European seminars

I'm back from a series of seminars in Germany, England and Ireland.
  I spent almost a week in Esslingen and Willich. Esslingen is near Stuttgart and my student, Marc Sigle has a studio there. Willich is near Dusseldorf, about 4 hours north. Thomas Kozitzky teaches up there.

  At Marc's I taught over the weekend, covering the techniques in Long Three and then the form. We even had some beginners who hung in and did well with the task. Grafting was on the menu, too. Mr. Kozitzky came down from Dusseldorf, Phil Buck was in from England and Chris Junge was there from Saarbrucken. We always have dinner Saturday night at Katerinelinde, overlooking the valley with a nice view of Stuttgart. Great food and good company. Got a couple of nice kenpo t-shirts from Lenny Steinke, too.
  Marc and his wife are moving into a new home as well as having a baby boy about 6 months ago. The boy has a great grin and makes me laugh.
  Tommy and I drove up north Monday  and I taught a small class for him that evening on general rules and principles. It gave me a chance to reconnect with Udo Zehl and a few others, as well as meet Chris Mueller, who would host me on Thursday.

  Tuesday night I taught at Peter Ritter's club and went over master keys. Wednesday I was at Chris Mueller's and the subject was angles and timing. Everyone in the Dusseldorf seminars were great to work with.

  I flew up to Bristol, England to meet with longtime friend, Gary Ellis, who picked me up and took me down to his place in Plymouth. That evening I taught a class for the kids and another for his tai chi class. Friday evening we did lock flow with the kenpo group. Saturday's classes were very full, with visitors from other groups. Ed Downey's reps came down from Birmingham. The subjects includes two man techs and knife work.

  Gary and I goofed off a bit Sunday before he took me back to Bristol. The next morning I flew to Dublin to work with Ed Downey's group. Last time I went to Ireland they lost my luggage and they did it again. Mr. Downey was good enough to give me a uniform to teach in. I always keep my belt in my carry-on because this isn't the first, or last, time my bag has been delayed.
   Ed took me on a quick tour of  a local university that looks like a set from Harry Potter. It has an impressive chapel. We had lunch with his two daughters. I had not seen Aisling in years. Then off to the studio to work on Form 5.
  Tuesday morning we went thru the knife work with a flow integration using standard techniques. That afternoon, Ed put me in the care of Darren Mahoney and Gerry Shanahan. Darren work at the Irish Air Corps base and he escorted us thru the museum and the hangars. Gerry is a pilot, too. I enjoyed the time with them both.

  Gerry and his wife, Helen Meade, run Trim Kenpo Karate, where I would be teaching in the evening. The town of Trim is known for being the shooting location of the film, Braveheart. They restored the castle there for the film and "unrestored" it afterward. Gerry gave me a framed aerial photo of the castle that he took from a Cessna 150. That's a pretty cool memory of Ireland. 

  The class for the kids was packed. Dorenda McGee gave me a hand with the demos and the kids were attentive. Easy to work with. The adults were working Triggered Salute variations with the them being an extract if my seminar on concussions. The McGee family gave me some nice souvenirs of Ireland to take home.     
  I was fortunate to get an upgrade to first class across from Dublin to JFK. Even with the gloomy forecast for bad weather in the US, none of my flights were delayed.
  My thanks go out to everyone who hosted and those who made the events a success. Your participation is appreciated. I renewed many friendships, made some new friends, got to catch up with the guys in England and had lots of laughs with our Irish friends.
  It's notable that it was not just my lineage people who made this happen. This was possible with the support of John Sepulveda and his AKTS, Ed Downey and his EKKA and the CKF and Larry Kongaika groups along with our own PKS people.
  I go back to Stuttgart in February and there are tentative plans for England in October.

