My teacher Tom Weismuller’s teacher is Christopher Petrilli. Chris Petrilli is a former U.S. Army Ranger, and for years Chris trained in the Philippines directly under one of the founding members of the Doce Pares Eskrima system, Cacoy Cañete.
Petrilli is now one of the highest ranked students of Cañete’s, holding the esteemed rank of 10th degree black belt in Doce Pares.
UMA is amazing in the respect that Rob teaches useful street applications immediately as well as sport training. I love the focus on physical conditioning along with light stretching that starts out each class. I feel that these classes are ego-free for a more safe environment for beginner to advanced student interactions, as well as formatted to all learning paradigms, from auditory and visual to kinesthetic and written. Through repetitive drilling to sparring the class reinforces good martial habits and is built upon over time while still having immediate use in day to day life. I also respect that Rob is always free to answer any questions about a particular drill or maneuver. In summary, I believe that UMA is unique in its no-nonsense approach to producing well-rounded martial artists.