Through The Eyes Of The Dragon 4g4m8

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THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DRAGON: GRAND MASTER THOMAS DAW.

MARTIAL ARTS AND THE MFMA SOCIETY.

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Introduction. Hello and thank you for buying this book. I am Grand Master Thomas Daw, President of the MFMA Society. In this book I am going to touch on several topics in martial arts. I must start by stating that I am not searching for acceptance or writing what I think would sell millions of copies. Many great martial artists understand that if we were in martial arts for the money, we would have given up long ago. I am not intending to offend anyone with this book, but rather offer my perspective on martial arts, and topics associated with it. I would like to thank all MFMA for

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being a part of what I do, my family and the friends I have scattered around the world.

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Contents. Grand Master Thomas Daw: My Martial Arts History. Page 6. Why Do People Fight?Page19. What Is The Best Style Of Martial Arts? Page 23 Fighting Tips. Page 28. Why Martial Arts? Page 41. Types Of Martial Artist. Page 45. Troll Fighters Are Not Real Fighters. Page 55. A Fighter Vs. A Martial Artist. Page 58. Staying The Course. Page 61. Learning Martial Arts From Home. Page 68. How To Choose The Right Martial Art Style For You. Page 74. Martial Arts Quiz. Page 78.

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Do The Right Thing. Page 87. Conclusion. Page 92 Photos. Page 93.

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Grand Master Thomas Daw: My martial arts history. This section is all in capital letters so everyone can see it clearly. It is ALL TRUE. I it I never had many friends or much social life, but I did NOT feel sorry for myself and go all introverted. Instead, I made martial arts history. ABOUT ME. I LIVE IN CORNWALL IN THE UK AND AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS I AM 33 YEARS OLD. I HAVE 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN MANY DIFFERENT MARTIAL ARTS STYLES, STARTING WITH TAEKWONDO. I SPECIALISE IN RARE STYLES THAT ARE NOT EVEN HEARD OF IN MY AREA, IF ANYWHERE.MARTIAL ARTS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF MY MAIN HOBBIES. UNLIKE TEAM SPORTS, WITH MARTIAL ARTS YOU GET WHAT YOU PUT IN. PERSONALLY, I

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BELIEVE THAT NOWADAYS ALL MARTIAL ARTS ARE PRIMARILY ALL ABOUT SELF DEFENSE. MOST OF THE STYLES WE KNOW OF TODAY WERE DESIGNED TO KILL AND SERIOUSLY INJURE PEOPLE, NOT FOR SPORT OR COMPETITION. VERY YOUNG FOR GRAND MASTER. I IT I AM YOUNG FOR GRAND MASTER, BUT I HAVE WORKED INCREDIBLY HARD AND SO HAVE REAPED THE REWARDS. UNFORTUNATELY MOST OF MY FRIENDS TURNED OUT TO BE NO GOOD, AND I WAS ALONE FOR MANY, MANY HOURS. YET I DID NOT GO INTROVERTED AND FEEL SORRY FOR MYSELF. INSTEAD I PUT YEARS OF EFFORT INTO MARTIAL ARTS AND WAS ALWAYS BUSY, AND NEVER BORED. I HAVE DEFINITELY EARNED MY RANKS IF ANYONE ALIVE EVER HAS. SOME STYLES I MADE MORE DIFFICULT BY ADDING MOVES.THINGS WERE MODIFIED,

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TRIED AND TESTED. IT WAS HARD WORK, BUT FUN AS WELL. IN MY OPINION, GRAND MASTER IS JUST TWO WORDS. I WILL ALWAYS BE A STUDENT, LEARNING AND APPRECIATING OTHER STYLES. I DO BELIEVE THAT MANY ARE PREOCCUPIED WITH RANK RATHER THAN THE FUN OF SIMPLY PUTTING ON THE CLOTHES AND TRAINING. TO SHOW JUST HOW HARD I HAVE WORKED IN MARTIAL ARTS, I HAVE COMPILED A LIST OF SOME OF MY GRADES. I MADE THIS LIST TO PROOVE TO ALL THAT THIS IS THE REAL DEAL HERE. GRADES AND STYLES- GRAND MASTER THOMAS DAW. STARTED ATLANTIC TAEKWONDO IN 1994NO GRADE.NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME, SO I LEFT.

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STARTED LEARNING NUNCHUCKU AT AGE 12, AND LATER, TONFA AND MORE WEAPONS. GTF TAEKWONDO 1996- 1999. YELLOW TAG 24TH JUNE 1996. YELLOW BELT 20TH SEPTEMBER 1996. GREEN TAG 19TH DECEMBER 1996. GREEN BELT 27TH FEBRUARY 1997. BLUE TAG 31ST MAY 1997. BLUE BELT 13TH AUGUST 1997. RED TAG 2ND NOVEMBER 1997. RED BELT 1ST MARCH 1998. BLACK TAG 28TH AUGUST 1998. 1ST DAN BLACK BELT SENIOR 21ST FEBRUARY 1999. DURING MY TIME IN GTF I WAS ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR, DEMO TEAM MEMBER, STUDENT OF THE YEAR 1997 AND WON GOLD

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MEDALS IN SPARRING IN 96, 97 AND 98. MY INSTRUCTOR SAT ME DOWN IN 98 AND TOLD ME I SHOULD BE STUDENT OF THE YEAR AGAIN, BUT HE THOUGHT THE OTHERS WOULD COMPLAIN AS I WON IT LAST YEAR, SO I NOMINATED SOMEONE. LAU GAR KUNG FU. WHITE, YELLOW AND ORANGE SASH- 1997. I RETURNED TO LAU GAR IN A DIFFERENT CLUB IN 2002. GREEN SASH- 17/08/2003. BLUE SASH- 15/ 02/ 2004. PURPLE SASH- 21/ 08/ 2005. WING CHUN KUNG FU WHITE SASH- 29/05/ 2003. TAI CHI IN EXMOUTH UNIVERSITY- 2003. I FORGET THE STYLE.I WAS ONLY 21 BUT I

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NOTICED MY POSTURE WAS TERRIBLE, SO I DID TAI CHI TO RELAX. KUANG PING YANG TAI CHI- STARTED LEARNING IN 2005. IT TOOK ME ABOUT 6 MONTHS TO LEARN THE ENTIRE FORM, AND ABOUT A YEAR TO GET IT DOWN PERFECTLY. UNOFFICIALLY I HAVE ALSO DONE A SMALL AMOUNT OF YANG AND CHEN TAI CHI. 2006/2007 AMERICAN KENPO KARATE. I GOT TO NEAR THE END OF GREEN BELT. AT THIS TIME I MEMORISED ALMOST 100 SELF DEFENSE TECHNIQUES FROM A SYLLABUS THEY ARE TEACHING FROM IN DERBY. LEARNED A LITTLE ABOUT JEET KUNE DO AND OTHER STYLES AROUND 2005- 2007 ALSO. I ED THE VKA IN 2008 AND SKKA AND IMMAA. TOTAL PROTECTION SYSTEM.

