Are you looking for a new challenge?  To get fit, relieve stress or are you a seasoned martial artist looking to expand thier knowledge.  Whatever your experience level Karasac Kali has lots to interest and excite you.  Karasacs diverse curriculum includes martial arts from all over the world, Kali (Filipino Martial Arts), Jeet Kune Do, Jun Fan Gung Fu, Silat, Wing Chun Gung Fu, Kick Boxing.

Class Times

• Wednesday 8pm til 9.30pm
• Saturday 10am til 11.30am
  

Location

• Eric Liddell Sports Centre, Mottingham
  

New Class  & Location

The Dojo, Sidcup 

• Thursday 8.30pm til 10pm

The Dojo
Sidcup RFC
Crescent Farm
Sydney Road
Sidcup, Kent
DA14 6RA 

As well as our weekly classes , Karasac Kali also hosts seminars with some of the most influential and respected martial artists in the world: Rick Faye, Marc Mcfann, Ralph Jones, Rick Tucci, Rita Suwanda, Danny Guba and Joseph Lee.

Paul Finn - Instructor Profile
Head Instructor & Founder of Karasac Kali

Instructors & Qualifications

    * Kali, JKD and Jun Fan Gung Fu (Associate)- Guro Dan Inosanto
    * Maphalindo Silat
    * Kali, JKD and Jun Fan Gung Fu (Instructor Level 2)- Guro Ralph Jones.
    * Kali, JKD and Jun Fan Gung Fu (Associate Instructor 2) - Sifu Rick Faye.
    * Doces Pares / Escrima (3rd Dan) - Master Danny Guba.
    * Wing chun Kung Fu -Sifu Stephen Maire.
    * Bujutsu (original Japanese battle arts) Shodan - Sensei Seiji Morioka.
    * Mande Muda Pencak Silat – Ibu Rita Suwanda (UK representative)

MARTIAL ARTS BIOGRAPHY
PAUL A FINN

I began my martial Arts training at the age of 12 with the study of Judo & under the tutelage of Professor Seiji Morioka (8th Dan) Founder & Head Instructor of The Musokai Association of Original Japanese Martial Arts. After several years of Judo I broadened my study with Shotokan Karate. I trained  into my late teens with The Thames Shotokan Karate Organisation under Sensei Raye Fuller. During this time I was fortunate enough to be invited to learn Bujutsu with Professor Morioka and my training incorporated JuJutsu & Kenjutsu/Iaijutsu & Bojutsu. After a number of years I was proud and privileged to be awarded the rank of Shodan by Sensei Morioka in both kendo & Bujutsu.

Subsequently, my Martial Studies became heavily involved in Wing Chun Kung Fu. I originally studied with Sifu Steve Maire and in 1996 visited Hong Kong & the Philippines, during this vacation I studied at the Yip Chun Athletic Association in Hong Kong training personally with Grand Master Yip Chun.

Thereafter I continued my studies with Sifu Steve Maire & whom I must thank for introducing me to the Art of Jeet Kune Do and introducing me to Sifu Rick Faye of the Minnesota Kali Group. This was a real turning point in my martial arts training and development and opened my eyes to the possibilities of cross training and Jeet Kune Do Concepts. 

I attending Guru Inosanto's seminars in the United Kingdom, the informal and relaxed training and the vast array of Guro’s knowledge came as a breath of fresh air to the traditional systems in which I had historically been involved.

In 1997 I began studying with Guru Ralph Jones of the Kent Kali Group. I thank Steve for pointing me in the right direction for my own personal development.

I have attended numerous International & National JKD seminars over the last 10 years. I have visited & trained at many Internationally recognised schools in the USA including Guro Rick Fayes Minnesota Kali Group,  Rick Tucci's Princeton Academy and also The Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts in Los Angeles California & where I have attended Guru Inosanto's classes & IAMA Instructors Camp.

These have been   fantastic opportunities to learn especially at the legendary Inosanto Academy under the direct tutilage of Guru Inosanto. For all those who have been and trained there you know that this is the pinnacle in martial arts tuition. Guro Inosanto being arguably the most qualified Martial Artist on the planet & who was and remains the only person to have been certified by the late Sigung Bruce lee to teach Jeet Kune Do & Jun fan gung Fu.

