Our System
We believe there is value in learning more than one type of martial art, and that one is not superior over any other. Because of this, our students benefit from many different styles of martial arts that have been carefully selected and perfected by the co-founders of A.C. K.. We have focused on six different arts: Shotokan Karate, Judo, Jujitsu, American Kickboxing, Muay Thai and Modern Street Defense. Read below to learn about all of these individually.
SHOTOKAN
Shotokan is a Japanese art founded by Gichin Funakoshi in 1936.
It is a traditional art using difficult stances to develop strength, balance, coordination speed, focus, etc. From these stances students learn various strikes and blocks. A technique called Kiai is also taught. This is known as the “spirit shout”. What this does is allows practitioners to release their energy properly into their strikes and blocks. It ensures maximum power, speed and proper breathing. Shotokan is a no nonsense art, which is very serious about ending conflict quickly. It is a straight forward (linear) art with no wasted movements. American Cadre Karate has modified the Shotokan stances to conform to the concepts and theories of Shinjitsu and is the foundation in which A.C.K. students learn to harden and develop their skills.
Judo
A Japanese art created in 1882 by founder Jigoro Kano. Kano trained in three different Jujitsu schools all teaching different things. One was a striking school another was a grappling school and the third focused on throwing. The word Judo translates to “gentle way”. “Ju’”means gentle/flexible/pliable, “Do’” meaning way. Judo consists of mainly throwing or take downs, but certainly not limited to just that. There are also different grappling and striking techniques. A.C.K. has incorporated the throwing aspect into our system. What this teaches the student is balance and leverage. With this understanding it is very possible for a smaller person to throw a much larger person with little effort. Just a little fast fact: It was Kano who invented the different colored belts as a ranking system. Though each system may have its own color order, we can all thank Kano for that idea!
Jujitsu
Jujitsu is a Japanese art meaning the art of gentle/flexible/pliable. Very similar to Judo. Many years ago the word Jujitsu was a very general term. It was used for all types of combative defense systems. Anything from striking schools to throwing and grappling schools used the term Jujitsu. Later masters would create their own systems from what they had learned in their Jujitsu schools. Hapkido, Aikido, and Small Circle Jujitsu are just a few. But most notably it was Jigoro Kano and his creation of Judo that became most popular, which then spawned Brazilian Jujitsu. A.C.K. has incorporated the use of joint locks and manipulations as well as ground submissions and grappling techniques into our system of ShinJitsu. These techniques are extremely effective against weapon attacks such as knives, guns, clubs/sticks and unarmed attacks as well.
American Kickboxing
Even though kickboxing originated in Japan in the 1960s, many countries have adopted its practices and theories through the years. American Kickboxing became prominent in the 1970s. It is a stand up fighting system using proper foot work to stay balanced and move efficiently. Using a variety of kicks and punches, students learn how to throw their strikes properly. They also learn how to move around their opponent effectively using taught foot work drills. It is important for students to know what “fighting range” they are in. Fighting range means the distance between you and your opponent. One needs to understand the proper strikes to deliver from the range they are in, and how to change ranges by proper foot work. Students also learn how to put combinations together (multiple strikes) using their hands and feet as weapons.
Muay Thai
A stand up art originated in Thailand. Muay Thai is known as the “art of eight limbs” Much like kickboxing, Muay Thai teaches students proper foot work and striking combinations. However, it also adds a different fighting range that kickboxing does not. Muay Thai teaches the use of elbow and knee strikes, which are extremely effective when an opponent is in close or “clinching.” Clinching is when one grabs onto the other to control their opponent and deliver knee or elbow strikes. This is why Muay Thai is the “art of eight limbs” the use of two hands two feet two elbows and two knees. A.C.K. has incorporated the element of clinching and elbow and knee strikes, as well as some of Muay Thai’s extremely powerful kicks into our system of Shinjitsu.
Modern Street Defense
Unfortunately, today’s society is filled with unpredictable attacks and behaviors. Modern Street Defense in A.C.K. is created by its Co-founders with well over a hundred years of combined training. We have devised defenses from all types of random attacks ranging from striking and grappling attacks, to multiple attackers, and weapon defense. These defenses are for everybody, small or large, male or female, child or adult. Its purpose is to train students to react quickly and effectively using a method called ‘maximum results with minimum effort‘. The system trains students to not only defend themselves and loved ones, but also teaches them how to detect a problem or situation before it happens or escalates. Knowing where to be and where not to be can certainly improve your odds of avoiding conflict. However, we can’t always dictate the behavior of others but our system of Modern Street Defense can dictate you or your child’s safety.
