- 250-538-2035
- steelesmartialarts@gmail.com
- #47 1133 Findlay Road, Kelowna, BC
Steele's Private Martial Arts Institute
Steele's Gung-Fu Private Training
Martial Arts - Kelowna, BC
Steele’s Martial Arts Institute has been providing martial arts instruction for over 10 years. If you are in the Vernon area, schedule a class with us. Training in the martial arts is great for learning how to protect yourself in bad situations, will increase your fitness and energy levels, and is a fun social outlet. Sifu Tommy Steele teaches students of all ages and martial art experience, from untrained teenagers looking to gain self-confidence, to working adults interested in self-defence or hand-to-hand combat, to veterans and police officers looking for specialized training.
We focus on teaching only practical Martial Arts techniques that are effective in real-world street situations. Bruce Lee’s art of Jeet Kune Do (JKD) is the primary martial art taught at the school and is often referred to as “Scientific Street Fighting.” Based on his own street fighting experiences, his extensive study of many martial arts, and his dissection of human movement, Bruce’s JKD removed all non-direct, non-practical movements in favour of economical and efficient attacks and defences personalized to each student. This allows a JKD student to respond effectively to any attack regardless of the opponent’s size, strength or method of fighting. It truly is what Bruce called “The Formless Form” of fighting.
The philosophy of the school is “The Art of Family.” Practitioners of Steele’s Martial Arts Institute reside in a zone of friendly support during the course of their study. We use a hands-on approach to teaching and have a true desire to help students achieve their personal goals and reach their ultimate potential in a safe, family environment.
The philosophy of the school is “The Art of Family.” Practitioners of Steele's Martial Arts Institute reside in a zone of friendly support during the course of their study.
Initial training of new students begins with a conversation with Sifu Tommy. Before we begin, we need to know what your goals are for martial arts instruction, what previous martial arts training you have had in the past, and why you are seeking training. A high school student seeking training to help her deal with bullies has different goals and needs compared to the emergency first responder who deals with intoxicated individuals on daily basis. Once Sifu understands your particular personal goals, he can tailor your martial arts instruction to best meet them.
On your first day of instruction, come ready with athletic clothing including running shoes. Jeet Kune Do is a steetfighting art, so all training is done in normal street clothes and shoes. Your teacher will show you the basic fighting stance of JKD, the Bai Jong, which is a very natural, balanced and athletic stance from which all JKD striking tools can be launched in an explosive, non-telegraphed manner.
You’ll often hear Sifu remind you to “Get Down” which tells you to relax your body and bend your knees and sink down in your stance so you can have a spring-loaded readiness that is also loose, alive and explosive. Basic JKD footwork will also be emphasized from your first class. The footwork in JKD is very simple, natural and intuitive, but it takes much practice to master it. Without proper footwork, you can’t get close enough to your opponent to hit them and you can’t evade their attacks efficiently. There are no complex forms to memorize.
Each class starts with some light stretching and a warm up generally consisting of some glove-work (hitting focus-mitts with punches, elbows, kicks, etc). After warm up, Sifu Tommy will demonstrate particular JKD attack or defence techniques to the class and he will observe and provide individualized feedback while the students practice these techniques in partners. Sifu emphasizes that these techniques must be “alive”, not static, so realistic footwork, angles and body movement are reinforced.
Ways to “finish” a fight quickly are always drilled. Class then switches to energy sensitivity drills (such as Chi Sao) and striking flow drills (taken from JKD or Filipino martial arts) all designed to teach students to react quickly to an attacker’s movements and flow into appropriate counter attacks. JKD striking drills (punching, kicking, elbows, with or without pads) usually follows. As always, these drills are not static but are practiced in a way so they can be used in practical application.
Q: How quickly can I expect to see results in martial arts training?
A: Improvement requires dedicated and consistent practice with a willingness to learn. It can vary from person to person. However, with dedicated training, expect to see noticeable improvement after 6 months.
Q: What are the benefits of martial arts classes?
A: The primary benefit of martial arts classes is to learn how to defend yourself against attackers. A person can end up in a bad situation very quickly. Martial arts training teaches you how to quickly get out of these situations by force if necessary. Other benefits include increased self-confidence, self-discipline, improved fitness and flexibility, and engaging in a fun stress-relieving social activity.