Dan Harden in London - Oct 22-23, 2011

So a bunch of guys are trying to get me to stay over from the Netherland trip. This is too short of a notice so we have a bunch of people who can't swing the Date. Anyone up for it?
Oct 25th-26th. Plus the usual Friday night in the park thing with dinner after.
Email me here or dojoseminars@gmail.com
All the best
Dan

Dan Harden wrote: So a bunch of guys are trying to get me to stay over from the Netherland trip. This is too short of a notice so we have a bunch of people who can't swing the Date. Anyone up for it? Oct 25th-26th. Plus the usual Friday night in the park thing with dinner after. Email me here or dojoseminars@gmail.com All the best Dan

Oh good grief!!
The weekend of Oct. 22-23rd

This would have been great if I was actually in London! Good luck for practicing in the park at night in autumn!

We just set it up yesterday.
177 Kensal Road
LONDON
W10 5BJ
It's a community center being used a day care, so we'll be training with Elmo, and A B C's and such on the walls.
It looks like Friday night outside somewhere, Sat afternoon from noon to whenever and Sunday all day. Anyone who knows me knows I will go till you tell me to go home-I love training. I hope to pick up on material from last year, see how people have progressed, review how and why internal strength and aiki remain so effective, various training methods, and answer questions.

I am looking for anyone who feels like putting me up (or maybe me and Paul-same guy from last year)

Cost is 135 Euro. in advance. Send payment to homeoffice@charter.net
Info (when I get it) at Dojoseminars@gmail.com
It looks like this is booked already but it is first come, first served, and I close it out.
Hope to see ya there
Dan

An exiting opportunity for those who can attend.

Dan Harden wrote: We just set it up yesterday. 177 Kensal Road LONDON W10 5BJ It's a community center being used a day care, so we'll be training with Elmo, and A B C's and such on the walls. It looks like Friday night outside somewhere, Sat afternoon from noon to whenever and Sunday all day. Anyone who knows me knows I will go till you tell me to go home-I love training. I hope to pick up on material from last year, see how people have progressed, review how and why internal strength and aiki remain so effective, various training methods, and answer questions. I am looking for anyone who feels like putting me up (or maybe me and Paul-same guy from last year) Cost is 135 Euro. in advance. Send payment to homeoffice@charter.net Info (when I get it) at Dojoseminars@gmail.com It looks like this is booked already but it is first come, first served, and I close it out. Hope to see ya there Dan

Problem with your link: homeoffice@charter.net a Russian sight is appearing - that can't be right?

Alister Gillies wrote: Problem with your link: homeoffice@charter.net a Russian sight is appearing - that can't be right?

Thank you Allister
I recieved all of the payments and processed them without issue. I contacted Paypal in case there was a breach.
How did you get to the Russian site?
Dan

Alister Gillies wrote: Problem with your link: homeoffice@charter.net a Russian sight is appearing - that can't be right?

That's really strange, because homeoffice@charter.net is not an url, but an email link. By default, browsers will open up your email client when you click an email link, not open an internet page in your browser (unless you specify some webmail client as your email client in the settings of your browser).

Maybe you have a wrong setting in your browser or your pc itself is compromised?

Dave de Vos wrote: That's really strange, because homeoffice@charter.net is not an url, but an email link. By default, browsers will open up your email client when you click an email link, not open an internet page in your browser (unless you specify some webmail client as your email client in the settings of your browser). Maybe you have a wrong setting in your browser or your pc itself is compromised?

Whew!!
I thought I got highjacked!

Okay
I will be in town on Thursday around 3:45 in the afternoon.
I am open to train Thursday night and all day Friday; day and night. Wherever, whenever.
I will post my world phone number shortly. But I am hoping you lazy bumpkins can organize something for yourselves in a park somewhere and we can play and eat and drink and laugh. Teaching (for lack of a better word) is free....
If I don't hear back from anyone I will be on the telly as some guy doing wierd things alone in the park, wait...it's London, not exactly news is it?
Again sorry for the bumpy ride in getting this one off the ground, it was sot of last minute add-on to the Holland Trip.
See you soon
Dan

Dan Harden wrote: Okay I will be in town on Thursday around 3:45 in the afternoon. I am open to train Thursday night and all day Friday; day and night. Wherever, whenever. I will post my world phone number shortly. But I am hoping you lazy bumpkins can organize something for yourselves in a park somewhere and we can play and eat and drink and laugh. Teaching (for lack of a better word) is free.... If I don't hear back from anyone I will be on the telly as some guy doing wierd things alone in the park, wait...it's London, not exactly news is it? Again sorry for the bumpy ride in getting this one off the ground, it was sot of last minute add-on to the Holland Trip. See you soon Dan

Dear Dan,
I am a bit confused about a statement in your blog.You say that the teaching is free so if the training is free who gets the 135 euros?
I realise of course there are expenses.If you do reach for nothing I think you are extremely generous.
Cheers, Joe.