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THE CERTIFICATE SAYS JANUARY 2008. I DID IT 3 TIMES A WEEK AND SNAKE FIST TWICE A WEEK. EARNED MY FIRST DAN AT THE END OF JUNE 2008. SNAKE FIST KARATE. 1ST DAN MID FEBRUARY 2008. 2ND DAN 30TH OCTOBER 2008. 3RD DAN 5TH AUGUST 2009. 4TH DAN 21ST FEBRUARY 2010. 5TH DAN 22ND AUGUST 2010. 6TH DAN 20TH FEBRUARY 2011. 7TH DAN 31ST OCTOBER 2011. 8TH DAN 25TH DECEMBER 2011. I WAS GIVEN 8TH DAN IN 2010 (JANUARY) BY BRETT ERNEST. THERE ARE NO MOVES FOR 8TH DAN, SO I MOVED UP FOR XMAS. AS YOU CAN SEE,

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MY TRAINING IN SNAKE FIST HAS BEEN VERY INTENSE, BUT I DO LOVE THE STYLE. SHORINKENJITSU. 1ST DAN 30TH SEPTEMBER 2010. 2ND DAN 27TH MARCH 2011. 3RD DAN 31ST AUGUST 2011. 4TH DAN 24TH FEBRUARY 2012. 5TH DAN OCTOBER 3RD 2012. 6TH DAN 28TH JUNE 2013. 7TH DAN 6TH JUNE 2014. I LIKED SNAKE FIST SO MUCH I DECIDED TO DO SHORINKENJITSU AS WELL. LOVE THIS STYLE TOO. BEING VERY BUSY WITH ALL THESE STYLES, I DID HAVE OTHER COURSES TOO, BUT SCATTERED THE LEARNING TO PRIORITISE ON MY FAVOURITES.

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LACSON PRAYING MANTIS KUNG FU. I WAS 1ST DAN BY THE END OF 2009. I COMPLETED THE 3RD DAN COURSE BY THE END OF 2012 AND ADDED COMBOS TO MAKE IT BETTER. VKA KENPO COMBAT- 1ST DAN. MY CERTIFICATE SAYS 2008, AUGUST 14TH. I HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE COURSE AND EARNED THE GRADE IN 2012, BUT DON’T LIKE THIS STYLE MUCH, SO I DON’T STUDY IT. VKA STICK FIGHTING INSTRUCTOR- EARNED BY END OF 2008. VKA KNIFE FIGHTING MASTER 2014. MY CERTIFICATE SAYS 2008, 20TH JUNE. I LEARNED THE BASICS IN 2008 BUT ABANDONED THE COURSE TO FOCUS ON OTHER STYLES. IN 2014 I WENT THROUGH THE ENTIRE COURSE. THIS COURSE WAS IN NO ORDER AT ALL, SO I DESIGNED A DECENT

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STRUCTURE AND COMPETED THE COURSE IN 2014. KAN BALAM KUNG FU. STARTED KAN BALAM IN 2009- 17TH NOVEMBER. EARNED 1ST DAN 11TH MAY 2010. I ADDED MOVES TO THE SYLLABUS FOR MY OWN PERSONAL TRAINING. 2ND DAN- I AM CERTIFIED 2ND DAN BUT HAVE BEEN SO BUSY I HAVE YET TO EARN IT. I ONLY PUT UP GRADES ON MY WALL THAT I HAVE EARNED. IN 2010, I DESIGNED DAW RYU, ORANGE DRAGON KARATE AND UNIVERSAL KARATE. MY CERTIFICATE FOR UNIVERSAL KARATE SAYS 2011 BECAUSE I HAD TO WAIT FOR MONTHS JUST TO GET HOLD OF SENSEI BRETT ERNEST. I DESIGNED UK KARATE IN 2011, BUT MY CERTIFICATE SAYS 2012.

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I ALSO LEARNED THE SKKA KAMAS AND HAVE TRAINED AT LEAST TO BEGINNER LEVEL WITH OTHER WEAPONS TOO. 2013. THE MFMA IS BORN. BRETT ERNEST ASKS ME TO TEAM UP WITH HIM AND I JUMP AT THE CHANCE. I SEND HIM DAW RYU AND UNIVERSAL KARATE, THEN NO WORD FROM HIM. AFTER A YEAR OF IGNORING MY EMAILS, IN 2014 I KICKED BRETT OUT OF MFMA AND TOOK OVER. 2013- DESIGNED 3 ANIMAL KUNG FU. VERIFIED BY THE BLACK LOTUS MARTIAL ARTS ASSOCIATION ON 22ND APRIL 2015. I ALSO LEARNED CHI KUNG FOR HEALTH. 2014- I DESIGNED GLOBAL COMBAT SYSTEM, THE MFMA WEAPONS COURSE AND AN EASY MARTIAL ARTS COURSE. FILMED THEM ALL AND THEY ARE FOR SALE. ALSO LEARNED

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SOME SAMURAI SWORD SKILLS, AND OTHER NON-OFFICIAL STYLE TECHNIQUES.I LEARNED TAI CHI FOR BEGINNERS (YANG) AND CAN TEACH THIS. 2015. VERY BUSY IN MARTIAL ARTS THIS YEAR. DESIGNED, FILMED, EDITED AND PRODUCED THE FOLLOWING. MFMA SAI. MFMA NUNCHUCKU. MFMA TONFA. MFMA COMBAT BOXING. MFMA TAEKWONDO. I HAVE ALSO FILMED SEMINAR COURSES FOR DAW RYU, UNIVERSAL KARATE AND GLOBAL COMBAT SYSTEM. AFTER DOING ALL OF THIS WORK ON MARTIAL ARTS, WHO WOULDN’T BE A GRAND

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MASTER?? I AM NOT THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO MAKES UP LIES, SO I FELT IT IMPORTANT TO PUT ALL MY GRADES DOWN IN BLACK AND WHITE FOR ALL TO SEE. THERE IS NO FRAUD OR NONSENSE IN MFMA. ONLY A REAL EXPERT COULD DESIGN SO MANY COURSES WITHOUT HELP FROM ANYONE ELSE, IN LESS THAN 3 YEARS.

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Why Do People Fight? There are many reasons why people fight each other on planet Earth. I will elaborate on why people fight, and offer examples to illustrate my points. Survival. As in the animal kingdom, only the strong survive. For many people, fighting is a way of life. Millions in the armed forces fight for a job and to put food on the table. Money. Many people fight in Boxing and combat sports as full time professionals. Others fight on the streets in gangs or participate in illegal fights for quick cash. Fun. Unfortunately, there will always be those who only understand the language of violence.

