Class with Michael Janich and training with Mark G.

[Fred Sanford]

Last night I had the pleasure of training with Mark G., while being instructed by Michael Janich in a class of about 20 people.

I drove about 3 hours to Columbus for the class which was from 6pm to 10pm and then drove back home.

It was awesome and I want to do it again. It was the first time that I've ever been to anything like this and it was just unreal. It opened my eyes greatly to improvised weapons along with knives and flashlights. I never knew how much you could do with a flashlight or pen or marker in a dire situation if needed.

Mark G. was my partner the entire night and I really appreciated his help. He helped me with a ton of stuff. I was a total novice and he was not. Hopefully it was not super boring for him due to me. I also met Michael Cook there last night and it was real good to put a face with a name.

It was real nice to meet Michael Janich. Until taking the class I really underestimated what he could do. Not that I ever doubted him but I forget that you cannot tell what a person can do just by how they look. Michael just looks like an average Joe but is incredible. He's a great guy and knows what he's doing like crazy. He helped me personally on a couple of occasions last night as there was only about 20 people in the class. His skill is amazing.

I wish to say thanks very much to both Michael Janich for the class and also to Mark G. for training with me all night. It was a big help.

I also wish to thank Dave Holloway from Grove City Karate and one of his students "Brian". Brian was Michael Janich's partner all night and took a heck of a beating. :)

On a side note, I realized something last night that I'd not realized before. After getting out and doing real life stuff it made me realize that trash talking on the forums and/or being all "gung ho" for one company or another is not cool. I've participated in the past and been very "fanboyish" towards certain things. Not anymore. It made me remember that there is real life and then there is talking on the forums.

And for those that wonder if I'm sore...? Heck yes. I didn't think that 4 hours of stuff like that would make me sore, but it did.

Oh yeah....Mark, my arm is all black and blue and sore. :D It was fun however and I'd do it again anytime.

[Cameron23]

Oh how I wish I could swing some training right now.

For all those there and who learned so much, and had a great time...u stink! And you shouldn't be able to talk about it. :D

JUST KIDDING

Sounds like it was great.

On your side note: I think most of use have fallen victim to this at one point or another in the past. It shows that we're passionate and interested in the subject. But we do have to be careful about what we hang our hat on.

On a side note, I realized something last night that I'd not realized before. After getting out and doing real life stuff it made me realize that trash talking on the forums and/or being all "gung ho" for one company or another is not cool. I've participated in the past and been very "fanboyish" towards certain things. Not anymore. It made me remember that there is real life and then there is talking on the forums.

Cameron

[Michael Cook]

:spyder: I just got home from the seminar (8 hour drive back to madison.) It was great. Beyond great. Just Awesome.

I rank Mr. Janich with Jigoro Kano, Ueshiba Morihei O sensei and Gichin Funakoshi as a true master level teacher.

After nearly 10 years of Aikido as well as regular wing chun and eskrima play I thought I had a pretty good pain threshold as well as good familiarity with pinning techniques. After knocking me to the ground as easily as one would a drunken koala bear with inner ear damage he proceeded to pin my arm to the ground using just his legs and leverage compress my bicep and bone so much I thought I was going to have a stroke or brain aneurism. I was helplessly thrashing about pinned to the ground like Darryl Hannah in "Blade runner" while screaming and laughing uncontrollably at the same time (I don't know why I laugh when I really get torqued/pressure pointed, I can't help it. ) When he let me up everyone had stopped training and was just staring as if I'd sprouted eyes on stalks. I couldn't walk right I had such a fast and overwhelming endorphin dump from the pain. It was great! :p

Mr. Janich is the only teacher I've met who is instantly and completely able to answer and demonstrate any monkey-wrenching type of question I come up with. I'd say "what if the guy does this?" and he'd say "just do this!" and I'd say AAAAAUGHRRRRGH!!!! and aquire a new bruise as well as some additional wisdom and humility.

Equally impressive is that he can resolve so many improvised problems using his VERY refined and simple system's responses. Mr. Janich uses a very few, very usable and street applicable responses to a HUGE number attacks and situations, much like a master chef who can prepare ANY dish with just a paring and French knife. Instead of filling student's heads with as many techniques as possible he gives a few techniques that work against as many situations as imaginable. The dude lives at the intersection right where bad meets ***.

Also, it was great to meet Mark again, as well as Dave! :spyder:

[markg]

I am jealous Mike... I wished I could have stayed the whole weekend, however it was a busy weekend of work. Sounds like you guys had lots of fun. I am hoping that next time, he is here, I can clear the whole weekend. The training is great, and it is fun to meet new people and catch up with old friends.

[Michael Janich]

Dear David and Michael:

Thank you both for your kind words and for coming out to train in Ohio. I had an awesome time training with our group and was happy to be able to move at a faster-than-normal pace.

