I almost don’t know where to start, my heartfelt thanks to Hanchi and his family for welcoming me into their home and family.  I have been to Australia so many times but this trip was without doubt the best time I have ever had across the ditch!

I arrived on the 20th and got to spend 3 days with my students before joining Hanchi at Currumbin where we got to spend a very happy few hours with good food and good friends. After Lunch Mofo, Brad and I were taken aside and taught the techniques for breaking rocks.  A while after learning what we had to learn, we all set off to find some river rocks to test our newly acquired skills. I honestly can’t recall who went first and who went last but suffice to say all 4 of us (counting Hanchi John) had a good day with a few successful breaks under our belts.  Again I will just thank all of you there because I just can’t thank all of you by name; it was humbling to be so welcomed into this tight knit group.

So moving on the next day Hanchi delivered us to Mofo’s private dojo which was well set up and after Dinner Hanchi took me downstairs to start learning everything I needed to learn. With the how and why behind us, Mofo and Haylee were invited in to manage the video cameras and take photos. I will say at this point I was humbled and honoured to have Hanchi John conceding to teach me (founder and chief instructor of Chu Zhen Dao) although our systems are linked we are separate styles. 

So we move on the having the pins inserted into my arms and the ropes added before getting 4 concrete tiles tied to the bottom of the roped. A little more breathing and meditating and Hanchi picked up the sledge Hammer and I lifted up the concrete before Hanchi smashed the tiles with a single blow.  Now it hadn’t occurred to me that I was and always will be the very first person on the planet to have been taught this from Hanchi!  As person after person were excited about a second person they knew who could do the pins and concrete plates honestly at this point  I am still Stunned and so Humbled and honoured to have been given this honour from a Master I have so much respect for. All I can say is I will always do my best to live up to your faith in me! 

Ok so we have broken rocks and I had done the Pins through the forearms, last thing on my to do was to break an arrow on my throat. So first we had to buy some wooden arrows with the dull bullet nose tip, which we promptly cut off with a grinder and drilled 10 mm (give or take) which we filled with araldite and fixed into the shaft a hunting tip. 

Moving on, it’s not often you get to hold a part of history in your hands.  All serious Martial Artists will understand this, all others will not!  Hanchi John allowed me the tremendous Honour of handling and drawing the REAL Togawara sword owned by the first Shougun of Japan  with as you would expect a couple of battle chips in the blade, I was impressed at how balanced this 400+ year old this sword was. All in all I simply just don’t have the words to expires just how grateful, humble and honoured I am to have spend this time with you all.  Also I got to learn some martial content that I have been waiting learn.

From the bottom of my heart THANK YOU ALL!

Tasshi  Brian  Twomey