American Cane Masters Teaches Many Martial Arts Disciplines Using Canes.

Did you know there are several Cane Master International Association self-defense and wellness programs?  Martial arts, itself, a mixture of discipline and art, is at its most basic, a method to either kill or prevent someone from injuring you.  At its highest, martial arts is art pursued with passion. Many martial arts, especially those descending from Asian origins, teach side disciplines related to medicinal practices, enhancing the development of body, mind and spirit.  At Cane Masters, the teachings of martial arts center around the cane, a medical device or aid, that can also become a weapon, if one is needed for defense.  There are several studies, but this writing will be posted in three installments covering three of the frequently requested studies Cane-Ja Do, Cane Chi and Cane-Fu (the American Cane System).

Cane Ja Do.  Cane-Ja Do system is for students more interested in learning tactical combat techniques using the cane, than in earning belt ranks. Though students do not earn belts as they advance, there are 8 distinct levels of advancement. 

Level 1.  An Introduction to the fundamentals of Cane-Ja Do, offering an overview of the martial arts system, safety and training considerations, review of parts of the cane, and instruction on how to train with or without a training partner.  In this fundamental level, students learn three basic grips, four stances, five empty hand basics, ten blocks as well as a dozen striking angles.  Students will train on the single handed jab and five methods of punching with the cane, before using the front kick and side twirls.  In other words, level 1 introduces the fundamental cane techniques that Cane-Ja Do is based on.

Level 2. Once the student has grasped the fundamentals of the Cane-Ja Do introduction, partner drills are introduced, with blocking and striking cane against cane with a partner.  Although this sounds fun, there are new grips (two) to learn, a new stance, eight more basic blocks, swing strikes, double handed jabs and so much more, including crook strikes and combinations. 

Level 3. In this level, students transition beyond the fundamentals in blocks and strikes to learn more self defense techniques as well as other more advanced skills.  While there were basic twirls, in this level students learn helicopter twirls, reversing the horn and other more skillful self-defense moves.  Perhaps more importantly, is the introduction of the traditional martial arts philosophy. Ver a dozen new self-defense techniques are presented.  Drill sets with a partner are developed, as well as new empty-hand techniques.

Level 4. This level is another building block for future levels of Cane-Ja Do.  In it, skills learned in levels 1-3 are reviewed, but another dozen or more self-defense techniques are added, including throws, defense against kicks, punches, grabs, rear attacks and cane disarmament attempts.  New grips and cane control are explained.  Drill sets are provided for training and practice purposes.

Level 5.  In depth additional self-defense techniques are taught, with the theories and strategies behind the new armory of moves.  New blocks, strikes, spins, drills and stances are revealed.

Level 6. Now the training shifts from memorization and skill sets toward practical application of the self-defense study of Can-Ja Do.  Students will be still be trained on another seventeen self-defense techniques.  These include join locks, double punches, cane retention, disarming attackers with pipe or club, underhand and overhand knife assault defense and so much more.  Students will work hard and learn much in this level of Cane-Ja Do.

Level 7.  Another  fourteen advanced self-defense techniques will be introduced, including seated self-defense, throws, headlocks, and other scenarios.  The Twelve standard double handed partner drills are presented along with more concepts and techniques.

Level 8.  This level will complete the first 100 required cane self-defense techniques, by adding another 22 new techniques, including defenses against punches, grabs, knives, guns, seated position defenses and more.   The last of the 11 elements of self-defense is explained, including defense against assailants armed with a gun.  Continuous blocking drills are demonstrated and explained with cane against cane blocks and strikes similar to sparring.