ur years to get that type of advice. And it's just unconscionable. We need to get the people, I guess, on the ground actually into these roles. Right. So give that monetary another we shake because we know it exists. Well, yeah, in part. That's okay. Rick, listen, thank you very much. If people want more information, by the way, because I do know also from speaking to people over the years in a program like this is that sometimes you can feel that you're only, the only person affected by something. And then once you start networking and realising, you know, you can have people to talk to and share, you know, what works for different people and all that kind of stuff. But if people want more information on rare diseases, Ireland, where do they go? Vicki? Oh, well, our website is www.rdi.ie. We don't provide, I guess, a support service per se. It's literally just me and the organisation at the moment. But we can network people together, we can find the right organisations and peer-to-peer support is incredibly helpful. And I've kind of went from pillar to post. Is there anything important that you want to say before we say goodbye, Vicki? Well, thank you for the opportunity to raise awareness for rare disease days at the end of February and we hope that everybody will get involved. All right. Have a great day. Thanks for joining us. Lovely to see you. Thank you very much, Greg. All right. Take care of yourself. Vicki McGrath, CEO of Rare Diseases Ireland. Right. We're busy on the phone lines today. Great to see you. You see it all the time, but I never take it for granted, you know, because you just never know. So it's wonderful that so many of you get involved, have your say, new people messaging and texting all the time. It's great, obviously, to hear regularly for people, but it's also nice when someone, you know, texts in for the first time and all comments are welcome, even if you've never texted a radio station before. Show your point of view. Your point of view is as equal to anyone else's. All seven, four, nine, one, 25,000. If you want to relate it verbally to Caroline, if texting is not your thing, or if you prefer to WhatsApp or text, you're very softly spoken today, Caroline. She's speaking into my ear. Normally it's quite aggressive, but it's very softly spoken today. Thanks, Caroline. I swear I have a hangover, which you don't. That's been a couple of years, it seems. But anyway, thank you, Caroline. I appreciate it greatly. Right, we are going to go straight to Louise Byrne, actually, and then we'll take an ad break. Right, Louise Byrne, political reporter with the Irish Daily Mail. Good morning to you, and thanks for joining us. Good morning, Greg. How are you? I'm doing good. I'm doing good. Listen, what's your take on the accepted breach of restrictions at the Department of Foreign Affairs? You know, the investigation has been had. The opposition are calling for an independent investigation. Simon Coveney has got his lines now that he can lean on every time he does an interview, and that's grand, because he believes the matter has been dealt with. What's your take on what we've seen so far, Louise? Well, I suppose this report in the incident at the Department of Foreign Affairs in June 2020 has been waited now for the last number of weeks, and it finally came out last night. But I think there are still a number of questions that need to be answered from it, and that certainly was the opposition that I think today and last night as well. And I think one of the main questions in it is why was Simon Coveney not interviewed as part of this report? And now Joe Hackett, the Secretary-General of the Department of Foreign Affairs, he was saying that an interview with Minister Coveney was not included in the terms of reference. Now, what we do know is that Minister Coveney, and he said this again this morning, he said it three weeks ago, he was made aware that Niall Berges, who was the Secretary-General, then, he knew that Mr. Berges had posted this picture on Twitter on the evening that it happened. And at the time he was in ID House, he wasn't there when the Champagne course were popping, but he was there shortly thereafter. So he was aware on the evening that this picture had been posted. But yes, he wasn't spoken to as part of this report. And I think there's a lot of questions this morning as to why this wasn't included in the terms of reference. And you know, for the public now, using words like hindsight, and if I knew then what I know now and now, what I knew then, and hindsight. You know, as soon as people start hearing that, they're like, right, something's going on here. It's not a straight answer. Yeah, and I think this has kind of been the tone of this incident for the last number of weeks. You know, Minister Coveney was on radio one day, and he said at that time he didn't think that an investigation was appropriate back in June 2020, and that he didn't order us. And then a few days later, we found out that the day before he went on radio and did that interview, he had actually ordered an investigation into this. So I think, you know, Minister Coveney, he's found himself in a few sticky situations over the last number of months.  So I think a lot of people are asking a lot of questions of Simon Coveney now at the moment. Yes, and of course, he would have been, you know, maybe people's tips to replace Leo Veracar, who himself has his own issues with an ongoing guard investigation. The impression I got from, this was my read, Louise, and I might be wrong, the impression I got from Simon Coveney in his comments was he doesn't respond, he doesn't, he doesn't, he's not responsible to Joe Hackett, he's responsible to committees, he's responsible to the Dall, the media, the public. And that really was why he didn't think he should be interviewed, that he's, you know, he's not responsible to Joe Hackett, and that's why he wasn't interviewed. Yeah, and I think something else he said this morning when he was on radio was interesting. You know, there's been calls for an independent investigation into this, and not to have your colleagues investigating this now, he is there, he is their boss, but he's been investigated this, and there was a call for an independent investigation, and Minister Coveney said he doesn't see what else there is to know here. And I think there is going to be a call now on Minister Coveney to appear in front of the fire and fire committee, and we know the support will be sent to them, and she has said before that he would be willing to go and speak to them, and so whether that comes to pass now, we have to wait and see, but they are, they're very keen to speak from what I've heard from some of the members last night. You know, and the reason this is important is because, you know, and we're seeing the same what's happening in Britain, although on a different scale, at these times or at various times over this, you know, we were being stopped by Gardie, you know, two and a half kilometres from our home being asked what we're doing. We didn't meet with family. I've interviewed many people that didn't see loved ones for a couple of months. You know, that's why this is so important. In any other time, it doesn't really matter, but we were, so much was asked of the general population that this, to look at this picture is really, really offensive because, you know, people literally did not see brothers and sisters for years on end. Yeah, and I think, you know, it's in hindsight as Minister Coakley said this morning, you know, this is 18 months ago, and I think we've come so far enough we've forgotten what we actually were asked to do about then. You know, it was, you can meet up with six people from outside your household, shops had reopened. Initially a week before this, the shops reopened. And 25 people at a funeral, which, you know, you know what an Irish funeral is like, and we know how difficult that was for people who weren't able to properly grieve their family and the Social Democrats spoke first on this. Gary Gannon, he said to me last night, the number of emails that he has gotten from people who, you know, they had to cancel their wedding, they have to, they couldn't grieve their mother, their father, their family members. And it is, it's a bit of a kick to them when you think what we went through. And I think if this, you know, was the time that has passed, perhaps people have forgotten a little bit of what was happening at the time. But if this had been found out at the time, I think far more serious questions would be asked. Yeah. And that people are more astute or are astute. You know, we know what Mehold Martin's reaction would be if this, if he were in opposition and, you know, he was in opposition. And yet people aren't hearing an awful lot from he or other senior government members in calling this out or, you know, taking the lead on further investigation. No. And I think what's interesting over the last couple of hours since Minister Covey went on radio is that Phinegal TVs in particular have been tweeting a picture of Shinsane at the Bobby Storey funeral and saying, well, this wasn't investigated. So, you know, who were used call for an investigation into the Department of Foreign Affairs? But, so I think it's very much a defensive, it seems. Now, see, trust me, Mehold Martin, he'll be taking leaders' questions in the door this afternoon. And no doubt this will come up at some stage in the afternoon. And I think now that the report is published, I think the answer had always been, you know, we're investigating this. And the report has been commissioned. And the report will answer all these questions you are asking me. So now that the report has been published, they don't have that back on anymore. So, you know, no real excuse not to answer questions now this afternoon. I mean, it's hard as a political reporter, I'd imagine. It's not hard for you to stay on topic, but to cover it. Because as you quite rightly pointed out, already like something you'd see in the schoolyard, the mud slagging has started. So we end up not talking about, you know, the core issue.  