Kru Mark "The Hammer" Castagnini Muay Thai Seminar - Sahan Subhawickrama Says

"Kru Mark Castagnini's seminar was the second seminar I attended. It was quite similar to Robert Halaijian's Seminar in some ways such as using palms and using a persons head to move their bodies but also different in that we used a lot more knees and elbows probably because of his Muay Thai background.

I also thought it was quite similar to our classes in terms of elbows and footwork, catching kicks, etc. we are trained to use. I definitely found the elbow and knee techniques he showed us to be effective.

The Seminar was aimed at conditoning knees and elbows as well as shins to deliver more powerful blows. The ways of being ready for a king hit and pretending to be friendly just to search a potential enemy for weapons would be handy in a late night confrontation.

He also made us aware of all the new weapons such as guns, knifes, poles that are being used in the nightclub scene and why fancy moves never work in a streetfight.

Mark Castagnini's Seminar also showed me the demands and conditioning that Muay Thai requires as well as the bad side of fighting late at night in clubs an so on. Both seminars were interesting, well organised as well as informative and well presented."

- Sahan Subhawickrama

Kru Mark "The Hammer" Castagnini Muay Thai Seminar - Ju-Lin Lee Says

"I highly recommend this seminar to all Kickboxers, from beginners to advanced, as it gave me a better understanding of Kickboxing by explaining Kickboxing and Muay Thai skills from a different perspective and implementing them in self defence situations.

Kru Mark Castagnini is a highly recognised member of the Kickboxing and Martial Arts world and just hearing his stories will inspire you."

- Ju-Lin Lee

Maestro Robert M. Halaijian's Self-Defense Seminar - Azzan Al-Balushi Says

"The Self-Defense Seminar conducted by Maestro Robert Halaijian was truly a one of a kind experience. It covered many aspects of Kickboxing and street fighting.

Not only did it prove to be beneficial to many beginners, but it was also valuable and constructive for more advanced Kickboxers alike.

It would be virtually impossible to sum up my favourite part of the seminar, as it is my first Martial Art seminar. I did nevertheless enjoy myself throughout the whole seminar.

I never thought that it would be taught in the form of a regular class, where we had the oppurtunity to try out all the new moves we've learnt. I don't think there's anything better than that first hand experience.

Since the Seminar incorprated so much of the street fighting aspects which are not ring-legal moves and/or combo's, I assume the only way for us to try them out was during the Seminar.

Maestro Robert also talked to us about the psychological approach to street fighting, which I think should always come first. Some of the crucial elements he mentioned in the seminar were, how to overcome fear, how to avoid confrontations and how to maintain a sound mentality.

I believe that the Seminar has improved my school of thought out on the streets, and enhanced my Kickboxing abilities. It was sure to make a better person out of anyone to attend it.

If I were to asked to give reasons for advising others to train with Maestro Robert in the future, I wouldn't know where to start. Everything from his remarkable journey through Kickboxing along the years, to his impressive way of teaching and implementation.

He is very capable of maintaining an ideal combination of seriousness and fun, along with a pinch of humor too. He strictly causes the Kickboxers to stop and think of what they are actually trying to achieve with every move, hit or combo. He makes it a more realistic experience."

- Azzan Al-Balushi

Maestro Robert M. Halaijian's Self-Defense Seminar - Nadia Fung Says

"Even before attending the Seminar I learned a few things from Robert Halaijian. He came to a Thursday lesson as a Guest Instructor before the night of the seminar.

I learned from him what would make me fight, and my own limitations. I learned that even in practice, you must give 100%, because if you only give 50% most of the time, you would be used to giving 50%, in a fight, in studying, in life.

From the seminar, we learned different grappling techniques, which was my favorite part of the Seminar. I learned how to protect myself from would-be attackers whilst appearing to be non-confronting.

I believe this is important to be ready, yet nots how it, because you are never sure when you are in a fight or not. I learned it's not the always the best to get into fighting position, because you might be the trigger in a fight.

I learned psychological aspects of street fighting, such as what controls my fears, and how I may overcome then.

This seminar has opened my eyes to a different kind of fighting, one that isn't just about keeping fit and being the strongest, but keeping a cool head and using common sense."

