FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions):
Below are some questions we have been receiving, and this information will likely change/evolve in an improved way, and always be added to where needed.
1) How and Why Do You Teach So Many Systems? How Does That Work?:
We offer a fairly comprehensive list of martial arts systems, and you may be wondering how and why that is. After training for many years in many martial arts systems, you come to realize that many styles share similar concepts, and just sometimes use different approaches. In all, several from the list are similar or subsets of one system that happen to just use different names or focus on specific areas. For example, Filipino Marial Arts (FMA) offers several systems we utilize: Kali, (Modern) Arnis, Doces Pares, Escrima (Eskrima), Panantukan are all Filipino styles. Some people use three of those terms to mean the same thing. Essentially, they all offer weapons and empty hand techniques, but Escrima is more likely referred to as the practice of the art of Filipino Stick Fighting over the others, although Modern Arnis is also referred to the art of stick fighting. They all offer techniques and concepts to deal with long and short weapons (impact; long & short stick; blade; long and short knife, dagger, and sword; and empty hand, as well as a combination of stick and knife.) Without getting caught up in the finer details and point out where they may differ, they are (for lack of a better explanation) more similar than different and encompass the same aspects, and techniques are easily used to flow from one technique to another without notice. The empty hand all deal with weapons attacks (when you don't have one yourself), elbows, knees, fist, shin, feet/kicking, as well as head-butts, forearm, shoulder and hip, offer take-downs and ground as well (for example, Dumog is the ground/grappling in FMA). Including systems like Jeet Kune Do (JKD) as a concept/philosophy that uses a lot of Wing Chun Kung Fu, Western Boxing, Savate, etc., it fits very nicely and effortlessly to include Kali (FMA) systems. As you can see, this is already encompassing 6 systems into one. Include adding things such as Krav Maga, which uses the approach of keeping it simple, direct, aggressive, and realistic, you can utilize these other systems where Krav Maga may leave off, where the other systems delve further into it when something happens to prevent you from continuing in the most simple and basic means of aggression. Nothing is unique to Krav Maga, for example, other than it is intended to keep it quick and realistic and not add needless complications when dealing with a physical conflict, so it draws from many other systems; wrestling, boxing, locking and throwing arts (chin na, Jiu Jitsu, Aikido, Judo, BJJ, etc.), Muay Thai, Karate and so on, as well as some military combat scenarios, especailly when dealing with firearms and hostage situations, multiple attackers and so on. The other systems can take it further, where and when Krav Maga may leave off. We start from this approach and move onto other aspects where and when it makes sense, simply because other systems specialize in these areas and do not require you to be as athletic, have the size and strength factor and cardio that allows more people to apply those concepts and better excel at Krav Maga compared to the average person that doesn't have the time to train as hard or as long, even though Krav Maga is geared toward quick, realistic results, some people better benefit from taking it in a direction where they can increase their odds without being the bigger, stronger, faster or younger person. We just fill in some gaps we believe exist and illustrate this in person when you come train with us, as well as outline why in detailed video material as well. We also include some other systems, as you may have noticed. One being Silat, which is a French-Polynesian leverage art that has a lot of great attributes, Wing Chun, which offers great benefits of structure for offense and defense, keeping your movements efficient and working against the size of your opponent, using your entire structure to control them for both offense and defense with less effort, and the added benefit of using contact to your advantage outside of grappling range, and finally, a system called PIMANA; P.I.M.A.N.A. stands for "Progressive Integrated Martial Arts with Neccessary Attributes". This is a progressive system created by Larry Morris, who studied under Professor Remy Presas (creater of Modern Arnis) and had trained with people like James Keating, Datu Kelly Worden, Grandmaster Wally Jay (Small Circle Jiu-Jitsu) and is a culmination of many systems that flow well togther into an effective, complete system; dealing with empty hands, blade, impact and firearms, including Arnis/Kali, Jeet Kune Do, Boxing, Muay Thai, Karate, etc. Having known and trained with Larry Morris over a number of years and seeing the value of the system, this has been happily included into the curriculum we cover.
2) What Are The Systems You Teach?:
MMA, Modern Arnis/Progressive System, Escrima, Kali (Filipino Martial Arts/FMA), Jeet Kune Do (JKD), Krav Maga, Jiu-Jitsu, Silat, Panantukan, Boxing, Muay Thai, Wing Chun, PIMANA, Chin Na, General Self Defense. Also: TKD/Karate, Kickboxing, P.F.S. (Progressive Fighting System), Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and various other systems.
