Dear Prospective Student, Teacher, Client or Seminar Host,
Thank you for your interest in the Bannon Institute of Specialized Martial Arts and Holistic Healing Sciences. You will find that our high quality training, technical advising and consulting programs are extremely unique and exceed your expectations. Our training staff and Council of Masters are comprised of some of the finest and most well achieved specialized professionals in the world. The Council includes world class martial arts grandmasters, teachers, practitioners, champion fighters, performers, Hall of Fame inductees, international firearm and knife fighting experts, east / west medical professionals, military advisers, special and covert operations instructors, security consultants, former US Secret Service Presidential Protection agents and other professionals.
The Bannon Institute is a Los Angeles and San Francisco based Professional Research, Development, Consulting, Production, and Training Corporation which develops and promotes training curriculums and programs which positively impact and empower people through the Medical - Martial and Technical Arts. Both the Ancient and Modern Arts of Combat (Wushu) and Natural Healing Sciences (Holistic Medicine) are professed at the Institute. The Institute offers sanctioned training and certification programs through private, semi private, and seminar formats in the following specialty fields:
Holistic Healing and Wellness.
Street Survival, Self Defense and Awareness.
Traditional Performing Martial Arts - (Forms - Weapons).
Specialized and Modern Martial Arts - (Shin Tai Wushu).
Traditional Combative Martial Arts - (Kung Fu - Combat Wushu).
Special Operations - (Small Team Military, PMC and SWAT Tactics).
Martial Art Specific Anatomy and Physiology - (Oriental and Allopathic).
Dim Mak Chinese Medical Principles for both - (Healing and Destruction).
Film Production, Screenplay, Literary Technical Advice and Choreography.
Mortal Combat - (Military, Private Military Contractor, Law Enforcement, Spec-Ops).
Presidential Level Executive Protection Concepts and Tactics (Team and Individual).
The Bannon Institute was founded in 2004 by Joseph F. Bannon Ph.D., D.Ch. who holds an academic doctorate degree in Holistic Health Science majoring in Human Anatomy, Physiology, Cellular Biochemistry and Nutrition l-V with an emphasis on Holistic and Oriental Medical Philosophy and Medical Research Science. After attending the University of the State of New York - he completed his Emergency Medical Internship at Doctor's Hospital and the Nassau County Medical Center.
He earned his post doctorate degree in Theocentric Clinical Psychology majoring in Clinical Counseling, Behavioral Science and Theology with an emphasis on Brain Anatomy, Physio-Psychology and the Limbic System. He completed his Behavioral Science, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Intervention Counseling Internship at the California Behavioral Science Institute; Cornell University; California State University; and the San Francisco Police Department - Behavioral Science Unit. He received his teaching certification credential from Golden West College in Southern California.
For (27) years Dr. Bannon has integrated the Martial Arts with the Medical Arts in his teachings which led him to the development of the cutting edge combat training concept known as Brain Fighting.™
As a Highly Decorated and Accomplished Veteran Law Enforcement Officer - he is a retired Special Agent with the Office of the Attorney General - Department of Justice - Anti Terrorist Unit; Former Police Sergeant; Tactical Commander and Task Force Special Agent assigned specifically to the United States Secret Service - Presidential Protection Detail under Presidents Clinton and Bush.
As an Internationally Recognized Executive Protection and Special Operations Senior Instructor at the oldest and most highly accredited intelligence based, private bodyguard training academy in the world - (Executive Security International); he instructs Government Agents, SWAT Officers, Special Operators, Presidential Level Bodyguards, Private Military Contractors, Navy SEALs, Army Delta and Special Forces, Marine Force Recon and several other students, specialized teams and agencies from around the world in the arts of Mortal Combat (Gun / Knife Fighting); Protective Details; Hand to Hand Combat; Extreme Survival; Counter Surveillance; Intelligence and Covert Operations.
As a Martial Arts Supreme Grand Master he is a graduate of the Golden Lion Academy of Dim Mak - Kung Fu in Australia and a senior instructor / disciple at the Lau Kune Do Temple of Chinese Martial Arts in Southern California. He holds the rank of "Judan" (10th Degree Black Belt) under the United States Martial Artist Association and is an eight time inductee into the following Martial Artist and Law Enforcement Halls of Fame:
The American Police Hall of Fame (2007).
Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Fame (2005), (2007).
