Lee>Lewis>Aikia: “Non-Classical Combative Methodologies”™

A composite of Japanese characters for Aikia [(ai|kia(i)] can be translated as “allegiance of courage.” The acronym AIKIA stands for America’s Independent Instructors Association. The “K” equally addresses Korean martial arts (TKD/TSD/HKD), Karate, Kickboxing, Kenpo, and Kon-do Bujutsu (Japanese word for Mixed Martial Arts/MMA).

“I want to help restore this sense of pride in the martial arts through AIKIA.” Joe Lewis 1983

The late Grandmaster Joe Lewis put it best when he said, “The feeling that I find missing in so many schools nowadays is a sense of pride and belonging. I want to help restore this sense of pride in the martial arts through AIKIA. I haven’t been associated with an organization since 1973. I was so impressed with the philosophy, ideas, and sincerity of AIKIA; I chose to fully endorse their efforts by serving as National Director for Training and Instruction. If you are a martial arts instructor, I encourage you to join in our effort to better the professional practice of martial arts instruction.” Joe Lewis, 1983

The philosophy the grandmaster spoke of is that an organization should serve as an “allegiance of courage” to align with instructors who are courageous enough to venture outside their respective arts. We believe, as did Bruce Lee, that the truth in combat is beyond singular styles. Aikia endorsed Black Belts actively research and train in arts outside their base systems to advance their knowledge of combat. If you are a Black Belt instructor and you are, as Bruce Lee might say, “training every part of your body,” then join us.

JKD’s Non-Classical Karate

Bruce Lee is often called the “Father of MMA.” Lee, along with his only world champion student, Joe Lewis, helped shape the modern practice of martial arts. The exclusive lineage from Bruce Lee to Joe Lewis to Aikia to you is available only to Aikia members. In 1994 and 1995, Ted Wong, Joe Lewis, and Jerry Beasley, then operating together as the JKD Council, ™ chronicled the specific methodology being passed from Bruce to Joe to Jerry. Ted Wong often participated in the historic lessons between Joe and Bruce and provided several important reference points. At Lewis’s request, Beasley coined the name Non-Classical Combative Methodologies™ to be the best descriptor for the Original JKD skills, principles, and strategies that Bruce Lee had taught Joe Lewis and that Lewis passed on to Jerry Beasley. Joe loved the name and the concept because it captured the essence, without reference to historical Asian terminology, of being “non-classical yet methodically combative.” In 1995, GM Lewis officially added NCCM to his personal Joe Lewis American Karate Systems Black Belt certificates. Prior to 1995, all JLAKS Black Belt certificates originated with Aikia.

Aikia was the original launching pad and home organization for Joe Lewis American Karate Systems. The JLAKS was carefully detailed in the book, Joe Lewis and His American Karate Systems, by Joe Lewis and Dr. Jerry Beasley. When you join we’ll send you a download of the original book manuscript as a free gift. Copies of the original book sell on Amazon.com for as much as $300! The Bruce Lee>Joe Lewis>Aikia Non-Classical Combative Methodologies™ is exclusive to Aikia and includes essential elements of the JLAKS. Our second free gift to you is a download of the original book manuscript title, JKD: High-Risk Sparring, by Dr. Jerry Beasley and featuring Joe Lewis. These two book manuscripts will provide more detailed information about both the Joe Lewis American Karate Systems and the JKD/Non-Classical Combative Methodologies™ as originally promoted by the late Joe Lewis and Aikia.

As an Aikia member you will receive specific instructions on how to best learn and teach the cutting edge principles and strategies in the lineage passed from Bruce Lee to Joe Lewis to Aikia to you. Black Belts have the option to apply for instructor certification in Non-Classical Combative Methodologies. ™ See Black Belt magazine’s September 1998 cover story, “Using Jeet Kune Do to Improve Your Traditional Karate Skills,” by Dr. Jerry Beasley.

How do we serve you?

The main thing black belts hate about organizations is ‘politics.’ Politics means ‘money’ and in Aikia skill talks and money walks. Aikia is free of politics. We are today as we were 35-plus years ago. Service, not profit, is our motive. Aikia membership is an endorsement that allows you to join forces with the most prestigious independent rank granting institution in the world. We provide high-level continuing education through the NCCM and a yearly training camp that has been called the best in the nation.

Aikia’s Karate College: The Original MMA Camp

As an Aikia endorsed school you join forces with the winner of the Black Belt magazine Best Training Camp Industry Award. Aikia’s iconic Karate College (originally promoted by Joe Lewis, Bill Wallace, Jeff Smith, and Dr. Beasley) has served the martial arts industry for more than 25 years by bringing together a multitude of martial arts. Aikia provides the top meeting place for our members to come, enjoy fellowship, learn, and progress. Aikia instructors enjoy the privilege of awarding Black Belts to their students during the event in front of a national audience. Here’s what leaders say:

“It’s my favorite camp. When we began the Karate College in 1988, no one could have known that it would have been so important to so many people.”
Bill Wallace
“I love Karate College. You can meet some of the best people in martial arts there. I plan things around the Karate College dates because I love it there.”
Renzo Gracie
“Dr. Beasley has put together the premiere camp in the nation. Every other camp is measured by how close they get to the Karate College model.”
Joe Lewis

Are you Ready to join the allegiance of courage?

Black Belts want to know how they can get promoted and their students can receive national accreditation. They also want to develop cutting edge information to teach to their students. Just fill out the application and mail it in with a copy of your 1st dan certificate. We will take it from there. Aikia Black Belt instructors advance by perfecting their base “K” art and their personal attributes and by going outside the art using a method Beasley and Lewis called Selective Technique Variation.

As Aikia’s original National Director for Training and Instruction, Joe Lewis taught us that “he was simply pointing the way.” Like his teacher and coach Bruce Lee had instructed him to do, Joe insisted that when you limit yourself to an individual, a technique, an art or a style, you will surely miss “the way.” Aikia wishes to perpetuate the Bruce Lee>Joe Lewis>Aikia lineage by opening our membership to all arts and styles that use the standard white thru black belt grading system.

By now you are probably thinking, “How can they make any money?” We don’t. Most revenue stays with the member school. The basic money generated by national student rank accreditation and instructor certification goes to pay for advertisement and supplies. No one receives a paycheck or fringe benefits from Aikia. Any revenue over expenses is gratefully donated to charity. The first $100 of your school/instructor certification fee is respectfully donated to the Joe Lewis College Fund. We wish to honor the knowledge left us thru the Bruce Lee>Joe Lewis> Aikia legacy with no politics, no concern for profit. It takes courage to serve without expectation of reward. In 1978, Aikia presented a new paradigm for martial arts organizations. Join us now as Aikia moves the bar once again with NCCM. Together we will continue to build this “allegiance of courage” known as Aikia. Send questions to ceo@aikia.net.

Our goal is to serve our members: “Whosoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant.” (Matthew 20:26).