Welcome to Warrior Flow!
This Student Overview will serve as your guide toward the future level of skill you desire. This is your guide to use as a reference as you develop yourself. A more comprehensive Student Handbook will be provided to you via download by your instructor.
The following holds the answers to some of the more common questions students have about the system. Please take time to carefully read each section. If you have any questions after reading this guide, please see your Instructor. The purpose of this is to help guide you during your training, as to what you can expect from Warrior Flow, and what is expected of you.
Make no mistake WARRIOR FLOW is about training people to fight and win! What they do with that knowledge is up to them should their moment of truth arrive. But whatever choice they make it won't be for a lack of knowing what to do and how to do it.
WARRIOR FLOW is all about the Spirit of Victory.
Now, to be clear there is a difference between irrational fear and danger. In order to make this judgement we will also develop your powers of perceptual awareness so that if and when you have to take action. It is from a basis of having the proper knowledge and understanding and not from a position of irrational fear.
WARRIOR FLOW is specifically designed to train people regardless of age, size, physical ability, disability, or gender to be able to fight in the body they have for their lives. all with the purpose of winning the fight!
Of this there should be no ambiguity in your mind.
One of our main goals is to help people develop within the body they already have through a series of exercises and scenarios to fight at the highest levels.
Unlike the vast majority of fighting systems that focus on technique but not how to apply it under realistic, dynamic conditions.
Warrior Flow totally focuses on how human beings interact with each other under dynamic condition within the laws of physics and human physiology. By training and with diligent practice, and hard work you can and will attain skills which transcend your physical ability.
Welcome to the Warrior Flow Family, and continued best wishes to you.
LtCol Al Ridenhour, USMC (ret), Head of System
Creator - Warrior Flow Combatives (aka Warrior Flow)
CONTINUE SCROLLING AND READ ON
What It's All About
WARRIOR FLOW is a serious martial art, one specifically designed to train people to be able to fight in the body they have for their lives, developing people to fight at the highest levels. Since the system is rooted in physics and human physiology by training and with diligent practice, and hard work a person can attain skills which transcend their physical ability.
Attaining Rank
Attaining rank in WARRIOR FLOW is a serious matter because it is not only a reflection of a person’s level of achievement, but as a WARRIOR FLOW practitioner or certified instructor, you are the living embodiment of the art itself, a reflection of us all and the honor of our art. The rank structure described in this document focuses on developing people “who desire” to become “Instructors” in the system.
A Few Things
What you can expect…
We are not “Fight Club” so we do not,
1) pit students and instructors against each other in order to entertain ourselves through sport (we train Warriors so go measure your dick somewhere else);
2) view our students as training partners or competition, they are not and;
3) “entertain” ourselves through wasteful, meaningless drills or exercises, and “hazing rituals”.
Such things have no place in any self-defense system and are examples of low moral character, childishness, and demonstrate a severe lack of personal honor.
Warrior’s train hard and lift each other up so that they all can prevail in battle not denigrate others to feel better about themselves. Again, we are Warriors who train Warriors, we do not spar for sport or entertainment. We do not play stupid games with people, we do not have time for it and neither do you, we train to fight for our lives!
Additionally, the bestowing of rank and/or certification is also our way of recognizing “your achievement” of skill and our appreciation of your commitment. As we like to say, “If we give you a certificate you had better be who and what the Hell we say you are”. So you had better believe it because we mean what we say. You did the work, you earned it you deserve the credit!
The Five Levels of WARRIOR FLOW Rank Structure
There are “Five Levels” in the WARRIOR FLOW system, they are, Apprentice Instructor, Instructor, Senior Instructor, Master Instructor, and Senior Master Instructor. However, this Student Guide only covers up to Master Instructor.
All practitioners after achieving a minimum level of skill regardless of the amount of time it takes to become proficient are eligible to become promoted to and certified at the Apprentice Instructor Level.
When evaluating whether a person should become an Instructor in WARRIOR FLOW. The main criteria we look for is to see if a person, regardless of size or physical ability can meet the minimum requirements. Additionally, we’ve approached the initial indoctrination into the art from a position of thinking about WARRIOR FLOW as a “function of movement” and the “skillfulness of movement” of the practitioner.