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Some sick individuals take pleasure in inflicting pain on others purely because they can do so. Luckily, many people like this are soon locked up, but not all of them. To Belong. Some people live in such violent surroundings that ing a gang is the only protection they can get. Naturally, gangs are rivals and frequently kill their own as well as the rivals too. For Their Beliefs. Many people are so brainwashed by their religion that they will fight anyone who opposes it. Unfortunately, the truth is that every religion on Earth has caused war and bloodshed. Read the Bible and become Christian or we will kill you. It has happened with all religions.

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Personally, I only fight when I have to. I am fully aware that I could defeat most people with one hand behind my back. Yet having skill does not mean you should lower yourself to the mind-set of the common street punk. As a martial artist, living to fight is not living. Many people do incorrectly assume that because you like martial arts, you always want to fight. It is nonsense. You can tell a real expert from a pretender easily. A pretender wants to be better than others in martial arts, or indeed any subject. I have a black belt therefore I am better than you. This mentality gets you nowhere. An expert martial artist will only fight when they have to ,and when they do, watch out. An expert will not discriminate or be bought. Experts already have the knowledge, and so have nothing to prove to anyone. Pretenders struggle with themselves, and are only really

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doing martial arts to look down their nose at others, or to compete. Fighting to compete is a dead end, as in all competition, you will never always win. People who just do martial arts for sport are not martial artists at all. Martial arts are in fact all about selfimprovement and personal development, not endless tournaments and medal chasing. All the best schools are non-competitive. How good you will become is up to you, not only in martial arts, but in anything in life.

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What Is The Best Style Of Martial Arts? As far as martial artists go I consider myself to be very experienced considering only being 33 at this time of writing. I have done styles that focus on fighting, arts that revolve around kata, weapons styles, Tai chi and more. Without waffling on and straying from the subject, there is not one single best style of martial arts on the planet. Some individuals dedicate their lives to one style and die happy. There are those that go through life and try everything and learn nothing. Martial arts are unique because you get out what you put into them. If your heart is not really in it, you will never excel in any martial art, as in any subject on Earth. All the competitive types are missing the point with martial arts training. Several world champion fighters have been knocked

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senseless on the street, because they do not know how to fight without rules and regulations. The same is true for many styles and MMA as well. There are no cages, rounds, referees or rules on the street. All martial arts are used for self-defence only nowadays, yet they were designed to kill or severely injure any opponent. Not all styles are based on fighting, as with Tai Chi. There are many fighting applications in any Tai Chi form, but as with most styles, only a good teacher will take students through every step and what it can be used for. Any style of martial art is only as good as its teachers and students. Martial arts are eternal, they are learned, studied, forgotten and rediscovered. Take two serious martial arts experts, one trains twice a week for an hour and one trains four times a week for an hour. You might expect me to say that the

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one who trains the most wins. It is not always the artist who trains the most who wins, but the ones who completely understand why they do every single movement normally wins. Of course, many people were black belt ten years ago and gave up, but in their mind they are still black belt; in reality far from it. You have to train very hard and completely understand what you are doing to succeed. Some believe that the highest grade always wins, yet not even this is true. A brown belt could defeat a Grand Master if said Grand Master does not train at all anymore. It is not enough to know more moves than anyone else, or to know a bit and train twenty hours a week. People go on about muscle memory, weight, age and other factors in determining how good someone is; all meaningless to the true artist. Millions of people think they are

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expert martial artists because they can do lots of push ups and know a few kata; nonsense. If you want to do cardio, go to the gym. I also have a huge problem with people who let their students figure out how to fight for themselves. If you have a class you need to teach them how to fight, or you are not a martial arts expert. If you don’t practice sparring at least once every week of your life, even shadow boxing, you are not a martial artist. Wake up. Crap teachers have crap students. Unfortunately, many crap schools have capitalised on the fact that their students know no better. You have to do a style that you want to do and try your absolute best. The best style does not exist, and this is true. Even the best fighters alive can get stabbed in the back one day, just out minding their own business. We are only as good as the effort we put into our

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martial arts training. Only you can make yourself a great martial artist, regardless of the style studied.

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Fighting Tips. This book is aimed at people interested in martial arts, yet even an unskilled person can learn from my tips in this section. As a Grand Master, I have had a few scuffles but always came out relatively unscathed. I hope these tips help. Enough waffle, now onto the tips. 1. Practice, practice, practice. Without regular training your skills will soon become rusty and not the perfection you . Even when training alone, set a timer and imagine fighting opponents for a couple minutes. Without sparring practice at least once a week, you are fooling nobody. 2. Keep your guard up. Most important, protect yourself at all costs. Without a confident guard you will get whooped quickly. 3. Step to the sides. Most fighters only move forwards and backwards. If your enemy

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rushes in, side step and counter, and that is it. Choose the right targets and the fight can be over almost as quickly as it began. 4. Only fight if you have to. Let’s face it, everywhere there are people who love a good scrap but are not used to being spoken to properly. If you can talk your way out of a fight then do it. Better to apologise and walk away, even if you are not in the wrong. Playing pussy can get you out of much trouble, but also, letting them think they have won can be devastating if you attack straight after. 5. Walk tall and like you own the place. No matter where you are, if people think they don’t see you as a target they won’t aim for you. 6. Ignore the hot air. Lots of mouthy men love to blab on about crap and try to intimidate before they fight. If anyone gets

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too close and starts flapping their mouth, shut it for them. If you detect any negative tones, react with extreme force before they finish their sentence. This will serve as a warning that their friends can expect the same. 7. Only fight one person at a time. If you have to fight multiple opponents, keep that guard up and move around. Trying to fight everyone at once will get you knocked out. 8. Hurt- don’t tickle. If a situation has got that far, make sure it hurts and bad. Throwing a few punches and running off can get a whole group chasing you. Breaking an arm, a knee or a nose is harsh, but sends a clear message to all concerned. These breaks all hurt tremendously, but do not kill anyone. 9. Avoid the ground. The last place you want to be is on the floor. Knock your opponent

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down or out, stamp anywhere except the head and run off. Unless you are in a cage fight, most fights do not go to the ground. Don’t believe the bullshit. 10. Don’t hang around after a fight. If anything, leg it off somewhere safe and stay there. You might want to call the Police to let them know what happened and to stop any reprisals before they start. If you hang around after knocking somebody about, they could get up and do worse to you, or they could have mates on the way. 11. Know the level of danger. For example, some kid calls me a fat wanker and I crack his skull- I am in the wrong and I go to Prison. Someone saying something does not deserve any attention. As soon as someone gets in your space or pushes you- the fight is on. Again, be vicious as hell but not a murderer, and the law will be on your side.

