East West Martial Arts was founded
by Sifu Kevin Seaman in 1982 with the premise that each student is an
individual and should be given the opportunity to grow to, and beyond
their own potential.
It is Sifu Kevin's firm belief that the ability to defend one's self and
the strength and confidence that are developed with it, are not mysterious
secrets that take years and years to learn. Teaching within the approach
that results are achieved through a progressive training program, when
properly followed develops the individual's ability to defend themselves,
increases their self awareness, strength, and self-confidence Sifu changed
many people's traditional ideas about the martial arts.Unresponsive to
pressure to be part of the status-quo in the Martial Arts Industry, Sifu
was an huge advocate of cross-training and the integration of both physical
and psychological modern fitness concepts as part of his curriculum in
the early 1980's. Using the Jeet Kune Do philosophy of "Absorb what
is useful, discard what is not, add what is specifically your own, and
research your own experiences", Sifu Kevin developed within the EWMAA
program, a unique and cutting edge aproach to teaching the martial arts
and enriching the lives of thousands of martial artists.
Sifu
Kevin Seaman was the founder of the Northeast Martial Arts Conference
in 1986, offering camp participants the opportunity to train with such
amazing individuals as Sifu Dan Inosanto, Sifu Francis Fong, Ajarn Chai
Sirisute, Sifu Larry Hartsell, and World Champion Shootwrestler Erik Paulson
in a professional and organized venue. The NE Conference continued for
8 years and was enjoyed by participants from all over the world. The NE
Conference was so popular that it was used as a template for The Southeast
Conference produced by Sifu Francis Fong in Atlanta and The Southwest
Conference hosted by the world reknown Inosanto Academy of Los Angeles.
Using modern training equipment and up-to-date teaching methods, the East West Academy operated for nearly 20 years in the Cortland area. The expansive 5,300 square foot facility included 4 high quality heavy bags, boxing double end bags, traditional wing chun wooden dummy, professional size regulation boxing ring, and over 1,000 square feet of wrestling mats,.The 12 highly trained certified staff instructors were always there to assist each student in seeking their own individual path to personal achievement. With 9 unique programs to choose from, FREE facility use for members anytime the academy was open, and one of the Finest training facilities in New York State, East West Academy was Central New York's Premier Martial Arts Training Center for nearly 20 years!
As with all things, change is enevitable. In order for Sifu Kevin to maintain his personal growth and develop the many projects congruent to his personal goals, Sifu decided to close the East West Martial Arts Academy in September of 2003. Sifu maintains a full schedule teaching in the Athletic Department at Cornell University and is on the staff at CNY Mixed Martial Arts, as a striking coach, Mental Performance Coach, and assisting in the training of CNYMMA Team. He is the first instructor ever to teach a credit Physical Education course in Jeet Kune Do, as well as, Thai Boxing at an Ivy League University. Sifu also maintains an impressive association of instructors and aproximately 500 students throughout the USA. He offers his teaching skills through seminars and private classes.
Sifu has long been known for his ability in coaching individuals, both in and out of the competitive arena. He just finished his new book called the Winning Mind Set with Jim Brault. The book is based on the system of personal achievement taught in his Sports Psychology course at Cornell University. Recently published, the book is an extraordinarily comprehensive, results oriented system of performance enhancement that has been used successfully by hundreds of individuals to date.