What Makes a Good Arnis/Escrima/Kali School?

[Brian R. VanCise]

I have to say that training with Kelly Worden and his Natural Spirit International school has opened my eyes to so much over the last six months that I can honestly say I've learned more in six months than I have in the last 10 years...

I think FMA needs to be part of everyone's progression after a certain point. Weapons training in and of itself provides insights that empty hand alone can't convey, and the approach of FMA to the question of physical aggression allows for "new eyes" on older technique.

Everyone that I know that trains with Kelly Worden enjoys it as well!

[1point2]

I think FMA needs to be part of everyone's progression...the approach of FMA to the question of physical aggression allows for "new eyes" on older technique.

Don't leave me hanging, elaborate! :)

Is it footwork? Just having weapons? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Matt Stone]

Don't leave me hanging, elaborate! :)

Is it footwork? Just having weapons? Inquiring minds want to know.

Weapons training, generally, provides a significantly different experience than working solely empty hands. The benefit that free sparring at full contact has over, say, kata or "empty air hitting," is the same kind of benefit that weapons training, conducted like FMA (generally, or NSI, specifically), gives to empty hand skills.

There's a completely different timing, a different sense of range and distance, a different rhythm. Having a stick thrumming through the air toward your head lends a sense of urgency that a big ol' padded fist just can't really compare to. That padded fist may be big, and it may hurt, but it's unlikely to flay open your scalp, unlikely to crack your brainpan open, unlikely to take your IQ down several notches with but one shot. That stick, on the other hand, isn't nearly as forgiving.

It's just another aspect of training. Folks that never do weapons are going to be just fine learning to fight (providing they do it "for real" instead of "for play"), but adding the weapons aspect (like I've had it presented to me by NSI) improves your overall skill set greatly.

And, of course, Kelly is awesome to train with. The man's known everyone at one time or another, remains friends with some pretty impressive people, but is a regular "everyman" no matter what.