Peter is one of the original members of KMSF, and also teaches Chinese Boxing. Peter is also the one who normally conducts all the interviews for our newsletter in addition to his column. This month, the interviewer finally becomes the interviewee.

KMSF: You're an instructor at KMSF, and one of the original members that came over from Chinese Boxing. How has your experience with Krav Maga been, both the system and the school?

Peter: I studied Chinese Boxing for a very long time with Master Roger D'nofrio, who was also Barny's teacher. I started with him in 1989, and trained with him until 2000. Seven or eight years into training wih Roger, he decided to branch out and check out other martial arts styles, since he was looking to expand his system in a more user-friendly mode. We were a select group and the material was very advanced, even though the classes were open to everyone. We never really grew to the size of school that [Roger] wanted. He found Krav after some investigation; he and Barny actually went down to LA together and trained under Darren [Levine] for one of the first certifications at [Krav Maga LA].

I had a pretty good idea that it was going to be a good system, because Roger was diligent and did a lot of research. I, obviously, love Chinese Boxing, and felt it was a good, practical system, so if Roger believed that Krav Maga was compatible, I was predisposed to like it. Upon exposure to Krav, I realized in a lot of ways it was superior to Chinese Boxing, such that it was accessible to anyone. In terms of the volume of information given to you as a civilian in Krav Maga, I'd say that the whole system comprises about 25-30% of the material in Chinese Boxing. So, there is a lot more to Chinese Boxing than Krav Maga, but I like how Krav is more approachable and you can learn it very quickly. In fact, it's similar to my first exposure to Chinese Boxing. I was a personal trainer along with a friend of mine back in 1989, and we decided to take a 10-week course Roger designed called "City Survival". It was very similar to level 1 Krav.


KMSF: How many years were you a personal trainer before you got into Chinese Boxing?

Peter: I was a trainer for two or three years before I ended up at the gym that Roger owned. I was training for myself at first, and then Roger hired me and a friend of mine to work as trainers at the gym. We were looking to start a training business, so it was kind of by happenstance that we ran into him. It wasn't until later that we found out Roger taught martial arts.

KMSF: What got you started in personal training to begin with?

Peter: I grew up in West Sonoma County, and there wasn't much for young people to do besides get into trouble. I saw many of the older kids passing the time by drinking, doing drugs, and chasing down parties. Many of them never grew out of this behavior, and if I had continued without altering my course, no doubt I would have ended up stuck doing many of the same things.

When I was 13, I met Michael Thurmond. A couple of my good friends lived near him, and Michael offered to let them begin using a gym he had set up. He decided to start coaching weightlifting while he was recovering from a back injury. I saw that these two were getting stronger and gaining confidence rapidly under his instruction, and I asked to join them. Over the next 4 years, I trained regularly with Michael and a small group of my friends. Eventually, the small gym moved, became a business, and I began to help train other youths and adults. That was how I was led towards teaching in general.

In addition to his passion for weight training, Michael loves boxing and martial arts. We learned how training could be used for a variety of functional as well as aesthetic purposes. We watched a lot of boxing and fighting, and of course I loved Bruce Lee movies (I have to admit watching some Billy Jack, too). So I'd have to say my interest in the fighting arts has been there from a very young age, but wasn't really brought to full intensity until I started Chinese Boxing at about 20 years old.

KMSF: Did you have martial arts experience before Chinese Boxing?

Peter: Just a little. I studied Kenpo for a year when I was 16. That experience primed me for Chinese Boxing, because it was very traditional: you had to do katas and memorize them for belt tests. But every time I would spar, I wouldn't use a single kata. Only about a tenth of a percent of a kata would be useful in sparring. So I had this cognitive dissonance in studying a martial art and not being able to use it when I fight. It was Chinese Boxing that gave me the revelation that simple, instinctive movements are what help you survive and fight ? you can learn the sophisticated movements later as you build on these basics. But Kenpo definitely piqued my interest in martial arts.


KMSF: How far did you advance in Chinese Boxing?

Peter: I'm a fourth-level Sifu, which is like a fifth-level black belt. The system divided students into beginning, middle, advanced, and senior levels. You earn the black belt when you reach "senior student" level. I went through four more levels after that; I'm qualified to teach and rank students up to a level below myself. It took me 13 years to achieve that ranking.

KMSF: How do you feel you've evolved from a student into an instructor?

