Meets: Mon 7 - 8 PM, Thurs. 7 - 8 PM

Instructors: Anthony Sell (Mon, Wed.), Paul Boyajian (Thurs.)

Overview

Our Phase One program is designed to offer a wide selection of training methods to our students in order to develop a well-rounded base of skills for continued practice in any Martial Art.

Physical Attributes are developed to prepare the student for the rigors of more intense levels of training, and to develop the coordination, balance, and insight necessary for more advanced training methods.

Weapons Aspects

Students will work with weaponry (single stick, double stick, dagger, stick and dagger) in order to develop ambidextrous coordination, and to learn the building blocks (drills) for Flow Development

Our weapons training comes directly from the Filipino Martial Arts, namely Doce Pares Eskrima and the Inosanto-LaCoste Method of Kali. Weapon skills include methods of striking with a variety of weapons, blocking and countering, footwork and evasive movement, locking and throwing, trapping disarming, both with and without weapons.

Striking Aspects

In our Phase One program students will also learn the techniques used by many unarmed striking systems of Martial Arts. This includes the study of  "Stand-Up" fighting.

Methods of kicking, punching, and striking with the other natural body weapons are using a variety of equipment (such as Thai Pads, Focus Mitts, Hanging and Freestanding Bags, etc.) With an emphasis on tactics, movement strategies, offensive and defensive movement and timing.

Our technical perspective is taken directly from the Arts of Muay Thai Kickboxing, Jun Fan Kickboxing, Savate, Boxing, Modern Tae Kwon Do, and Panantukan.

As the students' skill level progresses, drills become more interactive and students will work against a "Live Opponent." At this point, students are also introduced to Sparring and sparring based drills.

Grappling Aspects

Students will also be taught Defensive and Counter-Offensive Strategies for Ground-Fighting, Stand-Up Grappling, and Submission Wrestling. In addition to an arsenal of submission techniques, students will learn escapes, counters, and how to move efficiently from one position to another, while also learning the tactical advantages and weaknesses each position offers.

The techniques and training methods for this portion of Phase One development are taken directly from the Arts of Shooto (Shoot Wrestling), Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Pencak Silat.

Trapping Aspects

The last stage of Phase One Development involves strategies for the use of Trapping in fighting. Interactive Open and Closed Circuit Drills are used to develop Kinesthetic Awareness and Intuitive Responses to different types of engagement. These drills also develop the coordination necessary to manipulate an opponent's limbs and frustrate their attempts to strike you. Offensive, Defensive, and Counter-Offensive strategies are discussed.

Conclusion

The entire Phase One Program can take anywhere from one and a half to two years to complete, depending on the experience level and dedication of the particular student. When the student has come "full-circle," they will then begin to specialize in a particular area of interest, while also developing their skills in other areas at different levels. This represents Phase Two and Phase Three development. For a breakdown of the curriculum and the Phase Program click here.

Since there is such a wide variety of training formats to train and skills to develop, the focus of the class material is rotated every 4-8 weeks, returning at a later time to review the same material in greater detail.

Since the majority of our students come to our school with some form of previous Martial Arts experience, new students have the opportunity to learn from their shared insights. Personal experience is highly regarded. The atmosphere also encourages experimentation and personalization of the material, allowing the students to adapt the material to their Unique Circumstances.