Who will you be on the worst day of your life? What types of decisions do you make when you are frustrated, angry, and afraid? Are you confident enough to dissolve conflict without being betrayed by your pride? Are you uncertain of, or unhappy with, the answer to any of these questions? Fortify is a dojo in the martial arts tradition known as the Kurai Kotori Ryu. We are – on the surface – a school of fighting arts. At its heart, though, this school is a place for the development of willful, dutiful, courageous people.

What kind of martial art is it?
Our system includes a very technical approach to striking, which allows people of slight build to generate tremendous power, a palette of entering and evasive tactics which translates to always having a relevant approach whether you’re defending yourself, someone else, or avoiding an unnecessary crisis, and also comprehensive exposure to basic weapons.

The Fortify dojo places emphasis on providing training to:

• Individuals who have an interest in being responsible for their own personal safety.
• Children, and the young at heart, interested in learning to deal with conflict in a lighthearted environment.
• Lifestyle martial artists who continually pursue loftier attainments than mere fighting skill.
• Anyone curious. We can write about what we do all day, but the best way to know if this system is right for you is to try it out. Feel free to drop in for a few classes, on us. Chip in when you feel like you’re getting something out of it.

Training at Fortify is not for everyone.

• Students who want to compete in an athletic style may not find this system satisfying. Sports based systems work within very contrived frameworks with a lot of rules to normalize contests, which is antithetical to real preparedness. – but can be fun. Also, there are a lot of schools focused on trophies and medals. You won’t have trouble finding one.
• Anyone who wants a simple answer or reassurance. Our goal is not to convince you that you will be able to take on all challengers. Everyone can be defeated.
• Individuals for whom a black belt means completion, license to arrogance, or any other self-serving thing, will not want the responsibility that comes with each rank advancement at the Fortify dojo. We grant the black belt to those who are ready to take on a weight of duty to protect those around them, and to do for others what has been done for them.
• If you’re in a hurry to be a certified martial arts uber-dan than you will feel stagnant in this school. We do have a fast-track, reduced, curriculum for those facing eminent predatory violence (stalking, dangerous travel, occupational hazards, etc.). That system doesn’t come with any rank or status, just raw preparedness targeted toward your context. Aside from that, training in this system can be pretty slow. You will spend six months to a few years as a white belt, only receiving a promotion when you’ve fulfilled all requirements of the rank. There’s is no children’s black belt. The children’s curriculum only goes as far green belt.

Is this a school of self-defense?
Short answer, yes. Better answer, self-defense is a very limiting mindset. Common approaches to self-defense play the numbers. Common fights are about pride, and are fueled by intoxication. Sometimes someone pulls a knife in a bar fight, but usually a fight is just two drunk ego driven guys wailing on each other, falling down, and flopping around on the ground until someone gets the upper hand by force. Training for this common situation with intense focus isn’t what we do. We don’t want to train people to play the numbers only to be overwhelmed when they face a problem more severe than the text book conflict scenario. Drunk, angry, bar bros are – arguably – the lowest level of opponent that a martial art could aspire to defeat. Additionally, self-defense is implicitly limited to dealing with assailants committed to attacking you. If you aren’t the object of your opponent’s assault than you have to work to get them to target you before you can apply your technique as you’ve practiced it, which means passing through a zone of unnecessary tactical disadvantage. The Kurai Kotori Ryu is meant to make a student formidable against opponents with weapons, friends, or – worse – a plan. Students learn – in addition to striking, locks, throws, grappling, and weapons – high level tactics and strategy.

Most times you’ll find students at Fortify engaged directly in the study of fighting, and most of that time is spent unarmed. In that way Fortify is like most schools of martial arts. However, the Kurai Kotori Ryu being a more comprehensive system, students are also exposed to a good many other skills, and – with time – develop specializations in one or more of them.

Deacon Rodda

Deacon began his journey with the martial arts in 1993 as a student of Kupigana Ngumi. After his first teacher, Jabari Nguna, retired in ’97 Deacon spent his remaining teenage years exploring different styles and schools of martial arts. In early 2001 he found his true home in the Kurai Kotori Ryu. Lead by such monolithic instructors as Mark Steven Grove, Norman Ramon Figueroa-Dehm, and Brian Parchman the Kurai Kotori carry on old methods of study which cultivate resilience, clarity, and focus.

Through this venture, a modest dojo tucked away in Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood, Deacon hopes to bring these nearly forgotten methods to a new generation.

Tabitha Sheely

My journey in the martial arts world started when I was 11. I spent a couple of years in Tae Kwon do. After a break a friend told me to check out the Kurai Kotori system. I have been a student of the Kurai Kotori system since 2004. I have been training at Fortify since late 2013. So far the Kurai Kotori system has been the best system I have trained in. I enjoy the variety of skills taught in this system.

Zion Bellamy

I started training in the Kurai Kotori Ryu in January, 2013. I train on average ten hours a week, not including physical and mental exercises. I have had the privilege of training and assisted teaching with Sensei Deacon at the Denver Green School. This is the first martial art I have studied extensively. In these two years I have enjoyed exponential growth as an individual, physically, mentally and spiritually.