This training tips video gives more information about typical training sessions and what to expect on an OCFM training camp. OCFM is the Open Circle Fighting Method, the system I teach.

It is for anyone thinking about coming to train in person, and for students who want to understand the thinking behind how we train.

The Approach Behind The Training

The way you train decides what you can do under pressure. So our training is built around a few ideas that run through every session:

  • Principles over techniques. Understand why something works and you can use it in many situations.
  • Balance first. Taking the balance makes everything else easier.
  • Relaxed power. Hit hard without tension, using the whole body.
  • Pressure testing. Techniques are built slowly, then tested with movement and resistance.
  • Safety. Control and respect for training partners at all times.

How Skills Are Built

A technique is not something you see once and then own. In training we build skills in stages. First the shape and location, slowly and with a cooperative partner. Then speed. Then movement. Then a partner who resists. Each stage only moves on when the one before it is solid.

This is especially important with pressure points and anything aimed at the head or neck. These are always trained with control, at low power, with a partner you trust.

What You Get From A Camp

A camp lets you train intensively and get direct correction. Mistakes that would take months to notice on your own can be fixed in a session. You also train with a variety of partners, which teaches you to adapt your technique to different sizes and body types.

How To Prepare

Come with an open mind and a willingness to work. Basic fitness helps, as does some familiarity with the core ideas before you arrive, so you can spend camp time refining rather than starting from scratch. Bring questions about the parts of your training you are stuck on.

Take It Further

For current dates and details, see the Training Camps page. If you prefer one-to-one coaching, Private Mentoring is the alternative, and the Pressure Point Black Belt Course follows the OCFM path from home.