I have remained a group & private student of Guru Jones from this date & regard him as both a mentor and close personal friend. He has assisted me greatly in my JKD journey and without him I would not have enjoyed a myriad of opportunities, most importantly being introduced and approved by Guru Inosanto to join his programme in July 2002.

Having previously qualified as an instructor in JKD & Kali with Guru Jones this was without a doubt my proudest Martial achievement to date.
Subsequently I have continued to attend Guru Inosanto's seminars at home and abroad. I was also extremely proud to be awarded instructorship (Level 2 Associate) under Sifu Rick Faye of The Minnesota Kali Group. Rick has been a major influence and supportive element in my martial arts development & I thank him for his continued patience and encouragement. Rick remains a constant source of inspiration.

For the last 6 years I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study as a private student (alongside Guru Jones) with Grand Master Danny Guba of the Doce Pares system of Eskrima.Kali.Arnis. I am proud to have been certified by GM Guba to 3rd Dan in his multi-system style. Danny is a phenomenal talent & certainly a hidden gem.

Most recently I have had the privilege to train with Sifu Joseph Lee of the Lee Sing Wing Chun lineage as a closed door student. Sifu Lee is a phenomenal talent & the most knowledgeable Wing Chun Instructor I have had the good fortune to train with.
 
In the last 5 years I have been incredibly lucky to train with Ibu Rita Suwanda the head of the Mande Muda Pencak Silat Association. This is the first time that Ibu Rita has taught in the UK & I have been training hard with Ibu Suwanda  to propogate the deadly and dynamic art of Penjak Silat Mande Muda throughout the UK.

I thank all my students and instructors for their kind help and guidance throughout the years and look forward to the future that remains as challenging as ever.

The Arts that I teach can be broadly divided into three distinct areas –

Jeet Kune Do (jun fan Gung Fu)

Jeet Kune Do literally translated ‘Way of the exploding fist’ in its simplest form it means to intercept any attack at its conception for example pre-empting a strike and hitting first or stop hitting by striking into the line of an attack. JKD is also a set of principles or theology / methodology used to analyse Martial Art and to is assimilate a technique and or theory into the Artists own blend Sijo Lee said ‘Absorb what is useful & reject what is useless and add what is specifically your own..’ it would therefore be a mistake to think that JKD as an art could be simply created by an individual experimenting but rather this would be the concept of JKD. JKD is given a structure by the underlying Art and principles found in Jun Jan Gung Fu.

However, there appears to be a popular misconception that anyone can make  up their own system from mixed martial arts and that this would be JKD. This is not correct ,JKD has a basis or foundation in Jun Fan Gung Fu which is a system and as such has core components which must be learnt in order to appreciate the concepts encapsulated within the JKD.

JKD is probably a better way to analyse and deconstruct / construct arts but is not an Art of itself. Possibly this is the reason why it is said that Sijo Lee did not want to give it a name as by sheer definition people begin to label it and restrict its growth and development, for example would Bruce Lee be teaching and training the same way today as he did in the 1960’s or would the Art have moved on and changed with time?

Martial Arts should be in a state of flux and move with the times. For example when Bruce Lee was talking about JKD, the reference point was a ‘Street Fight’ however by using this term we immediately impose certain assumptions and restrictions by the definition. For example a ‘Street fight’ in 1960 would be different to what we may believe a street fight to be today. The definition also depends on culture and location ie. a street fight in Brazil, London or New York may prove very different. Further does it involve Weapons and/or multiple opponents the definition and the Art therefore can be greatly influenced by the myriad of factors by which one chooses to analyse it.

JKD concepts as taught by Guru Inosanto have a particular format and structure but within a flexible framework and which means that there are is room for development and analysis despite the underlying principles.

Kali

The FILIPINO Arts are many and varied and encompass a vast range of systems, cultures, styles and countries. Again there are inherent difficulties in trying to define them and detail what they involve. For example one must be careful to establish the source of origin and the accurate translation. Kali in the phillipines can mean silat as referred to in Indonesia and even then there are thousands of systems of these arts across SE Asia. Kali in Southern pihillipines is translated as ‘Hand and body motion’ and is the definition we use for a system incorporating -12 areas of Martial Art including -

   1. Single stick (taught first to familiarise with angles of attack & defence and weapon use)
   2. Stick and knife (espada ya daga)
   3. Knife (defence being a primary consideration in today’s society).
   4. Double Stick
   5. Double knife
   6. Double handed weapons (staff)
   7. Flexible weapons (sarong)
   8. Projectile weapons
   9. Thrown weapons
  10. Empty Hand (Panantukan philipino boxing)
  11. Spiritual Arts
  12. Healing Arts

These 12 Areas are taken from Definitions provided by Guru Inosanto and from the La Coste system of Kali which was passed down to Dan as one of only a very few select students.

