Ground Combatives Class
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I’ve been hard at work recently trying to work in a Ground Fighting focused class at Phoenix Krav Maga & Fitness.
And, we finally did it.
But I feel like I need to give you some background.
I started my martial arts journey back in the mid 1990’s. I trained under, and became one of Paul Vunak’s Senior Instructors in Bruce Lee’s art of Jeet Kune Do (JKD) and the Filipino Martial Arts. Paul’s claim to fame was being the first civilian ever contracted out by the Navy SEALs. The things I learned under him were amazing!
Before I even get too deep with that… let’s rewind a couple more decades so you can see my connection to the ground game.
First off, Bruce Lee. He brought grappling into the mainstream of martial arts when no one ever thought of it. Here are a couple of his scenes in his movies back in the 1970’s!
Remember! NO ONE was doing any of this stuff in martial arts, much less putting it in major movies!
So Bruce Lee and his JKD was mixing in ground fighting decades before Mix Martial Arts (MMA) became big.
Back to Paul Vunak… in the late 80’s and early 90’s he was training with the Gracie’s in their garages! Therefore, he passed on these techniques to his instructors (me!) starting way back then. My training got upgraded and expanded then working with other ground fighting and grappling greats such as Larry Hartsell (one of Bruce Lee’s actual students) and Roy Harris (one of the highest ranking BJJ Black Belts in the US currently).
Crucifix Arm Bar:
Arm Triangle Choke:
Back to Paul Vunak…
in the late 80’s and early 90’s he was training with the Gracie’s in their garages! Therefore, he passed on these techniques to his instructors (me!) starting way back then. My training got upgraded and expanded then working with other ground fighting and grappling greats such as Larry Hartsell (one of Bruce Lee’s actual students) and Roy Harris (one of the highest ranking BJJ Black Belts in the US currently).
But then, as I was training with Vunak early on, he swore he was going to find a way to even improve BJJ (even “beat” it), as it was great in the ring, but lacked certain elements out in the street.
Therefore, along with implementing ground training, he started mixing in weapons and mass attack… while specifically integrating arts like Kino Mutai (the art of biting and eye gouging). This one art thwarted 80%+ of BJJ submissions. He was literally on the razor’s edge, years ahead of his time, and I had a front row seat.
Now, fast forward to today. BJJ has gotten bigger, but they still lack the realism. This is where my “Ground Combatives” comes in, as it is BEYOND Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (with all due respect!). Even MORE than MMA… as much as they have raised the whole martial arts world!
We will start offering a Ground Combatives class which will have three components:
- Positional Instruction and Submission Technique, Drilling and Training
- Sparring every class, at your level, regardless of your experience (or lack of)
- Combatives mixing in striking, survival techniques, weapons and multiple attackers
Because the area of ground is so deep, we’re giving it its own time slot FOUR DAYS A WEEK! We will be combining our Adult Krav Maga Level 1 and Level 2 classes and then the Ground Combatives will be offered in between the two adult levels on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday (all at 7:30pm) and Saturday (9:45pm).
I’ve been training under a Black Belt in BJJ for years out here in Phoenix, and he has partnered up with me to create, refine and perfect this curriculum.
Our classes will start on August 25th, happening on Mondays, Tuesday and Thursdays at 7:30pm and Saturdays at 9:45am. All previous classes to this time will be Krav Maga Levels 1-2 and all classes after this will be Krav Maga Levels 3-Black Belt.
Here is what we’ll be covering as we kick off this new curriculum:
We’re blending classic BJJ fundamentals with street-focused counters, giving you the tools to:
- Survive and escape dominant ground positions
- Neutralize and counter traditional BJJ tactics
- Control the fight without relying on rules, mats, or a ref
- Turn defense into offense – whether you’re pinned, trapped, or out of position
- Move confidently through pressure-based escapes
- Understand positional threats from a real-world lens
- Break out of holds before they become submissions
- React decisively from mount, guard, side control, or half guard
- Defeat “sport-only” habits with raw self-defense applications
- Learn how to weaponize your base, posture, and timing
- Transition from bottom to top with explosiveness and clarity
- Defend against joint locks with natural counters
- Recognize the signs of traps before they close
- Build conditioning that matches the chaos of real conflict
- Develop an anti-grappling strategy that works in tight quarters
It’s BJJ meets Krav Maga, and it’s built for fighters, defenders, and thinkers—not sport competitors.
What You’ll Learn in the First Couple Months:
- Guard mastery – use it, escape it, and shut it down
- Top game pressure – pass like a hammer, pin like a pro
- Side control & mount escapes – when it counts most
- Dirty counters – to guillotines, chokes, locks & pins
- Real-world transitions – for real-world threats
- How to avoid being a victim on your back
- Escapes designed for chaos, not clean tournaments
- Pinning that ends fights – not scores points
- Where BJJ stops… and where our system begins
September’s classes are FREE, but you must register:
Hey parents! Please remember that youth classes will now start at 5:30pm! Why don’t you attend the new cardio class after their class and they can wait for you…remember it is only 30 min! You both get fit for the same trip!
