Page last updated on November 26, 2010

BBB Rating for Southern School of Martial Arts A+

 Excellent Martial Arts Class

• Great place

  Provided by YP.com

  ***** Posted by setzer25 on 11/15/2010

  I have trained at this school for 6 months and I love every minute of it. We start with strong foundation of basics and build a large and flowing natural feeling library of techniques to use. I have never been to another dojo that trains the students to react instinctively to real life situations. I am also very impressed that we don't separate the higher belts from the lower belts, we all train together. We all learn together, and we all get along very well. This is a great place to bring you children, the Kobushi-do class is awesome. I strongly recommend every one is interested in self defense try this School.

• Great Dojo and Great instructor!

  Provided by YP.com

  ***** Posted by cozybldr on 11/13/2010

  I train there as time permits. Shihan Mark Murdock is a very good instructor both in Manabi-Masho JuiJitsu and Ninjutsu. He allows students to try things on their own and figure out how the techniques works for them. He is patient and willing to correct or improve your technique. I have trained in Karate, Aikido, Judo, and JuiJitsu before. His method of teaching is the most realistic I have ever found. His methods instruct you in what to avoid on the Street as strategies and why. He stresses using whatever is available for locks. His knife defense teachings are based on not staying there to get cut. Escape, evade, surprise, and generally, do not get cut! Practical adaptation of available resources, such as a plastic shopping bag, serve as weapons as well. The use of your jacket to escape. Shihan teaches single and multiple attacker situations. Fear is utilized to enable us, not to paralyze us. I have gotten to the point where having somebody attacking me in the less than 3 foot range no longer scares me. His stress on correct falls works to drive your fear away. The ground is a friend, but not the ultimate destination.
  
  The major advantage that I have seen with his school is the training to not allow your mind to block what you need to do. His emphasis on flow and be open to whatever happens stops the predictability. Not every defense or offense is appropriate or applicable every time. Sometimes simply escaping the best. He incorporates that philosophy at every stage. The training is rigorous and effective. It has improved my movement and my fluidity beyond that of my prior training.
  
  In all, I highly recommend this dojo and instructor.

• The Real Deal

  Provided by YP.com

  ***** Posted by mlh8141 on 11/13/2010

  I've been a student here for a couple of years. Having trained previously in Tang Soo Do and Kung Fu, I can tell you Shihan Murdock is the real deal. A good friend of mine who teaches Ninjutsu at another school knows Shihan Murdock and vouches for the system here. The Manabi-Masho is particularly effective and street ready. And I really like the fact that I'm not training with a bunch of kids in the adult classes, though they do have plenty of kids in other classes.

***** Provided by dojolocator.com

Nov 16 2010 by anomar71 (Parent of a Student with 1 - 3 Years Experience at this school)

My two children have been attending the Southern School of Martial Arts for almost two years. One is in the children's Kobushi-Do Class and the oldest is in the adult Manabi-Masho Class. Shihan Murdock is a great instructor who teaches self-defense techniques for real life situations. His number one self-defense technique is to avoid the situation if at all possible, but he demonstrates many usable techniques if avoidance is not possible. All techniques will not work the same in every situation. Also, what works in one situation may not work in others, but Shihan Murdock teaches a good variety so that a person's level of survival in a bad situation is greatly increased. He even shows techniques on surviving an encounter with multiple attackers, and attackers with weapons such as knives, sticks, and guns. Shihan Murdock works in a controlled environment and monitors the use of the shown techniques in order to prevent injury. He is however, a certified paramedic on the rare occasion that injury does occur. He also teaches values and morals to live by in both the adult and children's classes. Overall I think this is an outstanding class!

A great place to learn how to defend yourself

***** Provided by dojolocator.com

Nov 13 2010 by JM (Former Student with 6 Months - 1 Year Experience at this school)

Quality of Instruction:

Excellent

Other aspects:

Excellent

Recommended:

Yes

This martial art is so dynamic. It has striking techniques, finger, wrist and arm locks, It has several great ground techniques and weapon disarms from knives, sticks and guns. If you're looking for a school that will teach how to defend yourself this is the one.

Provided by dojolocator.com *****

Nov 17 2010 by Jbot1230 (Former Student with 1 - 3 Years Experience at this school)

Quality of Instruction:

Excellent

Other aspects:

Excellent

Recommended:

Yes

I used to train there a few years ago when the school was in Mr. Murdock's garage at his home. I had to leave to relocate for a job. I've had a difficult time where I'm at now trying to find a dojo that teaches a realistic martial art like Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu. There's a Karate school and couple of Tae Kwon Do schools were I live now, but their focus is more on sport, forms and competing in tournaments and so on. I went to one of these schools to observe one night and asked if they taught any kind of self defense classes. They told me they did, but what I saw looked nothing like what I learned at Mr. Murdock's. What they demonstrated looked choppy, choreoghraphed and had no natural flow. I liked how Mr. Murdock taught self defense from realistic, random and practical approach. He told me that your martial arts has to be natural and without thought. I really miss training there. I'm glad to see the school has expanded. I highly recommend this school to anyone who is looking for the real deal. Mr. Murdock also teaches the children's class in the same realistic way.

***** Martial Arts for the Real World