Visayan Martial Arts

The Visayan Martial Arts is a martial arts/self defence school from Cebu City, the Central Philippines initiated by instructors John Russell and Henry Jayme.

We instruct in several traditional Filipino and Chinese self defence styles using effective teaching techniques, always showing from the basic moves and exercises, to the more advanced techniques the self defence principles behind each action. Training is mostly of a reactive style, of counter to counter.

Our main aim in the Visayan Martial Arts is to teach ordinary individuals effective self defence. As a student you learn at your own pace and the instructor teaches with the idea of never holding back or hiding knowledge. This school is dedicated to producing the best students possible.

If you have been here before, we hope you like the additions and changes. If you are new to our site, please take the time to navigate through it and learn about the different styles that are taught by the instructors of the VMA. Read some articles and see some NEW travel photographs from around the Philippines.

John Russell was born in 1962 in Long Jetty, New South Wales, Australia. He began his Martial Arts training in 1978. For 10 years he studied Tae Kwon Do, Hap Ki Do, several styles of Kung Fu, as well as a number of various styles of Escrima gaining a reputation both as a student and teacher. He commenced his Balintawak training under the direction of Henry Jayme in 1988. In 1989 he traveled to the Philippines and trained with such notables as Grandmaster Ciriaco Cañete of the Doce Pares learning Escrido and later with Grandmaster Victor Cagadas learning his style of Escrima. Having lived and traveled extensively in the Philippines, studying under many different instructors of Arnis/Escrima and also Kung Fu styles, he has developed a comprehensive knowledge of the Filipino Martial Arts. He is now an instructor of various different Martial Arts styles and continues to live and work in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Eskrima Kali Arnis Martial Arts Styles Eskrima, Visayan Martial Arts