WHAT
A self-defense company that empowers you to protect yourself and your loved ones — through safe, fun, and effective training.
HOW & WHERE
We blend the magic of martial arts, the science of physiology, and the study of criminology into practical programs that can be learned through online courses, in-person seminars, real-time webinars, and private instruction.
WHY
You’ll learn a no-B.S. approach to personal protection that not only offers real-world solutions but does so in a unique, enjoyable, and empowering way. You don’t have to spend decades learning a martial art or thousands of dollars in lessons, because we’ve done it for you. We’ve filtered out the street-fight fallacies and martial arts myths, distilling only the best tactics and techniques that’ll work against the most common types of violence.
WHO
Tiga Tactics is a U.S.-based small business founded by two cousins, Dr. Conrad Bui and Patrick Vuong, with diverse backgrounds:
Exceptional Experience: They have a combined 60-plus years of experience in martial arts, combat sports, and combatives.
Unparalleled Expertise: They have earned more than 12 advanced instructor ranks in various systems, ranging from kickboxing and grappling to edged weapons and tactical shooting.
Insightful Instructors: Having taught more than 1,000 people – from soccer moms to Special Forces soldiers – they can adapt seamlessly to the needs of each student, team, or organization.
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY:
A combatives instructor with 40-plus years of continual experience, Dr. Conrad Bui is on a mission to empower others through the magic (and science) of martial arts. When he’s not healing bodies as a chiropractor, he’s learning and teaching others how to break them.
As a small Asian kid who faced discrimination while growing up in Denver, he studied Aikido under his father to defend himself against bullies.
After watching Enter the Dragon, his passion for martial arts (and his self-confidence) quickly developed. Next, Dr. Bui trained in Tae Kwon Do and American Freestyle Karate. This kickstarted (pun intended!) his path to competing in combat sports, quickly racking up trophies at tournaments all over Colorado.
While in college, he converted that knowledge in the ring to success on the streets, serving as a bouncer at a biker bar. Fights were commonplace at the watering hole, allowing Conrad to observe and participate in a fair number of real-life altercations.
After graduating chiropractic college, Dr. Bui trained in a diverse mix of systems — from the bladed art of Pentjak Silat Serak to Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which dominate the UFC today.
As a former bar bouncer (a really small one), he knows what it takes to survive a street-fight. And as a master in more than one art, he knows how to teach others how to do the same. His unique combination of real-world experience, championships in combat sports at the international level, and extensive research into the fighting arts places him at an elite level among instructors.
Naturally, he’s sought after by international publications as a subject-matter expert, writing for such magazines as Black Belt and Offgrid.
Despite a life-time of training, tournaments, and trophies, Dr. Bui considers himself your average, everyday dude and is very approachable. Today, bullies don’t stand a chance against him and his students.
BRIEF TRAINING BACKGROUND:
Copies of his instructor certifications, his sports combat championships, and his full training resume are available upon request. His credentials include:
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY:
Even though he has been a self-defense instructor since 1999, Patrick Vuong considers himself a perpetual student who has found the best way to learn is through teaching.
His martial arts path began by watching Bruce Lee movies with his father, fueled by his black belt cousin (and Tiga Tactics co-founder) Conrad, and eventually cemented with formal training in Northern Shaolin Chuan Fa.
Fast forward 25 years: Patrick has studied a wide range of self-defense – from traditional martial arts and combat sports to bladed arts and tactical firearms training.
He’s also the former senior editor of Recoil Magazine and former head editor of Offgrid Magazine. During his concurrent five-year tenure at both publications, he had the honor of studying under some of the most elite tactical trainers in the United States. These leaders included former and current members of the U.S. Navy SEAL’s DEVGRU, (AKA SEAL Team Six), U.S. Army CAG (AKA Delta Force), the U.S. Marine Corps Force Recon, and the U.S. Air Force Pararescue Jumpers.
He was also the resident knife expert on staff, reviewing all manner of self-defense technology, from the latest firearms to knives and gear.
