The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

Mike Mello · December 7, 1998, 10:08 PM

Thanks for the welcome Rich,

I'll try to live up to the educated conversations you have on your forums. I love the attention to detail from everyone.

Each marital system in history attempts to cover what it felt was the most common threats to the developer of the system. Of course culture had a significant factor on this. You mention Hapkido, a Korean system, which contains elements from early Aiki arts. Japan and Korea being blade nuts, had to look at ways to defend those. I think that the Filipinos took the study of edged weapons, both defense and use, to a larger degree.

GSGI, not a formal martial system, attempts to strip down edged weapon use and defense to basic principles, and taking those principles and placing the student in a dynamic learning enviorment. Principles such as a solid foundation, movement, awareness, full body power, gross motor skill movement, creating distance. We don't have students do rote drills in the air as an example. Striking a surface is much more meaningful and rewarding. Going against an instructor dressed in an impact suit, with or without a knife (rubber), greatly adds to the dynamic learning. These are just some of the elements of what we teach at GSGI.

I hope this offers a start for some conversation. Thanks again.

December 7, 1998, 10:08 PM	#9
Mike Mello Member Join Date: December 7, 1998 Location: Hunt. Bch. CA USA Posts: 29	Thanks for the welcome Rich, I'll try to live up to the educated conversations you have on your forums. I love the attention to detail from everyone. Each marital system in history attempts to cover what it felt was the most common threats to the developer of the system. Of course culture had a significant factor on this. You mention Hapkido, a Korean system, which contains elements from early Aiki arts. Japan and Korea being blade nuts, had to look at ways to defend those. I think that the Filipinos took the study of edged weapons, both defense and use, to a larger degree. GSGI, not a formal martial system, attempts to strip down edged weapon use and defense to basic principles, and taking those principles and placing the student in a dynamic learning enviorment. Principles such as a solid foundation, movement, awareness, full body power, gross motor skill movement, creating distance. We don't have students do rote drills in the air as an example. Striking a surface is much more meaningful and rewarding. Going against an instructor dressed in an impact suit, with or without a knife (rubber), greatly adds to the dynamic learning. These are just some of the elements of what we teach at GSGI. I hope this offers a start for some conversation. Thanks again.