The Problem with Flow Drills I often hear people say that flow drills in the Filipino Martial Arts are just not realistic. Sometimes they say there is no relation between flow drills and their sparring. Because of this, they don’t see any value in the flow drills, and they don’t see a reason to include them in their training. I understand this, but I think if they knew how to approach flow drills differently, they may find more value in them. The Filipino martial arts are often taught in a way that is not well explained or not clearly structured. This makes it hard for the student to get the most out of the training. Sometimes people learn a variety of drills, but they do not always understand the drills completely. Because of this, the real value is sometimes missed. The problem I often s...

When studying Kali, learning in the beginning is easy. You just imitate those who are better than you. You drill to develop coordination through consistent repetition. Eventually, you memorize patterns of movements that become techniques. You learn to perform those techniques when your partner feeds you a specific attack. The process for learning this in the beginning is pretty clear. The tough part of learning Kali starts when you move beyond those basics. This is where things get fuzzy. It’s gets difficult when you have to coordinate your movements to attack and counter an unpredictable opponent. You have to see what is going on, decide what to do about it, then select and perform the right technique. It is hard because you must choose from a wide variety of responses, and in choosing th...

Training for Results Sparring can serve as bridge from your technical drills to realistic application or to competition. Whether you are training to apply Kali for self defense or for a fighting competition, the right sparring drills will give you the perspective you need to be successful. Rather than taking a leap of faith from the flow drills we practice with partners to a real life application, we can use a series of objective oriented drills to prepare for the unscripted application of our techniques. Sparring Preparation Drills and Training Objectives You must have objectives to get best results from your training. This is especially true with sparring. If you know what you want to improve, then you can train appropriately to make those improvements. Sparring without objectives c...

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...