Nicolas Painchaud represents Fang Shen Do at SFL (Submission Fight League)

Nicolas Painchaud is a dedicated martial artist who worked hard to end up at the top of his division in the Regional Grappling League called SFL (Submission Fight League).

Here's a highlight video created by the SFL Staff from Nicolas' matches throughout the year.
 

Nicolas trains at our Brossard location under the guidance of Sifu Marc Beauchamp. These grappling competitions are a great way to build confidence and gain experience.

Thank You to the SFL team for putting on a well organized tournament with competitors from all over Eastern Ontario and Quebec.

Sibok Martin

Walk on fire with us on April 28th in Casselman, Ontario

 Our next firewalking event is being held on April 28th in Casselman, Ontario at 6:30 pm.

To learn more about firewalking, watch the video below. It contains valuable information about the fire walk and it includes some french, english and spanish testimonials about the event.



Sometimes our own greatest enemy is ourselves. Learn strategies you can start using immediately after the walk so you can have what you want and harness the true power that resides within.

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

2013 Your Best Year Ever

Reproducing the classic picture from Return of the Dragon at the Coliseum in Rome

You've probably heard the term "Modeling" before and today I'd like to amplify the importance it will play in making 2013 your best year ever.

Modeling is finding someone who: "Has what you want" and "Has been where you're at"

Finding the right model will help you save time, cut your learning curve, and avoid costly mistakes (the cost could be financial, emotional or physical). It will help you get closer to achieving your goals in record time.

As you can see from the picture above, one of our model is Bruce Lee. Following Bruce Lee's teachings has helped us streamline our martial art system and not deviate from what is functional, simple and direct in terms of self-defense, fighting or health and fitness.

If someone (a mentor) shows you exactly what they did and how they did it (personally, i.e Coaching, Live Calls, etc... or through their work, i.e Books, Auto-Biographies, etc...), following their recipe so to speak, YOU will have those same results.

What a wonderful concept. But be careful, most people who read this might just keep it at that, a CONCEPT.

Put it in practice! The quality of your results in 2013 are directly linked to the quality of your peers.

In 2013, find people and mentors that "have what you want" and "have been where you're at" in various areas of your life and model them.

I'm curious to know some of your mentors and the people you've chosen to council with.

Feel free to post them on the Fang Shen Do FB page.

Happy New Year,

Sibok Martin

Gokor Chivichyan at Fang Shen Do's 2012 Fight Camp in Ottawa, Ontario

Students from our 25 locations snatched up the 70 spots to meet and train with Gokor.

Gokor Chivichyan was our guest once again at this year's Fight Camp held at my father's Ottawa, Ontario location.

Students were shown how easy it is to throw your opponent off balance as well as land a submission when you have proper technique.

"If you use your muscles to throw your opponent, you're doing something wrong" ~ Gokor

Sifu Patrick, Gokor Chivichyan and Sibok Martin Patenaude

At 50 yrs of age, Gokor is moving just as fast and smoothly as some of the younger participants.

Here's a quick video I created to see some of what was covered during the camp.

Gokor Chivichyan Teaser Video Fang Shen Do Fight Camp

If you haven't purchased our Grappling DVD featuring Gokor, I must say, it's worth every penny. The wealth of information and techniques covered will blow you away. Everything has been captured on 2 full length discs.

You can grab a copy of Fang Shen Do Grappling Series with special guest Gokor Chivichyan here.

Next time make sure to register early so you don't miss out.

Master Yourself,

Sibok M

2 Major Events this Weekend

Every year I host a Focus on Results Seminar with Sijo, our founder, in Montreal.

This seminar is taking place tomorrow at 3:00 pm at 6968 St-Denis (corner of Bélanger, Jean-Talon Metro)

Why should you attend?

In life there are obstacles, will you stay strong and push through them?

It's the one seminar that makes you take action and gets you off your butt to decide and follow through on the goals and dreams you have in your life.

You truly can accomplish anything you desire and this empowering seminar will make you get it way faster.

Arrow Breaking is done to strengthen your decision and to make sure you follow through on it.

