GEOFF THOMPSON's PURE FUNCTION COURSE [Document Subtitle]
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Wayne Poulter GEOFF THOMPSON'S PURE FUNCTION COURSE [Document subtitle] Table of Contents Introduction to Pure Function - 4th October, 2014 - 7th March, 2015 ...... 2 A Pure Exchange of Energy - 4th October, 2014 .................................... 3 Attention and presence - 1st November, 2014 ........................................ 7 Who am I? - 6th December 2014 ............................................................ 9 The Lord's Prayer - 3rd January 2015 ................................................... 11 Raw Consciousness - 7th February, 2015 ............................................ 13 Connection - 7th March, 2014 ............................................................... 17 Conclusion ............................................................................................ 23 GEOFF THOMPSON'S PURE FUNCTION COURSE Introduction to Pure Function - 4th October, 2014 - 7th March, 2015 In my opinion, for people in the martial arts and self-defence communities, Geoff Thompson doesn’t need any introduction. As you may or may not be aware at the moment Geoff is running a new format of courses that he has called pure function. As stated in the video promoting it, it’s beyond the masterclass, beyond the black belt course8Pure unction. (ith the irst pure unction course inished and the next one being advertised and due to start soon, I 2ould li7e to give not only my impression o 2hat this uni9ue six month course 2as li7e, but more importantly the personal gro2th mysel and the other attendees have experienced over our time 2ith 5eo . Although 7no2ing rom other courses that I attended, li7e the masterclass and blac7 belt courses, 2ith 5eo , no t2o courses are ever the same. :e very much teaches rom 2hat he intuitively eels and 2hat 2ill bene it the attendees o that particular course. A ter the blac7 belt course I 2as on that ended in 0une 2014, 5eo said he 2asn/t sure i he 2ould be doing any more courses, so I 2asn/t sure i I 2ould get another chance in the uture to train 2ith him again. A e2 months later I met 5eo in Coventry at the ilm premier he 2rote entitled ;Counting Bac72ards". :e mentioned the ne2 course and that some o the concepts he 2as going to present 2ere inspired by us doing ( or me a li e changing) a punching drill together. This 2as 2hen I discovered essence. I 2as personally invited. Feeling honoured, I o course couldn6t re use. The ollo2ing is ta7en rom my journal about the six month course that I have detailed in monthly entries. I have tried to give you, the reader, a personal account o the course and 2hat ma7es training 2ith 5eo a li e changing experience. A Pure Exchange of Energy - 4th October, 2014 5A30 am. This is the time my alarm goes o every month, that gives me plenty o time to ma7e the hour and a hal drive to Coventry. I 2a7e up 2ith the amiliar eeling o being excited and nervous, my bag and everything I 2ould need or the day ahead has been prepared the night be ore. I have mixed eelingsB I have been loo7ing or2ard to this day or months, no2 it is here and I eel trepidation. I remembered 2hat 5eo has said on many occasions, that this 2as a shado2 coming out to try to stop me. On the 2ay to the AT7 centre I listened to the audio boo7 CThe Careta7er6, 5eo 6s ne2est boo7 that he gave to me as a gi t. Around 8A15 AM I arrived at the AT7 centre in Coventry 2here the course 2as being held. I 2as eeling excited to see 5eo and train 2ith him again but also apprehensive as I didn6t 7no2 2hat to expect rom this course. I 7ne2 it 2ould be very di erent rom the blac7 belt course 2hich I attended the year be ore. A ter a 15 minute meditation in the car, I hopped out and 2al7ed into the AT7 centre. There I sa2 a group o people 2aiting around outside the legendary room 2here so much training had preceded us 2hich had made so many titans over the years. I as7ed them i they 2ere attending the 5eo Thompson courseB they all 2ere, so I introduced mysel and 2e entered the room. I suggested that 2e start putting the mats out. A ter 10 minutes or so I elt a change in the energy o the room. I loo7ed up and 2as very excited to see my riend and mentor 5eo Thompson. A ter 2e embraced and as7ed i each other 2as 2ell, I said hello to 5eo 6s beauti ul 2i e Sharon and introduced mysel to .ouis Thompson, 5eo 6s son 2ho I