Filipino Martial Arts
Kuntao

Kuntao, as taught by Ron Kosakowski

Students must be 18 years or older. Not all who apply for this group will be accepted. We require an interview prior to application.

Kuntao (sometimes spelled Kuntaw, Kuntau, Kun Tao, even Kuen Tao among a few other ways in SE Asia, is an ancient Filipino warrior system considered to be indigenous to the Philippines that consists of a very vicious approach to engaging in a conflict. This of course, makes Kuntao extremely realistic, together with being a tremendously practical and efficient fighting martial art for modern time self-defense use.

With various open hand striking methods and low line kicks combined with tearing at the eyes, groin, lips and throat along with nerve attacks and joint destruction’s. These are  followed up with a variety of grabbing methods to a choice of take downs and off balancing methods that make this style of Kuntao very unique and lately, in big demand all over the world.

Kuntao

(Sometimes spelled Kuntaw, Kuntau, Kun Tao, even Kuen Tao among a few other ways in SE Asia) is an ancient Filipino warrior system considered to be indigenous to the Philippines that consists of a very vicious approach to engaging in a conflict. This of course, makes Kuntao extremely realistic, together with being a tremendously practical and efficient fighting martial art for modern time self-defense use.

With various open hand striking methods and low line kicks combined with tearing at the eyes, groin, lips and throat along with nerve attacks and joint destruction’s. These are  followed up with a variety of grabbing methods to a choice of take downs and off balancing methods that make this style of Kuntao very unique and lately, in big demand all over the world.

Kuntao, as it is taught at the Practical Self Defense Training Center is definitely a style that has to be seen to be believed. Kuntao is the ONLY style of Kuntao in the United States recognized by the Philippine elders of Kuntao, Ali Sharief and the Kuntao council of Grand Masters of the Maranaw and Maguindanao tribes in Mindanao, Philippines.

Everyone who has looked at this Kuntao style usually wants to learn the whole system due to the fact that it is a great science and you definitely reach those stages where you can feel the progression within yourself as time goes on. It is a feeling you can easily get addicted to because it feels good to have that feeling of accomplishment. After every rank advancement test, that is especially a time where everyone feels better in both mind and body about their skills in Kuntao; a progression is very noticeable. Each test is very stressful requiring some good endurance and mental stability. It is very mentally and physically demanding but very worthwhile achieving due to the gains.

Kuntao is a grappling range fighting style, but not a wrestling art, due to the fact that all joint manipulation and off balancing your opponent’s body is usually accomplished through pain compliance to help gain leverage advantage over an opponent.

In other words, it is most effective in the clench. People at a higher level of skill can control an individual rather easily without pain compliance.

Kuntao had a major influence of many of the empty hand combat methods throughout the Southeast Asian area including Malaysian and Indonesian Silat in addition to the empty hands like Pangkamut/Panantukan in the Philippines. You can see some the resemblances in the empty hand aspects of Kali/Dumog, though you can definitely see what gives Kuntao its individualistic distinctiveness. Due to the many levels of extremes this system can be brought to, it is found to be a favorite among military personnel, police, correctional officers.

This style of Kuntao is especially useful for women looking for a self-defense system to train in that doesn’t just give them a false sense of security. If practiced well, Kuntao will work in all possible street oriented confrontations. It is hard to find a martial art style that preserves ancient fighting methods that can fit in modern time altercations nowadays! Kuntao, as it is taught at the Practical Self Defense Training Center in Waterbury, CT, is without a doubt that style. It is the ultimate self defense style for everyone regardless of size and strength.

Each Filipino Kuntao class usually begins by some of the traditional leg strengthening exercises which are very important in the development of what makes this style of Kuntao very powerful. Those lower body exercises are very valuable to this style of Kuntao. Everyone has just discovered we have a “core” to develop when in Kuntao going back to ancient times, they have been doing that for a few 100 years already. Hand strengthening and gripping exercises are also a part of the routine in every Kuntao class and is required for homework as well if a student wants his techniques to be noticeably flawless as time goes on. And as expected, everyone goes to loosening up the joints, then into some different stretching exercises to loosen and relax different muscles. The warm-ups alone get people addicted to this style of Kuntao.