The London - International Martial Arts Hall of Fame (2006).
The United States Martial Artist Hall of Fame (2004), (2005), (2007), (2008).
As the Chief Defensive Tactics Instructor for the Department of Justice in Los Angeles; he was directly responsible for the tactical training and program development for all special agents assigned to Southern California, as well as the new recruit agents attending the Department of Justice - Special Agent Academy at Beale Air Force Base. During this time he developed the revolutionary martial art concept of Brain Fighting™ which is a Chinese Medicine, Physiological and Psychologically based fighting technique used to shut down an attacker's brain by striking distal acupuncture and neurological access points on his body which in turn causes a positive feedback loop to occur in the brain - thus overloading the brain systems and terminating the attack.
He also founded the Surgical Strike System™ of Shaolin Dim Mak - Kung Fu which he taught exclusively to military and elite government law enforcement agencies involved in high risk undercover, covert, special operations and Presidential Level Protection in an effort to increase their chances of survival. This System is based on the "One Hit - One Knockout" Quick Kill Theory ending an attack or overcoming resistance as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Current Vision - It is Dr. Bannon's current vision to share these same survival concepts and principles now with the general public for one main reason. After many years of protecting the public and being a "first responder" (both medical and law enforcement) for so many people who had been Robbed, Shot, Stabbed, Raped and Violently Attacked - he realized that most of the time he unfortunately showed up on the scene or the victims had been brought to the emergency room "after" the crime or attack had already been committed. That's just too late for anyone's comfort zone - but that is how the legal system works (or doesn't work). The sad fact is that many of these horrific incidents could have been avoided if these people only knew how to prevent or correctly respond to the attack before or while it was taking place.
Being that the public safety system is overwhelmed and police officers cannot be in all places at all times to protect all people from all things - Dr. Bannon believes that all citizens especially in this day and age must Become Their Own First Responders - AND - that the same concepts, techniques and survival mindsets that are used by highly trained government agencies to prevent or effectively react to a violent attack such as the US Secret Service to protect the President of the United States are universal, and can be just as easily and effectively used by a mother to protect her child or anyone else for that matter who cares to learn them.
The Bannon Instituteis both sanctioned and chartered by the United States Martial Artist Association (USMAA) as a Specialized Martial Arts & Holistic Healing Science Institute of Higher Education; and is also a member of World Black Belt Incorporated (WBB); International Network of Christian Martial Artists (INCMA); International Academy of Protection Agents; and the North American Karate Federation (NAKF). Dr. Bannon is the California State Director of the United States Martial Artist Association as well as International Director of the Division of Chinese Martial Arts.
The Primary Mission Statement of the Institute is to scientifically and medically research martial arts and holistic healing techniques, philosophies, and theories that are the most effective and practical in both combat and healing applications. This simultaneous approach to both the combat arts (yang), and the healing arts (yin) is traditionally known as "The Two Dragons of Dim Mak."
The information gleaned from this research is then presented to the general public, or to specific special interest groups in an educational, technical advising or training format via lectures, seminars, training classes, demonstrations, multi-media, films and written publications.
The main focus of the Institute is to develop and present training and informational programs that empower people with the knowledge and skill sets necessary to live more successful, safer, happier, healthier, and more spiritually fulfilled lives. This knowledge base and associated skill sets are categorized into three separate divisions: Martial Arts ~ Healing Arts and Technical Consulting Arts.
Bannon Institute Incorporated, its affiliates, and the Surgical Strike System of Shaolin Dim Mak - Kung Fu™ (a formalized martial art and fighting system sanctioned by the USMAA) maintains the legal, official, traditional, and administrative power to grant certifications, colored belts or sashes, and rankings to any of its official national or international students or sponsored class and seminar attendees.
The projects promoted by The Bannon Institute are overseen by a corporate advisory board of distinguished experts referred to as The Council of Masters.
The Council oversees and contributes updated information and techniques to the various martial arts, specialized combat, self-defense, technical advising, and holistic health and healing programs presented by the Bannon Institute. This objective process maintains and assures that any and all information or techniques included in atraining program that is represented by the Bannon Institute are current, accurate, applicable, and effective both in the classroom, but more importantly.......... in the Real World.
Please refer to the “Council of Masters” page for a biographical presentation of The Council.
Thank you again for your interest in the Bannon Institute.
