adrian roman

Through Falammichi my mission in life is:

1. Encourage all to participate more in their personal faith or religion. We are all God's/the Great Spirit children regardless of race, color or creed. We must learn and teach all to have compassion for our fellow man and mother earth. As elders and teachers, we must teach good moral values and lead by example.

2. As a Choctaw Indian elder, I want to invite others to get in touch with their American Indian heritage, should you feel you have Indian blood running through your veins. If you feel you have a spiritual connection with any American Indian tribe, I encourage you to participate. In the early part of the last century, it was common practice to keep your Indian heritage in the closet for fear of those who would treat you as second class citizens. Tens of thousands of young Indian's were made to feel inferior to the "white man". It created a terrible scare in every Indian tribe and it’s people feel the negative effect even today. Now it is very fashionably to be able to boast that you are "part Indian". I welcome those to participate with me and make a connection to your past.

2B. There are some teachers who are attempting to pass themselves off as American Indian. They are riding the coat tails of authentic Indians who paid a heavy price. I am speaking about such people as randell brown, harley "swift deer" reagan, sam lone wolf and others. It's unfortunate that they are attempting to capitalize on a culture not their own. Should anyone question my ancestry, let me say this:

The Dawes Rolls list was implemented to identify all American Indians of certain tribes. They were given a roll number and their degree of Indian blood was calculated and stated. The individual's name, age, sex, blood degree, census card number and page, enrollment number, and tribe were part of this information. In most cases the ages indicated on the rolls are the age of individuals around 1902, but before March of 1907. This roll number is how I can trace my family lineage. The Bureau of Indian issued me, what is call a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood, referred to as a CDIB card. I have such a card in my name and it states 4/4 Mississippi Choctaw. I can produce a copy whenever needed. Let me also sate that less than 1% of all Indians in the world are 4/4. I am in pretty élite company, however sadly, we are a dying race.

3. For those of you that have a martial arts interest, what better way to accomplish this than to study with a Choctaw Indian elder that was taught American Indian fighting concepts as a young boy in Oklahoma. 1st Falammichi class. For those of you that feel the American Indian was treated unjustly, this would be a way to right the wrongs of your ancestors. The sins of your forefathers are not yours, however you can be proud of your Indian heritage when they didn't have the courage to do so.

4. Native Kenpo/Falammichi is much more that teaching anyone to inflict destructive damage to a human body. This is an art form, a study of motion to create a positive assurance that you could take care of yourself should a life threatening situation present itself. Most of us, and that include those of us who teach martial arts, will never have to experience such an event. Many in the martial arts community and business have thought that Grandmaster Edmond K. Parker’s American Kenpo System was the premier system of his time. As a 1st generation Black Belt under Parker, I have borrowed, embellished - and there are some who think that I have taken Native Kenpo/Falammichi to a higher level - than Parker's American Kenpo. I carefully blended my American Indian fighting principals to create something old, new, and unique. Should you become a student, this material will teach you to speak some Native Choctaw because all of the Falammichi movements are named through the Choctaw language. Native Kenpo/Falammichi addresses the physical need to protect one’s life and family members. This knowledge satisfies the inherent quality to be the "Protector".

5. My teaching and philosophy address the long range health issues that we are all facing today. Prior to the 1400's we now know that the American Indian practiced the "Hunter/gather diet". We know the warriors of that day were lean, mean, fighting machines. A university in Ohio did a study, and it was found that the Plains Indians were at one time the tallest people on earth. My Choctaw people in the southeast were not far behind. The Great War Chief Tushkalusa was a magnificent specimen of a man. When sugar and grains/flour were introduced by the "white man", that was the beginning of the end of that healthy era. Because of this, diabetes is rampant among my Indian people and the people of America are the most obese nation in the world. Something must be done. The Indigenous North American Indians were the most recent groups of people inducted into the grain and sugar feast known as the Western Diet, also known as SAD (Standard American Diet). Warrior Training

American Indians were living very well on a diet of buffalo, elk, venison, mountain sheep, antelope, fish, berries, nuts and roots as recently as 150 years ago, in the case of the Plains Tribes. Woodland tribes like my Choctaw ancestors in the southeast supplemented their diet of wild game meat, with strawberries, pawpaw's, black cherries, blackberries, grapes, persimmons and the like.

Today, we now know that the low fat diet is failure. The more you eat, the fatter you get. The "hunter/gather diet" is a philosophy about what NOT to eat more than what you should eat. The Native warriors prior to the 1400's never experienced diabetes. Follow their example and you won’t either.

Today we are in the process of implementing my Native Kenpo/Falammichi program into Native Tribes. Indian people and the martial arts world need to acknowledge that we had Native warrior art indigenous to this country. When our young Indian people are able to make a connection with their ancestors of long ago, they can feel proud. Through this program, they can begin to feel proud once again and begin to take care of their young bodies and minds. This is the beginning of new/old knowledge taking hold today and delivering pride in our Native culture. Present day "Chiefs" of these tribes can be very instrumental in creating a new way of life for our people, and I applaud them for their efforts.

6. Last but not least, we must do some physical exercise. You have to get moving again. Like all diets, there are many concepts on how to do this. If we have learned anything about the American Indians "hunter/gather diet" then we must take a closer look at how they trained physically. Now we know they did not go the gym and lift weights three times a week and spend hours exercising. All we can do is mimic their lifestyle. We know that they followed the buffalo herds to get their food, meat and most importantly protein. They didn't spend hours running down their kill. A tremendous amount of fast explosive energy was use to accomplish this. We are talking about minutes to complete the task. Then they ate and rested for days.

