About Us – Our Philosophy
We conduct training aimed at teaching practical techniques and concepts related to self-defense. We strive to do this in a thoughtful, logical, and safe manner. A way in which the trainee knows what and why they are training. We avoid situations where the trainee gets an answer from the instructor like: "train and you will understand (in a few years)", or training mindless techniques just because it's tradition.
We focus on elements that give a real sense of understanding and feeling of simple techniques, because more difficult and effective things are built upon them.
An example here could be repeating hand techniques for too long in stable karate stances or continuously training on punching bags without a partner. Self-defense is dynamic; it requires quick evasions, a sense of safe distance, and techniques that work on the opponent. What I have encountered in various schools and martial arts systems is a lack of realism and attack dynamics. Usually, these were techniques against a slowly executed strike (so the instructor had time to show the technique) and secondly, a bad distance (so the instructor's counter-strike after the block would reach the target). Hmm... ok, but this probably won't work with the dynamics of an attack (speed, change of distance, combination of punches and kicks).
It is also not the case that you can directly transfer sports techniques to self-defense and vice versa, self-defense techniques to the sports world. These are two different worlds functioning in the same bag of martial arts.
The sports world means sports rules: time to fight, time to rest, a referee, and a set of allowed and forbidden techniques. Here, in training, you build technique and stamina for these rules.
The street world means no rules; you don't know what, where, when, and why. Techniques here must be effective rather than aimed at scoring a point awarded by referees.
Training consists of three main pillars
Each of them develops a technical and mental base
1. Sports Base
These are typical sports techniques teaching footwork, head strikes, and kicks. By learning the specifics of an attack, we immediately teach defense and effective counter-attack. The whole thing, trained in pairs and with sports equipment, results in developing attack precision, hip rotation, body tension during attack or defense, working on loose legs, distance management, and timing.
2. Self-Defense Base
Techniques mainly related to the situation of what to do once someone has grabbed, holds, and attacks us. We learn how the human body works, what to do to weaken the opponent, distract them, or disrupt their stabilization. Working with a resisting opponent forces the involvement of the whole body in areas of quick strikes – shockers, or dynamic movement relative to the attacker – entering the opponent's dead zone.
3. Details and Kata
Related to learning technical details and concepts of techniques contained in kata. These are the so-called Kata forms along with Bunkai from the classical karate school – Shiro Washi Ryu Kempo. They include in their assortment techniques of striking the human nervous system - Atemi, joint and tendon lock techniques – Tuite. Interestingly and uniquely compared to other karate systems, higher-level Kata have advanced versions. In short, additional techniques between movements are added to the basic "square" version of the kata, which strengthens the techniques as well as their fluidity, ultimately meaning effectiveness.