To explain the leg strengthening a little better…is a very important area of exercise that is expressed throughout the whole class one way or another so proper performance, for balance and perfection in technique. Not to mention this also leaves the Kuntao student prepared for all alternative techniques when and if the initial technique applied were to fail!  After the warm-ups, most of the time the practice of ground rolling exercises are done with the use of evasive and fighting tactics to go along with it. This is so you understand how ground rolling is used in an actual fight when it is needed most. Every single technique learned in Kuntao has a number of spontaneous reaction drills and training methods that are done throughout each class. That is so every Kuntao student acquires a good understanding of off-balancing an opponent or opponents as well as pin-pointing specific superficial nerve targets on the attacker(s) while still in constant motion. The proper training methods have to be understood down to the smallest details, so every Kuntao student develops the reflexes to respond with what they learning if by chance an actually self defense situation should ever occur. And as mentioned before, what a student does for homework shows in class time. 

An idea how rank is accomplished in Kuntao class

Please note this first:

Before you read how rank and progression is acquired you should understand what is in this paragraph! Kuntao in the Philippines does not have a belt ranking system. You will notice that there is a belt ranking system in Kuntao at the Practical Self Defense Training Center (PSDTC). This method of ranking was added in by the late Grand Master Joe Rossi back around 1957 in his personal Rossi Kun Tao System, his personal system of Kuntao. He added a belt ranking system to give his students a tangible feeling of progression. Grand Master Joe Rossi, at one time in Connecticut, was the only martial art instructor who had Filipino martial arts. Everyone else was doing some style of Karate, Aikido or Judo or Jiu Jitsu around this area back in those days. Those styles, of course, all rank by the use of the belt system. So Mr. Rossi decided to add a belt ranking system to his Kuntao style to show people where they stand in skill level and of course, that tradition still holds today at the Practical Self Defense Training Center in Waterbury CT. Also, please realize even though it has a belt ranking system that seems to be part of other cultures along with how they rank students, the PSDTC Kuntao style and all the techniques taught in Kuntao has its roots in the Philippines and has NOTHING to do with Japanese styles or any other culture outside the the Philippines. This is a true ancient Filipino warrior system with no pieces missing and no needed additives! Now that this particular point is brought up, please read the explanation below:

For White through Purple belts there is a lot to memorize in so far as technique along with potential patterns with potential follow-ups in case the initial moves were to fail. Practice and positioning along with an assortment of drilling methods do improve perfect precision movements. Some of the first techniques learned is all the Kuntao footwork drills and usage. This then leads to the learning the entries off the strike defenses and defenses for grabs, holds that are especially common in street fighting to understand the leverage aspect of this Kuntao style. Every Kuntao student notices right away that in-fighting is where this style is very effective. This is where a full understanding of joint manipulation to off balancing and takedowns, right into a controlled situation that can be taken to any extreme is which are all worked on in every class. Although this is not easy to do, empty hand against weapons is constantly practiced in drill form and isolation fighting from long range, right into clench range in different semi-drill formats for good neuromuscular response for this potentially dangerous situation.

Kuntao is a step by step program developing good reflexes spontaneously. A student sees that as time goes by from White to Purple belt levels.

The development in the skill of proper breathing when giving a commitment to exertion or when taking a strike is another thing learned at those levels. And along with everything else; it is constantly expressed so it is well understood if practiced with consistency. Utilizing fear to think more clearly, bringing out the natural survival instincts everyone has within them already while training is just another area to add to that extra edge in combat that this style offers. Survival instincts can be brought out naturally with the proper thought behind the execution of the technique that is learned in our step by step process right from the beginning. All Kuntao students recognize that mind, body and breath coordination gets noticeably better especially around Purple Belt level and strengthens as time goes on well into your Black Belt level.
An advantage in the ranks of Purple Belt and up, skills in the understanding of alternative directions to go with all techniques learned with random flow. Many drilling methods are done to develop these elements of this martial art. All students notice a big change in their instincts for self preservation Even though each student gains a certain level of potential self-defense pretty much right away, Purple Belt level is where everyone can really understand how to use Kuntao very well a high level of skill in the spontaneous reaction in the use of the techniques that are taught in the earlier ranks. By the time a student reaches the Purple Belt level and up, this Kuntao System does actually become a part of the practitioner as a way of life in all aspects. Not only a prominent degree of confidence in ones personal survival  but also in strength and all around health as well. This is a true ancient warrior system where the translation of the style is not watered down…every piece of this style of Kuntao is well balanced and fits together and flows perfectly.

“The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.” – Emile Zola