Kickboxing

Kickboxing is our own system refined at Shiro Tora.

The core of the system, at the basic level, is the punches of boxing combined with the kicks of karate.
However the system is far more than these parts when you start progressing through your training.

Shihan has competed in traditional points karate, semi contact, and full contact kickboxing.

Our system also borrows from Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do and Savate Boxe Francais which Shihan has trained and sparred in.
Our TKD particularly sources the WTF system with it's full contact body sparring.

Training drills are impact based, using focus mitts, kick shields and Thai pads. We then progress to partner drills, then sparring.

Sparring is progressive and covers all levels:

Boxing - punching to head and body. Full gloves.

Kickboxing - punching and kicking to head and body. Full gloves and shin pads.

Lo Kix - kb with leg licks and blocks to add a whole new dimension.

Thai - as lo kix kb, but with the use of knees in the clinch.
Thai sparring becomes harder at the higher levels with the removal of protective equipment.

Trad karate - light or no pads and touch or light contact to the body. All head shots are pulled (sundome)
Perhaps the most skillfull and controlled form of sparring there is.

Sweeps - when sweeps are added it adds a new dimension

Semi contact - lighter pads and lighter contact than FC and a longer range. Relies more on long and high kicks.

TKD - like SC but with full contact to the body. Special "Hogu" armour is worn for this.

After studying classical Wing Chun in Hong Kong, Bruce Lee first taught a modified version in Oakland. When he moved to Seattle and started again, what he taught was the first real Jun Fan Kung Fu. When he got to LA and started again with Dan, he'd reversed his format and started teaching KB first - so students learned attributes before technique, and tried it all out in sparring. The "martial arts skills" came after.

My kb was originally adapted from the karate and boxing I was doing seperately. I worked the two skills together and tried it all out in sparring, and later in competition. As I was winning trophies I was obviously doing better than what other people were doing at the time, so I was on the right track.

I added a lot of Thai, some TKD - especially the kicks, and some savate to what the KB system now is.

I sparred with a lot of black belts from various styles such as TKD, Shotokan, Kyukushinkai, Thai, Freestyle and Lau Gar to adapt what I was doing to fit all kinds of opponents.

Now we have a system easy to learn and easy to fit into the style and character of the student.

Some students, big guys who like boxing, rugby and Judo, want to get stuck in with close combat and harder full contact sparring.

Some students, women and more athletic guys, into TKD, football, even dance, like to keep to semi contact and use a longer range, with more kicks.

As I've had students I've developed in these two extremes, and all the points in between, it's easy to set up a class that can accomodate and progress anyone.