If you have good teacher then they will start you off at the basic level doing simple things with you and teaching you foundational principles. But if you have bad teacher or lazy teacher or worse an instructor that does monkey see monkey do, then you will be taught overly complicated methods before you are ready to understand them and be able to perform them thus making you lost.

I will take shot at one of the sacred pillars of FMA, sinawalli- yes double stick! Most people at first…

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Most forms of Filipino Martial Art styles employ the solo baston, doble baston, long and short combinations, knife work, empty hands, grappling, and so on. In fact it’s rare to see a teacher or practitioner of FMA that sticks to one aspect of FMA. But is it a necessity to train in many aspects of FMA? Did European fencing clubs practice boxing as well as fencing techniques? What if single stick was the only method someone placed all of their focus on, would it be enough or are multiple facets… Continue

Although there are many martial artists that deny it, more than many want to be recognized for their accomplishments as martial artists. I had a discussion with my students recently about the belt ranking systems and titles. Most martial artists that practice and teach arts from Southeast Asia and who live outside of this region will at some point have this discussion with their students since traditionally belts and titles in these arts only meant you are extending an open invitation to a… Continue

Last Sunday we chatted with Piper Knife co-founder Lloyd De Jongh.  Lloyd was very open with us and let us in on some of the secrets of the system and why he considers himself a "Guardian" of Piper Knife.  Piper is a system born from the streets and prisons of South Africa where, especially in Cape Town knife violence is extremely common and goes on today.  

If you teach or practice knife/weapon arts then this episode of FMATalk Live is a must listen!…

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This blog is dedicated to my wife Lisa. One might ask the following, a martial art blog about his wife? Well let me explain, this is my way of publically saying thank you to a woman who has supported my martial art lifestyle since the day our relationship got more serious; I can remember the day I confessed through casual conversation to her that I was a martial artist. The conversation went something like this, there is something you should know about me, my comment was followed a…

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