Peter: The transition from student to teacher was bittersweet for me. I love being a student, I love training and forgetting about whatever happened to me that day to focus on learning. You lose that when you become a teacher. You don't get that kind of single-minded focus; you can't lose yourself in something you enjoy. However, being a teacher makes you a better martial artist. You have to be more precise, and justify your actions to a higher degree. The transition was pretty easy since I had been a trainer for so long, so I was used to interacting with people and instructing them. Whenever I learn something that I like, I want to share it ? that's my natural inclination. I think my teaching style reflects that ? I prefer to share information than just tell people what to do.

KMSF: What is your philosophy as a student, and how does that differ from your philosophy as a teacher?

Peter: They are pretty much the same. I believe it is important to have an authentic experience, to deal with reality instead of hypothetical situations. My approach is to be in the moment, pay attention, concentrate, and be an example to people around me by applying myself with as much effort as possible. And it's important to share knowledge, whether as a student or a teacher.

KMSF: What has been the most difficult thing about being a teacher, in regards to your students?

Peter: There's the challenge of dealing with all different types of learners, managing a group of people with differing attitudes and energy levels. It is very difficult to craft an experience for your students that works for everyone. But it's a fun challenge, and it keeps you in the moment since you have to be constantly monitoring everyone and making sure all the students are okay. My goal is to help people get past their habits and ego, and motivate them to operate without those constraints.

KMSF: What is your motivation in continuing to teach and study martial arts?

Peter: There's always more to learn. I originally started Chinese Boxing because not only was I curious about martial arts, but I was new to the city and I had a child and a young wife. I wanted to be sure I was capable oforiginaling them. I wanted to protect the people I care about. Now it's twenty years later, and I still enjoy learning and training in martial arts. We offer so many things at KMSF now, so I can crosstrain in grappling, Krav, and Chinese Boxing.

KMSF: How have you seen the school evolve, since you were there from the very beginning?

Peter: The biggest change was Barny and Gail taking over KMSF after Roger decided to move. Under Roger, we were a small group, and Barny and Gail took the school to a different level. They opened themselves up to a lot of new opportunities, whereas Roger was a teacher first and a businessman last. Barny and Gail understand how to build a community ? we had a small, tight-knit community with Chinese Boxing, and now we have a larger, but still very tight-knit community with Krav. I really respect was they've done, and I'm so happy I'm a part of it. The school is incredibly diverse, with students from all walks of life, and we all have common ground.

KMSF: What do you outside of KMSF?

Peter: I do software design, particularly user-experience design for a small software company. It entails some graphic design, but mostly focuses on information architecture. I find myself in a role of explaining things and generating consensus between the diverse groups within the software company, e.g. marketing, engineers, and the idea people. So I'm part designer, part problem solver, part interpreter.

KMSF: How has your study of martial arts affected your life in other areas?

Peter: It's affected my life in every way I can imagine. One of the biggest gifts my teacher gave me was the concept of looking for parameters that work as many different situations as possible, similar to Bruce Lee's philosophy of Jeet Kune Do. I try to constantly improve my general principles by throwing out what doesn't work and incorporating new things that do work. You don't have to think about specialized, nuanced reactions when your general parameters already address the issue well. I apply this attitude in all situations of my life, particularly in software design. Basic human psychology doesn't change, so I have to keep my methods consistent in order to address the problems I come across. The other lesson I apply to my life from martial arts is being adaptable. To flow with a situation and adapt to it is much more successful than being set in a very specific mold. Dealing with the reality at hand and being honest with yourself is what's important, rather than being in denial.

KMSF: What would you tell your students and other people entering Krav Maga?

Peter: There are a lot of other martial arts that have this aura of mystery, that some great secret is going to be bestowed upon you. I think that is somewhat bullshit and somewhat true. It's bullshit when the deeper, broadly applicable material is withheld from you because you're a beginner. It's true in the sense that there is a secret to martial arts, and it is this: that you will engage in the destruction of your ego. Krav Maga withholds nothing from you, and makes sure you know what you need to defend yourself right now. At the same time, learning the broad material gives you a foundation for the more personal or spiritual aspects. Rather than the more traditional martial arts, where sometimes you start with material that is too esoteric and then move on to the fight, Krav does the reverse by starting with the fight. The destruction of the ego is necessary, but the knowledge of being able to combat violence and fear gives you inner strength of character and helps you grow as a person to the point where you can face that.