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Brian Copeland's
Core Fitness Newsletter

Issue #38 - 5/13/2009

1. Announcement # 1: "Pay for Services with Credit Card Online"
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2. Announcement # 2: "IMPORTANT - May 29th & 30th"
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3. Special Offer: "Discounted High Quality Kettlebells!"
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4. Reality Check: "Why You Aren't In Shape"
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5. Testimonials for Kettlebell Fitness:
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6. Testimonials for Self-Defense:
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7. Health Tip: "Myth Busted! Skin Cancer and Sunlight"
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8. Training Tip: "Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?"
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9. Nutrition Tip: "Cauliflower Fried Rice"
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10. Hall of Achievements:
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11. Got Grip: "Seriously Strong Hands ebook"
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12. Self Defense Tip: "Open Letter to New Jeet Kune Do Students"..
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13. Recommended Products: "Gymboss, Z-Health, Dragon Door, more" .
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14. Denver Metro Area: "Kettlebell & Self-Defense Classes in Aurora"
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15. Personalized Program Design: "Tired of Not Reaching Your Goals?"
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1. Announcement # 1:
"Pay for Services with Credit Card Online"

It has finally arrived! You can now pay for your kettlebell and Martial Arts classes, privates, semi-privates, phone consultations, Personalized Program Design, etc. online with credit card or with PayPal.

What's more?

You can set up your credit card or PayPal account to be auto billed each month for Unlimited Group Classes making it a click it and forget it scenario.

As a bonus for setting up Recurring auto billing each month I am offering discounts.

Unlimited Kettlebell Group classes: normally $147 p/month is only $129.99 if you set up Recurring billing!!!

Unlimited Self-Defense/Martial Arts classes: normally $100 p/month is only $90 if you set up Recurring billing!!!

Unlimited Kettlebell AND Martial Arts classes: normally $197 (formerly $200) p/month is only $179.99!!!

This is NUTS!!

I priced Martial Arts alone and saw some very well known Martial Arts schools charging $250 per month for 3 nights per week of Martial Arts. It wasn't even real Martial Arts that you could use to defend yourself.

You could come see me up to 6 days per week and get Self Defense/ Martial Arts (Jeet Kune Do) and Kettlebell fitness training for less than 3 nights per week of fluffy does no good in the real world Martial Arts at another school!

If you timed it right you could do 3 nights per week and do back-to-back Martial Arts followed by Kettlebells and kill 2 birds with one stone.

Or do Martial Arts on one day and Kettlebell on another.

At 6 sessions per week (1 hour Martial Arts & 1 hour of Kettlebell) x 4 weeks in a month you would pay $408. How does $179.99 sound instead?

Even if you paid the drop-in rates and came twice per week to both Martial Arts and Kettlebell you would end up paying $272... How does $179.99 and come as often as you like sound?


My goal has never been to be the Wal-Mart of fitness, kettlebells or Martial Arts but I also want to make it affordable to the people while still paying my mortgage.

These are my best offers I've ever made, if you already train with me it is a no-brainer to switch over. If you have been gone for a while or have been riding the fence about getting started now is the time! Summer is coming!

2. Announcement # 2:
"IMPORTANT - May 29th & 30th"

I will be attending the Z-Health R-Phase training on Friday May 29th through Sunday May 30th.

As such I will not be able to train any of my private or group classes on Friday or Saturday.

Private folks we will need to reschedule.

Group Kettlebell clients the Friday 12:30pm class WILL be open and the Saturday 11:30am class WILL be open. The Friday 7:30pm class will be closed.

Comrade Shari Wagner, RKC will be teaching the Friday 12:30pm and Saturday 11:30am classes. Warning, she is much meaner than me and has no mercy!

Just kidding you all know her and she is great!

Recap:
Friday May 29th and Saturday May 30th
• All Private and Semi-Private clients cancelled
• Friday 6:30pm Jeet Kune Do (Martial Arts) classes cancelled
• Friday 7:30pm Kettlebell class cancelled
• Friday 12:30pm noon-time class OPEN with Shari teaching
• Saturday 11:30am class OPEN with Shari teaching

Now that you are convinced to purchase the real deal kettlebells, Dragon Door brand, here is where to get them, click the banner below.

Dragon Door is blowing out their complete USA-made line of high quality kettlebells as they are moving their production facility overseas.

This is the prime time and last chance to get these professional quality "Made in the USA" kettlebells; and at 30% off you have no excuses!

