Episode 32 - Sensei Robb Buckland
Sensei Robb Buckland - Episode 32
If we lead with a fighter's heart, that's all we can ask for. To change one student's life... that's a big thing.
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robb-buckland-terry-dow
I'll set the scene for you. We just finished up a day of exhibiting at a martial arts tournament and went out to eat with the promoter and a few others. I come back from getting my food at the buffet and see a man sitting at the chair across from me. The man is quite a bit larger than anyone else in the room, and when he shakes my hand, it becomes lost in his. Sensei Robb Buckland is, in a word, intimidating. However, the smile on his face evened out any intimidation I felt.Throughout our meal, Sensei Buckland shared amazing stories with everyone at the table. He holds a black belt from Joe Lewis and knows many of our past guests very well. I knew that this man needed to come on the show as a guest, and he was quite willing. The stories on today's episode are as wonderful as any we've had, but they carry with them a sense of humor that (arguably) no guest has. There were times I had to mute my microphone to keep from laughing over his words, and I suspect you'll find yourself laughing as well.That doesn't mean that you should question Sensei Buckland's skill. He is a skilled and legitimate martial artist and has trained with a vast number of amazing practitioners. A Google image search of his name will show you the legendary friends he has, and listening to this episode will help you understand why he has earned their respect. Enjoy.~jeremy
Show Notes
Actors - Jason Statham, Tony JaaMovies - Anything by John WooBooks - Joe Lewis Black Belt Training Manual, 40 Years & 4 Steps to China, Bubishi: The Classic Manual of Combat, Success is Waiting
To contact Sensei Buckland for more information regarding his classes or seminars, please visit his website - FearsLTD.com or call him at 207-216-7647
Show Transcript
You can read the transcript below or download here.
Hey there everyone, it's episode 32 of whistlekickMartialArtsRadio, the only place to hear the best stories from the best martial artists, like today's guest Sensei Robb Buckland. I'm your host Jeremy Lesniak and I'm the founder here at whistlekick, makers of the world's best sparring gear as well as great apparel and accessories for traditional martial artists. I'd like to welcome our new listeners and thank all of the returning fans. Don't forget our great products like our strapless sparring boots that mean no more slipping on the floor. You can find more information about those and the rest of our stuff at whistlekick.com and all of our past podcast episodes show notes for this one and a lot more are over at whistlekickmartialartsradio.com and while you're on our website why don't you sign up for our newsletter, we offer exclusive content to subscribers and it's the only place to find out about upcoming guests on the podcast. And now this week's review, this week's review comes in from libbytkd - as a martial artist and instructor I really enjoy your podcast. The guests are fantastic, the interviews are well done and coordinated, the questions get to some really interesting answers about why and how people started in the martial arts and then finish up with what books and movies people enjoy. They also introduce us to fellow martial artists we may never otherwise hear about. Keep up the great work. Thank you for that libbytkd just email us at info@whistlekick.com and we'll get you your free whistlekick pack. And now to today's episode, on episode 32 we're joined by Sensei Robb Buckland a Karate practitioner and school owner who holds the honor of having earned the black belt under the late legend Joe Lewis. Sensei Buckland opens up about his path through the martial arts and shares his stories in a very entertaining manner and now - Sensei Buckland welcome to whistlekickMartialArtsRadio.
Robb Buckland:
Hey it's great to be here Jeremy.
Jeremy Lesniak:
It's great to have you here. Now I had a lot of fun with you and some others when we went out to dinner, when I got a chance to meet you a few weeks ago and just knew that I had to get you on the show. I knew I had to get you to tell some stories to the listeners so I'm looking forward to this cause I'm sure that we're gonna have some stories, some good stories coming through. I wanna apologize in advance to the listeners because I may go silent quite a bit while I try and keep my laughter off of the recording because that is one of the things that kept happening when we were at dinners I was laughing my butt off I was having a great time so looking forward to this. So, you know there's a little bit about you know what listeners can expect but why don't you tell us how you got into the martial arts you know where were you how old were you why all that good stuff.
Robb Buckland:
I was 02:57 but I used to get beat up on the bus when I was a little kid and so I got picked on a lot in elementary school so when I was 9 my dad who was a fighter himself decided that he's gonna take me to a karate school and so that was it I went and I just went and just fell in love with it and the first thing I trained in Uechi Ryu karate which is kind of 03:34 style and not much for footwork but by the time you are in trouble they're on top of you anyway so that 03:44 fighting stuff was perfect so yeah it's how it started. There was you know it's kind of a miracle that it happened. It was a low self-esteem kind of kid you know and it changed 04:00.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Wow so I want listeners to hone in just kind of on that piece there cause as we go through I mean I don't know a ton about you but I know as we go through some of these stories we're gonna hear a transition because if anyone has seen any of the photos you know that prior to listening to this show you are not a small man. You are not someone that people would expect to be picked on, some might say you're a big scary guy. I've been fortunate enough to meet you. I know that while I'd certainly don't wanna mess with you you're a good man but there I think we're gonna hear a shift as we go on, where did you grow up, I don't think we heard that part.
Robb Buckland:
Well I was 04:49 brat so that's whatever General 04:53 move your parents you move too obviously so it 04:55 New York to Pittsfield Massachusetts.
Jeremy Lesniak:
And where were you when you started 05:04?
Robb Buckland:
05:05 Pittsfield Massachusetts my first instructor was a guy named Frank 05:09 and then my second instructor was a guy named Joe 05:17 he kinda 05:18 his own school, he was not at that point though I was already sparring a lot doing a lot of tournaments and yeah that was one rule I couldn't spar with the other students and I was 05:32
Jeremy Lesniak:
What does that mean?
