The AFS MMA Programme has been designed to provide students with functional experience of all areas of combat from the pre-contact stage through the striking and clinch fighting (where either you or your opponent have some form of grip on one another) stages to ground grappling. The programme is made up of elements of Boxing, Thai Boxing, Panantukan, Submission Grappling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (essentially grouped under the headings striking, clinchwork and groundfighting). 

There are two aspects of training in the AFS programme; self-protection and self-perfection. The curriculum is divided into three levels within this framework:

Level 1 - A general conditioning and awareness phase. 70% of the training is free movement fighting (kickboxing, boxing and takedowns etc). The other 30% is divided between close quarter fighting (clinch fighting), ground grappling and self-protection techniques. The goal at this level is to develop the student's overall awareness of each area of combat. Light sparring is practiced to help students develop a feel for movement, range and technique application under pressure.

Level 2 - Training focuses specifically on close quarter fighting methods (clinch fighting). Eventually, the training sessions lead up to a point where students will use clinch fighting techniques within their sparring. Students will continue to practice the free movement fighting skills learnt in level 1.

Level 3 - This training level focuses on the transition from clinch fighting to ground grappling, as well as range integration. Once proficiency is achieved in eachrange of fighting e.g. free movement (kickboxing, boxing, takedowns and entries to close quarters), clinch fighting (including clinch work, limb manipulation, takedowns, throws and control and restraint techniques) and ground grappling, the individual should look to integrate these different areas to find what works for them.

The goal of the AFS MMA programme is to develop the ability/skill to adapt to any situation. Once the student has learned and practiced a variety of techniques and drills in each range, has performed them live in a series of progressive drills and sparring, and has trained the transitions between the ranges as well as performed them in a pressured environment, he/she will then be able to move up to the instructor levels.

We believe that it is important that people view the AFS MMA programme not as a product (where you buy or learn a set of moves or techniques from the instructors and stick religiously to them for all time) but as more of a process, where technique and application options are learnt and then tested under pressure. This pressure then leads naturally to developing preferences for a number of techniques that work for you (based on personal attributes) in any given situation.