Toma Rosenzweig

Toma Rosenzweig's famous knife survival seminar, which is the culmination of his many years of studying knife attacks and defenses. He brought a hands-on display of common blades on the streets today and discussed the ways in which today's street attacks differ from knife attacks that are traditionally taught in martial arts classes.

Seminar Review by Richard Lee

Sensai Hirosi Ikeda studied aikido when he was very young. He was a student of judo for three years prior to taking up aikido. He was very powerful when he applied his techniques in aikido because judo uses many throws. His stance centered and balanced. In his seminar he compares aikido stance to a tree; i.e., it's deep rooted and very centered. When uke tries to pull or push nage he cannot. Sensai Ikeda always stressed stance, balance, and techniques as being the tools in martial arts. Sensai Ikeda in his seminars was never leaning or off balance. His timing was always in sync with the attacks.

Sensai Frank Doran was very fluid in his techniques, in shiho nage, techi nage, in fact, all the sensais were very smooth in the techniques and wasted little energy.

Sensai Doran did a technique similar to shiho nage, except nage does not hold the gripped hand, steps through, pivot and turn. The free hand does the atemi. When nage steps under uke outstretch arm , turns , faces uke's center, nage's gripped hand does a kokyu motion. This motion stretches ukes arm and prevents him from grabbing. Many of these techniques that sensai Doran used involved motion. When the uke attacked nage was already in motion, usually circular. Sensai had both hands up and turning in a circular movement. Sensai had perfect timing and, met the attack precisely. If sensai turned too early, he would leave himself open, If he was too late, then it would beome a struggle. The circular movements sensai Doran could employ such techniques as ikkyo or sankyo.