INTRODUCTION TO THE WHITE EAGLE SCHOOL
White Eagle is my families martial arts system. White Eagle takes on the forms of reality in representation and expression. It could be as hard and bold as the land itself or as demanding as the rain as it beats down from the heavens upon the land or as elusive as the wind called Taku. White Eagle method believes in the infinite movement philosophy allowing the concepts of “hard” and “soft” technique to take form in the expression of nature using natural laws.
White Eagle method joins all other martial art styles, in that, ancient knowledge is preserved while modern discoveries are constantly being expressed as each student learns from practical experience.
TWO PRIMARY FOUNDATIONS OF WHITE EAGLE APPLICATIONS
The Lékwaa (actual fighting or fighting spirit) of Sr. Prof. Dennis Cunningham and Master Karl Stuart Sr., in their early young adulthood, was very corporeal and binding on the truth to their respective styles. Often, this translated into training sessions where, blood was shed in the purification of useful applications necessary for true development. It was during these fights and exchange practice duels of these two masters that the two founding styles of Alaskan Kempo Go Shin Jitsu were established. Sr. Prof. Cunningham was agile, fast, while incorporating supreme circular and linear angles to strike and retreat. Using the open hand of the crane, eagle, mountain lion, knife-sword, palm-heel, backhand, and elbow sequences with speed striking, became his model. Master Stuart was slower, stronger, more linear in angle penetration. Crashing-in techniques of the tiger were mastered and the one punch, one kick theory became a dominant tool. Much time of these two masters was spent on body toughening drills, punching board training to develop the knuckles for striking hard surfaces showed calloused hands worthy of any battle. These two styles became an objective basis for the future system of White Eagle School.
FROM PROF. NEHADI CUNNINGHAM, 9th DAN
MASTER CHIEF OF WHITE EAGLE KEMPO JU-JITSU
I was raised in the mountains of Southeast Alaska. My life was spent living as primitive of an existence as was possible given my circumstances. From an early age I was trained in the mountains, valleys, streams, and islands in an close combat form that my father called kempo go shin jitsu or what I call White Eagle combatives. I remember my mother making me a martial art uniform made out of old sheets when I was the age of three.
When I was in my elementary school days, I remember learning about and living amongst the Tlingit Indians. I participated in their cultural dances, wood carving, story telling, and in learning how to speak some of their language. This was in accordance with a political referendum that both the Tlingit and American cultures be equally shared with assimilation among the youth of both cultures forthwith enhancing the unique growth of all children in the Juneau School district. Because of this referendum, I started my unique martial art journey and made many friends who were Tlingit and I spent much time in learning to subsist in the wilderness the old way. I was particularly interested in their belief structure as to the importance of the wilderness and animals to their culture. Being a student of the martial art taught by my father, I was interested in animals for their fighting prowess and how to survive the harsh Alaska terrain and weather. I spent literally days and weeks in the wilderness areas of the Tongass National Forest studying the flora and fauna as well as the animal kingdom and how they survived, fought, and lived. I remember the teaching of my father: "Training must be harsh, so as to develop a mental shield against pain. Battle must become your element, the place you live, thrive, and prosper".The system I have today is a culmination of my noble heritage as a Cunninghame, my fathers founding instruction in kempo go shin jitsu, what I learned from the Tlingit Indians, the Tongass wilderness & animals of study, as well as my personal studies with Kenpo Grandmaster Yoshio Furuya, U.S. Army hand-to-hand combat/combatives with drill instructors especially Sergeant First Class Theodore Walker, and law enforcement defensive tactics instructor, Dr. Robert Natzke. My families system is White Eagle Kempo Ju-Jitsu or Dleit Ch'aak Yakwteiyí Lékwaa. Literally translated in Tlingit it means "White Eagle Sleight of Hand (Tricks) Fighting Spirit. Off this system is the specialty program dedicated to police and military called Cunninghame Ju-Jitsu (Courage in Battle Strategic Flexibility) which teaches both police ju-jitsu and combat ju-jitsu. I use English in White Eagle when teaching my clansmen and students, so as to express the principles and concepts for ease of learning. I accentuate certainmartial arts words in Tlingit as well as Japanese to bring my historical martial art upbringing into clear focus.
