With a busy life, getting in just a little time for training can be difficult. Though I own a school and teach Kali and Silat full time, I find it difficult to carve out some extra time to practice on my own. Because of this, I want to be sure my students and I both get the most out of our training sessions in class and out. To do this, every repetition must count. You can’t afford to waste time when training. This is not to say you cannot enjoy the training. In fact, you must “play” with the technique to get to know it, to explore it.The key is that you stay engaged. Pay attention to each movement you make and determine if you need to make any adjustments to the next one. If you want to improve, repetition alone will not cut it. Included here are a few basic tips on getting th...

  At some point in the development of your Kali, Arnis, Escrima training, you are going to learn to spar. If you train right, you will be ready. Sparring is a useful training tool that will allow you to test and develop your skills. It will help you learn where your weaknesses are, and it will provide you with an environment in which you can try out new techniques. In the words of Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje, “It is your laboratory. It is where you experiment." Sparring will help you learn to perform your skills against someone who is not fully cooperating. This can be a real eye opening experience. The first time you spar, you really learn to appreciate the speed and timing it takes to apply the techniques you are practicing. When your opponent does not feed you like any of the drills ...

Methods to develop powerful strikes in your Kali training If you need to hit someone, then make sure when you hit them, it counts. To do this, you need to be able to hit them hard. If you are lawfully justified in doing so, hit them with enough power that it will stop them from attacking you again. If you have trained to hit hard, then you have the option of hitting with less force when appropriate. However, if you have never developed the ability to hit hard, then you simply will not have that option. Learn to hit hard. If you have a sharp blade and an accurate strike, you may not always need to hit hard, but you do need to be fast. In Kali, we are training for the use of both impact weapons and blades. If you cannot deliver a fast strike and quickly recover, then you are in trouble. The ...

Get the most out of your training with these effective methods. All of us want to be skilled at our arts. We want to move fast and be effective with our technique. Smooth, coordinated movement is a must for that to happen. Regardless of your style or art, there are effective methods for developing coordination that you can incorporate in your practice sessions. Whether you are swinging a stick, slashing with a karambit or practicing a takedown, you can break down the movement and make refinements that will not only make you look better, but also perform better. To do this, you need to know the right movement, practice effectively, and analyze your progress and you make improvements. Know the Right Movement In order to develop the most coordinated movement, you need to know what the right m...

How to Get the Most out of your Self Defense Training (in a short period of time) Don’t mess around.  Your life depends on it.   Time is precious because we have so little of it.  Obligations of work, family and personal life all leave little time for training, but training is important.  Without it, your chances of prevailing in a violent attack are greatly diminished.  In addition to pushing your training up the priority list, you have to train efficiently.  It’s all about managing the time you have to train in order to get the most out of it.   After teaching for more than 20 years, I have seen that there are a few simple things students do to learn faster.  If you follow the advice below, you will avoid wasting your valuable time while also ...