Hey Datu, I wanted to thank you for your time and insights on guiding me in my career as a mentor/coach.

My time spent with you and your students has expanded my knowledge base immensely. Your generosity of self and students exemplifies the martial brotherhood of NSI. Thank you for accepting me into the Natural Spirit Intl family and certifying me as an N.S.I. Associate Instructor!
The freedom to be. To discover yourself and "research your own experience; the truth in combat is different for each individual." ~Bruce Lee. ~

Life Changing Opportunity The Natural Spirit Way The following is an overview of my inspiring experience training with NSI students and Datu Kelly Worden during a recent trip to NSI headquarters in Tacoma, WA. Datu is without a doubt one of the most skilled and knowledgeable practitioners I've ever come across. He's also one of the most real people I've met in all my years of martial arts training. Datu has a genuine interest in his students' progression in the martial sciences and in their lives. He is always there to talk, share ideas, stories and insights. All too often traditional practitioners spend years training striving for mastery of their respected art. I was one of those practitioners for thirteen years; training in Tae Kwon Do and Tang Soo Do and never questioning the methodology or street effectiveness of what I was being taught or not really taught. Never encouraged to think for myself, just following the program, but feeling like something was amiss and not being able to put my finger on it. It was seven or eight years into training in Tang Soo Do that I purchased Bruce Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune Do and my journey in the Arts began to change. I started questioning and doing things differently; doing things for myself or rather things that worked for me more easily and more naturally. NSI follows in that vein of self-discovery and encouragement of becoming your own art. NSI is a place of experimentation and finding ones own truth; what works for you through a multitude of disciplines derived from arts and practitioners from around the world. My first day training with Datu in his gym was a testament to his accomplishments. From his certifications from Richard Bustillo, Remy Presas, the International Close Combat Military Instructors Certification, his plaque for being inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame and numerous letters of recognition from the military and articles published in Black Belt, Inside Kung Fu, and Full Contact Magazines. Although he would never admit it, it appears that Datu Kelly Worden has done it all and seemingly knows everyone on a personal basis who has anything to do with the martial arts. Datu's gym is moderately-sized; perfect for intimate training. All the accoutrements fill out the gym. There's the well worked silent fighters, a BOB training dummy, a very cool swinging steel girder engine hoist that holds the heavy bag, as well as all the various weapons one would need: sticks, staffs, knives, swords, impact karambit, and training guns. Datu started me right off on striking drills and tool development. He said you could liken striking patterns to tempos, rhythmus or if you do not comprehend the cadence of music, adapt the accelerations and RPM to that of the of a Harley...vroom vroom VroomVrooom Vroooom! Parry, Parry, Kick to the Shin, Heal Palm to the Face, Elbow Smash! Control the tempo. Understand distance and which tools are most effective and efficient.

