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Jiu jitsu classes are held:

Mon., Wed., and Fri. from 11:00 AM until 12:30 PM.

Mon., Wed., and Fri. from 6:30 until 8:00 PM.

Saturday from 2:00 PM until 3:00 PM.

Integrated Martial Arts classes are held:

Tue. and Thu. from 11:00 AM until 12:30 PM.

Tue. and Thu. from 6:30 PM until 8:00 PM.

Fri. from 5:30 PM until 6:30 PM.

Sat. from 1:00 PM until 2:00 PM.

Childrens’ Classes are held:

Tue. and Thu. from 5:30 PM until 6:15 PM.

Sat. from 12:15 PM until 1:00 PM.

Offering Instruction in:

•  Jiu-Jitsu
•  Integrated Martial Arts–including techniques, drills, and concepts from Muay Thai, Filipino Martial Arts, Jun Fan Gung Fu, the Majapahit Martial Arts, and a number of other rich sources!

The Program:

The Rising Phoenix Martial Arts Academy trains its students in techniques, concepts, and drills taken from the best arts that fifty years of experience and research have revealed. This research continues in order to ensure that our program will not become petrified and unchanging, but will continue to grow and evolve as we do. This makes for a training program and environment that is greater than the sum of its parts. The sources are not only selected for their effectiveness but for how well they blend with each other. To better understand this, think of the five ranges, or distances, you should concern yourself with for self-defense; they are, from the farthest to the closest, Weapon Range, Kicking Range, Punching Range, Trapping Range, and Grappling Range.

The majority of the more traditional martial arts programs tend to spend most of their training time on a single range, or at best, two of them; with different styles favoring different ranges. This can leave the student unprepared and vulnerable in the ranges in which he or she has not trained. For example, there are methods that favor kicking above all else. This produces strong, skillful kickers, but these kickers tend to have difficulty defending themselves if their opponents get inside their kicking range into one of the three closer ranges. Likewise, some styles only practice grappling techniques, which can lead to trouble if the grappler cannot get close enough to use what he or she knows, or worse, encounters multiple attackers! Some martial arts programs teach the use of and defense against hand-held weapons, but many of these weaponry systems use techniques and methods that are not likely to be useful in self-defense in modern society.

While we recognize that a very talented person might be able to make a single art work some of the time, we want to address the needs of the vast majority of the population. Through our program we can produce students that are better prepared and more well-rounded.

The Atmosphere:

We want your martial arts training to be rigorous and productive, but we like the atmosphere to be friendly and conducive to learning. The instructors are very approachable for questions and guidance. We ask that you show each other courtesy and consideration and that your training clothing be clean, loose, and tasteful. Our goal is to start you on the path to self-improvement, to being the best martial artist and person you can be. Come train with us and see how much fun martial arts training can be!

These are the sources from which the current curriculum is drawn:

Jun Fan Gung Fu and the philosophy
and concepts of Jeet Kune Do

Bruce Lee exploded onto the martial arts scene in the 1960’s, and immediately changed the way many of us perceived and thought about the martial arts.  Mr. Lee and his close friend and assistant Dan Inosanto researched and tested methods from as many arts as they could, blending those concepts and techniques which they felt were best and adding concepts of their own.

The result of this process, often called Jeet Kune Do, is more correctly referred to as Jun Fan Gung Fu.  Jeet Kune Do is Bruce Lee’s philosophy of martial arts and of life; Jun Fan Gung Fu is the method he used to express that philosophy.  Jun Fan can make up much of the foundation of your art.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is a grappling based martial art founded in 1925 by Helio Gracie in Brazil.  Gracie and his brothers took the techniques of traditional Japanese Jiu-jitsu and applied their genius to modifying and improving them.

The vast majority of fights end up on the ground within seconds, and most of the techniques of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu are designed for fighting on the ground. If effective self-defense skills are a high priority for you, you owe it to yourself to get some Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training.

Muay Thai (Thai Boxing)

The national sport of Thailand, Thai Boxing, also known as Muay Thai is a devastatingly effective ring sport. Known as “Kings of the ring,” Thai Boxers may strike any part of the body with kicks, knees, punches, or elbows. They are renowned for their devastating power and nearly invulnerable physical and mental toughness.

Much of this toughness comes from some of the most intense conditioning drills in all of martial arts. Muay Thai training will dramatically enhance your fighting skills.

