COURSES OFFERED
8 MARTIAL ARTS DISCIPLINE
KEMPO KARATE
Our system came from the late Grandmaster Donald Fong from China handed down to Grandmaster Tim Gasper. Grandmaster Tim Gasper bestowed the rank and certification of Professorship 8th (dan) degree Black Belt on Master Taningco in 1998.
Master Taningco is the only student to ever continue his studies under Grandmaster Gasper for over 26 years! Grandmaster Gasper has integrated the arts of Chinese Shaolin Kung-fu, Okinawan Kempo Karate-do, Judo and Jujitsu. Prior to Grandmaster Gasper’s guidance, Master Taningco studied Okinawan Shotokan Karate and Weaponries under his older brother Master Alex Taningco.
JIU-JITSU (BJJ)
Master Taningco is a Certified Kempo Jiu-Jitsu Instructor under Master Gasper, Dan Zan-Ryu-Jiu-Jitsu under Professor Ancso. He is also trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Filipino Dumog ground-fighting.
Combining a blend of techniques from these grappling styles, TAMA’s Grappling and Submission Fighting class is one of our most exciting and popular. The students learn actual Jiu-Jitsu and Judo throws, break falls along with ground fighting as we would call it. We teach two styles of grappling, traditional with the Jiu-Jitsu uniforms and the modern Sport Jiu-Jitsu with grappling shorts and shirts.
MUAY THAI KICKBOXING
Come and learn from Manuel Taningco who has been teaching authentic Muay Thai, and kickboxing for over 20 years. He has instructed professional and non-professional fighters. Taningco is the most accomplished Muay Thai coach in the Tri-State area. We also have a competition team for those who wish to compete amateur and professional.
Taningco is a certified muay thai instructor under Kru Vut Kamnark of the United World Muay Thai Association. He has trained under Master Gasper, who also fought in Thailand (his first Muay Thai instructor), Guru Dan Inosanto, and Kru Vut, Kru Sakasem, Kru Pongyin are all from Thailand. So join the dynamic class taught by the one and only Master Taningco.
TAIjIquan ("TAI CHI")
T’ai Chi Ch’uan (also transliterated as “Taijiquan”), is a “soft” martial art belonging to the “Internal Family” (Nei Jia), along with such martial arts as Pa Kua Chang (Baguazhang), and Hsing-I Ch’uan (Xing-Yi). T’ai Chi complements the more exertive, “external” (Wai Jia), martial arts, like Kenpo Karate and Muay Thai. Translated, T’ai Chi Ch’uan means “Ultimate Boxing” or “Limitless Fist,” and can be traced back to the ancient Taoist “Chang, San-Feng,” and to the Chen Village – though the practice may have existed for thousands of years before that time, in a more rudimentary form and under a different name.
Regardless of when or exactly by whom it was started, T’ai Chi appears to be directly linked to and rooted in Taoist principles of Yin and Yang.
AIKIJUTSU (AIKIDO)
The name of our style (RYU) is Icho and has a very special meaning. The Patch we wear on our gi is a design of three ginkgo leaves. “Icho” is Japanese for ginkgo. The three leaf design is Sensei Lau’s family crest. The three leaves represents mind, body, and spirit. The Icho Ryu oath reads:
- Train your mind
- Develop your body
- Polish your spirit
As you train you should constantly strive to develop these three principles.
FILIPINO KALI / ESKRIMA
During all the war and strife, the art of Arnis de Mano struggled along. In early times, it was not known as Arnis de Mano. It was called Escrima and was practiced primarily for self defense by the pre-Spanish Filipinos. These people were noted for their friendly nature and legendary hospitality.
The older Filipinos, who made stick fighting an art, preferred to hit bone and preferred a stick to a blade. The stick left shattered bone instead of a clean cut. The hitting end of the stick can travel many times the speed of the empty hand. It feels nothing, whether it hits bone or flesh.
KRAV MAGA / ISD / SELF-DEFENSE
Krav Maga – Krav Maga is a modern, and dynamic, military self-defense and fighting system developed for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israeli security forces derived from a combination of techniques sourced from Boxing, Wrestling, Judo, Aikido, Filipino Kali, Muay Thai, Jiujitsu, and Karate. Its focus on real-world combative situations and their effectiveness and efficiency. Imi Lichtenfeld who was the founder of Krav Maga – with his experience from the street-fighting experience of Hungarian-Israeli martial artist made use of his training as a boxer and a wrestler.
KUNG-FU
Tien Shan Pai is a northern style which originated in the Tien Shan mountains of northwestern China. It is well known in Taiwan as an effective fighting style. At the same time, it also contains graceful empty-hand and weapons forms stressing rhythm and “ing shou”–the demonstration of power accentuated by solid thuds made by the hands.
Tien Shan Pai self-defense is characterized by attacks from the side coupled with multiple blocks, so that if one block fails, the second can cover. Footwork is considered essential to countering attacks; Tien Shan Pai focuses on low, steady steps to the side, along with swift “hidden” steps to trick the opponent.
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