In 1988 at the age of 5 I was introduced to Kenpo through a friend of mine named Scott Dennis Jr. His father had learned kenpo during the 1970's whille he was stationed in Hawaii with the Navy and passed it on to Scott Jr. I used to get picked by bullies so they started teaching me and rose to the rank of blue belt in 1990, but in 1991 they were transfered to Germany. Kenpo was a wonderful art was classical for me.

Then in March of 1992 I decided to expand my training by taking a home-study course in the art of Aikido. I enjoyed it because it didn't take that much strength to learn it and it was mostly joint-locks. Aikido taught me how to redirect an attacker's force and how to use it against them. It is a very effective art and I love it, but in 1998 I quit because I felt as if something was missing.

During my Freshman year in High School I met Jeff Benett who was studying Ninjitsu and the art of Japanese sword fighting called Kendo. I trained with Jeff extensively for a 6 months. During that time I learned how to use other weapons including Shirukens, Kamas, Sais, and Nunchuckus. I also learned a few pressure points and became skilled in Archery as well as several meditition techniques too. However there were a few things I could not do in Ninjitsu because of the limitations of my disability.

During that same time I began taking private lessons in Bruce Lee's fighting art Jeet Kune Do under Sifu Bill Price. JKD is a No Hold Barred method of fighting it's a mix of Wing Chun Gung Fu and Streetfighting. Sifu Price was trained the legendary Dan Innosanto and Sifu Price is also a former Green Beret. He taught me several hand-to-hand combat techniques, grappling, submission holds and JKD was also my introduction to Kali/Eskrima. JKD also taught me how to neutrualize armed and multiple attackers. Unfortunately the school closed 2002 so I began developing my own style that utilized all my training, I called Black Talon Combatives. After I graduated from Cartersville High School in May of 2002 I went away to a special tech school for the disabled in Warm Springs Ga in August. One day I was practicing my technique outside and a few other students there saw me. As the months passed I started teaching them, but I still felt like something was lacking and then I remembered hearing about Master Koo from Ryan Fifthian and other friends a few years ago.

Comparision Between the other martial arts that I have trained at with Koo Self Defense

In just my first two lessons I learned more from Master Koo than in all my years of training in the other styles I've been taught I love this art because it also teaches fitness too and I also able to continue my Eskrima training with him too. KSD has improved my range of motion, agility, flexibility and coordination etc.

The styles that I have studied in the past all concerntrated on learning fancy or rigid techniques, for example Kenpo uses a lot of fixed positions, what would happen if someone used a flurry of punches what would happen then?
Aikido techniques are most based on joint-locks, what if their attackers are double jointed?
Ninjitsu uses "mystical" movements, what would happen if they met a seasoned streetfighter THAT CLASSICAL MESS JUST DOES NOT WORK!
At Koo Self Defense students learn to watch their health which is very important. If a person is not physically fit they WILL NOT make it in a real fight. KSD is a martial art built on physical and mental fitness !!! My mind is challenged every single time I work out with Master Koo. For all the people who doubt what I'm saying I dare them to try working out in Master Koo's program for just ONE month, you have NOTHING TO LOSE BUT SO MUCH TO GAIN !!!!!! Take it from me KSD is a wake-up call.

Eskrima/Kali (Malaysian term for stick fighting) is the mother art of modern Filipino martial arts. Documents from the Malay Sri-Vishaya empire dating back to the 8th century A.D. state that Kali was the art of the philippines. According to historians, the Ten Datus of Borneo brought their fighting method to the island of Panay.

On April 27,1521, the famous explorer Magellan was killed on Mactan Island by a Eskrima/Kali master named Chief Lapu-Lapu. Written records have been lost so the exact techniques of Eskrima/Kali are still unknown, but the original elements of this fighting style have been studied worldwide for centuries.

The Spanish started an almost 400 year occupation of the islands in the late 16th century. The Eskrima/Kali masters had to mask their fighting techniques as a dance so that their oppressors wouldn't suspect anything. Finally in the late 19th or early 20th century the Spanish were attacked and overthrown by the same Eskrima/Kali masters that they had oppressed.

Eskrima/Kali was part of the late Bruce Lee's martial arts style. I've taken lessons in Kali method for 4 years now prior to training under Master Koo, but KSD takes this art to the next level and beyond. I urge officers of the law to come to KSDI and study this art, IT IS A MUST !!! Eskrima/Kali still works in today's world and I'm sure it will for centuries to come.