It's very frustrating as a voter. It is. I think sometimes when these things get too personal, it takes away and detracts from the real issue at hand and what actually happens. So I think, you know, well, obviously it does need to be personal. And you know, the report last night, it highlights that Mr. Burgess was, you know, largely responsible for this gathering and he put some of his colleagues in a very difficult position.  Because I think when you look at it that way, it makes the whole thing a little bit more difficult to stomach. Yes, and there are people who made a decision and ended up in court over it or ended up with a heavy fine. They, you know what I mean? They didn't make a voluntary donation to charity. They ended up, you know, maybe being named in a local paper or something. So, you know, that's why passions can run so high. Louise, thank you so much for joining us. I appreciate it greatly. Take care. You too, Louise Byrne, political reporter with the Irish Daily Mail. At Irish Life, we've been helping people make smart investments with their nest egg for over 80 years. For actual trusted advice, search irishlife.ie or contact your financial broker or advisor. We know Irish Life. We are Irish Life. Irish Life Financial Services is tied to Irish Life Assurance for life and pension problems. Irish Life Assurance PLC is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Irish Life Financial Services Limit is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Ray. Dee. Oh! Now, I need you to give me voice number one and if you have voice number one correct, I am giving you 570 euros. Who do you think it is? I think it might be Dennis Taylor. Dennis Taylor, the snooker player. Yes. Catherine, I can tell you, unfortunately, that voice number one is Dennis Taylor. Oh, my God! Oh, Catherine! Oh, my God, I can't believe it. Well done, 570 euros is yours for correctly guessing Dennis Taylor. Good on you. What's your favorite show on Highland Radio? Can I say it up, of course. That's the correct answer. Listen, well done. If I learned one thing in the last year, it's that falling into debt can happen to anyone. Luckily, I heard about the ISI, the Insolvency Service of Ireland. Their professional advisors can help you restructure or even write off your debt. The first thing they said to me was, every debt problem has a solution. I can still feel the relief. So if you're worried, visit their website back on track.ie or free text get help to 50015. The ISI, together, will get you back on track. This is an initiative of the Government of Ireland. New this week in home store and more. All fitness is half price. But better hurry, because when all our half price fitness is gone, it's gone. Also, all rugs and all fireside accessories are still half price. But when all our half price rugs and all our half price fireside accessories are gone, they're definitely gone. Order online before 2 p.m. for next day delivery or drop by your local home store and more. Home store and more. A happy home. Highland Radio Time Checks brought to you by Letterkenny Shopping Centre, the centre of shopping in Donegal. Free parking and shopping all under one roof. Letterkenny Shopping Centre, bringing you the time at... 28 minutes past 11. Now we welcome Anna onto the programme. Good morning to you, Anna. Thanks for taking the call today. Good morning, Greg. It's an obvious pleasure to speak with you. And you. Anna, now we are talking about what should be beautiful daffodils in Moville. Yes. What's going on? Well, I'll tell you what's going on. We are very fortunate here in Moville, Greg, to have a very good Tidy Towns Committee, you know, led mostly by Marion McDonald. And they do great work, you know, in an effort to keep the town tidy and neat and tidy.  They plant flower boxes in various places on the approach roads and the flower baskets and all that. And there's one area you may not be aware of a place that's the recreation ground called, we refer to it as the green. But along the green there is what's known as the top path. And some years ago there was daffodils. I can tell you there was about 300 bulbs of daffodils put in along the top path in Moville. And they make a great display when they are in flower. But unfortunately there is some individual or individuals deciding they're nice. Daffodils will have some of those. And they are removing them before they fully flower. You know, these would be daffodils that are just about to flower. And a lot of them have been cut and it's quite evident that somebody went along with a pair of scissors. That's what it appears to me anyway. I may be wrong. But it appears to me that they've been cut with scissors. So I would just put out an appeal to the people to recognize that a lot of people do a lot of work to enhance the scenery of the town. And they're not for plucking for your table or for your sideboard. I would imagine that people aren't thinking they're doing something very serious, Anna, that they might say, oh, they look nice. They're probably wild or there's plenty of them or they'll grow back. And they might look nice in a vase on my kitchen table. I don't think there's anything sinister going on here. Would you agree, Anna, or am I being too generous? I absolutely agree. That is why I come on just to appeal to people, not to pull them, that they're not just for pulling. But yes, I do understand that there's no malice intended. But there is great effort in getting them in there and we wait for them to bloom and we want to leave them there. So as you approach them, it looks even more beautiful rather than taking them and not realizing perhaps the impact of what you have. And it's simple and it's to the point. Anna, thank you very much. Take care of yourself. And it just doesn't apply to Mavilli. It applies to anywhere, I'm sure. Kohler got a diagnosis with latent TB. He took a long time to get diagnosed. In order to get blood done for the disease, he has to travel to Galway every time. The appointment is always for first thing in the morning. Supposed to be going for appointments every three months. Can't understand why there's no facility in Donegal. Five and a half hour drive to a centre in Galway, just for bloods. Why is this, they say? Another Kohler says, where is the Molcahi report on planning in Donegal? We all deserve to know. Well, I think I've asked, I think it's certainly four housing ministers where that report is now at this stage. And I put the question to the current housing minister at least twice. Someone fair, this is as it relates to the leaving cert. Someone fair for this decision to be made about the leaving cert. There are eight people living in my home and between them having COVID and being close contacts, they've missed so much time at school. This government is a disgrace. These young people are under enough stress without this being added to. Another Kohler says, the graveyard issue is for the county council to provide. County council no need to be in or near letter Kenny. It's the council's responsibility to all the people of the county. Of course, and I understand that, but you know, you would most likely, and I understand why you might, locate it close to the population centre. I don't come from letter Kenny, and so I'd like it closer to me, but I can understand why the population centre might be the first port of call. Right, okay, Kohler says, the partners experiencing bullying in the workplace by the owner of the business needs to work to support the family. Any tiny mistakes made, and the boss comes down on them like a tonne of bricks, making comments, and makes workers feel extremely uncomfortable. It's affecting family life, and needs to see a therapist as a result in suffering from anxiety too. I'm not sure what you would