Arnis for Self Defense – Does It Work?
First, watch this video on whether Arnis works in the street. From David James’ perspective (as well as mine), it depends! I believe Filipino martial arts (FMA) are a powerful asset for street self-defence. FMA empty-hand techniques and weapon training can be seamlessly applied to…
Did I Start Too Late?
More specifically, what if I had started in Filipino Martial Arts/Modern Arnis before age 33? From age 18 to 33, I trained in Cooper Ryu and Kenpo Karate and dabbled in BJJ and Aikido. Years ago, I wondered what my skill level would have been…
Video of the Week 27: Train the Left Hand Like A Pro!
Due to my current right shoulder issues, I delve into the basics of left-hand training in this post. For the past few months, I’ve had severe tendonitis in my right shoulder and am going through physical therapy to address this issue. I have restricted Arnis…
Musashi and Arnis
Below is a terrific video about Muhammad Ali and the famed swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. The video draws upon Musashi’s famous book, “Book of Five Rings.” For me, it’s interesting to see Musashi’s martial philosophy through the prism of Modern Arnis. One would be wise to…
Video of the Week 24: Abanico Double Action off Block, Check, Counter
One of the mainstay drills of Modern Arnis is the block, check, counter drill. At the drill’s core is learning to respond to the 12 angles of attack. One variation of this drill involves the abanico double action. The basic sequence is as follows: See…
Video of the Week 23: Double Zero after the Slap off/Pull Off Drill
A few weeks ago, I posted a video demonstrating the 12 angles of attack with the double zero. In the video below, I demonstrate the double zero of the slap-off/pull-off drill. From a teaching and training perspective, mixing things up on the basic drills is…
Video of the Week 22: Angles of Attack with Abanico Double Action
Heeeyo! I’m going to keep this post short due to the holiday season! Here’s another version of the 12 angles of attack—this time with the abanico double action. This is a fun way to mix up the practice of the 12 angles. Many of you…
Video of the Week 21: Angles of Attack with Double Zero
As many of you know, I’m an ardent believer in solo training. I constantly look for ways to mix things up and create new routines. Many of us practice the angles of attack with control, pull back and follow through. Why not expand beyond 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…
