[Einar]

Theres a Kali Sikaran class starting at the same gym where I used to do BJJ. I dont train BJJ anymore, and I thought it would be fun trying something new and more self defense oriented to add to my amazing white belt BJJ skillz.

Does anyone here have any experience with it? Is it worth checking out?

[krellik]

Well the filipino arts are suposed to be the best arts concerning knifes so from a defence point of view I say go for it and try it out. Im thinking that the sporting aplications of it are limited, but it is just speculation from my side...

[Gregster]

Kali has both really good stick and knife-fighting techniques but also a pretty good empty-hand fighting curriculum; not surprisingly, it has some really good counters and defenses against a guy with a knife or a cudgel for when you're both armed an unarmed.

If the guy teaching is legit, I say go for it.

[Gregster]

Originally Posted by Boomstick

I have a good friend whois from the Philippines by the name of Morris East and he is a Kali practioner who turned pro in boxing and won a title. He was showing me how he switched alot of the Kali stuff over into boxing defense ect. and it is a mazing how well his combos flow and he is a very powerfull puncher.

That's what has impressed me about Kali from what I've seen: it's very dynamic and fluid, with lots of transitions that allow you to continue pressing an attack as things change or counter quickly.

[recoil]

kali or arnis is fucking awsome..... they put out some really talented fighters..... make sure the guy is legit though cuz there are alot of people who have no idea and try to teach knife and stick

[mixicus]

I do not know about the 'sub-style' Sikaran. Just about every region in the Philippines has a variation on Kali/Arnis/Escrima.

Generally, Kali is a simple fascinating, elegant and brutal at the same time. Most styles have you working with blades and sticks from day one. Footwork is a significant portion of the training, lots of offline movement incorporated with offense and defense. Both hands and arms are involved constantly. Your defense quickly turns to attack and back to defense in seamless transitions, very fluid. The strikes tend to be in flowing combos. The techniques are interchangeable between each weapon and empty hand with range being the major variable (great mind set). As you progress through studies, multiples of the same weapon are used (i.e. 2 sticks or 2 knives) then mixing of weapons.

If the guy is legit, take it.

[BabyPhenom]

Kali=Good Sikaran=Filipino TKD

[Einar]

What do you mean by filipino tkd? Lots of kicking, I suppose, but TKD can mean positive or negative things depending on who talks about it.

[toufeksian]

im training kali right now, its a very good thing , the flow , as many have said , is one of the basis of kali , it is very interesting because the concept is kinda different from other martial arts, and yes , its very efective , speaking of using and defending against a knife, i think learning to use and defense against a knife is the real thing about self defense ...

[loui_ludwig]

Kali Sikaran, well kali is also known as arnis and escrima, depends on the region/province in Philippines. Sikaran means kicking(including using the knee).

According to the book "Filipino Martial Culture", farmers in a town called Baras Rizal, intergrated kicking into kali. It is known as Sikaran Arnis. According to Meliton Geronimo, that the Koreans learned the Biakid(spinning hook kick) from Sikaran and added it into taekwondo during a competition in Korea in 1957. Before that, the Koreans did not know the spinning hook kick.

When i was 11 years old in Philippines, i enrolled in Sikaran Arnis school in the town of Baras, i lived about 2 towns away(20-30 min away). On my first and only class, me and my older cousin were late, we had to do knuckle push up as a punishment for being late. I do not remember who was the instructor, its either Mr. Geronimo or one of his assistant. The training area is a big yard next to the owners house. That was back in 1986. When i went on vacation to Philippines in 2000, the school is located now next to the main highway and the facility is bigger, probably accomadating 50 students or even more. I only had one class because my cousin quit the class, and as kid, i did not know how to go to the school. Plus my parents disapproved of me traveling alone due to the high kidnapping in Philippines, espcially that my father worked in Saudi Arabia. I went back to karate after that. I am now looking for Filipino martial art school here in the Silverlake area here in Los Angeles.