In Greece, it's called Pancrase or Pancration; in Japan, it's called shootfighting, and in Brazil, it's called vale tudo. It means anything goes, and represents crosstraining and mixed martial arts (MMA). Vale tudo contests are usually referred to as no holds barred (NHB), submission fighting, ultimate fighting, and/or extreme fighting in the United States.
They all represent the idea of using a combination of fighting systems to cover all ranges of fighting, for self defense or for sport.
In 1980, Mike Griffin met and trained with the legendary hand to hand Defendo master William (Bill) Underwood.
In 1906, Bill joined Baden Powell's first boy scout troop in Birkenhead, England. In Liverpool, England, in 1907, Bill Underwood trained with jiu jitsu samurai Yukio Tani while working as a cue boy at the Pavillion Theatre with Harry Houdini, Buffalo Bill Cody and Charles Chaplin. By 1914 he had joined the Grenadier Guards with the Royal Montreal Rigiment to fight in World War I. In 1915, he was captured in Germany and escaped using his jiu jitsu skills following the first German gas attack. The next year, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as a pilot and learned gunnery from Canada's Billy Bishop, and he became friends with Roy Brown.
In 1940, Bill joined Toronto's Queens Own Rifle Reserve and began teaching the armed forces a system of hand to hand combat he had developed and called "Combato." Five years later, he modified that system by removing the techniques that inflicted intentional death and permanent injury - and thus Defendo was born, intended to be a defensive form of self protection.
Bill taught U.S. and British forces and the police his system of Combato and Defendo. During the late 70's and early 80's, Bill appeared on numerous TV shows throughout the U.S. and Canada to demonstrate his skills.
Bill referred to his method as the occidental system of self protection. It includes strikes, grips, throws, weapons, restraints, and finishes while standing and grappling.
"Defense tactics"
are the nuts and bolts of what is effective for
self-defense. The techniques and principals are taken from
a mix of martial arts systems and are designed for police
and military personell. They include strikes, holds,
restraints, submissions, weapons, and lethal and non-lethal
force. Pro Gym's defense tactics come primarily from the
following sources:
Mike Griffin has trained extensively with each of these teachers and is instructor-certified by each of them.
Griffin Martial Training offers Law Enforcement Use of Force training that is state of the art. The firearm classes include defense of a holstered weapon, weapon disarms, and fighting with an unholstered weapon. Mike is an NRA Firearms Instructor, Illinois and Missouri State Certified Firearms Instructor, and FATS Instructor, and trained with one of the top firearms experts in the country: Ron Shownes. Our impact weapon training is not weapon specific and covers all aspects of Weapon defense and Weapon Disarms. The Pepper Spray training is also not brand or type specific and also covers all aspects of defense and control.
Mike is a nationally certified OCAT Instructor Trainer. He teaches passive and active countermeasures, and is an old R.I.S.C. Defensive Tactics Instructor. Mike teaches ground defense, control and escape and is a Gracie G.R.A.P.L.E. Instructor from Rorion Gracie. Mike teaches Aggressive Behavior Control and Tactical Communication Tactics covering the proper use and control of officer presence, and is
instructor certified from Roland Oulette, Gil Hansen, and Arthur Cohen, the three top experts in this field.
We have testimonials from law enforcement officers involved in Life or Death encounters that have praised Mike's training for saving their asses, and that is the bottom line and best compliment ever received.
Mike teaches a modern application of Bill Underwoods "Defendo" along with the Basic 5 Grips, 4 Leverages, and 12 Pressure Points system.
Mike teaches a StreetWise Self Defense Program for Women that is a mix of Police Defense and Defendo and has been described as the best thing since sliced bread!
The Griffin Martial Training MMA Program is focused on the cross-training of techniques from Gracie JuiJitsu, American Wrestling, Western Boxing, Muay Thai, Kyokushinkai, and Police Countermeasures. Mike has a unique method of interfacing these systems with a very reality based mindset that is always direct and straight forward in keeping with the KISS Principle.
Mike has taught classes at the university level, YMCA, Parks and Recreation Departments, fitness gyms, state- and federal-sponsored training programs, and boxing, kick boxing, and martial art gyms. Our focus is always on Reality Self Defense, and as we continue to evolve.
We promise our students: No B.S., just reality based training!
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