http://rossettoink.com/2009/02/11/in-total-defence-of-the-artists-self-lessons-i-learned-from-richard-dimitri/
In Total Defence of the Artists Self, Lessons I Learned from Richard Dimitri
Through out my life I have been a free spirit, at times it has come at a cost. It has cost me jobs, it has cost me alienation, and at times it has almost cost me my life. Having been a target for random acts of violence through out my life, when I moved to Montreal I realized that with the language barrier the reality of physical confrontation in which I would not be able to defend myself had greatly increased. I had never gotten into an altercation, but also was intimidated as there was a heavy French GANSTA scene consistently hanging on the corner of Saint Catherine’s and Guy (for those of you old enough to remember when Mick D’s was there) a route I regularly crossed to get home. I found that even though I never had a hassle, I was regularly terrified and could not exist as the being I wished. Living in FEAR (False, Evidence, Appearing, Real [that’s lesson number one]) I Felt I could no longer be who I was and started to repress my actions and my spirit in hopes that I would go unnoticed. Then 911 happened, and the culture of fear was created, as people suddenly no longer trusted anyone. I did not fear my brothers or sisters but I feared actions that may be taken by government to take away my personal freedoms and beliefs, which I had already felt were being repressed. That being unacceptable I decided it was time to take action. I enrolled in Senshido on Sept 19 2001, which at the time was advertised as Hand to Hand Urban Combat, a decision I have never regretted or looked back upon since.
The first time I walked into Senshido, it looked like your average fighting gym, it had heavy bags, a ring, fight equipment and rough looking proprietor chopping on a cigar, just kidding he wasn’t chomping on cigar and even though the individuals look really rough they were actually super kind and helpful (even more so when they started to train me). I really had no expectation as I really had no clue as to what the reality of self defense was. I had taken karate, and judo as a young boy, but never been able to defend myself, as I thought I had never studied them long enough. I enrolled for a year and even the women instructor who took my fees looked as though she could destroy a small army if necessary (I later found out she was one of the top instructors, and could destroy a small army) and my journey into realty based self defense began.
The first class I attended was a small class and I showed up early, I weighed 155 lbs, there was a man, there training by himself he must have been 260 lbs, he offered me to get the ring and “roll” with him. I said sure just to see what would happen. We got in the ring got on the ground and Marc (the bouncer not Saint Pierre) gently showed me exactly how difficult it would be to defend myself if I ever got in an altercation with a man that size. I was pretty much smothered for a good five or ten minutes while he rolled over me putting me in to different hold (he must have been working grappling) and took his time while struggled and fought for my life (when I think back it was a lot like wrestling my Dad, who held me down with only his chin at twenty six years old). This would be the similar style used to teach me through out my training, a person who could easily hurt me if they wanted, taking time to show me different tools I could utilize when necessary in different situations. Then class begun it was the most intense twenty minute “warm up” of my life( those of you have taken Senshido know the warm up is more like Boot Camp training rather than a warm up) then class began.
As it was my first class the newbie’s where shown the basics of Sensido’s style of self defense, passive stance and tool and target development. The passive stance is a stance that one takes where you can easily defend your self from an attack without looking aggressive to your attacker. This enables one to be ready to strike if needed while not looking confrontational there by increasing you ability to diffuse the situation verbally. Tool and target development works with two of the five principles of Senshido, Closest weapons to closest targets and non telegraphic movement, these ideas allow a person to strike their attacker quickly and more efficiently then with non traditional strikes and then would be expected. After that first class I was hooked, and continued studying both in class and outside. As I progressed we went into all different areas of self defense; the physiological (the cognitive process involved) and physiological (how your body automatically reacts to certain stimuli) effects of an attack, defending ones self against multiple attackers, multiple attackers with weapons, defending yourself and another who did not know how to fight against multiple attackers and ground fighting but mostly awareness and verbal diffusion of an aggressive situation. With in three months of studying at his school I knew how to efficiently defend myself in any given situation. I continued to study as I feel in love with the fighting arts (he also offered kickboxing and grappling classes) and also my new found conditioning.
As I progressed and continued to study I found that Senshido had profound effects on my entire life. I now could comfortably roam where I chose to roam, and do what I chose to do without fear of repercussion (standing with in the bounds of society). With that new found confidence I found myself able to express myself more, for example if I chose to really cut the rug on the dance floor no amount of people invading my space or using there size to invade my space could stop. I could now dance as free and as wild (being conscious of the others around) as I wanted and no meat head doing the muscles shuffle could stop me if he felt I was getting too much attention from the ladies. Or if I choose to do some street art where I drew on the side walks and some Gangsters walked up and told me it was their block I now had verbal tools to deal with their aggression(true story), and often they would give me props and let me continue doing what I was doing. I was liberated and am liberated and that has expanded into all aspects of my creativity as I now have more creative options.
I still continue to train because like all arts you can always lean something new and I love the slim figure and handsome good looks it gives me. It is also a vehicle for my alter ego RicHard, the performance side of my art and RicHard can be found at all sorts events from parties or shows to openings, even occasionally on a baseball field dressed in all sorts ridiculous attire (from a Speedo, to party panties and a mini skirt, to just party panties and a cape) What ever I feel is appropriate for the occasion. That is FREEDOM and with that liberation comes all sorts of other liberation for both me and other individuals. And really that is what an artist’s job is to do, to liberate individuals into self expression.
Much of this is owed to Richard Dimitri and the instructors HE taught, in the style of self defense HE created, Senshido. I had the pleasure of studying under him for many years (and at times I really was under him with a forearm placed in really uncomfortable place on my body) and under some of the best instructors he hand picked. Unfortunately he now no longer runs his gym in Montreal as he concentrates mostly on world wide seminars and private classes he can be contact at Senshido.com. Where you can buy his book “In Total Defense of the Self” and training videos and contact him for seminar information or private lessons. Some of his spirit still runs in downtown Montreal, at Leriken Functional Fitness training facility where some of his former students bought his school and now concentrate mostly on MMA fighting style classes, extreme conditioning classes, and offer some basic Senshido self defense classes. I am still training hard and have been asked (by the man himself) to be an affiliate instructor and hope to have completed my training by the summer of 2009. The best place to learn though is to contact him.
Images are posted through out my blog.
~ by Richard Rossetto on February 11, 2009.
Posted in Contemporary Art, Exercise/ Self Defense, art
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