hey psyops, oneness, kirsten

[paul]

when did you have your “ahha” moment when this all jelled.

[kirsten]

Re: hey psyops, oneness, kirsten

Hi Paul,

Yeah.. I STILL have them. My first big “ahha” came about 7 years after I started TKD and I finally got my round kick where it needed to be.

In Krav Maga it was everytime I learned how one technique would transition to another and tie in. I could really see how it was all working. Now for my body “jell’n”? I had to de-program nearly 10 years of competetive TKD and that took a while, but about 2 years into it I really felt better and moved like I did KM and not TKD.

Whenever I learn something new in KM, I have a moment where I think “Duh, why didn’t I already see that?!” If I stop having those moments, then I would worry that I am no longer learning and we have a problem… either I am no longer receptive to learning or I have reached the end of the road and need to find a new hobby, because there is always something to learn in Krav Maga.

Are you feeling like its not coming fast enough for you?

[paul]

Re: hey psyops, oneness, kirsten

i dont feel that it is not coming fast enough, i was just curious, i find it interesting when watching high level people who have internalized their particular style, they arent thinking about how to perform a technique they just make it happen.

[kirsten]

Re: hey psyops, oneness, kirsten

You just really have to put in enough repetitions to make it flow without thinking. Its a bit of a numbers game to some extent. That’s why I am a HUGE fan of working through the techniques with my imaginary attacker (hey sometimes my imaginary friend gets aggressive!) It allows me to work through the movements when I don’t have a partner and get in some extra reps and maybe slow it down, try new combatives, “play” a bit.

[oneness]

Re: hey psyops, oneness, kirsten

Sorry it took me a while to post on this, having computer issues.

Everything Kirsten said is spot on for me as well.

I had a wrestling back ground and so learning TKD was difficult and I had to work hard to learn that. I just really didn’t feel comfortable in that system until I was a brown belt, so 2 years. But one day it just clicked. After that I broke someone nose in competition and then I really started putting the pieces together.

All the systems I know seem to come together more everyday. I took some time off Krav Maga to learn Bas Rutten’s MMA system and that really got me rusty on Krav Maga. But in the long run, it really helped me. Both systems really compliment each other and Bas has taken me to a whole new level in teaching, fighting, grappling and understanding things.

Main thing is if something doesn’t come easy to you then do more of it. Slow down and learn to take the extra movements out of the techinque.

For Krav Maga really understand the principles and guidelines and learn to be a problem solver with those. Do not be afraid to try something different, just make sure it fits in KM principles and guidelines.

Last thing to really put things to together, I also try and be the pad holder and demonstration person for everyone. I learn tons from being the attacker and pad holder against Bas Rutten, Darren Levine, Jon Pascal, Kirsten and many other great instructors. I’ve walked a way with bloody noses & lips, bruised scalp, etc., but I loved and learned from every moment.

[psyops]

Re: hey psyops, oneness, kirsten

Kirsten and Oneness,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I smiled when I read them because of the similarities with my own story. My “moment” came one day at NTC when I was peering into the back room and saw Brent W. John Whitman, Michael Margolin, James Hiromosa, Dave Bluestein and so many of the other high level students and instructors. They were working gun from the front and Darren Levine was teaching. So I stood in the courtyard and mimicking the movements. I had done the defense before but never with a group like that. John Whitman saw me outside and asked if I knew the defense. I told him I did and he said good come on in here!

Are you kidding me? I jumped at the chance! Til this day I think that John and Brent wanted a big guy to hold the gun and see if they could destroy me. Well let me tell you that they did! So I am watching Darren teach, John is also helping teach the lesson! I get in the group with Brent and Dave and I believe Michael Margolin, sorry guys this was almost 7 years ago so I am doing my best to remember everyone that was there. Anyways Brent goes first. Bam!!!! He drives me back with so much force, I could not believe it. Then Dave Bluestein goes. Wham!!!! He was very strong, actually much stronger than I thought he would be. Then Michael Margolin takes the gun from Brent! Boom! I thought how did that little guy move so fast and with so much force! Amazing!

