Reality-Based has deep roots in Italy Jim Wagner
On August 28th I landed first thing in the morning at Schipohl International Airport in Amsterdam and was in Bologna, Italy by lunch time. There to pick me up was Fabrizio Capucci, the Reality-Based Director for Italian speaking countries (Italy, southern Switzerland, San Marino, and Vatican City).
|
After a little bite to eat, and of course there is nothing like Italian food in Italy, Fabrizio surprised me by taking me to the Museo d’Arte della citta di Ravenna. Fabrizo knows that I am researching ancient and modern human conflict, and every time I am in country he takes me to a new museum or a battlefield. He loves these places as well, so for him it is a “labor or love.”
At the Museum of Art of the City of Ravenna I was able to get some good photographs of two pugilatore (Greek sport fighters) statues approximately 2,000 years old. One fighter has a closed fist ready for the fight, and it is the exact way we do it in the Reality-Based Personal Protection system today two thousand years later; fingers rolled tight into the palm and the thumb pressed tight over the index and middle fingers over the first knuckles. This is one of those things that I call “the truth of combat.” That is to say, that no matter what culture or what time period, those who have been in real combat discover what really works and thus have the same techniques and training methods. The pugilatore fighters were sportsmen, but their “boxing gloves” were nothing more than thin leather straps wrapped around the hand. The second pugilatore statue poses with one hand in a knife hand position. Since there is no inscription on the stature one can only assume that it is to deliver a karate chop or some sort of spear hand. It could have also been for some defensive move. None the less, the hand is in a position one would see in a karate class today. Plus la change, plus la meme chose.
In the museum on the secondo piano (second floor) I was able to study in detail, and take some good photos, a sarcophagus which had a medieval knight carved on the lid. The marble carving depicts the knight in full armor clutching his two-edged sword, which was also the symbol of the Christian cross; for it looks like a cross when the tip is inserted in the ground or laid on the body. Of course they did not have photography back in the Middle Ages, so carvings and paintings are like the “photos” of their day. The eyes of the knight are closed symbolizing eternal rest.
The next day, my second free day before teaching my Level 1 courses, Fabrizio took me to the castle of the Comune di Lugo (City of Lugo) twenty minutes from Ravenna. Not only did I get to see the castle, but the real surprise was the Muse Francesca Baracca about 100 meters away from the castle.
Francesca Baracca (pronounced Fran-chess-ka Bara-ka) was Italy’s top World War I fighter pilot Ace who shot down 34 enemy aircraft. In front of the castle in the main square are a huge stone monument and a bronze statue of this national hero erected in 1936. On the stone monument is Baracca’s family crest – a horse standing on its hind legs with the wind going through its main. This is the very model that the famous Ferrari car company asked the Baracca family if they could use as a corporate logo. The Baracca family agreed, and now it is one of the most recognized symbols in the world. In fact, when you first walk into the Francesca Baracca Museum the first display that greets you is a 1998 Ferrari F300 race car with the famous logo sporting the black horse on a yellow shield. To the right of that display is Barraca’s fighter plane, a SPAD VII S-2489 biplane. On the fuselage of the aircraft is the Barraca family crest with the black horse and the tail section painted yellow. The plane is in excellent condition.
|
Francesca Baracca was born on May 19, 1888 and died on June 19, 1918. The day he died he was on a combat mission near the Italian coastal city of Venice. His wingman and good friend, Lieutenant Osrrago saw Barraca go down in flames, however, he did not actually see how the incident occurred, but he suspected that ground fire brought down Baracca’s plane. An Austrian pilot by the name of Max Kaner reported that he fought with “an Italian plane,” but he does not know if it was Barraca’s plane or not. None the less, Baracca’s plane was found and recovered, but due to the severe damage and fire that burned the plane up the Italian army could not determine the cause of the crash. In modern times the Italian government opened up the investigation again, but they too could not find the cause of the crash. Baracca’s casket was paraded through the very square that bears his statue, and he was buried with full military honors.
|
Although I am a private pilot myself, and I have a great passion for aviation, the museum also contained a wide variety of Austria-Hungary Empire weapons and Italian weapons: rifles, bayonets, trench clubs, and many helmets and uniforms on three floors with 13 salons of displays, photographs, and documents. The museum also displays Baracca’s bedroom, for this museum was also once his own home. So, not only is he a hero to the nation of Italy, but to the city of Lugo itself.
