Learn More About
The Warrior Within
Working out of Boise, Idaho and shooting at various ranges.
We provide training in rifle, pistol, edged/blunt weapons and empty hands.
About Us
What makes you qualified to teach martial arts or firearms?
My name is Gary Fujino. I have been a student of the martial arts for most of my life. I have studied Aikido, Lima-Lama Karate, Hapkido, Okinawan Karate, Filipino Martial Arts, Jun Fan Gung Fu, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu over the past 40 years. The arts that I have studied include all ranges of fighting including kicking, punching, trapping and grappling. They also cover empty hands, bladed weapons, impact and flexible weapons. I have studied firearms since my 20’s with most of my experience in tactical shooting with a rifle and pistol. I am a concealed carry weapon holder and certified instructor.
My background in physical therapy, particularly in neuro rehabilitation, gives me knowledge of neuroscience, programming, visualization, and rehearsal-repetition in training the human body and brain to acquire skills and learn new movement patterns so essential in learning a new skill such as self-defense techniques and firearms. This combined with my emphasis in having a safe and progressive building of the fundamentals is vital to learning the skills necessary for rapid development of the individual. Additionally, I can help find ways in working around physical limitations and disabilities to enable you to defend yourself.
Does the information you teach hold up in real life situations?
The martial arts and empty hand self-defense techniques and tactics that I teach are street and time tested. While I have won and lost many fights on the mats or in the dojo, I have never been the one to go out and “test” the techniques in street fights. I have had instructors and students that have gotten into many street fights. They have relayed back to me what works and what doesn’t and the distillation of what I teach to students has been thoroughly tested. Also, the philosophy of the fight through the lens of Bruce Lee and the instructors that I have learned from is one of directness and simplification cutting out the non-essentials.
The same goes for firearms training. I have taken a lot of classes from law enforcement officers, SWAT instructors and civilian firearms instructors that have a similar mindset of simplifying the fight. The information I teach is of general consensus of the gun community in terms of technique and tactics.
One similarity in both lethal arms and non-lethal self-defense is deciding to NOT be a victim and to live in a state of awareness. This will prevent most situations from surprising you and give you time to escape, prevent or avert an attack. You survive and win EVERY fight you do NOT engage in.
Creation of The Warrior Within
We made our way to Seattle where I have always wanted to pay respect at the grave of Sigung Bruce Lee, the founder of Jeet Kune Do, which I studied under Guro Dan Inosanto and Sifu Paul Vunak.
Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco, but his parents moved back to Hong Kong when he was three months old. He practiced martial arts in Hong Kong growing up and was getting into trouble by street fighting, so his parents decided to send him back to the US at age 16 where he settled in Seattle. He eventually went to the University of Washington at Seattle to earn his degree in pholosophy. It was at UW where he met the love of his live, Linda Emery, with whom he eventually married and had two children; Brandon and Shannon.
Bruce was a pioneer and warrior and while his martial art prowess was questioned by some; he was innovative and ahead of his time. Bruce was a philosopher, civil rights activist, original CrossFit athlete, original mixed martial artist, teacher, movie star, friend, husband, and father. His influence on the world of martial arts was renowned, but as important were his contribution to movies, fitness, the Chinese culture, brotherhood, and philosophy.
As a child, I was enamored by and looked up to Bruce Lee watching his movies over and over, trying to emulate his moves. I eventually found my way to his art after being in martial arts for many years and the impact on my life through martial arts practice has been for me, profound. It has shaped who I am: helped me overcome obstacles, provided me creative outlet, given me confidence, got me in physical shape, and provided me opportunity to teach and help others. Things that I would use throughout my life.
This led me to The Warrior Within. As I change careers, I want to do something that will foremost, bring me joy. I love all things martial and want to share that joy in movement, learning, confidence and fitness with others through The Warrior Within. The offerings of The Warrior Within will include pistol and rifle training, use of blunt/edged weapons and empty hands combat. All things martial.
I believe we all have the capacity for great love and on the opposite end, extreme violence. While I do not promote violence, sometimes violence comes at us and we must be prepared to avoid, defend or match that violence to survive. Whatever we have to do to survive combat will help preserve our body, mind and spirit. A boss that bullies you, a teacher that humiliates you, a so called friend who disses you on social media, a date rapist, and the thug on the street that wants to rob you or commit violence against you are all forms of combat.
It is through increasing our awareness, training of the mind, and learning specific skills that we can survive combat and protect ourselves and others. You are worthy of living a life of your choosing: free of bullying, free of fear, setting boundaries that you can enforce, and living a joyful life. Everybody has a warrior within.
Gary Fujino