Robb Buckland:
I don't know he said I was a wrecking ball I remember my black belt test, Joe Lewis my let's see first of Frank 05:45 turned around and hosted a Joe Lewis seminar and 05:49 Massachusetts and it turned out to be pretty well attended and I learned something about him that day cause when you host a seminar usually you wanna participate especially with somebody like Joe Lewis but Frank knew better he wore a suit and Joe turned around and spar with everybody in the room and just seeing the floor with some of the people that I've just looked up to the greatest martial artists ever I actually achieved the split that day that night at that seminar when I was warming up and he taught my little new born daughter how to side kick so she was just standing and walking around and she 06:36 out there and Mr. Lewis taught her how to side kick that was pretty cool and but that thing turns let's see he said why are you still a brown belt, after he did some drills with me and I had been a brown belt for a long time and I think like I don't know 4 or 5 years and so magically I guess because of Lewis' karate I was put up a black belt the next test and I just kinda like I didn't fight like they 07:08 they kinda were a little more static with me 07:12 side kick I used that back fist I used 07:16 and so I just they stopped the fight it was just supposed to be 3 minutes sparring and they stopped it that poor kid from New York his glasses went flying and not sure why he was wearing them but it was a thought I wasn't gonna do anything and so yes there was it was kind of a wrecking ball type reputation 07:40
Jeremy Lesniak:
So, you had it you had a different approach to sparring than maybe the kinda standard front stance or side stance you know kinda I guess what I I'm imagining is what I see of kyokushin fighting now.
Robb Buckland:
Yeah
Jeremy Lesniak:
Really fast but not as dynamic.
Robb Buckland:
Well Joe Lewis used to say that I was an ugly fighter and the funny thing was is the reason that I started doing that is cause I went into tournaments and I would win in kata but I would turn around and 08:22 but I would lose in the sparring when I was in middle age so I'm I was trying to figure out a solution and of course my instructors tell me well that's cause the tournaments are geared 08:34 people there's no grabbing it's you know so you know you try to believe your instructor but so of course I'm 08:43 the great Joe Lewis 08:46 slide up sidekicks and I'm watching Wallace kick people in the head and I was 08:51 any of those things. Spinning back kicks were on TV doing karate and kung Fu you know so I started working on steps that wasn't being taught to me in class and doing it out of the magazine but when I finally met Joe I had already branched out to people who are willing to spar, let's see UFC hadn't started yet so it was in the mid 70s so I was I went out I went to the boxing club 2 days a week and then there was a group of guys who didn't wear martial arts uniforms and they did contact sparring but you know martial arts like they were kicking and punching and they were pretty brutal guys so I would try to meet up with them you know you have 2, 3, 4 times a month and that's kinda how it all developed. It was kinda mimicking my own making my own way it wasn't really how I mean how we learned it in the school cause like I remember hitting people in spinning back kicks in the school and they say that's not in the style.10:04 in my style, whatever works is in my tool box.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Right well that's I think there are a lot of us that grew up on both sides of that line I've trained in schools that were very open and others that were not so and I think you and I are similar I think whatever works whatever works for you, what's gonna work for you is certainly not gonna work for me and you know we're not big about talking about me on this show but I'm a small guy I'm 5'7" you know you're not. So, you and I are gonna spar pretty differently.
Robb Buckland:
Yeah 10:47
Jeremy Lesniak:
So that's a great intro to who you are and certainly there's the humor coming through but we're all about stories here as I said so I know you got a ton I'm gonna ask you to pick one for now tell us your best martial arts story.
Robb Buckland:
Oh my gosh here okay here we go so I had to do a little my business my martial arts business martial arts mentor Buzz Durkin told me where I need to keep it Vanilla not necessarily this interview but just my presence cause I'm kind of a wild guy and so this story may not be Vanilla but I don't know it was a big hit karate 11:33 to the point where a guy turned around and about 10 of his student had pulled me aside in the hall and said would you tell that story again. I could do that one or I could do a good Joe Lewis story 11:45 let's go well you know what we'll go with the fan appreciation story.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Alright.
