FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (F.A.Q.)

This is NOT your Ancestors' Friction Fire... THIS is PHRYCTION PHYREKEEPING!

I may politely end up sending you here to answer your question(s).

Also, I will update this with some relevant questions you folks out there ask.

When and where did you first learn all this?

It all began waaaay back when I was 13 years old – and joined the BOY SCOUTS which were out of my old elementary school. There I saw and learned my first fire – making methods and that was it. On the PHOTOS page, you’ll see me trying to give back what I got. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SCOUTING!!! BOYS & GIRLS!!!

Why is the Phryction Phyre Dojo’s name spelled with “PH” instead of “F”?

In this age of the search engine, the Phyre Dojo needed to clearly set itself apart from the words “friction fire,” as these are way too general and will give you thousands of hits. Plus, “Phryction” and “Phyre” by definition of the Phyre Dojo, means a type of life supporting, sustaining and promoting fire. Not just any fire. Just GOOGLE “Phyre Dojo.”

1) What is the “Phyre Dojo?”

2) And, why is it a “Dojo?”

3) And, what is “PhyreKeeping?

1) The Phyre Dojo is actually 2 things. First, it’s my collective teachings, training and methods of “The Tao of Lau Training in the Science & Art of the Ethical Life Supporting Skills of Wood Phryction PhyreKeeping.” Second, it is a real, physical structure I built that I use to teach and train myself and others in PhyreKeeping. I call it the “HI DOJO” in Japanese or in English – “Phyre Dojo.”

2) I use the word “DOJO” literally in the Japanese sense which means “Place of the Way.” If you didn’t know, dojo’s aren’t just for martial arts, though that is what they’re best known for. Plus, my manner and style of teaching and training is basically the same as when I’m teaching and training in the Bujinkan Dojo. Also, this is a unique LINEAGE. It is a transmission from my “family school” to you.

3) “PhyreKeeping” by my definition is short for – “The Tao of Lau Training in the Science & Art of the Ethical Life Supporting Skills of Wood Phryction PhyreKeeping.” But, a “PhyreKeeper” is the one who is responsible for the tribe’s supply and support of “Phyre.” (Fire that supports Life & Living.)

What’s so “unique” and “special” about the “Phyre Dojo” as compared to any other “Firemaking Workshop” by someone else?

1) The Phyre Dojo is the ONLY one to have a complete, “encyclopedia-like” media, especially a full-length video one, that allows you to be able to clarify, identify, problem solve, practice at home, at your leisure (or intensity!), at your own sense of time.

2) The Phyre Dojo is the ONLY one to transmit the entirety of the Phryction PhyreKeeping skills in their original role as a physical/moral and ethical life supporting and promoting functional calling and physical/moral ethical duty. As well as giving you the full “Moral of the Story” legend of Prometheus.

3) The Phyre Dojo is the ONLY one to transmit its HIDEN (Trade Secrets) of about 2 dozen new and interesting methods, techniques and devices – UNKNOWN TO MANY.

4) The Phyre Dojo is the ONLY one to transmit its findings and theories on the VARIABLES way of training, teaching and learning.

5) The Phyre Dojo is the ONLY one to transmit the universe of Wood Phryction PhyreKeeping all in one place.

6) The Phyre Dojo is the ONLY one to break things down PhyreKeeping to a full Science & Art form. We move from learning the basics and “scales” to learning “how to play” or “jazz” if you will.

7) The Phyre Dojo is the ONLY one to give you a complete organizational and classification system to learn, keep track of and to transmit the PhyreKeeping skills.

8) The Phyre Dojo is the ONLY one to give you the Axis/Linear Classification type system of learning.

9) The Phyre Dojo is the ONLY one to give you the “More/Less & Less/More” and the “NATURAL PROGRESSION” Axis/Drill Type system of understanding the methods, techniques, devices and forms.

10) The Phyre Dojo is the ONLY one to give you the P.A.D.P.I.E. Process method of Right to Left Clarifying and Learning method (like learning “Scales”) and the Left to Right Solution Creation method (like playing “Jazz.”)

11) The Phyre Dojo is the ONLY one that after training at home while able to contact me with questions, you may choose to attend a WORKSHOP and we’ll literally DO the methods, techniques, devices and forms.

12) The Phyre Dojo is the ONLY one where no matter what you’ve seen and done in the world of “Friction Fire,” you’ll learn that you haven’t seen it ALL. If you think there’s still something for you to learn that is.

13) The Phyre Dojo is the ONLY one where you will get the “Tao of Lau” teaching and training methods of transmission. This includes my own personal background life experiences, the valuable discoveries and teachings of an Iwo Jima US Marine, Dr. Robert L. Humphrey, who was an effective veteran of understanding Human Nature with his Life Value Theories, Cross Cultural Conflict Resolution and Violence Reduction in practical worldwide experience. It also includes the effective teachings of Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi’s Bujinkan Dojo of Japan and life saving Emergency Room Nursing experience.

14) The Phyre Dojo is the ONLY one to fully embrace and fuse the Traditional/Primitive along with the Civilized/Modern ideas of life supporting and promoting Phryction PhyreKeeping.

What is the meaning of, or what are the characters in the Phyre Dojo’s Logo? And, what are the “Primal 8 Basics?

As a longtime student of Japanese martial arts (namely the Bujinkan Dojo – see Links), and of Japanese language (partially-fluent), I realized the more I trained in the Phryction Phyre methods, techniques and designs the more each distinct personality of the methods became clearer. These “Primal 8 Basics” I found to be like “scales” in learning music or “Kihon” in learning martial arts. I wanted to give and honor each of what I call the “Primal 8 Basics” with their own and unique defining Japanese Shodo or brush stroke character. Going clockwise from one o’clock, the “Primal 8 Basics” are – the Hand Drill, Mouth Drill, Bow Drill, Pump Drill, Toggle Drill, Phyre Plow, Phyre Saw and Phyre Thong.