It's a rare chance to meet Sijo and to benefit from his years of wisdom done in a very intimate setting.

Then after the event we're off to Ryan and Sebastien's school (Owners of the Downtown Montreal location) for an entertaining night of amateur fights. The fights start at 7 pm and I'm told there are only a couple seats left.

It's going to be a very enlightening and fun weekend. See your instructor to be part of it.

Here's a link to a video I did on the Focus on Results Seminar from 2 years ago. It will give you a glimpse at what you'll be doing tomorrow.

Focus on Results Video

As always,

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

Weapons can help with what?!

When mixing the arts, it's important to broaden your range of arts you delve into.

Remember, MMA isn't just Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

At least not in our book.

One area that needs attention is Weapon Training.

The benefits that derive from Weapon Training, in this case, Stick Work,  are vast.

Some quick points would be hand - eye coordination, balance, agility, reflexes (a stick moves way faster than a punch), and timing.

All qualities that are a must in your MMA game.

And qualities you can use in any other area of your martial art development.

I just finished a quick video where I do a free-style flow incorporating whatever felt right.

In the end, whether you're doing weapon work, grappling, kung-fu striking, Chi Sao (Sticking hands) or whatever, there has to be a certain harmony, a flow if you will, to your movement.

This is just one way to do that.

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

P.S. If you're thinking of attending our May 12th, Fang Shen Do Training Day, this is just one of the things we'll be focusing on throughout the day. If you're a member, speak to your instructor on how you can attend this sold out event before it's too late.

Local Fight Circuit a Success

I just finished uploading a new Fight Night Video from our last event in February.

Watch as "first timers" show off their skills and gain the experience they will need to step it up into amateur and pro circuits.

This really is our breeding ground for our up and coming fighters.

Judging the success of our fighters during the past year in various circuits, SFL and Hybrid, notably, our winning formula of starting them out with full protection and 12 oz gloves to an open face and 10 oz gloves is a great way to protect our fighters when climbing the ranks and getting them ready for the Instinct Pro Circuit in Montreal.

Cedric Mongeon leads the way with his pro fight debut in June and quick to follow suit, a stable of a dozen fighters are ready to make the leap later this summer.

"It's very exciting" says Sifu Patrick Marcil, "It's always been our dream to bring a fighter up to the UFC and now judging how it's going, it won't be just one, and our dream is closer than we thought, all this in record time".

Watch the video and let me know what you think, you think some of these guys are going to make it?

Only time will tell.

Master Yourself,

Sibok M

Cedric Mongeon: Hybrid Super Light Weight Champion

It was a time for celebration last weekend when our very own, Cedric Mongeon won the Super Light Weight title at Hydrid 12 to a crowd of about 1200 fans.

Cedric has been eyeing the belt ever since he started competing in the Hybrid semi-pro circuit back in 2009.

2011 was also a great year for Cedric who also won the Intermediate Division in the Submission Fight
League in Gatineau with its main focus being strictly Grappling.

With the help of his main instructor, Sifu Patrick Marcil, Cedric will continue to sharpen his skills and successfully defend his title in the upcoming Hybrid Promotions.

The Hybrid Circuit is the Farm League for recruiting up and coming talent for the Pro Circuit in Montreal and obviously, turning "Pro" is one of Cedric's goals.

Cedric is only but one of many exciting fighters that will make their appearance on the Hybrid Fight Stage and in various circuits representing the Fang Shen Do System.

We never cared much about competitions over the years, our focus was always on real life-street application but the more we attend these events and meet lots of professional, down to earth people within the Hybrid Organization, the fighters, and the fans, we can't help but continue to push our students to showcase their skills and prove that they belong right up there with the best fighters in the region.

As you'll see in the coming months, there's alot of talent coming out of the Patenaude Fight Team.

Stay tuned for a possible FSD Champ in each division?

We'll see!

Master Yourself,

Sibok M

2012: Year of the Dragon

According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon.

Although I'm not too caught up in mysticism I find it interesting to read up on the Dragon and what it represents.

Ultimately, whether you have a good or bad year falls upon your own shoulders, and really when you think of it, there isn't such a thing as a good or bad year.