Robb Buckland:
So, this goes back I was living in New Orleans with my girlfriend and we are selling 12:02 a resort right 12:05 there and it was pretty clear that I didn't really fit in with this crowd too much but cause he was kind of a party girl so she 12:17 it and well I don't know what happened I think it was I flew home and that so I came back to the 12:26 I was living in Pittsfield then and I flew right 12:30 or I had been and I flew back there I went to a seminar at a school. I'm one of the advance 12:38 guys were doing a seminar so I went there and I remember I had kicked 12:44 high and so I tore my groin, my muscle pretty bad so my 12:50 brutally inflamed anyways so I turned around and I go to the hospital and they give me whatever the pain medicine is 13:01 and I gave they gave me this aluminum cane so here I go, I go home and come back I'm on pain meds with a cane. Now 13:12 so I get there and I said well I'm halfway there and I called my boss and I said hey listen we landed in Orlando I should be there in another 2 hours then he said okay he said now listen I don't want you to get upset but we'll leave the girl's name out of this but she is out with Vinny now Vinny was the resort 13:44 dealer so you know 13:47 sales these guys have their outlets alcohol and drugs and apparently, she had teamed up with him. So, we are off at the big Halloween bash the MTV was putting on at the house of blues and here I am landing at the airport. Well everything's fine and I roll into the bar where all the guys are hanging out and true enough Vinny's truck is right across the street parked now you know 14:15 you know that they gotta clean the streets every they come by and they tell you if you're you know if you're on the street and they're cleaning it and this guy he happened to have a whole bunch of parking tickets knew him so I knew he had 1400 box of ticket so as I sat there and the 14:33 then I thought hmm how am I gonna make a good impression with Vinny tomorrow morning so what I did is I picked up 14:45 and deflated all four of his tires and snuck back in the bar without being seen and the next morning staggering down the street comes Vinny now we're all standing ready for work. I waited for the appointments to come in and his car is sitting there on its rims and sure enough the flat 15:12 pulls off and they're going 15:15 his truck and I'm standing across the street I'm just laughing at well this guy obviously the not obviously in that state of mind after that outdoor cafe he reaches down and he grabs a fork and he comes running across the street after me with a fork 15:36 am I gonna take this guy out in the street or cause I know I'll get a charge so I turn around and I go into the lobby of the resort and this guy's desperately trying to stab me with his fork and I'm dead 15:51 blocking that thing every time it comes in shouting drop the weapon and after about four times I said 16:00 I stuck my thumb in his eye and his first finger in his ear and 16:06 to elbow him the head 16:10 and so they used to say I thought that I would walk away 16:14 but the legend of Vinny the fork turns out that they would rather have the coke dealer than the sales guy so he fired me.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Seriously.
Robb Buckland:
Yeah for defending myself and they couldn't find any evidence of how the air got out of his tires, the security cameras somehow, I must have ninjas my way 16:37 because it didn't appear on security cameras but anyway that's the legend of Vinny the Fork.
Jeremy Lesniak:
So, let that be a lesson to all of us not to mess with Sensei Buckland's girlfriend because we'll lose the air in our tires and then he'll beat is up when we attack him with a fork. Yeah it was pretty amazing it was a good story anyway.
Jeremy Lesniak:
That's a great story.
Robb Buckland:
It is great.
Jeremy Lesniak:
We'll come back I mean we'll get a chance to throw some more stories in there of course and I'm sure everybody wants to hear the Joe Lewis story that you mentioned but let's take a step forward now and the martial arts has been a big part of your life certainly.
Robb Buckland:
Oh yeah, it's saved me.
Jeremy Lesniak:
It saved you okay well tell us about that.
Robb Buckland:
Well you know how we all have ups and downs and changes and things that could go on in our lives but the never changing constant for me was just the martial arts training and whether it was I mean I didn't have a lot of dough coming up so I turn around and I would go and I had to sleep in a car if I had to so I didn't have to pay the hotel fee or if I went to a camp I'd pay to be a day camper and sleep in my car and you know bring cottage cheese and hard boiled eggs and train with these guys so I would go to 6 or 7 of these camps a year so I just go to you know day seminars all the time and I always something that no matter what was going on but whether you're having not so successes or actual failures where you turn around and rather becoming internally focused and doing the poor me thing I could always fall back on martial arts always saved me. You know it's not like a team sport if you're on it's all about you so if you could make what's that how does that saying go if you can make it here you can make it anywhere? 18:41 and that's the thing I was constantly doing different styles so it was constantly you're constantly starting over and you know now is a not a kid you realize that you know in order to be successful in anything change is the only a never changing constantly things are always changing and that guy you're used to not being ever being on top you're always doing something new you're always the student you never actually become the teacher cause you're constantly learning. Well as I run into a lot of black belt 19:19 you know they're who they are and it's funny I love to go to a class where I don't know anything about what they're doing and just get in there and rock and roll you know. It kinda takes the ego out of it.
Jeremy Lesniak:
And I think that's where your biggest chance to develop as a martial artist is.
Robb Buckland:
Yeah
Jeremy Lesniak:
I've been fortunate through whistlekick through this show to get the opportunity to meet a lot of great people like yourself but also to train with people that I wouldn't normally have the chance to train with
Robb Buckland:
Right
Jeremy Lesniak:
And even though I don't get to train as often as I like to which is kind of the irony of running martial arts related businesses that I don't get to do as much martial arts as I want I'm sure I think that's what everybody thinks I do is I just train all day and you know I got this deep staff it takes care of everything else, that's not the case. But I get to train with people that do things so completely differently that it's revolutionized my perspective on a number of things so I'm right there with you I mean that how you get better, work on the stuff you don't know right?
Robb Buckland:
Yeah 20:28
Jeremy Lesniak:
Where do you think you'd be if you hadn't got into the martial arts?
Robb Buckland:
Oh my gosh let's see I don't know I was kind of a crazy kid so I think I guess when I was little so when I was already in martial arts I don't really remember life before martial arts so I can't really tell you I know the 20:56 actor I am acting so I don't know I think I'm doing what I'm supposed to do I just think I'm doing it better cause of martial arts.
Jeremy Lesniak:
So, nobody's life is all sunshine and roses or however whatever clichés you wanna throw in there I'd like you to think about a time in your life that things got rough challenging and how your martial arts experience and training allowed you to move through it.
Robb Buckland:
Wow I didn't read this question oh my. You know you have like tragic break ups with a girl or something or like when my dad died or like even when Joe Lewis died, rather than doing it for me or 22:08 or doing you know whatever it is that people do you 22:14 turned in the training like you take it out on the weights you know you sweat is sweat 22:19 crying so, I always loved doing footwork and hitting the bag and the double end bag cause before you can never make friends with that guy and then it was always the solution for everything every time along the way I mean I tried other stuff I tried to just do resistance training or weight and go running and but there's nothing ever like martial arts and it's saved me in every time something went wrong, I could turn to it and it was there.
