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Michael Barna




Location: Northwest Michigan
Joined: 21 May 2007

Posts: 24

PostPosted: Thu 04 Dec, 2008 8:24 pm    Post subject: Brian Stokes - Gifted Fiore System Instructor         Reply with quote

Brian Stokes is a most thorough and careful martial artist and one of the very best teachers I have ever had the privilege of training with. Each time I train with him at his school in Carmel Valley, CA I go away with a new understanding of some of the subtleties of Fiore’s system that had been available for all to see right in the manuscripts but had escaped me during study and training.

Brian teaches the Abrazzaare and Dagger plays in layers:
1) He respectfully demonstrates the play with moderate force and speed to show how the movement is done. The student experiences the end result from the player’s perspective. If the play is a throw, you are thrown. If the play is a joint lock or break then the technique is experienced by the player to the point where pressure and position converge to show potential insult to the joint.
2) The play is taught in basic terms
3) The play is refined, assuming correctness of the text and drawings, using Master Fiore’s works as reference to bring the student’s movements to martial efficiency and effectiveness.
At the end of training in a technique, I found myself being able to defend against Brian’s attacks using the plays EXACTLY as drawn and described in the Getty.

Brian Stokes is available through his Schola San Marco at - http://www.scholasanmarco.org/ . He is very interested in hosting seminars in Fiore’s system and I think any club that can afford to transport and house him should consider this gifted teacher and scholar.

Kindest regards,

Mike Barna

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JE Sarge
Industry Professional



PostPosted: Thu 04 Dec, 2008 8:48 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Fellow Schola student here:

I've never met Mr. Stokes, but I would look forward to the chance. I am glad you had an enjoyable experience and look forward to doing the same one day!

J.E. Sarge
Crusader Monk Sword Scabbards and Customizations
www.crusadermonk.com

"But lack of documentation, especially for such early times, is not to be considered as evidence of non-existance." - Ewart Oakeshott
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David Black Mastro




Location: Central NJ
Joined: 06 Sep 2005
Reading list: 20 books

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Posts: 279

PostPosted: Mon 08 Dec, 2008 9:35 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

What is Mr. Stokes' martial art and/or combat sport background?
"Why meddle with us--you are not strong enough to break us--you know that you have won the battle and slaughtered our army--be content with your honor, and leave us alone, for by God's good will only have we escaped from this business" --unknown Spanish captain to the Chevalier Bayard, at the Battle of Ravenna, 1512
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Brian Stokes





Joined: 01 Mar 2004

Posts: 7

PostPosted: Mon 08 Dec, 2008 8:31 pm    Post subject: Background         Reply with quote

Hi David,

Started fencing at 15, 2nd All Western Conference in foil and epee in 1975 and 1976. Competed in the fencing competition of the Pan American US pentathalon in 1975. Assistant fencing coach at California State Fullerton under Les Bleamaster, a member of the 1964 U.S. Olympic team. Initiated training in a iai school when I was about 20 for 23 years (while also still fencing), earning my Godan, and then moved to another school where Rokudan and Renshi were awarded. Also during that time period I dabbled in other styles for a while - Mugai Ryu, an off-shoot of the Katori Shinto Ryu, and additionally the Araki Ryu. Started over in 2002 when I was allowed to become a monjin of the Suio Ryu of Iai Kenpo®, one of the oldest extent Koryu of Japan, and have practiced that style as my sole JSA ever since. In early 2003 I started my training in Fiore. All in all, I have been in martial arts for close to (gulp) 40 years, give or take a few.

Hope that helps,

Brian Stokes
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David Black Mastro




Location: Central NJ
Joined: 06 Sep 2005
Reading list: 20 books

Spotlight topics: 1
Posts: 279

PostPosted: Mon 08 Dec, 2008 8:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Background         Reply with quote

Brian Stokes wrote:
Hi David,

Started fencing at 15, 2nd All Western Conference in foil and epee in 1975 and 1976. Competed in the fencing competition of the Pan American US pentathalon in 1975. Assistant fencing coach at California State Fullerton under Les Bleamaster, a member of the 1964 U.S. Olympic team. Initiated training in a iai school when I was about 20 for 23 years (while also still fencing), earning my Godan, and then moved to another school where Rokudan and Renshi were awarded. Also during that time period I dabbled in other styles for a while - Mugai Ryu, an off-shoot of the Katori Shinto Ryu, and additionally the Araki Ryu. Started over in 2002 when I was allowed to become a monjin of the Suio Ryu of Iai Kenpo®, one of the oldest extent Koryu of Japan, and have practiced that style as my sole JSA ever since. In early 2003 I started my training in Fiore. All in all, I have been in martial arts for close to (gulp) 40 years, give or take a few.

Hope that helps,

Brian Stokes



Hi Brian,

Yes, that helps a great deal--thanks so much for the info.

Your background in various long-established Western and Eastern systems is certainly an asset to the reconstruction of historical European methods.


Salute,

David

"Why meddle with us--you are not strong enough to break us--you know that you have won the battle and slaughtered our army--be content with your honor, and leave us alone, for by God's good will only have we escaped from this business" --unknown Spanish captain to the Chevalier Bayard, at the Battle of Ravenna, 1512
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Brian Stokes





Joined: 01 Mar 2004

Posts: 7

PostPosted: Thu 11 Dec, 2008 8:44 am    Post subject: Questions         Reply with quote

Hi David,

I completely understand why the question was asked.

Cheers,

Brian
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Michael Barna




Location: Northwest Michigan
Joined: 21 May 2007

Posts: 24

PostPosted: Mon 04 May, 2009 8:53 pm    Post subject: Brian Stokes Fiore Webinars         Reply with quote

Hello!

Please consider Mr. Brian Stokes as a source of information on the subject of Fiore's martial teachings via interactive webinars.

Brian has access to some high resolution images of the Getty text as well as his own translations of the text to English. He has put them together in several presentations that are most useful and entirely based on the original texts.

He completely resolved a couple of problems I had been grappling with in the Giocco Stretto using this venue and it worked out well for us both.

It is pretty cool that he would take his time to help out this way.

Brian Stokes - brian @ scholasanmarco.org (take out the spaces before and after the @)

Ciao,

Michael Barna

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Craig Johnson
Industry Professional



Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
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Posts: 1,421

PostPosted: Tue 05 May, 2009 9:17 am    Post subject: Excellent Instructor         Reply with quote

I would add my sentiments to Michael's comments. Brian is an exceptionally knowledgeable instructor and his presentations are first rate. If you have the chance to study with him at a conference or at his school you will not go wrong.

Great instructor and great guy.

Best
Craig
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