[Friggintitsman]

I train in Kali another part of Escrima.
Although stick fighting is a small part of this art. I mostly like it for it's defense and counter attacks. Escrima mixes aspects of sever different arts and incorporates them into it's own style. My personal favorite style in this art is the hand to hand combat.
The best thing about this art is the weapon is an extension of your hand. Most of the moves you use with a stick/blade in your hand can also be use without a weapon. If you really get deep into Kali you will see that there are a lot of movements that play against your opponents balance. It also utilizes a lot of joint locks. Overall IMO one of the best martial arts one can learn.

[Gregster]

I may be wrong, but:

1) Kali and Escrima stick training is not only great for learning how to use a blunt-force weapon, but the techniques are actually geared towards knife-fighting. By using sticks, rural practitioners miles from the nearest clinic with a guy who can suture knife wounds can train knife fighting hard without cutting each other a new asshole on a regular basis.

2) Escrima and/or Kali techniques are also designed to transition instantly to emtpy hand; the intent being to allow the fighter, if divested of his weapon in the middle of a melee, can continue the fight without skipping a beat.

I would love to learn Kali or Escrima; they look like great, no-bullshit arts. I first saw Kali in action in The Hunted and The Bourne Identity...yes, I'm aware Hollywood is not the best place to judge the merits of a **martial art; but I was fascinated by what I saw and *HAD* to know what it was. *REAL* Filipino arts seems to be straightforward, practical, and based around smooth transitioning and angling of attacks.

I used to live across town from a place called Trident Martial Arts Academy; the head instructor, Pat Tray, is an ex-SEAL and current CQB instructor for the Navy who appears to have forgotten more about kicking ass than most of us ever know-- Muay Thai, Machado BJJ, boxing, JKD, Pentjak Silat, Kali, Escrima, and so forth. Dude spars with the Dog Brothers, and is a certified bad-ass. I still hate myself for not finding a way to work in some training at his school.


**Lethal Weapon is, I believe, the movie that intro'd BJJ to movie-going audiences. I recall Mel Gibson likening it to "spiders fucking." Recall in the final fight he finishes Busey with a triangle choke.

[Friggintitsman]

Yes gregster

You are trained with sticks as if they were knives, kukri, or short swords. Even if you have a stick in your hand you will still learn not to touch the moving stick with your other arm or any other part of the body.

Although true that Hollywood usually makes things look more outstanding in the movies. They learn the moves from the masters. The Kali moves in both The Hunted and Bourne Identity series are not bad in accuracy.

[Halls]

Gregster-
Sometimes different systems specialize different weapons into their training. Pekiti has knife, Lameco has stick, Atenzia has blade, etc.. But regardless of this emphasis all motions and techniques done with a weapon are interchangeable into empty hand.
The Hunted used Sayoc Kali which specializes in knife work and the Bourne series uses Pekiti-Tersia.
Pat is a good guy. My instructor knows him well and is always amazed at his practical knowledge. He still does seminars from time to time, you should check one out.

[IMAF#1]

Yes, IMAF stands for International Modern Arnis Federation. Been training arnis for a little over 2 and a half years. I think its very effective and one of the most practical martial arts for self defence. Arnis, Eskrima, Kali or whatever you like to call it is more then just sticks and knives. It involves empty hand and ground grappling. Its a very well rounded system.

[Ranger]

Okay fellas, another question or two:

1- Anyone familiar with ****aw Kali Kruzada ?
2- Has anyone trained at Fighthouse on W27th in NYC?

thanks for the input!

[Friggintitsman]

Oh check this out. I wonder if Mila was trained in Escrima for the 3rd Resident evil movie.





Nothing like a fine woman with a couple of Kukri in hand to get my blood pumping.

[nuckles]

I did a little bit. About 6 months twice a week but i never took it seriously. I'll be starting up again soon. I think it is a very effective art from knife fighting / disarming.

And my trainer trained with Danny Inosanto!!!


Ok i'm done

[Cuje]

Anybody know if this is right?

I was told that escrima/kali/Filipino arts were different from the Japanese arts because you, traditionally started with weapons (sticks) and worked your way "up" to empty hand. This is different from the Japanese stuff I did.

Give a kid a stick and teach him to use it. (cheap and effective)
After a while he gets enough skill to handle a stick and a small knife.
After that (assuming someone hasn't cut off his head) He trades in the stick for a short sword.
After that he goes to two swords.
By the time he has achieved full ninjahood (late 40's), he should have transitioned into the empty hand stuff naturally.

I was told that they used sticks first so that they could defend themselves as soon as possible in a pretty lawless place, and that the ****l for swords was fairly hard to come by.

Japan was more stable and so, they had the leisure to make students "earn" their weapons.

Can anyone confirm or disconfirm this?

[Halls]

I can say that Eskrima is different from all arts because from day 1 you learn to use weaponry. You do work your way up to different weaponry in Eskrima (ie single stick, double stick, single knife, double knife, staff, etc) As for the empty hand aspect, you learn empty hand everyday of training. Also there is a couple "stages" of training called Panatukan and Dumog which involves empty hand work independent of weapon movements.
I have never done Japanese arts other than BJJ but I belive that Eskrima is unlike any other art.
I have never heard of the reasonings for weapon training in Eskrima that you state. Do you have any documentation or is this assumption?

You can say Eskrimador, Arnisador, or Maestro but not ninja.