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12. Use moves you can do well. It is no good trying a scorpion kick if you never did one before. Jumping and flashy moves will work, but only if you have done them a million times before, AND if your opponent is practically dead on his feet to begin with. How you fight is up to you, but trying to be better than you are can have disastrous consequences. 13. Don’t fight fair- ever. Use a bat, a chair, anything you can to stop your opponent, but not kill them. However, if you know for sure it is life and death, kill kill kill. Fortunately most of us will never be in a situation of life and death. 14. Fight fast. It is no good doing a few moves and bouncing up and down like Bruce Leethis is not real life. You want to suffocate your opponent with so many blows they can barely return with a single blow. Train with

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two minute rounds.In real life, If you cannot beat a person in two minutes, you need more practice. 15. Get a heavy bag. Many argue that punch bags are no good because they don’t move like a real person- they are fools. The bag is there to absorb your most powerful blows. Every time you hit it, hit hard, with kicks and punches too. Any serious martial artist needs to know how it feels to hit something as hard as possible. A light bag will fly all over the place with the slightest force. A good 4ft bag is perfect, and will take some serious punishment. It is vital to practice moves on a bag and in thin air also. If you don’t have a bag or room for one, get a friend and some focus mitts or kick shields to strike, and take in turns. Bag work should be at least once a week, it is very tiring but is also very rewarding.

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Bag work is essential, as who can really call themselves a martial arts expert if they are not used to hitting anything? You would be simply amazed at how many people think they are solid fighters, yet never hit anything. 16. Avoid false masters and people living in the past. There are many people who were 2nd Dan 20 years ago and still think they are Bruce Lee; they are not. You need to train with good people or alone. The problem with many people who were good twenty years ago is they still think they are the shit, but their technique will now be seriously poor compared to back in the day. Poor technique can harm you more than the opponent. If you want to be good then find a good school. If you want to be hard as nails then the MFMA courses are the best, if followed properly.

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17. Have days off. Some people train every day and are always tired. The best fighters have rest days and so their body can recuperate from the hard training. Take it from me, if you train every day, seriously hard, you will soon run yourself ragged and be weak as a kitten. Worse still, you will become addicted to exercise and be moody when you finally have those days off, as you won’t be getting the endorphin rushes you get from training. 18. Follow a realistic routine. Every January millions of people make these insane workout timetables and give up by February. You need willpower to succeed as a martial artist, but you also have to start at the beginning. Trying to do three hours a day or something is not practical, and will just make you give up sooner rather than later. Better to do an intense hour than

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three hours of moderate crap. All or nothing is the only way, but you can still have plenty of 1 minute rests in between kicking or punching drills. 19. Follow your own path. If you want to kick like a demon, try Taekwondo like I did as a kid. Find what you want to do and try it. We are lucky we now have the internet so we all have the option of being able to research any styles. I didn’t have the internet when I was young, because nobody did. Don’t do Karate because your friend does, do what you want to do. Life is short and your heart has to be in it if you are going to put the hours in. I gave up more styles than most ever did, I was not ‘wrong’ or ‘bad’, I was just finding my own destiny. 20. Tell people, but don’t shove it down their throats. You know you like martial arts, your friends know, your family knows. But

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you don’t have to tell every single person you ever meet. There will always be people that only did martial arts so they could look down their noses at others. Martial arts are no excuse for poor behaviour. Martial arts skills may make me fit and healthier, but they won’t make me better than others. We are all different yet all the same. I know I am good, but not everyone has to endure how many grades I have and all the other crap too. The same with fighting. As good as we are, we must never forget that other people are very good too. Those that threaten with “I am a black belt, don’t fuck with me”, are also open to attack without always realising. What I am getting at is that I like martial arts, it is what I do, but I don’t walk around fighting people all day with my Karate suit on. It might be a fun idea, but not a cool way to live.

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21. Train on your own. Chances are you will be on your own when you fight. Many people who call themselves experts simply cannot train alone. Training alone is fantastic as it calms the mind and you put your own pressure on yourself. Knowing yourself inside out, being honest with yourself and not putting too much pressure on yourself will make you a great martial artist. So many Dojos will have you in all week if they can, practically brainwashing you, AND taking your money too. In the MFMA, you train when you want to. If you just want to do yellow belt this year, so be it. No pressure, no bullshit and no time limits. 22. Be prepared to get hurt, but not to die. It is a fight, you probably will get hit a few times. Don’t give up as soon as you get hit, carry on until the job is done. Lots of people

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love to dish it out but can’t take it back. If you feel threatened, attack first and make it count. 23. Don’t get trapped. Stay away from walls or corners, or anywhere you could get trapped. Even for the best fighters it is hard to fight if you are in a tight spot. 24. Fighting against a weapon, go for the weapon. Sounds crazy doesn’t it? In reality, if he has a knife, my primary focus is to get that knife out the way, do NOT care what they do with the rest of their body. If it is life or death, get the weapon and use it on them immediately and run off; definitely report it as soon as it has happened. If it is not life or death, remove the weapon, incapacitate the enemy and when you run off, take the weapon with you. It’s not good enough to kick the knife away and later they

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stab someone else, or you, when you are not looking; steal it. 25. Tense your stomach muscles. When you think a fight is going to happen, you will feel slightly nauseous. By tensing your stomach muscles tightly, the feelings will go quickly. I’m not saying you have to keep them so tense you shit yourself, but regular tensing on and off will help you no end. This is what they call fight or flight, some people get the sick feeling and don’t know about tensing the belly, and either run off or get kicked in because they freeze. By tensing you are preparing the body and eliminating the nausea. There is no getting around it, we all get the sick feeling, but it can be controlled.

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Why Martial Arts? We all have different reasons why we do martial arts. Many simply a martial arts school so they can learn how to defend themselves. There will always be those that just want to go somewhere and fight, but in my experience the ones with personality disorders don’t last long. Some people go into karate and other styles purely for fitness and sporting reasons. There will always be those that are determined to be a black belt also. In 1988 I was six years old and I watching boxing sometimes on the TV. Even at that age I thought they could surely kick and do more than a few punches? There had to be more. There used to be a video shop up the road from me and I was able to get Bruce Lee films when I was just a kid. It was either

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Fist of Fury or the Big Boss that opened my eyes. In my mind I thought these people were doing exactly the kinds of things I thought were possible, unlike the boxers. I saw many films over the years and although I was very heavy as a kid, I was determined to be a black belt when I was older. I wanted to kick like most never could, so Taekwondo was what I wanted. I did find a friend who did TKD and went with him a few times but even at 11, I thought the Teaching was poor quality. Years later I ed GTF TKD about a month or two before I was 14. I loved it. The standards were very high and most left when it got to blue belt, but at the time I loved it. I was 16 when I got my first black belt and gave up TKD, but I knew it was not the end for

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me in of martial arts. I wanted to try as many combat styles as I could in my twenties, before getting heavily involved in styles at 25. The rest is history, and the result of a ton of hard work, the likes of which has not been equalled by a single person. I am the type of person who has far too much energy, most of the time. Growing up, I tried sports and did not like them much, I even did athletics for Secondary School. But with team sports it is not my style at all. Martial arts often stress teamwork but at the end of the day it is all about strengthening yourself and self- improvement. In a team, you can be the best and everyone is holding you back, or the worst and everyone hates you; it sucks. In martial arts, if you put the effort in and you are willing to learn, you can excel. I have learned more from home and with great

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patience, than at any three schools locally, all put together. I have offered seminars locally but you cannot blame them for not responding; they have their own agendas and I have mine. Some are in martial arts for sport, some for a belt or a sense of belonging. Quite simply, I am doing martial arts because it is what I always wanted to do, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop.