Joe Curran wrote: Dear Dan, I am a bit confused about a statement in your blog.You say that the teaching is free so if the training is free who gets the 135 euros? I realise of course there are expenses.If you do reach for nothing I think you are extremely generous. Cheers, Joe.

Joe
When I do these shindigs I sign on for just so many hours teaching in seminar (or a course as you blokes call them)
Aside of that, I typically teach 4 hours the day before and sometimes for two days after. I sight see during the day and train people at night. So someone could get 12 hours of extra face time with me in a small venue ...for free. I like to train. Some people call me a machine. Done right this training gives you energy.
On top of which I offer to cover a certain type of material, and I typically wander off the range into what some people call very interesting traditional and modern applications.

As far as money goes:
Number one; I do small venues with considerable hands on / not large gatherings where you basically get to watch the teacher.
Consider planning, proccessing, travel time to airports, flying, driving, hotels, food, training time before teaching two days of seminars (I usually teach from 9am -6pm for two days which is more than most) then sometimes two extra half days, and the driving, flying home, airport parking fees and driving home. I have been known to do 4 - 6, eleven hour days all for the prce of the seminar. Many of those people are Aikiweb members. It is common for people to start wandering away or sitting and laying down at 6pm as we just keep on going!
You do the math. I stopped calculating an hourly rate... because quite frankly, it's depressing.
I love what I do and I am enjoying the results in other peoples eyes and in their letters to me.
As for generous, well, I'll leave that up to my critics and friends..or my critical friends...(trust me, no one minds telling me how they feel)...to comment on. I'm doing the best I can manage.
All the best
Dan

Dan Harden wrote: Joe When I do these shindigs I sign on for just so many hours teaching in seminar (or a course as you blokes call them) Aside of that, I typically teach 4 hours the day before and sometimes for two days after. I sight see during the day and train people at night. So someone could get 12 hours of extra face time with me in a small venue ...for free. I like to train. Some people call me a machine. Done right this training gives you energy. On top of which I offer to cover a certain type of material, and I typically wander off the range into what some people call very interesting traditional and modern applications. As far as money goes: Number one; I do small venues with considerable hands on / not large gatherings where you basically get to watch the teacher. Consider planning, proccessing, travel time to airports, flying, driving, hotels, food, training time before teaching two days of seminars (I usually teach from 9am -6pm for two days which is more than most) then sometimes two extra half days, and the driving, flying home, airport parking fees and driving home. I have been known to do 4 - 6, eleven hour days all for the prce of the seminar. Many of those people are Aikiweb members. It is common for people to start wandering away or sitting and laying down at 6pm as we just keep on going! You do the math. I stopped calculating an hourly rate... because quite frankly, it's depressing. I love what I do and I am enjoying the results in other peoples eyes and in their letters to me. As for generous, well, I'll leave that up to my critics and friends..or my critical friends...(trust me, no one minds telling me how they feel)...to comment on. I'm doing the best I can manage. All the best Dan

Dear Dan,
Thanks for your comments.Have a good time in London.All the best , Joe.

world phone while I am here
06-57377319
Don't call me for the next three hours I will be sleeping
See you soon
Dan

Hi Dan

Do we have a meeting place for Mid Friday morning yet

Looking forward to meeting you

Cheers MIck

In Green park with Dan H & a few others training for the next few hours. Dans new number is 07771114892 if u need to call us. See the rest of the UK guys tomorrow.

Hope Dan got there all right and didn't have any trouble with tickets... <duck, run>

have fun you all, kvaak
Pauliina

To my British fellow trainees, tell Dan he forgot his world phone cable at my place (in case he's going frikkin mad) and that I'll send it to his home address.

I'll post my impressions of the Dutch seminar in a few days. I need to catch up with family first after spending almost a week with Dan. Family and sleep. I'm exhausted but thrilled.