Look what one poor individual was forced to create before she purchased her own kettlebells!

The KettleRock!




Remember, "Friends Don't Let Friends Make Home Made Kettlebells!"

Don't let your friends use rocks in tote bags! Get a premium quality USA made Dragon Door kettlebell at 30% off now!

Click the Dragon Door kettlebell banner above to get your kettlebells before they are gone!

As the USA-made bells sell out DragonDoor will begin selling their Chinese-made kettlebells.

4. Reality Check: "Why You Aren't In Shape"

I often wonder why people will start Kettlebell or Martial Arts training and then suddenly stop and you will never hear from them again. I also wonder how many people see my classes that I offer and think to themselves that this must be really hard and scary and they want to do it but can't work up the guts.

Well I came across this great article by Better Life Unlimited that really hits the nail on the head:

Most Of Us Practice Self-Defeating Behavior
The Better Life Experts | April 20, 2009

Many of us practice self-defeating behavior when it comes to diet and exercise without wanting to take personal ownership of the likely consequences associated with those behavioral choices. For example, a person who hears of a group exercise program that is available at their local community center may be initially excited about the prospect of working–out, but end up talking themselves out of the program before it has even begun because “that’s what they do”.

In this bulletin we will examine the hypothetical case of a person who actively practices, maintains and perpetuates self-defeating behavior with regard to group exercise. Let us name this person Joan and go through some possible thought processes she uses to talk herself out of engaging in positive and healthy behaviors.

This is a generalized example of continuing self defeating behavior if Joan allows her fears and anxiety get in the way of achieving her goal. Many people like Joan quit at step 8 and never go back to class. The “if-thens” get in the way of trying to make healthy changes in her life. If I show up for class and don’t know what I am doing, then I will be embarrassed; if I try to be social with other participants, then I’ll wind up looking like a fool; if I can’t do all the exercises, then I will be laughed at; if I try my best and still can’t finish a routine, then I’ll get rejected by the others.

It is likely that IF we let the wrong assumptions mingle with our fears; we (like Joan) will come to the wrong conclusions. We will then decide that joining an exercise class is dangerous, we aren’t prepared to deal with our fears and anxiety and therefore are not ready to begin lifestyle change. The fascinating part of the “if-then” situation is that the fears are presupposed and used as a protection against imagined dangers.

Even when Joan gets past step 6 in our example, she continues to practice self-defeating behavior by concluding that because physical exercise is hard and sweaty work, she is in danger. Joan begins to compare herself to others in the class who are more fit and agile and begins to feel embarrassed and left out. If someone approaches Joan after class and compliments her on her stamina and flexibility, she is likely to dismiss the compliment and downplay her athletic ability. In a misguided effort to protect herself, Joan is actually cementing her self-defeating behavior. By allowing these fears to prevent her from attending and completing the exercise classes that were part of the goal of the weight loss program she started, she is unlikely to lose 30 pounds safely and successfully.

I think this is a great rendition of most of us. The problem is we never achieve what we want living in fear. I can tell you that leaving the corporate world behind (and I was making a big steady paycheck) to open my own business and risking total failure and humiliation was a tough decision.

But when I thought about it logically, what was I afraid of?

Humiliation?... from whom? What do I care what others think of me trying to achieve happiness?

I love the quote below from Theodore Roosevelt.

Dare Greatly ~ Theodore Roosevelt

“It is not the critic who counts; nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcomings; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end, the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

What a powerful quote! How do you know if you have truly lived? Dare to do something great and risk failure, that is how!


People either quit a healthy exercise/nutrition program or never start for the following reasons:

• Fear of humiliation, as seen above. Completely irrational and a hold over from the days of elementary school when the other kids would laugh at you to hide their own fear. I'm not making this up! Basically all of our fears range from that tender young age. The way you were raised at your developmental age will have significant impact on you as an teen and adult. You decide whether you are going to stay in 1970 or whether you are going to grow up and take charge of your life for your own happiness.
  
  
• Lazy. I don't buy this one. People aren't lazy, they just choose what to spend their energy on. No one is lazy if they have the right motivation. Set a meaningful goal that has an emotional attachment. To be fit is not enough. To be admired by other people for how fit you look or how strong you are; those are emotionally motivating goals. To feel sexy in your swim suit is an emotionally motivating goal.
  