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Types of Martial Artist. Here are different types of martial artist I have identified along my path up the mountain. The Yellow Belt Grand Master. Always a teacher’s least favourite, the yellow belt Grand Master thinks he is better than the entire association he is a part of. Basically a know it all who in reality knows very little. Not necessarily a yellow belt, but any grade under 1st Dan who thinks they are the best in the world. When they get proven wrong or corrected they leave, probably still thinking they are right and their teacher was wrong. Hard As Nails In His Head. Any man or woman who has watched even more kung fu films than I did, with reality and fiction becoming increasingly blurred. Sure they talk the talk but they got their green belt

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by the skin of their teeth. Frequent lies blended with truth, nod along and then wait a few months and they’ll leave, probably the teacher’s fault or it wasn’t difficult enough; more bullshit. The Sporty Ones. The sporty ones love anything competitive, and yearn for the next tournament. Everything is a competition in the Dojo. Surprisingly, many of the most physically fit people do not last in martial arts, because it gets more difficult as it goes along, and many realise eventually that martial arts and sport are completely separate entities.

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The Dead-Keen Leaver. The person who is most enthusiastic, buys all the gear and gives up after 2 weeks. We never know why either. The Abandoned. The abandoned are mostly junior who drive their folks up the wall and so they are dumped at the nearest Dojo to give their parents some peace. They don’t even want to be there themselves, yet sometimes they do well. Most of the abandoned mess about, fail a grading or two and are never seen again; shame. The Bizarre Groups. The bizarre groups contain at least five men or women who get the idea that they should try martial arts. They turn up a couple times and never come back. Let’s try this next week; that sheepish sort of mentality; ultimately

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leading to nowhere. Trying everything can be fun, but not if you want to be good at something. The Bully. The bully thinks they are better than everyone else because they are maybe one or two grades higher. Often they get beaten at a tournament and are never seen again. The Mental. Everything is fine for the mental until one lesson where they start confronting other for no reason at all. “What have you been saying about me?”, and weird shit like this, and they are promptly kicked out and never return; weird. Nobody said or did anything bad to them in the first place.

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First Place Or Game Over. A fierce version of the sporty ones. Everything is fine until they get a silver medal instead of that gleaming gold. They feel they can never return, and often do not. Middle Of The Road. The middle of the road is a teacher’s favourite. Just about average at everything with no real weakness. Boner For The Teacher. There are always people who obsess over a certain teacher, that teacher leaves and they leave. The other teacher wasn’t as good. The other teacher was better is the truth, just a bit stricter. This is not always true, as some teachers are irreplaceable.

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The Five Minute Grand Master. They talk as if they are the best in the world, but have no skills in reality. There are a million of these people with no ranks, no skills, no schools and no courses for sale. Avoid these people, they just lie on the internet and to others. Eventually, their lies catch up with them. The Ones Who Want To Be There. The ones who want to be there are the best. No moaning, no bullshit and no bullying at all. Just turn up and get on with it. Look after these ones. All Theory And No Practice. These types know the history of the entire style in three languages blindfolded. But when it comes to practice they never did sod all. Knowing the history won’t help you on the street, knowing the moves inside out will.

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The Kataphobe. These people cannot stand kata of any kind. Without kata we are just self-defence experts, kick boxers, not martial artists. Kata make the styles unique, and each is a story. Kata are the arts of martial arts. This is not to say the kataphobe cannot fight, but when it gets technical, they are nowhere to be found. The Kataholic. Without Kata, obviously the kataholic cannot function. It is okay doing kata, and understanding some kata applications, but if you do not also train in how to fight, you are a dancer, not a martial artist. All kata and no sparring make for some very poor fighters indeed. The Board Breaking Pussy. Any man or woman who can break a million boards with one hand, but cannot fight for

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toffee, has no rank and no specific style. Avoid and ignore. The 5th Dan Shit Belt. They are a high grade yet are rubbish at just about every conceivable aspect of the style. How the fuck they got to that grade is anybody’s guess. They may as well be on another planet, as they don’t belong, or make much sense as to how they came to be. For example, a twenty eight stone Taekwondo expert who never kicked head height in their life, yet somehow, ed the gradings. Should Have Been Chinese. Should have been Chinese is anything other than Oriental, yet wishes that they were. They learn the language because they do Kung Fu or similar, and some will go to China and live happily ever after too. In my opinion, be yourself. For example, I love Chinese food,

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martial arts and some oriental women too, but I am never going to try to be Chinese. I am about as Chinese as a large steak pasty (a popular Cornish snack). However, there is nothing wrong with being in love with a different culture at all. Better Than You Because I Am Chinese/ Japanese Etc. Full of bullshit, these people think because they are Chinese or something, they are the best at Kung Fu, better than everyone else. It’s hilarious and yet true how people want to conform to their own stereotypes. Not everyone who is Chinese is good at Kung Fu. Even a Shaolin monk can get their head kicked in, that’s why they started doing kung Fu, to protect themselves. In truth, we are only good at the styles we do seriously. There are thousands of styles I am crap at, and

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being Chinese, or any race, will not help my kicks or strength in combat.

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Troll Fighters Are NOT Real Fighters. There are millions of trolls online, slagging each other off all day. In martial arts, trolls outnumber real fighters ten to one. Any pussy can say stuff online, but in reality, Troll fighters are nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, MOST of the Facebook groups and martial arts forums are dominated by troll fighters. I had it out with John Clark of Martial arts Illustrated because he couldn’t understand how somebody my age could whip anyone he’d ever met or trained in his life. I had a pop at Bullshido because they made up crap about me and nothing happened. I had a go at Dale Dugas because he is just a board breaking pussy and calls me fake when he has never met me. Cowards, all of them .I it I probably upset lots of cowards because they are not used to any retaliation.

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Basically, I challenged all these people and nothing happened. Why? Because at the end of the day, anyone can talk or write bullshit online, but when it comes to backing up their words, Troll fighters are nowhere to be found. In reality, no amount of crap online will take away the fact that I am Grand Master, own my own society and have students all over the world. You cannot change the truth. If you get harassed by anyone online, report it and block them from your profiles, then just ignore them. You might get mad for a while, but by ignoring them and carrying on about your business, you are the winner. MFMA is on Facebook and all are welcome to MFMA, but in all fairness I respect less than 1 per-cent of martial arts people and groups online. There are people pretending to be me and allsorts online, but please just ignore them. These people have ten email addresses

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and are pathetic to say the least. All MFMA can me anytime. All are treated equally in MFMA, any crap at all and I just kick people out; it’s the best way.

