An Overview of Fire and Water Martial Arts

Fire and Water Martial Arts is a unique blend of several fighting styles.  When developing the system, Sifu Collins pulled from his experiences in the Asian Martial Arts, American Boxing, and Kickboxing, as well as from his knowledge of US military hand-to-hand combat tactics.  

The foundation of Fire and Water is the traditional Chinese systems of martial arts known as Kung Fu.  To this foundation was added the grappling, wrestling and joint control methods of both Shaolin Chin Na and Aikido, the throws and takedowns of Kodokan Judo, the skills of American Boxing and Kickboxing and the various techniques ofIsshinRyu Karate.

This blend makes for an effective, versatile martial artist.  Fire and Water fighters are known throughout the region for both their full contact fighting and for their empty-hand fighting skills.

This blending of martial styles was completed long before Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) had the following it has today.  In fact, during the time that the Fire and Water System was being developed, the combining of martial styles was looked upon as taboo by many in the martial arts community.     

Today, mixed martial artists are looked upon as well-rounded fighters, who can quickly adapt to whatever situation may arise. This is the same philosophy behind the Fire and Water System.  The main difference, however, is that Fire and Water was developed with street defense, rather than sport fighting, in mind.  Most MMAs are limited outside the sports arena and are not practical when facing more than one opponent, one or more individuals wielding weapons, or even a single opponent who is not restricted by "rules."    This is not the case with the Fire and Water System.  The Fire and Water Martial Artists are taught how to triumph, regardless of how dire the situation may be.   It is this adaptability that truly sets the Fire and Water System apart.

Although the Fire and Water System is a blend of several individual arts, many martial traditions are also offered in their pure form. Rather than blending the arts, students may opt to be a purist, specializing in a specific area.   To this end, both instruction and rank certification are available in various styles. These include: The Shaolin Kung Fu Animal Forms, Tai Chi Chuan, Chin Na, Combat Aikido, Boxing / Kickboxing, and Kodokan Judo. In addition, a vast array of both traditional and modern weapons training is offered.  This includes Kendo, Bojitsu and many others. 

Quality instructors are available regardless of the path a student may choose.