do in that situation, but I would arrange a meeting with the boss because you know what, I know they need the job, but look at the expense that could be in medical or whatever. If there's no HR, I don't know what the size of the company, if there is HR, organise a meeting with HR and have it out with them. If not, organise a meeting even after work hours with the boss and say that you're bringing someone an advocate with you, and sit in that formal environment and explain what's going on with an advocate with you. It could be anyone, it doesn't have to be a union rep or whatever, just say I want to bring someone with me for support or to take notes or to witness what we have to say and sit down and say there are very strict laws governing such matters and there's no reason why someone should accept bullying in the workplace to the point where it's having a detrimental effect on their health and mental wellbeing. So that's what I suggest they do. It's going to be tough because maybe the person doesn't like confrontation, that's very possible, but they're going to have to make that decision. Organise a meeting with the boss even after hours or when they're not due to be in work, take someone with you, sit down, write down what you have to say and say this is what's going on and I feel that this is happening in the workplace and I don't want to have to take it any further and I need it to stop. I'd be very interested to see how that conversation might go. I would say you'd work out quite well for the person. Bluebird Care are hiring nurses and carers across Donegal. Call 911 29562. Bluebird Care are sponsors of today's show. Our February Fit Club is back. Are you up to the challenge over the next few weeks? All you have to do is walk or run 56 miles in the month of February. That's as little as two miles per day. Then send us in your pictures from your walk or upload them to social media using the hashtag David's February Fit Club. We have great prizes each week up for grabs for those who took part and most importantly we will be raising money for Rocco's Road to Recovery. 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Andy, bartender. I am a caffeine delivery technician. Sharon, barista. I use my experience to make yours better. Stanley, tourism experience manager. They've all been explaining their jobs in their own words on behalf of Northern Ireland's tourism and hospitality industries. Discover hundreds of amazing opportunities in tourism and hospitality right now when you search careerscope.uk.net forward slash ni. Explain them any way you want. Okay, on the programme now is Paul Gordon, Policy and Public Affairs Manager with the Irish Cancer Society. Thank you very much, Paul, for joining us. Good morning, Greg. Thanks for having me. Right, now this is worrying and I think unless you're directly affected, it might easily go over your head or not go on your radar. But your society is well aware that the HSC is pursuing people for medical debts and they're doing so now with more vigor. Tell us what debts of people are incurring and what the HSC are doing to try and recover them. Well, as you say, Greg, it's quite a shock for anyone to get bills when they're going through cancer treatment and for that to be followed up with letters and calls from a debt collector is really concerning, particularly for people that have a very vulnerable time in their lives. So we see cancer patients who maybe they don't have a medical card or private health insurance. They're often hit with a charge of 80 euro per treatment session up to a max of 800 euro in a year. And what happens is that after 47 days, so just under seven weeks, if someone hasn't paid that charge, it can be passed on to a debt collector. And what we've seen in recent years is an increase in spending by the HSC through local hospitals on debt collectors to collect that debt. So in 2019, they spent almost 700,000 on debt collectors and that's a 56% rise on what they spent in 2013 to recover debt. So it's really concerning that there's been such a steep increase in expenditure on debt collectors and that gives an indication that far from rolling back on the practice, they're actually pursuing it more strongly than they have in the past. And people don't, you know, I mean, any cancer treatment is going to be stressful for the majority of people, but for some it might not necessarily be successful and to be dealing with all of that and the pressures of family may be off work, maybe the other bills are stacking up. To be getting chased by a debt collector for your treatment, I can only imagine and I can only imagine first how stressful, how hurtful that is. Yeah, I mean, like you say, there are people who may, we have heard people who may have received bad news at the time. They're getting these debt collectors letters. They may be getting news about having to have further treatment or surgery. And I suppose that compounds the physical and emotional challenges you're going through as a cancer patient with a really harsh financial challenge we certainly don't think that people when they're going through treatment should be charged for the treatment and it is a small subsection of cancer patients who do face the charges. But that's a group that is particularly financially vulnerable. We know that most cancer patients are financially vulnerable. We did some research on the cost of cancer in 2019, which showed that on average, cancer patients after diagnosis face new expenditure of over 750 euro a month at a time when they face significant loss in income of 1500 euro a month on average. So that just goes to show the huge impact that a cancer diagnosis has.  People have to take out loans to pay for different charges. And particularly at the moment when we're looking at rapidly rising costs of living, we're looking at higher energy costs, which affects cancer patients particularly hard because many who are going through treatment feel cold more. They need to use electricity and heating more. And that can really add to the costs that they're facing when they're already really financially very vulnerable. Has it been costed as to how much it would cost per year to not charge for this treatment? I presume 80 euros a contribution. I'm not sure it would pay it. Obviously there are those then that would be able to get this covered through a medical call. But to provide this care for free, has anyone found out how much that might cost in one year? Well, so what the charge is is an inpatient charge. So it's for anyone who's either staying overnight in the hospital or who are going for a day case treatment. So that would have left chemotherapy and radiotherapy. So we haven't been able to find a figure as it relates specifically to cancer patients but to remove the charge entirely for those who do incurring patient charges will cost around 30 million euro a year. We understand that it's a significant sum of money. But it used to be a significant sum of money, Paul, but it's not anymore. Yeah, and I think in the greater scheme of things and the operation of the health service, the rationale for this charge is really revenue raising. It's not like you take emergency department charges, for example, for whatever your view on it. You're discouraging people for turning up for no reason. Hospital car park charges is, for all the revenue that's raised, a lot of it is to discourage local workers from using the hospital car park and going on around their daily business or leaving the car there and shopping. This is life-saving treatment that we're talking about. We do not, you know what I mean? It is the only reason there can be a charge is a money grab. Exactly, that's what we're saying is that inpatient charges, it applies to people who are already in the system, people who need treatment and we shouldn't be putting up financial barriers to people who do need treatment. So there are certain exemptions for people with medical cards. There are exemptions for women getting maternity care and that's absolutely right because we want women and their children as they progress through maternity care to ensure that they show up, they show up for further appointments and that there's no financial barriers to that. The same applies to prescribed infectious diseases like COVID, for example, because we want people who are seriously ill who need treatment to be in hospital and we don't want financial barriers. I mean, for all the money we're talking, who are they going at? Like, what is the, you know, you've talked about those that don't have to pay and quite rightly so. And that makes you start wondering, well, who actually is it that, who are they going after here? You know, for all the money that's involved, given the budget, what's the motivation? Who are they going for? What do they hope to achieve with this? Well, I suppose what the HSE would say is that they have an obligation to collect the charge and their way of enforcing it