Intent and purpose in training

What's the purpose of your drill? How about your Kata? Patrick, at the venerable Mokuren Dojo blog, always seems to have something in every post which can apply to all of us. This post, "Gripe about Tomiki jo" is no exception. Patrick asks this key question:

Or do you do kata in order to get better at some underlying principle (ju oraiki or ran or whatever)?  Are kata a vehicle or are they an end goal?

Should You Care About Your Styles Politics?

Just what are you talking about? Politics in Martial Arts?

I’ve meant to comment on this for a while, but have stayed out of the fray, as I usually do. Dojo Rat recently had two posts (Alex Gillis; “A Killing Art” and Alex Gillis on The Future of Tae Kwon Do) on a book by Alex Gillis, “A Killing Art, the Untold Story of Tae Kwon Do.” Striking Thoughts has now weighed in as well. The gist of the matter is that:

Distance and Awareness-Blade and Gun (Video)

Watch the video in full – does it change your awareness of anything?

This begins a guest post series with three of the best writers on martial subject matter in the business: TGace of The Things Worth Believing In, Patrick Parker of Mokuren Dojo, and Adam of Low Tech Combat. Over the next few days they will share their views on the drill and what it means to them in training, or what it can teach the rest of us.

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del.icio.us Tags: Knife,gun,Inosanto,Kali,Arnis,Escrima,Police,Tueller,Self defense

FMA: Pekiti Tirsia Sunday (video)

Filipino Martial Arts: Pekiti Tirsia

Is there something to learn here? A look at traditional Filipino martial art Pekiti Tirsia,

Hat tip to my friend and martial arts mentor Apolo Ladra.

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Panantukan, a street-oriented fighting system

What is Panantukan, and what does it have to offer you and me?

I was recently exchanging tweets with Sam Guthrie, a martial artist, and Twitter buddy regarding the utility of the various martial arts with respect to defending the Western boxing jab – something which I contend many Asian systems have trouble. He related that he taught one Kali class where they covered approximately thirty responses to the jab, and send me this Inosanto video as an example. (Forward to approximately 4:00 to start viewing that particular part).

Inosanto is covering some of what he calls classical Panantukan responses to the jab technique. I have to admit that though I have some training in Arnis, a Filipino martial art utilizing bladed or blunt weapons (commonly trained with sticks), I had little exposure to Panantukan, which, according to a non-authoritative source, Wikipedia, is “the boxing component of Filipino martial arts,” and “a part of eskrima.”

I state my experience to make sure that you understand that I am not an expert, or even student of Panantukan. I am, however, what I like to think of as a practical martial artist, and can see what I believe are the benefits of the system.

First of all, any system which has, as the Wikipedia entry states, a variety of “street” techniques such as elbows, knees, shoulder strikes, head-butts, low kicks, and knees, has a lot going for it. If it has the inherent flow of the Filipino stick arts, known as Kali, Arnis, Escrima, and the like (hereafter referred to by Arnis), then it has all the makings of a sophisticated and practical system.

I posit “practical” because it blends the ability to handle knifes, sticks, clubs, and any weapon of opportunity with the ability to content in any striking range whether an attacker has a weapon or is unarmed.

As you know, I’ve posted repeatedly about the disadvantages of sport systems which have descended from true martial arts – including the Taekwondo, BJJ, Judo, or even Kendo. I acknowledge that all of those arts have their practical aspects, and even some variants that preserve the original, or intended, martial techniques that are against the rules in the modern sport. I refer to the most commonly practiced though – they are stripped of the techniques which are most effective in combat. Arnis is the same, in that there are sport tournaments with protective equipment and rules which reduce it’s effectiveness. Overall, however, the sport aspects are less practiced and emphasized, at least in the US, in my opinion.

Instead, the average Arnis practitioner studies his art for the effective techniques, or the art itself, as classically taught, which is combat-effective. Fewer, though, seem to know the empty-hand aspects known as Panantukan.

I would recommend that anyone who studies the Filipino art of the stick, sword, and knife would be well served by checking out, and learning whatever he can about the entire art – I know I will whenever I can.

Comments or questions? Pass em along, and I’ll try to get answers!

For more information:
Wikipedia on Panantukan
TDA What is the relationship of sport judo to unarmed combat?
TDA The Martial Art vs Sport Debate
TDA Training for Sport vs Training for Combat
Blauer Tactical Systems SUBMISSION, SUBDUAL, OR SURVIVAL?
TDA When Arts Become Sports
TDA If it's against the rules, then it must work!
TDA Why Are Martial Sports Superior?
TDA Enhance Your Empty Hand Speed
TDA Ain't none of it is real!

Technorati Tags: Filipino Martial Arts,Arnis,Kali,Escrima,Panantukan

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The Reality of Knife Defense Techniques

I had the privilege of attending a pot-luck dinner this last weekend hosted by my son’s Scout troop, during which, one of the boys demonstrated three different knife defense techniques.

The attacks were:

• Underhand stab with the right hand
• Overhand slash with the right (angle #1 for you Filipino martial artists)
• Vertical, reverse-grip stab straight down with the right hand.

If you’ve served in the military, you’ve seen the defenses performed, or learned them yourself in basic training. They are very basic, stiff, and unrealistic, but you had to perform it by rote. I’ve learned and taught them myself, and proper performance of the techniques depends on a cooperative and reliably predictable partner feeding you the attacks.

By contrast, please take a look at the video below from the program, “Fight Quest,” where the hosts learned some techniques in a short time and have to compete or demonstrate them against exponents of the style or system that they’ve learned. In this case, Filipino martial arts.

Hat tip to Tan Dao for the video. Follow him on Twitter, too.

