About I.M.A

The International Martial Arts Academies (IMA) was founded 1996 in Portsmouth, United Kingdom by our founder Soke Dr Mike Vamplew in the early days the IMA was to provide a platform/association to teach his own style "TAE-KENPO" later developed into Pil Sung Jutsu.  

The IMA in 1998 then opened up to welcome martial arts styles and members from around the world with Master Sulyamon Sanusi (Nigeria) and Sensei Sakhria Mourad (Tunisia) the first interational instructors to apply and join the IMA.

We grew very rapidly and over the next 5 years receiving many instructors in the UK from India, Sri Lanka, Iran, Montenegro, Nigeria, Burkina Faso to name a few who came and trained with Soke Vamplew in person, and really brought the IMA together as an international association.

 

The IMA has made visits to the USA, Portugal (holding a regular training camp over 5 years), Italy, 3 months working in Turkey setting up Turkey instructors, teaching seminars and developing Turkey Office, Philippines and Spain.

 

The IMA then grew into several other associations, but over recent years the association was being used by many international martial artists just for rank recognition, with this in mind Soke Vamplew decided to return the association to its roots and in 2015 we re-adopted our original name the International Martial Arts Academies and revert to the original philosophy of development, unity and working martial arts relationships.

 

So 2015 sees the International Martial Arts Academies (IMA) return and continue the great work we have achieved in our 19 years of existence within the martial arts.