A great many of our friends and associates in the Martial Arts community see little value in tournament fighting. Many of them claim that competition fighting is so far from reality that it leads students to learn techniques that will not work in the street. There is a belief that the tournament fighter is deluding himself into believing he is tougher or more competent than he really is. The fear instructor’s face is that the student will believe the fighting style they need to adopt to be a… Continue

What an amazing weekend with friends new and old.  I received such wonderful hospitality from everyone that I crossed paths with over the weekend.  I went to San Francisco to participate in a seminar at Eskabo Daan with legendary Leo Fong, GM Michael Giron, and GM Robert Castro.  I ended up going to the Island Fiesta for Westmoor High School's Filipino Barkada, and helped out at the 1st Annual Unified Filipino Martial Arts Council tournament at Lowell High School.

 

GM Castro,…

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Grand Master Leo Giron said to me, “I can lead you to the door; but you must walk through”. For years I thought about that statement and how it pertained to my studies in his art. Many times, when I struggled with a technique, I could tell he would reach a moment when he could not teach me any more and I had to learn it for myself. This was one of many moments when he had led me to a door that I must walk through. When I graduated, I went on to become an instructor under Uncle Leo and then… Continue

Leo Fong started a recent seminar with a great story about Abe Lincoln. One of his greatest quotes was “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”. Sometimes it is not important how many styles you study or how many techniques you know. It is important to perfect the ones you have been given. Too often, students are lured by the flash and complexity of exotic techniques and arts. They fit well into the student’s fantasy of “Martial Arts”. There…

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The day before yesterday I got a call from NBC news desk asking about someone who they thought was one of my students. The reporter asked me if I had a student name Anthony Albano 23 years old. I said no, I did not. She said that he us listed as one his intertest on MySpace. I went and looked and he listed the South Bay Combat Club? I explained we are the South Bay Filipino Martial Arts Club.…

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http://arnishistoriayevolucion.blogspot.com/

I am currently attending two FMA schools.  The training methods of both schools is having an effect on me in such a way that I am basically practicing a blend of the two systems.  When I practice and train, I discover certain truths and patterns that it is not rare that I find myself doing a variation of what was originally taught to me. 

 

The questions that follows is "what is considered innovation in the martial arts?"  Is merely a blending of systems/style considered an…

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Training for S.P.A.C.E

(Speed, Power, Accuracy, Consistency and Efficiency).

 

While sitting in my office and letting my mind wander away from my work responsibilities, I wondered how many of my Eskrima brothers and sisters train to enhance their speed, power, accuracy, consistency and efficiency of their strikes and movements.

 

SPACE is an acronym that lays the foundation to a concept that my instructor emphasized early on in our development to insure…

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Saw this great article on fmapulse.com..

thoght i would share it!Article Source: www.originalgironescrima.homestead.com

you will have to go to fmapulse.com to see the great interveiw!









Please click here to watch Mataw-Guro Michael Giron's video interview.…

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As my DeCuerdas students shuffled through the door of the gymnasium in which we train I was greeted with several handshakes and a fist bump. There was light chatter amongst the arriving students as we all got ready to start off the class with our warrior fitness cardio program and then transition into our Eskrima training. What started off as some light training and teaching for a select few out of the driveway of my home has now grown into more than a dozen committed practitioners who have…

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I've heard this so called title used so loosely over the years. What makes a Grand Master? Is it superior skill over others? A position held in a school? I will put myself on the chopping block, so to speak. I have trained in FMA for 10 yrs. , 27 to include all training. I am now in the process of formulating my own school and style of Arnis. Does this qualify me to call myself a "Grand Master"? Opinions vary fellow Warriors let's hear yours. Respectively, just Guro Nico.

Great workout last night with the crew practicing our pangamut- tapi-tapi, blending it with layon n bugno against weapons and no weapons. Had a lot of fun with three and six count combinations. I missed being with my crew. I have working a bunch at the fire station so stuck with just a heavy bag #100 for days, Really working my empty hand skills and power, along with stick strikes combos- Really great work hardning of the muscles and my aerobics to get ready for brush fire season. My goals is… Continue