PATRICK McCARTHY VA - Part II

[Bill Glasheen]

We have pictures... Unfortunately Patrick came on last-minute notice, and my son has 3 basketball games to make up this week from ice and snow cancellations. So it'll take a while for me to edit and post the pics I have.

It'll also take me a while to absorb all that Patrick said.

But I'll start this thread with a few quick impressions.

1) Patrick and I are so much on the same page, that it's scary! On many, many levels.

2) Patrick even talks too much when he teaches - just like me! Don't get me wrong though. If you listen carefully to what he said... As another glib Irishman, I feel I am a master at separating those who fill time with bull$hit, and those who truly fall in the category of having too little time to communicate way too much material. Patrick falls in the later category. Every word was carefully chosen, and every thought was relevant. And he spoke a mile a minute. Bottom line - it could take years of working with a guy like this (even at a very advanced level) to tap all that his active and deep mind has inside.

3) Like me, Patrick has a great BS filter for the chi-ster stuff. He knows and understands TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), but he sees it for what it is. And more often than not, he'll used the western medicine anatomical language - and understanding - to talk about what he is doing. His kyusho/tuite knowledge is deep, thoughtful, and refreshingly lean and to the point.

4) Patrick spent many years studying good karate from many good teachers. He also spent quite a bit of time banging in the ring. He's the real deal. So when I see him do stuff, I see a level of understanding and an ability to execute that only the sharper martial minds can appreciate. Don't get me wrong; I think everyone was impressed. However I don't know if they knew just how "for real" he is.

5) Patrick's a good man on many levels.

6) Patrick is a big man in many ways. And he has a refreshing, self-deprecating sense of humor about himself and the world around him.

7) This man knows many languages and many cultures. It is part of the reason why he was able to synthesize and filter as well as he has over time.

8 ) Patrick has a great understanding of violence (through his "habitual acts of violence" material) and the general utility of good kata for dealing with this.

9) Patrick spent almost all his time on Naihanshi. For those who don't know, it is an Okinawan classic. But what he showed in terms of how "human movement" is represented in kata with this form was easy (for me) to see as universal to all good kata.

10) Patrick spent some time working with Uechi Kanei both before and after visits to China. Very interesting... Enough said - for now.

All in all a good time.

- Bill

[MikeK]

Bill, at dinner we had a nice discussion with Mr. McCarthy about your favorite chi master. You may want to send him the experiment that you did. Also he's a fan of superempei (sp?) too.

[chef]

Wish you could have made it to the dinner, Bill....very enlightening and great fun was had by all.

Other aspects of Patrick McCarthy is that he very congenial to be around.
He is an incredibly well-rounded individual that has life experiences on so many different levels other than karate.

His has a great sense of humor and laughs at who he is along that path. Humor is such a needed and necessary characteristic in life and in teaching others life skills.

One very unusual characteristic and often not seen in long time MA's is a priority to family over martial arts. He comes across as a very devoted father and husband, making sure family comes first. He brings his entire family in his travels to other countries. I really like that in him, even though it means we will not have the opportunity to see him next year for another Richmond seminar. He has promised his wife and family to take off next year and spend quality time with them. What a guy in every way!

Thank you, Patrick McCarthy, for taking the time out to stop off in Richmond and give us the ability to get to know you and enlighten us. Also thank you Bobby Whittemore and Al Taylor for all the hard work you did to get him here and to combine several different style for the sake of learning and sharing. We are blessed by the experience.

Thank you, Bill, for being a part of this and dissecting and analyzing such good 'stuff' presented.

Regards,
Vicki

[WY]

Howdy all,

Please excuse me for chiming in. I'm far more of a lurker than a poster (as can be seen from my post count).

It's great everyone enjoyed McCarthy Sensei's visit to VA. At the risk of sounding like a groupie, exposure to a little of PM's karate magic has totally changed my outlook on the martial arts (even though he doesn't like to call it "martial arts"). The depth of what he has to offer is quite staggering. Simply brilliant.

However, I can relate to Bill Sensei's comment about the talking. My brain always ends up a little soft and fuzzy after PM's been teaching.

Cheers,
Wayne Young

[Stryke]

Good to see your still around Wayne

I agree after a weekend seminar with Sensei McCarthy the minds mush , took me a couple of them to start getting used to retaining so much information , learnt how important taking notes is ....

The information keeps cropping up and coming back years later when little bits mesh into something new you might be trying .

Ive found this especially true lately when ive been playing with push hands , some of it was totally foreign and not even directly taught but was in there none the less .

Incredible Man McCarthy , So very down to earth knowledgable freindly helpful , and with his feet solid on terra firma , very approachable humble , and helpfull .