Filipino Martial Arts

The Filipino Martial Arts course is a comprehensive weapons training program, and combined with the Majapahit Martial Arts is perhaps the most complete martial art currently available.

The training drills of FMA are works of genius; developing coordination, reflexes, knowledge of angles of attack, and many other important attributes in an incredibly short amount of time. Training includes many categories of hand-held weapons and extensive empty hand training, including some of the most efficient trapping and grappling range techniques used anywhere.

Combat Submission Wrestling/Vale Tudo

This is an advanced level class.  Before you can attend it you must first qualify to do so by attending 75 classes of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and 75 classes of Muay Thai, all at the Academy.

This is a class that offers martial sport concepts as taught by Sensei Erik Paulson. Sensei Paulson is the former World Light Heavyweight Shoot Wrestling Champion, and has developed a curriculum that he calls “Combat Submission Wrestling.” It combines kickboxing skills from Muay Thai, Savate, and Jun Fan Gung Fu with the throws and ground grappling techniques of Judo, Jiu-jitsu, western Wrestling, Russian Sambo, and Filipino Dumog. In addition, Sensei Paulson has developed a number of innovative techniques to meet the evolving challenges of modern martial combat.

This mix makes for a fantastic work-out as well as excellent preparation for a self-defense encounter or no-holds-barred competition.

Majapahit Martial Arts

The Majapahit Empire dominated the culture of Southeast Asia in the 14th century, and Guru Dan Inosanto has organized a curriculum that combines elements of several arts from that region. This curriculum includes Indonesian Pencak Silat, Malaysian Bersilat, Filipino Panantukan Boxing, Filipino Langka Silat, and the arts of Thailand.

A student of Majapahit Martial Arts will train in techniques of striking (both standing and from the ground), sweeping/throwing, grappling, trapping, and weaponry. This is an effective and fascinating system of martial arts training.

Western Fencing

Fencing is the modern descendant of the European dueling arts. It is an excellent way to develop your footwork, reflexes, and mental focus.

Fencing teaches the foil, epee, and saber. Each of these is a different weapon, and constitutes a separate Olympic fencing event. Fencing is fun, and great exercise!

Jeff Westfall, the owner and chief instructor at the academy.

He is a Black Belt with two stripes in the Marcello Monteiro Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Association.

He is a Senior Instructor (Ajarn) in the Thai Boxing Association of the U.S.A. under Sesara Ajarn Surachai Sirisute.

He holds three ranks in the Inosanto International Martial Arts Instructors Association, under Guro Dan Inosanto. They are:

Full Instructor in Jun Fan Gung Fu

Full Instructor in the Filipino Martial Arts

Instructor in the Majapahit Martial Arts.

He also holds a Second Degree Black Belt from the United States Judo Association.

He is an authorized representative of Combat Submission Wrestling under Sensei Erik Paulson.

He has been in the martial arts since 1971, training in Kyokushin Karate, Tai Lung Gung Fu, Boxing, Thai Boxing, Jun Fan Gung Fu, the Filipino Martial Arts, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Shoot Wrestling, Silat, Judo, Fencing, and other disciplines.

He has been a martial arts instructor in Evansville, Indiana since 1976, founding the Rising Phoenix Martial Arts Academy in 1980.

Jeff continues his formal training by attending seminars around the country and taking instruction locally in other arts. He maintains a rigorous personal training regimen for skill enhancement, cardiovascular fitness, strength development,  flexibility, and longevity. He believes that too many instructors set a poor example for their students by failing to maintain their own fitness adequately, being content to remember past accomplishments and get by on their knowledge alone.

Jeff teaches classes in all the arts offered at the academy except Western Fencing.

Zach Ferguson has been training at the Academy since 2005, and was certified as an Apprentice instructor in the Thai Boxing Association of the USA in 2015.  Zach teaches Muay Thai at the Academy.

John Yarger terrorized the Tri-State fencing competition scene for more than fifteen years.  He holds the rank of Prevost from the United States Fencing Association, and has taught fencing at the Academy since 1993. John also holds a Black Sash in Tai Lung Gung Fu, and has trained in the Filipino Martial Arts and Jun Fan Gung Fu as well. John teaches Fencing classes at the Academy.

The Academy accepts cash, checks, and PayPal.

Add 2$ to your payment if using PayPal.

Single class session ………………..$18

One week membership ………….$33

One month membership…………$95

Three month membership…….$260

Six month membership………….$490

One year membership……………$850

Kids Classes 3 month……………..$150