108 Heroes is a kung fu school & art hailing from Chinatown, San Francisco from 2010 - 2017. This interior facing manual aims to inspire and provide a map for the students and fans to navigate the initial martial training unique to this school. The practice in this manual was not composed purely on circumstance, theory, history, or lineage. All of this is honored in practice. However, 108 does not lay claim to any specific lineage. Every movement, moment, breath, posture, and form is specifically curated by personal experience to offer a path of practical physical, holistic, combative, energetic, and mental achievement. It is broad and deep. It is not designed to bind you to tradition, chase a trophy, or win a title per se. It is meant to free you in the deepest sense. It is intended to let you walk one day without a teacher. To emerge masterfully, achieving your full potential. This work serves to teach, but only to students who will continuously approach the practice with a beginner's mind. Meaning your cup, should constantly be empty. Kill the ego. Approach every moment with an open mind. Be inquisitive about learning something new. Anything. Question everything, and reverse engineer every piece of material to gain depth and abstract observations for a deeper practice. Approach all of this training as metaphor to take out of the ring. Proficiency in combat and sport fighting is is only a small part of this art. In fact, you will only need a small amount of basic techniques done well to win most fights. "Basics win fights." There is no need to overwhelm yourself with the decades of material within this book if fighting in the ring is your only goal. This curriculum magnificently offers a lifetime of practice, community, and new material that fosters personal growth parallel to none. Combatively, the art will evolve from basic self-defense and into advanced stand-up striking and kicking. Traditional forms, blade work, weapons, disarms, pressure points, ground-work, and grapples will all be studied. Internal energetics within arts like taiji, xing yi and bagua will all be presented. Conditioning and sparring methods will be undertaken to make you proficient in three distinct levels of approach: Form & fitness, sport fighting, and battlefield tactics (under the lens of ancient methodology). To the reader, this art is yours. Enjoy!
About the Author: Brent Ramos is a professional martial arts teacher, and the owner of 108 Heroes Kung Fu from Chinatown, San Francisco. Brent has studied martial arts for 23 years attaining his first black belt in Tae Kwon Do at age eleven. Since then, Brent has trained in a variety of Kung Fu & Shaolin fighting systems, Muay Thai, MMA & BJJ, Russian Systema, Taiji, Xing Yi, Bagua, and Shastarvidya. All of which are used as a work bench to gain perspective and elevate his preferred art: Kung fu. He holds a B.A. In secondary education and history from Metropolitan State University, a CCNA certification, and is currently finishing his full certification in Hawaiian herbalism, healing, and massage within the famous Ho'ommana Spa, located in Maui, HI. In the past, he has worked for major media companies such as AOL, Digital First Media, and more, within the realm of digital marketing. As a writer, he has been published in "Rad Dad Magazine" with a short essay on parenting. But this work will be his first full length book/manual. More differing works are planned for the near future. In his spare time, Brent is an advocate for, and practices Hawaiian culture and sustainability. Has a private practice for Lomi Lomi and Hawaiian healing. Lives for punk rock, and enjoys seeing shows at Gilman St. He is an avid dancer in Lindy Hop and other vintage dances. A fan of art, skate boarding, snowboarding, surfing, and collecting tiki glasses from dive tiki bars. Above all. He is a dad first to his utmost inspiration and daughter, Amelia. Join the school at: www.shaolinsf.com Check out the lomi practice at: www.koalomi.com