if people don't pay it through debt collectors. And that's really, it's quite hard to hear that the health system treats it in that way. We understand that they have a legal obligation to collect charges. However, the methods in which they do it is something that we strongly disagree with and it's something that while they say they're only implementing it, it's something that we believe they could start over. Yeah, let me put it in a different way. Let me put it in a different way. I think if people have the money, they will pay it, right? Some people might have the money and might forget to pay it. And maybe just a reminder from the HSE themselves might encourage them to pay. Like, I don't think people are saying, you know, you don't have to pay for that because they don't chase up for six or seven months. Do you get where I'm coming from? The people they end up chasing up, are those, the majority of them are those that probably don't have the resources at that time to pay for this treatment? That's it. And I think that's why it's particularly terrifying for those patients because they're not only dealing with debt collectors for, you know, charges of 80 euro at a time, but they're also dealing with a plethora of other expenses that they clearly can't afford because these are often people who they may be just outside of the income threshold to qualify for a medical card. They may not have the financial means to get private health insurance and the protection that that can offer to many. So they're the ones who, in this case, are really feeding the sharp end of the stick. And it's a really, we feel it's a really inhumane practice to pursue people as what for many can be a low point in their life, not just physically but emotionally and it's really challenging. And like you say, there can also be people who simply forget to pay for a charge who with the maybe the admin and applying for medical cards, the many things that you have to get in place with regard to your treatment, the last thing you think about is the letter that drops in the box with an invoice for inpatient charges, which many people may not have been aware of or may not have considered at the outset their treatment because all they're thinking about is getting well and getting through their treatment. And you wonder how many people listening to this have learned for the first time that you have to pay for these services but to be getting a third parties involved and spending 600,000 euro for the service. Is unbelievable stuff. All right, listen, presumably that cost passed on to the patients so the employment of debt collectors, the people end up paying for that one way or other. Thanks Paul for that. That's Paul Gordon there, Policy and Public Affairs Manager with the Irish Shet Cancer Society. for a great deal at Tesco Mobile, like the amazing Samsung Galaxy A52S 5G, free for just 30 euro a month on our bill pay plan. That's a saving of 149.99, plus you'll even get 99% network coverage. This is Supermarket Mobile, Tesco Mobile. Every little helps. Visit us in-store or search Tesco Mobile. Tees and Seas apply 24 month contracts payable by direct debit 99% population coverage see tescomobile.ig for full plan details and Tees and Seas. If you're buying new tires, contact Auto Fast Fit in Letterkenny. Get great grip and great brands at prices to suit every budget. Towbars also supplied and fitted for cars and commercial vehicles. Auto Fast Fit, Pierce Road, Letterkenny, call 9112174. 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OK, so let's have a quick look at the weather forecast today. Breezy and mostly clouded, just limited Brighter Sunday spells. There'll be some light rain or drizzle in the afternoon but becoming more persistent in the evening. Temperatures 10 to 12 degrees, winds fresh to strong and westerly wind in westerly winds. All right, we're joined on the programme now by Dinny. Good morning, Dinny. Thanks for joining us. It's nice to speak to you. Right, OK, now you are concerned are you or certainly interested in the current visiting restrictions at Leicester University Hospital? Yes, I am. What's the story? The story is I have a sister on there and her son took me up yesterday to see her and they left me him. Now, you would have been allowed in but your son, it was he that wasn't allowed in. Tell us why. Well, he got on but I didn't like to do what came of it, carry on with this. And then he put on my television on that house and some other football match. And my sister's not well and to me not have longed to love, I don't know. I'm actually going to even give them to say hello. OK, so your son was allowed in but you weren't? That's great. And you're saying one extra person, particularly, you know, obviously there's compassionate grants here, one extra person wouldn't have harmed. I don't know who's making the rules or who's in charge, but there's something wrong, they're all together. How long has it since you've seen your sister, Denny? Oh, I don't see her since she went down. She must be on their switch. Wow. And I think you've told us that you're 87 and your sister's aged 88. Oh, that's correct. How did it feel when they told you yesterday that you couldn't go in? I was very annoyed. Very annoyed to think that a brother and sister am out with her son from the rules and regulations, but they're definitely wrong. And then you look at the football match and they're crowded down and the bars are all open and they're all drinking. And many of the staff in the hospital, and this is not an insult I have in a go, but I'm sure many of the staff in the hospital are in the same bars and restaurants and football matches as the general population are. Oh, well, definitely not here. I imagine you're a chance to speak to a player at all if it happened today. Do you worry about that, Denny, that you wouldn't get to see your sister again? I worry hugely. I presume it's taking its toll on you, it's having an impact on how you're feeling too? Because I'm not that... Well, I'm alright, but I'm not great. Yeah. Did they tell you if you could... I mean, did they tell you if you could visit your sister at any point, Denny? What? Did they say that come back tomorrow when you can visit your sister or...? They said nothing and just said no. Only one of the ten. I thought, well, if he could come... I said, can I not go on now? There's a one. No. There's one over there. I don't know what kind of rules and regulations. One of the eight days. I mean, Denny, listen, I don't know.  You might be more comfortable. Would you navigate in the hospital with your nephew with you? Of course, I should. I mean, I think that would be a fair thing for someone to ask that they had someone to go with them. Denny, listen, we're going to inquire. If that trip's finished, you've already travelled from Anishone to Leatherkinny and Bag, you didn't see your sister, and you genuinely are worried that, God forbid, you might not get to see her again. Well, if she's getting weaker... I'm not eating as much as she was. Okay, Denny. It's very worrying for you, I'm sure. Okay. Listen, we're going to try and find out what the story is. I can't see why you should not be able to go in with your nephew with her son and go and see your sister. Well, nobody can see the sensitive at all. Well, I didn't follow all the restrictions. And do what I did so that you would not be allowed to go in and see your sister. I did it, and I sacrificed, and we all sacrificed so much so that you could go in and see your sister, Denny. That's what I was doing it for. So, listen, leave it with us, okay? Who is it? Who made talking to you? My name's Greg. I have the show here in Highland Radio, and we can ring up the hospital and find out what the story is for you, Denny. Yeah. Okay, good man. And Caroline will be in touch with you as well. Okay, Denny? Well, bless you. All right, you too, and best wishes to you. The Nine Till Noon Show, brought to you by Bluebird Care, providing nurse-led home care services in Donegal. Call Bluebird Care 9129562 and bring care home. It's back! The Holy in the Sun! September 26th to October 3rd. Contact Cassidy Travel Dublin or visit Declanairny.com. Beat the cost of Brexit and no customs charges. Do you need a UK address for your limited company or personal use? Space Hub and Derry can provide you with your own virtual office or mailbox. Have your post and parcels delivered to Space Hub and collected your convenience. Also brand-new 20-foot shipping containers now in stock, ideal for all your storage needs at our Springtown and Comor depots. Find us on Facebook or spacehubderry.com or call 04871 878077 for details. Hello, Grace. Where are you heading? Downton made to measure fireplaces in Chrysler. Made to measure fireplaces? Didn't you just buy a fireplace there? Yeah, but I'm going now to pick my kitchen worktop. Create the kitchen and living room of your dreams at Made to Measure Fireplaces and Granite