Wansbeck Whippet Self Defence

Joined : 01 Oct 2007 Posts : 47

Hi

It is with some trepidation that I'm putting my website on here Smile

recently started advertising Self defence lessons and hope to get some business soon

http://whippetselfdefencelive.co.uk/index.html

Thanks

Subject: Re: Wansbeck Whippet Self Defence Sat Jun 21, 2008 9:46 pm

Hi Paul,
Nice, clean-cut website you got there. Well done; kudos on going for it.

Hey, there's no need for any trepidation on posting my friend. I wish you the best on your endeavor. I hope advertising here helps you out a bit.

Take care and good luck ("luck" meaning when preparation meets opportunity)...

Best Regards,
Lito
_________________
The essence of true love is purposeful effort.

True happiness is attained through fidelity to a worthy purpose.

Winners take chances and perceive pressure as a privilege.

Whatever you believe, it's true.

Subject: Re: Wansbeck Whippet Self Defence Sun Jun 22, 2008 1:21 am

Hi Paul

Nothing ventured nothing gained buddy, best of luck to you.

If you want to write an article with your views on self protection I will happily post it up on website Dunbar self defence, we get 1,000's of hits every month since we relaunched in april so it may bring some traffic to your site.

Alan

Joined : 01 Oct 2007 Posts : 47

Thanks both of you, its very much appreciated, this is something I've been working up to for a long time.

Alan I will happily take you up on your kind offer.

What do you two think of the whole half an hour thing? I've tested it on two small females who have started capoeira this year to see how they picked it up and I can tell you, both left the lessons with a great understanding and a usable technique.

Subject: Re: Wansbeck Whippet Self Defence Sun Jun 22, 2008 8:04 am

Hi Paul,
I think that half hour sessions are a bit on the short side and, as such, when I give private lessons, I do a minimum of an hour (with a short, efficient, combat-specific warm-up that takes only five minutes). With one-on-one and one-on-two private sessions, I feel an hour is a satisfactorily sufficient amount of time to give thorough, detailed visual/verbal instructions/demonstrations, hands-on technical fine-tuning, answer questions, and incorporate an ample amount of physical training on the skills taught. In an hour's time, I teach one to three physical skills (depending on a student's aptitude and attributes) and spend a good amount of time doing lots of reps and a variety of drills (incorporating the associated strategic and tactical concepts involved) in order to thoroughly instill/ingrain the skills I've taught that day and refine them when necessary. I just feel I can't satisfactorily do the above in half-an-hour's time. Now, I tend to be very detailed and technical with my explanations/demonstrations/corrections (heck, you see how long-winded I am with my posts Wink

); so if you are more concise and to the point than I, then stick with the option of half hour sessions if you sincerely feel you are accomplishing the objectives sought and giving your students their money's worth.

Oh FYI, in terms of group sessions, I do a minimum of 90 minutes (again, with short, efficient, combat-specific warm-ups). The half hour increase, from private to group sessions, is to have the time to give each student in class some personal attention.

Anyway, good luck pal and always remember to put your students first, treating/training them how you'd like to be treated/trained. Keep in mind, they're spending their hard earned money to learn something worthwhile from you.

Take Care,
Lito
_________________
The essence of true love is purposeful effort.

True happiness is attained through fidelity to a worthy purpose.

Winners take chances and perceive pressure as a privilege.

Whatever you believe, it's true.

Joined : 01 Oct 2007 Posts : 47

I have to say that would never teach more than three people in a half hour session. For the half an hour I teach them one move (normally palm heel) and then drill it so they can do it hard and under pressure and as a reaction to stimuli.

I must admit I got the idea from singing lessons. I started them to improve my capoeira singing and they're only half an hour long and I one day I thought: why not half an hour self defence lessons.... so I worked out if it was fee sable, tested it on a couple of friends who didn't have much MA background and I like the results.

Subject: Re: Wansbeck Whippet Self Defence Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:59 am

Hi Paul,
It's all good then...

Hey, on another tangent, you stated you took singing lessons to improve your singing for capoeira. Funny you should mention that; back in college many moons ago, I studied capoeira for a short time and was enjoying it (ginga and all) BUT I quit because I didn't like the singing involved. God has blessed me with lots of attributes but singing definitely isn't one of them. Anyway, I was very embarrassed to sing in front of others and would always get that sick "butterflies-in-the-stomach" feeling whenever we had to do it. I told the instructors about my bad singing voice and extreme shyness singing in front of others. They listened but firmly told me that if I didn't participate in the singing, I didn't get to train. Well, with that, I opted out and moved on to savate and pentjak silat (thank God, there was no singing involved in those two systems Smile

). I just don't like to sing in front of others. Only my wife and kids are UN-privileged to hear me belt out kid's songs... Smile

Take Care,
Lito
_________________
The essence of true love is purposeful effort.

True happiness is attained through fidelity to a worthy purpose.

Winners take chances and perceive pressure as a privilege.

Whatever you believe, it's true.

Joined : 01 Oct 2007 Posts : 47

Singing is a big thing in Capoeira. The good old slaves didn't only have to contend with mugging but also severe quality of life and so Capoeira by necessity had to combat that as well as host effective combat moves.

I used to say to a group I used to train with

'Why if you don't want to sing.... HAVE YOU PICKED THE ONLY MARTIAL ART IN THE WORLD TO DO THAT INVOLVES SINGING?????'

The main reply I got was, 'I like the rest of it.'

I have a voice like a foghorn, one reason for trying to improve through lessons. But trust me m mate you don't need to be a singer to start Capoeira. I know people who have gotten to Professor and managed to avoid a great deal of singing...

In modern day terms the singing isn't really as important but for a couple of areas. I always said that the sooner you start singing the sooner you stop feeling like a berk, worked for me. And if everyone sings at the same time no one notices how bad you are Very Happy

Also it looks terrible if you take a group to do a performance and half of them whimper their way through it, I can think of nothing more embarrassing than being part of such a performance, though I'm glad to say that this has been avoided for the vast majority of the performances I've taken part in.

Subject: Re: Wansbeck Whippet Self Defence Tue Jul 01, 2008 11:38 am

Read Paul's article HERE

Alan