That same day, August 27, as we were touring around the museum two suspected terrorists were arrested at Schipohl International Airport in Holland, the same airport I was in the day before, who were planning an attack on my country – the United States of America.
Meanwhile, back in Italy, Libyan president Muhammar Gheddafi arrived for a state visit to discuss immigration and economic issues with Italian president Berlusconi. The event was all over the T.V. and on the front page of every newspaper the following day. Gheddafi was wearing tradition Arab garb escorted by two female bodyguards who were wearing camouflage battle fatigues. All three were wearing dark sunglasses as they came off of the plane and passed the reception line. Gheddafi himself calls his female bodyguards “Amazon women.” Gheddafi started his trip by saying, “Europe will convert to Islam,” (L’Europa deve convertirsi all’Islam) and then later said, “Islam will be the religion of Europe” (L’Islam sia religione dell’Europa). The Party of Liberty (PDL), and the Italian political party of President Berlusconi, was irritated by the statements.
Muhammar Gheddafi also hired 500 young beautiful Italian girls as hostesses, paying them 64 euro an hour, just to be around him. He handed each one of them a copy of the Koran (the Islamic holy book) and asked them to convert to Islam.
|
On Monday, August 30th, I started off the training week with the Reality-Based Personal Protection course Defensive Tactics. A Brazilian television film crew was there to tape the entire week of instructions. The three representatives (Leonardo Campos, Bruno “Pesca” Silva, and Andre Pires) participated in each course and taped it as they progressed through each day. Once they return to Brazil the raw footage will be edited and shown on national television to an audience of 25 million viewers.
This same film crew had just recently returned from an assignment in war-torn Afghanistan and saw the movie I appeared in with Morgan Spurlock called Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? When they saw the film they not only wanted the same training I provided to Morgan Spurlock, but that the course itself should be the topic of the premier show for the new T.V. season. Once the show is aired I will have more information up about it and a link where it can be viewed in its entirety. Of course, I am thrilled about the exposure that the RBPP system will receive and the opportunity to work once again with Brazilians. Several years ago I worked down in Brazil training police and military police units from every state in that nation, and I was even made an Honorary Member of the Brazilian Air Force for training their elite counterterrorist team GEPA.
|
Not only was Fabrizio Capucci there on day one to administrate and help teach with me, but Nicolas Marucci, Reality-Based Director of Belgium, also flew in from Brussels to assist and start planning courses for next year in his region. Nicolas is an instructor for security companies and has also been invited to teach Reality-Based Personal Protection courses for the Belgium Army. To top it off Nicolas is very well-known in the European MMA francophone (French speaking) community.
|
In addition to the Brazilian journalists participating in the courses we had an emergency room surgeon, a Shotokan Karate instructor who runs his own school in Italy, a Gas and Oil Platform worker (I trained for a few years in the Port of Los Angeles on Gas and Oil Platforms on many counterterrorism training missions in the late 1990s and the year 2000 before counterterrorism training came into vogue), a fitness instructor, a few beginners to self-defense, martial arts enthusiasts from a wide variety of traditional and sport-based systems, and a military psychologist working at an Italian military base. Currently the Italian army has personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia and is a NATO member (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
Luca, the military psychologist, was able to talk a soldier out of committing suicide the week before coming to my courses. The Italian soldier was treated and then discharged from the military.
|
On the last day of training, after Terrorism Survival, Luca told me, “We are using more technical methods than the traditional clinical psychology of the past. We are much more practical and effective than before. The Terrorism Survival course has also given me a new perspective from the terrorists’ mind set. Your training is fantastic and directly connected to my job. I want to thank you.”
As we were training inside the MOVE-IT facility one day a rain storm swept in from the Alps and poured for a few hours, but the cool weather was a relief to the hot summer.
