Mixed Martial Arts, just with more arts!
The MKG Blend program is our signature training method at the Minnesota Kali Group. By blending five primary arts—Kali, Thai Boxing, JKD, Panantukan and Mixed Grappling—into a single program, Guro Faye has created a true mixed martial arts experience for thousands of students around the world.
At the Minnesota Kali Group we believe that studying different arts simultaneously is the best way to develop your skills in the long run. Each art seems to help the assimilation of the others. They also help you to develop natural attributes like speed, strength and endurance in different ways, which results in quicker and longer-lasting changes. As you work your way through the Blend Program, you will become a seriously well-rounded martial artist.
What to Expect During Class
During class you will typically begin with Kali stickwork, which helps you develop good body mechanics along with upper and lower body coordination. This is sometimes followed by basic JKD, shadow boxing or weaponry techniques. And then we always finish class with kickboxing curriculum, usually from Thai boxing. Here you will acquire a solid defensive structure, learn how to generate offense and build endurance. Blend classes are a great workout for your whole body and will help you to establish the base skills for everything we do at MKG.
Six Phases of Development
In time, many students naturally gravitate toward a specialty that fits their body type, personality, life experience, etc. But for those interested in a true mixed martial arts experience, the MKG Blend Program is very comprehensive in its approach. There are six phases in total. Phases 1-3 are curriculum and knowledge based. Phase 4-6 are more about conceptual and personal development.
Phase 1 (Base Curriculum Concepts) – Much of what you will see in our MKG Blend classes will focus on this stage of development. Classes will emphasizes body mechanics, effective striking, defensive structure, cultural awareness, basic self-defense and conditioning.
Phase 2 (Sensitivity Training) – As you progress, you will learn what we call sensitivity training, which is simply the ability to respond to your opponent’s pressure, body positioning and structure. This is close range work, where you use “touch” more than sight to anticipate your opponent’s moves. In order to develop sensitivity, you will practice flow drills from a variety of arts. They are taught in a logical progression that ingrain specific counters to different pressures and lines of attack, whether with sticks, daggers or empty hand. Chi Sao, hubud, various weaponry drills and a limited amount of grappling are explored here.
Phase 3 (Integration of the Arts) – In this phase you will begin to integrate the arts, ranges and techniques you will have learned in Phase 1 & 2. As your skills come together to represent the complete martial spectrum, you will improve your sense of distance, timing, rhythm and flow. A student at this level will begin adapting to situations instantly, realizing Bruce Lee’s axiom to “use no way as way and have no limitation as limitation.”
Phase 4 (Body Changes/Functionalization) – Phase 4 doesn’t include additional curriculum, but your body and mind will begin adapting to the changes required by the arts you will have been practicing for a number of years. Your musculature, body mechanics, timing and general ability will be visibly improved in a way that is unique to your own mind and physiology.
Phase 5 (Finding Your Own Direction) – In this phase you will be encouraged to follow your personal interests and specialize in a specific area of the art. Your specialization and development will be detailed between you and your instructor in the form of an independent study. Truly representative of the Jeet Kune Do philosophy behind the MKG program, Phase 5 will be yours to develop.
Phase 6 (Positive Use of the Art) – This is the most rewarding phase of our system. Here you will be encouraged to find an opportunity to help people through martial arts. Many instructors have found ways to benefit others using these arts, whether through working with at-risk groups, improving people’s health or discovering creative methods of working with various disabilities. The MKG mission statement is “Creating more functional, more peaceful individuals for a more functional, more peaceful world.”