By Martin E. Hansen, member until 2018
At 8.30 am. the first shot was fired for the second module in POMW TSM training course, this time beyond the theoretical torque there would also be practical training on handling of firearms.
There are always students who come in good time, so that they could enjoy a roll and a cup of coffee, while they where chatting a little bit, probably most of what would happen during the day, and while we could observe that most people’s eyes where flickered between the shooting discs and other materials, that were set up during the night, so that it was ready for the start of the course in the morning. A perfect frame to set the stage and awake the curiosity. Especially the large oblong box with combination locks was prying the eyes. But first the train course leaders and Honbu Chief Instructor Kimu Sensei would get the participants through a recap of the course that was held in January, to say why and how the POMW training course was created, as you can read more about this website, especially in the 3 POMW articles Kimu Sensei, and the official article from the first TSM A course by Søren Renshi. POMW was created as you know, when Kimu Sensei decided it would be extremely interesting but also controversial to try finding out if Minouchi Sensei’s theory was correct, about the old warrior that could learn something of the modern warrior and vice versa. What does it mean to someone who has practiced martial arts in a multi-track system and bring this knowledge to a whole new area of competence – firearms. Most modern soldiers do not have a long mental training behind him with a building step by step in their mind and clarifying as we have it in Shindenkan, based on 1000 years of knowledge and methodologies for self-knowledge. Does this mean anything when you have to learn to handle a weapon that can kill quickly and very effectively – yes it’s not the gun that kills, but the man behind it. This has been so for millennia, weapons have undergone a technological development, but the result is dependent on the man behind the weapon, in his attitude, clarification and purpose. It could be quite interesting to test whether a trained karate-ka with his attitude, serenity and training experience, can learn to handle firearms properly, efficiently, and in the shortest possible time – the Shindenkan way.
After the recap, and a break, the participants were brought in the mental journey through POMW theory. Have we the necessary skills in Shindenkan to teach the use of firearms, so it just becomes effective and optimally? What you don’t have you can get. Kimu Sensei has in a very short time got acquired skills in shooting, which most of the established shooters in the world will envy. When you look down over the shooter CV which has the start date in the autumn of 2011 contains, inter alia, DSF A license DSF A + license DSF range officer, IPSC matches on the most famous shooting ranges in the world (Norco, Mesa, Arizona, Florida, Thailand, Denmark J etc.). The sources of these skills are some of the best instructors in the world, who also teaches surgical elite soldiers and has won several world championships, where Rob Letham can be mentioned as the latest (read article on the website). Kimu Sensei is a true grandmaster of the martial arts and totally uncompromising and perhaps the only one in such a short time that can achieve these results. He’s obviously not been sleeping on this, on the contrary, he has put a lot of time and lack of sleep in the project, to try and find the best methods to finally boil it down to the essence – the practical part of POMW – in a unique process handbook, that in ancient Japan probably would have been called Hiden or Maki Mono on shooting 🙂 It is this process manual, which should help to convince Minouchi Sensei’s theory when carried out by Shindenkans students and served to them on a silver platter.
Firearms are here to stay or put in another way, the image representing the violence in Denmark today is increasingly colored by firearms, and there are quite a lot of firearms in Denmark, both legal and especially illegal. It’s almost daily that you can read in the newspaper that there has regrettably been a shooting incident again. Therefore, also as a martial artist is obliged to move with the times and know the skills required to operate a weapon and what a man behind it can do. Kimu Sensei showed this beautifully in his presentation through both videos, but also by commenting that it might as well be us or our children that one day faced a “Breivik,”(mass murderer from Norway) mentally ill, gangmember,biker or a soldier or as diplomat to be sent to a war zone. PTSD (post traumatic stress syndrome) is common among returning soldiers all over the world, but certainly also among civilians. Are you clarified and know the consequences and handling of firearms, it may save your or others’ lives. Can you look at someone who is facing you with a loaded gun, and then figure out if he knows how to use it or not? Can you shoot him when it comes to you or your family life?
The Procedural Manual for POMW shooting technique and how to handle a pistol, was the final theoretical issue before it was to be tested in practice. The most important thing about firearms is of course safety, safety and safety. But there are also common sense and the rules – which really also is for all other martial arts weapons such as. you always treat a gun as if it were loaded, never have your finger on the trigger until the target is in sight, are sure what is behind the target you want to hit, etc. The most important thing in shooting, as with other skills in Shindenkan – is basic technique . Kimu Sensei showed with his usual good grasp, what are do’s and don’ts when you have to keep a gun, operate sighting and not at least pulling the trigger, which itself is one of the hardest thing to do in using a pistol or revolver or rifle.
After more than 2 hours of theory with a break, it was time to get serious about all the talk and to try the POMW process handbook in reality or virtually real 🙂 As with all other competencies in Shindenkan it was built realistic step by step, therefore, the first step on the road beyond the essence of the theory is to test the technique, not with a wooden gun (one might use to train control, etc.) but by using air soft-guns. It was now that all participants found out, what was in the large oblong suitcase when it was opened, revealing an arsenal of air-guns, which would simulate the real thing during the rest of the course. Most air guns that Honbu has purchased is CZ75D compact CO2 from non-blowback type similar to the original almost 100% and has the features that is needed to practice the correct base and shooting technique. The gun is also one of the most powerful and shoots with 2 joules, which is enough to send the small 6mm plastic balls accurately against a protective veneer sheet from 5-20 m distance. CO2 weapons are not to be sneezed at, as it actually incurred IPSC world championship in this class of weapons as well.
