Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Mike Martello In Action


Chin Na

Bagua Class

These are two of my favorite Mike Martello videos. I put these together because of the contrast they provide for the type of training that Mike packs into his classes. The first video shows the power he can generate, despite his small size. Notice the whole-body motion, the use he makes out of waist turning, swinging his arms in a full range of motion to strike, check or set up locks. His joint locking employs much more circular and spiral motion in the set-ups than what we have been practicing at our Dojo.
The second video is of a Bagua class, and it clearly shows supple, loose yet structured body movement. Here Mike teaches Xiao Kai Men, a linear Bagua form. We did not practice this entire form at the seminar I attended, but used select pieces of it in solo and partner application. Notice the "coiling snake" stepping pattern at 3:42 in the video. This is the stepping pattern I have been dying to learn for a year now, and we went over it for quite a bit at the seminar. Not only is it a beautiful pattern, stepping and coiling, but it has a great application for countering a wrist lock. Lots of "drilling", as in rotational extension, and expanding of the joints. Just fantastic stuff, I absolutely love it...

6 comments:

Acupuncture Healthcare said...

I did a search for Mike Martello to see where he regularly teaches and this came up:
http://www.sec.gov/litigation/complaints/complr17404.htm

Wow. I wonder how that worked out?

Dojo Rat said...

Acu-Health:
I don't know what that's all about; Here's Mike's site in Belgium: http://www.wutang.be/
You can get more on Google.
D.R.

BSM said...

Man, Chin na is looking better and better. I'll have to see what happens to my school after (if) I get to 1st dan.

:-)

It looks like it would fit well with what I've learned in tko.

~BCP

kungfucamp said...

hello, john thanks for the support in your blog and joining the seminar.

as for the sec.gov link, well i did my term and then some. it turned out fine, as you saw me in seattle!

i am not shy when it comes this subject but i rather put it in the past as we all have a past, just some are more exposed than others. did it change me? yes for the better. am i effected, NO!

does it make me a bad person??? well thats for the people who dont know me to decide!?!

email me at my normal mail and we can talk...

peace mikemartello

uchi deshi said...

It's funny about size. The most powerful person I know (not including Sensei), is only 5'6" and very slight, but he could kick anyone's ass (if he were so inclined)!

Acupuncture Healthcare said...

Hi Mike,
Thanks for your candor. Everyone makes mistakes. Big mistakes have a way of building character when they are faced up to.
-regards