Worktops. They've been in business for over 40 years. So for help choosing Granite or Quartz for your worktop fireplacer stove, visit the Made to Measure showroom at Casual Chrysler or see mtmfireplaces.com or on Facebook. NutriStart Plus offers the best start to your calves this spring season. With 23% and 25% crude proteins, ideal for calf to beef and heifer rearing systems. Give your calves the best possible start available at your local homeland store. Visit nutriest.ie for full nutritional information. Okay, let's finish up with some of your comments. My son got a parcel from America. Sorry, my son was sent a parcel from America before Christmas. After nine weeks it arrived this morning. In case anyone else is waiting on a parcel, it might come yet. They say it's great news. That's good to hear. Read the hybrid leaving search. The mental health is certainly an issue. The hybrid leaving search has to go. Let the students sit a traditional leaving search and let all students have the same chance to earn their marks. Otherwise, you have students who've genuinely worked for their marks competing with other students who are being given predictive grades and teachers who are under pressure to give higher marks. So let's go back to one of the lines in that. Let all students have the same chance to earn their marks. Now, many students don't have the same chance to earn their marks because they may have been out of school themselves from being sick or being close contacts. Then their teachers may have been out. They may not have internet at home, proper internet, or it might be a busy house. So they haven't been able to study during hybrid learning. And they may not have the money to get grinds. I don't think we should be under any illusion. I'm not saying we shouldn't go the traditional route, but let's not pretend that that gives all students the same chance because that, unfortunately, is not the country that we live in. As a person who worked in education for 40 years, I'm impressed listening to the three young students on your show. But has, alas, the government don't engage with the people at the cold face in any decision making. You're mostly right, but the students did sit in on some of those conversations and their opinions were clearly disregarded. Greg, what about our junior cert students this year? No chat about them. They're in the same situation with their exams yet, indeed. And we can't talk about that. I think that can be caught up on or addressed. I think the leaving cert, it kind of determines that your last exam, it kind of determines how you get on where you can go. If you choose to go on to third level, many don't. 60, 40% don't. And they go on and do other stuff. But I take your point. My son's doing the leaving cert. His art teacher was off for a month before Christmas and there was no substitute. He's now spending every lunchtime catching up at home preparing a portfolio that has to be finished for university this week. He is mocks next week, so other subjects are suffering. It wasn't his fault.  Another, when we discovered the news this morning, my big, strong, six foot 18 year old burst into tears and said I'm going to walk away after six years with absolutely nothing. Because I'm so far behind and falling further behind every day. I just can't keep up. Now you can't tell me that we want to make decisions that leave young men and women in that position. My son is due to do the leaving cert next year and he missed out on the June you cert. He did transition year due to COVID. Okay, but that might work to his advantage though he's doing TY this year, isn't he? Not much in the way, in the entertainment, in term and it seems, that's as it relates to, it's a small group of people, but it's not insignificant because it's disrupting people's lives. It's not a reflection on the whole area. I think everyone knows that, don't they? This call assist though, children know from others that Gardi can't do anything, but the parents can, as they don't want any bad publicity. Sally Rod, they say. Well, those days are gone, but I think those of us have a certain vintage, dare I say, remember. Hi, Greg, I traveled on the bus from Donegal to Galway and they only allow a 10 minute stop with a full bus and people queueing to get to the toilet. 10 minutes is not enough. Time, some passengers have health problems and need more time. I'm sure this isn't the only bus route which has a 10 minute break. What do your other listeners think? All right, let us know what you think about that. That's why we have to leave it on the program today. Thank you very much for listening.


Last week we had Grandmaster Daryl Vidal with us discussing the attributes and evolution of Kempo. Master Vidal is often recognized for his appearance in The Karate Kid, but even more impressive, he is an accomplished martial artist with extensive experience in a variety of systems including Kempo, Wing Chung, and Filipino martial arts. He is a seasoned competitor, holds a 10th degree black belt in Kempo, and he's a member of the Kempo Karate Hall of Fame. Now he's back with us today to talk about his experience with Filipino stick fighting, some of the critical aspects that are often overlooked and how to get the most out of your training. What is your experience with the Filipino martial arts and why do you think it is among the top of the martial arts for weapons combat? I started very young. It was one of the first arts that I was actually exposed to because my parents used to have a guy that they would call a faith healer. Whenever they had a sprain or an ailment, we would go see this guy. We called him the faith healer, but he was actually a Filipino arts person. He would make the lectures and do massage.  He just bone alignment and massages. But he had some special talents and he taught it with his kids because he could take your hands and kind of feel your palms and say, oh, look, you've got hemorrhoids. Or you have asthma. I don't know how they did that. Maybe that's based on something real. Maybe a chiropractor knows that. I don't have hemorrhoids. But they would do some stick fighting. And that's where I first kind of saw it and heard the clock clocking of the sticks. Then it wasn't until we moved to Chino, California, where we met up with a neighbor who had some experience with stick fighting and had taken classes with Danny and Santo. And so that was my first exposure. And we would use sticks and start learning some of the more common pattern drills, like the sixth count and blocking and blocking some disarmament. But it was more rudimentary stuff. And he didn't have an official rank. And then probably over the years, I think I counted. And I probably had as many as five or six other people who I trained with. Some of the people that I would train with would be what I call seminar guys. They would go to a lot of seminars. And then what I found, what I would learn from these guys is, they have one or two things that I could get from them. And then they didn't really have a lot of other depth. So I would take those drills and then use them and learn them. And then there was one guy in particular who spent a lot of time with stick fighting guy, Tim Tackett, I probably just heard his name. And I learned a ton from him. We would do all kinds of different drills. We would do pattern drills, reaction drills, pressure testing, blade drills. I probably garnered the most of my experience from him and the most of my practical experience. So I really absorbed it, but I could never say, you know, this is Cali, this is Arnis, this is Eskima, this is, you know, this system or that system. So over the time I would teach people what I know without really having, you know, a name for it all until I finally decided I wanted to teach it, give some formal instruction, even though I don't have this kind of certified ranking. So I developed my own curriculum based on what I know. And it's pretty deep.  So I created that whole curriculum and then I established it in here in Murrieta under the Murrieta Stick Fighting Club. So that's how I teach it.  It is really, I'm teaching the Murrieta Stick Fighting Club curriculum. And that's not good enough for you too bad, you know. You can still come in here and I'll still smash your fingers with the best of them. So, yeah, that's kind of the way that I do it. Well, what can new students joining your class expect in terms of starting out with early classes or like versus what they might find in a traditional college school or another school like that? Well, I don't know how they would be different. But I think what they can expect is that we'll be banging sticks right from the start. When one of the main things that's different about Filipino martial arts is you start with weapons and then you learn how to transition from, you know, two sticks and one stick to eventually bladed weapons and then to the empty hand. So it's kind of like reversed from karate when you start, you know, empty handed and then you gravitate towards weaponry.    