The first fight on this video is of one of our hosts, the white dude squaring off versus a Filipino representing their Marine Corps. As you can see, it’s not even close. The knives are coated with dye or ink to simulate the damage that would be caused by cuts or stabs, and it' isn’t pretty.

The problem with standard knife defense techniques taught all over the world, including in military service and police academy class environments is that people don’t attack that way. Only an extremely unskilled attacker will attack in those fully-committed stabs or slashes. Same goes for displaying the weapon; even a moderately skilled knife attacker will not display the weapon, but instead, use it before you knew it was there.

What’s the solution? How can you defend against something you can’t see, or of which you aren’t aware? What are the differences between what you need to know as a civilian, law enforcement officer, or soldier?

Our recommendations:

1. Get a rubber knife and eye protection (important), a reliable partner, and try to defend against a knife you can see, on displayed openly, and against reasonable telegraphed attacks.
2. Then, have the partner do everything in his/her power to cut or stab you without letting you grab him or strike him. In other words, upgrade his level of skill to something more realistic.
3. Integrate a hidden knife into any sparring session where you do wear eye protection. It doesn’t matter whether it’s grappling, kickboxing, or MMA-style integration.
4. Add magic markers to the mix whenever possible and strike versus white t-shirts to display what will really happen.

I think what you will find is that the knife almost always will cut you, regardless of your skill, especially if you try to defend it in the manner that you’ve been taught in the past.

Finally, seek qualified instruction through seminars, videos, and tapes, and drill, drill, drill. Once you become aware of the danger and iniquitousness of knives in most areas, you’ll learn to carry one yourself, and watch the hands of anyone who makes your “spidey-sense” go off.

Stay safe out there!

Photo source: US Army FM 3-25.150 (FM 21-150) p8-21

For more information:

TDA Knife defense scenario training
TDA Bringing a gun to a knife fight?
TDA It could happen anytime - real knife attack
TDA Rush a gun; Run from a knife
TDA Unarmed Knife Defense Video
TDA Reexamining Modern Knife Instruction - WR Mann
TDA If an attacker pulls a knife...
SIMPLE KNIFE DEFENSE
Defend University Disengage Safely from the Fight
Defend University The Most Dangerous Opponent: Dealing with the Sudden Attack

Technorati Tags: knife crime,knife attack

Sunday read: Jiu-Jitsu Sensei

For an interesting read about subjects that cross the spectrum of martial arts training, from traditional Jiu-Juitsu to BJJ, to MMA, and self-defense, Jiu-Jitsu Sensei is a great site to check out.

Sensei Lori O’Connell posts from the unique perspective of an active MMA competitor, active traditional instructor, and being north of my border, in Canada.

Her current post is showing a Kali knife defense flow drill. Click on the picture or here to check it out.

UPDATE: Forgot to mention that you can follow Sensei O’Connell on Twitter, too.

Enhance Your Empty Hand Speed

Simple Knife Defense's post, Enhance Your Self Defense with Knife Training brings up a very valid point about weapon training - it can increase your speed. Watch.

I think I've always had a hand speed advantage because of my Arnis training, and it's been a maxim in the Filipino martial arts (FMA) that the stick will speed up the hand. That's for a number of reasons:

1. FMA have a flow, meaning one technique flows into another much more smoothly than some other styles of martial arts. That means that your reaction to real-world stimuli will seem quicker. That's because the weapon techniques (stick and knife) translate very well into empty-hand.
2. Your perception speed changes due to the speed of the stick. The angles at which a stick can come at you, and the speed of the business end actually increase your ability to see things happening. It can take place in two ways, one is reaction time without conscious perception, the other is that you seem to see things in slow motion. Anyone who has driven very fast for several hours at a time, then come off the highway may understand what I mean. You see things differently.
3. FMA use, in many styles, a whipping-type motion that forces relaxation of the limbs and body until just before the moment of impact, which is exactly what you need for a quick empty-hand strike. You are training your body to reflexively strike quickly.

The excellent Dan Inosanto:

Take a look at the Vunak video that's used as an example of the benefits of knife training at Simple Knife Defense as well.

Flashlight Defensive Tactics

Those of you who've trained in Filipino martial arts (FMA) may recognize some of the techniques. Ditto for you traditional Ju-Jitsu or Aikido folks. Interesting material. LEOs should also note that their ASP training comes directly from FMA.

Flashlight as DT weapon

Any observations you'd like to share?

Todays TDA Tip: Improve your stickfighting

Not what you think. Watch this.

Can you apply this to your Filipino martial arts?

I love this video because it shows the improvement and mastery that can result from "play." As a kid and young adult, I was always kicking and punching, spinning and ducking, bobbing and weaving. I annoyed the heck out of family and friends, but that's why I became very proficient. Adding a weapon like a stick or knife shouldn't change that habit. When you have nothing to do, twirl your stick, rap or slash an imaginary attacker. Tear apart a dead tree in the woods with your oldest sparring stick. Use your foam stick on the bag. Imagining is also called visualization, and can be key to your success in any martial art, or life itself. Have fun!

Via: Straight to the Bar

For more information:

Combat Sports Psychology

Technorati Tags: sports psychology,visualization

Video: Arnis options

A nice demonstration of the options available in Arnis. I'm not familiar with the master instructing here, but his skill and knowledge are evident. Enjoy.

 

Technorati Tags: stickfighting,disarm,Filipino,martial arts tradition

Arnis style that defies description!

My wife sent me the link to this last night, saying I'd get a kick out of it. I think you will, too. You have now seen the pinnacle of martial(?) "art." Enjoy! [Note: make sure you read the note at the end]:

Rapid Arish Form

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Kali two-man set

Nice Kali set. Enjoy.