Dog Brothers Martial Arts Classes

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DancesWithKnives

Joined
Apr 21, 2001
Messages
1,385
Today I attended the second Dog Brothers Martial Arts class taught by Marc Denny (Guro Crafty Dog) at the Inosanto Academy. Let me start by saying that I'm an old, fat, slow guy with a couple of car accidents under my belt. However, you don't have to be a serious full-contact stickfighter to really benefit from Guro Crafty's instruction.

Today Guro Crafty covered one aspect of stick grappling, which is somewhat of a Dog Bros. specialty. Each student got to work one-on-one with Guro Crafty and feel the moves as administered by an expert. There was lots of personal attention to each student.

In five years of FMA training, this is the first time I have seen Guro Crafty's stick grappling techniques. They complement and expand upon existing FMA stickwork and seem highly effective. If you are in the LA area or visiting, I recommend that you check it out.

DPD.
 
Hi DPD,

You're a lucky man!

Please keep us posted on your experiences and the training in the DB classes.

Take care...
~Kev
 
Hey Y'all,

You guys probably know this already but (just in case) they're supposed to be hosting a three-day seminar (Fri-Sat-Sun) the last weekend of July. Probably somewhere down in the South Bay area of Southern California. Great line up of workshops. Check out www.DogBrothers.com for further/latest info.
 
DPD,

you lucky dog!!!

i attended a seminar which he covered staff but i missed the previous year when he covered stickgrappling.

------------------
"...grappling happens, there's no getting around it. It just does." - Top Dog
 
Guro Crafty taught a little bit of staff, but I'd seen some of it previously when he substitute taught for Guro Inosanto.

The most basic stickgrappling sequence that he taught started with a roof block against an Angle 1 (or "Caveman") type strike. He then crashed in and planted the top of his head against the opponent's neck. As he came in, he struck the opponent with the punyo of his stick, which was by then on his right side. At the same time, he wrapped his left arm around his opponent's right (over the top, from outside to inside). He then hooked the punyo of his stick behind the opponent's neck (from the opponent's left side).

After establishing this position, Guro Crafty would use the punyo to pull his opponent's head toward his own head so that the pressure Crafty's head was exerting on the opponent's neck would be quite painful and help control him. He would simultaneously lock the opponent's arm close to his own chest. He would then lean forward and use his weight to force the opponent lower. By doing this he can control the opponent while both are on their feet, or execute a throw.

I've only had one lesson in this sort of stickgrappling, so I may be missing a few things or failing to describe the technique adequately. However, Guro Crafty could use this approach to keep me from getting a hold on his lead leg or force me down easily (and I probably outweigh him by 50 pounds).

After training for 40 minutes with the other students, all of us were able to use these techniques against modest resistance from our training partners. Obviously it will take a heck of a lot more to make it effective for sparring.

Guro Crafty also taught a number of followup moves once a throw is executed from this position. Many of those I had seen in other FMA classes. However, the Bog Brothers transitional techniques (from standup to the ground) are new to me and very interesting.

DPD.

[This message has been edited by DPD (edited 06-27-2001).]
 
DPD...

This is great.... thanks!
Can we make this a weekly feature ?!? ;')

How many people have signed up for the DB class?

~Kev
 
DPD,

i 2nd Kev :-)

thanks for the great insight. i am really regretting missing that stickgrappling seminar now!

Guro Crafty is coming to NYC in Aug and i will see if i can make this one. unfortunately for me, probably he has covered stickgrappling so many times in his previous years with the NYC group that i may not get a chance to check it out in seminar format.

thanks again for the great info. something to work on for us stickgrapplers.



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"...grappling happens, there's no getting around it. It just does." - Top Dog
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Stickgrappler:


Guro Crafty is coming to NYC in Aug and i will see if i can make this one. unfortunately for me, probably he has covered stickgrappling so many times in his previous years with the NYC group that i may not get a chance to check it out in seminar format.

</font>
Click to expand...

Do you have any details on the August Guro Crafty seminar?

Thanks - Alan
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Stickgrappler:
DPD,

you lucky dog!!!
</font>
Click to expand...


No, "Lucky Dog" would be Burton Richardson.
wink.gif


Dave.

 
A reminder...
If anyone is near Columbus Oh, Guro Crafty will be the featured guest for a Oct 6 & 7 seminar.

~Kev
 
Dave,

i was testing the waters to see if anyone would bite on that. good catch!

for the OH crew:

October 6, 7th, 2001

Marc Crafty Dog Denny
Columbus, Ohio
Contact: Mike Hamilton
(614) 322-1992
Check back soon for registration information

------------------
"...grappling happens, there's no getting around it. It just does." - Top Dog
 
To answer Kev's question, there are probably ten people signed up for the class but only about six show up (it's Saturday afternoon during the summer in Southern California and other activities can be pretty tempting). I think more people will join when they discover that it's not just training for full-contact stickfighting. I'll post some additional info if this message makes it through the new software.

DPD.
 
It works for even a computer novice like me! Must be good stuff! In any event, I thought I would add a few things that Guro Crafty went into for anyone who is interested.

In the basic standup stickgrappling entry I described above, Guro Crafty precedes the roof block and punyo strike with a front kick to his adversary's leg/hip juncture or groin area. That throws the opponent off balance and hopefully causes him to lean forward a bit. The leaning makes it easier for Crafty to plant his head against the opponent's, make the punyo strike, and hook the back of the opponent's neck with the punyo. As I recall, he kicked with his left leg, then stepped forward into a left lead as he engaged the opponent.

Another clarification concerns head placement. It turns out that I had the top of my head a bit too far into my partner's neck/shoulder juncture. Crafty gets at least part of the force from the top of his own head onto his opponent's ear (and the surrounding sensitive area). It creates more discomfort.

If as Guro Crafty crashes in he is unable to get full control of the opponent's right arm (as I attempted to describe previously), and an arm wrestling contest develops on that side, he lifts the adversary's arm as much as possible and shoots his head under it. He then lifts his head and breaks the opponent's grip on his own arm. If he can't regain good control of the opponent's right arm by wrapping his own left arm around it and locking it against his chest, one option was for Crafty to immediately apply a back-of-the-neck "fang" attack with his punyo (and two of us can tell you that it REALLY hurts the way he does it!). He uses both hands instead of just his stick hand. His stick hand (right) acts as a fulcrum and he uses his left hand to exert substantial additional leverage/pressure.

Guro Crafty demonstrated a couple other followups to this basic stickgrappling entry. One was a choke. After he had control of his opponent's right arm and had his punyo hooked behind the opponent's neck, he slid his stick down the right side of the opponent's neck (right from the opponent's perspective, left from Crafty's) with his wrist/forearm behind the opponent's head. Once most of the stick had been slid down so that he was holding the opposite end, he tucked the lower end of his stick under his own right armpit. He could then pull with his right arm and effect a pretty painful choke on his adversary. There were several different throws that flowed from that position.

All I can say is that my primitive attempts to describe even these most basic stickgrappling techniques don't begin to do justice to how effectively Guro Crafty makes them work. If you have the opportunity, you need to train them with him personally.

DPD.
 
>>All I can say is that my primitive attempts to describe even these most basic stickgrappling techniques don't begin to do justice to how effectively Guro Crafty makes them work. If you have the opportunity, you need to train them with him personally.<<

DPD...

Thanks man... very nice description.

I am attending a seminar in October... can't wait!

Later...
~Kev :D
 
DPD,

thank you! great post. i'm hoping to make the 8/01 seminar.

Dave,

good catch!! :-) i posted but i guess the new software wiped out my post. i was seeing if anyone took the bait on it, you are good!
 
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