Ground Seminar

FINALLY!

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!

Crucifix Arm Bar:

Arm Triangle Choke:

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).

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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:

1. Positional Instruction and Submission Technique, Drilling and Training
2. Sparring every class, at your level, regardless of your experience (or lack of)
3. 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.    

We will be kicking everything off with a Ground Combatives Seminar on Saturday, August 9th from 11am-1pm.  In addition to teaching some incredibles moves, I’ll also outline the whole curriculum for the regular classes which will formally start Monday, August 25th.  

I am sooooo excited for all of us, as I’ve been wanting to do this for years, but only recently have all the parts finally come together.  Classes will begin on Monday, August 25th.

I would highly encourage anyone interested to get more info and training through the seminar.  

You can register for it here: https://selfdefense.infusionsoft.com/app/orderForms/Ground

Huge things happening here!

Sifu Matt

ps:  Here are a couple of the things we’ll be focusing on during the seminar:

• Explore two dominant control positions—like Kesa Gatame—and learn how they branch into a dozen unexpected submissions your opponent won’t see coming.
• Break down street-tested guard breaks that go beyond traditional BJJ rules—techniques you won’t find in most academies, but could save you in a real fight.
• Enhance your ground movement with a focus on mobility—unlocking flexibility and fluidity that keeps you unpredictable and hard to control.
• Master the Guard Flow Drill: a versatile system that opens doors to attacks, sweeps, and escapes—perfect for disrupting common guard strategies.
• Uncover raw techniques from Kino Mutai—the rarely taught art of biting and eye gouging—that short-circuit even the most technical BJJ defenses (you’ll find it is BJJ’s Kryptonite!).
• And that’s just the beginning… Expect unorthodox insights, functional counters, and pressure-tested tactics that challenge everything you thought you knew about BJJ.
• Much, much more, as I also explain more about our new upcoming Ground Combatives Class!

REGISTER FOR THE SEMINAR HERE: https://selfdefense.infusionsoft.com/app/orderForms/Ground

(I made it super cheap so there are no excuses to check it out!)