But I always make sure that we're training with different weights and, you know, types of wood so that you're feeling the different types of reaction from striking with sticks.  We wear gloves, you know, when we're doing certain drills so that you can hit them in the hand and hit them in the knuckles and pretend to cut them in the hand and cut them in the knuckles so that we're trying to do a level of that more practical, experiential training. So why is doing it reverse a more practical way versus like having them do just the motions with the empty hands first just to get the motions down and then adding the weapon in? What is the reversal benefit? Yep, that's a good question. I think, I think the way I might express it is is that one is karate is kind of form-based.  But thick fighting is flow-based. You know, what we're trying to do is develop an understanding of the flow of the stick, you know, because the stick is a completely different manifestation of weaponry versus the hand. The stick has momentum and inertia and flexibility and distance, right? So there's all these things that make it better, but it's very different from the empty hand. And the flow aspect of it comes from the end of the stick and the momentum of the stick, but it also translates to your footwork and your movement. So by learning the stick first, you're learning a longer range of interaction with your opponent because you're farther away. And then as you learn to get closer, either by getting close to a grappling situation, a disarm or a takedown, now you're closing on your opponent and that's changing, you know, kind of the interaction with it. So it's kind of like moving from long range interaction into, you know, closer range. And I don't want to leave the impression that I think you have to start with weaponry, but it is the way that we indoctrinate you starting with the sticks and feeling the stick and trying to learn, you know, how to not only manipulate and create the momentum and the energy of the stick, but also how to deal with the momentum after a strike and the follow-through. You know that if someone uses nunchucks but doesn't know how to deal with the follow-through, they're going to hit themselves on the elbow or on the head and it's the same with the sticks. If you don't know what you're doing and you hit that stick, it's going to bounce back and hit you right in the head. So, you know, there's that whole aspect of dealing with the flow, learning the flow and then dealing with the flow and the reaction of the stick. And there's that expression where people say that, you know, a weapon is just an extension of a limb. Do you feel that that's a little simplification or do you think that's a fair statement? No, I think it's a fair statement. I definitely teach that in Kimpo when we're teaching about using the bow staff or using any other implement, you know, that's pretty much true for any other implement. But in this case, since the stick can be of varying densities and flexibilities, you have to know how to deal with that, you know, how that stick reacts. So, it does vary a lot in terms of, you know, what you're using. In fact, a lot of, I don't have one right with me, but Filipinos will use a very light retan stick, very thin, you know, like let's say it's three quarters of an inch thick retan with the skin shaved off. So, this creates a very light stick that bends a lot. Well, you know what, go ahead and hit me with it. It's not going to hurt me unless you really know how to apply that stick to the right target, you know, in the right way. Otherwise, you know, you're going to flay all around with it.  So, you mentioned the six count drill. For those who are not familiar with it, what is it for? Like what are the core principles that it teaches? Okay, so, yeah, one of the main pattern drills that we work on is called the six count. And it starts from this, the stance, you know, I don't have two sticks, but, you know, it's using the sequence of movements. I'm mimicking them here and here with it. So, the angles are coming. We're working with these two basic angles right here. And I'm throwing the sticks at my opponent and following through with this standardized pattern. And what we're learning is the flow of the sticks, controlling this flow of the sticks, but also building muscle memory in attack angles. And the correct wrist position for when you're hitting something. I have something here. This is a practice knife that I have on my desk, along with my balasong and my battle axe over here. But, you know, a lot of people don't have the understanding of the position your wrist needs to be in when you're hitting something.  And so that's one of the core things you're learning when we're using this pattern drill. Plus, that pattern becomes a muscle memory drill.  So there's a lot of different pattern drills, but the sixth count is probably the most common one where you'll see if you do a search on YouTube, you'll see everybody from karate people to, you know, a lot of Filipino people doing the sixth count. And you'll see a lot of iterations, a lot of different methods for using it, a lot of different footwork that goes along with it. And there's a lot of different height zones. Notice, like, there's the heaven six, the high six, and then the standard and the low. Do the core principles and mechanics change from different heights? Yeah, it's one of the concepts is about angles of attack. So, you know, the heaven six, for instance, is all using these one and two angles. The straight six, which incorporates the low strike, incorporate this horizontal angle of attack. And then when you get down to the earth six, you know, we're using these downward angles and even getting down low and then hitting at an upward angle. That's what they're really incorporating. But it's on a constant movement-type drill. A lot of Kimpo systems have stick fighting. And I've always kind of, I don't want to say been critical of it, but I've always been skeptical of it when they say that they're mixing Cali or Filipino stick fighting with karate because every time I see it, it tends to have degraded into this one, two, three, four. And they're really learning, they're learning the pattern, but they're not learning the flow.  I'm glad that you mentioned that because in the previous conversation, and I've been trying to think about my head, you made the comment that the footwork and stick fighting, the footwork and Kimpo are incompatible. How is that so? And is there any way to marry them together? Yeah, okay. I might have misspoke if I say incompatible, but I would say completely different. And to the point where I don't want to have my lower belt students take both from me. And for one of the reasons is if you come to my karate class, I'm going to tell you how to stand in a cover right in a very structured way. I'm going to say, you know, your feet are going to be this far apart. You know, your center line will be here. You're going to be one inch off the center line. Your feet will be at this angle. Your knees will be like this. Your hands will be like this. Your shoulders will be like this.  You know, and then we're going to do all this, these work, and I'll be very involved with the footwork, but it'll never be in a structure of, okay, you're in this stance, and then now you're in this stance. It's going to be like you're here, and then you're going to transition to this move by stepping this way. It's always going to be center of gravity. It's always going to be based on, you know, a center of gravity, but it's never going to be like 50% weight forward, you know, toe facing out this way. Our general concepts are like both feet are aiming in the same direction, okay, and they're aiming at the target. So those are the kind of the principles that we talked about. And that's why I say they're dissimilar. So it's less regimented program. It's a much more fluid concept than with the footwork. Absolutely. That's why I say I've talked about flow, you know, flow base. It's, you know, your body is moving according to where your target is.  You can't just move over here and, you know, keep attacking in this direction. Your target is just as fluid as you are.  It's through flow-based stepping. So flow-based footwork. So what are some good practice habits a student can use to get from that robotic pattern drill that they might have learned at the beginning and get more intertwined with the footwork and more of a smoother flow?  Then you're going to do this inward block and, you know, this technique. And you find that you're not stepping according to the technique.  Well, what if that doesn't work? You know, are you held to that? Well, if I'm doing the short technique correctly and I'm going to be judged by that, then I have to figure out how to make it, you know, work, even though, you know, my opponent is shorter or taller or prouder or whatever it may be. So, you know, it really is fluid according to the needs of the situation.  