1. What is UFS?
UFS is
an association in which all martial arts instructors, schools, and practitioners,
can belong and be recognized. In addition, we provide independent martial arts instructors
and artists rank advancement opportunities.
2. Why would someone want to belong to UFS?
There are numerous
reasons. The most common are freedom and independence. We have found that there are
few organizations that will support you in learning, advancing in, or teaching, styles
and techniques other than their own. UFS wants to assist the independent martial
arts instructor and artist, by providing them a resource, that recognizes them, their
time, rank, and accomplishments in the martial arts, no matter what styles, or techniques,
they practice and participate in.
3. What are the benefits of joining UFS and what do you receive?
a.
you'll receive a letter verifying membership in UFS.
b. you'll receive a full
color rank, school or style certificate, depending on membership level.
c. you'll
also receive a UFS membership card.
d. you'll be eligible for rank advancement
through video testing.
e. your rank can be verified through UFS headquarters,
via email.
f. you'll have access to discounts on future
products and services as they become available.
4. How does a person join?
Please review our "Association"
page in it's entirety, send us your martial arts biography, and state your interests.
5. I currently belong to another association, why would I want to join UFS?
There are many reasons. The most common have been freedom and independence.
Others include having the opportunity for rank recognition and advancement while
being a independent instructor, school, style, or martial artist. Please see our
"Association" page for additional reasons.
6. How are people graded/tested?
Grading is done through existing
"verifiable" copies of rank certificates. Along with a resume or application.
If rank certificate copies are lost, stolen, eaten by the dog, etc. Then
grading must be done by video. Testing and promotions are done exclusively
by video, or through one of our instructors, or member schools. The minimum video testing
fee set by the UFS Board is $100 and maximum fee is $500.
7. Who can join?
Anybody, any style, any rank.
8. I may want to teach on my own someday, at either a recreation center, YMCA,
local health club, etc. Can UFS be of help to me?
Yes. In fact those re often
some of the people we help. UFS can be of help by providing you with
an association that recognizes your rank. Thus your students will not feel, or suspect,
ones rank is self proclaimed. Also, UFS provides additional services such
as discounted rank certificates that instructors can use for their own testing.
9. Who is on the Board?
Everyone on the UFS Board has at least 30 years
of martial arts experience, and no one on the board has less than an 8th degree. We have real
Grandmasters from styles such as jujitsu, judo, kenpo, goju-ryu, military combatives, and
taekwondo. That's a pretty good mix of grappling art and striking art expertise. In addition,
many of them have black belts in more than one traditional martial arts style, some of which
aren't even listed. That's a broad mix of ability to evaluate applicants. Click
here to learn more about our board members.
10. Can you send me some information?
Everything we could possibly say in
a brochure we've made a valiant effort to mention at our website. If you have specific
questions, email them to us we'll gladly
provide you with a personal response. But as for spending huge amounts of money on
printing brochures, and inflating our prices so our members pay for that, we feel
that's very unfair and we're highly opposed to that, as you should be.
11. Is everyone who applies approved?
No, but most are if they provide the information we request and it can be verified. We do check on the information that's provided. If we're unable to move forward with everything, we do refund all fees. You need to provide contact information for previous instructors and copies of rank certificates from those instructors. If you don't have those, be prepared to make and provide a video of your ability.
© 1996-2019 United Fighting Systems