Black Arts Society Newsletter

May 10, 1999

BOJUKA

Visit the Official Bojuka Website at www.bojuka.com

A Thinking Person's Self Defence - Where Thinking is the Best Ally

THINK ABOUT IT - How do out thought processes effect our interpretation and reaction? How does out attitude reflect on our training? When do we need to think before acting? If we need to react quickly - without thinking - how do we know what to do? How do we learn to defend ourselves in different situations?

On May 1 and 2 twelve members of the Black Arts Society journeyed to Harrisburg Penn. For a two day workshop on BOJUKA. Founder Tom Schrenk, describes Bojuka as a 'realistic street-oriented self-defence system." This is not a sport! It is a form of fighting that has serious, even deadly aspects. Tom uses chess and racquet ball scenarios as analogies to the thinking involved in his program. "...think about six moves ahead with all the potential combinations, anticipated reactions and play.counter/play." In order to be proficient one must, "think ahead at an instinctive level, instead of thinking consciously." (As with out Black Arts training this is serous training for self defence of the most violent kind.)

Assisting Tom at the workshop were Dan Longtin, Jeremiah Welch, and Hector Torres, These highly trained and talented fighters worked with us to experience what Tom refers to as "...shock-training the student mentally and emotionally, as well as physically."

Joining us at the workshop, to view Bojuka concepts with the intention of having Tom do special instruction for them was a representative of DELTA FORCE. Another guest in the audience was a representative from an unique training school for extracting information from participants.

1. Bruise - Bleed - Terminate
   
   
   In defending oneself one must not overreact nor treat the situation too lightly.
   
   
   1. Bruise: If you defend yourself in a non life threatening situation you need to remove the threat in the simplest manner - bruise but not seriously injure.
   2. Bleed: A persons who attacks you with serious force, or with a weapon may require a more restrictive self defence approach. In the case of an aggressive unarmed person our own unique Black Arts Self Defence is ideal for solving the problem. If we are unarmed and we are attacked by a person with a weapon we are expertly trained in London to defend ourselves and subdue the enemy. If we have our own weapon we need different skills to fight the enemy.
   3. Terminate: In the Bojuka style of knife fighting self defence the 'victim' is also armed. If he/she is in a life threatening situation they not only bruise or bleed - they may have to use deadly force. They may have to 'Terminate'. The rational here is that if you are attacked by an armed, violent, even trained enemy - this person will not easily be stopped. You cannot rely on the attacker being stopped by a strike or cut. You cannot feel safe just because the attacker appears 'out of it'. The moment you relax, the attacker may rise and end your life. It may be necessary, in self defence of your life to strike a fatal blow.
   
   
2. On The Level - Four Levels of Training
   
   
   1. At the 'entry' level a student is helped to focus on unarmed defence with emphasis on threat levels and assessment.
   2. Now the student, still unarmed, becomes more offensive minded. The use of restraint and control techniques are taught for those low threat situations. More serious 'counter measures' which focus on joints, bones, and ligaments (and in our own Black Arts style pressure points) are taught for the more aggressive attackers.
   3. The focus here is on both defence and offense using knives and clubs. This level has many facets: joint destruction, tearing, gouging, crippling take downs, 'finish offs', analysis of vital organ/muscle group/nerve centres, major arteries and veins/bones /joints/tendons/ligaments. Real knife fighting is an integral part of instruction at this level. Stree survival becomes real. By this level tom states: "At this point in your training, your response to a violent assault will be instantaneous, direct and devastating."
   4. By now you could be considered a "professional warrior" You will be trained to master any situation.
   
   
3. Personal Reflection

   This is just a sort of 'pause in the conversation'. I was very impressed with the skill level and instruction of each of the workshop leaders. When we combine the professional skills of the Black Arts with the fighting skills of Bojuka we are truly well prepared to defend ourselves in any situation. Hector, a well trained ex military and present drug enforcement officer is a strong example of a person who uses both styles to masterful extent. Those of us attending the workshop were able to use our Black Arts training to great advantage. The instructors were impressed with our skill level.

4. Workshop Summary

   Several key words were often used over the two days: clear, grab, control, slice, Vee, rock and shuffle. All of these referred to the manner in which we defend and attack.

   Key components of knife fighting included: palms up or down to stab, moving inside or outside, saber and reverse knife grips, first move must stop attacker, takedowns, partner practice drills, cut patterns, hand movements and positions, individualized techniques, muscle groups and controls. left and right handed fighters, sparring techniques and drills, environmental assessment, threat assessment, and psychological assessment.

Bojuka has many superior techniques for Knife Fighting. The skills developed are important for street fighting. When we combined our Black Arts Skills we found that our defences were very efficient. Our mind set for attacking and defending have been positively developed in our training.

Special thanks to Tom Schrenk (qualifications and experience are guarded facts), Jeremiah Welch (a Bojuka specialist working at level 3) Dan Longtin (who will present himself on May 29 at Griffin Martial Arts Studio in a special Knife Fighting/Black Arts Symposium), and Hector Torres (former military soldier, present drug enforcement officer, and martial arts school owner). These are finely trained professional warriors and it was our honour to train with them.

Tickets are available for the May 29 workshop in Ancaster. Cost is $40.00 per person and tickets are available from the author, Brian Roussel at 304-0001. All tickets holders are expected to be participants in the workshop. In addition to knife fighting skills, instruction will be provided for Black Arts Self Defence and martial arts interpretation of forms will be provided.

Here are a few pictures from the seminar