And I like how you mentioned where you have your students train with different weight sticks. And that's something that's missing in a lot of classes, especially Campbell classes. So how would that translate to, do you think that actually helps the student, whereas if they're in a real situation that they might be able to pick up another item, whether it be a stick or an umbrella or something, how can that knowledge and practice translate to an everyday item or tool that they can get their hands on? Yeah, absolutely.  If I have a very light stick, I'm probably going to hit you twice as many times as I would with a heavier stick for multiple reasons. One is that I can move it faster. But two is that it's not going to inflict the same type and amount of damage that the heavier stick might do. But to translate that to other implements that you might pick up, once we start going from two sticks and then to one stick or to a heavier stick, a shorter stick, a bladed weapon, a pen, you'll start to see the variances of both range and striking the part that you're using to strike with. So if I have this knife, I know that I'm going to want to try to strike with the blade or the point. I'm not going to try to strike with the back or I'm not going to strike with this part unless that's my particular technique. And so it's kind of prepping your hands and your body to deal with the different compliments of what that weapon might offer. Yeah, and this is so many varieties. It was something like an umbrella. Not only do you have a stick object, but now you have something that has a hook at the end of it too. Absolutely. And then you have something that will probably break.  Oh, I think open up. I can't see. There's so many things that can happen. Or you can open up in the skier their vision too. Exactly. Exactly. You can use it like that. I'm sure somebody in the Kingsman did that, right? Probably. Yeah. It's interesting because, and that's always fascinating to me too, at least in the American camp, we don't really have too many official weapons. Like, you know, Okinawan arts, they've got their traditional weapons, but for some reason I've noticed that Kempelwitz are always drawn to the Kali sticks.  Do you think that there's something inherently attractive to it based on the style of martial art? Or do you think it's a product of media, like say the perfect weapon that popularizes it? Why do you think so many Kempelwitz are drawn to the stick fighting? Yeah, you know, that's a question I've actually pondered myself. And I know, I think, you know, I've only seen the perfect weapon once, so I don't know it by rote, like I know, enter the dragon. But I will tell you that in enter the dragon, Bruce Lee had a scream of sticks or they were called a scream of stick. They're really, they're two big black sticks. And the way that I would describe his use of them would not be a scream alike.  But I don't recognize pattern drills or the patterns that he's using or the combinations or, you know, things that I might, I might use if I was in a fighting situation. Of course, I don't think you, you know, it might not look like what Bruce Lee was trying to accomplish in that. But to get back to your question, I think there's, there's legend or out there that says that there's a natural connection between the two. In fact, I think it's Jesse Encap actually has a video that says that they have a common, you know, a common root or a common history. But I don't see that. I don't see it in the flow. I don't see it in the way that I teach it. But he did show a, you know, a pattern drill that we use. It's a short sombrano drill. And I saw him using it.  But I don't find that as a parallel in Kempo. And like I said, when I visit other studios who are teaching sticks and they, for instance, I see them do a kata. This has happened many times. I see a karate competitor go to a tournament, do a kata with double sticks and they'll do this mechanical six count. I think they have to do it. I don't know why. But to me, that is not the Filipino fighting way. It is a karate method of using two sticks. I've also actually seen, in some karate videos, where they have two sticks or one stick. And then they'll show, okay, like if you came with this angle over here, if I was doing it using my secret club, I would, you know, use this or this type of block, a roof block or a shield block. Well, they would have that, a more mechanized movement for that. So they would have this or they would do this is the block or this is the block or this is the block. They would be much more mechanical, much less flow base, but I can see that they learned it from, probably learned it from a stick guy. So I don't know, I can't answer that question. I ponder it myself. Are there any martial arts that you feel are more suited to blend with stick fighting? I think, I think, I think boxing and Muay Thai are wood because they're not using, you know, a structured karate type base, right? In boxing and Muay Thai, we're getting power off of the body moving forward while you're striking as opposed to the body's connection to the ground in a static, you know, transition where you're hitting you and it's because my strong base is how I'm reflecting or imposing that power on you. Whereas if I hit you with the right cross, my body may be moving and I'm coming off my heel and I'm actually just standing on the ball and my rear foot moving forward. So that power is projected from my body moving, not my body being static. So I think that is, tends to be more similar to, you know, my stick fighting where my body's moving as I'm striking and then we're moving into another move as I continue to strike. Whereas in karate, you know, I'm going to hit you here, I'm going to move this way, I'm going to hit you here, but most of my striking moves are not a combination of striking and transitioning body at the same time. Now a lot of martial arts, since we're talking about measuring weapons with other styles, a lot of karate systems and self-defense systems will implement self-defense techniques against firearms because a lot of them, and Kempo included many ways, is lacking. Do you feel that Filipino stick fighting is a lot more of a practical art for weapons self-defense against items such as that? You know, I'm not going to say that one's better than the other, but you know, since we're dealing with the weaponry right up front, I would say that the Filipino practitioner is more ready for the high-speed movement of a implement coming at them. And you can, you get a, I think, Inesanto calls it retina retention, you know, where your eyes are used to seeing the outer edge of the arc and then you start to react based on that as opposed to something that's coming at you from close distance, close range or short trajectory like this. So you're better, you're more able to deal with it. The realistic Filipino stick fighter or knife fighter will tell you you don't ever want to get into a knife fight. You know, you're going to get cut. You may die. You know, so, you know, I always warn my students when we're training is, first of all, you know, when we have a practice weapon, always treat it just like a gun, always treat it like it's a live blade. When I see you, you know, take this knife and hold it this way.   I'm cut, you know, because I always try to to create that level of realistic that, you know, any touch with the tip of the or the edge of that blade, you're cut and now you're bleeding. So I think, I think you are karate training with a knife. It's like, step forward and he's going to do this one stab. It's like, well, you know, that never happens, right?  You know, it's so much more lethal in the way that people, you know, use and use a knife that I think I agree with you that, you know, I think they they're just rudimentary. The karate response to the knife fight is just, it's rudimentary. It's not without value, but it's rudimentary. So it'd be fair to say that the best defense against weapons is really to understand how they'll use the weapons first and understand what their limits and capabilities are. So that way there's at least a better understanding there. Oh, absolutely. Yeah.  