single vs. double poking drill) – 8
Single Sinawali (empty hands) – 5
Single Sinawali (empty hands – with double vs. double poking drill) – 4
Double Sinawali – 6
Reverse Sinawali – 1
3-count sinawali boxing – 6
3-count sinawali boxing with backward throw – 1
3-count sinawali boxing with uppercut counter – 3
3-count sinawali boxing with uppercut to arm bar – 1
3-count sinawali boxing with uppercut to shoulder lock – 1
Single Stick Sparring – 1
Redonda - 10
Tiger and Crane – 5
Cross Path 1 – 3
Long Fist 1 – 2
Long Fist 2 – 2
Roaring Tiger - 9
Breathing Law 1 -4
Single Dragon Short Stick - 1
Double Dragon Short Stick – 4
Wandering Dragon Staff -
Orr Fai Do Fa – 1
Tonfa Set 1 – 3
Bando Knife Form – 2


Gracie Jiu-Jitsu

Trap & Roll Escape from Mount: 502
Americana Armlock from Mount: 157
Positional Control from Mount: 171
Take the Back from Mount: 81
Rear Naked Choke from Back Mount: 60
Leg Hook Takedown from Standing: 44
Clinch (Aggressive Opponent) from Standing: 51
Punch Block Series (Stages 1-4)from Guard: 118
Straight Armlock from Mount: 32
Triangle Choke from Guard: 36
Elevator Sweep from Guard: 35
Elbow Escape from Mount: 35
Positional Control from Side Mount: 30
Body Fold Takedown from Standing: 10
Clinch (Conservative Opponent) from Standing: 8
Headlock Counters from Mount: 29
Double Leg Takedown from Standing: 18
Headlock Escape 1 from Side Mount: 21
Straight Armlock from Guard: 20
Double Ankle Sweep from Guard: 21
Pull Guard from Standing: 6
Headlock Escape 2 from Side Mount: 16
Guillotine Choke from Standing: 22
Shrimp Escape from Side Mount: 6
Kimura Armlock from Guard: 4