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A Fighter Versus A Martial Artist. I could waffle on for endless pages on the differences between a fighter and a martial artist, but I won’t. I like to keep things to the point as much as possible. A fighter normally wants to beat someone else in an organised match of some kind, say boxing or MMA. Most fighters are primarily concerned with money; fight anyone for enough cash. There are also illegal boxing matches where people get seriously injured for quick cash. A martial artist wants to perfect themselves and learn how to defend themselves too. Martial artists usually follow a certain style, some even dedicate their lives to a style. Fighters can teach others their ways but if there is no set style, moves are lost along the way. In contrast, with a complete system

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already in place, martial arts can stay the same for centuries. There are obvious similarities with fighters and martial artists, as we are all only human. Many martial artists are all about the money and competition, just like a boxer or similar. Many fighters follow a system loosely based on a martial art, such as a freestyle system. A fighter would not always win and neither would a martial arts expert. We all have good and bad days. Whereas a martial arts expert has skills worth teaching, most fighters only have a dozen moves at most. I am not writing this book to offend. There are good and bad in of fighters and martial artists. Anyone is only as good as their teacher. In truth, anyone who is unskilled can be put in a match up and be classed as a fighter. Unfortunately, many only understand

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the language of violence, and have to fight to eat and survive. Anyone can get in a bad mood and have a fight, but to learn a skill and earn grades in a system of combat takes patience and determination. Martial arts are not for everyone, and neither is fighting. Personally, I love martial arts and don’t fight unless I have to. If I had to, I would fight anyone ,that is just how it is.

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Staying The Course. Despite owning the MFMA and having students around the world, I do not just practice MFMA styles. I practice weapons that are essentially Kobudo weapons. I do Tai Chi and Chi Kung and have no rank in either. I do not agree with rank in Tai Chi, you either know the form or you do not. What I am getting at is that I don’t believe that anyone should be loyal to one style and one style only, all their lives. It is only my opinion, and I want to make it clear that there is nothing wrong with only doing one style. The most important thing is to be happy with what you are doing, not just in martial arts, but in life in general. Anyone who tells you martial arts are easy is a liar. Most people give up martial arts simply because they get more and more difficult as you progress.

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By staying the course, I don’t mean staying loyal to one style, but to never fully give up martial arts entirely. I knew I was going to be a black belt one day before I was ten years old. If you train hard and safely, martial arts will always be there for you, and never let you down. Martial arts are like best friends for me. It is easy to get pissed off with a certain Kata or set of moves. In GTF Taekwondo, a pattern called Yul Gok made most give up. In Tai Chi in Exmouth University in 2003, I enjoyed it but we never learned much so I gave up. I could see no future in GTF and was correct to give up that too. I did Lau Gar Kung Fu in a couple different schools, but they are just push ups and patterns classes; not learning much there either. If you can see no future in your style, if it progresses too slowly or is not what you wanted, give up. Try and find a style that is as

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near to what you want as possible. There is no point in hanging in there for a black belt or sash if you are not happy, nor if your teacher is so bad it will take years to learn anything. In of martial arts, most people do not know any different, and so whatever their mate likes. In TKD I had several mates who also ed, then gave up half way through or earlier. GTF would have had me in the Dojang 24 hours a day if they could, and I was enjoying it until about red tag, when I realised that most higher grades could be learned in about 3 months, but you would wait for years to get anywhere. Also, in black belt training we did not do very much, so why bother? One of the only things I hate about martial arts is the way many people prattle on about this style being a way of life and trying to

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brainwash other people. I can fully understand how many people are put off by these brainwashing clubs. Martial arts are not a way of life at all. Life is too short and you don’t want to do Taekwondo all your life, then wake up at 55 and wish you did kung Fu when you were younger as well. You could still learn Kung Fu at 55, but my point is not to waste time. It is possible that you can spread yourself too thin in martial arts too, but this is not common. It is easy to try and do too many styles at once and then you end up a master of nothing. I deliberately learned styles that were not available anywhere nearby, to be as different as possible. In fact, most of the home study styles I did were not in existence in my Town or County before I started many years ago. In reality, it would not be possible to do all the styles I have learnt, all the time. In a typical

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year, I try and go through at least ten different styles. This is a luxury only home study can provide, as well as masses of patience, lots of sweating and effort too. Many Home study Schools of martial arts are a rip off, this is why I broke the mould with MFMA. I never paid much for all my knowledge, but the real payment is the time invested and therefore acquiring the knowledge. Lots of Instructors in martial arts have little or no social skills at all. I used to hate the way students would be spoken to like crap if they missed lessons or similar. In MFMA, you learn whenever you want. I am teaching on the MFMA DVDs just as I would teach you in real life. My styles are as strong as any others around, make no mistake. I don’t need to go on about all my grades and achievements to

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sell a course. Plenty of big people don’t know how to teach, but I do, so here I am. If you are not happy, give up and try a different style. Do some research and find something you want to do, and learn what you can. The beauty of the MFMA is that you don’t have any pressure, brainwashing or bullshit at all. By learning more than one approach to martial arts and self-defence, you will have a definite advantage over even the most skilled fighters. I have some students that will probably end up buying most of my courses, and some that are just happy to be and belong. MFMA invites all styles to come and , regardless of experience. If you want to get to 7th Dan, I can make it possible, and if you want to earn one grade a year, that is totally acceptable too.

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If you enjoy your training, try and do your best at all times. I train on my own at home, and my standards are the highest. In honesty there would be very few who could meet my expectations. Even when alone, I do the best I possibly can. However, If you are hanging in there for a certain rank, get it and give up. Don’t waste time doing something you dislike, that is work not a hobby.

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Learning Martial Arts From Home. To learn martial arts from home you need space to train, patience and dedication. Many people cannot learn anything from home, simply because there is nobody there screaming at them. I have taught a few friends martial arts at my home, but nobody had any dedication. My best student only lasted about four lessons, so I decided to do home study courses. The MFMA is the gold standard for home study martial arts. If training at home with a friend, make sure they are someone you can trust not to misuse their skills. When I was in GTF we had a kid who was bullying other children at school because he did Taekwondo, and so he was expelled. The problem with teaching friends is that if they go out and beat someone up, the first thing the cops will ask is who did they learn from. Be careful who you teach.