All participants were then introduced to safety, which also involving the safety glasses to be worn during the rest of the course. There was of course the security of weapons, so there was a separate weapons area (Safety Zone), where all the guns were stored, and a separate charge table where magazines, bullets and CO2 cartridges were stored, all this in order to simulate the real security of weapons . Also on the “shooting range” in the hall where the normal safety rules and commands that are used in Ex. a ground shooting, Steel Challenge, IPSC matches (Practical pistol shooting). A breach of security meant that we got a DQ (Disqualified) and 2 min. on the bench, which literally meant the bench, as there was set a wooden bench beside the weapons table, where we could sit and think about what they had done wrong :-). This was not meant as a punishment but as learning, since security breaches with real weapons can have fatal consequences. A security breach can, for example. be that you have your finger on the trigger until it points toward the target.
All participants were split up in teams, so that they got a partner and a target assigned, i.e. either a sliding box or a suspended target on the wall. All the Chef Instructors were also divided over the hall, which was now down to 12 pairs. Each duo was awarded with an Air-gun and two magazines, as they each collected in the 2 zones back to the practice safety. There was an intense atmosphere in the hall the next few hours, because nobody really wanted a “DQ” and there were some pieces in the beginning because of nervousness. It was with sweaty palms that all got shot a lot of shots against the discs and tested the POMW shooting technique. Kimu Sensei had carefully planned the firing process so that all participants received the maximum benefit, first confidential short distance, then increased the distance to test whether the technique will be trained properly again greater distance, then eventually move back to the short distance and see if there was an improvement compared to the beginning of the shooting session, and it was actually a huge difference, suddenly everyone could hit the target and even in a pretty good spread. The 4 hours with the CO2 pistol in his hand went very quickly and the nervousness and concentration had clearly tapped all the participants for energy, since the course went half an hour later than planned, and was rounded off with a group picture to be taken. This TSM B course was just the start of the practical course which continues to run in the small homes and local schools, where participants were invited to practice at least half an hour a day on the POMW shoot technique using either their own purchase of air guns or just a simple toy gun which can be used as well as Kimu Sensei did well in the beginning, when it is fine to practice the basic and incredibly important hand technique. On the next course it should be rehearsed and stand the test and it is also going to be clear to see who has not being rehearsed!
Status of POMW after 4 ½ months;
POMW is account to become a great success. All learning from the best shooting instructors, civilian and military is boiled down and executed – as everyone says the same “Shooting is relatively simple – when the basic sliding systems are in place, then comes everything else through constant training toward the goal that have been set. In addition, the following is completely overlaps with the martial arts; It is the man behind the gun that kills, not the gun. ” Based on this, our martial arts background and professional athletes; After 4 ½ months 50% of the chief instructors are shooting 273 + outward 300 points, the other half in the group 250-262 in depend 300 points, all on 25 meters
POMW has created some discussion in the shooting, as well as in the martial arts world – and lots of rumors! some more fantastic than others – and some are totally completely wrong, and lend itself more to a fictional TV series on the big intrigue blade. POMW has also created international attention, mainly positive, curiosity and praise for this innovative, proven, pioneering project. POMW has been met with great interest and support, especially from military personnel, but certainly also among civilians as ourselves and the police.
Epilogue;
In the Shindenkan organization we are taught in the multi-faceted martial arts system; Yakami Shinsei-ryu, which consists of both armed as unarmed martial arts technique, all with more than 1,000 years of history and experience behind them. Shindenkan has revealed all the values in the complete martial arts system and made the ancient martial art system more understandable in the main train system and laying all of the competences into a course. One course, step by step builds up the student as a champion – on the journey in which the student must have the will and talent for, and implement over time – a time usually can take a lifetime.
In Shindenkan we are uncompromising in terms of quality, even if we do not yet possess a competence, but must build this from scratch. This was the case with POMW – Project Old Modern Warrior.
World History has shown that no matter what weapon is being used, there is always a man behind it, and it is the clarification, competence and attitude of this man that determines the outcome – it is the same in martial arts. This has Minouchi Sensei also previously described, and why POMW has previously been described in three articles on the website.
The practical POMW is a shooting skills course over approx. 12 months, which consists of a basic to advanced course with so-called “dry training”, using the basic history, progress and development, as well as air-and laser guns, as the world’s elite civilian and military also uses. This process is then replaced by a so-called “wet training sessions” in which everything in the “dry training course” will be tested by salon and coarse guns. Step by step the instruction is built around Orbits Leading to one goal, against multiple targets and practical use shooting moving against multiple targets.
The POMW concept is that the process should be as optimal competence building as possible after POMW’s purpose – the straight road, where of course both Denmark as the world’s top shooting instructors have passed on and contributed to the essence of their shooting skills – and experience through a long shooting life. We have been very active outreach with nationally and internationally, and fortunately they all wanted to contribute and share their knowledge, skills and experiences during intensive training and courses, which we are very happy and grateful. But we are on the other hand not been sleeping for the results, competencies, experience and knowledge – it’s been a hard work and wear. But we will continue to not compromise in Shindenkan with our skills base, either before or after TG4, in which POMW belongs.
It should be strongly emphasized that, AL decidedly shooting lessons with sharp bullets takes place after the law and in sport shooting clubs, and the correct and then optimally trained shooting instructors, as the task requires.
The POMW compulsory curriculum for TG4, recommended 1.dan, multi-track Yakami Shinsei-ryu and 3.dan, single track Kodosokukai Bujutsu Karate-do, and will be maintained continuously on an equal footing with all other skills courses for TG4 group (1.kyu – 1.dan Sr. Yakami Shinsei-ryu).