Every year you simply LEARN.

You take the feedback you've been given and make adjustments.

If you look at your year from a standpoint of having won or lost you'll just beat yourself up.

You can't possibly win in all areas of your life.

I sure didn't win in all areas of my life last year.

But that's the point.

Living and learning is a journey not a destination.

Will you continue to make the same mistakes or bad choices you made last year, this year?

What happens when you paddle the row boat with the same hand?

You go in circles right?

Your growth depends on your ability to turn weaknesses into strengths.

And nobody ever said you had to be perfect either.

Just identify one thing you would like to do better this year.

No pressure, no stress.

You have 365 days (actually a bit less than that) to make that one thing better.

Once you make that one change, your new enthusiasm will drift to another area you need work on, and the momentum will grow.

Every year is a success.

Real success is what you've done compared to what you could have done.

Could you have done more or less?

I'll let YOU think about that.

Master Yourself,

Sibok M

New Website is launched!

You've certainly noticed a recent update to our website.

Newest technology, faster loading, high quality pictures, easier navigation, and an easier check out process when buying DVDs or merchandise.

You'll see many upgrades and features during the coming months on the site.

Lots more videos.

Cool pictures of the whole team in action.

Online instructor certifications for our friends abroad and around the world.

We have big plans.

Hope you enjoy the upgrade and stay tuned for updates and new products being launched shortly (Sanshou Kickboxing Level 1, Karambit Mastery, Neigong Vol. 2) and over 70 other new titles to take your martial art training to the next level!

Master Yourself,

Sibok M

Mathieu Lemay: Un bon samaritain au secours d'un voisin

That is the headline on the front page of the "Le Droit" Newspaper yesterday.

On Friday night, one of our students from our Gatineau school was forced to defend a man who was attacked by 3 men armed with baseball bats.

Mathieu who has been training with Sifu Patrick for close to 2 years now was able to rely on the self-defense skills he learned at the school to successfully, knock out and disarm 3 assailants during an altercation that could of turned out for the worse.

Considering the odds, a 3 on 1, Mathieu took excellent care of the situation by putting a stop to their rampage using simple concepts and techniques you learn on your very first class.

Training in a realistic martial art is crucial. Can you imagine what would have been the outcome if Mathieu had no training whatsoever?

Many people have the mentality: "I'll never be attacked"

Do you have that mentality?

It's always a smart thing to prepare yourself for any kind of situation that could put your life or someone's else in danger and have the proper training that will allow you to respond to it successfully. No one is guaranteed a safe passage in this life, always be ready!

Mathieu has a couple of TV interviews today and during the week on TVA and other stations. Will do my best to post more info here on the blog.

Until then here's a link to the story printed online for Le Droit:

Un bon samaritain au secours d'un voisin

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

The End of Year is Near

It's coming.

You know.

The End of Year.

Are you ready to tackle the fall, give a final push to get everything done on your resolution/action list you filled out in January?

Do you still have that list? I know it's easy to get distracted but you should seriously review it and reclaim that same determination you were feeling on January 1 st of this year.

Maybe you wanted to quit smoking or lose a certain amount of weight, reach a certain level of skill and rank if you're in the martial arts.

Or maybe change jobs, start a business, go back to school or spend more quality time with your family, make investments or go on a trip.

Did you follow through on what you wrote?

If you slacked off (no need to feel bad, many have) we want to give you a chance to redeem yourself and still finish the year strong by arming you with an experience you will never forget.

An experience that will give you the drive to knock off those last few items on your list.

You're invited to join us at the Pagoda, this Friday Oct. 21st at 6:30 pm for what will possibly be our last public firewalk of the year.

You can register here for the firewalk.

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

Cung Le Teaser Fight Camp 2011

As you might already know Cung uses Sanshou techniques to dominate his opponents.

Sanshou means "Free Hand" or traditionally, Sparring is called Sanda which means "Free Fighting". It's a mixture of various Kung-Fu styles rolled into one. Kinda like how the Soviets created their Sambo or how MMA has evolved in North America.