Pauliina Lievonen wrote: Hope Dan got there all right and didn't have any trouble with tickets... <duck, run> have fun you all, kvaak Pauliina

Behh.. I'm sure it'll be fine. If anything, he'll just 'spiral' a bunch and helicopter off into the sunset on his own

Just wanted people to know that there are reviews of the London training over at Rum Soaked Fist.

This is the post by LazyBoxer.
http://rumsoakedfist.org/viewtopic.p...art=15#p247019

Well, I'd say it went pretty damn well!

Not only is Dan an extremely likeable, open and friendly guy, he's a wonderful teacher - not just a mere passer-on of information, of which there are, sadly, all too many in this world. He knows how to open you up to yourself so you can internalize the material and play with it, not just turn into another clever copycat.

As for the material - it's all about understanding and training the six harmonies, developing the spiral body, joining the energy connections through a connected structure, and applying it all through the martial function. For example, I'm now learning how properly to

A) develop dantian in the 6 directions through applying daoyin leading-through-extending/stretching principles, not just that old chestnut of "sinking qi" (that only works in sitting meditation, and results in a very different type of development, not internal power)

B) open the body from the front while releasing from the reverse spinal bow - WITHOUT letting the chest blow out (by allowing the ribcage to open laterally), and applying it to create splitting force. (The mystery of Zhang Zhaodong's weird santishi revealed!)

Image)

C) open not only to release, but also to store; and close not just to store, but also release (this is of tremendous importance - why have I never heard it before?)

These are all aspects of advanced mental training in areas where I've been blocked, but Dan makes it so accessible (my God, he actually SHOWS it to you in his own body - I got to cop several intimate feels on his gigantic frame, as can any anyone else who's interested in that sort of thing - so there's no mystery about what should be happening to the bones, muscles etc. to develop IP.)

In playing, he can be as soft and gentle as you want, or if you prefer to play rough can hit like 100 sledgehammers while hardly moving (though always with a smile). One of our lot (mostly Aikidoka, plus a handful of RSF crew) was sent over 30 feet at extreme velocity and could only stop by collapsing and rolling, all from a mere 3-4 inches push.

I could go on, but I don't want to sound like a cheerleader. Thanks for your insights, enthuasiasm and kindness, Dan. Please come back again soon.

Mark Murray wrote: Just wanted people to know that there are reviews of the London training over at Rum Soaked Fist. This is the post by LazyBoxer. http://rumsoakedfist.org/viewtopic.p...art=15#p247019 Well, I'd say it went pretty damn well! Not only is Dan an extremely likeable, open and friendly guy, he's a wonderful teacher - not just a mere passer-on of information, of which there are, sadly, all too many in this world. He knows how to open you up to yourself so you can internalize the material and play with it, not just turn into another clever copycat. As for the material - it's all about understanding and training the six harmonies, developing the spiral body, joining the energy connections through a connected structure, and applying it all through the martial function. For example, I'm now learning how properly to A) develop dantian in the 6 directions through applying daoyin leading-through-extending/stretching principles, not just that old chestnut of "sinking qi" (that only works in sitting meditation, and results in a very different type of development, not internal power) B) open the body from the front while releasing from the reverse spinal bow - WITHOUT letting the chest blow out (by allowing the ribcage to open laterally), and applying it to create splitting force. (The mystery of Zhang Zhaodong's weird santishi revealed!) Image) C) open not only to release, but also to store; and close not just to store, but also release (this is of tremendous importance - why have I never heard it before?) These are all aspects of advanced mental training in areas where I've been blocked, but Dan makes it so accessible (my God, he actually SHOWS it to you in his own body - I got to cop several intimate feels on his gigantic frame, as can any anyone else who's interested in that sort of thing - so there's no mystery about what should be happening to the bones, muscles etc. to develop IP.) In playing, he can be as soft and gentle as you want, or if you prefer to play rough can hit like 100 sledgehammers while hardly moving (though always with a smile). One of our lot (mostly Aikidoka, plus a handful of RSF crew) ...was sent over 30 feet at extreme velocity and could only stop by collapsing and rolling, all from a mere 3-4 inches push. I could go on, but I don't want to sound like a cheerleader. Thanks for your insights, enthuasiasm and kindness, Dan. Please come back again soon.

Good God did we have fun. Up to three in the morning most nights, training. It was fun training with students of some of the Chinese big dogs in the same room with Aikido-ka. And this time around some were displaying they had been practicing...Good news!! The technical conversations are getting better as well since they are out meeting others teaching internals.