- Nadia Fung

Maestro Robert M. Halaijian's Self-Defense Seminar - Sahan Subhawickrama Says

"Maestro Robert M. Halaijian's Seminar was the first Martial Arts Seminar I have participated in. I found it interesting as it dealt with streetfights and not just routine, in the ring, martial arts.

I found the technique in which you get into stance and open your hands instead of clutching your fists when confronted to be very interesting. Using palms instead of fists is also a good idea since many people break or damage their fists by not connecting a punch properly in fights.

The mentality of a streetfight and the logic in trying your best to avoid getting into one and the reasons behind them was very important since most people just fight due to their reputations and dont think about the consequences that might follow.

As Mr Halaijian said it is impossible to teach a group of people in 3 hours how to come out on top in a streetfight because streetfights aren't all the same, but I think he did a very good job in educating us on why to avoid a fight and equipping us with some knowlage and tactics to use if a fight is inevitable."

- Sahan Subhawickrama

Maestro Robert M. Halaijian's Self-Defense Seminar - Ju-Lin Lee Says

"The street fighting Seminar was lots of fun and a great way to learn valuable skills, physical and psychological, to do with street fighting and self defence.

I particularly liked the part where we did ground work which is something different tothe skills we do in class and we could integrate these skills to make us further accomplish the benefits of becoming rounded Kickboxers, in the Kickboxing setting as well as in self defence."

- Ju-Lin Lee

Maestro Robert M. Halaijian's Self-Defense Seminar - Marianna Tassakos Says

"Robert Halaijian’s Seminar on street fighting was a good experience. The concepts and techniques taught were built on what had previously been taught in Kickboxing classes which led to an improvement in my skills, techniques and principles.

That which was taught was not all new, however having it being taught by someone different and explained in different contexts encouraged my thinking in terms of allowing me to apply what I already knew to a range of situations, in particular on the street where, as was told, rules do not exist.

The Seminar focused on the psychological aspects of fighting as well as the physiological aspects, which I found useful in terms of being able to prepare the mind for a fight and ultimately being able to deal with whatever may result.

I think the mind’s ability to deal with such situations would be more important than what skills a person may have, as unless that person can be prepared mentally, it may impact upon their ability to be so physically.

Robert’s seminar was a useful experience as he not only taught aspects of Kickboxing not dealt with in class, but taught them in a different context, that is, in street fighting situations, encouraging the application of the skills I have to a variety of situations, broadening my thinking.

In addressing the psychological side of street fighting, this is an area that has not been focused on in detail within Kickboxing, but is still very important. Having Robert deal with that allowed me to incorporate it into what I learn in the future."

- Marianna Tassakos

Maestro Robert M. Halaijian's Self-Defense Seminar - Matthew Gillet Says

"Maestro Robert Halaijian’s street fighting seminar taught practical self-defence techniques that can be used by both men and women even if they have had no prior martial arts experience.

My favourite part of the seminar was learning simple combinations that were devastatingly effective and could be modified to suit an individual fighter’s style.

The seminar also showed how kickboxing techniques can be easily applied in a street confrontation.

All people interested in self-defence or even martial arts in general should jump at the opportunity to train with Maestro Halaijian in the future if it arises because of the unique breadth of knowledge and experience that he brings to any class he teaches."

- Matthew Gillet

Maestro Robert M. Halaijian's Self-Defense Seminar - Michael Siber Says

Just few words regarding Master Robert's Seminar:

• The techniques he demonstrated are very easy to learn
• Very practical to use for self defense on the street
• You could see that he has a master degree (all the techniques were executed with a high level of competency)
• Some of the verbal tips he gave us are very good
• He is also a good motivator

- Michael Siber

Maestro Robert M. Halaijian's Self-Defense Seminar - Rob Woodworth Says

"My favourite part of the Seminar was the takedown that we learned. The most profound lessons I learnt from Robert were to realize how much of an impact you could have on people's lives if you hurt them, to figure out situations when you should "turn on", and how to turn fears into challenges.

The Seminar has motivated me as it showed me that there are other martial arts that seem very interesting, like ones involving weapons, takedowns, and moves that you're not allowed to do in sparring which I find interesting.

Kickboxing Club students should train with Robert in future classes and Seminars to learn some of the mental aspects of fighting."

- Rob Woodworth