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…
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 10: Pushing/Tulak
Tulak is a Tagalog word for pushing or shoving. In the video below, I demonstrate the pushing/tulak concept against my student, Troy. Tulak is prevalent in Modern Arnis. This concept involves pushing or shoving an opponent, vital for creating distance or disrupting their balance. Pushing/tulak…
