Jeff discusses the process of judging the value of various techniques.
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21 It’s a Natural Fact!
Jeff discusses the logical fallacy called “the appeal to nature”, and how it relates to the martial arts.
20 Dude! That is Sick!
Jeff discusses the fascination many young martial artists have with “advanced” techniques, and proposes an alternative word to describe them.
19 Realism in Sparring and the Scientific Method
Jeff discusses a scientific approach to improving your fighting skills.
18 What Belt are You?
Jeff discusses the pros and cons of using belts to signify rank in the martial arts.
17 What if Tokyo Never Rose?
Jeff proposes a counter-factual: What would the modern American martial arts scene look like if the Pacific theater of World War 2 had never taken place?
16 The Elephant in the Room
After 15 previous podcasts, Jeff finally addresses the elephant in the room when it comes to martial skepticism……Chi Power!
15 The Last Samurai–A Carefully Considered Rant
Jeff discusses his objections to the revisionist history used as a basis for the popular Tom Cruise movie.
14 The Myth of the Power of the Mind
Jeff discusses the importance of determination, and not confusing it with magic.
13 The Monkey Brain
Jeff discusses the dangers of losing focus when acting as a partner in a martial arts drill, and the furtive, malevolent animal that lurks in our brain, waiting to get out.
12 Essence and the Martial Arts
Jeff discusses the human tendency to either seek or avoid ‘essence’ that is not, in fact there, and how this tendency complicates life and training in the martial arts.
11 Technique Vs. Principle
Jeff discusses the importance of stressing the understanding of principles over the accumulation of techniques.
10 What is a Martial Arts Style?
The martial arts world has for centuries focused much of its attention on the value and quality of the many different “styles”. Jeff wades into the subject and offers his own two cents, drawing a parallel to the outmoded concept of ‘race’ in biology.
9 Is Grappling Training Necessary?
Jeff discusses the importance of being able to competently defend yourself when you find that the fight has gone to the ground.
In the process he discusses the problem of ‘tribalism’ in the martial arts.
8 How Do You Know?
Jeff discusses the development of critical thinking skills to protect yourself from the negative effects of fraudulent claims in the martial arts and in life.
7 What is a Master?
Jeff discusses the use and misuse of the title “Master” in the context of the Martial Arts.
6 Does Practice Make Perfect?
Jeff discusses how to enhance your gains from training, including the importance of mindfulness in practice,
5 The Crane Kick Phenomenon
This episode is sub-titled “Mister Miyagi meets Cyrano de Bergerac”. In it Jeff discusses a long-standing beef he has about a line uttered in the original “Karate Kid” movie, and how it relates to important truths in the martial arts. Along the way he discusses a bit of terminology and attack theory from Western Fencing.
4 Are Martial Arts Seminars Worthwhile?
Jeff delves into the pros and cons of martial arts seminars, and how to get the most out of your seminar experience.
3 What is a Traditional Martial Art?
Jeff digs into the use of the word ‘traditional’ when applied to a martial art, and what he perceives as the problems in coming to an apt definition.
1 How Long Will it Take?
In the first episode of The Martial Brain, Jeff Westfall does a takedown of three of the most common questions that prospective customers at his Academy ask.
Videos
Be sure to check out my YouTube channel at: http://youtube.com/channel/UCkvB3Jzffnu8842CsktZVaA/featured?view_as=subscriber
Class Schedule
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.
Welcome
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!
Source Arts
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 curriculum he used to express that philosophy.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is a grappling based martial art that grew from the popularity of several Japanese Judo and Jiu-jitsu practitioners who were immigrants to Brazil in the very early twentieth century. Generations of Brazilian took the techniques of traditional Japanese Jiu-jitsu and applied their own genius to modifying and improving them.
The vast majority of one-on-one fights end up on the ground within seconds, and most of the techniques of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu are designed for survival in that context. 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.
Filipino Martial Arts
The Filipino Martial Arts offer a comprehensive weapons training curriculum.
The training drills of FMA are works of genius; developing coordination, reflexes, knowledge of angles of attack, and many other important attributes in a surprisingly short time. Training includes many categories of hand-held weapons and empty hand vs. weapons training, including some of the most efficient closed range tactics used anywhere.
Combat Submission Wrestling/Vale Tudo
This is a curriculum 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.
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.
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!
About Us
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.
Class Payment Rates
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