Jeremy Lesniak:
And you're not the first person to express it that way. We had you know we've had a lot of people on this show and quite a few of them have offered that as their answers so thank you. So, I know you've trained with a lot of people you just told us you spent a lot of time training with anyone you could going to camps and what not but who would you say the most influential person in your martial arts career has been?
Robb Buckland:
It has to be Joe Lewis, I mean of course he was just a martial arts icon and I just wanted to learn from him and then 23:47 hotel room or a restaurant then all of a sudden you realize these guys is your friend and then he starts calling you every week or when you've got something going on you call him and so he was like not only like the master or the mentor or the friend he was 24:07. It seems like he had a similar sense of humor to me to. He used to say 24:15 somewhere and they'd be going on or Joe is gonna act up or something like that and they go 24:21 I hope so wow okay so you know so and then what would happen well me and Joe will get in trouble, so it was perfect and he'd be at a camp somewhere and then I didn't call him to tell I was going. I would be living I don't know hundreds of miles away and I would drive in pull up and walk in to the room and he'd be sitting there and he goes oh no, he goes my ethics coach is here. So yes, so I think Joe is probably the most significant and the second one is a guy named Jim Malone, Jim Malone is the guy that brought karate to Canada 25:03 I mean I call him dad and just when I was 9 years old he was doing some pressure point management system not so much 25:13 but combative using targeting your pressure points and this guy's brutal and I was like 9 or 10 no I was 14 there you go that's why I'm flashbacking it. I was 14 and I 25:25 this thing called summer fest at a 25:27 puts on every year and at the time 25:32 and I was just amazed by this guy, he had his ponytail just he just popped around he looked like the animals at the 25:39 you know what I mean when he's moving I was like 25:42. Well he let me up so much in that first seminar and everybody else is going for 25:48 and leaving and he's doing another seminar 25:50 showed up again and then the next day he 25:54 did 2 more 25:55 and he just and I was like I love this guy this is just great and then now it's funny cause while I was living in New Orleans he called me and he said you need to move to Maine son and I'm thinking why the hell am I gonna move to Maine and like 2 days later a guy called me and offered me a job in Maine.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Really?
Robb Buckland:
Yeah so there was something spiritual about the guy but it was also something amazing about the guy and then he's got a heart of gold man he saved my butt a couple times so I had surgery and stuff and he hooked me up with the dough to cover my insurance so that I could follow through with the surgeries and yeah, he's a great guy. He's unbelievable he's like 26:36 an amazing boxer too, 26:41
Jeremy Lesniak:
So, you've had quite the support structure?
Robb Buckland:
Oh my god yeah.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Lots of martial artist, great people to learn from and to lean on.
Robb Buckland:
Oh yeah, we give I mean even I can't go on other stuff and Michael DePasquale Jr has done so much for me just with introductions and things like that and just you know the instruction and sometimes with Joe goes you know off 27:05 you know Michael would say so we were it was good it was good and I 27:10 come from martial arts I mean like Buzz Dirkin is my business mentor so I would know that he's the guy. If you want a formula for success you'd buy that guy's book that's an amazing man right there, martial arts business man.
Jeremy Lesniak:
I'm just making a note to look up his books cause I don't think we've mentioned him on the show before so
Robb Buckland:
He's like a genius with martial arts business and you know what, book's right in my car otherwise I'd give you the title of it but I think it's something about success. Just look it up I read it and my formula for those kinda books is you really want you read through and highlight and then you read through the stuff that you highlighted.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yup
Robb Buckland:
so that's my formula for those and I haven't done the second 2 steps cause I've been working on a product for the for my school there in Dover so.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Okay well like we do with all that kind of stuff we're gonna link to it on the page for this episode over at whistlekickmartialartsradio.com so I'll do that research and I'll put that up there and of course all the other things that we're gonna talk about. So, we hinted a little bit about your time with competition and how early on it seems like that really kinda set the path for you to venture and to start looking for other things and add pieces into your training and to your own personal style that you didn't have in which you were but tell us more about your time in competition what did you like about it why did you do it, where are you going all that?