We can teach anyone to strike that’s the easy part, but can they strike where they need, when they need to and for effect?
In a fight for your life you have to win! Make no mistake about this.
- Warrior flow is all about teaching you to improvise or create, overcome and “win” the battle
- Training you to recognize danger to overcome fear and stand in that space even if it means your life
- Giving you the confidence in your abilities to do what must be done even unto death
This is what it’s all about, this is what we’re talking about, this is where your mind needs to be.
Final point, Warrior Flow focuses on the most fundamental attributes a practitioner should possess commensurate to their physical ability. These standards are the “minimum requirements” for each rank. There are also minimum time frames (not shown here) that are designed to provide some measure of structure and objectivity toward evaluating a person as to whether they are ready to advance to the next level. It should be note however that the minimum times frames are “waivable” if a person has achieved the level of proficiency and skill commensurate to the rank they are striving for.
However, the time frames are also not so long and drawn out that they make it infeasible for a person who is “gifted” and may come the art already possessing a number of attributes due to training in other arts. Such as person who may already possess the physical and mental talent to be at a certain level will not be held back from advancing.
CONTINUE SCROLLING AND READ ON
WARRIOR FLOW CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS CHART
(Note: this chart assumes that as a person progresses in rank that they have attained all of the previous skills and only lists the new skills required for each subsequent rank.)
Apprentice Instructor |
Instructor |
Senior Instructor |
Master Instructor |
They have their mind in the right place with an emphasis in training on fighting for their life "for real" and not to win in class and other bullshit.Have a solid understanding of the Combative Concepts (i.e., EQUILIBRIUM CONTROL, SUBTLE MUSCLE CONTROL, PERCEPTUAL AWARENESS, DYNAMIC COORDINATION and CREATIVITY) and move with good control over their body |
Once attaining these skills must have completed the Instructors Certification CourseRelatively "smooth execution" in their movement (in other words little to no excessive or overt jerky movements) |
Have a perfect understanding of the Combative Concepts (i.e., EQUILIBRIUM CONTROL, SUBTLE MUSCLE CONTROL, PERCEPTUAL AWARENESS, DYNAMIC COORDINATION and CREATIVITY) and move with excellent control over their body |
Once attaining these skills must have completed the Master Instructors Certification CourseAbility to neutralize a larger person’s movement without speeding up or pushing at a slow speed and the ability to get out of the way and remain inaccessible to them yet denying them “space” to operate |
Their hands should when on top have a “relatively light touch”, not “resting” on another person hands thus giving up control of their hands |
Ability to rapidly accelerate and strike "instinctively" and stay in the battle with an advanced practitioner |
Have the ability or control another person’s movement without pushing or without much exertion of force. |
Ability to anticipate and get ahead of another person’s movement without having to speed up to do it |
Limited amount of "unnecessary" speeding up when moving slow during Contact Flow |
Ability to "strike for effect" with reasonable power commensurate to their size, strength etc. |
“Smooth” execution in their movement where they can transition from one root point to the next without losing their balance or control of their body. (in other words little to no excessive movements) |
“Smooth” execution in their movement where they can transition from one root point to the next without losing their balance or control of their body. (in other words little to no excessive movements) |
Not prone to “pushing” when performing Contact Flow at various speeds |
Be able to drop strike with in any direction without winding up, hopping in the air or excessive movement |
Virtually, no speeding up when moving slow during Contact Flow |
Have an excellent understanding of what they can do within their own body and how to isolate within movement as they move with another person. |
Have the ability to rapidly accelerate and strike "instinctively" and stay in the battle with an advance practitioner |
|
Ability to rapidly accelerate and strike "instinctively" and stay in the battle and vary the tempo of their speed with control and little to no over travel in their movement |
Ability to work with a person, feel what they are doing in their body and diagnose a remedy to fix whatever they may be doing wrong within the Combative Concepts |
Know how to perform basic strikes with reasonable power commensurate to their size, strength etc. |
|
Ability to "strike for effect" with power commensurate to their size, strength etc. and be able to “internally” drop strike without winding up, hopping in the air or excessive movement |
***Ability to recognize a person’s limitations and train them to work around them to be able to fight effectively*** |
Be able to drop strike with all of their strikes without winding up, hopping in the air or excessive movement |
|
Have an excellent understanding of what they can do within their own body and how to isolate within movement as they move with another person. |
|
Know how to enter on an opponent while remaining unavailable as they enter |
|
The ability to feel another person’s movement and disrupt their body or balance as they transition from one root point to the next. |
|
A general overall understanding of what they can do within their own body and what they cannot do and how to fight within their own body and not beyond it. |
|
The ability to teach the art at the most foundational level and the ability to develop people at the most basic level |
|
On Line Training
Sign Up for additional instruction and practice from the comfort of your home.
