written by Guro Crafty

I am often asked about the our name, “the Dog Brothers.” It can be explained on many levels, but one of my favorite ways of looking at it can be found in a newspaper article by one Jeff McMahon:

“Most actions of men can be explained by observing a pack of dogs. Not wild dogs, just neighborhood dogs who all scurry under the fence on the same night and set off together to reclaim a glimmer of the glory their species possessed before domestication.”

I think that’s right. The dog is the interface of man and the wolf and we can connect so strongly because our dynamics are so similar. Even as we change the wolf into the dog to suit our purposes, we still need its glimmer as wolf. In some breeds, and in certain individual dogs, the glimmer is brighter than others, and that is why you see an Akita named Zapata in our logo. [Read more...]

written by Guro Marc “Crafty Dog” Denny

Kali Tudo

ONE

Those motivated principally by young male ritual fighting will always be a large percentage of the martial arts world. A very large percentage of them will cease to train as they achieve whatever competitive level that they will and face the prospect of decline.

In contrast, Dog Brothers Martial Arts (DBMA) has as its mission “To Walk as a Warrior for All Your Days”. In our vision, The Path of the Warrior is a path Of Life, and it is For Life. As such, it must embrace all facets of Aggression — not only young male ritual hierarchical fighting. [Read more...]

written by Krishna Godhania

Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th May. Venue – Newman College, Birmingham, England.

Guro Marc Denny (aka Crafty Dog), the driving force behind the Dog Brothers Martial Arts Association, held a unique two day seminar on his concept of the 7 ranges of stickfighting. Hosted and organized by Pangulong Guro Krishna Godhania, the seminar gave a rare opportunity to train with a modern master of the Filipino Martial Arts. This chance was taken up by world champions and beginners alike and proved an education to all who attended. [Read more...]

written by Burton Richardson
Martial art is a strange endeavor in our modern society. We strive to better ourselves and understand the art better, but we have one restriction that no other artists have to endure: we are forbidden to truly express the art to its fullest extent.

The arts that we practice are about subduing a violent opponent through various methods under the most stressful conditions when our very life is at risk. Now this is a situation that we are supposed to encounter in the first place. Urban problems do make it more likely that we will find trouble, but most people will go through a lifetime without facing death at the hands of another. [Read more...]

written by Paul Taylor

“Mad dogs and an Englishman beat the living daylights out of each other in the mid-day sun.” Apologies to Noel Coward for the misquote, but it seemed so apt.

IN September, 1998, Richard Killick flew to L.A. to fight at the tenth anniversary meeting of the infamous Dog Brothers. In doing so he became the first person from the U.K. to be invited over to participate in the “gathering of the Pack”.

The twice-yearly gatherings are seen as the ultimate test for the serious stick fighter and boast some of the very best exponents in the States. October’s event, held in Hermosa Beach, saw thirty-five such fighters take part and over three hundred spectators. [Read more...]

written by Marc “Crafty Dog” Denny
Crossbreeding Kali and Krabi Krabong

SECTION ONE: Cross breeding and fear of Inbreeding

One of the great strengths of the Dog Brothers is that we have different clans. Dog Brothers are spread around the United States, Canada, and now Switzerland (and Spain is under consideration) and those who train with a particular Dog Brother and become the clan of that area under his leadership. Thus, each clan develops its own distinctive flavor.

But it was not always so. [Read more...]

from Black Belt Magazine
LOS ANGELES-Marc Denny, also known as “Crafty Dog,” is, along with Eric “Top Dog” Knaus, co-founder and head instructor of Dog Brothers Martial Arts Inc. At 6-feet-l-inch and 190 pounds, Denny cuts an intimidating figure as he wields his single or double sticks in the face of oncoming attacks by a fellow “Dog Brother.” This interesting and extremely effective system has been turned down by the Ultimate Fighting Championship as “just too extreme.”

At their Gathering of the Pack, an event that has been held semi-annually for eight years, the Dog Brothers and other martial artists test their skills in “real-contact” stick fighting. This, according to Denny, is basically a Vale Tudo-version of Kali with one or two sticks. Denny says there are only three rules: “Use any attack you can think of, be friends at the end of the day, and no suing no one for nothin’ no how, no way!” The credo of the Dog Brothers is “higher consciousness through harder contact.” ? The term “real contact” is used to distinguish it from “full contact,” which usually means one or both fighters and/or the sticks are padded and some techniques are prohibited. [Read more...]

from Martial Arts Illustrated, by Terry L. Wilson

The Dog Brothers. An unusual name to be sure, but after watching these guys in action it’s obvious that they run on a different octane of testosterone than others of their species. The Dog Brothers claim to fame is that they beat each other to a pulp with hard rattan sticks for fun. “Real Contact Kali” is the name of their game and they play it for real. They use the term “Real Contact” to distinguish themselves from tournaments that use the term “Full Contact” but the fighters and/or the ticks are padded. In the early days of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, before there were rules, the Dog Brothers were approached by the UFC about participating in a special weapons event to be held between the semi-finals and the finals. There were extensive conversations held. Eric “Top Dog” Knaus, the group’s best fighter, would have carried the flag for the Dog Brothers. But after seeing the Dog Brothers in action, the UFC had to pass. In a letter to Marc “Crafty Dog” Denny, the group’s guiding force, they wrote: [Read more...]

from Men’s Fitness, by Marc Jacobs

Iron John? Big wuss. Real me, say the Dog Brothers, beat the crap out of each other with 30-inch clubs.

Underdog is flailing away at Dog Steve with a pair of 30-inch sticks before the watchful eye of the Crafty Dog and his canine cohorts. “Stop backing up!” Top Dog orders as Dog Steve charges forward, slashing his club at Underdog, who is backpedaling furiously in an attempt to avoid massive head trauma, broken bones or a kidney-popping thrust into his bare body. [Read more...]