right i thought i'd be brave and make the 1st post.

I guess it should be an introductions thread where users can all say hi and give a little bit of info about themselves.

Names Andy, I'm 29, soon to be 30

been training in combat jujitsu for jsut over a year, my first venture into martial arts, really enjoy, love learning as much as i can in the self defence arena as well as bit and pieces from MMA.

i'm a personal trainer

from salisbury in wiltshire

thats about it

Nice one Andy

Im Richard, Im also soon to be turning 30

I love all kinds of martial arts, traditional, modern and mixed

I like eating pies and making DVDs

Richie

what are you favourite pies?

is there going to be a pie eating dvd released in the future?

Steak Pie, tasty and full of protein

I may well release a pie eating secrets series one day

come on folks lets have your introductions

This is Loki, the guy who writes those articles on the site

Hi, I'm Adam.

Started training 1994, aged 21. I started in Kickboxing and Escrima, but it's been pretty freestyle since. My instructor and I finally took the step of launching our own club and system in 2004 called Five Star Martial Arts. It's intended to be RBSD using primarily, though not entirely simple kickboxing tools. We're based in the East Midlands.

Richie is coming to do us a seminar in April wihch we're all looking forward to.

Hi, im Ben. (obviously)

By the looks of things im the youngest on here lol. Im 18, soon to be 19, from Birmingham. I havn't done any form of training as of yet, but im interested in starting boxing or something similar, although other martial arts have caught my eye.

Anyway that seem about it for now, see everyone later.

Hi

I am from Worcestershire in the UK, I have been training in Krav Maga for about 12 months.
I am new to the martial arts scene, and am keen to try lots of different techniques.
Due to this I have had a few TKD lessons and been to a taster Wing Chun session, along with a KAPAP seminar, which was fun.
I have been to an SAS Street Fight Secrets seminar with Richie and Bob, and I cant speak highly enough of them, the seminar was right ace!

Anyway, hi folks!!

PPP=PPP

Well I guess so far I feel like a senior citizen! I'm 51. I live near Dallas, Texas USA. My Dad was a Police Officer and started me Western Boxing around age 8. At age 18 I started training Isshinryu Karate and trained quite hard for about 6 years receiving my 2nd degree Brown Belt.
Unfortunatly marraige and "life" got in the way and was not able to continue my martial arts training. However, I was able to continue a regular physical fitness program
Around 10-11 years ago I was able to return to Martial Arts. I was able to pick back up fairly quickly and after 4 years I was promoted to 2nd degree Black Belt.
I started getting interested in Self Protection about 5 or 6 years ago. I bought some DVD's from some well known WW II Combatives instructors over here in the States. I started training myself ( with the help of a BOB and a Iron Palm Bag ) and haven't stopped since.
I also started JKD 4 years ago, Muay 'Thai and BJJ 2 years ago.
Currently, I train Combatives on Mondays (at home), Muay Thai on Tuesdays, BJJ on Thursdays and Saturdays and JKD on Fridays. Fortunatly I have a very understanding family!
I came across Richard's website sometime ago and have bought SAS FS and Combat Head Control DVD's. Great Material!! Bob and Richard are absolutly great. The techniques and mental approach to dealing with violent encounters are as good as it gets.
Anyway, I've gone on far too long. Best to all!

Hey Guys,
My names Ben.. (Its such a good name theres 2 of us here!)

I am 23 and live in Australia, I am a bouncer on the weekends and have been at this bar for aobut 8 months.. in the past i've done other security like shopping centres, golf clubs.. etc.. even guarding a hole in a wall at a big hardware store!.. but have had very little real experience, grandmas don't cause much trouble

Now that i've been working in a bar I could never go back to working the boring crap security jobs.. I have learnt so much and have been in several confrontations, the place im at isn't hugely violent, but we get things every now and then... the place went off for a few months at one time.. and I was in the middle of a few big brawls having to drag out people bigger than me.. I am a bit solid but quite small compared to most bouncers.. and i've got to test out some things.. some didn't work, some worked well.. some I invented on the spot.. the best and most important learnings i've had are using the fence, positioning myself advantageously and the psychology and communication.. and also learning to deal with the fear.. when I started I would freeze up when I was getting abused or somebody got aggressive.. now I just talk to them, joke around, and if needed I can give it back which has at times caused them to back off.. the guys I work with have commented several times on my change since i've been there..

I haven't had anything really serious.. it seems alot to the normal timid people, but i'm getting used to it.. just a few brawls, punches thrown at me, headbutted when I didn't let a guy in, somebody trying to hit me with a glass and me smashing it on the floor out of his hands, being abused quite alot and called many names, but they arent very creative and always have the same few names usually, and being capsicum sprayed by the police.. fuck that was painful!..

I may type up some of these experiences later on and what I learnt from them..

I also will give Richie a big thanks for his material.. especially the psychology of violence cd's.. they have helped me alot.. the mental work I did with that material has helped me with the fear and to intimidate a guy who is actually an Australian Amateur Boxing Champ and make him back off when he threatened me on the street the day after he was thrown out of the bar I work at.. also the material on the fence and the prefight stuff has helped me alot and made me alot more confident with dealing with confrontation in general.. and helped me stop fights even before they begin..

I say all this to show the effect of what i've learnt from Streetfightsecrets.com material.. i've just been watching Violent Intent dvd1.. and its really got me thinking.. the psychology in it I feel will take me to the next level i've been looking for..

Unfortunately its hard to find good training partners here.. I organized 2 new guys to train 2 days this week and they both didn't show up.. unfortunately the people are all talk.. so its only a little bit of solo training for me, which doesn't motivate me as much, I get sick of it too quick without others to train with..

As for martial arts.. I got a TKD blackbelt when I was 17.. but found out it was useless when I was attacked by 2 guys.. and since then i've trained in a freestyle martial art, in a few traditional arts now and then (found them very lacking) and Close Quarter Combat with Glenn Zwiers, and my biggest learnings were studying with a friend who has been a fighter all his life and done security for years.. he has taught me more than training in any other system.. but he has moved away to another state to work, so my main influence is gone.. now i'm on my own with training.. because all the training in my town is fantasy based

Anyway guys when I get typing I can go on forever.. I have a few things I will post in the next few days, or later tonight, but for now i've been invited over to a girls place and will go and see her so she can entertain me..

-Ben

Hello All,
I was a member of this forum previously and would say that Richie gives sound advice on all aspects of self protection.I've been doing Krav Maga for two years now and previously did mauy thai when I was a youth, I'm now 40!
I have trust in this site and the no nonsense techniques.. palm heel strikes are not to be sniffed at.Currently out of action with trapped nerve in neck ( not nice) but can't wait to get back into things.
Good luck all.

Hiya Adam- looking forward to meting you at the Birkenhead "Street Fight Essentials" seminar next saturday mate!

young Ben- welcome to the forum

older Ben- looking forward to hearing your stories mate

HK47... you've been to a seminar- which one were you?

Kieron- welcome back

NCW- thanks for the compliment and welcome on board

not actually coming up on the 1st. The date was tricky for me so, as we've got the April 5th seminar down here sorted, it's not going to be till then we meet.

oh yeah

goddamn im such a dizzy fucker... thats why we organised the seminar down your way isnt it?

yeah so anyway, I teach SP awareness and stuff and I dont actually really know my own schedule

let this be a lesson to all: if you have organised anything with me keep reminding me!

I was at the October 2007 seminar in Nuneaton, I was the guy with the strapped hand!! Sat to Bobs left on the group pic.

Great day!

Shame im going to miss the seminar in March!!

Hopefully there might be some more??