UK visit

I taught some classes in Merry Olde England last weekend. I was hosted in London by Diane Wheeler at her club there in Tooting. I was told I was the first American instructor to visit.
A few clubs were represented and some traveled to take the class and stay overnight in Wimbledon. I enjoyed meeting some new people and re-connecting with both Diane and also with Phil Buck, one of Gary Ellis's black belts.
I did a session on what I call "Broken techniques"; techniques that can be split in half and either part can stand alone. It seemed to be well received and the time flew by.
Had some time in the pub with many of the attendees and got to know them and hear their views on the system. The time went too fast and I was off the next morning to the Channel Islands.
   After working my way through the train system to Gatwick, I landed in Jersey to some beautiful weather, and it stayed that way all weekend. Paul McMurray, one of Graham Lelliott's black belts, was my host.
   My sessions on Saturday for the young ones covered escape techniques for grabs and the adults were exposed to the thinking of defending a third person. The brown/black class worked on zone theory with some extension techniques as examples. I was told I gave a simple, understandable explanation of the principles. Mission accomplished.
   Sunday we went through some ideas on the gun and knife defenses. We'd gone out Saturday night to a busy pub and even with some hangovers, these people were moving well.
   I really enjoyed my time with both groups. In both locations, black belts from other school and associations were welcomed. All had a good time.
   If you ever get a chance to visit Jersey (not Joysey), grab it. It's a beautiful island.
People have posted some photos of the classes on Facebook. I'm looking forward to going back.