SEITEI TANJO

MIKE FINN SENSEI'S

SYSTEMATIC SHORT STICK FIGHTING

WRITTEN BY JAMIE DIBDIN

2ND DAN SEITEI TANJO

CONTACT:baguamonkey@gmx.de or call 0049 69 6199 4710

Photo 1.Mike Finn Sensei Locking Jamie Dibdin With a Longstick Technique

THE SYSTEM

Seitei Tanjo uses 3 lengths of stick in its repertoire,the longest being 1m and the shortest about 20 cm.In the early stages training is conducted with padded sticks,for the students protection,and later sticks are used.They are used separately and techniques are trained in pre-arranged sequences called Kata.Most of the training is done with a partner although there are solo stick forms as well.

Seitei Tanjo is based on using movement principles to inform all of its techniques,it therefore deserves the title of "Internal" although it is not the same Internal as is meant in systems such as Tai Chi.Good footwork,body mechanics,use of weight movement and positioning/angles are of prime importance for a practioner.

Although a direct comparison is unsuitable,the best way to describe the movement style of Seitei Tanjo is to say that it shares some technical features with Aikido e.g. there is an emphasis on footwork and turning the whole body as a unit to effect techniques succesfully,but there the similarities end as the Tanjo system is primarily concerned with utilising a stick to make every technique work.

THE KATA AND FREESTYLE TRAINING

In the first Kata group (Dai Ichi) there are 15 techniques-5 long stick,5 middle stick and 5 short stick.The sequences are made up of fundamental blocks,strikes and locks.

Between the two levels of Kata there are the Pairforms which are more "pumped up"practices with each length of stick,these are used as a step towards free-style practise.In Seitei Tanjo there are also free style practises which are suitable to learn after the first Kata or the first few basics have been absorbed.

The second Kata group (Dai Ni) consists of again 15 techniques-5 long stick,5 middle stick and 5 short stick.These sequences are made up of more subtle techniques and require more from the practioner.

The most outstanding feature of Seitei Tanjo is that the style emphasises controlling locks over striking.Because these locks are very powerful and painful it is essential that students have self awareness and self control during the training.My only condition for teaching any student is that they have an interview before attending classes.

Development

Photo 2.Practise of Middle Length Stick Against Knife

Jamie Dibdin and Mike Finn Sensei

circa 1994

This system of short stick was developed by Mike Finn Sensei,initially at the request of the City Of London Police during the 1980s.The original system had to negate strength and had to be applied by Police Officers in arrest situations,even though they did not take part in regular self defense training.There were several succesful trials but the acceptance of this new system was not to be.

After it became clear that his system would not be taken up Finn Sensei developed another system for some of the Elite Martial Academy members.Although I joined at the tail end of the existence of that group I only attended a few of these type of stick training classes.

After several years the system became open to the public and that is when I began to attend classes,the first weekend course took place in May 1986 and I,along with about 12 other people,took part.

Later in the same year the first weekly classes started and I regularly travelled from Brighton to London to attend these.What struck me most(pardon the pun) was the disciplined and relatively laid back approach to training-the classes had none of the overly heavy discipline I had seen applied in other Dojo.

I attended weekly classes in the London Elite Martial Academy for the next nine years and during that time I took and passed 2nd Dan Seitei Tanjo and was responsible for some of the organisational matters of the British Tanjo Association,founded by Finn Sensei to promote the style in the U.K.

My Teaching

I often assisted Finn Sensei at public courses,in Dublin and London,and led the beginning classes at the Elite Martial Academy Dojo every so often.Since coming to live in Germany I have only had a few students in Tanjo,the main one being Eva Bayerlein,who reached 1st Dan Seitei Tanjo some years ago.

The reasons for wanting to expand my teaching,at present,are several the most important being that Seitei Tanjo is an effective system in itself,the lessons of good distancing,timing,body use and weapon handling are invaluable.It can also be a good addition to any other type of training you are presently undertaking,especially if there are no weapon forms in your style.

I hope to find some students who are willing and able to benefit from studying its methods.

Photo 3.Finn Sensei and Students at the end Of a Seitei Tanjo Course circa 1996/7

TANJO SHORT COURSE

Photo 4.Mike Finn Sensei Applying a Figure Four Armlock With a Middle Length Stick on Jamie Dibdin

Is my own development based firmly on the principles and techniques of Seitei Tanjo.There are three basic sets to learn,each based upon use of a middle or long stick(65 cm)and a short stick(20cm).I strongly recommend that all prospective students start their training with this approach.

THE THREE SEQUENCES

Each sequence is short consisting of only a few movements but the style of practise is more like the Pairform mentioned above.The idea here is that each time you change the stick length you are still practising the same movements,although there are certain technical differences in the execution of the techniques.This development is especially for those who want to learn some stick fighting without having to commit to learning the complete Kata of the Seitei Tanjo system.

CONTACT: baguamonkey@gmx.de

:or call (0049)069 61994710