What Style Do You Teach?

This is probably the second most popular question from prospective students walking into a dojo, second only to "How much do you charge?". At Progressive Martial Arts Academy, the easy answer to "What style do you teach?" is simple - Kenpo. At the heart of our method of teaching (FILKENJUTSU) is Kenpo. The thing is with Kenpo though, when you trace our lineage back to where our family of Kenpo (KAJUKENBO) got started, you find that even then they recognized one "style" didn't cut it. Hence the name KAJUKENBO, which is an acronym for many styles integrated into their method of teaching - KArate, JUdo and JUjitsu, KENpo, and Chinese BOxing.

While KAJUKENBO got started before Bruce Lee's heyday, Bruce Lee was a major contributor, if not the main contributor, to this idea of not being confined by your "style." Around his personal emblem or logo that he used for his method of teaching (Jeet Kune Do) were the words "using no way as way, having no limitation as limitation." He was one of the first to forget about trying to decide which "style" was better and just train to be the best martial artist you can be. This was the founding belief my father had behind both our method of teaching, FILKENJUTSU, and the name of our academy, Progressive Martial Arts.

So the next time you are talking to a friend, coworker, or family member and they ask what style of martial arts that you train in, you have to make a choice: "Should I give them the easy answer or the real answer?" Either one is okay! Decide which one they want to hear, and go with that. If you have the time to explain the above and tell them about all of the "styles" involved in our method of teaching, that's great. If not, just go with the easy answer and tell them Kenpo, Karate, Jiu Jitsu or something along those lines.

And if they have 30 minutes to spare, you can send them to the PMAOakRidge YouTube channel to watch my family's presentation on our method of teaching. Here it is if you haven't seen it yet:

How to Choose the Martial Art For You

There are hundreds of different types of martial arts in existence. Although most have share a common point of origin, they are unique in terms of philosophy, technique and instruction. So how do you decide what’s the best type of martial art for you? Fortunately, it’s not as tough as you might think. By following some of the suggestions below you’ll be on your way discovering a whole new style of fitness and activity that meets your needs, what we like to call “The Martial Arts Way of Life.”

What’s Most Important to You?

Take the time to consider what you want to accomplish in terms of fitness. There’s a lot to consider so making a list of what you want to accomplish is a good place to start. Do you want to reduce stress? Are you interested in increasing overall strength? Have you seen a movie that inspired you to want to learn more? The more you know about yourself and what your motivations are, the easier it will be to focus your martial arts interests.

What Style is Right For Me?

Here’s the part where the questions that you just answered come into play. Whether you’re seeking self-defense training or looking at enhancing your dexterity and flexibility, there are a number of martial arts to choose from. In fact, too many for a simple blog post to cover. Instead, read up on some of the various methods and styles and then determine whether you’d like training that’s more formal or informal or kicking and punching or weapon-based. Narrowing down the aspects that appeal most to you, coupled with your objectives is a sure fire way to find precisely what you want.

How Do I Find a School?

Hit the web and start looking for studios in your local area. Don’t let yourself feel overwhelmed by the number of choices available. Martial arts are intensely popular, but like all businesses there are both good and bad ones. If you’ve experienced sub-par interactions with one studio, don’t let it influence your opinion of martial arts in general.

Visit the studio in person and speak with an instructor face-to-face. They’re there to answer questions and provide you with solid information to make informed decisions. Make sure that students are practicing in a safe and clean environment and read-up on the credentials and background of your instructors. Inquire about a free trial class to see if the training is a good fit for you. The more you know the easier it will be to choose a martial arts studio that meets your needs.

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Now, do you want our opinion on the “best” martial arts? Well, that’s easy - it’s the ones we teach! You can look at our academy’s website to get more information, and even if you don’t live in the Oak Ridge/Knoxville Tennessee area, you can use our academy as an example of what to look for. www.PMAOakRidge.com

But of course, that’s just our opinion!