Then it was my turn. John Whitman comes over to me and says. “Donavin, don’t think about it, I saw you doing this outside, you know the technique, just go”. So Dave has the gun and I launch myself at him. Dave and I both stumble against the mirror, I have the gun against his hip, I look at Dave and say ” I’m sorry”. I did not mean to knock him over like that. Just then Darren comes running over to me screaming in my ear “No!” “Finish him!” “Now, do it, take the F—ing gun and finish him!” So I did. Darren grabs me and says “You are never sorry, you run through him and make him pay!”

I was scared. I was intimidated. I was unsure of myself until I turned around and Brent looked at me with a devious smile and nodded his head! That was the coolest nod anybody had ever given me. Just then, in that room, in that moment, I knew what I wanted to be. I knew that I wanted to be like Darren, John, James and most of all Brent! These guys and many others like Sam Sade, Amir Perets and Kelly Campbell have inspired me and I can’t thank them enough.

John and Darren were almost untouchable in my mind and I certainly knew that I had so much to learn in order to reach a portion of what they knew. But Brent and James always told me to keep working. Brent would kick my ass whenever he saw me and James would take what was left over and make me into mush. Somehow they even left enough for Kelly to destroy. Crazy!

Anyways that was my moment!

[paul]

Re: hey psyops, oneness, kirsten

thanks for the responses i appreciate you all taking the time to answer this. Thanks for the tips and stories. One thing i need to do is buy a copy of a training manual, I keep meaning too, but by the time i leave class, all i am thinking about is getting my tired, sweaty self home.

[drgreensticky]

Re: hey psyops, oneness, kirsten

quote Psyops:

Kirsten and Oneness,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I smiled when I read them because of the similarities with my own story. My “moment” came one day at NTC when I was peering into the back room and saw Brent W. John Whitman, Michael Margolin, James Hiromosa, Dave Bluestein and so many of the other high level students and instructors. They were working gun from the front and Darren Levine was teaching. So I stood in the courtyard and mimicking the movements. I had done the defense before but never with a group like that. John Whitman saw me outside and asked if I knew the defense. I told him I did and he said good come on in here!

Are you kidding me? I jumped at the chance! Til this day I think that John and Brent wanted a big guy to hold the gun and see if they could destroy me. Well let me tell you that they did! So I am watching Darren teach, John is also helping teach the lesson! I get in the group with Brent and Dave and I believe Michael Margolin, sorry guys this was almost 7 years ago so I am doing my best to remember everyone that was there. Anyways Brent goes first. Bam!!!! He drives me back with so much force, I could not believe it. Then Dave Bluestein goes. Wham!!!! He was very strong, actually much stronger than I thought he would be. Then Michael Margolin takes the gun from Brent! Boom! I thought how did that little guy move so fast and with so much force! Amazing!

Then it was my turn. John Whitman comes over to me and says. “Donavin, don’t think about it, I saw you doing this outside, you know the technique, just go”. So Dave has the gun and I launch myself at him. Dave and I both stumble against the mirror, I have the gun against his hip, I look at Dave and say ” I’m sorry”. I did not mean to knock him over like that. Just then Darren comes running over to me screaming in my ear “No!” “Finish him!” “Now, do it, take the F—ing gun and finish him!” So I did. Darren grabs me and says “You are never sorry, you run through him and make him pay!”

I was scared. I was intimidated. I was unsure of myself until I turned around and Brent looked at me with a devious smile and nodded his head! That was the coolest nod anybody had ever given me. Just then, in that room, in that moment, I knew what I wanted to be. I knew that I wanted to be like Darren, John, James and most of all Brent! These guys and many others like Sam Sade, Amir Perets and Kelly Campbell have inspired me and I can’t thank them enough.

John and Darren were almost untouchable in my mind and I certainly knew that I had so much to learn in order to reach a portion of what they knew. But Brent and James always told me to keep working. Brent would kick my ass whenever he saw me and James would take what was left over and make me into mush. Somehow they even left enough for Kelly to destroy. Crazy!

Anyways that was my moment!

Cool story! Thanks, Psyops!!! I am a level 2 student at Atlanta Krav Maga here in Georgia, and train under Eric Sepeda and several other excellent instructors. Last Sunday we were lucky enough to have Michael Margolin teach a seminar on Gun Defense. Simply awesome! I hope one day to interact with the other instructors you mentioned as well.

C ya…

[dckm]

Re: hey psyops, oneness, kirsten

if Darren ever comes to the east coast to do a seminar i’m THERE. i don’t care where it is or how much it costs.

[Author]

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