manifesto - Crazy Monkey Defense


MANIFESTO
OF A CRAZY MONKEY
CRAZY MONKEY’s are a UNIQUE breed of martial artists.
A CRAZY MONKEY is someone who is CRAZY about modern martial arts & CRAZY about using that experience
to take on the martial arts of everyday life. A MONKEY who sees themselves as an embodied adventurist, with a
love of exploring their full potential and the opportunity to embrace their warrior spirit! Crazy Monkey’s embrace
CMD because what they experience on the mat, is completely different — dare we say completely opposite to
what they have to endure in life.
When we created Crazy Monkey Defense, we thought to ourselves that there is so much competition in the
world, and we just could’t see how someone would then willingly give up the little and precious free time they do
have — to then once again compete against other people — but this time in fighting to win on the mat.
Crazy Monkey offers an escape from the status quo, from the hyper-competitive world, where people can
connect fully with their inner adventurer, through exploring their full potential on the mat, with a creative spirit —
and where the only challenge is themselves. The goal, to be a better version today of who they were yesterday.
MONKEY’s can be
consiial arts world, no
wonder they are only
willing t allow them to
Environment Informs
Behaviour
We reengineered the modern martial art training
environment, where sadly the hyper-competitive
mindset of life and work, has spilled over onto the
mat. This spill over, has taken the form of negative
stress, with hyper-competitiveness, and the need by
some to constantly dominate others with their
physical will. The result, most modern martial art
schools today are playgrounds designed for
meatheads.
CRAZY MONKEY’S hate these environments and
actively seek to create training environments where
they are free to make mistakes without being judged
or labelled. CRAZY MONKEY’s are the creatives of
the modern martial arts world. No wonder they are
only willing to train in martial art environments that
allow them to be free to create, explore and to play.
“As a positive psychology researcher I am
impressed with Rodney King’s intuitive grasp
of people’s strengths and hopes. Rather than
building a martial art around fear of attack,
testosterone-based competition, or external
rewards King introduces the best aspects of
performance psychology to help people
achieve their own goals. In a field steeped in
tradition, King artfully reimagines both the
dojo and the martial arts business mentality.
At long last, we have a perfect union of
proven martial arts techniques with cutting
edge approaches to teaching and personal
development. As a martial artist myself,
King’s methods are a breath of fresh air.”
Dr Robert Diener
Author of Positive Psychology Coaching
Not A One-Size-Fits All Approach
CRAZY MONKEY’s are people who want more control over
the martial arts program they are learning. They hate the onesize-fits all approach so prevalent in martial art schools
around the world. Instead CRAZY MONKEY’s want a martial
art program that’s designed around their needs and their
goals. It is not that CRAZY MONKEY’s are selfish or selfcentred — but rather CRAZY MONKEY’s want to play, to
explore, and create their own version of the martial arts. This
can never be achieved in a one-size-fits all approach to martial
arts or where they are simply just another body on the mat.
be free to create,
explore and to play.
Coaching Built On Strengths Not
Dominance
CRAZY MONKEY’s want a coach that will help them play to their
strengths, not their weaknesses. CRAZY MONKEY’s actively
seek out coaches who will inspire them to achieve the
(im)possible. CRAZY MONKEY’s see martial arts as an
opportunity to develop their inner game, and crave martial arts
training that pushes them to be both champions on the mat, but
in life and work as well!
Working With People Not Against Them
CRAZY MONKEY’s look for a martial arts
experience that’s focused on respect for each
other in training. They want martial arts training
that will change lives for the better and make a
positive difference in the world. They want to
explore the adventure of modern martial arts
with like minded people on the mat. In this way,
everyone becomes your teacher. Working
together co-creatively, you have the
opportunity to fully explore your full potential,
both inner and outer — without worrying about
having to now prove you are better than
anyone else.
CRAZY MONKEY’s are not interested in
dominance and learning only to fight. This is
not to say that CRAZY MONKEY’s don’t
actively seek out the most realistic and
functional training methodology they can: skills
that will work in real life physical self-defense
encounters.They DO!
However CRAZY MONKEY’s recognize that martial
arts that focus solely on competition or reality-based
self-defense only rewards specialization, but reject
wholeness.
CRAZY MONKEY’s are about wholeness, while totally
cool with self-defense training and competitive paths,
for CRAZY MONKEY’s martial arts is far more than
just those two specializations. For CRAZY MONKEY’s
what is most exciting is using martial arts as a vehicle
to become a champion in their life and career.
“Rodney King is years ahead of his time,
he has taken his martial arts to the level of
budo, where few dare to go. I am a big
fan.”
Geoff Thompson
BAFTA Award Winning Author & Legendary Modern
Martial Artist
Rodney King - Creator of Crazy Monkey Defense
Internationally renowned martial artist. Global trainer and leadership coach. Entrepreneur. Author. Creator of
two successful martial art lifestyle brands. Devoted husband and father. There are many titles and adjectives one
can use to describe Rodney King. But at the core of it all, Rodney is driven by a simple goal: to help you nurture
your mind-body intelligence to be the best you can be, in work and life.
It’s Not Your Circumstances, but What You Do about It
Growing up in government housing on the dicey South Side of Johannesburg, being a high school dropout —
I was told I would never amount to anything. But I proved everyone wrong. Through rigorous martial arts
training and applying the principles I discovered in my journey, I paved a new path for myself.
I’ve seen my fair share of mental and physical turmoil over
the years (still do). And it was only through years of regular
practice and conditioning that I was able to grasp the
significance of engaging a concerted mind-body approach.
The mind and body are more intertwined than we fully
realise. And it’s through actively engaging the two as one
that we can effectively tune out the noise and focus on the
present with clarity and purpose.
It’s why I’m so passionate about helping people embrace
an embodied approach to overcome the challenges they
face in life and work — it worked for me; I know it will work
for you too. This is what Crazy Monkey Defense is about!
Rodney King
[email protected]
WWW.CRAZYMONKEYDEFENSE.COM