December 2006 Newsletter

Which martial arts have you studied to date and for how long?

I briefly studied the sport version of Sambo in late 70s in my home-town Tashkent (Uzbekistan). The sport version of Sambo was a subset of combat Sambo. Though being a very good grappling system, sport Sambo lacked striking techniques. Combat Sambo was available only to law enforcement, KGB, and the military. At that time, the words like karate and kung fu, names like Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, were just entering our lexicon as something magical. I wanted to try those arts out so much. However, martial art schools were outlawed until the mid-80s. When the schools came out of the underground, during my college years, I tried several schools teaching Taekwondo, Wing Chun, and Aikido. Some of the schools were too traditional, and some did not have quality instructors. I was in search of a school which would teach martial arts in more practical way, which would promote cross training, and would teach how to handle weapons, then I found PAMA!

What is it about the martial arts that motivate you to make it a part of your life?

Martial arts have been fascinating me for a long time. To me it's the perfect way to maintain good mental and physical shape, to have a good adrenaline rush, to stay young, to discover what the body can do, and to constantly find new resources and abilities. I believe it is the most harmonious way to develop mind and body.

How did you hear about PAMA? What influenced you to join PAMA?

I was introduced to the school by Ian Briggs, for which I am profoundly grateful for. Trial lessons of Jun Fan and Kali got me hooked for good. I was amazed by the practicality and efficiency of the training sessions, by the professionalism and friendliness of the staff and students, by the clean facilities with good equipment, and most of all by Sifu Rick's ways of teaching.

What is your impression of PAMA today? What do you like most about PAMA?

The school does not cease to amaze me. It remains challenging. It constantly introduces something new to me. Sifu's push for cross-training resonates within me and sets the school apart from other more traditional schools which are so concerned about "purity" of the art, that remain blind to rapidly changing world of martial arts.

What do you see as some of your goals in the martial arts and in your life in general?

Hopefully, my new job will finally allow me to practice more often, so that I can solidify what I already know, prepare myself for the tests, and move closer to the advanced level. I want to start concentrating more on grappling, Silat, to plug gaps in trapping and Kali. Most of all I want to continue having fun on my way of mastering the arts, to continue conditioning myself mentally and physically.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

I would like to wish all the best to the school -- wealth, health, and happiness to Sifu Rick, Amy and to the rest of the staff. Stay in business! Keep up the wonderful work! I wish all the students to reach great success in their lives.