Sifu Hudson with
Tim Tackett

I get a lot of questions about how I got started in the martial arts world.  “Who have you trained with?”  “How did you become World Champion?” and so on.  I thought I’d go through my photos from over the years and talk about who I’ve trained with and what my favourite memories of those times are so I’m going to begin with Tim Tackett.

Sifu Tim Tackett

came over from America (in about 1992) to teach a seminar in Bruce Lee’s Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do.  The seminar was held at Sifu Martin Stirling’s Academy Gym.  It’s no longer there but at that time it was in the Lace Market part of Nottingham.

At that point I was a trainee instructor at the Academy Gym under Sifu Stirling.

The seminar was really interesting and was full of practical applications of JKD techniques.  I found Sifu Tackett to be very friendly and approachable.  He told us many stories about training with Bruce Lee.  It really gave me the feel of what it must have been like to train with a legend!

This particular seminar focused on the concepts and techniques of trapping.  I had already been learning trapping techniques from Sifu Martin.  At close range I found trapping to be an extremely effective technique when I was working the doors at nightclubs and pubs.  If you have come from other martial arts, you may not have experienced trapping before.

Trapping techniques give the ability to penetrate through someone’s defences and block their attacks.  Immobilising their hands momentarily while you strike them.  The techniques immobilise the attacker’s  arms while you manoeuvre into an arm lock or similar if you are applying restraint techniques.