Video of the Week 20: Sinawali Striking
Often, when it comes to empty hand translations of the stick sinawali drills, we in Modern Arnis tend to think in terms of sinawali boxing. The video below featuring Professor Chuck Gauss contains some common sinawali boxing techniques. However, there are also sinawali striking techniques…
Video of the Week 19: Forward Pressure
Forward pressure is the ability to apply relentless pressure on an opponent. By using forward pressure, one can dominate an engagement with an opponent. Forward pressure in Modern Arnis not only disrupts the opponent’s balance and timing but also enhances the practitioner’s ability to create…
Video of the Week 18: Sinawali Squat
The Sinawali Squat is a great exercise for conditioning the legs. Why not condition the legs while doing any sinawali exercise? It doesn’t matter if it’s single, double, redonda or reverse. The impetus for this comes from a conversation that I had with Rosh, the…
A Fantastic Michigan Modern Arnis Camp!
My trip to the Michigan Modern Arnis Camp got off to an inauspicious start due to the worldwide IT outage that occurred earlier that day. I arrived at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor and got stuck in the middle of the bridge. It took 2.5…
Video Of The Week 17: Changing Hands
Changing Hands in Modern Arnis One of the key elements in Modern Arnis is the ability to switch the stick from one hand to the other seamlessly. The late Professor Remy Presas emphasized this skill to us. He was a natural left-hander but often had…
Video of the Week 16: Get Off The Couch!
The Importance of Repetitions Talk to any martial arts Grandmaster or an all-time great, and you will hear about the importance of repetitions for any technique or concept. Repetition is a critical aspect of training and development for martial artists at any level. I tell…
Video of the Week 15: Interchangeable Disarms
One key component of Filipino martial arts (FMA) is the use of disarms. Disarming an opponent involves leverage, positioning, and footwork. Modern Arnis emphasizes one disarm per angle. Thus, we have 12 basic disarms plus various other disarms. I love that these basic disarms are…
Video of the Week 14: Leverage for Disarms
When I teach disarms, I first emphasize the importance of leverage. I will discuss hitting and positioning for disarms in future posts. For now, let’s start with leverage for disarms. One of the elements in disarming an opponent is the concept of leverage. Here’s why…
Video of the Week 12: Solo Sinawali Training
Every so often, a student or a client will ask me for solo training tips. I often advise them to try solo sinawali training, focusing on the angles of attack. As I demonstrate in the video below, the key to solo sinawali training is paying…
Video of the Week 11: Modern Arnis Pulling
In Modern Arnis, pulling is crucial for breaking an opponent’s posture. This makes executing various strikes and manipulations easier. After pulling, practitioners can capitalize on their opponent’s broken posture, turning defensive movements into offensive counters. Hehehehe. Hence, pulling should be part of your toolbox. Further,…