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Do You Remember Your First Time?”I still remember the first time I walked into the Magda Institute. It was September 2002. I had just completed some fitness-related training in the La Jolla, CA area. I extended my stay to train at the world-renowned Magda Institute located in Reseda, CA. If you’re a movie fan, you may be thinking about Danial-san and Mr. Miyagi.
Upon entering the Institute, Daniel-san and Mr. Miyagi were nowhere to be found. But what I did find proved to be even more satisfying to me. I found a unique school that taught far more than martial arts techniques. I also noticed the geometric shapes all over the floor in the class training area. I recall wondering what that was all about. There were big circles, small circles, and multiple triangles. I would later discover, all are exceptionally useful to Magda’s teachings.
After a week’s worth of training, personal observations and conversations with Magda students, I discovered what was truly unique about the Magda Institute. Sure, the geometric figures on the floor were different, but what was it that brought students from Europe, Germany, Italy, and the east coast of United States? By the end of the week, the answer was pretty clear. It was Sifu / Guro Cass Magda and his systems.
Magda has led a life dedicated to training, teaching, and researching martial arts. His teachers are literally a “Who’s Who” of masters in their respective arts of Jeet Kune Do, Kali and Pentjak Silat. While these teachers taught Magda plenty, it was his analytical mind that allowed him to ask the right questions and to get the answers that he needed. His prowess as a student is what allows him to excel as a teacher.
It was Magda’s ability to apply his prowess that enabled him to create a highly effective system of martial arts that consistently produces high-quality martial artists and even higher-quality human beings. His system is built on the arts of Jeet Kune Do, Kali and Pentjak Silat. While his martial arts system will certainly change or redefine your practice of martial arts, his teachings will undoubtedly change your life!
All martial arts contain various techniques. As a result, all martial arts teach techniques. Few teachers, however, teach solid principles. Sifu/Guro Cass teaches principles that can be applied to one’s own art or to other arts. Magda continually stresses the importance of principles over techniques. These principles allow his students to evaluate their own techniques, as well as the techniques of other systems. For instance, when disarming he teaches: 1) 2 hands on the wheel, 2) make a base, 3) bring it close to you and 4) work against the thumb. This can be applied to your system’s knife disarms and in your evaluation of other system’s knife disarms.
The martial arts are Magda’s vehicle for growth and development. Fortunately, he chooses to share his vehicle with us. Magda often discusses what he calls the principle of accumulation. In a nutshell, this deals with creating positive habits. In martial arts, it could be doing your jurus (forms) every day for 5 minutes. Waiting until the end of the month and doing your jurus for 150 minutes does not accomplish the same thing. Doing it daily is what makes it a habit and also what fosters discipline. Both good habits and discipline will serve you well in life!
It is my hope that this article serves as a call to action for all who read it. If you’ve never been to the Magda Institute, go! By going, you will gain firsthand experience and knowledge – and that is priceless. If you’ve already been to the Magda Institute, share your stories about your “first time” by completing the form below and clicking on the submit button. |