"SAS" Martial Arts

I saw this place on my Google travels:

SAS Martial Arts Academy | Wing Chun, Kung Fu, kids-teens & adults London

"SAS" Martial Arts... really?

It's a wing chun school of all things, too.

The instructor may very well be a legit wing chun teacher, and a nice guy to boot. His (probably self-penned) biography certainly paints him in a generous light.

"SAS" might also be an acronym that means something else to anyone who teaches and trains there. But to most of the public, SAS is synonymous with elite military warfighters.

I can't help but see this as walts trying to cash in on the genuine combat skills and achievements of real hard men. Someone please tell me I'm wrong.

 

Sifu Andrew Sofos? Could just be his initials, from looking at the logo

 

Yeah that's a poor choice of acronym. Or a mercenary PR move as you say. Not a good look either way.

 

Possibly, but it's difficult to believe he didn't know the connotations attached to the acronym quite simply due to the school not being called SASMA.

Why not call it just Sifu Sofos Martial Arts, or SS Martial Arts? Oh that's right, because the SS has obvious connotations.

 

Yeah I agree, it's not a good choice of name

 

In this case, I think you may be over-reacting. I took a quick look through the site and despite the name, there really isn't anything to link it to the reputation of the SAS (military group). It really seems like it's based off the head instructor's name.

That said, I too get annoyed with the 'Tacticool' crowd... I see so many in the martial arts (and shooting) circles: the guys with all the coolest military style equipment and gear and even tattoos (!) an yet have never served. I just don't think this group fits that image at all (from a cursory look at the site).

To me, it would be sad if someone wanted to join, googled the name, came up with this thread and decided against it because of a negative thread based on cursory speculation and replies. Just seems like a disservice.

 

Trying to gain reflected glory from the military, without actually serving, is very frowned upon in the UK (and anywhere with a military to be honest). This might not be a particualry egregious example but definitely falls into the "hhhhmmmmmm...what's going on here?" category.

 

No, I get it, I really do. In this case though, aside from the initials (which are his name), what stands out as 'reflected glory from the military'? I think there is a slight mention of doing some 'demonstrations and workshops' for the Navy, Army and Police buried in his bio, but aside from that there is nothing that refers to the military or implies a connection.

If someone were looking for Special Air Service (SAS) type martial arts, I do not think this website would confuse them once they took even a cursory look at the pictures and content. And if you were looking to become a Tacticool SAS-type of martial artists and you were confused by this site, signed up, and spent years trying to figure out when you'd get into the 'real' warrior stuff (you know, like guns and tanks and whatnot), I'd say 'that's a personal problem, not an issue with the school's advertisement'.

 

How would something like SEAL Martial arts go down in the US? SEAL street combat, SEAL self defense, etc.
Sifu Edward Anthony Lynch Martial arts of course. Nothing to do with the actual SEALs.

There's no doubt in my mind that, although this is not related to the SAS once you look at the content, this guy is absolutely trading off the "hard" connotations of that acronym in the UK to get initial eyes on what he's doing.

 

Like I wrote, I really do see where you are coming from. If I saw a 'SEAL' martial arts site, I'd look with a skeptical eye myself. I just don't see this one going beyond the initials.

I did a quick search on google for UK Martial arts schools and hit this site: Martial Arts Clubs in the UK


I am betting that 'R.I.P.S.A.W.' is not associated with RIP (Ranger Indoctrination Program) or SAW (Squad Assault Weapon), 'Red Dragon Martial Arts' probably doesn't have a real dragon , Samurai Nottingham probably doesn't have any real Samurai, and Cobra Karate UK doesn't use snakes (or GI Joe enemies). If I thought there was any connection, a quick look at their website would probably clear it up... much like the one in the OPs initial post.

I believe you.

As a military veteran here in the US, I see a lot of loose play on military/martial arts connections. My impression from this website is the opposite of yours. I just don't see them playing up a military connection aside from an easily explainable set of initials. Different impressions, I guess.

 

He's not linking himself to the military directly. Just linking to the "hard" or combative connotations of the acronym "SAS".

Erm...it quite clearly does at the bottom of the first page showing what classes they teach. Again...not in a "we are liked to the actual SAS" kind of way but in a "here's a cool sounding acronym" way.

His initials are "AS". I wonder why he didn't call it "AS martial arts" then? Sifu isn't part of his initials. He's massaging the initials of his name to add the "Sifu" title so he can then use the "SAS" acronym.

To be honest I'm arguing this with much more interest than I actually feel. Don't really care beyond the aforementioned "hmmm...what's going on here?". He's not a full on Walter Mitty. But equally this is not just an accidental initial acronym IMHO that just happens to be "SAS".

 

I think the SAS thing is probably a harmless but ill-conceived piece of marketing - personally I think it makes him appear more interested in self promotion and image than anything else but hey.
From a WC perspective the personal bio/lineage section is a bit thin, mentions a few seminars and that he trained with Simon Lau for an undetermined length of time before going his own way.
I suppose you need a gimmick to stand out in a crowded market place.

 

I wouldn't say the name choice itself makes him a bad instructor. From a business standpoint I understand why you want something eye catching, it IS difficult to stand out. My first impression would be initials, but I feel that there's a strong chance the other meaning came to mind. It's clever, 'army' style bootcamps sell well, but personally I wouldn't run one, as I've never been an army PTI. I don't suppose there's harm in it, just comes down to personal choice.

 

It may well be based off his initials. I very much believe that to be the case. However, because of the way the name of the school is structured (SAS Martial Arts, instead of SASMA for example), I find it extremely difficult to believe that the school owner(s) had no idea about the 'tough' connotations attached to the acronym SAS within the mind of the general public, especially when 1) it's a style that typically has a self-defence focus, and 2) there has been a rise in the number of 'SAS: Are You Tough Enough?' television shows in the UK recently.

Was it a subtle marketing move? Was it honest ignorance? I don't know, but considering the context here (a self-defence focused martial art), it's a bit dodgy and there will inevitably be people who link it to the military unit in one way or another.