A Review from one of the participants from the seminar, and someone who has been instrumental in the research and development of someone of the things the WSL/GL VT group is up to..
From Kev Bell in UK:
"I hate driving! i really do. Nothing fills me with more vexation than the thought of being stuck behind the wheel for hours. Of course i could fly, for a few dollars more i could fly, but such is the impecunious disposition in which i find myself every little matters. With that in mind it was Thursday midday i set off behind two tons of metal for the tortuous drive up to Manchester, Wait a minute my boy from LA is coming over, this is a once yearly thing, an occasion, a reuniting of kindred spirits. Car stereo volume ten pedal to the metal i’m on the move suddenly feeling more optimistic about the journey ahead..
Fast forward a couple of hours, Ernie’s picked up at the airport by myself along with brother’s Ged and Adam. Next few hours are filled with training talk over a few beers and what we english term a “Ruby Murrey”. All good we go back to Ged’s house and out comes Four bottles of Whiskey - 2 Jack Daniels and 2 Southern comfort - fortunately i was drinking coke. It was around this time something strange happened. Theres two versions of what happened next either i went down hubershrimplix 10 a nasty virus causing 48 memory loss or my coke was spiked with Rohypnol, for i woke in the morning to a contrived scene of an empty bottle of Jack Daniels and an empty bottle of Southern Comfort sharing my bed space.
The next few hours consisted of the lads training down in Ged’s unit, i was barely conscious throughout this slumped out on some mats snoring breaking out in hot and cold sweats turning several shades of green. Midday saw the loss of Adam from our company as he had an anniversay to get home too so we decided to take a trip into Manchester which for me is still pretty hazy though i remember walking into some poor blind man with a white stick only to then be on the recieving end of a viscious tongue lashing from some mancunian creature with a thong half way up her back.
Ok, onto more serious stuff; the seminars themselves - by which time i’d fully recovered. There was a good turnout with Ged’s lads and people from various lineages. Ernie commenced the first day on structural drills for the lads working their way through various drills focussing on correct body mechanics. From a personal point of view and having been out of the VT for the last 6 months due to Boxing commitments this was a good refresher with Ernie giving out gamuts of information the old fashioned Sifu’s hide away for years and years. It was great seeing my friend in coach mode interracting with all in attendence without a hint of arrogance - like some on their sugar box pedestal - and the attendees sponging up the information. Ernie has a good hands on approach able to work on any level to extract the best of that person without resorting to the cheap approach of blowing out the lesser talented in a drilll set suited to his own athleticism.
Saturday night one of the gents at the seminar invited us to his restaraunt as guests - big respect - We were joined by Reggie who made the trip up from London. We then went onto a good old fashioned English Pub where the cold sweats returned. I have vague recollections of Ged discussing the art form of using aisail [[sp? think the old fahioned english toilet paper in schools for those of us who know]] An early night was called for and i found myself sharing Rachael (Ged’s daughter) 2 bedroomed flat with Reggie for company. I got a bit worred when he nibbled my ear and called me Ramone and wondered why the soap was glued to the floor but thought it best to say nothing!!! Just kidding Reggies a seriously great guy - please note i did not substitute the “u” for an “a” in Guy he’s 100 hetro:-)
Sunday and after a hearty breakfast of toasted Bacon sandwiches laid on the Lovely Wendy we were off for the second day seminar. Ernie chose this day to focus largely on Laap Sau introducing footwork/elbow angles etc. I got to train with more people and make some new contacts to work out with in the future. Unforutnately i cant say to much about the second day as i had to “make a tree and leave” but i’m informed the day was a sucess with training going on into the early evening with all going home buzzing from the days work
This seminar wasnt about VT for me initially, going through the rigmaroll of training so hard to be the strongest/fittest/hardest hitting mofo there - in fact i couldnt have come in more undertrained as my template of late has involved drinking beer, stitching the couch to my back, watching TV and dieting on Takeaways and Cadburys since my boxing fell through - it was about “pals” and spending what precious little time we all had together in great company. However what i came to realise having observed Ernie up close and “hands on” is that he is a seriously talented individual with a plethora of information with regard to VT, able to draw out the best in people and raise cofidence levels in people, seriously if you dont want to be d!cked about and fed titbits of useless misinformation from then i recommend you seek this man out. To the people who missed out theres some consolation, there’s talk that Ernie will grace our shores next year with Southampton taking it’s turn to host lets make this happen!
Special thanks go to Ged’s lads, Ged himself Wendy, Rachael and Brandon. Adam and Reggie and of course the main man Ernie thank you for a great great time
Kevin Bell."
JR