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Steve Fossum's "It's not WHAT you know,
It's What your willing to DO. " | |||||
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LINKS TO FOSSUM'S KARATE
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"Fear not the man who has
practiced 10,000 kicks once, but the man who has practiced one kick 10,000
times."
An old Shaolin saying
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Look Who Is Training In System 5 Today
Click
HERE
Dear Readers,
Thank you for visiting the web page of Steve Fossum's International Karate, System 5. We would like to inform you that this web page is NOT AN ADVERTISEMENT. It is an Information page about the System 5 Combat Karate Club. We are NOT a Commercial Club or School. We are a PRIVATE Club offering ONLY Private Instruction.
DECISIONS...
Steve Fossum's International Karate was once one of the largest karate schools on the West Coast. Three levels and over 17,000 square feet in size and over 400 students. (Although still large now at approximately 11,000 square feet in size, the class programs are very different). Along with his passion for the System 5 Karate program, Mr. Fossum heads up several other businesses. IFS, International Fight Sports, www.IFightSports.com is a Global Fight Sport Company. Here are just some of the companies under the IFS.
This may explain why the System 5 Combat karate program is no longer a commercial karate school. As World President of the, IKF since 1992, Mr. Fossum has built the IKF into the Largest Kickboxing Sanctioning Body in the World overseeing thousands of kickboxing fighters, trainers, promoters, officials and hundreds of events on every continent around the world. The IKF experienced its main growth between 1997 and 1999. Because of this growth, Mr. Fossum is on the road a lot, traveling to IKF events around the world along with being on the road with his other businesses. His travel schedule can be found by clicking HERE.
From this growth, Mr. Fossum was forced to
make a decision to downsize his Karate School and put more focus into the
Worldwide operations of the IKF. So, in
December of 1998, he decided to close the Commercial System
5 Karateschool. With this decision and after several physical changes
to the facility, the club reopened in June of 1999 as a
Private Club. In doing so, Mr. Fossum has become very selective
as to who he instructs in the
System 5 Karate Program.
Mr. Fossum's decision to close his commercial school was also based on the growing number of what he and other long time Martial Artists of the area call "Black Belt Factory Schools." or McDojo's. Mr. Fossum has studied martial arts since 1976 and like many traditional martial artist, he just shakes his head when he sees an 8, 10 or 12 year old Black Belts. He simply hated to see a child be given FALSE CONFIDENCE at 8 years old with a black belt around his waist. We've all seen them. A quick look in ANY Dictionary gives the definition of Black Belt as "An EXPERT in the Martial Arts." Sorry, but there is no way a child can become an expert in a fighting system such as System 5 Combat Karate or ANY Martial Art for that matter. He/she can become good at self defense skills, forms, katas etc, but for any instructor to promote and certify a child as an EXPERT in martial arts is a SHAME to the Martial Arts! Such a rank at such a young age is simply ridiculous!
Many schools today passing students through belt
ranks are doing it for one purpose only… Financial
Gain$$$!
Mr. Fossum will NOT have ANY part of that. We've all seen
children as well as grown men 
and women with the same false
sense of confidence when they're given that black belt or ANY belt from
very little effort, just to keep them motivated so they'll keep paying those
dues and make their instructor happy and rich. Since our enrollment is Private
and limited as to acceptance, we would be happy to recommend other schools to
you.
One school in particular that we can highly recommend is ran by Mr. Fossum's highest ranking System 5 Black Belt. Mr. Conrad Woodall took over Mr. Fossum's school and started his own school here at the IKF Training Headquarters. Since his start here he's opened a second school in Loomis, California as well. Mr. Woodall's school, Foothill School of Self Defense is Mr. Fossum's top recommendation to those near here.
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The Styles That Make Up
System
5 Combat Karate
The 5 original root styles that made up System 5 Combat Karate in the beginning were Tae Kwon Do, Kenpo, Shotokan, Kung Fu and Judo. However as System 5 evolved, the number "5" became its only limitation as it took on applications from other styles such as STIHC (Pronounced STI-HICK, Special Training In Hand to Hand Combat, A Military Style of Combat), CMT Training (Control Moves & Takedowns - Grappling For Law Enforcement) and of course, Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do. Other technique development came from styles such as JuJitsu, Aikido, Kickboxing and Boxing.
History Of Martial Arts...
Hundreds of years ago when martial arts began, the world was amazed with its dazzling skills of power, perfection, quickness and its precise accuracy. It was;
"Seeing what cannot be
seen,
doing what cannot be done and knowing what cannot be known."
In the beginning, it was used for military purposes, the fighting itself is where the word "Martial" comes from. "Art" explains the type of skill used to battle ones opponent. It began in the far Eastern countries such as Japan, China and Korea. Some styles or "Arts" like Tae Kwon Do stressed kicking more that punching because the feet can reach farther than the arms. This skill became very popular with the Korean Military. Others such as Shotokan and Kempo focused on total body power using low kicks and great upper body strength while styles such as Judo developed skills of throwing their opponent and locking them to the ground. The Kung Fu styles seemed to vary from tight inside trapping movements to graceful flowing movements. All styles though, enabled the victim to inflict pain upon attack or to even take another life with a single swift blow.
