EXPERIENCE THE PROVEN "MFA METHOD" OF COMBAT

Modern Arnis - MFA METHOD

History and Founding

MFA Academy, Long Islands Premiere Boxing/Kickboxing Gym was established by Guru Andrew "Tattoo" Filardo in 1992. Guru was a personal student of the late GM Professor Remy Presas. "Tattoo" was the nickname Professor used to call him by. Guru has been certified and authorized by the late GM Presas since 1985. He earned his 4th degree Blackbelt from the Professor in 98', Lakan Apat.

He started his martial arts training in 1977 in USA GOJU under Kyoshi Vincent Demarco in Garden City Park, New York. Kyoshi Demarco was a Black Belt of Grand Master Peter Urban from the infamous " China Town Dojo", in Manhattan, New York. Guro continued with his training under Sensei Ken Nilsen, Kyoshi Demarco's top student and most revered fighter. Sensei Nilsen taught with an aggressive no-nonsense practical approach, with an emphasis on impeccable technique and what it takes to develop the proper body dynamics to being a well schooled fighter. These concepts and methods Guro embraced and helped set his foundation for the future. Guro earned a 4th Degree Black Belt in Goju.

He started his Boxing and Kickboxing training in the early 80's at the famous " Gleason's Gym", in Brooklyn N.Y.with Professional Trainer Freddy T.Coritone. Coritone is a well known trainer in the business and has trained many champions and Golden Glove Champs in his time. He continues to be one of the sports top trainers and cut men to this day. Guro fought as an amateur Kickboxer, and fought some professional exhibition bouts. He was also a regular sparring partner for many professional fighters, as well as Tony "The Tiger" Arneud, who was the United States Professional Lightweight Champion and ranked #1 in the world at the time. Guro and Tony became the best of friends, and continue to train together to this day in both Kickboxing and Arnis.

He is also a Certified USA Boxing Coach, Certified by N.Y. Metro Boxing, Professional Kickboxing Trainer, Licensed by the New Jersey Athletic Commission, USKBA Certified, Director of Full Contact F.A.A, President of the Filipino Athletic Association, Long Island Representative for Modern Arnis and a American Council on Exercise (A.C.E.) Certified Personal Trainer. He has appeared in Black Belt Magazine with GM Remy Presas numerous times. And is on the cover with the Professor, of the latest publication of Professor Remy Presas's Modern Arnis Book. He was also very instrumental in the development of "Filipino Digest Magazine" and had a monthly column in the magazine, and was the Technical Director for some time.

Since opening M.F.A., Guro, or Coach Andy as his fighters call him, has trained many aspiring amateur and professional fighters. His fighters have had successes in the New York Daily News Golden Gloves, Kickboxing, Full Contact Stickfighting, MMA, and have also captured some titles on the way. Guro has brought his fighters all the way to the semi finals of the Gloves, and to the Mecca of Boxing's Madison Square Garden's New York Golden Gloves Finals with his fighters. And has appeared on ESPN, MSG, Channel 12 News, and Channel 11 news, in competitions and demonstrations. Coach and his fighters have captured the Silver Gloves, USKBA Super lightweight Amateur Belt, and also the Professional USKBA Intercontinental Middleweight Belt. And just as recently as Nov. 2011, the WKA Lightweight Title, and June 22nd 2012, the Topkicks Superfights Lightweight Title.

Guro Filardo also teaches Filipino Martial Arts,Modern Arnis, at the MFA Gym. He emphasizes the "Combat" rather then the "Art", the practical application of combative technique as the Professor taught him. Professors roots were in Balintawak Eskrima, training under the Grand Master Anciong Bacon. Balintawak being a straight foward system focusing on "Fighting" and what works for real, rather than "sport"Arnis. Professor saw that Guro was already a Professional Fighter,  focused on what worked for real. Having spent many times at Guros gym, training him and watching Guro and his students sacrificing their bodies for the sake of reality thru the full contact sparring and training sessions that Guro ran and drilled his students in daily,..... Agreed !......INTENSE and REAL !......but not for the masses, and definitely not good for business.......... COMPRENDE !!!