November European visit

Howdy y'all,
   I've got a bit of a long trip in mid-late November this year to see friends in Germany, England and Ireland.
  The weekend of 15-17 November I'll be at Marc Sigle's studio in Esslingen, Germany, outside Stuttgart. It's a weekend thing with classes Fri eve and on Saturday and Sunday. John Filipidis from Greece has indicated he may be there, too.
  That Monday I'm off to Willich, near Dusseldorf with Thomas Kozitzky. I'll do some evening classes Mon-Tues-Weds.
  On Thursday, 21 Nov I'm off to Gary Ellis' club in Plymouth, England. Then it's over to see Ed Downey in Dublin on Monday and Tuesday.
  Subjects are set for the Plymouth and Willich seminars. That info and contacts are on my seminar page at www.wedlakekenpotv.com/leewedlake/seminars-2
  Since I'm coming back to the US the day before Thanksgiving I'll be in Ft. Myers, FL for the holiday.

April's Germany Visit

Marc Sigle flew me over to Esslingen, near Stuttgart. I went a day early and he and I went screaming down the Autobahn to Friedrichshafen, on Lake Constance.

Lake Constance

 

Marc's parents have a condo down there so we had lunch, went to the Zeppelin museum, http://www.zeppelin-museum.de/dasmuseum0.0.html then out to the airport there for a huge aviation expo they happened to be having. On the way to the condo we stopped at the church at Birnau, famous for its Baroque architecture. http://en.seeferien.com/Cultural-activities/Birnau-The-pilgrimage-church-and-baroque-jewel-of-Lake-Constance

 

We went back to Esslingen on Friday to start the weekend off with a children's class and one for the adults on the gun defenses. By then, Thomas Kozitzky and Claudia Neumann had arrived from Willich as well as Phil Buck from England.
Saturday and Sunday were full days with more gun defense, forms work, and an emphasis on working with the Web of Knowledge. Saturday night we went to our usual dinner spot at Katerinalinde, which overlooks Stuttgart with a beautiful view.

 

Working the gun techniques in Europe is always a bit different because they don't have the widespread ownership and have less experience with handling guns than many Americans. I spent extra time on the handling and the psychology of a gun fighter or criminal. I have gotten good feedback on this approach.

Phil Buck bet me I couldn't work a line from a Monty Python movie, of his choosing, into my seminar; "He's not the Messiah, but he a very naughty boy." He lost. Below, he has a light snack at Barista in Esslingen.

 

 

 

There was a all-over positive atmosphere the entire weekend. Maybe it was Kirsten's cookies. But everyone had a great time. Marc is a wonderful host and I can't thank him enough. We both thank everyone who supported the event.

 

 

Look Out Deutschland!

I'm on my way to German this week to see our people over there. Marc Sigle hosts at his studio in Esslingen, near Stuttgart. Phil Buck will be down from England. Thomas Kozitzky and Claudia Neumann will be there from the Dusseldorf area and we may have reps from Athens, Greece.
Always fun with this group. Be there if you can.

Kenpo and the Weihnachtsmarkt

Marc Sigle invited me over to Germany with a visit to their Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt) in Esslingen on the schedule. Esslingen is an old town and much of the area has been preserved as it has been for hundreds of years. They recreate the market of the Middle Ages, complete with torches, food, drink and people dressed in character. Pretty cool. It's reputed to be one of the best of its kind in Germany.
   Marc picked me up at the airport and it was snowing, as it did most of the weekend. That was a switch from the Texas weather I'd left, where it was almost 80 degrees and sunny. We met up with his wife, Isabelle and his student, Lenny and had lunch at the market.
  Over the weekend I taught two children's classes, two technique classes (one on some knife defense and another on extensions), an in-depth basics class, one class on Short Two, another on Long Three and another two on the Two Man Set. That one was very well-received and I had Tommy Kozitzky and Marc assist. We had a special black belt class on Form Five, too.
   Phil Buck was down from England, he's a Gary Ellis black belt. Phil writes horror and his books are available on Amazon.
  Tommy Kozitzky and Claudia Neumann came down from Dusseldorf, too. Claudia has been instrumental in producing the German translation of my book on the base forms, Kenpo Karate 201. The weekend was the initial debut of the book, the first kenpo book in German. That was pretty special.
  As always, the food was good, the people were great and I got to work on my German some more.
We have sets dates for 2013, in April and November. Steve White will join me in the April trip.
  Thanks to Marc and everyone who participated!

