The Tsu Shin Gen - Mixed Martial Art is a system that Soke Cook started developing in 1995. The Basics, Fighting Drills, Grappling Drills and Fighting Combinations contain most aspects of “allround fighting”. This system is built on a ratio of approximately 70% standing fighting, similar to Kickboxing or K-1, and 30% grappling. The system includes punching and kicking to the head and body, throws, takedowns and grappling. Such tournaments as Extreme Fighting, Pancrase, Pride, the UFC and Vale Tudo etc. have proved how effective a mixed martial art can be.
The throws (Nagewaza) and grappling (Newaza) have been chosen for students who prefer standing fighting. The students learn to punch and kick first and if necessary take their opponent down to the floor and “finish the fight” with some suitable technique.
Just as with the kicks and punches, a couple of new throws are taught for each grade and the same applies to the joint-locks (Kansetsuwaza) and strangles & chokes (Shimewaza). The basic hold-downs (Osaekomiwaza) are spread out through the first couple of grades.
Most people in Europe train Martial Arts primarily as a hobby or a way of keeping fit, so even though the system is an effective fighting art, it is still a suitable training form for both males and females of all ages.
In the opinion of Soke Cook, it is important to offer the students something new and stimulating in order to keep them training, without swamping them with too much information. It is also very important to have a feeling of realism in the training, so unlike such traditional Karate systems almost all training is performed with a training partner.