Welcome to the ACAF!

New!!! Check out our new Submission Grappling and BJJ Program!

The American Combat Arts Federation was founded by Grandmaster Ed Annibale to promote the combat-oriented martial arts through a network of Instructors with various backgrounds in the martial arts. GM Annibale passed the ACAF torch to Master Jim Mahan in 1999. Now Master Mahan strives to continue what the ACAF was founded for and reach new goals in combat-oriented training and rally military members, civilian CQC instructors as well as Law Enforcement personnel around our flag.

The ACAF is especially oriented towards Military members and Close Quarters Battle combative training for our troops. Our Military Combatives training program has met with wide-ranging success in Afghanistan and Iraq. Bottom line, it works. If you are a Warrior serving in any branch of the Armed Forces, contact us for affiliation and support. We will take care of you.

Our member schools are civilian and well as military base schools. We support anyone who is sincere, loyal and honest.

The ACAF affords it members the opportunity to train at our member schools as well as at our seminars and training camps. We offer testing, promotion and internationally recognized rank and instructor certification. All of these benefits are open exclusively to ACAF members.

The ACAF fees are very reasonable. There are other associations that charge much higher fees than the ACAF, and there are those who charge much less. We go by the old adage of “you get what you pay for.” Many associations that charge much less are small fly-by-night organizations or they are not recognized and respectable organizations. The ACAF is recognized internationally. Our representatives rank among the best martial artists in the world.

The ACAF has high-ranking martial artists representing various styles and systems in order to legitimately promote and certify our members in specific martial arts.

We ask all of our members to become actively involved in making the ACAF the best combats arts federation anywhere.

The ACAF Purpose and Mission

Our Purpose

Help as many martial artists and martial arts instructors enhance their lives through productive and realistic martial arts training.
Have a positive impact on the Instructor and Master Instructor ranks by providing quality instructor development courses and programs designed to grow and enhance our way of life.
Provide direction and leadership for the independant school owners and instructors who need a support system, yet desire autonomy in their operations.
Provide support and technical assistance with Military Martial Arts Instructors and Combatives Instructors to enhance their training directives.

Our Mission

Our mission is the research, development, progression, and promotion of the combat- oriented martial arts with an emphasis on tactics and strategies that are practical and effective for use in military combat, self-defense, and law enforcement situations.

Our objective is to assist our members in reaching their martial arts goals and in becoming the most complete martial artists possible. We encourage all of our members to be serious, dedicated martial artists.

Through our website, we strive to keep our members informed of the latest news within the ACAF; the local martial arts community, and the martial arts world. Our members may submit their own articles for publication on our website. Any articles submitted will be reviewed and are subject to approval and editing by our staff.

Although there will be those members who never participate in any federation functions, there are always those who must be commended for the important roles they play within the organization. An association can only survive with the support of its members.

ACAF members include high ranking Masters and Grandmasters in various styles and systems from around the world. This affords us the opportunity to rank individuals in many different martial arts.

The American Combat Arts Federation is dedicated to the research, development, progression and promotion of the combat-oriented martial arts. The following is what the ACAF is working on to meet the demands of its members.