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Old 12-07-2009, 07:21 AM   #1
gregstec
Dojo: Aiki Kurabu
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Dan Harden's PA Seminar

Dan Harden and two of his senior students (Jill and Tom) were in Elizabethtown, PA at the E-town Aikikurabu this past weekend for two days of Aiki Development training. In attendance were small groups from West Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania representing various arts such as Aikido, Aikijujutsu, MMA, CMA, Tae Kwondo, Hopkido, and Karate. This visit was part of Dan's commitment to support the attendees of his teachers only seminar this past August with follow on training, coaching, and mentoring in order to help spread Internal Skills to those with the interest to learn more. It is my understanding that visits to other dojos have already occurred and more are on his schedule - also, he will be back to our Aikikurabu in the future as well.

The training included a refresher of key points and concepts that were presented in August as well as more advanced details that are the next logical steps required to build upon the initial foundation. Also of interest, was Dan's focus on the application of IS into the various arts of the attendees - of particular interest was his excellent ability to show how IS can drastically improve anyone's MMA skills.

The secret of Dan's method is to mentally have 'x' pull on 'y' to lift 'z' - for more detail on x, y, and z, please contact your local authorized 'Harden Ryu' dojo for more information

All in all, it was a great weekend with a lot of fun and some extremely good instruction and practice in IS.

Greg Steckel
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Old 12-07-2009, 02:16 PM   #2
Jon Haas
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

Special thanks also go out to Greg and his wife, Gail for their generous hospitality all weekend!

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Greg Steckel wrote: View Post
In attendance were small groups from West Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania representing various arts such as Aikido, Aikijujutsu, MMA, CMA, Tae Kwondo, Hopkido, and Karate.
Don't forget Bujinkan!
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Old 12-07-2009, 02:28 PM   #3
gregstec
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

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Don't forget Bujinkan!
oops - I just new I was going to miss somebody - sorry

Greg
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Old 12-07-2009, 02:35 PM   #4
Thomas Campbell
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

Great to see the follow-up work taking place like that.
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Old 12-07-2009, 03:02 PM   #5
Walker
 
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

I thought ninjas like it when they aren't noticed or remembered...

-Doug Walker
新道楊心流の鷹松道場
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Old 12-07-2009, 03:09 PM   #6
MM
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

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Special thanks also go out to Greg and his wife, Gail for their generous hospitality all weekend!
Yes, definitely. Thanks!
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Old 12-07-2009, 05:43 PM   #7
gregstec
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

Quote:
Doug Walker wrote: View Post
I thought ninjas like it when they aren't noticed or remembered...
Don't worry - Jon was not noticed much - but unfortunately he will be remembered ! (just kidding Jon we all luv ya)

Greg
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Old 12-07-2009, 05:49 PM   #8
gregstec
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

Jon and Mark,

Thanks for the kind words - it was a challenge for all of us. I think for the next visit I will have t-shirts made up with: "I survived a weekend with Dan Harden" on the back - what do you you think?

Greg
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Old 12-08-2009, 02:01 PM   #9
gregstec
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

Quote:
Greg Steckel wrote: View Post
Jon and Mark,

Thanks for the kind words - it was a challenge for all of us. I think for the next visit I will have t-shirts made up with: "I survived a weekend with Dan Harden" on the back - what do you you think?

Greg
Hope no one took the above comment as negative - I forgot to add a smiley face to - It was a great weekend and a pleasure having everyone that attended.

The 'challenge' part was in surviving the intensive training Dan was throwing at us

Greg
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Old 12-08-2009, 03:14 PM   #10
MM
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

Quote:
Greg Steckel wrote: View Post
Hope no one took the above comment as negative - I forgot to add a smiley face to - It was a great weekend and a pleasure having everyone that attended.

The 'challenge' part was in surviving the intensive training Dan was throwing at us

Greg
Nah, no negatives need not necessarily negate the non-issue of not taking the post negatively.

If you followed that, you're a step beyond me and I wrote it.

Had a blast training and socializing.

I think we should follow Justin's lead and have shirt's made that say "Hey, I'm Right Here" on the front and "I'm Beautiful" on the back.
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Old 12-08-2009, 03:17 PM   #11
MM
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

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Greg Steckel wrote: View Post
Don't worry - Jon was not noticed much - but unfortunately he will be remembered ! (just kidding Jon we all luv ya)

Greg
Yeah, it was hard not to notice Jon because you could tell working with him that he had been doing solo training since August. He was putting in the effort.

Reaffirms that while distance training is a slower road, it's still one that can work.
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Old 12-08-2009, 04:56 PM   #12
gregstec
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

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Thomas Campbell wrote: View Post
Great to see the follow-up work taking place like that.
Yes it is - and it appears it will continue.

Greg
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Old 12-08-2009, 05:03 PM   #13
gregstec
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

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Mark Murray wrote: View Post
Nah, no negatives need not necessarily negate the non-issue of not taking the post negatively.

If you followed that, you're a step beyond me and I wrote it.

Had a blast training and socializing.

I think we should follow Justin's lead and have shirt's made that say "Hey, I'm Right Here" on the front and "I'm Beautiful" on the back.
you are just too estoteric somtimes

LOL - Justin is a very funny guy !

Let's work on Dan to lock down a date for the Spring session.

Greg
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Old 12-08-2009, 05:07 PM   #14
gregstec
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

Quote:
Mark Murray wrote: View Post
Yeah, it was hard not to notice Jon because you could tell working with him that he had been doing solo training since August. He was putting in the effort.

