267 - Mailbox: "Evoked memories"
A reader writes about Marcus Wynne, being stabbed abroad and the lack of a moral compass in some very well known instructors...
I got this email from (Name removed) the other day, who very kindly took time out to drop me a few lines with some personal experiences.
He's a seasoned UK martial instructor with many years of experience – been there, seen it, bought the t shirt type stuff as you will see from his letter and it was a pleasure to meet him through training a few years ago when the world was more normal – remember normal?
He shares an interesting account of attempted street taxation in West Berlin during the cold war – that's back by the way, even if normal isn't.
The effects of adrenaline and the acquiring of a 14 inch scar... I've omitted a couple of details (shown in brackets) for obvious reasons.
I would like to have had the opportunity to have met or trained as this man has done with Marcus Wynne, who's quoted in the final chapter of my book “Self defence Volume 2” - (I couldn’t relate to the “high speed” type anecdotes but some of his ideas about putting information across to students were really interesting and creative) and this reader went on to share a couple of interesting points on it's subject matter of being very observant of who you provide training to.
Many thanks for this letter,
Jeth
Email:
“Hi Jeth,
Your book was waiting for me when I arrived home I read it last night, not the conventional construction is it,(LOL)
A few points that you mention evoked a few memories,
before the wall came down I was in Berlin my friend and I had just returned from the East (long story short) when we got off the train two young Turks followed us, it was dusk the area we stopped in was like Lego land all modular housing with tight walk ways,
I told my friend to walk on in front I decided to see what the chaps are up to!, as they drew near I stepped out in front of them, one made a lunge I moved and kicked at his leg I can't remember exactly what I did but both ended up on the floor, I turned and ran to catch up with my friend she was walking back towards me,
she asked what had happened,
I said "nothing why!"
She said "look at your leg!"
My brand new 5-0-1's had a rip on the inside leg and I now have a 14'in scar down my leg, I didn’t see the knife that he was holding, I didn’t feel the cut because of the adrenalin, oop's lucky bugger!
You mention Marcus Wynne I trained with him some years back I was on his N,L,P system course all good stuff,
Another point you make about being drawn into an organisation, I was in Canada training with a friend who was at the time a S.W.A.T team leader in one of the big cities, I mentioned some thing about (Name of VERY well known US instructor and his system removed) , he said" don't mention that guy to me!"
I said "what’s up" he went on to tell me that a gang of skin-heads had apparently trained with (name removed again), and had put the training to nefarious use against my friend's colleagues, just goes to show you do have to be cautious about who you deal with as an instructor unless your moral compass is fucked!
Any Hoo enough of this gossip, lunch time is long over it's back to work for me!
speak soon,
Best Regards,
(Name removed).”
267 - Mailbox: "Evoked memories"
WOW! this is serious food for thought and feeds strongly into what you say in the end of book two regarding being careful who you train! also of course the fact that he engaged with the 'lads' without thinking of the possibility of them carrying a knife.. I guess when these type of scenarios are going down it must be hard to stay calm enough to remember the training and to try to work out whether the opposition may be carrying... clearly always best to assume that they are! expect the worst, hope for the best.
great class tonight! I am looking forward to exploring the idea you mentioned about pulling their head into your chest and twisting their neck to turn them off of you... This groundwork is very illuminating! the salute idea was really working and felt like a very solid move in those circumstances.