Karate and the Martial Arts will always be a dynamic force and mystery to those who do not know its powers. A well trained student learns to respect its powers and has far more ability to survive in a self defense combat situation than the average person no matter what the individuals size or age. The skills of karate in America didn't mean very much until a man named Bruce Lee emerged on the picture screen. Weighing only about 140 pounds, Lee showed tournament audiences how even a person his size could lift a man of 250 pounds off his feet with one swift movement. (Lee's famous 1 inch punch) Bruce Lee was also the first to break away from traditional training and clearly develop his own method of training called Jeet Kune Do. Lee developed movements to be more practical and quicker. He constantly argued with traditional karate practitioners who were against anyone going against "The Way". Although Lee never attained the ranking of "Black Belt" during his time, he was physical proof that "The belt doesn't make the man, the man makes the belt." He became by far, the most talked about, the most explosive and most feared man of the Martial Arts and the nations first Martial Arts film star.
Since Lee's death in the early 70's, many martial artists have tried to take his place on the big screen as the worlds number one martial arts film star. Chuck Norris without a doubt, made his mark on the big screen and continues to do so along with others such as Steven Seagall and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Movies such as "Karate Kid l, ll & lll," "Kickboxer" and of course "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I, II & III" woke up America again to Karate and Martial Arts. There have been several new karate styles developed since Lee's Jeet Kune Do. Most of these are called "ELECTRIC STYLES or AMERICAN FREESTYLES."
System 5 Combat Karate is an Electric or American Freestyle martial art. It was developed in the early 70's by Grand Masters Dan and Bruce Norris. (no relation to Chuck). When the Norris's developed System 5 Combat Karate they wanted to stress practical, to the point training instead of art form and looks. Each had a black belt rank or above in several styles along with being military hand to hand combat special forces instructors in a program known as STIHC (Pronounced STI-HICK, Special Training In Hand to Hand Combat for Military Special Forces). When combined, those styles the Norris brothers had Black Belts in made up the original styles of System 5 Combat Karate (See explanation above).
Back then, the Norris Brothers just called it "Way of 5." The styles and main techniques that created System 5 were the swift & powerful kicks of Tae Kwon Do, the strength & body power of Ken(m)po and Shotokan. The animal like fighting & flow of Kung Fu & the grappling & throwing power of Judo. However, as mentioned above, since it was formed, System 5 might as well be called System 10 or 20 since it took on skills from MANY other styles. Much of it's application & philosophy in the beginning was taken from Lees Jeet Kune Do.
"There is no right or
wrong, only different"
AND.
"Not all fighters will apply their techniques the same"
A 5 year old child will certainly use or require different skills to fight off a 200 pound man than a l9 year old teenager would. Therefore, children must be taught differently and practical skills must be taught so the student can grasp the REALITY of Self Defense. A student must learn how to avoid danger first so they will not have to be forced to use their physical skills in the first place.
"System 5 is a modern and practical instructional method of the application of self defense skills as both a physical and mental science."
Since the development of System 5 in the 70's, System 5 Combat Karate has been through over l0 revisions of the style itself and the ranking system for easier and more practical use. Since System 5 Combat Karate is a "COMBAT" style, students do not meditate or learn Katas or Forms. They specialize in "PRACTICAL SELF DEFENSE SKILLS". Classes focused on general skills such as kicking, punching and balance along with timing, accuracy, power, speed, reaction & of course, Practical Application. Also, when a System 5 Combat Karate class is taught, a student is taught to visualize ones skill & overcome emotions such as panic & fear in a self defense situation as well as how to deal with realistic pain.
System 5 Combat Karate students learn to control emotions such as anger & aggression & learn how to focus that aggressive energy to more constructive sources like the physical training itself. Grand Master Dan Norris, as previously mentioned, was a special forces hand to hand combat instructor during the Vietnam War. His skills were tested in life or death situations time after time. During war time, drill instructors of STIHCdidn't have months or years to teach a soldier skills and how to use them effectively with traditional martial arts training. Because of this an instructional skill known as "MFI" (Mental Forced Instruction) was implemented into the training helping the soldiers retain and learn their material easier and faster. This instructional skill is used in many of the System 5 Combat Karate classes today enabling students to learn faster and memorize easier. It is a very calm yet precise approach. It is more of what a student believes he or she can do mentally rather than physically.
"You either know it or
you don't.
There is no 'kinda' or 'sorta' in MFI training, only students
striving for perfection.
When we seek perfection, we attain excellence."
Thank You for viewing our page.....
Steve Fossum's International Karate -
System 5 Combat Karate- STIHC
9385 Old State Highway,
Rear of Building, Newcastle, CA USA
Mailing: P.O.
Box 1205, Newcastle, CA, 95658, USA
PHONE: (916) 663-2467 - FAX: (916)
663-4510
E-mail:
SF@ikfkickboxing.com
STEVE FOSSUM
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