The Full/Real contact sparring with minimal equipment, is only part of the training and not for everyone, but you learn the realities of real combat from these experiences. You take what you learn from these experiences and apply it to your daily training and your basics so you develop a sound and solid foundation and become a well schooled fighter. The same as you do when you train as an amateur or professional Boxer/Kickboxer. One of Guro's favorite sayings is .........."you cant go swimming and not get wet"

These principals Guro has learned and embraced as a fighter, he applies to the Stickfighting as well. Also "CONDITIONING" is stressed and ALL students are required to go thru the rigorous training as an amateur or professional fighter regardless of if they are getting ready for a competition or not.

Let's face it " How can you call yourself a fighter if you never fight! There's no rank, no uniforms, no rituals. You train for the sake of training to be the best you can be.

Guro teaches from his practical, competitive and real life experiences, not just theory. If you want to get in shape and learn at the same time and aren't afraid to train hard and sweat, then MFA could be the place for you. The training is rigrous and demanding, but worth the rewards ! Whether you have aspirations of being a competitive fighter, or are one already, or if you want to learn a realistic practical way of fighting through Boxing/Kickboxing and the Filipino martial arts than MFA Academy Gym could be the gym your looking for.. Come in and say hello and meet Guro and the "Crew".

TRAIN

WITH

US

Boxing/Kickboxing

Train the MFA METHODS that have produced champion fighters!

Modern Arnis

Train the combat focused MFA METHODS

Combat Vs The Art

In the Filipino martial arts you have the translation of techniques from weapon to empty hand. This is one of the unique qualities we have, and one that sets the Filipino systems apart from others. You use the same techniques, weapon vs weapon, empty hand vs weapon, empty hand vs empty hand, with little or no modifications. What a beautiful, compact, effective fighting system.

The better one sees the translations, the more one sees. The simpler it gets. The more efficient, thus more effective. Simplicity is one of the keys for effective combat. The more complicated the moves, the less likely it will work. You must stay focused on the end result, maximum damage, with the least amount of effort. Damage incorporated! And then there is the most important translation of all. Translating the "Art" to the "Combat"! What came first, the Art or the Combat! There is no debate here!

If you were to pay attention to the Grand Master himself, you would here him say, " If it were for REAL, you would STRIKE him here! But I want you to learn the "ART" !! The art came after and for a many reasons. One being that instructors wanted to teach for a living, and wanted to appeal to the masses. The people would not be going into combat, they would be just training for recreation. If the training was to hard and intense, with contact and risk of injury, only few would be willing and able to continue with the training. Thus the "Art" was born. Make no mistake about it, there IS a difference from the "Art" and the "Combat".

The art is a more passive way of expressing technique and training. It is where you will see the more complicated moves and techniques put together in sophisticated drills and forms. Being practiced stick to stick, no contact. Beautiful to look at when expressed by one proficient in the "Art". Oh you would be amazed at what some can do with the stick. Like a chess match, you do this, then i'll do this, and punish you with this, counter for counter, and so forth. Like an intricate puzzle. Amazing to watch! And it draws many people, they want the same proficiency with the stick, and after all, theres no intimidation of getting hit! The emphasis is on the "Art".

But how do you know you can fight, if you never fight! The "Combat" on the other hand is ALOT different. You cant prepare for combat by training the art. This will become apparent very fast, when one steps up and fights with minimal equipment, fencing mask, gloves and real sticks and experiences the adrenaline rush, when the opponent in front of you is trying to take your head off for REAL! Or when you take a full power shot to the body......... Thats gonna leave a mark!

This is where you discover alot about yourself, and the realalities of combat. Its only a part of the training, but an important part. The realalities you learn from these experiences flow back to your other training, and you make proper adjustments so that even your basic fundamentals can be more realisticly and effectively practiced. From your basic body dynamics of striking, blocking and footwork, to your flow drills and your Tapi-Tapi and Visidario. The way you train is the way you will react.

Some may say that to train like this is barbaric at best, and lacks technique. I say it is the REAL arnis, more pure. Real fighting isnt pretty, and executed with perfect technique. Oh theres technique involed, most importantly the real and combative application of technique.

"Dedication. Determination, Destruction" Guro Andrew "Tattoo" Filardo M.F.A. Academy, New York

"You've Seen the Art, Now Feel the Combat" "Dedication, Determination, Destruction"