zulu stick fighting apps. for FMA

[jspeedy]

I stumbled across this on you tube, It relates zulu stick fighting to FMA. I wish it showed more of the live sparring at the end. We already do something similiar to the striking principal demonstrated in the video in my FMA club. I just think it's cool to see stick fighting styles from other non Filipino places. I like to examine the differences and similarities. I think the blocking tools and techniques used by the Zulus appear quite effective, I wonder how they'd fare against a full contact FMA assault.

YouTube- Zulu & Filipino Kali Stick Fighting

What do you think?

[Aaron Fields]

Liam Keely did a lot of Zulut stickwork. I have watched all of his video, not to mention anything else I have come across over the years. Culturally speaking this still holds an important place and is no joke when the folks really get after it.

If I had a chance to give it a go, I would in a heartbeat. Techanically speaking the small shield/stick is a replacement for the large shield.

If you get a chance check out Keely's articles and video, they can be tricky to find, but are well worth it.

Aaron Fields

[Naszir]

From what the video showed it looks a bit like some less mobile kerasak work. That said, I could definitely see how this could help you train your deceptions.

[jspeedy]

Yeah I like the idea of leading with the butt of the stick then striking reg, or reaching.

[Permalost]

Cool video. Some of the strategy of rotating the wrist to get around the shield/stick reminded me of some of Anthony DeLongis' saber material, using the curvature of the blade to wrap around your opponent's block and hit them with the tip.

[Gulogod]

It will only work against someone who blocks with minimal to no footwork at all. The palm-down witik is a staple technique in agak play of certain FMA styles in which footwork is more rooted compared to others. Same method, it starts as a regular forehand strike to solicit a block then drops as a palm-down witik to the hand or arm or head.

[Permalost]

It will only work against someone who blocks with minimal to no footwork at all.

This describes a huge percentage of the FMA on youtube.

[TomMack]

looks like good use of progessive indirect attack , I'd love to check out some of Burton's battlefield Kali stuff

[Gulogod]

This describes a huge percentage of the FMA on youtube.

There are several possible reasons for this :
1. Its their actual method.
2. They are just showing the hand/arm movements without the footwork.
3. They can't move without hurting the camera angle and going out of the frame.

[TomMack]

There are several possible reasons for this :
1. Its their actual method.
2. They are just showing the hand/arm movements without the footwork.
3. They can't move without hurting the camera angle and going out of the frame.

My guess would be 2 and 3 in this case

[Permalost]

I think it's that Zulu stickfighting has a giant shielded space so the emphsis is on using blocks over having active footwork (and I think this is combined with a strong cultural emphasis on "standing one's ground"; in similar situations in different cultures, a lot of footwork may be looked at as showing cowardice).

[Gulogod]

I think it's that Zulu stickfighting has a giant shielded space so the emphsis is on using blocks over having active footwork (and I think this is combined with a strong cultural emphasis on "standing one's ground"; in similar situations in different cultures, a lot of footwork may be looked at as showing cowardice).

Yes a lot of footwork definitely projects cowardice and even ineptitude but a lack of footwork would do the same but that applies only to stickfighting. A lot of FMA styles though using sticks were rooted to swordfighting therefore avoidance of the blade via footwork and deflection were the primary skills.

[triggerhippym44]

I think it's that Zulu stick fighting has a giant shielded space so the emphsis is on using blocks over having active footwork (and I think this is combined with a strong cultural emphasis on "standing one's ground"; in similar situations in different cultures, a lot of footwork may be looked at as showing cowardice).

A guy at my dojo (Senfusi Andrea Hightower) taught that the African stick fighting was a hit and run style. The villages would line up and attack en mass, attack and pass to reline up again and attack

www.myspace.com/senfusi

I always thought that was odd but you never know. Granted I did not train in his African tai chi, this is what we talked about.

"T'ai-Kaku-Chi is a contemporary system of T'ai Chi based on Northern African principles. The founder of these systems is Shimat'hi Si-Jo R. Baldwin, who began his research over a period of Twenty-five years, and who is a Grandmaster, and Top Student, under Si-Tai-Jika George Calhoun, the Great-Great-Grandmaster of our family." - this is a quote from his site.

[Permalost]

A guy at my dojo (Senfusi Andrea Hightower) taught that the African stick fighting was a hit and run style. The villages would line up and attack en mass, attack and pass to reline up again and attack

I don't think there's a single unified entity of African stick fighting- it's a big continent with lots of sticks and lots of guys to hit each other with sticks. What you're describing there sounds like some sort of warfare or ritual combat between groups. The Zulu stickfighting described in this thread is more of a combat sport- there are defined fights between two individuals with somewhat uniform matched weapons and shields, and some type of rules or common understandings of what is acceptable.

[jspeedy]

A guy at my dojo (Senfusi Andrea Hightower) taught that the African stick fighting was a hit and run style. The villages would line up and attack en mass, attack and pass to reline up again and attack

www.myspace.com/senfusi

I always thought that was odd but you never know. Granted I did not train in his African tai chi, this is what we talked about.

"T'ai-Kaku-Chi is a contemporary system of T'ai Chi based on Northern African principles. The founder of these systems is Shimat'hi Si-Jo R. Baldwin, who began his research over a period of Twenty-five years, and who is a Grandmaster, and Top Student, under Si-Tai-Jika George Calhoun, the Great-Great-Grandmaster of our family." - this is a quote from his site.

What are Northern African Principals and when did all of North Africa Assemble to decide on them? As Codos already said I don't believe all of Africa has one standard strategy for stick fighting. But I understand you're just relaying what you've heard. I just think it's interesting someone who actually claims to be a "sifu" or teacher of an African art who has likely spent more time studying African stickfighting would make this kind of generalized statement.

The art as it is displayed on the my space page to me looks a little pretentious and larpey. Granted I do not know much about the styles the art came from or what their intentions are and purpose in creating a new MA. The stick/sword-kata/demo looked overly flashy. I'm not sure how FMA ties into to anything posted on the sight but it was still interesting.