Kenpo Karate 201 - In German

My book, Kenpo Karate 201, The Basics and Exercise Forms will soon be out in its German translation edition. This is huge for me, having a book in another language. However, it would not have happened without the help of several people.
  Marc Sigle has a studio in Esslingen, Germany and he's one of my students. I have been going there for some years now. Two people from the Dusseldorf area would come while I was there, they being Thomas Kozitzky and Claudia Neumann. At lunch one day, Claudia asked if I would mind if my book were translated into German, thinking it would really help German kenpoists. I agreed and she followed through. So, by December of 2012, it will be a reality!
  Claudia did a huge amount of work and was very conscientious in asking meanings for the translations, wanting to insure she was transferring my thoughts to German correctly. She even caught a few errors, making me wish I'd had her available when I first wrote it. We picked some German kenpo people to read it for further examination and a few more adjustments (I used some American English common phrases that didn't come across in Deutsch.) They were Marc Sigle, Nadja Wolz, "Lighting Lenny" Steinke, Udo Zehl and Thomas Kozitzky. New photos were shot and a new cover designed. The cover is unique to the German version and was done by one of my brown belts in Florida, Don McCullough.
  The book really is an international effort, in fact, the photos were shot here in Round Rock, Texas at Round Rock Karate Academy. It will be available in limited quantity as a hard copy but can be gotten as an e-book.
   Thanks all!

Seminars in Germany

 I was at Marc Sigle's Bushido ES studio in Esslingen, Germany. This print on the left was given to me by Claudia Neumann and Thomas Kozitsky. They had come back from India just a day or so before coming down from Dusseldorf for the seminars. They got this and the hand-carved block below in Nepal and presented it to me. Marc got one of the prints, too. Pretty cool.The escrima stick was burned with a dragon and tiger by Kirsten Steineke. Her husband, Lenny, has been training at Marc's and is closing in on black. Kirsten jumped in the seminars Saturday and I believe I saw her from the corner of my eye throwing an almost vertical side-kick. Thanks to all of them.

This flyer was done by Lenny and the back was signed by the participants. It translates as "Thanks very much for the great lessons". Phil Buck was down from England and it was good to see him. He and the rest got along quite well, judging from the laughter and those dragging in on Sunday morning. The subjects I covered included some extensions, tai chi applications, forms, basics, technique analysis and some classes for the kids. The "kinder" gave me some pretty good Texas-style cowboy yells, too.

Saturday night we went out to dinner at our usual place which is situated on a hilltop outside town. It has beautiful views and the sunset is hard to beat. The schnitzel is very good and the company makes the time go too fast.

Esslingen seminar

Back from Germany and a visit to Marc Sigle's Bushido ES. I taught some classes for his kids group and several adult sessions. Topics included freestyle drills, tournament preparation, extensions (lots of these) and Short Two.
The item at left was made from a lineage portrait Marc had done by Ed Parker Jr. This one was signed by most of the attendees and given to me at the conclusion. Usually I'm doing the signing but they turned it around. Cool.
We enjoyed some meals together and it gave me a chance to talk with people. Saturday evening we went to a restuarant up on a hill overlooking the valley with a beautiful view. We'd been there before but it's always a treat to go. (The schnitzel was excellent.)
Two other groups from Dusseldorf and Regensberg were represented. It's always a pleasure to talk with Thomas from Dusseldorf and I was introduced to Josef from Regensberg. I didn't know there was a group there. Kenpo is still spreading, guys.
Marc and his wife, Isabelle, are excellent hosts and I always feel at home there. The next visit is already scheduled for March. See you in Deuthschland!

Deutschland this coming weekend

I am looking forward to visiting my friends in Esslingen, Germany at Marc Sigle's school there. Marc always greets me on arrival with a "Welcome Home". We have a quick breakfast ( it's an overnight flight to Stuttgart) then head off to the studio, where I beat him up for a few hours. I take a short nap and then we go beat up the students, especially Lenny.
   Can't wait.

