What do you train and why?

G

Grob

Joined
Nov 29, 2005
Messages
462
Out of curiosity and the desire to see some more action on this branch I would like to pose a question.

What style of escrima/arnis/kali do people here train, and why did you choose that particular one.

Personally I train in Modern Arnis. This started out because that's what the best instructor I could find in my city taught. But, and I should preface this saying I have only been training for a few years, the more I learn the more I like it. Especially the more I watch Professor's tapes the more I like it.
 
My primary martial arts training is now in Albo Kali Silat. Why? Because I was looking for a good system to deal with knife combatives, due to the fact that I had a couple of, shall we say, "interesting" experiences involving bad people with blades while I was engaged in law enforcement duties. Albo Kali Silat is an old, "family" combative system concerned with the realities of stick, knife, and empty hand combat. I spent a lot of time in Japanese Martial Arts, and spent a lot of time looking for someone who was "real" and not a "seminar special" kind of teacher. I found a great instructor, became the senior student, and now am the head of system.
 
What: Latosa Escrima.

Why: It's available to me, it's a complete fighting system covering all ranges of empty-hand as well as edged and impact weapons, it's easy to learn and teach for anyone willing to put in the time, it fits my needs better than anything else I've tried over the years.
 
When I did train in kali, it was the system derived from Dan Inosanto's teachings.

At the time, it was the only game in town. A few years earlier, one of my classmates at a Northern Shaolin Wu Shu school came back from a seminar hosted by Guro Dan. The stuff he showed me was really different from what we were learning in class.

My gung fu instructor was also curious so he and this student did some light sparring-my instructor with the staff, and my classmate with the bastons. During the session, the instructor raised the staff horizontally with both hands to block an overhead blow from a baston. As he did so, my classmate redirected the blow to very lightly land on my instructor's hands. The look of surprise on my instructor's face changed to one of a smile when he understood just what happned. When I saw that, I knew I need to learn kali when the opportunity presented itself.

Looking back at what I've learned compared to the other kali systems out there, I'm not disappointed in the time and coin I've invested in it.

Based on what I've seen, I'd also be interested in taking a course with Kelly Worden. It looks similar enough to what I've learned so it wouldn't be totally new, and yet different enough so I'd still be able to learn more.
 
I am a hard sell sometimes. I looked around long and hard for my instructor. Another person recommended him to me, I went to the school, tried it out, and really liked it.

My instructor basically teaches from a blend of different arts, including SE Asian arts. This insight into these other arts, and his ability to put them together, strengthens his overall style in my opinion. From tournament fighting other arts that only focus on one aspect of fighting, I've seen the weaknesses of this close-minded approach.
 
I train Kali Sikaran (www.kalisikaran.com) which is recognized by the International Kali Arnis Eskrima Federation (www.ikaef.com).

Kali Sikaran is a modern style, developed during the last 20 years by
  • Jeff Espinous: Instructor Inayan Eskrima, Lucaylucay Kali/JKD, Modern Arnis, Guro Silat Tapak Suci, Silat Cimande, Silat Pukulan Madura and Pentjak Silat Concepts, Blackbelt in Savate, Tae Kwon Do, Viet Vo Dao, Kempo, Ju-Jutsu and Hapkido. Additional he is a former doorman with lots of practical experiences.

  • Johan Skalberg: 8. Dan and GM Kombatan Arnis, 4. Dan Modern Arnis, Instruktor Inayan Eskrima, 4. Dan Ju Jitsu, 2-times World Champion and European Champion Full-Contact Stickfighting ... Additional he is a former member of tough Army Navy divers.
As you can see, these guys have knowledge about Martial Arts and Real World fighting also. They found out that for tehmselfs the Filipino Martial Arts is the most effective and real world orientated base and, if added with some Thai kicks, Silat details, Savate methodology and well defined japanese ground fighting aspects, it is a perfect (Filipino) Mixed Martial Arts. So Kali Sikaran is 75% FMA, 10% Silat, 10% Thai/Savate and 5% Grappling Arts.

One different to many other FMA Systems is that there is a strong focus on empty hands also. It's well balanced 50% weapon training and 50% empty hand skills.

As part of the IKAEF there are members all over the world and it's fun also to meet them frequently at big annual camps.

I love it :)
 
Hello All,

What do I practice??? Good question, currently in FMA work I focus on:

Sayoc kali
Floro Fighting Systems
Juego Todo (anything goes)

I have also practiced and continue on a less frequent basis in my training:

AMOK!
Modern Arnis
Pekiti Tirsia
Atienza Kali
Dekiti Tirsia Siradas
Kalis Ilustrisimo

As a final note I am constantly researching many arts to improve myself and my students combative development. How do others here train and expand their knowledge?

Gumagalang
Guro Steve L.

www.Bujinkandojo.net
www.Sayoc.com
 
I am going with Astig Lameco and Tres Flores eskrima. Those cover all ranges in a functional manner, hence my interest. Anyway, I am not so into styles per se but rather I tend to stick with instructors I like.
 
I train in what I guess I can only call my own personal style of FMA. It's derived from all the guros, coaches, instructors, students and training partners I've had the great fortune to meet over the years in person, in books, on videos, on DVDs or on the web. Most humble thanks to my main guro, Grandmaster Conrad Manaois.
 
San Miguel Eskrima
Pekiti Tirsia Kali
Estacada Weapons

Mostly by accident as these were the Filipino martial arts that my teachers were teaching. I had seen a little bit of JKD and liked the FMA aspect the most. That led me to a Pekiti Tirsia school in NYC run by Mike Berkeley and Agapito Gonzalez. From there I met Tom Bisio and learned San Miguel Eskrima. I also met his friend Bill Schettino and trained in Estacada Weapons. Lately I've trained with Wes Tasker from Pekiti Tirsia International and have taken some seminars from his teacher, William McGrath.

I'm still training in all three arts, above. I haven't dropped one in favor of the others because at this point I'm interested in the commonalities between them.

Best,

Steve
 
Wing Chun
Muay Thai
Brazilian Jiu Jutsu

We also train in Filipino knife and stick techniques, but I'm not sure which particular style. I'll have to ask Sifu.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top