Edward Brown
October 23, 2017 05:21
Training with Dick Harrell, often reminds me of the deeply philosophical, highly-skilled yet humble teacher, Mr. Miyagi, in he 1984 film "The Karate Kid." While not initially realizing the value of the exercises he has been doing, Miyagi's student Daniel suddenly awakens to the fact that he has gained some strong fighting skills.
Despite previously studying many of the arts taught at DHMA (JKD, Muay Thai, Escrima), I feel like I am finally starting to "understand" how all the arts are related-- rather than just repeating techniques. This is a fundamental advantage of studying at DHMA and it is emphasized in Dick's teaching style. Dick is a living example of Bruce Lee's philosophy of "absorb what is useful."
As for the classes, DHMA attracts very down to earth students who are looking to improve themselves--and their training partners. Camaraderie amongst the students is the best I've experienced amongst the 15+ schools I have trained at over the years. You won't ever hear any dogmatic arguments at the school about any one style being superior or anyone bragging about getting their rank from so-and-so black belt.
So, if you are looking to get in great shape, improve your fighting skills--and make some new friends-- then try DHMA.
P.S. Feeling is believing, so be sure to get on the mat and "feel" some of the techniques. I used to think that some of the throws or takedowns required a compliant partner to work... Boy was I wrong! After being on the receiving end of some of Guro Dick's techniques, I realized just how quickly you hit the ground when he takes your balance.