Q. How much, would you say, of a confrontation is dealt with on a mental level as opposed to a physical one?

A. One of our ranges implies the inner-dimension of combat reality; that is the psychological range.  It is the most important range to master and supports all other ranges.  It is the range that is maintained throughout all other ranges.  It envelops, permeates, and actualizes our total experience.  What I’m saying is your intellectual, emotional, attitudinal, and creative side must line up with what is happening or else all the knowledge of all the techniques in the world will not serve you.  What is really experienced in combat is not a common, ordinary experience.  This means our training must be boosted through adrenaline simulations, emotional scenarios, and true hard contact to acclimatize our psyche and our body to the rigors of combat.

Q. What type of potential students do you look for?  Are there certain attributes or attitudes one must possess to excel in ICC?

A. Heck yeah!!!  I don’t want some lazy couch potato wasting my time.  I look for energized, truth-seeking, down-to-earth people with a need to awaken a latent warrior that resides within them.  This type of person not only is concerned about his or her life, but the life of others and if given the opportunity is not afraid of loss when it comes to a greater gain.  A student must assess their reasons for studying ICC and those reasons must line up with our purpose or else they will be quickly weeded out by virtue of the dedication that is required to develop the type of human courage, exploration, and cost that it takes to become a true warrior.  There is a real enemy, though that enemy comes in different forms: ignorance, prejudice, tradition, violence, misunderstanding, greed, etc.  If we encounter such things they will rob us of our significance.  There are many reasons for me to continue living: love, knowledge, passion, entertainment, truth, and so on.  I am unwilling to give up such prerogatives and privileges of life to a person who has no concern for humanity.

Q. What about your current ICC exponents, what standards do you hold for them?

A. In general, I expect for them to be actively involved in daily improvement.  This includes all the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of training.  I do not teach a person what to think.  I teach how to think.  Being that Will, Mike, Charles and you are great thinkers, my task may appear to be a simple one, but to foster the dedication that is required on a daily basis in today’s world is difficult.  We must mesh all other concerns such as relationships, work, and overall well-being into our warriorship.  I know, myself, the difficulty of such a task.  But when approached with the proper motivation and reasoning, it is all worth it.  Likewise, my staff possesses those qualities that I most value and I learn greatly from them.  They energize me more than I believe I energize them.  With this said, the weight of proving the ICC approach does not fall on their shoulders, it falls squarely on mine.  However, these men do not believe in blind obedience and I ask them to question everything I teach them.  This makes them capable of forging their own paths, molding their own destinies, and overcoming any known obstacle.

Q. What’s next for ICC?  Where is it going?  Where do you see it in 10 years?

A. I plan on launching a seminar circuit as well as producing an instructional video tape series.  In addition, we are part of the International Combat Martial Arts Unions Association and will aid them in the general promotion of combative martial arts.  Will Blanscet also plans on a reality-based competition that will be held in the future in the Amarillo area.  As far as the future goes, I would be lying if I told you I would not want to build an empire.  What is most important to me, however, is whether such an enormous task as the development of a provable combat system is even possible.  This is my journey, my fate and whether I see it to its height of success is not as important to me as knowing that what I teach will continue to be taught for eternity.  May my words actions and expressions prove to be true and help others in their search for truth; and if not at least I had the courage to question, the guts to challenge, and the sincerity to seek for the answers.

 

 

Bryan M. Beach is the Southwestern Regional Director of Integrated Combative Concepts and is a contributing writer for The CAT Magazine.  He currently lives in Abilene, Texas where he is pursuing a careen in law enforcement. He has trained in the martial arts since he was in grade school has had the privilege to know world-class martial artists.  Constantly on a quest for the raw truth, he has been influenced by the more progressive systems as well as his own life experiences.  Always open to criticism he can be contacted at drunk_n_monk@hotmail.com and will make himself available for a good sparring session.