MARTIAL ARTS STYLES TAUGHT BY MR. BARNETT

 

The style of martial arts that Mr. Barnett teaches in Wolfpack Martial Arts and Young Champions is a blend of Tae Kwon Do, Goju Ryu Karate, and Combat Hapkido.  You will find that our kicking techniques are similar to other Tae Kwon Do styles, our blocking and striking techniques tend to favor Karate styles, and we use throws (in the adult classes), takedowns, and joint locks more common to systems such as Hapkido and Judo.  We use TKD as our base, taking most of our techniques and kata from the TKD system.  However, you will also notice that our stances tend to be lower and wider, having their roots in the Karate systems.  In Wolfpack Martial Arts, we also practice kata from the Goju Ryu system.

 

Some schools and styles place a heavy emphasis on the sport aspects of martial arts, such as tournament competition, to the exclusion of self-defense or the more traditional aspects of the arts.  On the other hand, some schools are strictly geared toward the self-defense aspect, neglecting competition and the arts.  Finally, there are some schools that practice the arts with neither an emphasis on sparring and competition nor on self-defense.

 

At Wolfpack Martial Arts, we believe in a balance of all aspects of the martial arts.  We practice effective self-defense as well as prepare for the competitive arena, while at the same time maintaining the artfulness of our style, recognizing that martial arts is not simply an activity, but a way of life.

 

Self-Defense

Our style is geared heavily toward self-defense.  As a result, we adapt self-defense techniques from a variety of styles and systems, including TKD, Karate, Combat Hapkido, Judo, and others.  No style has a monopoly on self-defense techniques, so we take and use whatever techniques we feel are the simplest to learn and are the most effective.

 

In our Young Champions classes, we place a big emphasis on safety and self-defense.  Our philosophy in our children's classes is "break free and run".  We teach the children how to avoid danger, but if confronted by a stranger, how to escape and get help.

 

Sport

Martial arts tournaments typically include sparring and forms competitions, often including weapons forms competition.  Some may also include breaking contests.  We prepare our students for such events and try to attend several tournaments each year.  Tournament competition is optional, but most students enjoy the challenge and rewards of competition.

 

Our Classes

Typical classes may include some or all of the following:  stretching, warm-ups, calisthenics, kicking, punching and striking, bag-work, kata (forms), kumite (sparring), floor drills, partner drills, and self-defense.  Various activities and methods are used to keep things fun, interesting, realistic, and effective.