The thirty foot toss out power display is not something I am interested in or practice doing. I've done it before and it is funny to watch them try to catch their balance as their body acceleration is faster than their feet till they roll out, sometimes twice. I consider it non-martial and just plain stupid. I guess if I was fighting on a platform it would make sense, but on a battle field or in a bar....you'd have to be an idiot.
It's sort of like the guys who were trying to discuss weapons as store and release here on Aikiweb and I got so much heat for telling them they were nuts to even try that crap on someone truly competent with weapons. People are so hung up on power that they never get more high level material. I remember a room full of Aikido-ka thinking it was great, and eight Koryu people standing there and shaking their heads saying er....uhm...NO!!
Good grief how much power do you need? What in thee hell are you cutting? Store to store, instead of store and release, and keeping the power in you- cuts through 3" trees without releasing power. It stays in you. It's sort of like spiraling and having each one reach a terminus instead of flowing in a non-stop return. All the energy is contained and can go either way back and forth in continouos rapidity. As I showed one fellow being caught up in it-it can feel like your teeth are rattling in your head when it snaps back and forth. As a strategy, I want to keep your body under control to kick and hit and throw...or to keep your weapon in check to engage, not cast you away just to come back with a weapon. Turns out that a few of the ICMA guys told me that CXW and Hei Jinbao say the same thing. That, casting power display stuff isn't the real martial stuff, but newbies get caught up with it.
Anyway, great fun and serious training by an increasingly educated and practical crowd. These guys are workers!
It was the dogs bollocks
Going back in the spring
Dan

Dan Harden wrote: It was the dogs bollocks Going back in the spring Dan

"Dogs bollocks" . . . er, I am hopeful you can translate this term as a practitioner of the Queen's English, to avoid some of the translation issues mentioned in another thread . . .

I've heard from others at the seminar. . . hope to see you there next spring.

Cheers.

Thomas Campbell wrote: "Dogs bollocks" . . . er, I am hopeful you can translate this term as a practitioner of the Queen's English, to avoid some of the translation issues mentioned in another thread . . . I've heard from others at the seminar. . . hope to see you there next spring. Cheers.

Hi Bud
Hey....I was told it was a good thing. But those bastards have a great deal of fun... at my expense! Oh do I have good stories...all with me ending up beet red as they laugh their butts off at me!!
The English are reserved....yeah right!

Not to distract from the thread . . . but there does appear to have been some scholarly consideration of the etymology of the term. See, for example,

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/dog's%20bollocks.html

Some aspect of that etymology may be suitable for emblemation in a token of appreciation that the British folks may have on hand next spring . . . hmmm, I don't think that would be difficult to arrange . . .

Seriously, though, that is an interesting and important point you make about store-and-release. As a one-shot demonstration it is impressive . . . but also misleading in the sense of combat usage under pressure.

Overall the London seminar seems like it was a great experience, following closely on the successful Netherlands gig. Good stuff.

It was a fantastic weekend indeed; the Friday was great in the park with one highlight being when, it having been dark for some time, we decided to pack up and whilst Dan collected his belongings from the pile of coats/bags/etc and a small group of us were stood around him we had a police van and spotlight asking us what was going on. I'm assuming they turned up to protect the poor little american guy from getting beaten up by the english thugs...

Enjoyed the training immensely, having spent a reasonable chunk of my spare time putting effort in to the solo work does lend yourself to some self doubt when there's no immediate feedback and I don't think I was alone in fearing Dan looking at me and asking "What have you been doing these last months?!". Instead it was gratifying to find that getting back in to more partner exercises and getting some direction and feedback it was clear that progress was being made; not "there" by any means but at least it means that the first step has been in the right direction.

One of the great things about Dan is that he's likeable, fun, interesting guy and he keeps the mood light and enjoyable but he won't hesitate to point out where you're wrong and whilst he doesn't mince words he's quick and precise in offering constructive feedback. I know I suck, I only object to being told it though when someone hasn't got something constructive to accompany the criticism; Dan falls firmly in to the category of people who have valuable criticism, teaching and direction to offer.

On the non-training front there was a great social atmosphere with some good eating and some good drinking; I'm looking forward to another meet up in the spring of next year and hoping to see and feel the same, if not more, growth in myself as well as the others as I felt this time when compared to May.

Cheers
Rich