Where is the Phyre Dojo located?

And, where have you taught?

The Phyre Dojo is located in Greenwich Township, New Jersey. We are one hour west of Newark Liberty International Airport. Please do not drop by as it is also a private residence. Workshops are by appointment. I have taught in New Jersey, California, the Mid West, Germany, Quebec Canada and JAPAN! But I really don’t get out much.

What are all these “other” methods, techniques and designs you “came up with?”

There are over 2 dozen variations off of the “Primal 8 Basics.” I call them the “Civilized Variations” because they are not born in primitive Nature by humans, but created in the modern Dojo much like as music is created in a studio or hall. I have written their names in an index found on “Stuff” Page under the Hiden Denki Densho. “HIDEN”, in Japanese, after all , means “Trade Secrets.” If you want descriptions of them or see them in action, you will need to acquire a HIDEN DENKI DENSHO Membership.

Do you teach any other forms of “Firemaking” or any other Wilderness Skills?

I do teach and demo other forms of firemaking, such as Focused Lens, Air Compression (FP) Phyre Piston, Rudiger Roll (FR) Fire Roll, and Percussion (Flint& Steel.  This is what I do. I still like to dabble in all the other wilderness skills, especially STONE TOOLS. I do not teach any of them formally (anymore,) but I can recommend some great instructors if you ask.

Are there any “friction fire” methods, techniques, devices or forms “out there” that don’t work?

YES! There are a few. They’re even listed in some professional journals! I discuss and show why they don’t and can’t work in my HIDEN DENKI DENSHO.

How many people have you taught?

How much teaching experience do you have?

I have been teaching PHRYCTION PHYRE on my own and professionally since 1988. I have taught literally thousands, hands-on, from all over the world. My real experience comes not from just the mere showing people how to do these methods, but the hands-on troubleshooting of helping thousands work through their individual problems and “Phayles” to get successes. I have to tell you…the REAL reward is SEEING peoples’ faces and reactions when they get their first PHYRES!!!

Your “dojo” has Japanese cultural tones but your name is Chinese. What’s up with that?

Good question. I am half Cantonese Chinese on my father’s side and am half Sicilian on my mother’s. So, in my heritage we not only created noodles, we also threw sauce on it too. But, I am ethnically and culturally born and raised 100% American. I always tell people I’m about as Chinese as a “Big Mac.” The extent of my Chinese language is “Gong Hey Fat Choy” or “Happy New Year.” However, for over 30 years of my life I have been training in a culturally Japanese martial art. The Bujinkan Dojo. So, there you go.

How do you transmit this as a Science and Art?

I must first of all emphasize it’s life promoting and supporting nature. With that, ALL life promoting and supporting duties, roles and vocations require as complete an education on that subject as possible. Even if it is an “obsolete and outdated” skill, it is a vital part of not only Humanity’s history but one of its reasons for how we as a species spread across the globe. For it cannot be lost like a tossed piece of technology like the telegraph, 8 track or even the dial phone.

It is transmitted as a Science through a complete reverse engineering and de-construction to promote beginning understanding, identifying and clarifying all the methods’ variables. Much like learning an instrument and its “scales” in music.

Then, it is transmitted as an Art through the playing around with those variables. From here we begin to “jazz” as we discover through our innovation and creative abilities what’s possible.

Wood Phryction PhyreKeeping is definitely a S.T.E.A.M. Skill.

(Science, Technology [Tools], Engineering [Making/Building], Art [Creativity], Math [Measurements])

GAMBARIMASHO YO! Let’s Keep Going!

Why a “DENSHO?”

A Densho, is a “Scroll” in Japan. Densho, directly translates in Japanese as “Written/Transmission.” To me, it was vital that I try to convey it in this kind of format. It is definitely an “upgrade” to make it a “Denki” or in Japanese an “electric” – in this case, video, rather than a traditional scroll or manual. I DEFINITELY DID NOT want to write a book. I can see it sitting on the discount shelf already!

Anyway, I specifically remember trying to teach and transit these skills to those who have legitimate disabilities. Like folks who are amputees and the blind and deaf. This form gives every way possible to transmit PhyreKeeping to you as a media (audio/visual) except for actually being there, which is a Workshop. Plus, I feel this is the most CLARIFYING way of transmitting Phryction PhyreKeeping. People, including myself, are limited in time. But, I wanted to transmit EVERYTHING. So, here it is – the world’s most complete “Encyclopedia” on Phryction PhyreKeeping.

It is “written,” or “closed captioned” along with the video, so spellings are there or maybe you can’t quite follow what I’m saying on audio but you can clarify by reading. On a very personal note, I see all my movies (DVDs) with the subtitles on even if its in English. You don’t realize how much you miss in a movie till you read your movie. Other people may hate reading movie subtitles but I don’t like watching movies without them.

Now WHY would I want to learn and old, obsolete, out-dated way to make “Phyre” when I could just carry a lighter just like everyone else?

I not going to try to convince anyone that they need to learn this. For many, it’s a calling that needs to be answered on some level. For others, they like the science or the art of it or both. Some people like old skills and old ways. Some people just want to be in touch with their human nature and ancestry. There are just as many reasons to NOT study Phryction PhyreKeeping as there are to study it. But, I guarantee you will learn about yourself and who and what you are. Even I carry a lighter all the time. That’s the common sense and safer thing to do, right?

Come on In!

Weekdays

BY APPOINYMENT ONLY

Weekends

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Contact

TEXT ONLY

1(908)246-7215

EMail

info@PhyreDojo.com

Address

POB 27

STEWARTSVILLE, NJ 08886