Arnis, Kali, Eskrima: Love @ 1st Strike

It’s amazing how fast time flies when you’re enjoying! I can’t believe it’s already been a year (1 year and 1 month to be exact) since I first held my Eskrima sticks and got introduced to Filipino martial arts. It was love at first strike. Cheesy but true, nonetheless.

I’m sure I’ve improved immensely since then. Though, I still shriek and panic at times. And I still have a million things to learn! For now, let me share a few things I’ve gained/discovered/learned so far in my 1^st anniversary as a Kali practitioner (soon-to-be super spy and zombie assassin):

Patience – I mentioned the importance of being patient in my previous blog post, How to Have an Effective and Enjoyable Filipino Martial Arts Training. I have a confession to make. I used to be impatient and bratty when I don’t get the lesson right away. I still regress sometimes. But I’m doing my best to not lose my cool over a specific technique. Bear with me, people!

Perseverance – I may be impatient at times, but I persevere. I never stop trying when I like something. I almost never miss a Kali class. I punish myself hate it when I do. I train twice a week, even thrice sometimes, not including home practice. Guess what I’m doing on days that I don’t train in Eskrima? I’m crosstraining!

Protection – Some people think of Filipino martial arts (and other martial arts for that matter) as a violent pursuit. But I believe it depends on the practitioner—if you respect the system, weapon/s, yourself and others. I always keep in mind to only apply Kali for self-preservation and protection of others. Like what Doug Marcaida said:

“It’s a deadly art if that’s all you could focus about. Obviously, it’s weapons, duh!”
“Kali can teach you how many you can protect, not hurt.”

Here’s that video, Marcaida Kali Philosophy:

Paranoia – This term sounds so negative. But for me, a healthy dose of paranoia is reasonable. You see, I don’t trust anyone (with a few exceptions, of course). Learning Arnis, Kali, Eskrima has made me even more guarded and paranoid in a good way. It has helped me become more aware of my surroundings, thus, more prepared when something bad happens.

Passion – On a lighter note, I feel thrilled about people who are also passionate about Filipino martial arts. In just a year of training, I’ve met a few like-minded individuals who further fuel my love for Arnis, Kali, Eskrima—those whom I can chat with and geek about anything relevant to FMA. That’s awesome because my core, non-FMA friends couldn’t relate to some of my Kali stories. And I understand completely.

Some may deem Kali and I are still in the honeymoon phase, but I think otherwise. I believe this thing is more than just love at first strike–it’s for a lifetime. Yikes, cheese balls overload! 😛

Cheers and thanks for reading! Care to share what you learned in your martial arts training? Let me know in the comments section below.