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…
Video of the Week 7: Modern Arnis Block, Check, Counter
Video of the Week 6: Slap Off Structure
Video of the Week 4: Using the Center Line
Awareness of and mastering the center line is crucial for any martial artist. Quick aside: This is the last video available to the public. Starting next week, only subscribers can access these videos after this initial period. As such, if you want to view future…
Video of the Week 2: Footwork
Five Great Ways to Get Popeye’s Forearms!
There are five great ways to get Popeye’s forearms without lifting weights. You only need sticks for the exercises demonstrated below. The following methods will leave you feeling like you have Popeye’s forearms! (1) Squeeze the sticks One exercise is to do the controlled version…
From Pixels to Stick Fighting
A number of my Padawans play video games. That’s not exactly shocking to you, is it? However, I have often wondered how it translates to their FMA training or, more importantly, how it informs my teaching approach. Minecraft is one of the most popular video…
