That was the delighted reaction of one of my private clients last week.

I had offered him the option of training in my garage or at the ABS Training Centre, the usual location for our sessions. He chose the former. It’s a great change of pace for three reasons. First, it’s summer! I often leave the garage door open during our sessions. Secondly, it’s a change of scenery. Lastly, it’s a shorter drive for my client.

In the above video, I perform the four Modern Arnis cane anyos/forms in the garage. If you’re thinking, “There isn’t much space in the garage,” you are right! On the right side of the video, there is a sailboat that takes up close to half of the garage. My father-in-law (whom I’ve never met) built it in the 1960s. It fell into disrepair in the years after his 1997 passing. My wife had it restored by a local business, and it looks fantastic!

It has been a long time since we’ve trained in the garage, but so far, it’s been a blast.

The Pros and Cons of Training in My Garage

Among the reasons to train in the garage are the following:

  1. Late Spring, Summer and Early Fall Weather: Opening the garage door for training is always fantastic, especially when there’s a nice breeze. “What about the neighbours watching you?” It’s never been an issue, and if anyone wants to ask what we’re doing, they’re free to ask!
  2. Convenience: A couple of my clients live closer to my house than the ABS Training Centre. They like the convenience of a shorter drive. I must admit that I like not having to drive to other locations for private lessons occasionally.
  3. Relaxation: Some of my clients find it more relaxing to train in an informal space. I can’t blame them because it helps accelerate their progress.
  4. Stronger Student-Instructor Bonds: Developing relationships in an informal setting like the garage is easier. Plus, it’s just more fun!

While it’s great to train in the garage, there are a couple of downsides.

First, it is not a convenient location for most of my clients. For various reasons, most lessons occur at the clients’ house or the ABS Training Centre. The main reasons are convenience, family, and work schedules.

Secondly, the garage is not the best location for shooting long-form videos due to its cramped nature. The beautifully restored hand-built sailboat sure takes up a lot of room. The ABS Training Centre is a much better location for longer-form videos, as seen below.

I may experiment with shorter Instagram Reels/YouTube Shorts. We’ll see how that turns out.

Anyway, the bottom line is that it’s great to get back into old-school garage training!

Update on My Right Shoulder

Tendonitis is still present in my right shoulder, but it is incrementally improving. I’m frustrated that I’ve had this condition since August or September. I guess I have to be patient a bit longer and continue my shoulder rehab exercises. I have been focusing on quality push-ups. Quantity is taking a back seat for now.

I’m following the push-up progression in the video below. I’m up to 25 standard push-ups. Yes, I’ve had to start all over again. I need just five more push-ups to progress to the next level.

I’ll keep you posted!

Other Stuff I’ve Written


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