[MikeK]

The conversation at dinner was a lot of fun. It went from talk about chi-masters to raising kids. It was great to meet Bobby, Al and Ted Dinwiddie. It'd be nice to see everybody get together again for another outing or seminar. Thanks to all who put together one hell of a fun and informative night.

Patricks stories about meeting the old masters were great and pointed out how much they were just like the rest of us. Patrick was totally different from how I thought he'd be. Besides really knowing his stuff he is also funny and very approachable. He has great control of his technique. He also has the best Naihanchi bunkai I've seen. There was no grasping for straws to make a move work. Thanks Patrick for sharing yourself with us.

[Dana Sheets]

I'll be spending 2 1/2 days in seminar this weekend up in Frederick...can't hardly wait.

Dana

[chef]

Hey Dana, you are in for one great weekend treat....I am so envious.

You will get to meet Bobby Whittmore, one of my Shotokan instructors. I believe he said he was going to be there. More than likely je will be one of Mr. McCarthyis ukes.

Please send my regards to Mr. McCarthy and tell him we were honored to have his teach us.

Have a great time, Dana.

Regards,
Vicki

[WY]

Hi Marcus,

Was that you I saw posting on the KSL? Are you back in NZ now? I know a couple of Koryu Uchinadi instructors in Auckland and Hamilton (great guys, too). If you want, I can PM there details to you (if you don't know them already)

Cheers,
Wayne Young

[Ted Dinwiddie]

There were many positive aspects to this seminar. First and foremost, for me, is the high quality of the people I meet at these events; good and respectful people seeking knowledge together. I reconnected with folks from my past and intersected orbits with others who I see too rarely. I made new aquaintances that I value tremendously.

Mr. McCarthy demythologizes without disrespect. He has done a level of research that is awe inspiring and he has personal experience with impeccable pedigree. This man is a treasure. I am still digesting the gluttonous feast of material he eloquently spread before us. It was well worth the money and the drive. I regret not sharing food and drink afterward, but these times do not go on forever.

I look forward to the pictures (and additions to my reading list).

[MikeK]

2 1/2 days? You are really lucky. Dana, try to be his uke at least once. It's cool to see the stuff work, but really cool to feel it.

[Bill Glasheen]

Mike experienced something that you had to see to believe. In a sort of information dump in the last few minutes, Patrick showed an exercise that was (I believe) 72 possible orientations on a choke hold. Patrick took Mike and started clamping down, one choke after another.

And there was Mike, happily being squeezed, gagged, poked, twisted, and cranked.

Oooo, oowww, aacckkk, uuuggghhh, gggzzzeee, ooccckkk, aawwlll,....

By the time it was over, Mike was in endorphin heaven.

- Bill

[MikeK]

That was fun, and he's cracking little jokes while doing it. It was ouch, laugh, laugh, ouch, ouch, laugh.
Finger locks, pressure points, chokes, an ear bite(yes he bit my ear) and many other things in that drill. And no pain what so ever after he was done. I don't know what it looked like from your end Bill but there was a lot going on my end.

[Bill Glasheen]

I know what you mean, Mike.

Patrick understands the concept of flow from technique to technique - with an opponent in mind. We were chatting away about one of his experiences in China, going on a "tour" with other martial artists. While Patrick was being bored with the same-old, same-old of flipping and splitting wu shu acrobats, he began to wonder where he ever was going to find some old Chinese doing a form that he recognized. He kept coming up with nothing, no matter how hard the Chinese tried to woo him. Meanwhile some of the Goju folks from the entourage hissing away with their asthmatic sanchin breathing got the Chinese scratching their heads and wondering if the practitioners were sick.

Then he described how he intentionally went off the beaten path, and saw these everyday folks doing choreography and occasionally working with each other. He was intrigued. He then showed me how questioning of one of the fellows led him to being introduced to some smiling skinny kid who offered to "show him some stuff." Well then he showed me this sequence where the kid spit in his face, whacked his nuts, and then slapped his eardrums. The beauty of it all is that you feel yourself reacting to simple stuff, know that you are reacting to it, and remain one step behind what the practitioner intentionally is having you walk into. You know what just happened, but there wasn't much that you could do about it once the flow began. You were a victim of your own bodily reflexes.

Yea, there's a lot going on...

- Bill

[MikeK]

Bill, You're exactly right about the flow. Once it got going I didn't have to worry about resisting because while I was reacting to technique A, he had already started technique B. I think he only missed one pressure point on my arm, but even then while I was thinking about the miss he had moved onto the next two techniques. I wish we could have taped it as it would be cool to look at again knowing how each part felt.