USIKA Summer Seminar

For those of you who joined us at this summers USIKA seminar, I hope you enjoyed the event as much as I did. We started off with a bang, with the promotion of Mr. Brad Hatcher to Roku-Dan. You don't get to see a promotion like that everyday. Mr. Hatcher valiantly held on to Go-Dan for over a decade, and we have no question that he will represent his masters rank with the same enthusiasm.

After promotions, we started the seminar. Hanshi Spruiell started off with ground techniques centered around the half guard. These techniques are excellent in case you are taken to the ground on the street and need to recover. You can guess what happens when you pull a full guard with no cup out there...

Next was Hanshi Little demonstrating knife defense techniques. He focused on simple but effective methods to disable a would-be armed protaganist. He also discussed mindset and defense strategies, the best of which would be to remove youself from the situation. The problem with a knife fight is, someone always gets cut.

Hanshi Little was followed by Master Peter Keko. Master Keko demonstrated point style/MMA hybrid techniques focused on power generation. He meticulously described each technique before letting everyone go to the bags themselves. The only unfortunate was Master Keko's uke. Even with the bag, he was launched backwards more than 20 feet after receiving one of Master Keko's step through side kicks to the mid-section. More unfortunately, the photo opportunity was missed, but after 5 more attempts, we finally got uke mid-flight.

Ending out the seminar was our newest master, Brad Hatcher. Master Hatcher, with the assistance of his wife Amanda, showed the finer points of an armbar and leg triangle escape. What revenge was later sought, we may never know. We only hope Master Hatcher makes it back for our Fall USIKA Seminar in Anderson, SC.

The seminar was concluded by a pig roast put together by Master Keko's students. We'll have to ask Hanshi Spruiell and Master Hatcher if pork is considered a legitimate submission technique, but there were many to tap out.

A big thanks to Master Keko for hosting a wonderful event and setting a precedent for events to come.