Before that, he was a newspaper reporter covering the police and fire beat and served as a columnist for the iconic Black Belt Magazine for nine years.
Patrick combined his love of writing, martial arts, and action movies to become a stuntman, fight choreographer, and stunt coordinator for various feature films, short movies, and web series. This is particularly important for his combatives courses – as he uses this experience to dispel many street-fighting fallacies and martial arts myths perpetuated by action movies and TV shows.
BRIEF TRAINING BACKGROUND:
Copies of his instructor certifications, his sports combat championships, and his full training resume are available upon request. His credentials include:
OUR INSTRUCTORS
Only those shown here are officially approved and endorsed to run their own Tiga Tactics training groups.
CALIFORNIA
Edgar Gabriel
Associate Instructor
Sherman Chin
Associate Instructor
MARYLAND
Dr. Scott Sobel
Full Instructor (Owner of the Academy of Traditional Asian Fighting Arts)
MASSACHUSETTS
NEW YORK
Henry Zhang
Assistant Instructor (Co-Founder of Dragon Combat Club)
TEXAS
Ricardo Duque
Associate Instructor
BECOME A TIGA TACTICS INSTRUCTOR
We’re looking for instructors who want to make a difference. We believe that if you empower others to protect themselves and their loved ones, you’ll not only make them safe, you’ll also make their communities safer. And that makes the world a little better – one student a time. But here’s the thing: We don’t believe in going from zero to hero – at least not overnight. Instead, we advocate for progressive training that helps you build your skillset and attributes. The same can be said for training our trainers. Here’s a look at the progression of our ranks:
Practitioner Level 1:
- A student who can effectively perform the key concepts and techniques of Punch Defense 1.0
- Can teach the core concepts of Punch Defense 1.0 to others without deviation.
- Maintains a good moral code, a strong level of integrity, and an open-minded attitude.
Practitioner Level 2:
- Same requirements as above
- An intermediate student who can effectively perform the key concepts and techniques of Impact Weapon Defense 1.0
- Can teach the core concepts of Impact Weapon Defense 1.0 to others without deviation.
Practitioner Level 3:
- Same requirements as above
- An advanced student who can effectively perform the key concepts and techniques of Knife Defense 1.0
- Can teach the core concepts of Knife Defense 1.0 to others without deviation.
Assistant Instructor:
- Meets all requirements of Practitioner Levels 1 through 3
- Can effectively perform all of the techniques and explain the key concepts of the Level 1 Flagship Programs without significant deviation.
- Developed the physical attributes, teaching ability, and leadership skills to supervise a study group(s) in most of the core curriculum and a subsystem(s).
- Maintains a good moral code, a strong level of integrity, and an open-minded attitude.
Associate Instructor:
- A teacher with the physical attributes, teaching ability, and leadership skills equivalent to a 1st-degree black belt in traditional martial arts.
- Proficiently performs and explains the concepts and techniques of most of the core curriculum and some of the subsystems.
- Maintains a good moral code, a strong level of integrity, and an open-minded attitude.
Full Instructor:
- A teacher who can expertly perform and explain the concepts and techniques of the entire core curriculum and most of the subsystems.
- Maintains a good moral code, a strong level of integrity, and an open-minded attitude.
- Has a minimum of 3 years of service toward the promotion and expansion of Tiga Tactics and its programs.
Advanced Instructor:
- An advanced teacher who can expertly perform and explain the concepts and techniques of the entire core curriculum and most of the subsystems.
- Maintains a good moral code, a strong level of integrity, and an open-minded attitude.
- Has a minimum of 6 years of service toward the promotion and expansion of Tiga Tactics and its programs.
Senior Instructor:
- A master teacher who can not only perform all of the advanced concepts and techniques of our entire curriculum, but also maintains a mastery in teaching them to others.
- Maintains a good moral code, a strong level of integrity, and an open-minded attitude.
- Has a minimum of 9 years of service toward the promotion and expansion of Tiga Tactics and its programs.
Contact Us
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