Hey guys i am going to start training in kumasi stick fighting under Grand Master Henry Cook. I was wondering if you guys have ever taken something similar and what you thought of it. Here are some videos of him. He is so fast its scary. http://www.youtube.com/user/GrandmasterHenryCook#p/u/6/m_VTmBDtDQs Does anyone have anythoughts on the art?
Would be good if you could post a bit more info on the style. Where's it from... what does the style incorporate? How old is it? How many people currently train it approximately? Is this an indigenous stick fighting style from Ghana, Africa?
Interesting. His body mechanics and way he's using the weapon seems more akin to a bladed implement than for blunt force. To my eyes anyway. Would be good if you could post more info
if I didn't know any better I would say it looked a lot like some of the videos I have seen of koryu people doing spear work. Lots of use of the tip. Looks interesting. paul
Not to my taste exactly, but looks fun nonetheless. I too would be interested in background of the style Keep us posted
Yeah I thought the same thing but his strikes a quick on target and devastating so it looks fine to me. Here is his web sight and the part of it where he talks about Kumasi. He is a grand master in wing chun I may be taking that from him as well if the money is there. http://taletha.com/kumasi.htm http://taletha.com/kumasi.htm
In his bio, it says he studied wing chun, I believe he is a grandmaster in his own system. http://taletha.com/biography.htm
Rubbish, in a proper sparring session his head would be bashed in while he is ankle biting. The Bear.
It's one thing to type that in a forum looking at a computer screen quite another to actualy be face to face with the guy. You don't realize how fast this guy is. Also he does alot more disarms than ankle biting.
Doesn't really matter how awesome he is if he is teaching you potentially problematic stuff. It's the system you should look at as it's that which you will use. Yes a skilled teacher is a good thing but you won't have his skills to rely on just yours.
Of course i am going to test the water before I jump in. I have talked to guys that have trained and taught with him and they have nothing but good things to say. He makes it look easy because he is a grand master and has been practicing for years. I have never seen a man move so fast. I am sure that the stuff he is doing there is much more advanced that what he will be teaching me for the first couple months.
for WC its 25 a week for two classes a week and for kumasi its 60 a month for one class a week private lessons. so give there are 4 weeks in a month its 15 a class for kumasi and 12.5 a class for WC.
Personally I don't think it looks easy due to skill, it doesn't look easy per se anyway it looks half soaked. The clips I've watched are lacking in, imo, some basic elements such as appropriate timing and distancing and are against a rather compliant partner. Another thing I've yet to see is any real info on the style, maybe I've missed that? What's unique about it? It's supposed to be African so where does this environment influence it? How did it develop? Overall I'm not particularly impressed but that's just me.
It depends on which videos you watched there are some where the partners are compliant Because he is teaching however a few of them in the second link I posted are sparring sessions. It is suppose to somewhat mimic a short stick style used in Africa that the engish men learned there. They then began carrying short sticks for self defense. He modified and developed the style they used back then for street defense today. I am taking my trial class in a week or so and I will tell you what I think.
I only watched a couple of the videos, and I'm always a bit hesitant to judge via youtube, but I wasn't impressed. 1) Overly compliant/respectful demo-bitch. 2) C'mon, dropping to your knees because you got hit on the thumb (then being able to hold the stick again)? Theatrics. 3) The disarms looked poorly timed and, many, unworkable. I know it's a demo to show of, but they could have been done better.
Like I said if you want to see the actual sparing instead o demo/teaching watch the second link further down in the thread. I understand where u are comming from and as I said I am not going to make any big judgements till after my trial class.