Adult Seminar Day 2022

The American Martial Arts Institute offers its students opportunities to enhance their training and grow within the Art beyond regular classes. One of these events is our annual "Adult Seminar Day."

Instead of competing in tournaments or hosting guest speakers, our school seeks to offer opportunities that will most directly assist them in both their own personal growth within our style but which will also increase the camaraderie among our students and strengthen our school. Events such as the "adult seminar" have had a great positive impact on our students, and it is an event that is looked forward to each year.

The day began with a stretching session followed by punches and kicks, getting all of the participants up and active. This was followed by a class on our school's takedown techniques. This was followed by a team scavenger hunt. Students used cameras to take pictures as they found the answers to clues about the school and its styles. The answers could be found throughout our main training location.

The American Martial Arts Institute offers four separate and distinct styles under one umbrella (school). The American Eagle Style is an empty hand martial art style, with its head and founder being Grandmaster Clifford C. Crandall, Jr. Grandmaster Crandall has designated Headmaster Eric Stalloch as his eventual successor to this style. American Eagle Cane Style is a traditional martial art which utilizes a walking cane for self defense and personal development. It is under the direction of Headmaster Stalloch with support from its other co-founders, Grandmaster Crandall and Master Lynn Jessee. Takenouchi-Hangan-Ryu-Matsuno-Crandall Iaido is traditional samurai sword style with a 300 year old lineage under Headmaster Clifford C. Crandall, Jr. Headmaster Crandall has designated Kyoshi Nathan Morris as his eventual successor to this Art and Style. Finally, there is the Americanized Eagle Kendo Style, founded by Grandmaster Crandall and documented in the book: Kendo For Fun: American Eagle Kendo, 3rd edition.

To assist our students and their families to better understand these four styles and how they fit into the overall structure of our school, a new book was written: the American Martial Arts Institute Guidebook. This book was official released during the Adult Seminar this year. A special class was held to discuss the book, but more importantly information about the four styles.

During this class two special presentations were made to two students of the American Eagle Cane Style. Tim Cummings and Maria Quintal were recognized as Assistant Instructors and presented with a patch that is now worn on their uniform's right sleeve.

After the excitement of the presentation the day's action continued. Students trained in kata, competed in an indoor "snow ball" fight, learned seiza waza drill sets with partners, learned an improvised self defense technique using a belt as a self defense tool, and did a 20 minute sparring aerobics class led by Grandmaster Crandall and set to music.