I mean no disrespect to all the practioners of swordsmanship out there because after all I stiill practice with mine at home. However a sword has No place in modern fighting, having a stick or double sticks is a lot more practical. When is the last time you saw someone carrying a sword on the street The art of Eskrima can be useful to a swordsman simply because they are interchangale. The same principles that a swordsman is taught is also taught to an Eskrimador (A practioner of Eskrima) For example I've sparred several of my friends who accomplished swordsmen and I've held my own and at times I even win. Swords are illegal to carry on the street, however sticks are not why do you think Police officers and other law enforcement personel use them ?A lot of swordsmen often use flashy moves that would not be effective in a street fight. I would like to encourage every swordsmen to come to KSDI and try Eskrima, you'll see swords in a different light I promise you that !

Koo Self Defense Training

The mental training at KSDI is incredible ! Students at KSDI are taught countless combinations and Master Koo changes those combinations just when you think you've got it. I'm constantly having to think in our training sessions because he's constantly changing the combinations on me. A real fight can flow or break it's NOT in a fixed pattern like other styles teach. Master Koo teaches different combinations time after time because that's exactly how it goes in a real fight. The combinations that Master Koo could change at any given moment and your mind MUST be ready to adapt to ANY and ALL situations. You strengthen the mind as well as the body to be an effective fighter at KSDI.

AMAZING POWER OF KSD STUDENT

Monday July, 28, 2003 is a day I will NEVER forget ! I was doing my workout like normal and Master Koo asked another student (Mr. Welby Archer) to demostrate a punch so that I could feel the power as I held the focus mitt. I said a prayer and braced myself for it or so ! thought ! When Mr. Archer hit the mitt the impact felt like a freight-train and Master Koo said he was holding back ! I remember thinking to myself "Oh lord if he's holding back I'd hate to see what the full power of it !" Many people think Bruce Lee's one inch punch is powerful and it is, but compared to KSD it's nothing if any doubts what I said, come to KSDI !!!!!!

On Monday August 25 2003 I did Master Koo's Non-Stop 1800 hit training drill for 30 minutes ! This drill wasn't just punching it was a rapid burst of different striking movements which include palm strikes and countless others ! It really challenges a student's endurance and mental capacity. I was tired after just 60 hits, but I couldn't give up because it's not in my nature ! The idea of doing 1800 hits seemed impossible to me but I've learned do the impossible all my life ! When I got to 720 hits I could feel myself start giving out but instead I pushed myself harder and harder untill I was done.This training drill along with all the others taught at KSDI is an ABSOLUTE MUST for all True martial artists out there ! Come to KSDI and try it. It's not torture I promise and you'll work your muscles like never before!

Board Breakings

As you can see from my photos of breaking board, this is a part of training at KSD especially for those on the BELT program. These boards are not made of wood like traditional martial arts use for breaking, The Boards at KSD are made of a much tougher plastic material. If you hit it's NOT going to break no matter how hard you hit it unless you hit the line where the two half of the board meets, in other word you MUST be precise!

I have tried breaking the plastic boards before and was successful, but these new boards that were just released from a recent KSD black belt test are even tougher to break. Seasoned breakers with years of training in traditional martial artists have come to KSD to try out these board, but they have all left in pain and crying because they lack the power and speed needed to break these boards. However 4 kids in that recent black belt test broke with ease...............and they were only 6 to 10 years old !!!! I will continue to practice breaking and I'll keep you all posted on my progress on it as well as the other aspects of my training.

Recently I became a Investigative Researcher specializing in Threat Consultation. Most of my work is doing research on a client's personal protection and/or giving their security personnel suggestions on how to fix any problems they might face. However in today's violent world I never know when I might face a dangerous situation myself. Violent criminals don't have to follow any rules when they attack anyone, but police officers have to follow specific steps when they must use force against a criminal. If that criminal has three strikes or is high drugs they will do anything not to go to jail, even kill ! Defensive Tactics and many other streetfighting systems are still rooted deeply rooted in traditional styles like Judo. It work in theory, but not in a real world situation !

On December 10, 2003 Master Koo expanded my training to include taking on an attacker armed with a gun, I had learned the traditional ways to disarm an attacker in my previous years of training in the other martial arts, but Master Koo approaches disarming someone with a gun from a common-sense level, realistic and most importantly the most practical that I have ever come across!

Koo Self Defense is the best training anyone in law enforcement or private security could ever recieve. If anyone doubts what I'm saying come down to Koo Self-Defense International in downtown Cartersville GA and see what I mean Master Koo has given me the tools to protect myself more efficiently and that in-turn will increase my ability to help security personnel do their job and I can also help private citizens who may be in need of my kind of my type of unique security services. In spite of my disability I'm very good at what I do and studying Koo Self Defense has made me 10 times better and I'm going to keep training and keeping you all updated on my progress.

VIDEO CLIPS
Stick Training - Double hits on a heavy bag. June 2003

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