Join the Instructors Association

The Dog Brothers Martial Arts Instructor Association provides realistic self defense, international prestige, and a curriculum that attracts and retains students!  There is striking, grappling, and weapons curriculum that can complement any system or style and develop a robust weapons program for your school.

If you have heard of Dog Brothers Martial Arts then you know we have a no nonsense approach to Kali, MMA, and fighting/self-defense.  But what you may not know is that only a small percentage of the people involved with the Dog Brothers Martial Arts actually fight in our Dog Brothers Gatherings of the Pack.  Many you may come across in Martial Arts Schools would love to learn the techniques we have honed over decades of Real Contact Stick Fighting.  Yet they would have no desire to fight in our Gatherings either.  This is where the Dog Brothers Martial Arts Association comes in.  We have a progression of learning the tried and proven techniques that were born in the fights of the Gatherings, brought to the level of the average martial arts school student in a unique weapons program.   Becoming part of the Dog Brothers Martial Art Instructor Association will provide you with what you need for your fighters and your practitioners.

Now that we have decades of testing techniques under out belts, we will continue as we have with more technique refinement, but we are now bringing what we have developed into the more mainstream martial arts community.  It is our goal to teach everyone to “Walk as a warrior for all your days”.   We are seeing amazing growth and receptiveness all over the world.  People want to know they will enjoy studying a martial arts system.  But moreover, they want to know that when they come out of the other side, they will have something real to defend themselves with.

So how can you become involved with the DBMA School Program?  Just read on and we will answer some of your initial questions here about our weapons program.  Once you have done that, contact Ryan “Guard Dog” Gruhn (Ryan@DogBrothers.com) with any specific questions you may have.  That is all that it takes.  We only want to attract and eventually approve the highest quality martial arts instructors to help us spread this literally life changing system throughout the world.  If you want to know more, read on.  If you already know you want to join our pack, then contact Guard Dog today!

Training & Testing

The next step is the training.  All of your other martial arts experience will be taken into consideration. So with your new curriculum, training, and affiliation, we want you to spread the knowledge to your students. If you are simply a practitioner who is looking to gain instructor rank in DBMA this is also for you!  When testing comes around for you and your students you will have several options to get them ranked under the DBMAA.

Want to get a taste of what you will be learning? Go to the curriculum overview page.

All students who wish to test and train in DBMA must be a part of the DBMA Association.  Once a student is a part of the DBMA Association, he/she is eligible to test for the next rank when they are ready and approved by a Certified Black Dog Tag / Guro.  Assistant Instructors (Red & Brown Dog Tags) can test students for “student ranks.”  To test for Instructorship it must test with a designated DBMA Guro, no exceptions.

Our designation of rank for association members is the dog tag. Each dog tag will have the Dog Brothers Martial Arts Association logo. The rank designation will be the color of the rubber silencer around the outside of the tag (White, Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Purple, Red, Brown, Black). This designation of color will allow you to permit the tags to be worn in class and in everyday life.  The tag rank will be excellent for everyday wear in any case and is one of the only Martial Arts ranks a person can wear at all times!

What is actually a part of the program?

There are several elements. As you may have guessed, weapons will be the major foundation. Yet we have found that an all around approach is absolutely necessary. We will provide instruction in single stick, double stick, staff, knife, grappling (as can be done with weapons and multiple opponents present), empty hand striking (as can be done with weapons and multiple opponents present), palm stick and other self defense (i.e.. improvised) weapons. Rest assured, this is a complete fighting system!  The good thing for you is, we will work with you, keeping your existing styles in mind, so that no overlap causes problems. Want a simple weapons class component added to your school? No problem, we will help.  Want a more integrated program to blend into your existing styles? No problem, we will get you there. Want an all encompassing system that you can base all of your classes on? NO PROBLEM, we’ve got you covered. We can help you reach whatever goal you set. Our weapons system is unmatched. Our empty hand system is tried by fire and has such a unique take on fighting that you will be amazed. Our grappling system has been infused with technique and fighters from some of the world’s leading grappling instructors: Machado BJJ, Gokor Chivychan and Gene LeBell’s Submission Grappling and Judo, Many forms of Filipino grappling, as well as world class wrestling instruction from the likes of MMA wrestling coach Kenny Johnson (BJ Penn, Anderson Silva, and others).

Who is eligible for this program?

Anyone interested in becoming certified in Dog Brothers Martial Arts.  If you are just getting started, you will go through all of the student ranks first.  If you have experience in DBMA your rank will be accessed by a certified DBMAA Guro and you, appropriately ranked.

Now to the big question… How much?

Your first step is to become  part of the DBMA Association.  There is a nominal mothly fee attached to the membership.  Your next step is to train both virtually through our expansive student section of the DBMAA and also with certified Instructors and Guros in your area.  If there are no certified instructors in your area you can look at a detailed list of seminars here.  You can also set up a private training session by contacting Guard Dog.  For already established schools you can host your own seminar.  At its base, you will be responsible for flights and hotel costs for one of the Dog Brother Guros as well as a flat seminar fee. The fee and accommodations will be discussed with you personally (contact Guard Dog to get started).

Want more info?

Contact Guard Dog to discuss your options!

Contact Business Director – Ryan “Guard Dog” Gruhn | Email | Facebook