ITS Day 7

Day 7 – Sunday April 19th
The day after the night before.
It seems like only yesterday that we got on the mats for the first time in Lancaster bowing in for what was promised to be an awesome seminar by Master Geoff. Who would have thought that 7 days would pass in the blink of an eye and we would be bowing off the mats and thanking our partners for training by Grandmaster Geoff. Very proud moment for all of us I am sure.
When one door closes another one opens….and the door of Sir Mike’s school in Lancaster was forever open but Sir Mike, Ma’am April and Ma’am Nancy’s hearts were even more open to each and every person on the mats regardless of belt colour, rank or age. Hapkido really does come down to what is inside us and not what’s tied around our waist. That is only one thing I have learnt from this week. My brain is so fried with information overload that I know for me that the saying ‘what goes on in Lancaster stays in Lancaster’ – this is because part of my brain and a few body parts are still reeling from awesomness on the Lancaster Dojang floor J This is a word Sir Aaron would use but his brain might be fried too so I don’t think he’ll notice I’ve used it until he reads this?
Okay, let’s think that stepping on the mats for day 7 might have been a bit of a rest day. No. We were straight into session two of gun defence, followed by Sir Adrian with tips and tools of using non-resistance and redirection to improve locking and throwing. Next we broke for lunch (more fries and even more cheese) and continued on with Grandmaster Geoff sharing the love with cane self defence (apparently Donna and I were oohing and aahing so loud that Sir Adrian thought we were scared? Honestly Sir, you underestimate us because it was cries of amazement at the technique you could hear!!!).
Ma’am April was up presenting takedowns with choke finishes. Sir Emanuel, thanks for loaning me your neck for this session. Grandmaster Geoff was then back with reversals, followed closely by Sir Jimmy with offensive throwing - and this was fun but pretty offensive so late in the week! Just when you recovered from one offensive throw, bang, you’re back staring at the ceiling. You know the feeling. The seminar was rounded off by Grandmaster Geoff with Korean Special Forces.
This is my final ITS 09 Blog. I can hear the sighs of relief now. Oh no, it’s not sorry. We’ve got two nights in New York yet.
Grandmaster Geoff, thank you. It has been an absolute honour to have been on this journey. There are key moments in everyone’s lives that are stand-outs and ITS 09 in Lancaster is right up there.
For the Price Clan as a family within the Hapkido family our feedback is that we are exhausted, beaten, broken, pistol whipped (that gun defence is nuts), sleep deprived, jet lagged and about 10kg heavier than when we left Sydney because of all the fries, coke and cheese (and they’re only side orders). But hey – we’re still smilingJ
See you on the mats – can’t wait for that warm up session with tunnel of death and 250 star jumps?
As Grandmaster Geoff would say – GO ON THEN YOU SLACKERS!!!!!!