Robb Buckland:
Well my friends 28:50 I didn't have a car and he used to drive me on weekends, every weekend to a different tournament and this poor guy he would see me winning forms but all I wanted to do is win the fighting, it's all I wanted to do, I couldn't do it I mean I'd take some 3rd places and stuff like that but I just couldn't do it and but one day he said to me we're on the way home for 29:14 and I've all popped up cause we're gonna go to next week and he stops turns the car up and he said look he goes I can't do this anymore. I said what are you talking about, he goes I keep going to these things and watching you lose he goes it's terrible he goes I don't know how you can keep doing it well I turned around and I was like okay and so I guess later I got a car I would get ride from people or something but I was a slow middle weight but I was a fast 29:50 and I was still a middle weight. I fly to these 29:56 in the middle weight division of course I lost and then in forms I'd beat my own instructor at that time 30:05 and that was pretty cool and then I don't know why he didn't stay to watch me fight 30:17 open division one but apparently the open division it doesn't matter what weight class you are and that's where all the guys from the Atlantic karate team and I guess now is the time Paul Mitchell team back then it was the Atlantic guys and it was 30:31 and Billy Blanks so I ended up fighting Billy Blanks now I didn't know who these guys were back then but there was there Ed Parker was there we're at the ring side 30:43 and just it was kind of a who's who with martial arts people and now 30:51 you know that tip of the toe front kick that we 30:54 this kind of a 30:56 tool and it's the fastest kick in self-defense the fastest kick in martial arts is that 31:04 but anyway so 31:06 pow and hit him with that front kick just about 31:09 level boom he goes down 31:13 corner he would probably get 31:14 corners so that's for any point I'm getting pissed 31:21 harder bang they'll give me the points and they'd just give you a warning instead of disqualifying for excess contact 31:33 into the kick but he didn't wanna hear it cause you know obviously the guy's on the teams are their bread and butter so he comes off the line just one of those little slipping back fist thing and 31:45 over my head and I mean I had this tape on VHSC you know those little VHS things 31:53 my mother threw it out all 31:56 website okay so well anyway long story short Billy Blanks' quit so yeah how about that it made Billy Blanks quit so I love that anyway I got that in sorry Billy. You know what the greatest thing was 32:16 like a martial arts black belt that if and I guess I don't how 32:22 get all of them but 32:23 Billy went bankrupt on the I don't know what happened 32:27 but before he lost all his doe 32:31 wrist straps I have 2 pairs of 32:38 wrist straps now you know if I wear them in a seminar I get to tell the story oh yeah like it reminds me you know.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Well I hope you have a photo of you wearing those and that you could send that to us so we could put that up in the show notes as well cause that's the fun kind of stuff I'd like to put over there on the show notes as well. That's you know I've heard a lot of great Billy Blank stories, this is by far the best one.
Robb Buckland:
Yeah right. 33:12
Jeremy Lesniak:
I can see it I could totally see all of this is happening it's very vivid.
Robb Buckland:
Oh yeah it was mad and you know what's really funny is Matthew Anderson back then when he was fighting was he was a big man and I was not yet big I was still a middle weight and 33:29 it would have been amazing to fight him. Later on I went to one of his classes and at karate college then I saw him at Joe Lewis' memorial when I went to the funeral and he had lost like 33:38 60 pounds so he was not what he was you know when the day I saw him and I didn't really pay attention to those guys that 33:47 cause they always got vibes you know they don't have to fight in the preliminaries and I'm sitting here like at gladiator school fighting like 6 guys so anyway so the long story short of this thing it wasn't supposed to end with Bill. This guy David 34:04 he's from 34:07 he trains 34:08 the reality martial arts stuff so he said to me at the tournament I go and 34:20 Pittsfield high school and again one of the referees comes up to me he goes listen you're gonna have to really hit him because they're not looking at the Uechi ryu guy, they are looking at the you know the other guys so apparently the refereeing wasn't too good there and so I said okay so I clocked the guy and then I clocked him again and then the third time they disqualified me so they did but the guy said to me that same guy came up to me and he said you know if you were in a heavy weight division and I'm like 170 so I'm thinking man I gotta go up so 35:00 says well you know we're 35:04 like 6 meals a day and you lift like 4 times a week and I was going okay well so different that I'm listening now and he says oh 35:12 so I started doing that so I lifted my weight to heavy weight but I didn't lose anymore, it was pretty cool.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Wow
Robb Buckland:
Yeah
Jeremy Lesniak:
Well that's neat. So, you've trained with a ton of people and we've heard some great names here but if you could train with somebody that you haven't, alive or dead who would that be and why?
Robb Buckland:
Ah Let's see, that I haven't. 35:43 as you say you know what it will be a toss-up I would wanna train with either Kanbun Ueichi or I would wanna train with Bruce Lee. I'd say it'd be Bruce Lee cause Joe is pretty impressed with Bruce Lee. He was a good coach, not a fighter but a good coach so I think that would probably be it because I would wanna see the cause the look in Joe's eyes when we talk about how they do drills and when Linda Lee, Bruce's wife said that Joe and Bruce were kindred spirits so if I hadn't worked with 36:22 that would make sense that I would wanna train with him.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Hmm you have any and tell us a little bit about your other choice?
Robb Buckland:
Say it again?
Jeremy Lesniak:
Your other choice?
Robb Buckland:
My other choice, Kanbun Uechi was the founder of Uechi Ryu karate he was the father of Kanei Uechi and he died in the early 36:44 1940s and I when they did Euchi Ryu back then it was different then but they changed it they kinda defamed Uechi Ryu they turned around and or to make it safer like they took a lot of the stuff 37:00 which was actively taught under Kanbun Uechi was not it was changed by some 37:10 Masters 37:11 it was too dangerous. Even in the 80s I remember 37:16 two person set called Dan Kumite, but the original Dan Kumite had a spinning back kick in it, in the 80s they took it out you know I mean I saw pictures of these guys that wearing black gis so I know on days when they weren't teaching that they were doing jujitsu and the thing is this none of these stuff was taught that I didn't even went 37:38 for high school. When UFC came out I went to the Dalton Judo Club and Harry Chandler great coach was a judo teacher 37:49 rank in judo as you go to tournaments and I couldn't go to tournaments cause I had to fight up there 37:52 so I went to Judo for 3 years 4 years and did everything but I was always a white belt. I guess you gotta go to tournaments that can't promote it
Jeremy Lesniak:
38:06
Robb Buckland:
I learned to follow Judo at the Judo school and Mike DePasquale has a way of reinforcing your falling ability by throwing you harder and higher and farther. That's thank God for Harry Chandler.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah, so you mentioned that you've been an actor I know you've got some movies and we're gonna end up linking to some of them and I want you to talk about them in a moment but do you have any favorites? Are there any martial arts films that you really love whether or not you've been in them?
