Today we’d like to introduce you to Rick Caudle.
Hi Rick, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
It says on Ancestry dot com, that my Irish Grandfather was known for standing back to back with his brother and his cousin, and fighting everyone else in the bar. That, plus the fact that my mother was half Cherokee, and I was born in the year of the Dragon, I was destined to follow a warrior’s path.
I started boxing at 7 years old and wrestled in high school. In 1973, after watching the Bruce Lee movie, Enter the Dragon, I began training in Okinawan Karate, but quickly realized that in altercations, I reverted back to my boxing and wrestling. I needed to find a style that utilized the skills that I had already built. In 1978, I met James DeMile who had trained with Bruce Lee from 1959 to 1964. Today I am a Senior Instructor in Jeet Kune Do in the direct lineage of Bruce Lee.
I fell in love with other arts, such as Muay Thai kickboxing, and was fortunate to live with and be trained by a native Thai boxer. Much of what I teach today, actually comes from the Filipino martial arts which many people don’t even know exist. Those who do, know it as a weapons based art, but I will put the empty hand system of Kali against any other art. It is the style of fighting used in the Jason Borne franchise movies.
I am an eternal student and continue to train and improve myself. I have been studying and just began teaching a relatively new art from Spain called Keysi Fighting Method. It was featured in The Dark Knight Batman movie, and the Reacher films.
Nashville is a bit of a desert for exotic martial arts. I plan to be the oasis.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Teaching what many consider to be the “Fringe Arts”, has proven difficult. I’ve always been a little different than the commercial gyms. I teach in an academic manner, giving detailed instruction to be fine-tuned by your own self discipline.
In other words, Jeet Kune Do gives you the notes, and you write the song, to put it in Nashville terms.
Most martial arts instructors are notoriously bad businessmen, including myself, so maintaining expensive buildings and a big overhead seem to be the biggest challenges for me.
Martial arts is demanding physically and measures must be taken to insure longevity. I will be 74 years old in July, and I sometimes teach up to 13 classes a week, of both group and private lessons. I am only able to do this because of my lifestyle. I’m convinced that my workout routine, clean diet, and positive attitude are what give me the energy and strength to be an effective teacher. I try to motivate everyone as much as possible to strive to be as healthy as you can.
A great asset for me is my assistant instructor, John Lumakin. John’s family is from the Philippines and he matches my passion for teaching. Being younger, he helps me tremendously in many ways, including our social media presence.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Martial arts has something for everyone, but practical, realistic, self defense is my main area of work these days. We include weapons training and address multiple attacker situations as well. Stick and knife training from the Filipino Martial Arts has the best weapons system in the world. You can learn a template which gives you the ability to use almost anything as a weapon.
I have personally trained Law Enforcement, and Military Personnel such as Metro Police, Sheriff Departments, Customs Agents, Security Guards, Naval Cadets, Airline Pilots, and I have one student on the FBI’s Anti-terrorist Task Force.
Progressive Fighting Systems, PFS Kali, has always encouraged our instructors to train handicapped folks. In the past, I have trained blind individuals and a whole class of deaf women. Currently, I train two wheelchair bound older students with Multiple Sclerosis. We concentrate on fighting from a seated or ground position, and utilize weapons to increase your chances of survival. We teach you how to fight against a weapon, even if you don’t have one.
The great thing about Jeet Kune Do is that we can tailor it to fit anyone’s needs or situation.
Using this approach, we can teach people of various ages and with limited abilities.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
If you are looking for a martial arts school, first figure out exactly what you want to learn. Do your research. Know the difference between Sport competition and real life. Many gyms provide a great workout, but don’t give you real life expertise in self protection. Some folks just want a good workout and don’t plan on competing or feel the need for self defense.
Most strip mall dojo franchises that focus on kids, are not a good fit for adults looking for serious training. These schools are great for kids to build good physical habits, but lack in real street-wise training.
We are not bound by any martial art. PFS Kali will teach you to be a devastating fighter, regardless of style or system.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pfskali.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CmcWr9b1Q/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/ge3gdI8tEtQ
- Yelp: https://share.google/FHLKXAzhLwasJE5hl
