I’m often asked, “what is the best martial art for me to study?” The short answer is… “the one that allows you to attain the benefits you are looking for in a martial art.” It is important for you to know exactly what you are looking to accomplish when choosing a style. Some people just want to develop effective martial skills. Some people want a fun and effective fitness practice. Some want to compete in martial art tournaments. Others are looking for a deeper art that allows for the person to develop and “cultivate” themselves physically, mentally and internally. What separates JDMAA from other systems/schools is that we can help you accomplish any and all of these aspects of training in the martial arts.

There is no time limit on your courses or lessons. You can take as much time as you like for each lesson in each course. This course will utilize a "drip" method to unlock lessons based upon completion of prior lessons that will be pre-requisite to understanding the current lesson. In the Taoist tradition you will learn to develop qualities that will be needed to have success going forward, but once a lesson is unlocked you will always have access to that lesson. You can go back as often as you like.

I will start by saying that I am not a huge fan of ranking systems. It’s been my experience that students have a tendency to let drive for rank override drive for skill and knowledge and this is not good. That being said, it is a standard in Western teaching to have a ranking system. Instead of a ranking system, We have proficiency levels. On the surface this seems like the same thing, and in some respects that is probably true. The difference is that when you test to the next level of proficiency, you will be required meet exacting standards of skill, technique and fitness. You will also be required to demonstrate a clear understanding of the material you are being tested on and in the case of internal work, you will need to demonstrate the “qualities” necessary to move forward in the practice. When you reach the proficiency level associated with being a “blackbelt” or a “black sash” you can rest assured you will have the skill, knowledge and ability to wear it proudly!

I teach in the way that most teachers in China teach. By that, I mean that I teach in a club setting. We currently have two locations. I teach two nights per week in Lenoir City TN at the War Memorial Building and the other night I teach in Farragut TN. Our expectation is for students to meet with their primary location students, but they are certainly welcome to attend classes at both locations. We will eventually expand into Hardin Valley and possibly Oak Ridge. It will be easy for students to attend class at any of these locations as the radius will only be about 30 miles. All in person students will also have access to the online course as an ongoing reference for their studies.

I will try to keep this succinct. There are books written about these questions. I will start with our core curriculum which is Five Ancestor Fist. This is a Southern Style/Fujian Chinese martial art. Historically it is generally accepted that both the Okinawan and Japanese karate styles find their origins in the Fujian arts. These arts are small frame/short fist styles. There is arguably more focus on hand technique and Qin Na (joint locking/seizing techniques). There is a heavy focus on physical development and body hardening practice. This is similar to most karate systems. The difference with Five Ancestor Fist is incorporating the “softer” style of white crane as well as internal practice into the practice.

In terms of Taekwondo there is little that compares with our curriculum at JDMAA. In the US, taekwondo is primarily taught as a sport karate. It is very heavily focused on kicks, and especially high kicks. This is actually the antithesis of a Southern style practice. It is argued that Taekwondo has its roots in the Northern/Long fist styles of Chinese martial arts. I don’t necessarily ascribe to this because the fundamental fighting theory of these arts are not similar. We teach some Long Fist methods at JDMAA. Tan Tui and Hua Chuan would be considered more akin to Long Fist because of the “large frame” style of these arts. Although, surprisingly, application of the technique is in close and matches the Southern styles in terms of utilizing Quin Na, Seizing, grappling and striking.