Talent or Dedication?
Which is more important, dedication or talent? From an instructor’s perspective, dedication wins hands down. Like many instructors, I have students who are talented and “natural.” I also have students who are not “natural” in martial arts. Oddly enough, and generally speaking, the less talented…
Banda y Banda
“Banda y banda” is a term used in Filipino martial arts to describe a side-to-side motion commonly practiced. It is one of the first “traditionals” that the late Professor Remy A. Presas taught his students, along with movements such as figure 8, reverse figure 8,…
Self Permission
While teaching the self-defence classes at the Abilities Centre a couple of weeks ago, I discussed the concepts of setting boundaries, assertiveness, and self-permission. One of the exercises during this particular class involved one person invading their partner’s personal space. The defender had to assert…
Rebooting The Blog
I know that it’s been a while since I’ve done a blog post. It’s been a busy few months. For one thing, the website has been going through a re-design, complete with a new logo that I hope reflects my martial arts business personality. More…
A New Beginning
Welcome to the new revamped Bamboo Spirit Website and a new beginning! First, I would like to thank Jason Fletcher for his original Bamboo Spirit logo design. It was a great design that served Bamboo Spirit well for nearly a decade. However, as the martial…
Taking The Leap
Recently, I came across this video on Facebook, and it stood out to me. Take 10 minutes of your time and watch the whole thing. Some saw it as a metaphor for death regarding confronting the fear of the unknown. Some saw it in more…
Modern Arnis Concepts: Stealing The Lead
Stealing the lead is a term often discussed in tapi tapi. It means that one player has reversed the momentum of the other and is driving on the other. In other words, one player has gone from a defensive mode to being on the offensive…
The State of the Filipino Martial Arts Industry
Recently, Kai Morgan published a thought-provoking post on the state of the martial arts industry. It has made me think about the Filipino martial arts industry. Read her article here. In relevant part, the post states: The traditional martial arts are often said to be suffering. Many (although by…
Sinawali Applications
Sinawali practice is an integral part of Filipino Martial Arts. I am amazed to see how little some understand the value of sinawali. Some don’t get beyond the double stick practice of the patterns or the “pattycake” empty-hand version. There is much to be mined…
Teaching Sensitivity
Teaching one-step techniques and flow drills alone is not enough. One-step techniques are a great gateway to teaching more complex techniques, and flow drills serve as an introduction to “the flow.” However, neither, by themselves, sufficiently teaches sensitivity. What do I mean by sensitivity? In…