I’m now 68 years old and in the best shape of my life, considering my age. I practice what I teach. I suffer no kinds of illness, no joint pains and take only one drug, a statin to keep my cholesterol in check. I plan to get off of this drug very soon. I weigh 190 lbs, teach and do all the movements on my DVD's. In my eleven minute (11) workout once a week, I can push 410 lbs on the leg press. I play 6 to 8 rounds of golf a week and shoot in the low 80's from the back tees. This lifestyle is working for me. I only mention the above because you can use me as a testament of this lifestyle being successful.

7. Lastly, ask yourself daily about your personal actions. How do your commitments and decisions affect those around you? Would your parents be proud of your actions? Are you a positive role model for your children and others? Are you just here on earth taking up space and not contributing? Will your personal legacy be remembered 100 years from now? We are all a work in progress, therefore when you look to the heavens, is God/the Great Spirit smiling graciously upon you as if to acknowledge your good work? Seven Sacred Feathers

None of us have all the answers, however I hope that the information above will move you in some positive way.

Halito "Chief" Adrian Roman "the Movement of Life"

Music from my song "Tall Bear"

The Chief was born at an Indian Hospital in Talihina, Oklahoma on January 26, 1942. He attended elementary and high school in Kiowa, Oklahoma until 1957, when the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) relocated his family to Dallas, Texas. During his formative years in Kiowa, the Chief, a gifted athlete, excelled in basketball, baseball, track and boxing. It was during these early years that the Chief began to appreciate and experiment with the art of self-defense. His was the only Indian family in town and at the time, prejudice was still very much alive in Oklahoma. The Chief was forced to grow up fighting for mere survival.

As an accomplished boxer by the time he was in the sixth grade [yes, the sixth grade], The Chief’s skill level was such that he soon ran out of sparring partners for his age and weight class. His only option was to spar with the high school boys who were bigger, faster and stronger. Being outclassed night after night, the Chief realized he would have to make some adjustments in his fighting tactics, because he would not succumb to defeat; the Chief does not know the word quit.

The story is told that on many occasions the Chief’s sparring partners begged him to stay down after being continuously knocked down. Beaten, bruised and bloodied, the Chief would continue to pull himself off the canvas to continue the bout. Amazed and disheartened, on many occasions opponents would literally pull off their gloves, throw them into the Chief’s face and call it quits.

As the Chief continued his quest for manhood and acceptance, he realized that speed and agility in delivering rapid-fire strikes (fists and feet) were a better approach against bigger and stronger opponents than just mere determination. The Chief began to implement a new approach in his street fighting, which unfortunately, was forced upon him almost daily. It was not long before the Chief’s attackers were no match for his ever-developing skills. These childhood experiences, even though at the time the Chief did not realize it, were the roots of his martial arts training.

In 1957, after the Chief and his family were forced to move to Dallas Texas, he would eventually begin his formal training in the martial arts. After finishing high school and a tour in the United States Air Force, the Chief discovered American Kenpo. The course was being taught by one of Grandmaster Ed Parker’s top Black Belts, David Ceniceros. Ed Parker, the Father of American Kenpo, is considered by many to be the Father of Karate in the United States. Ceniceros, a first generation Black Belt under Ed Parker, was highly-skilled and a great technician. The Chief recognized his talents and began his lifelong study in American Kenpo with Ceniceros, and would eventually receive his 4th Degree Black Belt under him in January 1989. Through Ceniceros, the Chief was later able to train under Grand Master Parker through the seminar circuit, and would receive his 5th Degree Black Belt from Ed Parker in October 1990. With the unfortunate death of Grandmaster Parker in 1990, and with no new Parker material available, the Chief decided that it was time to begin a new chapter in his approach to the martial arts.

In 1995, the Chief began training under another legend, Grandmaster Remy Presas, the Father of Modern Arnis. Grandmaster Presas eventually offered to make the Chief his protégée in which he would assume the leadership of Modern Arnis after Remy retired. However, the Chief respectfully declined the offer to take over the Modern Arnis system, for he was on a journey of his own to resurrect his Native system.

The support of both Ed Parker and Remy Presas enabled the Chief to be creative in his study of the martial arts, and their encouragement helped the Chief resurrect the fighting arts of his Native American ancestors. It was the catalyst for putting the Chief on the path of his new journey into the martial arts, drawing upon the Native American Fighting Arts and as a result, the Red Warrior/ Falammichi/Native Kenpo martial arts system was born.

In May 2000, the Chief was inducted into the Texas Martial Arts Hall of Fame for his achievement in the martial arts. In August 2003, the prestigious International Martial Arts Head Founders and Grandmasters Council awarded the Chief with the rank of Soke – Grandmaster, tenth degree. The certificate is signed by the Council Founder, Soke Marty Cale, Soke Dr. Dan Netherland, and eight other renowned Grandmasters.

The Chief has worked on the hit television series “Walker, Texas Ranger”. He is a songwriter and new author. His new book "The Apprentice Warrior" is about practical self-defense has just been released. He is currently authoring a suspense novel about the discrepancy and injustices within the Choctaw Nation to be published in the near future. Today, the Chief lives in Dallas, TX and offers personal instruction in Falammichi-Native Kenpo (advanced self-defense) and American Kenpo (Ed Parker System). Red Warrior/Tushkahoma, Master knife Defense and Apprentice Warrior System (practical self-defense),

Call Chief at 214-728-6080

www.falammichi.com www.nativekenpo.com

adrianroman42@gmail.com