Robb Buckland:
I don't know I think from the martial arts guys I like Jason Statham I like that guy a lot the guy who went back to his home stuff the UK stuff and this guy I like him, let's see Tony Jaa I've watched some of his stuff and then I know John Woo as a director has a way of taking these people that I don't know and turn them into superstar martial artists on the streets 39:16 watch a movie I've never heard of then go wow and you know it's a John Woo movie so 39:24 so yeah I think that's a Tony Jaa and I think Jason Statham are 2 of my more favorite ones.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Any movies in particular from either of them that jumped out at you?
Robb Buckland:
Nah no cause I mean when I had my surgery 39:41 until like a month and I went and bought my daughter and I went to best buy and we turned around and bought a bunch of Blu rays I mean I'm sure I have the title in my drawer cause I think I was I think there's a stack of 20 of them in there and I just went through and that's how I spent my 30 days doing that and watching Joe Lewis' training videos.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Right. So, you mentioned one book but are there any other martial arts books that you think highly of?
Robb Buckland:
Oh yeah, let’s see in my book in my bag in the trunk there is it's funny you should say this. I think one of the more significant ones was this 40 years and 4 steps to China by Jim Hulse which is a pretty amazing book and well obviously Bubishi, I keep that in the bag there's 40:52 a book that Danny Grain gave me about that he did about recovering from martial arts injuries training methods or recovery, I don't know the title of it and in fact it's not in the bag that I carry around but that is that's a pretty significant book so somebody's injury prone or older that would be a good book for them to have.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah of you could get me the information on that, that would be great.
Robb Buckland:
Yeah, I'll do is when I go back to my house I'll turn around and take a picture of it and send it to you.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Perfect
Robb Buckland:
That one yeah Joe Lewis before he died wrote a manual which is I remember when I first read his manual in I was let's see, there's so much depth to it that I would read a page and stop and then pick it up again later. that's how good it was. Like that, like you wanna think about it for you know so yeah that manual the Joe Lewis manual is huge that's always in my bag and then the Bubishi. 42:08 called a black belt test guide which is good and then there's oh hold here's is one for you this is an old book but this is a classic it's 42:23 has a book I think it's called aggressive defense or something like that I learned a lot of stuff out of that book and then yeah so that's and I got it off Amazon so you can get that book.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Okay great
.Robb Buckland:
That's a real deal that's one of the most significant 42:39 I think I'm striking as far as 42:42 and then there's Rory Miller's stuff is always good. I don't know if you've read any of Rory Miller's books.
Jeremy Lesniak:
No, no I haven't
.Robb Buckland:
Meditations on Violence and he's just a little good guy to work with too, a little good guy as a matter of fact 43:00 he goes oh we're talking about the inner thoughts, he just happened to walk into the room.43:10 he just wears it on his sleep and it's funny cause he last year he was sending me pictures from all different 43:18 wearing my t-shirts, wearing 43:21 so
Jeremy Lesniak:
Oh cool
Robb Buckland:
Yeah it was very cool he goes your shirts been on 43:25 I need another one 43:27
Jeremy Lesniak:
Nice
Robb Buckland:
Yeah, he's a great guy he comes to New England, he got I think he got to Seattle or California or something. He writes good stuff and it's an easy read and you also you turn around and you can apply it pretty quickly.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Oh great.
Robb Buckland:
Now he's successful obviously I have some I'm still pretty 43:50 Buzz Dirkin book I have to tell you is that martial arts success book I had ever read one before cause you know I remember getting all those video tapes in the mail from the electronic billing companies that would tell you how to do an appointment and then you know it's a guest interview and a tour of the dojo and I was 44:11 to tears by those people cause I was a professional sales person they were obviously martial arts people trying to sell. Whereas Buzz's like he is just a genuine nice guy with razor sharp business sense. I was impressed by him when I first met him when I was 16 and I didn't have a school but knew I wanted to have one and I went to a seminar that he taught on you know how to run a successful school and I was just stuck at 16 you would think you could sit through something like that for an hour when you're at a martial arts camp but this was great, the stuff he handed out and sure enough within 2 years I have I was a partner in a school and we employed the things that he said 44:57 me I pulled out the old binder that he gave us so
Jeremy Lesniak:
Oh wow.
Robb Buckland:
That's a good book too.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Oh great. You're quite the sponge I guess is the best word. You certainly are always looking for more pieces to add.
Robb Buckland:
Oh yeah.
Jeremy Lesniak:
And I really respect that it's something that I try to do myself but I am not as good at it as you certainly so yeah cool. We have sometime so I'd like to go back and see if you'd be willing to share that Joe Lewis' story.
