In the legacy of martial arts, fighting styles have always been defined by culture. For example, Helio Gracie learned Jiu-Jitsu by watching his brothers train and since he was so small, eventually he had to redefine Jui-Jitsu to work for him, which is what we now know as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Bruce Lee was an expert in Wing Chun and yet when he came to America, Bruce found enormous benefits of other styles. He found similarities between the racism against the orient and the prejudices of martial art disciplines. As a result, he created a martial art called Jeet Kune Do taking the best of many arts creating an art without style.

Over the years, students have often been frustrated at the limiting factors of martial arts. For example, if a student were taking say Karate, they would learn the high kicks, strong punches, and painful horse stances. However, there would be no ground game and very limited weapons training. Moreover, if a student were to take only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, they would miss out on learning more traditional styles of martial arts that have history, legacy, and culture. Some styles focus on joint locks while others only focus on striking. Some styles are all combative while others are all traditional.

The solution to this problem was easy - we (Martial Arts Unlimited) needed to create a unique art that blended all ranges and styles together allowing students of all ages and sizes to learn and grow as complete martial artists. In 1998, our Director, A.J. Weimer, began work on a new ideal and philosophy to mixed martial arts training. This original draft had various styles such as Jeet Kune Do, Kali, Aikido, Boxing, and Wing Chun. Unfortunately, it lacked the intensity that students were demanding. As a result, A.J., just like Bruce Lee, began training in as many martial arts as he could to give him insight and understanding into what really divided martial arts - what made each one unique. For example, Judo is a strong art in throws and clinch work. Their ability to ground grapple is also very powerful and effective but it lacks the street element needed for survival. For example, a boxer would devour a Judo practitioner in striking and likewise, the Judo practitioner would devour the boxer in the clinch. Both have valuable assets and yet both have very large gaps in practicality.

The first trial of a mixed martial art came in the summer of 1999, Tokyo, Japan when A.J. began testing workouts that were a blend of fighting verses traditional styles. To his surprise, the mix was a complete success!!! In one class, A.J. would teach ground fighting, boxing, and joint manipulation. And yet in another class he would teach strictly ground fighting. The result was that the mix of both traditional and practical were more appealing to the students than just focusing on one style. Unfortunately, nobody could really gauge their skill in this new form of training since it was only taught as workouts.

Finally, in 2004 Martial Arts Unlimited put together the first complete and comprehensive mixed martial art called Total Fighting Concepts. Now, Martial Arts Unlimited students could take a structured class in mixed martial arts and earn a legitimate registered ranking. Total Fighting Concepts is a melting pot of arts. The entire program deemphasizes micro-training and puts the focus back on the quality of a martial artist by macro-training. In fact, Total Fighting Concepts is just that - a concept or a philosophy.

Since the conception and birth of Total Fighting Concepts, Martial Arts Unlimited students have declined the want to learn individual styles and have instead, desired and requested to learn this new comprehensive art. As a result, the majority of our students now train mixed martial arts. Two years later in 2006, Total Fighting Concepts will see it's first set of ranked black belt instructors who will pass on the knowledge of a mixed martial art program to the rest of the world. We at Martial Arts Unlimited are very proud of where this new melting pot of disciplines has taken us and where it will lead us in the future. After all, unless there "are human beings with three arms and four legs, unless we have another group of beings on earth that are structurally different from us, there can be no different styles of fighting... because of styles, people are separated [and] they are not united together because styles become law." -- Bruce Lee