And what do you think about the drills that people do like with the chalk or the marker and try to do the marking on them? Do you think that's an effective way to train? Yeah, I mean, I think it shows it shows contact, you know, and it'll it will it will force you to try to avoid getting cut and making contact. So it'll expose that, you know, so I think it's value in that. I think that's what's before probably messaging, but we did the episode a while back about that electric taser knife. Oh, yeah. You got it there. Yeah, I have it right here. What I find interesting though is like, you know, in class, you know, we don't use real blades or use like the dull metal blades or the wooden blades and it always feels like there's a sense of complacency with it because there's no real threat in the classroom setting. And this is advertised as a self-defense tool, which I don't really see it as a tool because it's basically it's plastic, but it's got along the edge right here. It's got like it's got electrical contact. So when you actually activate it, it's supposed to be a taser, but it doesn't really work as such. But as far as a training tool, I love the psychological aspect that comes with it because we've done this in class and it's a major step up from a wooden knife to when you have your training partner all of a sudden coming at you with a your brain is like, I don't want it to touch me and it just seems to heighten the level a little bit. What are you thinking on something like that? I agree with you is that it can be valuable for training but as a self-defense weapon it might give you a false sense of security because if you're a big dude coming at me and I tase you with that I don't think it's going to drop you.  But from a training standpoint yes, I mean it's more definitely more threatening and give that user the experience of threat because it's like you said you got a wooden knife it's not going to hurt me so you're very lackadaisical about how you do your technique and if you're not doing it like we do where any experience with the edge of the blade we call it out then you're going to become you won't be threatened by the blade.  Yeah, this thing is not going to knock you out but it has a bite to it so I think it's got, I mean it might be a deterrent in the self-defense situation but I just like that all of a sudden that the brain goes to that don't-touch-me mode Yeah, I think that's valuable if you feel a threat I think part of that training has to involve real fear and so if that device creates some real fear and you shoot some adrenaline into your body and now you're experiencing you know nervousness, I think that's good that's good Do you have any advice for anybody who's looking to join a stick fighting school? Any things they should look for an instructor any red flags to look out for? Well, I have an open mind because when you go and initially look at stick fighting it might look it might not look as powerful as an MMA or karate, you know and if you go into an MMA gym and you're going to see people working in a heavy bag and sparring in with gloves on inside a ring we're not going to have that we're going to be clacking sticks and it might seem a little tame but those sticks will inflict a lot of pain so just have an open mind about it and then if you see a big variance from your master karate training you have your mind open to the fact that it's not all about this stance, it's going to be more about what your body position and how vulnerable you are and how ready you are to respond to something Since we talk about movies sometimes I got to get your opinion on this when it comes to movies and weapon usage I personally have two pet peeves the first is I hate it when movies or a character has a weapon and they deliver 20 good strikes to a bad guy's face looking at the perfect weapon on this one and the second pet peeve is movies where the actors the fighting is so choreographed where it looks like they're more trying to tap each other's weapons versus actually trying to strike the body like something you see in Star Wars what are your pet peeves when it comes to weapons and movies and are there any movies that you feel demonstrate more realistic weapons fighting It's a great complex question because almost all the sword fighting you ever see is it's stage and some of my favorite ones like Princess Bride the sword fighting with Princess Bride or any of those Errol Flynn Robin Hood type of movies where they're doing cluck cluck cluck cluck cluck cluck the sword and no sword fighting is really like that and I'm not a sword fighting excerpt but I am a big fan of it so that is one of my pet peeves that sword fighting is so unrealistic when you see it in the movies and I can only think of a couple of instances where the sword fighting is depicted accurately one of them is called the doolists and you may have never seen it but it's actually one of the original movies by Ridley Scott and who's in it I can't even remember, Harvey Keitel and they have a different sword fighting and it is sword fighting they're going and he does a short sword right into the guy and it's one shot and it pierces his lung and he guy goes down that's what it would be like it's not like you go on forever and you go around in a circle it's really boom boom and he pokes them once in the lungs and you fall over that's how lethal it is so a lot of the times when I see weapons used in movies I think I have the same kind of pet peeves oh he hit on me but then again you know and it's just like karate too people are pretty tough one punch and one strike of a weapon to a person who trains is probably not going to take him out if we were on the street and you cold talk a guy who doesn't train he's going down he's going to fall flat on his head he doesn't know how to roll up but if you're in a bar and it's an MMA guy who's been training you're probably not going to hurt the guy it's going to take three guys to kick him out of the bar because he's going to be roughing up people even if you finally get him so those are one of my pet peeves is people that or when it's when it looks like and even John Wick does this he hits someone and the guy is done you need to hit a guy multiple times or really cold cock and clean before he's out in the fight and then he'll come back so I think those are one of the things that I enjoy and not enjoy the scene in movies I like when you mentioned Princess Bride because there's movies like Star Wars where the sword fighting is the spectacle of the scene and you can tell it's all about the dazzo and the acrobatics of the lightsaber sitting each other but something like The Princess Bride and I think we see this mirrored in a lot of martial arts films is that particular scene it's not realistic but it's telling a story it's telling a story and that tells back to the martial arts films like Pat Johnson the one reason I love his choreography so much especially I grew up with the Karate Kid Ninja Turtles and the Mortal Kombat movie and what I love about his fight scenes are his fight sequences advance the story they don't just stop just to show a fight sequence there's story developing and characterizations happening within that choreography and I think there's a huge difference between the spectacle and story development I agree with that the whole initial sword fight in Princess Bride is teaching you about the training of what the guy's name is I can't remember Indigal, Indigal Montoya and his father and the styles that he practices and the fact that he can fight with either hand and you know definitely when you make the scene fun like that the expositions it's much more it's better than just having two talking heads doing something while delivering story with it absolutely he showcases it throughout the movie so although that they do a bit of the clacking because you don't want to pierce somebody's heart in a fun movie like that it's still very enjoyable I just want to thank you again so much this is really an interesting insight into Filipino stick fighting hearing you tell us about this in comparison to the way you teach Kempo and how it's really two different worlds so I just want to thank you so much for the time you spent with us and to go over this and to educate us a little bit on some of the deeper levels of the Filipino martial arts well like I said I always learn something when I go out to do anything I love interacting with you because you're a learned martial artist you hold rank you've trained in different styles and you ask big more than what is your style and how did you get started I liked our interaction I appreciate it a lot and don't forget is the crane kick legal yes we did an episode on that too okay but thank you so much I really appreciate your time I appreciate it hopefully we can do it more I'd like to extend a thank you to for his insight and for spending his time with us I think there's a lot of good advice here for anyone who wants to implement weapons into their practice or sharpen the skills that they currently have we hope to have them back on the show and we invite all of you to share your experience and thoughts in the comments down below I would also like to extend a thank you to Sensei William Christopher Ford for providing us footage from his own channel Sensei Ford has a wonderful series as he talks to prominent instructors of other martial arts be sure to visit his channel and we've provided the link to that channel down below in the description so check out last week's episode if you missed it thanks for watching and we'll see you back on the mat next week