3) What Is Your Training Facility Like?:
The facility depends on the location in question (Redding, Ca or Reno, NV). The main location is in Redding California.
PLEASE NOTE: We are
NOT located at the Hilltop address that's listed on some search engines (an old mailing address). Please contact us for the current address. We are a martial arts club that are more interested in the material and realism over having a brick and mortar school. Few people make money teaching martial arts and justifying a large facility to train out of at this point seems unnecessary. We train in a 900 sq ft. area with high quality antimicrobial mats (YES, we allow people to wear tennis/running shoes on the mats!), several 6' Thai banana bags (these are on a rolling overhead railsystem so they can be moved anywhere across the mat area or to one of the walls completely out of the way, as to maximize the training area, but also offer a 360 degree area for use of all heavy bags), also boxing bags, BOB, free standing heavy bag, wall mount/uppercut bag, various kicking shields, long & short Thai pads, focus mitts, torso/belly pads, head gear, fencing mask, MMA gloves, boxing gloves, training knives, training (rattan) Kali sticks, bo/long staff, wall pads, shin guards, training pistols, and more! We also offer a weight power rack with Olympic bench and curl bars for a full range of free weight work-outs, including leg-bench attachments, pull-up/chin-up and dips features, a full set of quality bar-bells, and a total of nearly 300 lbs. of Olympic weight plates. The area is well lit, insulated and heated in the winter, and there's ample air conditioning in the summer (26K btu A/C unit). We're more of a back-yard group (even many famed martial artists started the same way before their schools; not to make that comparison about skills, but the necessity of a branded, large, expensive gym is clearly not needed to have quality class material). At some point, we may open a school with the typical sign outside, where you can see it from the road and drop in off the street, but the expense and effort to hope that enough people are committed enough to show up, seems like an uncessary gamble and people that are there for the material and instruction don't care either way, so long as they are getting good stuff. More people are moving towards this same set up as the years go by and more and more schools are moving to smaller and smaller places, some very tiny, just to justify the costs to keep a standard, expected brick and mortar business open. Instead of worrying and focusing on the business side, we can focus on the material, which is the most important thing.
4) Do You Teach/Know; Systema, Keysi Fighting Method, DNA/Defense Lab, or other systems not listed?:
Yes and no. It depends on your point of view. There's always some "new big thing" that people get excited about, and it rarely offers anything new. This one example may be because our name and web site says "Fight Method", but honestly, a lot of years of Kali/Panantukan, Keysi and DNA/DefenseLab all look like nothing more than FMA elbows used to an excessive/pointless amount where you can better utilize more techniques where it makes sense. I've yet to see a single example anywhere that outlines how it's different. The creator of DNA/Defense Lab has trained with some very good people and some of it looks legitimate, but we don't buy into even great promotional material just because it might look cool or fun in a movie. I see nothing unqiue there, although it's sort of interesting and that's not to say it won't work in some situations. However, some approaches seem overkill and don't seem to cover some gaps this approach takes. Again, we see all of this in our material already with Panantukan/Kali, defensive elbow sheilds and covers and elbow drills and techniques. Perhaps I'll see something legitimate and unique if there was further exposure, but thus far it seems like a lot of the same stuff reduced to nothing more than the elbow aspects, to the point it seems counter productive. Also, some of these systems have some interesting or unusual approaches and look fun/cool, but it is generally nothing new. For example, Systema offers some interesting ways of generating power/energy and how you use your body and that is legitimate, but with backgrounds in Wing Chun and having trained with some real good people that rank high in systems like Wing Chun, Tai Chi, Bagua, and HSing-I, some of these people have excellent grounding and massive power. Different ways to use energy are interesting and as long as it matters and can be done effectively with varied angles without opening yourself up and offer the best odds, that is the most important aspect (and to make it matter when you strike/kick/attack/defend/counter). In the end, anything that's legitimate and effective is likely already covered in almost any manner with the systems we use/teach. However, we are always accepting and open to any new ideas regardless, so long as they have merit and are realistic in the approach, so you never know and you may be surprised. Feel free to ask/inquire.
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