I have been teaching seminars since 1987. In that time, I have taught nearly 800 of them in 24 countries!
Back in the day, to make a name for myself, and to do something I felt was unique – something no other instructor would do – I wrote and printed handouts (i.e. “mini-booklets“) for attendees to read and take home with them at the end of my seminars. Some of these handouts were 20-25 pages in length. Others were 40 to 60 pages long!
Let me give you a glimpse of what I did:
1. I’d talk with the seminar host about what he or she wanted me to teach.
2. I’d write up an outline for a three to four-hour-long seminar.
3. I’d then write out as many details as I could think of to make sure the seminar attendees would receive something of great value.
4. I’d then rewrite everything and format it all to look good.
5. I’d take this to Kinko’s Copies and have them print 30 to 50 copies, collate, and staple all of the handouts – all at my own expense. (STOP and think about that for a minute! Each mini-booklet was 20-60 pages long, and I would print 30 to 50 copies at my own expense. This would amount to 600 to 3000 pages of material – at .07 cents a page, plus the collating charges!)
6. I would then distribute these mini-booklets to everyone at the beginning of the seminar. I can still remember some of the looks on the attendees’ faces!
7. Unfortunately, several of the students would leave their mini-booklets on the floor or a chair at the end of the seminar. I would then have to pick them up and throw them into the garbage.
So, after experiencing this several times, I stopped doing it – because I discovered that most students wanted new knowledge, an enjoyable experience, as well as some adrenaline and endorphins dumped into their systems!
Below, I will show you two things:
1. A handful of examples of the mini-booklets I printed and handed out.
2. A testimonial from a seminar host who commented on the 43-page handout I gave to all of the attendees.
Seminar Host Commentary
“Mr. Harris began the seminar by handing out a wonderful 43-page manual on what was to be covered throughout the weekend. This got things off to a great start, and every one of the 50 participants was enthusiastic right off the bat. Let me first say that Roy Harris is the type of instructor that even if he were the wealthiest man on the planet, he’d still want to teach martial arts, and he’d probably do it for free. That’s the impression one gets with him.
It’s hard to be objective in today’s outlook on styles and types of Martial Arts. Roy never at any time downplayed other arts and that was very refreshing, to say the least.
The first day of the seminar covered positional escapes. Roy teaches nothing in a sporadic way. He truly wants people to learn and this is evident in the way he explains each technique. He started by teaching the attendees how to exploit something to one’s advantage and make use of an escape rather nicely.
Roy is very forthright. He is always straight to the point and never appears to be around just to entertain you. He leaves very little detail left untouched.
Also covered on day one were counters to popular BJJ grappling techniques. Roy showed his arsenal of vast knowledge in this field. He even took to answering any question about certain counters with a demo and explanation for each question asked. This was awesome!
**As a side note, a well-known BJJ practitioner tried to counter Roy’s attempt at escaping an arm lock. Roy had taught us how to escape the arm lock during this seminar and this guy was over in the corner doing something different. Roy went over to help him and his partner. Roy allowed this practitioner to put him in an arm lock. While Roy was in the process of escaping, this guy tried to counter Roy’s attempt at escaping. Roy knew the guy knew what he was doing so he immediately countered this action with a Roy Harris trademark knee bar. I will say the guy tapped rather fast. Afterward, he said he meant nothing by his actions and was just trying to show his point. His final comment was “I was very impressed by Mr. Harris!”
Not only does Roy Harris have great grappling skills, but this man can teach second to none. Everyone liked his style of explaining how to work a technique and how to flow to another one should it be countered.
The seminar protocol was very respectful all weekend long. Day two was no less fun and helpful. Roy proceeded to lay out a clear blueprint for learning how to grapple. He discussed what was considered to be fun and also what most people think is boring, but is actually most useful. He also went over a detailed plan of action to enable a person to learn the right way. He did this all on an eraser board. He drew it on the board for all to see. It was very helpful!
The seminar participants were instructed in submission combinations on day two. Roy flowed through this so smoothly. Also taught were those nasty little leg and ankle locks. There were no vague explanations from Roy whatsoever. Everyone was also treated to some very severe street fighting techniques, including examples of eye poking and explicit details on biting. More questions followed and Roy answered each one with an on-the-spot demo and explanation. The participants loved this section.
*As another side note, several seminar attendees took to the mat with Roy for a little impromptu grappling. Roy handled each one case by case, never injuring anyone. If someone wanted to go harder with him he made them surrender by submission without breaking a sweat. The entire seminar was excellent! Roy and I also got to spend a good deal of time on the mat for private training and this too was great. I will always look forward now to the next time I train with Roy.
Roy Harris is the quintessential example of what is needed in the grappling, BJJ, and martial arts world today. A CLASS ACT!
Mike Huard
Huard’s Martial Arts, Maine Skirmish Grappling Tournament Director, Winslow Maine
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I hope this glimpse has given you an idea of who I am as an instructor!
If you’d like to be on the receiving end of some of my one-on-one instruction, or maybe a seminar, send an email at ro*@ro*******.com and let’s talk. I am confident I can help you become a more efficient practitioner – in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Filipino Kali/Eskrima, Jeet Kune Do, Kalis Ilustrisimo, Savate, and Self-Defense!
Thank you for your time,
Roy Harris
P.S. Do you have questions or comments about this post? Let me know in the comments below, by sending me an email, or by clicking on the social media icon above and writing to me there!
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