Black Dragon Kai owners Geordie and Jessica Lavers-McBain have built their martial arts journey on one simple belief: the best instructors never stop learning.
“To me, the natural progression is from learning something to being qualified in it so you can pass it on to other people,” Geordie said.
That philosophy recently took the couple to Norway, where they earned their Master Instructor qualification in the ancient Viking martial art of Lausatök Glima.
They spent four days training at the Viking Village in Gudvangen under Grandmaster Lars Magnar Enoksen, learning a combat style with a lineage stretching back more than 1000 years.
Before travelling to Norway, their only experience with Glima had been through online training sessions.
For Geordie, constantly seeking new knowledge is about becoming a better instructor.
“We want to share its unique identity, see what we do and where it has holes…[then] integrate this bit of information into that,” he added.
“It’s one thing knowing something; it’s another thing applying it.”
The experience was as physically demanding as it was educational.
Training outdoors in traditional Viking attire meant practising barefoot with minimal clothing through freezing temperatures, snow, mud and rain.
“[The weather] was the hardest challenge, but it made it worth it,” Jessica said.
“We couldn’t just go, ‘Oh, it’s raining, it’s cancelled today.’ That made it even more memorable because that’s what we had to do.”
After completing their qualification, the pair tested their new skills at the Glima World Championship in May.
Jessica was originally set to compete in the 55kg lightweight division, but low competitor numbers saw the women’s categories combined into a single open weight division.
She embraced the challenge and finished second from three competitors.
For Geordie, the championship marked his first competition in a decade.
Competing in the largest division, he placed fourth from six athletes.
While disappointed his performance didn’t match his expectations, he said he was proud that he had the courage to step onto the mat.
“Retrospectively, I’m glad I did do it because the opportunity was there,” he added.
“It certainly helped me find some things that I’m trying to fix and improve.”
Their pursuit of knowledge hasn’t stopped there.
In June, they travelled to Vietnam to learn Vietnamese Nunchaku and later this year plan to visit Japan and South Korea, where Jessica will compete while they continue expanding their martial arts expertise.
On their return, they hosted a training camp at Black Dragon Kai, introducing Glima to their students for the first time.
The couple hope to keep exploring martial arts from around the world, refining their skills and passing that knowledge on to the next generation of students.