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Most important is to have a routine when learning martial arts from home. Without any routine, it is impossible to progress. There is no in between in martial arts, you either practice or you don’t. There are many who were 2nd Dan or something twelve years ago but they are living in the past. You need to put in at least two 45 minute sessions every week to be a serious martial artist. Better to do sessions of one hour and put in maximum effort, than to do bugger all for two hours. Progress only when you feel ready to move on. I am fully aware that some people will buy MFMA courses and not bother learning anything and call themselves black belts. Those that put in the effort and actually bother to train regularly will be some of the strongest martial artists around. I am aware that there will always be those who cannot be bothered and their excuse is that my courses

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are at fault. Nonsense .The styles are faultless, the practitioner needs to put in more effort. You have to be completely honest with yourself to be a great martial artist. If you find a certain move hard, practice until it becomes easier. The only way to succeed is to practice to the best of your ability. The MFMA styles are ideal for beginners and experts in other styles too. For beginners, I would space out a course over 12 months or longer. Experts could well learn one of my courses to 1st Dan in 3 to 6 months, but this is with intense training. I include a very easy to follow study guide with all courses in MFMA, to get students used to training in a routine. When I was younger I thought about having my own Karate clubs but it is too much hassle for very little return. Lots of people asked me

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to teach them over a few beers and never showed up the next week. In reality, most people have wives and kids and work and cannot be bothered because they ‘don’t have time’. To master any skill, you have to make time for it. Learning at home is an advantage but it is still difficult to get good, with no shortcut to any rank. The only reason I have been Grand Master since 2010, is that I put more effort in than anyone else. In the MFMA, how quickly you wish to progress is up to you. Many societies make it so that you have to do so many years before you can even test for the next Dan etc. In MFMA it is the honour system, it is up to you if you put the effort in. Why should you have to wait 5 years to be 3rd Dan? For example, if you went to China and trained with the Shaolin Monks for two years and came back, you would probably be better than most who

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call themselves master in the Western world; they don’t muck about. We don’t muck about in MFMA either. Some people who claim to be experts have students doing other things to get that rank, such as yoga etc. It’s nonsense. It’s like saying paint my house and I’ll make you a 3rd Dan. However, it is no good buying a certificate and pretending to be a master. When you get into trouble, only you know how good you are, and pretenders get kicked in. I set up the MFMA to enable anyone to learn martial arts, and unify all styles in one society. Despite some of the online troll fighters, MFMA continues to grow globally. The styles in MFMA are not available anywhere else in the world, so there honestly is zero competition. Nobody else comes close to MFMA, and all are welcome to anytime. As I have written earlier, no pressure, no

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bullshit, brainwashing or time limits. MFMA is the elite, and as the years go on, MFMA will continue to grow. Train hard, do your best and be honest with yourself, then you will become a master of martial arts.

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How To Choose The Right Martial Art Style For You. Lots of people love martial arts but don’t know where to start. In this chapter I will offer my advice on choosing what is best for you. One of the first things to do is have a look and see what styles are available in your local area. If you see a style you may be interested in, do some research online to get more details. If there are no details online, go along to a class and sit and watch the others. If you enjoyed it, chat to the Instructors. If the Instructors seem friendly and approachable, ask if you can have a free trial to see if you like it. Hand no money over first- you don’t want to pay for a month if you hate it after the first week.

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The internet will be the best help you can get on finding information related to any martial art style. Think about what you want before you start any training. If you want to be a grappler then try Jujitsu or Judo. If you want to be able to kick well, do Taekwondo. If you want something slow and relaxing, try Tai Chi or Chi Kung. If you have to learn a weapon, for example the nunchucku, get a foam pair to train with. You might have your heart set on something that is not available in your local area. If the style does not exist locally, then look for a DVD home study course on EBay or similar. Ebay is great value and there are hundreds of DVD products to choose from. When you get your DVD set, watch the set first, then watch it again and make notes in a pad on every move. If you want you can make notes on the first viewing, simply rewind the

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techniques until you get it right on paper, and in your mind. When it comes to training, take your notes with you and refer to them with each move. All Instructors have sheets with them for reference in real Dojos, so you are doing the same as they do. Train at least twice a week until you feel you have achieved the level you want to reach. There are many DVD sets that are impossible to learn from or are difficult from step one. The MFMA courses come with study sheets and a study guide too, making learning as easy as possible. Make sure you are studying what you want to, and not what your friend likes. In most clubs, there will be a few dickheads and people who think they are the best. Ignore everyone who is awkward except the chief

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Instructors and their commands. By concentrating on what you have to do, and putting your all into each lesson, you will excel. If you feel you are not learning very much, give up and try something new. Don’t give your hard-earned money to people who waste your time as well. You can learn nothing for free at home.

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Martial Arts Quiz. Answer each question below either A, B or C and find out if you are a martial arts master, or a street punk. 1. A man in a wheelchair is trying to stab you. Do you A. Let him attack you. He is disabled, so it won’t amount to anything serious. B. Treat him as any other enemy. Attack, defeat him and escape, alerting the authorities soon after the incident. C. Stab him to death and ride his wheelchair down the street. 2. A group of teenagers are blocking your only route home. You walk past and one of them shouts abuse at you. Do you A.Ignore them all and continue on your journey. Insults don’t hurt physically.

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B. Pull out a gun and shoot at the group, reload and keep shooting until they are all downed. C. Call the Police and report the teenagers. 3. You see a man threatening an old lady. Do you A. Wait nearby and let events unfold, trying not to be seen by anyone. B. Walk on by, it’s not your problem, so ignore it. C. Confront the man without speaking. Take him down quickly and tell him to run off or else. 4. A stranger is threatening you and you know they are sober. Do you A. Let him say what he has to say and then respond.

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B. Attack first because you feel threatened and he could be carrying a weapon. C. Turn your back on the guy and walk off slowly. 5. A small group of men have you cornered and you are in fear of your life. Do you. A.Try to talk it out and ask them to leave you alone. B. Shut your eyes and hope they will go away. C. Fight with all your strength, escape and later notify the authorities. 6. You are in a friendly tournament, fighting. You know you can defeat your opponent but they are severely injured.

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One more move could kill them, yet the fight is not being stopped. Do You. A. Do what it takes to win the fight, do not care about your opponent. He would do it to you. B. Take your gloves off and walk off the mat. Why the hell didn’t they stop the fight? C. Break their kneecap with a low side kick. Let them know who is boss. 7. A stranger is too close. Do you. A.Politely ask them to give you some space, but prepare to fight if you have to. B. Threaten them that if it happens again you will beat them to the ground. C. Do nothing. It feels good to have people so close.

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8. A man is calling you by another name and is quite rude. Do You. A.Say nothing and just tear his fucking head off. Who is this guy? B. Pretend to be this person he thinks you are and see what happens in a few minutes. C. Inform him that you are not who he thinks you are and that if he continues talking in this way, you won’t be responsible for your actions. 9. A teenage girl has a gun and says she wants your wallet. Do you. A.Give her your wallet and later on inform the Police as to what happened. B. Try to fight her despite the gun. C. Give her your wallet and when she turns around hit her in the back of the head and steal everything she has.