David, for a first-timer, you did great and applied yourself diligently to everything we did. Great job! I also really appreciate your comment regarding the difference between posting on a forum and actually getting out on the mat to train. It takes a lot of character to admit when you've been "off-base" and even more to set things straight with decisive action. I really hope to have the opportunity to train with you again.

Michael, it's always a blast training with you and Andrew. You guys constantly experiment and push the envelope, keeping me on my toes and keeping the group energy peaked. Your ability to laugh and wince at the same time while playing bruise monkey for my technique is also remarkable--thank you. While I would never consider myself on par with ANY of the martial artists you mentioned in your post, I truly appreciate the sentiment and your enthisiasm for what I do.

I hope I have the opportunity to train with you and the other folks from the Ohio class again soon. It was one of my most enjoyable seminars to date!

Stay safe,

Mike

[Mr Blonde]

Great stuff, I wish I was there. I only get to talk to Michael about once a year for a few minutes at the IWA show, among many other people crowding the Blackhawk booth. I'd love to experience a class.

About the forum thing, I don't mind the fan-thing -hey we are in a niche (one brand) forum after all- up to the point that it comes to putting others down. Conversely, I think it's sad that some knife magazines these days feel the need to paint internet forums with a broad brush and put them down.

Wouter

[Fred Sanford]

Thank you Michael. Much appreciated.

[2edgesword]

David, thanks for sharing your experience at the seminar.

I made the long trip from NY to attend the four day Martial Blade Camp hosted by Michael Janich in Estes Park, CO back in 2005. Since there were no direct flights to Denver from my local airport it was two legs of flying with a layover in Chicago, shuttle from the airport to the rental car facility and then a two hour drive from Denver to Estes Park (about ten hours total travel time from my home to the Estes Park facility).

The first year was testing the waters with the question "let's see if it's worth the time and expense" going through my head (as well as the headache I had the first day as a result of the change in altitude). That question was answer in spades and I made the trip in 2006 and again in 2007 (and suffered the headaches both years).

Miracles do not happen in a weekend but Michael's has found a way to pack just the right mix of logical, sequential instruction and hands on training into his seminars so that with a moderate amount of effort you can walk away from one of these seminars with a solid foundation of basic skill sets to build on when you get home.

Michael is not only a gifted martial artist but a tremendous teacher, and while he may know a thousand ways to skin the cat (sorry cat lovers) the focus of his training seminars is (IMHO) to distill those thousand ways down to a few that the average Joe or Jane can with practice learn to effectively utilize.

While the basics can be touched on in a long weekend there are a wealth of useful techniques and training drills in the MBC system Michael has developed that will futher enhance your knife skills, with many of those skills translating into effective empty hand techniques.

No, this is not a paid for advertisement :) but a very sincere recommendation that if you have an opportunity to attend one of Michae's seminars it will be well worth the time, energy and expense to attend.

[Fred Sanford]

...Michael is not only a gifted martial artist but a tremendous teacher, and while he may know a thousand ways to skin the cat (sorry cat lovers) the focus of his training seminars is (IMHO) to distill those thousand ways down to a few that the average Joe or Jane can with practice learn to effectively utilize.
...

I wanted to add a +1 to this statement. He is also a very patient, humorous, and well spoken. He makes things very fun.

He did have a trainer model of the Blackhawk Crucible (click the blue text) there that Friday night. I would eventually like to grab the "live" version and give it some EDC time. I like the looks of it. Looks very comfy. It has sort of a "Native like" blade with a thumbstud instead.

[Dr. Snubnose]

I wanted to add a +1 to this statement. He is also a very patient, humorous, and well spoken. He makes things very fun.

He did have a trainer model of the Blackhawk Crucible (click the blue text) there that Friday night. I would eventually like to grab the "live" version and give it some EDC time. I like the looks of it. Looks very comfy. It has sort of a "Native like" blade with a thumbstud instead.

The Blackhawk Crucible is a neat little folder.....Now if only someone could convince the people at Blackhawk that they need to produce a Wharnie, somewhat similiar to the Ronin...for some reason they don't believe in the cutting and penetration power and value of a good wharncliffe blade....silly people!!!!!.....Somebody needs to tell them different!!!!! Doc :D

[Michael Cook]

The Blackhawk Crucible is a neat little folder.....Now if only someone could convince the people at Blackhawk that they need to produce a Wharnie, somewhat similiar to the Ronin...for some reason they don't believe in the cutting and penetration power and value of a good wharncliffe blade....silly people!!!!!.....Somebody needs to tell them different!!!!! Doc :D

:spyder: If they don't listen to Michael Janich I'm not hopeful, one can't wake a person who's pretending to be asleep. :spyder:

[Michael Janich]

I've had a BlackHawk wharnie designed and "in development" for more than two years. It will happen, just not as quickly as I had hoped...

You can't keep a good idea down.

Stay safe,

Mike