  
• Too busy. Once again I don't buy this one, it is all about priorities. You find time to cook, clean, take a shower, watch TV, go to a job every day but can't find 5 minutes to do some kettlebell swings during commercials? Sorry, not buying it. It can be done, I have clients doing it and making big changes!
  
  
• Excuses such as, "I'm not in good enough shape to exercise. I need to start with something easy like walking." Once again, I don't buy it. Why isn't Joan walking then? Why doesn't she set goals to get in good enough shape to exercise by walking around the block 1-2 times every day a little faster each time? See the above reasons for why excuses are made.
  
  
• Doubts that we can actually achieve our fitness/ health goals. I understand that sometimes people feel like they can't ever be pain-free or have a knock-out looking body or be the strongest and most athletic person in the group. But frankly I had been the back-pain sufferer and weakling of the pack for a long time in my life before making the changes. Now I dare say I am the strongest, healthiest, most athletic person in pretty much any group I'm around... save when I'm hanging out at the RKC Certification weekend and all of the world's mutants are there! Even then, my goal is to be one of the best of the best there! ;-)

The bottom line is that physical change is basic science. If you eat a certain way, your body will adapt. If you do exercise that burns calories you will lose weight. If you do strength training you will tone muscles. If you do healthy exercise you will get better feeling joints. Now for the record, if you do any old exercise like jogging or treadmills you will not get healthy joints or tone muscles... sorry. You have to do the correct type of exercise and you need to seek out an expert like myself who has the blueprints and success stories to get you there. Now all that is needed is YOU.

Make the decision, come hell or high water get started and become the person YOU WANT TO BE!

Ignore the jealous people who try to talk you out of it. They will be humiliated if you achieve success and they don't. They want you to fail!

I'll wait for you to contact me as long as I can but life will be over soon; don't miss it...

5. Testimonials for Kettlebell Fitness:


National Olympic Weightlifting Competitor Feels the Power!

I recently had the privilege of training one afternoon with RKC and Z-Health instructors Jason Wood and Brian Copeland. As an Olympic-style weightlifter with national-level competition under my belt, I was already strong and flexible, but these men and their expert techniques helped spot some significant areas for improvement in my squat. The importance of this insight cannot be overstated, as the squat movement is at the heart of every Olympic-style lift. Within a few minutes of analysis they were able to spot one leg bowing in towards my center, and a few Z-health techniques later, I was able to feel the joints loosening. Under their instruction I reached the point where it was like a light flipped on in my nervous system, and I said, "Aha!" and realized what I'd been doing wrong all this time. They were able to recommend movement patterns and related drills that will undoubtedly be of great benefit in the future of my training, for both greater strength and healthier knee joints. I highly recommend instructors Jason Wood and Brian Copeland for learning how kettlebell and Z-health methods can and will work for you.

Alex Roman
Collegiate National Weightlifting competitor - Colorado Springs, CO

Brian taught me the skills to make my training smarter and safer

I was in Denver on a business trip and had the opportunity to train with Brian. I found Brian on Dragondoor's RKC instructor site.

I have been training with kettlebells for about 2 months and I learned an incredible amount of technique in the short time that I had training with Brian.

Brian is an affable and knowledgeable RKC Instructor. Every move I practiced Brian was able to give instruction on how to improve and better my technique. Kettlebells are demanding, but Brian taught me the skills to make my training smarter (and safer). Training hard is good, but training smarter (and safer) is the best.

I have ETK and the Pavel's video, but the one-on-one training with Brian brought the skills and finer points together to improve my Kettlebell experience.

I highly recommend Brian to anyone that wants to become a better KBer.
Keep up the good work.

Scott Holman - Denton, TX

Rock Climber Feels the Power of Kettlebells

I approached Brian with a very specific request, I wanted to improve my rock climbing stamina and skills.  He then suggested and proceeded to train me with the two skills that would make this happen.  He recommended Z-Health for proprioception (fine motor skils/body awareness) and Kettlebell training for additional strength, flexibility and coordination.  I started out a bit skeptical because he wasn't a climber, but I was quickly turned 180 degrees on that one. His combined instruction in these programs added a fantastic new dimension to my climbing in a very short time!   

Finally, I enjoyed working with him and admire his professional, straight forward training methods.  

Ann - Colorado Springs, CO

The pace of the beginner level class was perfect!

Brian was fabulous! Every exercise we did we was demonstrated until we understood it. The pace of the beginner level class was perfect!

