About Allan Lawson's Fighting Arts, LLC

Allan Lawson began his martial arts training in January 1974 as a member of Marcorie Cooper's first class of students at Lightning Fire Mountain, a Shaolin style Kung Fu school located in the South Dakota Black Hills, where he studied during one semester of college.

Living in areas where instructors were unavailable, he then began an independent nineteen and a half year course of study and training in applied martial arts guided by the  writings of  Bruce Lee on Jeet Kune Do, his own intuition,  and insights he  was able to glean from other writings, films and school visits. His teachers were the forces of nature and the challenges he created for himself.

Next he took instruction in Kung Fu San Soo and Escrima from Master Scott Leitch in Mesa and Chandler, Arizona from January 1994 until July 1999.

At that time he began teaching friends and acquaintances in his own martial arts school until February 7, 2006, when he formed Allan Lawson's Fighting Arts, LLC intending to make this training program more widely available and build a core group of proficient, dedicated students and associate instructors.

He also took lessons in Yin Style Bagua with Ed Guerra's study group in Mesa, Arizona for several months in 1999. 

He considers himself a student first, teaching as a means to gain greater understanding himself, as well as to share with others.

Allan Lawson earned an Associate of Science Degree in Management at the National College of Business, a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a double major in History and Anthropolory and Archaeology, with a concentration in grauate level courses in Linguistics from the University of North Dakota, and a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law. 

He is a member of The State Bar Association of North Dakota and has been admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota.  He was owner of Lawson Law Offices in that state where he practiced law for approximately 5 years before moving to Arizona in 1990.

Other interests include natural health and  nutrition, fitness, backpacking, camping, travel, research and writing, economics, business systems, investment, real estate and home construction and repair projects.

Integrative Functional Conditioning SM

Integrative Functional Conditioning is a dynamic performance oriented mind-body-spirit approach to martial art training and fitness. It is not merely a weight loss or body building program, although a lean, strong physique is necessarily one of the natural results of this intensive training. It is much more comprehensive, involving development of greater capacity for endurance, strength, quickness and flexibility, not only in a physical sense but psychological, cognitive and spiritual as well. As an example, rather than focusing on this or that isolated muscle and thinking only of increasing it's size, we consider the being as a whole. We want the whole creature undivided, working as one. We are more interested in capacity than in appearances. We are interested in developing useful skills and abilities. This is the ultimate self defense fitness training program.

Near the Tatum and Shea cross streets in the Paradise Valley area. Conveniently located between the  51 Freeway and the north and east legs of the Loop 101 Freeway.  Short travel times from Scottsdale, Tempe, eastern Phoenix and Mesa.

ALFA is currently not training at other locations.  If Paradise Valley is too far out of your way you may submit your application and ask to be placed on the waiting list and we will  consider training in your area when there appears to be enough demand.

ALFA Membership

The minimum age for ALFA membership and instruction is 13 years.

Premium Membership Tuition:  $120.00 per month.  This is our standard fast track program.  It includes rights to all scheduled belt appropriate classes in Kung Fu San Soo, Jeet Kune Do and Escrima plus all open training.  Minimum attendance is 2 classes of San Soo and 1 class of Jeet Kune Do / Escrima per week.

Family rates:  The second membership is $90.00 per month.  The third and each additional membership is $60.00 each per month.  Includes both Kung Fu San Soo and Jeet Kune Do plus Escrima at advanced level.

Single Martial Art Membership Tuition:  $80.00 per month.      This program is intended for students who, because of financial limitations, work schedule or family obligations cannot actively participate in the full  program.  It includes training in either Kung Fu San Soo or Jeet Kune Do / Escrima.  Only self motivated individuals who will participate regularly in 2 classes per week plus do additional workouts on their own should consider this option.  Merely coming to class twice a week or less and not doing any homework will yield disappointing results.

The Kung Fu San Soo option includes access to the indoor mat. The Jeet Kune Do / Escrima option includes access to the outdoor training areas and use of punching bags and equipment when available. 

Current Class Schedule