Warrior Flow Classes
Professional instruction and training at our premier training center in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ.
Warrior Flow Workshops
Workshops designed to accelerate your skills. From hand-to-hand, ground combat, to weapons.
The First Six Weeks
As with anything the foundation that is developed in the beginning is the most crucial. Below represents the exercises and skills you will be trained in. Again, this is the most crucial and necessary training you will receive. Without it you cannot develop your body to the level of combative skill in Warrior Flow that you desire. There is no short cut, no magic to it, for there is no other way.
Week 1: The Concepts of Combative Movement
- Warrior Flow Dynamic Striking (Finishing Moves)
- Movement Exercises, Equilibrium Control, Subtle Muscle Control, Perceptual Awareness and Dynamic Coordination
- Exercises to develop Equilibrium Control
- Dynamic Coordination Exercises
- Warrior Flow
Week 2: Combative Development / Looseness
- Exercises to develop Equilibrium Control
- Dynamic Coordination Exercises
- Intermediate Striking Skills
- Combative Entry Moves
- Footwork Exercises
- Dynamic Movement and Striking Drills
- Warrior Flow
Week 3: Combative Development / Intermediate Body Movement
- Week 1 and 2 Exercises (brief review)
- Fine Motor Coordination Movement and Striking
- Kicking and Kicking Exercises
- Intermediate Leg Work and Striking
- Warrior Flow
Week 4: Combative Development – Attributes of Deception
- The Art of Deception
- Teleporting (Push Step)
- Weapons Training - Phase I *
- Warrior Flow
Week 5 and Beyond: Advanced Body Movement
- Combative Sphere Concepts
- Quantum Sphere of Dynamic Movement
- Striking from the Void
- Weapons Training - Phase II *
- Warrior Flow
Week 6 and Beyond: Fluid Destructive Power
- Smooth Combative Movement
- Moving at Supernatural Speed
- Polishing Dynamic Movement
- Advanced Finishing Moves*
- Warrior Flow
* Denotes The Inclusion of Ground Combat / Confined Space Fighting
CONTINUE SCROLLING AND READ ON
Final Points
Listen friends, because it needs to be said...
If you are to achieve the level of life saving fighting skill you desire it is not possible to get there from here without developing your body. Period.
The body and the mind are one and they both are always working off of each other and all of this mind/body/body/mind stuff is all nonsense and just people out there saying this stuff to sell books.
It’s just you...
WARRIOR FLOW training is designed to develop a person’s body in a way that allows for a level of combative freedom you may have never thought possible.
Oh and one more thing…
Do not, do not, do not, underestimate the solo exercises nor neglect practicing them.
I've seen over the years many, many, "many" people fall by the wasteside and fail to attain the level of lethal skill they desired. Simply due to a lack of practicing on their own.
As Yoda would say, "...the path to the Dark Side leads through such laziness."
This is the way toward developing in the body the level of Warrior Skill, Flow and Adumbration. To the subconscious competence level that allows you to transcend technique or physical limitations.
There are no secrets...
There are no shortcuts...
There are no "hacks"...
There is no magic to it...
But alas it is work...
You're either trained or you're not... it is that simple.