Biography
Hello, my name is Guru (Also Spelled, Guro) James
Hogue but everyone just calls me Guru Jim. I started in the
martial arts in March, 1975 in Uniontown, Pennsylvania
when I was only 5 years old. My first teacher was Master
David Santiago, which lived next door to me in the Holiday
Inn trailer park. Master Santiago first learned his family’s
art of Filipino Kuntao, and then move to Indonesia. While
in Indonesia he trained in Silat which he later would
combine with his family’s art. The system that was taught
to me was called Cimande Kuntao, or Cimande Chaun Fa .
I first thought the Silat system was Cimande, but I later
found out it was actually Cimande, Sera, CiKalong, and his
family’s Kuntao system. Today I refer to Master Santiago
system as the DS Cimande in honor of my first teacher.
 Along with this system I’ve trained in various systems from Southeast Asia. I trained in
Poekoelan Tjiminde (Wetzel System), Huc Chun Kuntao (Reeders System), Filipino-Chinese
White Crane Kung Fu, Pangasinan Kali (Filipino Martial Arts), and many other systems.
I’ve also had many high risk jobs where I’ve had to put my butt on the line, and my skills to the
test. At age 18 years old, I started doing Barroom Security in Nightclubs, Strip Bars, and other
places where I was the only Security Personnel on duty in the near west and east sides of
Cleveland, Ohio.
I’ve also worked as a Fugitive Retrieval Agent, then a
Correctional Officer, a Soldier in the US Army Military Police,
and finally as a Police Officer where I’ve had to defend myself
from sudden and violent attacks from dangerous career
criminals that activity tried to injury or even kill me. My training
and skills allowed me to come out on top, and defeat my
opponents.
 When I was in the U.S. Army I was asked to plan the company’
s Advanced Hand to Hand Combat by the company commander
of the 977TH MP Co. Also while in Iraq I was selected to be the
Chief Unarmed Self-Defense (USD) Instructor that planned the
entire course for the Iraqi Police Academy. I also trained other
Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines while in Iraq. While I was in Iraq I
was give an award by the 2/5 Marines for my operations while
connected to their unit. After I was honorably discharged from
the US Army just after returning home from Iraq, and I found a
job as a Police Officer in Kansas and I began teaching the
Malay Fighting Arts System.
I continue to train Police Officer, Military Personnel,
Correctional Officers, and civilians that just want to
learn how to defend themselves better than before. I
give a good combination of Traditional training with
Modern Combative Skills that is street proven.
After many years of training and teaching, I was
convinced by my good friend Eddie Ivestor to begin
writing articles and make DVDs on the systems I’ve
trained in. To his day I now operate the Poekoelan
Community at www.poekoelan.net, the Malay Fighting
Arts Distant Academy at www.pukulan.org, and I still
write for various online magazines. Plus I’ve received
an award by the Poekoelan Tjimindie Community for
my many years of hard work. I’ve also been place in
the Raven Tactical International Hall of Fame for the
best Partner Program of 2010. I continue my hard
work to bring people the best in training no matter if
you’re an onsite student, or a distant student. You’re
all just as important to this Academy, and I thank you
for your time in reading my Bio. - Guru James Hogue -
MFA Blog
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