Is it possible to set up a new moon base on the Big Island of Hawaii?
aloha fellow 10th planet enthusiasts!
My name is La'a and I was hoping to get some info on how to set up a new moon base here on the Big Island of Hawaii. I've been training (though not as consistant as I'd like) in jiu jitsu and mma for roughly 5 years and have always followed the 10th planet system. I had the privilege of working at the OTM in Oahu and immediately picked up a copy of the Rubber gaurd DVDs along with the Twister book. I found copies of the 10th planet all starts series online, and I'm eagerly awaiting the video version of the advanced rubber guard series.
One of the hardest things about mastering the system here in Hawaii is the lack of other 10th planet enthusiasts. BJJ is very popular in the islands, but most schools have direct lineage to the Gracie family. Although it's all politics and little application, the sad fact of the mater is that most schools utilize the gi and only the gi; which in my opinion is only logical given the extent that the gi and bjj in particular has had on both the grappling and mma world. However, true martial arts is about evolution, and with no gi becoming more and more of it's own form of grappling, unfortunately, in my opinion, the schools here in Hawaii have not kept up with the times. Yes gi tactics can be transfered over into no gi and see success, but the solidarity in philosophy when compared to the 10th planet system is nowhere near comparison; again, in my humble opinion. Thus there's a high influx of rubber guard haters, which is a fraction of the the total 10th planet system, and a low presence of people who genuinely wanna try to apply the time and effort necessary to master the system.
Do all moon bases need to have a certified instructor from HQ? Or would it be possible to set up a club atmosphere which will provide more of an honest opportunity and proper exposure to mastering these awesome techniques.
Are there any high ranking students at HQ who are looking to teach outside and prepare themselves for becoming a certified instructor? (someone whos a brown belt or higher:)
As cliche as it sounds the banner really supports the legitmacy of those who are genuinely or even moderately interested. I know that kinda dips into a commercial approach, and that alot of you are probably reading this saying if you have access to training partners and mats, this shouldn't be a problem with the proper motivation. While I respect that train of thought, I couldn't disagree more. I spent a great deal of money and time on a fully functional home gym where theres a 10 x 17 ft mat. I have mirrors and a thai bag, a heavy duty tarp canopy to protect us from the elements, and shop lights above to enable training during night or day. I've brought some of my friends who train with their respective gyms, and whenever I wanna spend time on 10th planet techniques or even adaptations I've seen on you tube, I hear the same excuses. "I'm not flexible enough, or I wanna spend time on legit jiu jitsu, and not all that fancy stuff." I think the reason why most people don't commit is 1) because the positions are more uncomfortable, and B) that there's something to be said about having a banner and the all knowing black belt, who certifies what techniques he or she sees applicable. For all those excuses that are given, almost everyone of those aforementioned jiujitsu practitioners will ooh and ahh at highlights of 10th planet practitioners, and yet not wanna aspire for the same within themselves. To combat the problem and keep myself busy, I constructed a pretty functional grappling dummy out of pvc pipe, metal cable line, sand, a shit load of tape, and flotation devices. It can stand, prone, and even maintain mission control, but it cannot provide real live defense. I'll post the pic when i take one so fellow practitioners can try their hand at it as well (I've had access to both the submission master from Title and the bubba grappling dummy and I think if you put in enough time, constructing your own will be far more supperior to a 50 pound pillow, or a 100 pound sand bag, the cost for all the supplies was roughly 125-150 bucks at lowes).
i'll probably cut and paste this to the master himself but if anyone else knows the proper protocol or more applicable lines of communication please reply...
ps this post is ridiculously long...