What I like best about kettlebell training is that it makes me stronger and the moves are simple and fun. After only 6 sessions I am stronger and more aware of how to exercise without hurting my body.

Lauren

Simple, Different, Effective!

After only 6 classes I am more tone and stronger! The 6-week beginner level class is an excellent class, good training and lots of fun!

Case

6. Testimonials for Self-Defense:

Individualized Attention

I now have much more confidence in the strategies and also in applying them in response to a real threat. Brian is good at attending to participants when further practice is needed, he gives individualized attention to bring up areas of weakness.

Shauna

7. Health Tip: "Myth Busted: Skin Cancer and Sunlight"

No one likes a sun burn and it is indeed unhealthy for your skin but that doesn't mean you need to slather on the sun screen, cover up or hide indoors to avoid the sun's evil rays.

In fact you should go outside in the brightest part of day and expose as much skin as possible, don't do anything that would make your neighbors call the police please.

UVB light creates vitamin D a super important vitamin responsible for regulating our hormones.

Depressed lately? That is your hormones out of whack.

Do you get enough sunlight? Probably not.

Have you ever heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder? Anyone who doesn't work outside near the tropics probably gets this at least mildly in the winter.


Watch this video from Dr. John J. Cannell, MD. as he explains the science behind why you need to get around 15 minutes of sunlight exposure every single day if possible.

Trying to lose weight or put on muscle? Get some sunlight as it helps to optimize your hormones.

Low libido? Ditto, sunlight boosts your sex hormones.

Take the doc's advice and don't go burning yourself, everything in moderation.

8. Training Tip:
"Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?"

I'd be willing to bet you are. Especially if you are a quintessential "A" personality.

What do I mean?

Famous Strength Coach Pavel Tsatsouline advises trainees "leave 1-2 clean reps in the bank" during strength practice. Do you leave 1-2 clean reps in the bank or do you train to or near failure?

The science behind not training to failure is unflappable but here is the principle in a nutshell. Your body is designed for survival not for performance. Performance means pain-free, strong, flexible, agile and energetic. Survival means tight, pain, stiff, drained of energy and the body will even start to conform towards the fetal position (shoulders raised towards the ears and pulled forward, tightness between the shoulder blades, tight hamstrings, tight feet and calves, tight hip flexors, achy joints, etc.)

So, when you train to failure or too close to it you are creating threat in your body. Doing a very challenging repetition is quite emotional, that emotion creates stress and threat in the brain. The body reacts to that stress/threat by shutting you down and going into survival mode, not performance mode.

If you want to stay in performance mode then make sure all of your reps are clean, strong and successful. That doesn't mean using light weights, that means moving heavy weights with precision, grace and a sense of fun, happiness and success.

Train smart with science not with ego.

Need help, seek a qualified coach like me who gets people results.

Until next time, train like an athlete not a hamster!

PS. If you are watching late-night infomercials and are thinking of buying the "Ab Gizmo 3000" or "Dance Your Way to a Super Six-Pack" don't bother. Save yourself some hard earned doubloons and instead purchase my Personalized Program Design. I'll get you better results with your own body weight and you won't have to make installments on an expensive piece of crap that sits in the corner collecting dust for the next 10 years for crying out loud!

9. Nutrition Tip:
"Cauliflower Fried Rice"

Fried rice without the the starchy carbs and with tons of extra nutrition.

Why would you substitute cauliflower for rice?
1. Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable. It is high in fiber and full of nutrients.
2. Avoid the high starchy carbs in rice if you are trying to drop weight and increase your insulin sensitivity by avoiding starchy sugary foods.
3. To eat more vegetables of course!

Get the recipe here

10. Hall of Achievements:

Our newest updates:..

• Mary Rogers at 68 years young - Deadlifted 106 lbs
  
  
• Toni (Antoinette) King - Deadlifted 176 lbs
  
  
• Lauren Johnson - 1 Arm Row 53 lbs
  
  
• Toni (Antoinette) King - 1 Arm Row 53 lbs
  
  
• Chris Young - 1 Arm Row 88 lbs
  
  
• Kelly Roberts Estep - 5 body weight Pull-ups
  
  
• Case Biewick - 1 Arm Row 88 lbs
  
  
• Debbie Yenchick - Dealifted 106 lbs
  
  
• Shari Wagner - Hit her first full dead hang pullup
  
  
• Georgie Molinski - 1 Arm Row 53 lbs
  
  
• Sandy Grandchamp - Deadlifted 106 lbs
  
  
• Melissa McKay - Deadlifted 132 lbs
  
  
• Special Congrats to Shari Wagner for becoming an RKC Certified Kettlebell Instructor. Shari had to complete 62 snatches in 5 minutes with a 35 lb kettlebell, demonstrate perfect kettlebell technique in the 6 main Hard-Style kettlebell lifts, complete the "Graduation Workout" and teach real clients how to lift kettlebells safely while being observed by a Senior Instructor.