  

Marc Sigle's BushidoES group in Esslingen is always great to work with. This is a shot of the last class on Sunday. We had spent time on forms Long 2 and Short 3, some extensions and freestyle techniques over the course of the weekend.

Saturday evening we spent at a restaurant on a hill overlooking Esslingen and Stuttgart. It has incredible views, especially as the sun is going down.

I sat with Marc and we tested two of his black belts for second degree, Nadja and Paul. They did a fine job. I had tested Marc during the day and the three of them were promoted on Saturday morning. Their photos are below.

In one of the funny moments that all seminars have, I was demonstrating Dance of Death on Paul and had him on the ground. Marc held up a blue card. Nobody seemed to know what that meant but Marc educated them by telling the group that "Blue is a healing color." Just an example of the Gemutlichtkeit our German friends are known for.

Germany this weekend

Ja!
I am going to see Marc Sigle and his group in the Stuttgart area this weekend. Kenpo and weinerschnitzel; what's not to like?
 If you're in Europe and want to attend, contact Marc at BushidoES@aol.com 

European visit

Thanks to everyone at Bushido ES in Esslingen, Germany and Plymouth Karate in Plymouth, England for turning up at my classes in these schools recently.

At Marc Sigle's school in Esslingen, I sat on an exam board. Marc now has a new black belt, Andy Kissler, who did a fine job.He's intense and a hard hitter.
Marc also had a 40th birthday that weekend, you can send a birthday wish or a razz to BushidoES@aol.com. 

As part of his birthday celebration several of us taught classes over the weekend. Below you'll see Toni Deitl (excellent Shotokan instructor, myself, Marc and Andy Guettner (he did a great job teaching Filipino concepts).

   I went over to England to see my old friend Gary Ellis in Plymouth. He's been renovating his house and here's a photo of what he's accomplished.

Gary and his lady, Sara, hosted a kid's class on Friday that was well-attended. We had some classes on tai chi and extensions to techniques for the adults.  It was good to see Mark Richards and Felix Bishop there, too. Both are good guys.
 Gary and Sara went out of their way to show Jan and I a good time, taking us to country pubs and driving up to Bath to meet us. Gary drove us out to Tintagel, up on the north Cornwall coast, where the legend of King Arthur lives. The scenery is spectacular. That's Gary soaking up the energy, below.

I've been going to England for almost 25 years now and each trip is always a pleasure. If you're going to be there, drop in and see Mr. Ellis. He's probably the most knowledgeable Kenpo man in Europe (although Britain is technically not Europe) and moves like Mr. Parker. 

On the Continent

I've been in Europe for the last week or so. I was over at Marc Sigle's school in Esslingen, Germany last weekend. Marc had a great turnout there, with students from his studio, Chris Junge's club in Saarbrucken, Mike Haselwanter's club in Austria, and some of the Dusseldorf people. All the classes went very well. The theme of the classes were based on my book in the works, with subjects from the book including sophisticated basics and zone theory.
Marc and his wife, Isabelle, are wonderful hosts and I enjoy the time I spend there with them.
I headed up to England via Berlin, with an overnight there. I had a little time to look around there and then went off to the UK. Edinburgh, Scotland was my next stop for two days. That's a truly interesting and historic place to visit.

I flew down to Plymouth, England to spend some time with Gary Ellis and his people. The guys there are a fun bunch to work with and we had a lot of laughs. The weekend classes were spent on working the weapons techniques. Udo Zehl came over from Germany to attend, having missed the Esslingen event.
It's been good to see some friends and meet some new ones. I've had a chance to see some historic things, go to museums, and get a feel for the countries as well. Plans are in the works to go back next year, with a camp in England in May and one in Austria in July. Thanks again to those who attended the seminars and to Marc, Isabelle, Gary, and Sarah for putting up with me.