On Tuesday, Ground Survival, most of the students ate together at a nearby café. It turns out that it was the 52nd birthday of Paolo Benecchi; a telecommunications engineer and lifelong martial artist. His birthday gift to himself was the week of Reality-Based courses. In Italian fashion everyone sang happy birthday, in Italian, after the meal. The Brazilians also sang a few bars in Portuguese. A birthday tradition is to have a glass of champagne. One of the students bought a bottle of champagne and everyone toasted Paolo’s birthday. Later that day Paolo told Fabrizio, “I’m 52 years old, and I have been doing martial arts all of my life. Jim Wagner explained things clearly and in a simple way that I had never heard before. He really opened my eyes. I always thought I was ready for a fight, but I found out that I really wasn’t.”
|
On Wednesday, Knife Survival, additional students showed up to get the training. A newspaper reporter from La Voce di Romagna showed up to write a story about the training and take some photographs. The story came out in the Venerdi 3 settembre 2010 Anno XIII N. 243 edition in the Ravenna section.
Thursday was eight hours of Crime Survival and Friday was seven hours of Terrorism Survival. Paolo Vezzali, one of my top RBPP instructors, took over translating duties from Fabrizio on both of these days. We had to cut the course one hour short because the three Brazilians had to catch a train to Milan. We all decided to wrap things up early because of them. However, everyone was so exhausted from the week that no complaints were aired. All were content with the day of training, and the entire week. At graduation the students received their certificates, the instructor got theirs, and we ended with the usual photographs, handshakes, and good byes. That part is always a little sad because everyone has really bonded by the last day. However, that evening Fabrizio and I continued our tradition of having a good i frutti di mare dinner, a good cigar, shot of rum, and a dark chocolate. It is only done if a seminar is a complete success, and to a bright future.
|
While Fabrizio and I were in the city of Rimini picking up some our traditional goodies for our celebration Roberto Barberini, a Krav Maga student, came up to me and said, “Mr. Wagner, I have read all of your books and have seen all of your DVDs. Could I have a photo with you?” He has been following my work for years in Budo, and was happy that he spotted me in a crowded mall quite a drive from where I had been teaching. I took a photo with him and Fabrizio put him on our email list to keep him current on upcoming events. Fabrizio plans on sending out a weekly newsletter in Italian to all Reality-Based enthusiasts. A week before we ran into Roberto two other guys (one of them named Stefano Naldi an MMA fighter) recognized me and asked for a photo together at the WOK Bar Ristorante in Ravenna. For me it is a little strange to be seen as somewhat as a “celebrity,” but I take it all in stride since I have a lot of material out there on the market. For me it is good just to know that people are making their self-defense training more “reality-based” because of my teachings. That is the real reward.
The next day, for our weekend off, Fabrizio took me to the beautiful medieval city of Verona at the foot of the Alps. In the 1st century B.C. Verona became a Roman colony, and in 49 B.C. Julius Caesar made it into a Civitas Romana; an official Roman city. As a municipium Verona grew rapidly and was soon known as the “Small Rome” for its Roman look and beauty. In the center of this ancient city is a well preserved colosseum built in 265 A.D. by Emperor Gallienus where gladiators once fought. Today it is called “The Arena” and is used for many modern productions and concerts. Walking through the corridors and sitting on the ancient spectator seats gives one a feeling as to what it may have been like two thousand years ago.
|
The following day, September 6th Fabrizio and I drove to the medieval castle of Castello di Serravalle in the lush green hills outside of Bologna surrounded by vineyards; I snacked on fresh sweet ripe grapes right off of the vine. The castle that sits upon a hill was established in the year 1304 and completed in 1235. The castle was enlarged in 1523 and has a small village, still standing, is inside of the fortified walls.
The trip to Italy was a success in many ways, and we both look forward to the next courses in April 2011. Texas school closes Jim Wagner
Frank Mayson, Reality-Based Director of the United States, has decided to close down the Reality-Based Texas school in Southlake; a decision I fully support.
In the next news bulletin I will be announcing some exciting changes taking place, and the direction for 2011. Frank Mayson is a part of that direction, and will remain in the Reality-Based Personal Protection family, but will also be taking on some new related responsibilies.
I want to personally thank Frank for three successful seminars he had me teach there, and I look forward to working with him and other organizations in the State of Texas.
|
|
|