Robb Buckland:
Alright, this is really good. So anyways so I had just moved to Spartanburg South Carolina and I was one of the well I wasn't one of the 45:45 at the gold's gym yet I was looking for a job and cause I wanna be joining gym so I worked for one of those labor ready companies you know when they'd pay a 5 bucks an hour, my job for them was 45:59 there have just been a huge 46:01 in all the foundations they had built in this housing development full of 46:04 so they had 46:07 a bunch of Mexican laborers digging mud out of these concrete foundation so with my first check I turned around and I went to Gold's Gym and I met a kid named Gru and of course we hit it off right away cause he was training for his first kickboxing fight and so I signed up and then I ended up, within a month I think I was working there and then he asked me if I could train him for his first kick boxing fight. So, I proceeded to train him and of course I'm working mitts and the whole thing and you know then I'm 46:51 two workouts and this goes on and on and then we go to the event and this is funny there's a double door in Lake Norman North Carolina and it was 47:05 make sure you don't jump up too high cause your head will hit the light and you'll burn yourself. So, I'm excited it's a great venue, there's some cool people there they go the bud, back then they had the Budweiser frogs and they had the little lizards and stuff so when you bought a beer they would come with the rubber gecko stuck to the bottle, so that's cool and the Copenhagen girls were there and 47:37 venue kickboxing it's fun so well yeah anyway this is his first fight he gets up there and he's gonna fight this Chinese guy and he 47:49 now. That was okay he saw the guy and he wasn't really that freaked out except what freaked him out I think was what came 47:56. there was 3 world champions were his coach, 48:04 Kevin Hurricane Hudson and damn what's that little guy's name I never remember that kid's name anyway so three guys all of their belts over their head and the whole thing but I mean I was confident I knew what I was doing coaching and so I figured we're all set. Well he turns to me in the corner and he goes I can't do this I know I was right what? He goes I can't do it so I go to the promoter I go listen this kid he's backing out he's scared 48:38. So I don't remember if they'd put another fight on or how it went but the promoter said well you're a Joe Lewis black belt why don't you fight these guys? So of course, I'm an idiot I always have gear in the car I always have 2 sets just in case the other person tries to make an excuse if they don't wanna spar. I had to keep an extra mile started 49:01 just in case. So, I had gear in the car and I go damn it here we go. Now keep in mind that I had been weight training and running and not really martial arts training and all I've been coaching him for a couple months so with no sparring no nothing I and I'm eFd up. I've been 49:23 to keep to maintain weight you'd take aspirin 49:28 caffeine well you 49:30 and all of a sudden, your legs don't work. So, I did a spectacular warm up and I'm hooking kicks and I'm fight I'm doing my best Bill Wallace stuff cause back then I was fully capable of all that. Well I got in the ring that boy ties 49:52 squared face I went back 49:55 but he actually moved my entire body with a punch, like I'm standing in position and bam he hits me and I went 50:04 at the time turned around later and told me she goes I've never seen anyone move me before and 50:14 I don't really remember that shot. I'm telling you about it because she told me about it but that's how it starts and then I go 50:24 at that point you get a good shot 50:25 sorry and he had a beautiful 50:30 where they can turn around and they'll break in their mouth guard for you. They just 50:38 pop that 50:39 right in the neck. Well but this kid's like for one and I caught it on the glove so I just wanted to shut that kick down so of course I'm using my 50:50 2 front kick and just kicking him just above the head so he doesn't wanna kick anyone. Anyway, it goes on and on and after the second round he says to me now you missed 51:04 and kicked him the last round I said what? He goes 51:09 he goes if you miss in this round he goes 51:12. So I turned around and I fight the next round and I'm trying to kick more but obviously the 51:19 my legs and I fired a kick at the bell and they don't count it so they disqualified me. So it's my one loss and I turned around and it was a great story because I didn't know that 51:37 was a Joe Lewis black belt nor did I know that 51:39 was but now I'm determined I don't know about you but if I fail or I lose I'm coming watch out so I turned around and I went to 51:52 where Kevin Hudson's gym was and offered to teach kickboxing fitness for him and exchanged for him and Ronnie training me and those guys one would be in the corner the other would be in the ring with me you know you sitting here blocking takes off your mouth guard and the other one's talking to you from the corner so then they'd switch so that was a great training experience and then of course we were near Joe Lewis cause he was living in Wilmington North Carolina and we go to 52:22 to introduce kickboxing to a club core in America and he turns to these guys and he said I think it was 52:31 and he says they're gonna go to lunch and he goes well buck but you gotta stay here, I go what's he talking about he goes 52:38 can you make him look like 52:40 and he want me in the demo because he said I move like a constipated duck. 52:50 But anyway yeah that was a great story and the thing it was funny cause we're at that club 52:58 and we stayed in a I think it used to be a stable right 53:04 joint stable it was nice sparring and stuff and Joe was in the next room and of course Joe's 53:09 there's all kind of stuff going on in there so but that's the rest of that story 53:19
Jeremy Lesniak:
Perfect then we'll have to have you on again at some point in the future we'll do. Episode 2 which even we can do at the second half.
Robb Buckland:
There you go.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Alright so you know I know you're teaching now and you're training but what's keeping you going you have some goals, some things you're working towards?
