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!

Balintawak Eskrima: Street Training and Stick Sparring with Combat Kali Manila

Tired but happy. Goofy but deadly.

Another fun-filled Filipino martial arts (Balintawak Eskrima) street training with my amazing teammates at Combat Kali Manila. It’s summer time here in the Philippines but we didn’t mind the scorching heat and humidity–not to mention the dust, dirt and uneven ground. Watch the video below; choose HD quality:

Outdoor training is always refreshing, very much different from the four corners and matted floors of the gym we’re used to. Hopefully, we’d be able to train on a pristine beach someday. That’d be lovely!

How about you, what’s your Kali training situation like? Do you train indoors or outdoors? Cheers and happy training! 😉

Filipino Martial Arts: Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions about Kali, Arnis, Eskrima

First off, Kali is a very newbie friendly martial art. But I understand many people have questions and doubts about this discipline. To help shed some light on those uncertainties, I’ll answer some Kali FAQs that are probably holding you back from trying out Filipino martial arts.

Filipino Martial Arts in the Movies: Aaron Eckhart trained in Kali Stick Fighting for I, Frankenstein

Photo credit: ropeofsilicon.com

Most avid fans of FMA already know that Kali/Arnis/Eskrima has been featured in The Bourne Series, Mission Impossible III, The Hunted and many other action-packed Hollywood flicks.

I, Frankenstein joins this ever-growing list and is the most recent Filipino Martial Arts-influenced film, as far as I know. Aaron Eckhart stars as the modern-day monster (Adam Frankenstein) in this movie adaptation of Mary Shelley‘s classic novel. Although, the movie is based mainly on the graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux.

New Year’s Resolutions

by abbyryandesign. Infographics by Visually.

 
“What’s your New Year’s resolution?” Oh my, such a cliché! I can almost picture various TV show hosts asking their unsuspecting guests this timely question. Déjà vu? Yeah, that’s because we’ve all been asked the same thing year after year.

Kali Street Training a la Combat Kali Manila

Imagine this scenario: Gym still closed. Key holder is nowhere to be found. Excited Kali practitioners. It’s supposed to be frustrating, right? But no. We’re cool like that. And we love seeing the good in the bad. So for this one, instead of wasting time sulking and staring at each other, we saw a perfect opportunity to do Kali street training. Woohoo! 😀

Thanks to the building’s spacious and gritty parking lot, it somehow emulates a dangerous street. No matted floors, only dirt, pebbles and possible improvised weapons lying around. Yay, we instantly found an ideal spot to test our Filipino Martial Arts skills. And train we did even for just close to an hour, as the gym finally opened.

Eat, Train, Sleep, Repeat

Eat, train, sleep, repeat. I want to experience this kind of lifestyle even for just 2-3 days. That’s why I hope I get to attend a martial arts training camp next year.

I’m considering this intensive Kali Training Camp happening in July in Thailand, lead by Tuhon Tim Waid via Survitac. Not sure though if it’s open to “outsiders.” I’m still waiting for their answer. Of course, it still depends on the cost!

If that’s not plausible, there’s Camp Jansson, which I’ve been eyeing on since forever. What I like about Camp Jansson’s Stay and Train program is that I get to try many different martial arts like Boxing, Muay Thai, Filipino Martial Arts, MMA plus Yoga! Yay, bliss! 😀 Another one to include to my overflowing bucket list.

Ok, I know what you’re thinking. I’m not training to become a professional fighter so why bother? Haha. I’d simply like to get a taste of a fighter’s daily life aka gruesome training. I’m all about experiences! And I like pushing myself to see how far I can go. Well, maybe I’m just crazy. Bye!