A Little "Long and Short" with Sifu Rick Faye

This is just a little taste of what it feels like to take part in a seminar with Sifu Rick Faye of the Minnesota Kali Group. He is shown here demonstrating a few sick and dagger or "long and short" disarms and techniques. He keeps it light, fun and provides just the right level of challenge for both beginners and seasoned martial arts practitioners. Any opportunity to see him in action is not to be missed.

As we move from weapons training into empty-hand, the applications start to become more clear. The muscle memory, body mechanics and awareness level that comes from training with weapons is remarkable. With the current trend in Mixed Martial Arts being competitive UFC style submission contests, the emphasis has shifted to high impact striking arts like Muay Thai and grappling disciplines like Jiu Jitsu. These are fantastic arts, made even more fantastic with a little (or alot of) weapons training. Besides, it's tons of fun. Now go grab those sticks!

Heaven, Standard and Earth - Siniwali Drills #1

Here are the three most basic Siniwali (weaving) drills as taught in the Inosanto system of Filipino Kali. Have some fun with it and we`ll add some variables soon.

Basic Footwork Patterns - Double or Single Stick

If you don't have a pair of Kali sticks (usually made of rattan), just remember that Kali is about motion and it all translates to empty-hand techniques eventually, so the tools you use for weapons aren't really that important. My first pair of sticks was a wooden broom handle, sawed in half and covered with duct tape. Just remember to have fun and explore the art. Equipment is transient, muscle memory, body mechanics and overall health are what's important.