INSTRUCTOR HISTORY

My name is Jesse Redwine. I am a native of North Carolina, residing in Italy. It was a long and winding, and often strange road that brought me here, but I can't complain, even a little bit. I am very grateful for all that I have. I am a family man, a veteran, and a martial artist (some would say a pretty damn good cook as well). I have been involved in various forms of martial arts since boyhood, and in Filipino Martial Arts for the better part of 20 years. I have trained in the United States and in the Philippines with many talented individuals and under various Masters and Grandmasters. I have attained the rank of Master in Arnis, but I prefer to just be called Coach. I conduct training much with the same mentality that one would find in a boxing gym; hard work, sweating, and being uncomfortable, without formality or affectation. I curse and get food stains on my shirts too often to take myself very seriously. All I ask from those who I train is dedication, integrity, and accountability.

I believe that self-defense, combatives, and martial arts run on a continuum and the continuum must be practical and useful at all points, from beginning to end, wherever that may be within one's skills and ability. My doctrine is based on using force within context. That is to say, I do not train others to meet aggression on the street with more force or skill than what is necessary to put down the threat. No one wants to go to prison or pay a bunch of fines for defending themselves. That said, fighting is dynamic and unpredictable. Perhaps an attacker is more skilled than they first appeared. By remaining on a continuum, you still have all of your tools available to you, as needed. However, it takes conditioning, drilling, and time to have these skills available to you in periods of duress. 

I believe that our most effective weapon is our minds. When you learn to manage the effects of an acute stress response and then to weaponize that response, you have an advantage that very few possess. Training one's mind is equally as vital as training one's body. When the two form a synergy, you have become a different person. You have become a warrior, and so shall you be for the rest of your days.

Whether this applies to your profession, or to the average citizen wishing to protect themselves and their loved ones, the mentality is the same.

"It is better to be a warrior in garden than a gardener in a war." 

 - Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings

Professional HISTORY