I can still remember the first time I trained with Makoto.
It was a seminar hosted by my Karate sensei. I had already trained in Arnis, Muay Thai, Karate, Kung Fu, Judo & Jiu Jitsu and thought I knew how to take care of myself.
The movement I saw from Makoto and the instructors who were there to assist was like nothing I had ever seen before. He taught a knife clinic, basic knife tapping with some dumog elbow controls to head butts and elbows. But like I said it was not the techniques it was the quality of the movement that struck me as being unique.
The following week I called Makoto at home and scheduled my first class with him for the following Saturday. That weekend I packed up my equipement and made the trip to T.O. to take a private lesson with Makoto.
The first thing Makoto had me do was shadow box so that he could see how I move. I exploded with everything I had (trying to impress him). When I was done he looked at me and said my movement was all fire and earth (I will explain the elements in another post, let’s just say explosive hands and very grounded feet).
Then he did some hand sparring with me. Both of us put on boxing gloves ,the goal of the drill was to try to hit the other persons hand without letting them touch yours. I did not get anywhere near him. It was like nothing I ever experienced. His footwork and understanding of spacial relationship were amazing.
He then taught me a basic espada y daga sequence from Inosanto Kali to help me with my footwork and to get me to see other angles of attack besides the punches and hooks from boxing.I now understand that he taught me this drill based on the way he saw me move.
My JKD adventure was just beginning but I was hooked.
Makoto Kabayama's website
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