had yet to meet. Sharon said that she had something or meB it 2as another gi t rom my lovely riend Nic7 Engelen, 2ho 7eeps me on my toes sending me great boo7s to read regularly. The gi t 2as the DFD box-set o the 5eo Thompson master class. I 7ne2 that this 2as going to be an amaGing day and a antastic six months. A ter everybody 2as in and the administration 2as done 5eo started the class 2ith his inspirational pre-session tal7, explaining amongst other things the ormat o the course and the dynamics he had put in place. :e said that the course 2ould be a poulticeB meaning things 2ould come up during the course. This 2as one o the main reasons or the course and 2hatever shado2s come to sur ace 2ould be ours to dissolve. It 2as clear that this course 2as going to be very di erent rom 2hat I had done be ore 2ith him. 5eo explained that the course 2ould revolve around Budo, Misogi, Hoto Dama, di erent orms o meditation and speci ic physical drills. Through the physical 2e 2ould access the internal. The aim o the course 2as or us to be able to gain a pure exchange o energy in everything 2e do. By doing this through martial arts 2e could use the "pure unction" 2e 2ould learn as a template 2e could use in other areas o our lives. :e re erred to the experience 2e both had on the previous blac7 belt course a year be ore 2here 2e did the punching drill together, 2here 2e irst connected and had a pure exchange o energy, 2ith me punching and 5eo holding the pad. :e then 2ent on to explain that 2e 2ere able to do this as I had pure unction in my techni9ue - so much so that a ter 2e inished the 15 or so people on the actual blac7 belt course bro7e into spontaneous applause and 50 to 60 people playing badminton in the hall 2here 2e 2ere training stopped 2hat they 2ere doing to 2atch. :e then explained that this is the po2er o pure unctionB that 2e can connect to essence through this and 2e must use this as a template to ta7e into every aspect o our lives. 5eo said he 2ould set us home2or7 each session. For the irst month he as7ed us to read the boo7 ;An Autobiography o a IogiJ during the course. :e explained this 2as a very po2er ul boo7 and he re erred to it a lot. The tal7 lasted or maybe 40 minutes a ter 2hich he as7ed or a volunteer to 2arm the class up. I put my hand up and too7 the class or a 2arm up. I started by jogging around the room then gradually added things li7e punching or2ard, punching up to the ceiling, etc. I then as7ed or everyone to partner up. I got them to pummel 2ith lo2 under hoo7s and high collar ties (2restling drills), irst ast and light, then slo2 and tight. I then did a 2rist control drill 2here both partners had a 2rist each to start the drill trying to control both 2rists. I inished 2ith a ull body stretch then handed the class bac7 to the maestro. 5eo started the class 2ith us 2al7ing around the room 2hile ocusing on our breath and the eeling o our eet on the loor, saying that the only thing in the 2orld 2as our eet, then he got a rhythm going by getting a count o three, ta7ing 2 steps then slamming our right oot on the loor. A ter a e2 minutes o this he told us to say the 2ord ;do2nJ 2hen 2e slammed our right oot do2n. All through these exercises 5eo 2as spea7ing, he explained that 2hat 2e 2ere doing 2as 2al7ing meditation and to get a connected rhythm 2ith the 2hole class to gain the Misogi (using physical repetition and rhythm to clean internally). I very much elt this and it 2as an amaGing eeling. Then he spo7e a lot about Budo and ho2 and 2hy this 2as the higher end o martial arts. Once 2e inished 5eo as7ed us to stop and ace in2ards around the mat. (e did the same exercise, this time 2e ollo2ed his rhythm. :e then as7ed us to stand still 2ith our eyes closed and told us to imagine that i someone came into the room, the only 2ay they could ind us 2as by the sound o our thoughts, so to avoid them inding us 2e had to try to 9uiet our minds. Next 2e did the same exercise sitting against the 2all. All throughout these exercises 5eo 2as guiding us and explaining that 2e 2ere training our presence and inner a2areness. A ter a short brea7 he as7ed me to demonstrate my right cross or the class. I per ormed ten or so repetitions 2ith him. :e then said to the class that my right cross 2as just li7e 2hat 2e have just been doing be ore the brea7 in the 2ay that 2hen I punch at that point my entire 2orld is my punch and the ocus pad.