Promotions

I'm back from Germany. It was a great trip and the weather was even warm. In fact, they thanked me for bringing it from Florida. We had a nice turnout with people from Marc Sigle's school in Esslingen as well as his black belts' clubs in Austria and Saarbrucken, Germany.
I tested Marc for his third degree and he passed. I promoted him in front of the group on Saturday. Marc holds a fourth degree from the German Karate Association but not in kenpo. He'd been a kenpo black belt for 10 years with four of those as a second degree. Based on his physical performance, his technical knowledge, and what I have seen him produce as the next generation of kenpo practitioners, I had no problem with moving him up. This puts him on my family tree, which you can see on my site.
That same weekend, Ed Cabrera in Tampa promoted Mark Brewer and Al Jenkins to third degree black. He contacted me before doing so, a courtesy I appreciated, and I concur with his decision. I see Mark and Al regularly, since they attend my seminars in Orlando. Mark is off to Taiwan for a year to teach English and Ed wanted to get him promoted before he left.
Congratulations to all three gentlemen.

Germany

I'm off to Stuttgart to work with Marc Sigle and his groups from the Saarbrucken area and Austria. Marc has been steadily making his school in Esslingen one of the most successful in Germany. He was mentioned recently in one of the martial arts professional magazines as being one of the two who are bringing martial arts knowledge back to Germany from the US.
My schnitzel level is running a bit low so I'm really looking forward to the trip.

German Shogun

You just never know when something is going to pop up. Marc Sigle in Esslingen, Germany sent this to me. I was over there in June and this article in the German martial art magazine, Shogun, just came out.
Marc was just mentioned in a guest column in MA Success published last week. The author cited him as one of the German instructors with a successful school who travels to the US to import martial art and business knowledge.
I enjoy seeing the people affiliated with me get their mentions and I do what I can as well to see they do. Thanks to Marc for sending this in.

Selbstverteidigung

Yup, 18 letters in one word for "self-defense". It's on the front door of Marc Sigle's school in Esslingen. I've been here for most of the week, working with Marc and his students.
I have to say thanks to his guys Mike and Benny for taking time out of their schedules to pick me up at the studio and show me around. Benny is a physical therapist and a pilot, so we had a lot to talk about regarding kenpo and airplanes. He drove me up to Ludwigsburg and we went through the castle and grounds there, then over for some views of Stuttgart from the high ground. The city lies in a valley and has some beautiful scenery. Some expresso and a great dinner followed.
Mike took me to downtown Stuttgart to visit the art museums. I saw the Andy Warhol exhibition there and some works of Picasso, Miro, and Matisse. The modern art museum had many interesting works we both enjoyed.
I taught a class the last evening I was there and the place was packed. Marc stopped everything and thanked me for my time and efforts, then presented me with an authentic beer stein. Very cool.


Several of us went out after class for dinner and we said our goodbyes. The Saabrucken and Austrian groups had come over again as well and had long drives home again.
Marc and his wife Isabelle were great hosts. I enjoyed my time in Esslingen and look forward to returning.

Seminars in Esslingen, Germany

I spent this past weekend at Marc Sigle's studio in the Stuttgart area. I did a weekend of seminars for Marc's people from Esslingen and Saarbrucken, Germany as well as Austria.
We kicked off the seminar with the formal promotion of Mike Haselwanter to black, he having tested the night before.
It was a very nice group of people of all ranks from white to black. Some of the white belts had studied Shotokan and were picking up the kenpo quickly, even though we were doing some complex material. Saturday the focus was on the knife techniques, with the changes from one attack line to another emphasized. On Sunday we worked on how to improve forms, finished the knives, and went into family groupings.
The days went by fast. We had some interesting conversations at lunch and dinner both days, and everyone was very friendly. Marc took time in the seminars to translate, and I beleive it helped everyone's understanding.
In addition, we had a special guest. Mr. Albrecht Pfluger, who is considered to be a pioneer of German karate came by to watch my class. Mr. Pfluger wrote the first text on karate in German almost 40 years ago, and has since written many more. I thought it was nice of him to stop by and be introduced to myself and the class.
Marc gets around to most of the European kenpo events and comes to the US fairly frequently. Stop and say hello to him if you get the chance.