You might ask why the name White Eagle? This is a logical question. I was raised in the wilderness of Southeast Alaska with all my animal brothers and sisters. I carry the name of the ancient Tlingit Nehadi or White Eagle. My Father is my martial arts master who drilled in me the military bearing of close battle. My training was fostered in my mountain dojo in Southeast Alaska. Along with my fathers instructions, I have been tutored in collateral training methods that have enhance White Eagle method. In 1992, I was on assignment as a federal law enforcement officer with the United States Government in Los Angeles. I had the blessing and privilege to work, on this occasion, with the Azusa Kenpo School. The Master of the school was Yoshio Furuya, a capable teacher of the principles and concepts of Kenpo. We spent many evenings, even into the late night; sharing doctrines of my father’s close battle methods and American Kenpo.
It was in these in-depth conversations, tutoring, and practice that I was inspired to make some system (name change for example) changes more congruent with who I was as a warrior, of course, while maintaining the essence of my fathers system. I will say that the principles and concepts shared were remarkably similar, yet, the practice and formation of learning were contrastingly different. While Furuya’s system disengaged most often when in entering range, my family system stays engaged....hands on like I learned from my father. The actual “bridging the gap” or what we call "crashing in" learned at the hands of Master Furuya truly shed light on an area that was of interest to me within my system. Other areas of study that were on-point as joint correlations between systems (Master Furuya used different names in his analysis of study) were natural laws, infinite movement, body zoning, outer rim of efficiency, technique configuration sequencing, anatomical targeting, target hardening, etc. I was able to enhance those particular areas and shed light for Master Furuya on areas where his kenpo stopped and disengaged.
Feeling my own disconnect internally over what I could do to enhance and make more relevant the powerful system of my father, I was hoping for enlightenment in a profound way. Through countless hours of restlessness, meditation, and mountain pilgrimages over the next many years, I stumbled upon what I needed to answer my question of what to do. I was sitting one day mentally reviewing the system in full when a thought came to me. All living things, throughout time, in all various families and dynamics have never changed who they are-nor could they, but they have had to adjust to situations in order to survive the new circumstances faced in battle. If they did not adapt-they perished. This is the same with all natural life that I viewed first hand in the Alaskan bush as I observed the animals and their battle prowess. I have run this thought through my mind hundreds of times before, but on this occasion, it made sense structurally for my system overall; just as it does with the application of any technique. I had to make my system who I was as a warrior!
Blending my Tlingit name and mainly my father’s system, the new found concepts from Master Furuya, as well as the land in which I was raised and tempered....Southeast Alaska; which included my early indoctrination of Tlingit culture, the basics of their language, animal kinship, wilderness ways, I had provided congruency of purpose with who I was and the system in which I teach.
White Eagle represents the legacy of this particular system of martial engagements that stretch back to the beginning of time, the natural ways of the earth learned as a boy growing up in the wilderness of Southeast Alaska.White Eagle is the amalgamation of my fathers system and what I have learned as a military soldier and federal law enforcement officer.
I am Nehadi-9th degree black belt and Professor of White Eagle.
WHITE EAGLE SCHOOL
OF MARTIAL ARTS
"Hand-to-hand combat is only used when transitioning between manmade weapons systems or when no manmade weapons are available given the circumstances."
No military or civil warrior has ever gone to the battle with their hands only! Hence, ju-jitsu is truly strategic flexibility in practical methodology to enhance the warriors' close combat effectiveness!"
"The blade must cut because it was made to cut. The spirit must be refined because it was made to be fine. Skill must be tested because it is honed in the test. Warriors must battle because they are made in battle.”
