We have been teaching students here in Saratoga Springs for over 17 years.
Our style is an eclectic one made up of the concepts and techniques from many different styles. Because we present our training on a conceptual level, we focus on 5 martial arts that exemplify most of the concepts we find of the greatest effectiveness.
The 5 styles we draw from are:
- Karate
- Kung Fu
- Tai Chi
- Jiu Jitsu
- Hap Ki Do
Our 5 core styles
The 5 styles that we look at to illustrate the core concepts are here for you to look at and try to understand better our way.
Karate or Karate Do (Okinawan) is a hard style. The focus is on strikes and kicks. It is offensive, meaning they will learn to attack first, rather than defend against an attack. This style is very good for developing power and toughness.
Kung Fu (Chinese) is a dramatic style with exaggerated punches, kicks, and stances. Many of the moves and sub styles are patterned after animals to remind the practitioner of the concepts and purpose behind the movements.
Tai Chi (Chinese) is a very soft style. it is used my many to simply keep the joints and muscles limber. But that softness can deliver a powerful force when your balance and flow align. Tai chi is great for developing the balance and flow that make your movements seem effortless while delivering very effective control. This is a very soft style in that they almost never initiate an attack. They wait and react to the action and take control of it.
Jiu Jitsu (Japanese) is an art that focuses on joint manipulation and throws. it's all about controlling another person and putting them where you want them. You learn to understand the movement, flexibility and vulnerability of the body. Thus, you can protect yourself from others and understand how to gain and keep control of them.
Hapkido (Korean) is a collection of skills found in many other arts. Their mantra is that if it works, we use it. They utilize strikes and kicks, throwing and controlling, grappling, and redirecting.