Robb Buckland:
Well I wanted to build a school up here and have a place where people come to the North East and they wanna you know do some cross training and come up and play that I would have a good student base that would carry on what I had learned for me and also maybe this could be you know how it ends for me then I could turn around and retire having a school you know and of course it's slow going but I've been with Buzz' help we build it up and we got a lot of great students that are just I mean they're phenomenal martial artist and the thing is they're good in all the ranges. We got you know they're kicking like Joe, they're punching like Joe, they're grappling like Mike 54:33 finishing like 54:34. So
Jeremy Lesniak:
That would be a super martial artist right there I would not step into the ring with anybody that had two of those 54:45
Robb Buckland:
I feel like I should buy them capes anyway yeah it looked really good I wanna I just wanna be able to go to an event and have 5 or 6 of my people there you know we're 54:57 and people say man those people are good and that the sort of thing you know cause it's funny because the whole 55:05 is limited thing which is what it is which is 55:09 of the styles that I learned and the thing is when they see these guys perform, when they see them spar or they their martial arts what it does is that you know it's empowering to me because number one it means hey you got it and you were able to teach it too. So that's one thing not all of us are gonna be world champions, but not all are gonna be fighters but if we leave these with a fighter's hearts that's all we can ask for and to change one's student's life that's a real that's a big thing and I'm watching Changing Lives every night at the school so we're having a great time in the 55:49 I think I it was kind of a haul for me but it's more of a population center than where I live 55:58 but that's good and the seminar stuff is going real good. That's every time like twice a year I'll turn around and make a trip south and I have 5 or 6 schools that consistently are emailing or calling and saying hey will you come back and do a seminar can we work on this next time and we're so it's cool to be able to do some distance teaching too we operate in the websites so that these guys can you know see what we're doing on a week to week basis but to go in there, touch down in somebody else's school and share stuff and have them be really receptive and excited, it was funny my buddy Dennis kenpo done in a 56:42 He goes you know Buckland when you come in and he goes I get students I haven't seen in these years showing up he goes I don't know what's going on well yeah it was great I went on my way to karate college and I stopped off at like 4, 5 of these little schools and we had groups of like 25, 30 people it's fantastic. So, I'm trying to live in the dream if that's so and then I'm doing some movies so I'm I think the next thing is a Ben Affleck movie so who know I guess I get to play Batman.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Nice
Robb Buckland:
Yeah, no this is what I'm doing you know.
Jeremy Lesniak:
This is great so if anybody wants to get a hold of you if they're interested in bringing you in to their school for a seminar or they're passing through the North East and they wanna drop into your school or something, how would they get a hold of you is the website the best or?
Robb Buckland:
They could do the website and call the cellphone, it's a
Jeremy Lesniak:
Okay
Robb Buckland:
Yeah cellphone is 207-450-5458 and then it's fearLTD.com is the website. It's actually we're going through some real big changing in there and doing a lot of filming so there's a lot of online training that's will go start popping up on there now cause we're actively working on it.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Oh great.
Robb Buckland:
Yeah and we're looking to recruit some trainers so if somebody's out there and their like-minded then we run into you we love to come to your location and turn around and see if we can share some stuff.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Awesome I think that's fantastic and of course you know we'll have the website linked over there and put your cellphone number out there too for people to get a hold of you and you know if nothing else if someone's listening and they don't train martial arts you can probably come in and do some stand-up comedy?
Robb Buckland:
That was funny, it's funny they got me talking and speaking at a school down in Virginia, that's one of the things that's going on in this next trip so I guess I'm branching out now a public speaker.
Jeremy Lesniak:
You're an entertainer and educator now.
Robb Buckland:
There you go.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Transcended just a martial arts realm and isn't that the dream because that's where the money is it's outside of the martial arts.
Robb Buckland:
That's right.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Well let's on a high note here, do you have any advice for the people that are listening?
Robb Buckland:
Okay yeah this is one of the last things that Joe Lewis ever told me and it's probably the most significant thing that anyone ever said to me but and his words were innovate don't imitate and a lot of what we would do coming up with Joe going to seminars and yeah with anybody with all the different styles as you try to imitate that instructor rather than from the very beginning turn around and assimilate what they're giving you and make it your own and Dennis 59:49 told me something that Joe never would say and Dennis said to me he just got to me he says wow you fight like a teacher I said what are you talking about he goes on all the movements are perfect and this he goes like because I need you to unlearn some of that and so how am I after 3 hours of training with him in June he says to me now is this too much and I said no this is great keep going and he said but I don't know how I'm gonna have time to practice or some teaching all the time he goes well in your work outs he goes you work it in and work on it he goes it might take you a year to make these changes I showed you and he goes but the best thing you could do is teach it I go what are you talking about Joe would never let me do that and he said yeah you just take these tips I'm giving you right now just kinda get an understanding for it and now go out in your next seminar chair. I did that and I've done that with my yellow belts and orange belts and the green belts and turned around and once they learned the skill sets turn around and make them teach it to somebody else oh my god they're so much better and I'm so much better for having known this and I'm not like a little Joe Lewis soldier where I turn around and I'm imitating Joe's movements. I used to took the tactics and strategies and mindset that he taught me and the attitude and turn around and apply it to what is my martial arts regardless of what the tagline is whether it's Uechi ryu or 1:01:21 you know doesn't make a difference so innovate don't imitate.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Fabulous advice and Sensei Buckland I really appreciate you being here on the show I've had a great time and laughed a lot and as I expected I had to mute microphone quite a bit so thanks for all the great stuff you shared with us today.
Robb Buckland:
You're welcome my pleasure.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Thanks for listening to episode 32 of whistlekickMartialArtsRadio and thank you to Sensei Buckland. Head on over to whistlekickmartialartsradio.com for the show notes, while you're there if you wanna be a guest on the show or you know someone that would be a great interview please fill out the guest form and don't forget to subscribe to our exclusive newsletter. If you wanna follow us on social media we're on Facebook, twitter, Pinterest and Instagram all with the username whistlekick. If you liked the show please subscribe so you never miss out in the future, and if we could trouble you for 2 things to helps us out first leave us a 5-star review wherever you download your podcast. If we read your review on the air, just contact us and we'll get you a free pack of whistlekick stuff. Second please spread the word about the show to anyone you think might like it. Don't forget the great stuff we make here at whistlekick at sparring gears, shirts, pants and a lot more. All made for martial artists by martial artists. So, until next time train hard, smile and have a great day.