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10. A woman is seriously trying to hurt you with all her power. Do You. A.Let her carry on, you can’t hit a woman. B. Treat her like anyone else trying to harm you, and knock her out. C. Try to take her clothes off, absorbing the blows. Answers. Question 1. B. No matter what type of ability someone is, a fight is a fight. Do what you have to and live. Question 2. A. Words may hurt a little but not as much as getting jumped by a large group. Walk on.

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Question 3. C. You want to take him out but not kill him, and not waste time letting events unfold. Question 4. B. If you feel threatened, attack first. You don’t have to kill the guy, just let him know who is in control. Question 5.C. Fight with all your strength. Do NOT listen to what they are saying. Fight dirty, one at a time and escape. Question 6. B. Stop the fight. Nobody deserves severe punishment in a friendly tournament. Medals come and go, but a reputation sticks.

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Question 7.A. Nothing that bad is happening here, give them a chance to back off a bit, but be prepared. Question 8. C. Mistaken identity can get you killed. Make it clear that you are not who he thinks you are. If he is still rude, Knock him about like he deserves, but do not kill. Question 9. A. Don’t be a hero when a gun is involved. Give her your wallet and let the cops know exactly what went on. She could be wanted by Police for other offences. Question 10.B. When it comes to a fight, women must be treated the same as men. I won’t let anyone

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think they can hit me or push me about. You hit me I hit back ten times, and ten times as hard. You don’t have to kill the woman, just stop the fight quickly using your skills.

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Do The Right Thing. There are many people who abuse martial arts and use them to rip people off. I started the MFMA with Brett Ernest, former owner of the SKKA. Brett ignored me for no reason at all. To be fair I gave him a year to respond. After no response, I kicked him out of the MFMA and took over. I cannot work with people who behave in a childish manner, so what I did was the right thing to do. The new SKKA owners are very rude and I doubt they actually do any martial arts in real life. I still practice Snake Fist and Shorinkenjitsu every year, but am not connected to the SKKA anymore. I also have nothing to do with the VKA. Lawrence Valadez ripped off many of his students and has a different excuse for each day of the week. It is not my fault that he rips

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people off, and I refuse to be d with any poor conduct or thieves in martial arts. In MFMA, I do not rip people off and I never shall. I do not respect any VKA d nonsense anymore. It is the right path to take. I understand that there are tons of morons online with 50 black belts and similar, but how much do they know of all these styles? MFMA is aware of these people, but we do not kiss up to anybody. In martial arts and in life we all know right from wrong. Choose the right path every time and you cannot fail. It does not matter what people think of you. I know people were upset when I left their clubs in the past, but they are still in the past, and most of them have learnt very little over an agonisingly long period of time. Many of these people who

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could still bear a grudge have probably not trained in the last ten years or so, so let them be bitter. I am a Grand Master now, and I have students all over the world, no amount of bickering and bullshit online can change that. Deep down we are all just human beings. Like everyone else, there are a few people I would like to kill with my bare hands. But beating the crap out of someone makes you just as bad as them. Trust me, people who I do not like know to stay away because I practice what I preach, more than most. Living your life with grudges and hidden hatred will just shorten your own lifespan. Life throws obstacles in your path, and how you choose to overcome those obstacles is up to you. Lots of fantastic martial artists and

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fighters are in Prison because they did not know when to stop. Do what you think is right and ignore what others think. Make mistakes and try again. There is no team mentality in martial arts. At the end of the day, unless you are in a gang, you are on your own in a fight. Unless you are in a job and being paid by the hour, do not let people boss you about or take advantage of you. Most people are scum and will try to boss others about, take advantage and shit on you from a great height. Don’t let anyone mess with you, but don’t kill people for no reason either. In martial arts and in life, find a balance, try and have as much fun as possible and do the right thing. Better to be a poor man with a

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clear conscience than a rich man living with guilt.

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Conclusion. This book is dedicated to my family, the few friends I have and all MFMA . Whatever people think , the MFMA will live on for centuries. All the courses and everything in the MFMA is the work of me, Grand Master Thomas Daw. MFMA and all associated works are Protected by Copyright. If you enjoyed this book and you want to , I welcome you to the MFMA. We have worldwide and we are a friendly bunch who simply love martial arts. We don’t judge you or give you any crap, and we expect none in return. Come the elite. MFMA Society.

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Photos.

My first ever martial arts grade- Yellow Tag, GTF Taekwondo. 24th June 1996.

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St Austell GTF TaekwonDo. I am 5th from the left at the back, with hair down to my eyes. This picture is in 1997.

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Training in 1998, I am 3rd from the left. Most of the people here gave up by the end of the year.

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February 1999. The front cover photo of my 1st Dan Thesis.

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Who’s ready for a jumping side kick? Another photo from my 1st Dan thesis.

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If only we could jump like this forever. These Photos were in the GYM of Penrice School. I used to go to School, have tea at home and go back again for Taekwondo. Even now I have dreams I am at Penrice quite often.

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My student of the year award survived all these years.

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My first Black belt certificate. I got it in 2001 after my Teacher’s ex-wife brought it round for me. I was very grateful.

Sensei Brett Ernest gave me 8th Dan for free in January 2010. I didn’t put it up until I earned it, in December 2011. I wrote study guides for Snake Fist and Shorinkenjitsu.

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Daw Ryu is official, 2010. I have certificates like this for other styles too, including 10th Dan for United Kingdom Karate. Luckily I got what I wanted from the SKKA before Brett Ernest sold the Academy in 2011.The new SKKA owners put their prices too high and only care about money. Sensei Ernest reviewed most of my styles himself before issuing any certification.

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Note the year is 2011. It took 2 YEARS of hounding to get this certificate, via email from the VKA. I don’t respect VKA at all now. How things change.

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The MFMA logo. The only thing Brett Ernest did for the MFMA. I had to kick Brett out in 2014, for lack of effort. Master Thor Sulland was a Co-Founder Briefly, but when he wanted me to put TYGA self defense DVDs on the MFMA website, his GM expelled him from TYGA. We are still on good , but maybe that is what I get for my generosity. Israel Velez also turned down the chance of CoFounding, being too busy. Looking back, I am better off running things myself.

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End of August 2015. I finally got into the BDFS/ IFAA. To be a member is an extreme privilege. To be recognised as a Grand Master by the elite is a lifetime achievement for me; especially at 33 years old. The writing is small, but underneath my name at the top left, it says ‘Grand Master Of The MFMA.’ Many people have been turned away from the BDFS.

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Still Training Hard. 28/09/2015. Thirty three years old. Hopefully, many more years martial arts left.

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Ready For Action.

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Martial arts? Above all the bickering and nonsense, lots of sweat, hard work and dedication. But above all, good exercise and fun. Always ready for a laugh.

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Thank you for reading this book. Hope to see you soon in the MFMA. From Grand Master Daw. Founder/ President of MFMA Society and 10th Dan black belt.

This book and anything associated with MFMA is Copyright Protected.