Mixing It Up!

Yet Another Project!

One project I have undertaken lately involves my practice of the Modern Arnis Empty Hand Anyos. Like most martial arts, we perform our anyos in a more or less standard way. While the execution of the forms may differ, there are similarities.

For example, everyone starts Anyo Isa Empty Hand Form One by stepping to the right and performing the block, check, and counter motion. The anyo then unfolds from there. See the video below.

I have undertaken a project to do the left-hand or mirror version of every empty hand Anyo. It isn’t exactly a new idea, but I hadn’t gotten around to it in an organized fashion until recently. There is just so much to cover in Modern Arnis, and this is a project that I just haven’t gotten to until recently. It’s a lot of fun. Admittedly, it’s not that hard. On the other hand, it’s fun to change up my workouts and stave off stagnation.

Why do the same thing over and over? Hence, the changeup.

Below is the left-hand/mirror version of the same Anyo.

One note about my forms practice: I skip over kicks in the Modern Arnis empty hand forms. My right hip is so freaking cranky that I don’t bother kicking. Furthermore, the damn hip is too painful for me to use that side as the plant leg for left kicks. So, I have modified the forms to accommodate that issue. Suffice it to say that I will probably get a right hip replacement.

It is what it is!

Other projects that I have begun during this pandemic include “Attacking Combinations” training and a series of empty hand flow drills for my students. Pretty soon, I’ll be delving into expanding the possibilities of the Abanico concept in tapi tapi.

After all, I need to take advantage of my pandemic-related downtime. The downtime will decrease as the pandemic winds down in the next few months. As I anticipate busier times, I may finish my projects during the winter!

Most Recent Video

I recently posted a YouTube poll asking my subscribers what they wanted to see. They unanimously voted for sticking to empty-hand translations. So it is! Here’s the second video since that poll.

In this video, I translated the fender block, commonly used in the #5 disarm, to the empty hand equivalent. Some may see this as a bong sao technique from Wing Chun or JKD. I see it as an empty-hand version of the Fender block. This follows Professor Presas’ emphasis on empty-hand translations of stick movements.

What do you think? Let’s hear feedback from y’all!

If you are not able to view this video, click here.

This Week’s Inspiration

Ernestine is unbelievable. As she indicates in the video, she did not start exercising until age 71 and has developed an unbelievable physique. More importantly, she has inspired others to lift/bodybuilding. The message should resonate with anyone for two reasons.

First, it’s never too late to start anything. NEVER!

Secondly, anybody can achieve a goal that they set. The path will be hard. There will be setbacks. Sticking to a plan consistently is the key. Who would have thought that Ernestine would become a champion bodybuilder at her age? She must have thought so! Obviously, she had a plan and stuck to it. Unbelievable!

So, it goes with martial arts. I frequently hear, “Is it too late for me to start martial arts?“

HELL NO.