Training with the Senior N.S.I. Instructors Datu then connected me with some of his most experienced students (Ian, Robert, Radio Bob, Chris, and Morgan). Ian was my first NSI coach, an intimidating looking fellow covered in tattoos and having a scruffy appearance, yet having a peaceful demeanor. Ian patiently started teaching me a series of drills and techniques related to his trade -craft of bouncing. Starting with barrier removals, breaking down the walls; getting to the truth. The Hit! Making that opening! Connecting! Go through it. Remove it. Move around it. Getting the upper hand pre-emptively before a person can act. He taught me his most used and effective techniques for controlling a person. Simple effective shoulder turns/shoves that gave you a person's back. How to gain control if a person's too tall by pressing into their sacrum to bring them down to your level. We moved into knife tapping drills and some defensive knife strategies, such as controlling the attacking weapon arm and return to sender. Even with all the useful information that Ian shared with me, his most useful bit of information coming from experience was to avoid a confrontation altogether. Robert was my next coach. Robert came to N.S.I. after a long history of real world life experiences having grown up in Southern California around relatives active in the Outlaw Motorcycles club the Vagos. His martial arts include years of Tae Kwon Do and direct study under JKD seniors Pete Jacobs, Bob Bremer, and Steve Golden. An unassuming individual who hides his prowess well, Robert taught me combat applications based off of Chi Sao. How to crash using Chi Sao as a frame of reference and then how to circumvent possible barriers with sequential trapping strategies derived from Datu's Renegade JKD. Super cool stuff and very useful. We later worked on fundamental stick striking drills and basic yet very effective and practical stick disarms. Datu had taught me a ten-count striking Sibat staff pattern that my next coach Radio Bob elaborated on. Radio Bob is a young "sixty something"who apeared also unassuming until we cracked staffs together and he closed in with a controlling choke technique with my neck between his staff and elbow which he used to introduced me to his friend, the ground. Never judge a book by its cover! Radio Bob had obviously spent a lot of time with Datu. His understanding was thoroughly demonstrated on me. The first thing I did when I arrived home was to order a five foot staff of which I've been spending a lot of time learning its secrets. Chris, another long time (26 yrs.) student of Datu's and former student of the late Jesse Glover, was my next coach. Chris shared with me what a typical Jesse Glover workout was like. We worked on Chi Sao and understanding the fundamental principals of having effective structure. He used training methodologies that help ensure good structure and solo practice drills using stretch bands and a ball. Chris took me through Jessie's straight blast drill and shared the finer points of the effectiveness of the straight blast against different types of attacks. We continued with full power strikes generated from a non-aggressive posture using your whole body to follow through with every hit, starting from a distance from the striking pad to moving right up next to it. Lastly, we did a quick-striking back-fist-hook-punch drill between two focus mitts that could be directly paralleled with staff work. Cool stuff when you start seeing the similarities and connecting the concepts.

Chris also shared some insight into different teachers that have influenced his N.S.I. progressions over the years under Datus guidance; teachers such as Kajukenbo legend Bob Anderson, James Keating, Ted Lucaylucay, Greg Lontayao, Leonard Trigg, Richard Bustillo, Taky Kimura, Dr. Brett Jacques, Joe Simonet, Sonny Umpad and actually more names than I can recall. From my prospective the list included a literal whos who of martial arts greats! I was amazed and also felt a bit overwhelmed that I had been so openly accepted within this extremely talented yet humble group of insightful practitioners. Before meeting my last coach, Morgan, at his gym, Datu and I went to visit with Bruce Lee's best friend and student, Taky Kimura. What an honor to meet such a nice and respectful man who has helped to carry on Bruce's teaching. Walking into Taky's gym was like walking into a shrine for Bruce with pictures of Bruce hanging on all the walls. Taky shared with us how he and Bruce met and laughed when he said he didn't know why Bruce chose him as a friend, saying, "Bruce was eighteen and I was thirty six." Taky told us how Bruce called him from Hong Kong while filming and said we're gonna travel the world and show everyone Jeet Kune Do, which made Taky nervous. Then, just like that (Taky snapped his fingers), Bruce was gone. You could easily tell how impactful Bruce was on Taky. After Taky's, Datu took me over to train with his long time student (16 yrs.) Morgan (a young man ten years younger than me and already a master of understanding and skill) at his CrossFit gym. Morgan spent several hours with me sharing insights into Hubud applications, variations on striking lines, insights into the silent fighter sequence and its actual applications in combat, as well as Silat foot trapping drills. My trip ended humbly with me paying my respects at the graves of Bruce Lee, his son Brandon, and first students Ed Hart and Jessie Glover. I couldn't have expressed myself better than what was already stated on Bruce's grave: "Your inspiration continues to guide us towards our personal liberation". NSI is an eclectic mix of Free Style practitioners coming together under one roof in order to further each others' understanding of the arts and their own art; a place where your ideas and skills are welcome. You are treated as family and encouraged to grow. Thank you, Datu, and to all my NSI coaches. Hopefully I will have the chance to meet other members of my new Natural Spirit family at the upcoming West Coast Water and Steel 2013 this Labor Day Weekend; See you there! Sincerely, Brian Williams