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…
Private Lessons and Big Data: Turning Sticks into Trendlines!
Before discussing my data experiment, I apologize for the month-long radio silence due to being (a) buried in work and (b) having a family get-together. That said, I’m happy to blog again! After a private lesson with Rosh, the owner of ABS Training Centre, we…
Video of the Week 32: Left Hand High Palis-Palis
Heeeyo! Let’s talk about the high palis-palis, specifically the left-hand version. I use this technique to counter high-line attacks. This maneuver is effective against angle 12 strikes and high versions of angles 1 and 2, but it has limited utility. Sweeping the attack over my…
Video of the Week 31: Left-Hand Abanico Corto
“Abanico Corto” is Spanish for “short fan.” Many of my students love this wicked technique. I have posted several abanico corto videos on my YouTube channel. Among the left-hand material I’ve been working on is left-hand abanico corto. In the video below, I demonstrate the left-hand abanico corto…
Video of the Week 30: Left-Hand Disarms
Practicing left-hand disarms in Filipino martial arts is crucial for self-defense and a highly enjoyable aspect of training. Here are some reasons why it’s fun! I demonstrate the first four disarms in the video below. Let me tell you; it’s somewhat discombobulating to execute right-hand…
Video of the Week 28: The Left Hand Block, Check, Counter Drill
Practicing right versus right drills and sequences is easy for me. As you know, I’ve been emphasizing the left hand while my right shoulder recovers from severe biceps tendonitis. Lately, I’ve been teaching left versus left material with my private clients. In particular, I’ve 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…
Video of the Week 26: Double Zero to Abanico Double Action
As many of you know, I ardently advocate solo training, whether the shadowboxing version or hitting a tire. Solo training is an excellent opportunity to work on your martial skills, particularly your weaknesses. I demonstrate one solo training sequence consisting of a double zero followed…
Video of the Week 25: Disarm #1 With Follow-ups
When I teach disarms to beginners, I teach the disarms as a stand-alone technique. I focus on the concepts of leverage and footwork. Once the student understands the proper movement and leverage, I introduce the importance of a follow-up. To many of us, this is…
