The origin and history of Martial Arts is a controversial issue. One can see signs of martial arts in Egyptian, Greek, African, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, as well as other cultures.

The first fighting systems on earth probably evolved alongside humans because mankind must have always had a need to defend himself against animals, as well as against his fellow man. Ancient murals and sculptures show fighting poses from Egypt, India and Babylon dating from as far back as 5,000 years ago.

The martial arts as we know them probably did not evolve until systems of offensive and defensive skills were devised in or imported into China. There, in a country saturated with the spiritual teachings of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, these fighting skills were combined with intangible elements such as compassion, discipline and self-control.

Martial arts are thought to have originated in India and made their way through China and across the rest of Asia. Folklore recounts mythical creatures called Tengu who practiced martial arts and passed them on to humans.

Founders of martial arts who wanted to give their methods the aura of legitimacy would often claim that the Tengu had taught them the art. Legend says that Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk who brought Zen to China from India, also brought the martial arts. There is a clear path leading from the Southern China regions up to Korea, Okinawa and Japan. The details before that, and the exact details of that transfer, are greatly debated by historians and Martial Artists alike.

Through various periods in history when weapons were outlawed, the martial arts prospered as the only means for a person to defend himself and his family. But even as more civilized times descended upon humanity, the arts survived. They managed to outlive their violent origins primarily because they teach man much more than fighting. The true martial arts stress character development, discipline and respect. Self-defense, physical fitness and competition are some of the other benefits which modern practitioners enjoy. The fact that the martial arts have had a chance to evolve into many different styles has allowed it to endure for so many centuries.

Our system follows the Bruce Lee philosophy of accepting the best from all styles. In pursuit of this goal, Master Instructor Patrick McMullen has trained in and continues to train in a variety of different styles to further his martial arts education. The Self Defense America system emphasizes the need for students to study both “hard” and “soft” styles of martial arts to create the best possible self-defense curriculum. As you can see by this openness to other styles, Self Defense America is constantly striving to provide the students with the best program available, which includes techniques from all styles. Our goal at Self Defense America is to help each student enhance their physical and mental attributes so they can develop their own unique style as they advance toward a black belt and beyond. As Bruce Lee said, “a kick is just a kick. A punch is just a punch. Empty your cup so you can begin to learn.”