The Gun Fu Manual (history of the Gun Fu Manual) establishes the criteria and performance expectations for those who undertake this particular path of personal growth.  Because the scope of the style is so broad, testing criteria are defined by outcome, and not by how you are to achieve the outcome.  For example, in demonstrating your competence in self defense, you would have to execute valid and complete responses to named attacks, within a given window of time (the time window would vary depending on your level).  You determine what response to present, just so long as you accomplish the performance objective.  This represents the crystallization of your training into confident performance.  It is for this reason that Gun Fu has many guises and appearances.  It is rare that two Black Belts will execute in exactly the same way.  Gun Fu intends that you create your own personal style, best suited to who you are, using the many resources that are made available.  Within the system, there is a hard style, a soft style, a Japanese style, a Chinese style, a Korean style, Stick Fighting, Sword, Bo, Short Stick, Joint Locks, Pressure Points, Grappling, Knife, and anything else that can be meaningfully integrated into the system.

The Black Belt usually takes 5-6 years of rigorous training to achieve, and the test requires a demonstration of everything learned.  Generally, it takes an entire day, and those who undergo the test leave knowing they can apply their skills competently in the most adverse of circumstances.  Sort of like the Shao Lin Temple!

However, the single most important emphasis in this system is that principles taught are grounded in a sound guiding philosophy.  This is a system where ethics and philosophy propel self defense.  The highest achievement for any Black Belt of the Iron Crane School is not to beat somebody up, but rather to "self actualize" and become a productive, beneficial, loving  and compassionate member of his or her family unit, and society as a whole.

  Thanks to Calvin Devereaux, the Manual (short version) is available in Adobe Acrobat format

  The entire Manual (Version6) is now available and can be downloaded from this link

  Click here to read our response to your questions regarding the Manual