Raincoast Martial Arts offers a safe place to learn and explore.  We offer private group instruction as well as the publicly offered courses and workshops.

 

The underlying goal of training is less about fighting and more about mastering the self. …

(physical and emotional... dynamics in relationships... physical expression....boundaries...highlights areas needing change... confidence and calm in stressful situations.

 

A new student might start a martial art for a number of reasons, but eventually they realize that the deeper reason has become one of forging the self. That is where RMA's logo, the symbol of the koi, comes in.

 

Over time koi have become symbolic of overcoming and persevering through adversity. In fact, the Yellow River in China has a waterfall called the Dragon’s Gate - where the legend is that if a koi manages to swim up the waterfall it becomes a dragon - hard work transforming into greatness of being. The koi fish symbolize and honour the effort itself - which is discovered at the end to be more valuable than the achievement.

 

The path of Budo is transformation through great effort and diligence; accomplishment through striving.  At RMA this is why we train. We enjoy the practice, we value the development of our skill, but at the core it is gong fu: "attainment through hard work", and the striving of the koi that defines why we do what we do.