M.A.T.S is a program designed to be
both a certification system for instructors and a belt
ranking system for their students.
Many karate school owners and their black belts start in
Modern Arnis because they are looking for a way to
enhance their training or incorporate weapons into their
curriculum. School owners and black belts train for
their teacher certification while working towards their
M.A.T.S ranks. With this in mind, Master Ken Smith
created a modular program to address this need.
The idea is simple and goes like this:
All instructors are required to train and test for level
one: Basic level. Once that is achieved, they can choose
from any of the other 11 levels of the M.A.T.S program
and to take it back to their own school to incorporate
it into their own curriculum immediately. As instructors
train for more levels in the MATS program, their level
of certification within the MATS program also advances.
2 Levels: Basic Instructor
4 Levels: Instructor
6 Levels: Certified Instructor
7 Levels: Black Belt
11 Levels: Master Instructor
Currently there are 12 levels within the MATS program
with 2 more levels in various levels of evolution.
Instructors have the freedom to tailor their training
and work on the levels that interest them the most.
Level One: Basics
Level Two: Right Hand Flow
Level Three: Abanico Quarto Style
Level Four: Pressure Point Applications
Level Five: DeMano Knife Defense
Level Six: “Thanks for the Stick”
Level Seven: Left Hand Basics
Level Eight: Left Hand Advanced
Level Nine: Dumug Basics - Grappling
Level Ten: Right Hand Advanced
Level Eleven: Single Sinawali Flow
Level Twelve: Reverse Single Sinawail Boxing
Level Thirteen: TBA
Level Fourteen: TBA