Naturally, Kung-Fu practitioners gravitate towards Cung because of the connection.

And we’re not any different.

We’ve been following Cung’s career for a long time and always appreciated how well he applied the principles of Kung-Fu in competitions.

That said, when the opportunity presented itself to train privately and have him come down as a guest of honour at our annual Fight Camp, we couldn’t pass it up.

With Cung’s help we’ll be training and preparing our fighters for national level competitions and getting them ready for the Canadian Olympic Team try-outs for Sanshou.

Click here to view a teaser video of our Fight camp with Cung Le in action.

Apart from Cung’s awesome skill, what impressed me the most about him is; he’s one of the most down to earth guys I’ve ever met. A true martial artist.

Friendship Always.

Sibok Martin

Cung Le Fight Camp 2011

Had a blast with Cung.

Here are some pictures from the event.

If you're thinking of getting involved in Sanshou and Martial Arts in one of our schools in the Ottawa-Montreal-Toronto Area follow this link to get started.

Sanshou is a dynamic sport and visually entertaining.

Similar to Kickboxing, Sanshou matches also include Throwing, Sweeping and Take Down techniques.

You can view one of our latest Sanshou Fight Nights here.

We'll be rooting for him in his upcoming match against Wanderlei Silva.

Cung Le isn't just a fighter. He holds very strong traditional values of honor, respect and dedication. It's rare to see this kind of balance in today's fighters.

We're looking forward to continuing our work with him in the future.

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

Black Belt Magazine Article

You can check out a cool article in Black Belt Magazine's September Issue named:

Ultimate Training North of The Border

It showcases our Training Camp. Here's a snippet of the article. You can read the whole article by visiting Black Belt Magazine's website or pick up a copy at your local magazine stand.

"The martial arts have a proven system for passing on knowledge from generation to generation with help from a teacher who takes you on a journey of self-discovery. Sometimes that journey is best experienced outside the typical dojo setting.

Back in 1995, my father Jacques Patenaude and I decided there was a better way to immerse our students and visitors in the martial arts lifestyle. We set out to build the training camp of training camps. Because there was nothing like what we envisioned anywhere in the world, we had to plan it from scratch.

The first challenge was to make training there an unforgettable experience.

That meant the location had to be unique. We didn’t want to rent space at the YMCA or a local hotel, and we didn’t want to work out at one of the 25 schools we’ve established throughout Canada. We wanted people to feel like Bruce Lee when he traveled to Han’s island in Enter the Dragon.

Our camp was built on 16 acres in Casselman, Ontario, Canada, 25 miles from Ottawa. Its nerve center is a 3,000-square-foot Japanese-style pagoda that’s designed to transport students back to an age when warrior monks in Asia learned the arts of self-defense.

But before we could claim to have one of the best training camps in the world, we needed someone to evaluate it. We needed a legend in the martial arts, a man who’d be willing to try some of the obstacles and complete some of the challenges we had in store for the participants.

Enter our friend and mentor, Bob Wall.".....

Remember Training Camp starts this Friday at 6:30 pm.

Master Yourself,

Sibok M

Training Camp 2011 - Event of the Year

Training Camp !

It's the most anticipated event of the year. Some of our students eagerly await this weekend 12 months ahead of time.

I don't know which one is better getting to tell your fellow students I DID IT! or proving to yourself you had what it took to make it through the experience, crystallizing the feeling of personal accomplishment and bringing it to an all time high.

At the end of the camp most students can't believe all the things they've done over the course of 2 short days.

Here's a cool video of the camp

The energy you acquire from being a part of something like this is quite amazing.

You can use the camp to follow through on goals you've slacked off on, or during the many personal development drills we cover during the camp you can discover a new calling, change your career, find out if you're really doing what you love as far as your job goes and “Are you happy with the choices you've made in your life?”

The camp touches so many aspects of your life, not just the mental/internal but the physical as well.

The camp has a way to help you find that inner strength that resides in all of us, just when you think of giving up, something inside you says: "Not yet, just a little more"

What could YOU do with a little more discipline and a never give up kind of attitude?

I'm thinking a whole lot.

Perfect health.