See all achievements on the "Achievements" link at the left navigation bar at the top of the page or click here

11. Got Grip:
"Seriously Strong Hands ebook"


If you are interested in Grip training you owe it to yourself to get Brian Copeland's Seriously Strong Hands - it will guide you through building a Grip you can be proud of - because remember - the stronger your hands are the stronger your body can be!
This is the grip book I should have written a few years ago.

- Brett Jones CSCS, Master RKC, certified Red Nail bender


"In his ebook Seriously Strong Hands, Brian Copeland has put together a no-nonsense guide for the aspiring gripster. Filled with useful tips and no fluff, it is a valuable resource for the beginning grip enthusiast."

- David Whitley, Sr. RKC (tearer & terror of many phone books!)


I purchased your ebook about a month ago. Your ebook very much summarizes all aspects of strength training for bending/tearing. You also give a great plan for improving strength; following this plan leads to success for sure. I just tore a full deck of cards (wrapped in duct tape) in half, so I know what I am talking about... :-)

- Peter Lakatos, RKC Team Leader
Hungary, Budapest



If you are ready to get grip, here is the tool to get you there.

Learn more about it here

12. Self Defense Tip:
"Open Letter to New Jeet Kune Do Students"

I thought I would share a letter that I give to new students of my Jeet Kune Do program. It gives a really good picture of why, what and how we train.

Welcome To Progressive Combat Systems

Our Philosophy:
The root of Martial Arts is violence, either causing it (the Military), avoiding it or being forced to deal with it. Sport-based Martial Arts are fun to watch; it is amazing to see champions like GSP, Fedor and Anderson Silva dominate opponents with skill, speed, strength and raw talent. No doubt they have worked very hard to get to where they are. What is missing in sport training is the element of reality. In sport fighting there are weight classes and rules… for good reason. Could you imagine Brock Lesnar vs. BJ Penn? Not sure that would work out too well in a “rules based” environment. But in the real world there are no rules or weight classes or genders. A 95lb teenage girl could find herself being attacked by a 250 man; she sure as heck isn’t going to out punch or choke him. A 175lb man may find himself being attacked by two 200+ lb men, one with a crow bar. Once again, sport techniques are out. Only quick, pure violence utilizing the most effective moves possible and putting as many factors in your favor as possible will allow you to “survive” not “win” as one would in sport.

Our System:
Everything we do begins with the end in mind. We are not interested in ego. Ego based fighting is pretty, fancy, hard to learn and not the quickest way to take someone out. We are interested in results. Results mean that your attacker(s) are so injured that they cannot continue attacking you. You will learn to defend yourself by any means necessary!

We begin with the system that Master Paul Vunak taught to the U.S. Navy’s legendary SEAL Team Six and countless law enforcement and special operation units across the nation; the R.A.T. The RAT, an acronym that stands for Rapid Assault Tactics is battle tested by Paul, the Navy SEALs themselves (boy do I have some stories for you) and countless others; basically if a technique didn’t work, it was thrown out. We are talking about people whose lives depend on their Martial abilities, not their egos in a ring, totally different ball game.

The RAT will teach you to take out an attacker on your feet, on the ground and with weapons in the quickest possible manner, no fluffy stuff and it is actually quite quick to learn. In real Self-Defense we deal more with principles than with techniques. Principle #1: people can take trauma and still fight but people cannot take injury (think punch versus thumbing an eye out!)

After the RAT, which is pure self-preservation, we move to the Golden Goose. Like the fable, the Golden Goose provides us with an unlimited supply of Martial Arts skills, techniques and training methods that we utilize to develop ourselves into very well rounded and complete Martial Artists. We can and do utilize sport techniques because when we can seamlessly blend lethal with non-lethal fighting skills we are a more complete fighter capable of dealing with the silly drunk guy or with the gun or knife wielding rapist, mugger or terrorist!

