i'm thinking of starting an FMA club. advice?

**KendalGuro** · Posted On: 7/17/2012 4:37pm

my advise is call it a club. If you imply a school the other groups will preceive you as competition. Develope a mission statement for the club...like "meet for a weekly beating" but avoid the words instruction or teach. Just tell them your trying to promote the FMAs not one style, and make it open to all styles.

**jspeedy** · Posted On: 7/17/2012 4:48pm

Originally Posted by KendalGuro

my advise is call it a club. If you imply a school the other groups will preceive you as competition. Develope a mission statement for the club...like "meet for a weekly beating" but avoid the words instruction or teach. Just tell them your trying to promote the FMAs not one style, and make it open to all styles.

That's kind of the vibe I was going for. In reality what i'm starting up may be a "school" but by calling a club it seems less formal. The main reason I want to keep it casual is my lack of teaching experience. This is an opportunity for me to grow, I've always heard and from what I know agree that the best way to grow is by teaching others. Maybe if I like it i'll start something more serious down the road.

I doubt the other groups would be too concerned with competition. None of the local FMAers teach for a living but I think they do value their students in a way any instructor who doesn't do it for money (and some that do teach for money too) would. The only problem with promoting an "FMA sparring group all styles welcome" is I do want to teach Balintawak regularly to students so I can continue to progress in the art and so I can share the art. If it is just a sparring club why should the guys who are teaching me now come to spar and learn from me?

**tim_stl** · Posted On: 7/17/2012 4:52pm

Originally Posted by jspeedy

That's kind of the vibe I was going for. In reality what i'm starting up may be a "school" but by calling a club it seems less formal. I doubt the other groups would be too concerned with competition. None of the local FMAers teach for a living but I think they do value their students in a way any instructor who doesn't do it for money (and some that do teach for money too) would. The only problem with promoting an "FMA sparring group all styles welcome" is I do want to teach Balintawak regularly to students so I can continue to progress in the art and so I can share the art. If it is just a sparring club why should the guys who are teaching me now come to spar and learn from me?

Separate the two. Either have instruction (with as much sparring as you want) on one day, and open sparring on another, or have an allotted time for instruction, followed by an allotted time for sparring. People who want to train Balintawak can show up the one day/time, people who want to spar can show up the other day/time. People who want both can do both.

**KendalGuro** · Posted On: 7/17/2012 4:53pm

The benifit is, its your club, you can do what you want.
If you want to teach, teach.

**Mr. Machette** · Posted On: 7/17/2012 4:56pm

Maybe this is to basic a "pro-tip" but...

Have a decent stock of beater sticks that you bring to sessions for newb students, sit in guests and walk-in randos. Extra sticks always seem to come in handy. Trainer knives too.

**Permalost** · Posted On: 7/17/2012 5:17pm

Originally Posted by Mr. Machette

Have a decent stock of beater sticks that you bring to sessions for newb students, sit in guests and walk-in randos. Extra sticks always seem to come in handy. Trainer knives too.

"It seems like I never have enough training knives...and I have a crapload of training knives."

-a guy I trained with

**jspeedy** · Posted On: 7/17/2012 6:23pm

good suggestions. Thanks bullies

**blindside** · Posted On: 7/19/2012 6:02pm

If you are doing a sparring group, you might try starting with padded sticks first. People feel alot more comfortable whacking someone if they think they aren't going to hurt (or be hurt) too bad. I use a progression of a light padded weapon, heavy padded, light rattan, heavy rattan. Then I graduate people through those levels depending on the individual. (I make my own padded weapons with pvc or nylon rod, pipe foam, and duct tape.)

For knife sparring I use the sharkee trainers to start with then eventually go to aluminum, that jump isn't too bad.

You will need a pile of spare fencing masks for newbies.

**jspeedy** · Posted On: 7/19/2012 9:22pm

Originally Posted by blindside

If you are doing a sparring group, you might try starting with padded sticks first. People feel alot more comfortable whacking someone if they think they aren't going to hurt (or be hurt) too bad. I use a progression of a light padded weapon, heavy padded, light rattan, heavy rattan. Then I graduate people through those levels depending on the individual. (I make my own padded weapons with pvc or nylon rod, pipe foam, and duct tape.)

For knife sparring I use the sharkee trainers to start with then eventually go to aluminum, that jump isn't too bad.

You will need a pile of spare fencing masks for newbies.

I kind of feel the same way. I don't think I could really try to hit someone in the head if they weren't wearing head protection. As far as sticks I think a small diameter stick 1/2 inch or less feel comfortable. To me padded sticks feel clunky and cumbersome, but i'll admit I don't have a lot of experience with them. I like straight up light weight rattan with a little restraint. If we were striking all out regularly I think stick padding would be necessary but for medium to lighter contact a light rattan weapon works for me. Of course, i've only trained in this manner with guys in my system and newbs. If it were more competitive like with an instructor of another style I do think it would be hard to control power and padded sticks would be best.

Edit: Of course this goes for regular daily/ a few times a week sparring. A quarterly spar Dog Bros style would be good but as a professional I can't be walking around too banged up all the time.

**blindside** · Posted On: 7/20/2012 1:43pm

Originally Posted by jspeedy

I kind of feel the same way. I don't think I could really try to hit someone in the head if they weren't wearing head protection. As far as sticks I think a small diameter stick 1/2 inch or less feel comfortable. To me padded sticks feel clunky and cumbersome, but i'll admit I don't have a lot of experience with them.

I agree with the "clunky and cumbersome," but for me, the padded sticks allow the player to get rid of exactly the restraint that you mention. I don't want my guys getting too used to pulling an attack, I want them to have the feel of striking through the target, of putting their whole body into that attack. Later when we get back to rattan, we can pull the attack or hit full force, but they have the muscle memory of really trying to hit. Just something that seems to work for me.