about

About Kun Tao

Kun Tao is said to originate in the Southern Philippines. Because of its warrior mentality and intense training methods, Filipino Kun Tao becomes an instinctive art, actually training your body to think. Through (muscle memory) you will eliminate thought patterns and regimented moves during an altercation. Regimented moves during a street encounter, especially during multiple attacks – will virtually guarantee your defeat.

For many years the American concept of martial arts was that the student should try to copy the instructor – move like him, even try to be like him! In Filipino Kun Tao however, the concepts are exactly the opposite. This art becomes a “feeling” and not a remembered drill. By copying someone else’s movements you are, in essence, not being yourself. By NOT being yourself, you must think of the next technique rather than feel it!

Kun Tao, from the very first lesson, leads the practitioner to formulate their own opinions and more importantly, seek “self discovery.” From this self-discovery, comes the most important key – “self knowledge.” Knowledge is never a burden to carry.

Key Aspects of Kun Tao

Many aspects of defense can be easy to overlook. Foot position, body mechanics and balance are all imperative in a life-threatening situation. These key elements, along with countless others, will become part of your natural feeling and reflexive response. More important, during street encounters is a realization of your opponents’ state of mind, and understanding of his thought processes and the ways he plans to attain his violent goal.

Your first role in a street fight is to cause unstoppable reactions in your opponents. When you do this correctly, you control the entire fight!

During training – You must study every angle of your own attack, knowing how your opponent will react to that attack. You now possess the ability to use that motion to your advantage.

The true Kun Taoist is one who is instinctive in nature and explosive in energy.

Off balancing is easy to accomplish when pitting two opponents in the same art. It is much more difficult to achieve when your attacker is using an unorthodox approach, or totally catches you by surprise. Off balancing can be accomplished by being deceptive. Deceptiveness does not come easy. It is an accomplished art in itself. Both hard and soft tactics, including trapping, are major ingredients of opponent deception and control.

Benefits

Your personal dedication to learning the art of Kun Tao will improve your coordination and motor skills. Your timing will improve immensely. Your movements will take on a smooth rhythm. With dedication and practice you will find it easier to compliment the rhythm of your opponent. You will move with less effort, and your ability to out-guess (without anticipating) your opponent will greatly increase.

As you advance and the intensity of your workouts in Kun Tao increases, you will find yourself taking the initiative and in some instances forcing the reactions of your opponent. By approaching any fighting situation in a relaxed state of mind you will increase your ability to glide in and out of your opponent's distance with a minimum amount of effort and a maximum amount of deception!

As in most, if not all, "combat" arts, there is a "Threshold of Pain". - Only years of practice makes you realize your threshold of pain. The main obstacle with most martial arts is the "Fear of Getting Hit". In Kun Tao workouts, we always tell our students "If you are afraid of getting bruised or getting hit, you can do one of two things:

1) Choose not to train in Kun Tao.
2) Learn to overcome your fear through training.

Fear can be a powerful tool if learned to be kept under control. The first step in controlling fear is recognizing what effect adrenaline has on your current situation and turning that adrenaline toward a heightened sense of awareness. Physical conditioning is important, but don't ignore one of the most important factors in a street fight: mental strength and toughness. Entering into your workouts with "Total Awareness" and, eventually, learned self-control is exactly what you need to improve your fighting skills.

Commitment is a line you cross - - - it is the difference between wishing and doing!

The closer your training is to the visualized application, the more efficient and realistic it becomes. This realization develops a strong mind. You will (with practice) develop an ability to control your adrenaline so that it does not control you! This mental development will guide you through a real and violent street encounter and gives you the ability to advance to levels you never knew existed. Master Mel HeBert

After over four decades of dedication, I believe that combat awareness boils down to this: Don’t just learn techniques for each scenario you come across in class. Really absorb the underlying concepts that make it work. This is fundamental to dominating faster opponents, and opponents that attack in a way you’ve never trained for.

Unlike other arts that teach a learned skill – Kun Tao gives you the ability to create your own “developed” skills. Ingraining forever – “Street Survival Instincts.”

Today's economy will dictate just how desperate and violent society will become!

Master Mel HeBert

Realistic Training Concepts

Grass Valley, CA

530-273-6666

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