Just a sampling of the arts we will pull from are: Brazilian Jujitsu, western boxing, Muay Thai, Wing Chun, Jun Fan, Sambo, Savate, Escrima, Kinimutai, Savate, Dumog, Tai Chi, Judo, Krav Maga, Pananjakman, Panantukan and many more. This is not an exclusive list and from the Jeet Kune Do perspective, we will accept any technique that is efficient, effective and works for YOU. Already have a Martial Arts background? Great, let’s keep the useful and eliminate the non-essential. The best Martial Artists do fewer things better!

What is Jeet Kune Do?
Jeet Kune Do, Cantonese for “way of intercepting the fist”, was a term coined by the late Bruce Lee. Lee believed that the individual is more important than the style or art. Thus instead of demanding that a 60-year-old woman learn to do spinning back kicks like her 40 year old male Korean Martial Arts expert teacher, she could instead be free to explore techniques that worked more for her. We all have strengths and weaknesses as Martial Artists and our job is to exploit our strengths while minimizing our weaknesses. Some people have amazing timing and quick hands and will do well with a style like boxing, others have slow hands and poor timing and will do much better closing on their opponent and entering a trapping or grappling range where they can use proprioceptive tactical input to “feel” their opponents moves and defeat him. Either way the goal is to find the techniques that will allow you to win any situation. Even if you are a good grappler, your goal is not to go to the ground, try to submit your opponent while his buddy is sticking a knife in your back… this happened to a former police officer friend while on duty and he can tell you he is lucky to be alive. Although if a uncle Bob has had one too many and starts getting mean at the family reunion, rather than knocking his teeth out and biting his nose off maybe you can put him in a restraining hold until he cools his jets. You need both sets of skills to be a complete Martial Artist. You do not necessarily need both sets of skills to be able to defend yourself. You decide, are you a Martial Artist dedicated to lifelong skill development or are you self-preservation oriented and only want the minimum to defend your life in most situations.

Our Training:
I have spent the better part of my life in various Martial Arts schools and gyms. You typically find very poor training either based on perfecting technique with no reality behind it or too much time gloving up and beating the crap out of each other, which in a gym like that, only the naturally gifted and determined students will rise to high levels of skill. Another draw back of gloving up and hitting each other is that it is limited to sport techniques. If I can head butt my opponent in the nose and then rake a sharp elbow across his temple before pulling his ear off how do I practice this “full contact” with a sparring partner? We need a balance of realistic techniques with realistic training methods and no one going home with injuries.

So, we begin our training by learning techniques that Bruce Lee, Dan Inosanto, Paul Vunak and myself have found to be especially combative and effective against any opponent. Then we practice those techniques in somewhat realistic scenarios using a controlled slower speed; this builds what I like to call your “targeting computer”. Literally it programs it into your brain via a sophisticated system called motor mapping. As your abilities progress we pick up the speed and provide more resistance allowing you to advance and actually become a good fighter. This system is far better than the sink or swim approach most Martial Arts gyms use. Now, when we want to go full speed and power we have a couple of options: we shadow box (fight imaginary opponents), we do drills against pads or we use a punching bag, etc. But when we train with real human partners we always put safety first and thus go a little slower but as your skill improves you will be able to go near full speed (or full speed) and remain safe; but this will always be with drills not with sparring as it is far too dangerous to make contact with the techniques we use.

Closing:
Progressive Combat Systems is a school where Martial Arts return to their origins. Like the Samurai or Roman Soldier who has no time on the battlefield for ineffective techniques or tactics, we will practice real fighting how it really happens in the real world. Master Paul Vunak says that one can attain peace through violence; a peace that only comes from having a .45 strapped to your hip or knowing that you can elicit so much violence that your would-be attacker can’t possibly conceive. When you are capable of that kind of violence you now have more responsibility to use it wisely. You will become a better person through the practice of violence, and God forbid, if you ever have to use it one day; violence will always be an ally on your side that you can count on. Remember, “When seconds count, the police are only minutes away!”

Whether you are coming to me to learn as a non-Martial Artist wanting to learn the bare minimum of self-preservation, of if you are an experienced Martial Artist wanting to add the reality based RAT to your skill set or a lifelong Martial Artist who will make Progressive Combat Systems their home, I welcome you and encourage you to become the best Warrior you can be!

Brian Copeland – Owner and Chief Instructor of Progressive Combat Systems

To learn more, visit my Martial Arts/ Self Defense site here:
www.progressivecombatsystems.com