Strong body and mind.

Walking the path of Mastery.

Never settling for second best.

Absolutely no fear of failure.

Living a life of meaning and fulfillment.

And that's just the beginning.

The event I'm talking about is starting this Friday at 6:30 pm.

If you're ready and motivated to acquire some of the things I've been telling you about, you can register for it here.

This event happens only once a year, do not miss out.

Here's a cool video of the camp

Master Yourself,

Sibok M

P.S Once you register you'll get an immediate e-mail with all the pertinent details of the camp.

Big Day Tomorrow

If you've been on the fence about attending our Fight Camp tomorrow with special guest, Cung Le you're running out of time.

If you want to go, make sure to contact your instructor so they can reserve you a spot.

For non-members, please contact an FSD school near you to make the arrangements.

Camp starts promptly at 11 am and ends at 3 pm (so you can be back in time for your father's day supper) at the Pagoda in Casselman.

It's going to be wild.

Make sure to be there, it's an opportunity you won't want to miss.

Reasons for attending the camp:

1) Cung Le (Duh!)
2) Insider Tips on how to take your Sanshou game to a whole other level.
3) The synergy of the group will be amazing which will accelerate your learning.
4) At the Pagoda (ideal training environment) with Ring and 2 Octagons set up for your enjoyment.
5) Sijo and all Sifus present as well as advanced students so you can ask questions and get one on one training.
6) What a great way to spend a Sunday. Spectators pay 20$ but if you want to bring your dad, it's F*R*E*E.

To Register for the Fight Camp

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

Martial Art Training

When should you start Martial Art Training?

In most cases the answer is: I should of started 20 years ago.

Realistically?

Right Now.

There's definitely no "right time" to get started.

But I do know the longer you wait, you miss out on a slew of health benefits that, as you get older, you would of wished you had acquired.

It's funny how everyone plans for their retirement and you might fall into this category as well; Investments, RRSPs, travel, etc... but you fail to plan the most important part of your life:

Your Health.

Yes! You should plan your health.

How are you going to stay Strong, Healthy and Vibrant well into old age?

Some people make that realization a little too late in their life.

If you happen to sit close to a group of seniors on a Sunday morning for breakfast you'll understand what I mean.

It's unfortunate to hear some of the stories about heart attacks, high blood pressure, digestive problems, sickness and disease, but some, if not most of their health issues could of have been avoided or solved with some simple adjustments in their lifestyle if only precautionary measures would have been put in place earlier in their life.

Why wait to the point where it's too late? Or decide to do something about your health after you have a heart attack? or stop smoking when you're diagnosed with cancer?

Any which way you slice it, Health is numero uno.

Just look around you. In your family and relatives. People in general.

You already know what happens when health is completely ignored or given little attention.

I don't know about you but I don't need to add myself to that statistic.

Be pro-active.

Make Fitness a priority.

Tomorrow I'll cover why you should choose Martial Arts over any other form of exercise.

Stay tuned.

Master Yourself,

Sibok M

P.S. For those who are ready to get started here's what you can do for optimal personal fitness.

New Fan Page

Facebook has made it easier than ever for us to stay connected with you.

We've created a new Facebook Fan Page for Fang Shen Do.

http://www.facebook.com/trymartialarts

This is the best way to view our most recent videos and demos.

Get up to date info on events and seminars.

Ask questions and share your successes.

Get access to all the Sifus, myself and Sijo (our founder).

Behind the scenes pictures.

Early notifications about New products and DVDs.

Contests, Prizes and more....

Join our FSD Community.

Go to http://www.facebook.com/trymartialarts and hit the "Like" button to join.

So we can all help each other stay on the path of Self-Mastery.

Sibok M

European Tour

Just finished editing a new video.

Martial Arts really is a universal language and no matter where you are in the world it can help bring people together in a very unique way.

We're on the verge of starting a couple important projects that will help people from all over the world to train in Fang Shen Do.

And touring the way we did in France is only the tip of the iceberg.

I want you to use the video as a tool to get and stay motivated.

Stay on the path of self-mastery.

European Tour Video

Sibok M