Reaffirms that while distance training is a slower road, it's still one that can work.
Yes, I noticed the difference as well...
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Old 12-08-2009, 09:57 PM   #15
Tom H.
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

Quote:
Greg Steckel wrote: View Post
two of his senior students (Jill and Tom)
Oh, great... there's a half dozen people that train with Dan who each have more experience than Jill and I combined--and you just handed them *that*? ...sigh...

Seriously though, it was a good weekend of training.
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Old 12-09-2009, 04:49 AM   #16
gregstec
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

Quote:
Tom Holz wrote: View Post
Oh, great... there's a half dozen people that train with Dan who each have more experience than Jill and I combined--and you just handed them *that*? ...sigh...

Seriously though, it was a good weekend of training.
Well, you are senior to us - and besides, you can use the extra pressure...

It was great having you both attend.

Greg
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Old 12-09-2009, 10:32 AM   #17
Ron Tisdale
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

Glad you guys had a good time! Life is starting to settle down some. Maybe I can see y'all in the Spring?
Best,
Ron

Ron Tisdale
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"The higher a monkey climbs, the more you see of his behind."
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Old 12-09-2009, 03:05 PM   #18
MM
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

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Glad you guys had a good time! Life is starting to settle down some. Maybe I can see y'all in the Spring?
Best,
Ron
Would be nice.
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Old 12-09-2009, 06:54 PM   #19
thisisnotreal
 
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

Could I ask if you guys covered how to develop IP while shoveling snow?
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Old 12-10-2009, 06:30 AM   #20
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

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Could I ask if you guys covered how to develop IP while shoveling snow?
Actually, yeah we did. Has to do with keeping the spine centered, pivoting of the body on that central axis of the spine, cross body connections, upper and lower cross, and other various things.
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Old 12-10-2009, 06:52 AM   #21
gregstec
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

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Actually, yeah we did. Has to do with keeping the spine centered, pivoting of the body on that central axis of the spine, cross body connections, upper and lower cross, and other various things.
Actually, i think Dan gave us the example of shoveling hay in the barn; but what the 'hay' - hay or snow, it is all the same movement
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Old 12-10-2009, 07:19 AM   #22
thisisnotreal
 
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

right on!
Here's a question: Where does the power come from for throwing the hay/snow? If it's not local shoulder weight....is it just a rocking of the body? that seems too....passive. I guess it's the thing called a base wave ....but i can't do that. anything 'clever' i try has my feet slipping out from under me...

?
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Old 12-10-2009, 07:32 AM   #23
thisisnotreal
 
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

p.s. as usual; no worries if you don't want to get into it. Please forgive me if it was out of line to ask. Cheers, guys. Josh
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Old 12-10-2009, 08:16 AM   #24
Jon Haas
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

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Mark Murray wrote: View Post
Yeah, it was hard not to notice Jon because you could tell working with him that he had been doing solo training since August. He was putting in the effort.

Reaffirms that while distance training is a slower road, it's still one that can work.
Thanks Mark! I appreciate all the advice and coaching from you, Tom, Jill, and of course, Dan!

I'm just trying to keep my head down here and keep training.
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Old 12-10-2009, 08:40 AM   #25
DH
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Re: Dan Harden's PA Seminar

Well, that happened because I was asked. I was discussing spear and I went from showing some simple versions of spear work, with the legs, back, with weight transfer between gravity and ground in shoveling to pitching hay. Interestingly spear work can be simple or more complicated with the use of spiral energy in windings for power and some potent deflections which I showed on Sunday.
We covered a lot of material in a short span. With such a diverse bunch from; Ki society aikido to ASU to Daito ryu, to MMA, Hapkido, Bujinkan, to Yi Quan, it's always beneficial to see what can be universally applied. I think the questions that focused on application led to a bit of fun and interesting ...uhm, entertainment.

To go from wrist grabs to punching, kicking, throwing, to groundwork, on to various weapons helps explain and demonstrate why we train to move the way we do and give life to both seeing and then setting goals in everyone's personal training. I always find it rewarding to see light bulbs go off in people's minds when they see themselves move differently and far more efficiently in one weekend. As Big John (not John H,) said "Why would anyone want to ever go back to what they were doing before, after doing this?" I gave him my typical reply "Because a) training this way is about as much fun as watching paint dry, b) the serious work takes years to learn, c) there is no rank or acknowledgment in it and d) people have no vision for their own future outside of rank and fun in the dojo!"
"This just isn't for everybody. Most just want to fit-in."


I am increasingly interested in seeing the progress people are making as I am getting around. Greg had an interesting foot in the door already from training in the Ki society from years ago and training in Daito ryu, as did Jamie with his training in Yi Quan. Mark is seeing some interesting comparisons in where and how it applies in Koryu. For those who missed the comment, John Haas shared a story similar to my own years ago. He came back from the August seminar to show his people and they were just not interested in doing this type of training. Then, after just a few months, they were noticing he was increasingly difficulty to throw, now suddenly his guys are asking. Personally, I think the next few years are going to be interesting indeed.

Schedules
Two follow up one-day events are going to take place with Jimmie and John in N.J. this winter, one on my -to- Atlanta the other on the way back. That is if can ever get Atlanta scheduled!(I am waiting on deployment orders for my nephew) Greg and I are working on another seminar in March.
So far, we have had three follow up seminars and have five more scheduled. That makes eight follow up training opportunities in just 6 months since August! FWIW, no one is more pleased than me to admit Ellis Amdur was right all along. As everyone who is enjoying training with me already knows, they owe it all to him.
Cheers
Dan

Last edited by DH : 12-10-2009 at 08:43 AM.
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