The symbol representing Filipino Martial Arts & Kali used by the Inosanto Academy shows a stick, knife and empty hand & the symbols for K E S – the stick, knife and empty hand representing core areas within the Art and the ancient symbols stand for K E S or Kali/Eskrima/Silat – again terms which can be used to mean the same thing or distinctive arts.

Other systems of Kali Arnis or Eskrima (terms which may refer to widely divergent or inherently similar Arts) may include some or all of these elements and certainly different emphasis is placed on each and the manner it which it is trained. For example Doce Pares (12 pairs) Eskrima is noted for its Single stick, knife and stick, double stick and knife (daga) as well as empty hand techniques. However the main emphasis in this art is upon single stick.

Therefore it is vital when training to understand and respect the origin of ones Art & the culture and thinking behind it. For example some systems are inherently weapon based because of the fact that the society in which they developed was one where knives/swords are common place eg., phillipines, Indonesia etc.

By learning the arts or at least having a glimpse at them and their fundamental principles and ideas we can better appreciate not only various fighting systems but also wider cultural values..

By understanding Cultural ideas we then can appreciate the philosophy & historical underpinnings of each Art, & without these cornerstones it would be like trying to understand the Art in a vacuum and without the external references and essential factors that have helped shape and create the Arts. For example (and as often quoted) the deadly Art of Silat is full of moves that are unrecognisable to westerners. Many do not appreciate the Lankas and Durus (dances), nor the reasons for the various low stances and certain hand and foot motions. However, if we examine the culture of Indonesia, Malaysia & the Phillipines, historically these were heavily influenced by various bladed weapon systems. Thus, many motions represent attacks & defence designed for the use of a knife or sword. Moves representing the control of an opponents blade hand or the drawing of ones own weapon are frequently observed.

Similarly, at least historically, finger & foot knives were common and which explains or helps us to at least understand why certain defences are used and which would bring these deadly concealed weapons into play. Secondly, the motions are determined by the terrain and clothing worn, thus stances are low to deal with uneven or hazardous terrain, & often moves can be reciprocated to involve the use of the Sarong as a weapon.

It is therefore established that without an understanding of the various cultural, philosophical & historical references then it is difficult to appreciate the real meaning and factors relevant to each particular art.

Penjak Silat Mande Muda

Students are taught the initial footwork & evasive postures designed for defence & counter-attack.
Hand Motions are then employed to facilitate grabbing and trapping (Chicalong) before moving onto joint locking & breaking (associate with the Rikasan system).
Hari Mau (Tiger style from West Java) techniques are then employed to develop tie up positions & take-downs.
Explosive entries & quick kills are employed from the Sera system & often blended with Madi (the jumping style) to provide a devastating & efficient entry system.
Unusual & Evasive postures & offensive stratergies are taken from the Monkey System (Pa-Monyet : literally Monkey Hand).

The whole blended system of Mande Muda encompasses every conceivable aspect of empty handed combat as well as bladed weaponry (including the terrible Karambit “ Tigers Claw”, and flexible weapons – primarily the Sarong.
Footwork is developed via specific drills and patterns, commonly referred to as Lankah & then techniques are trained through Djurus (hand applications) & are then practiced before the Kabangan (ritual dance) within which the Bua (or fruit from the form can be found).
The system is vast encompassing a blending of 25 styles & each of which has been selected & adopted for its specific strengths and integration within the complete system. In this way it is much like the harmonizing concepts originally adopted in Jeet Kune Do.

Conclusions – Is a kick just a kick and a punch just a punch.. Perhaps & perhaps not..

My view is that certain Arts & by their nature and historical context more suitable or should we say functional as appropriate self-defence systems. The Arts that I have strived to learn from the Worlds leading Authorities are such.. they are not the mere combination of techniques one so readily sees in the latest craze or article.

 Paul Finn

T: 07906 927770