American Martial Training Systems

I. Introduction: The Purpose of Martial Practice

The purpose of martial training is not violence. It is the pursuit of peace through preparedness, the shaping of character through discipline, and the cultivation of clarity through adversity. American Martial Training Systems (AMTS) exists to refine the individual in body, mind, and spirit, forging not only fighters, but thinkers, guardians, and leaders.

Martial practice must serve a broader purpose than combat. While it teaches one to subdue opposition, its truest form teaches one to master the self. At its core, AMTS is built upon the principles of Kenpo, yet it is not a rigid system. It is a living code—rooted in timeless truths and adapted for the challenges of modern life.

II. The Warrior's Triad: Integrity, Adaptability, and Readiness

These three pillars serve as the ideological foundation of AMTS.

Integrity is the unyielding commitment to truth, responsibility, and respect. A true martial artist lives by honor, not ego, and extends respect before it is earned. Integrity manifests in humility, accountability, and the courage to admit fault.

Adaptability is the ability to respond to change with calm, clarity, and control. Whether facing an opponent, a challenge in life, or internal conflict, the martial artist flows around obstacles while remaining rooted in principle.

Readiness is more than preparation; it is the continual pursuit of growth. It is physical conditioning, mental awareness, emotional control, and moral clarity - so that when action is required, it is decisive and justified.

III. Mental Programming Through Physical Training

In AMTS, physical practice is a vehicle for mental transformation. Forms, drills, techniques, and sparring are not ends unto themselves; they are tools for forging discipline, patience, and resilience.

Progress is marked not only by belts, but by the evolution of mindset. A student begins with ambition and insecurity. Through challenge, repetition, and guided reflection, they develop confidence, humility, and self-control. Each belt is a rung on a ladder, each goal a smaller goal within a greater one.

IV. The Discipline of Respect

Respect is not submission. It is recognition - of shared humanity, of struggle, and of potential. AMTS teaches that respect must be given before it is received. Instructors, students, peers, and even opponents are addressed with honor.

The ritual of bowing, the use of titles, the habits of courtesy - these are not theatrics. They are the daily reminders that martial power is dangerous without moral restraint.

Leadership in AMTS is earned through conduct, not command. The true instructor leads by example, speaks with measured voice, and disciplines with dignity.

V. The Combat Mindset

A martial artist must be mentally prepared for conflict, but not consumed by it. AMTS adopts and builds upon Colonel Jeff Cooper's four color-coded conditions:

1. White: Unaware, vulnerable
2. Yellow: Calm awareness of surroundings
3. Orange: Identification of potential threat
4. Red: Decision point; engagement begins

AMTS adds a layer beneath: The Three Stages of Combat:

• Verbal Conflict: Best resolved through de-escalation or withdrawal.
• Unarmed Attack: Requires controlled and proportional response.
• Lethal Threat: Demands immediate and possibly terminal action.

Training must prepare the practitioner not only to act, but to decide. The moral weight of force must be considered long before it is ever used.

VI. Principles of Application: The Ten Laws Reimagined

The following principles, adapted from classical Kenpo doctrine, form the practical core of AMTS:

• Circle vs. Line: Flow when struck directly; strike directly when faced with flow.
• Initiative: Strike first when danger is imminent.
• Combinations: Attack in succession - distract, disrupt, disable.
• Targeting: Aim for maximum effect with minimal risk to self.
• Low-Line Kicks: Efficient, safe, and difficult to counter.
• Avoidance Over Blocking: Move rather than stop. Redirect rather than resist.
• Yield and Redirect: Use their force to your advantage.
• Mobility: A moving warrior is harder to hit, easier to position.
• Flexibility: Train to your strengths; adapt to your reality.
• Warrior Spirit: Calm mind, fierce heart. Ferocity outward, composure within.

VII. The Way of the Scholar-Warrior

A martial artist must think as well as act. Physical prowess without reflection breeds brutality. Philosophy without practice breeds arrogance.

The AMTS warrior seeks balance:

• Emotional intensity tempered by logic.
• Passion expressed through reason.
• Power exercised with restraint.

AMTS is rooted in both Eastern and Western ideals. Eastern philosophies teach us harmony, patience, and introspection. Western codes, by contrast, emphasize duty, individual responsibility, and moral clarity. The AMTS warrior holds both—discipline of the East with the honor of the West.

Nowhere is that Western ethos better captured than in the phrase often attributed to Theodore Roosevelt, and later adopted by Colonel Jeff Cooper:

“To ride, shoot straight, and speak the truth.”

This maxim reflects not just a code of conduct, but a way of living with integrity. To ride speaks to action—to readiness, movement, and self-reliance. To shoot straight is to act with skill, precision, and restraint. To speak the truth is to live with honesty, even when it costs something.

This encapsulates the AMTS ideal: a martial artist who lives cleanly, acts deliberately, and speaks honestly—ready to defend life, uphold principle, and walk forward with clarity of purpose.

VIII. The Spirit of AMTS

Martial arts is not about domination. It is about elevation. AMTS exists to make people better - not only stronger, but wiser, calmer, and more courageous.

The student does not bow to the instructor. They bow to the path - a lifelong journey that demands discipline, humility, and endurance.

Our legacy is not the techniques we teach, but the lives we shape.

IX. A Living Philosophy

AMTS is not fixed in stone. It is a living philosophy, shaped by experience, adapted by instructors, and carried by every student who walks the path.

The world will continue to change. Violence will evolve. So too must those who train to face it. But the values at the heart of AMTS - integrity, adaptability, readiness - will not change.

This is the code we live by. This is the art we pass on. This is American Martial Training Systems.