Class at Maharlika Martial Arts: April 3,2012

I went up to visit Guro Bob's class. We went over 10 count Kayanan drill. Performed circular and bowtie versions. We later held focus mitts under the armpits to keep our elbows close to our body while we performed the drill. If anyone dropped them, we would have to do 20 push-ups. We did the drill at least  10 cycles. Luckily, no one dropped it.

We later went on to learn 5 count passing drill. We covered up to the third count of the drill with grappling applications. We couldn't finish all 5 due to time running out in class. So maybe next week we'll finish up the drill.

Projectile Training with Joe Cypressi

I traveled up to Baltimore to train projectiles up at Joe Cypressi's this past weekend. He had three areas to practice projectiles. I tried the bow and arrow first. It was about 30 ft out. I was trying my best to conjure up my "Robin Hood" skills, but I never got close to my first arrow. The next station I tried was throwing tomahawks. We practiced throwing the tomahawk from a running start and closing in to hit the target with another tomahawk (no-rotation) Also, we got to throw knives from no-rotation, half-rotation, to full-rotation. The last one I tried was the atlatl. I wasn't able to land any on the targets. I wish I got the body mechanics of the throw, because I was making the back end of the spear pull to the left more. But here's probably a better video to show on how to throw an atlatl. From Ray's Atlatls blog:

Training back at my place: April 1, 2012

Attendees:

Lem

Tavon

Notes:

3 of 9 rh/lh template; simultaneous 

3 of 9 true left

TD 1-4 

Receiver grips

Projectiles with blades

Training OODA Loop @ Maharlika Martial Arts: March 27, 2012

I headed up to train at Guro Bob's class in Columbia, Md. Class was split into two groups. I worked with the group who reviewed TD 5. I was trying to remember one sequence of moves that leads into a elbow check to the feeders arm. I forgot to tap the arm first and then throw the elbow.

There was a crucial point that I also forgot to perform. I should have thrown the feeder off balance or give him a shoulder bump as he turns around to thrust me. Guro Bob explained that I had to disrupt his OODA Loop in order to by time for me to be ready for the attack.

Both, the feeder and receiver have their own OODA loop. The person who is first to finish their OODA loop (Act), gets the upper hand in competition, fight, combat, gaming (Black Ops/COD), and business deals. Even playing team sports like basketball or football uses this process whether they know it or not.

It may take a receiver a longer time to Act if they are trying to Orient or Decide how to tap/parry a blade attack, cover/block a punch, or stuff a takedown if they haven't seen it before. It will be too late to react because the feeder finished with their OODA loop while the receiver is still trying to Orient himself to the attack.

What does OODA loop mean? Observe, Orient, Decide, Act.

"The name of a tool or where it came is not as important as what it does - Sayoc transitional drills, OODA Loops, feedback cycles, whatever -- the ability to assess incoming and stored data in a dynamic environment and use it to make accurate forecasts of future events in a violent situation is a powerful asset to bring to a tactical environment. Tuhon Christopher Sayoc is offering training in the field and others as part of the curriculum of Sayoc Kali, and doing so is positioning his students at the epicenter of comercially available edged weapon dynamics." --by Steve Chrusciel: Sayoc Transitional Drills, Distortion of Time Perception during Tactical Encounters.

Class: March 25, 2012

Attendees:
Lem
Tavon

Notes:
Worked on TD 1-4
6 count passing drill
Receiver grips
Counter to receiver grabs
Free flow

RiSu Martial Arts Seminar: Feb 19, 2012

I wanted to share my experience at the seminar at RiSu Martial Arts Academy who is run by Guro Rich and Guro Sue. They hosted Sayoc Kali's founder and creator Pamana Tuhon Chris Sayoc. They also had a handful of top level instructors to teach at the two day seminar.

I was only able to attend Sunday's events so I will only comment on that day. We first started working some drills that were presented the day before. I was paired up with Guro Alfred, who teaches in Albany, NY. He was showing me the techniques to defeat the tap (parry). Another technique that they covered were ways to use your opponents own blade to disarm themselves by hitting their own arm with the blade. Nice information to know.

PT Chris later showed Receiver Grips. He explained how it was only a drill to show different ways you can take your partners blade and have control. It's like a flowing grip drill... you are flowing from one grip to the next. Each grip has their own target to hit too. Guro Nick Sacoulas assisted in sharing this drill.

We switched gears after that and had Tuhon Ray Dionaldo from FCS Kali. He showed his 5-count long blade template (not sure the official name). He featured a feeder and receiver having their own shots or parry's. Their was a technique that the feeder swings the blade to his back. I didn't understand that move until Tuhon Ray explained that he would show why it's in the drill. He had one guy in front and one guy stand behind him. He showed us the application of that technique. Cool! Apparently, you can perform the drill with one or two training partners. Somthing to think about when in a mass attack scenario.

Next one to share was Tuhon Carl from Atienza Kali. He taught from the Apacolypse/Bolo (like a long Bowie knife) blade targeting chain. He added projectiles (blades from the rig) to the entries within the drill which made it more exciting. The projectile was done prior to the attack, but can also be done during or after the attack (projectile, then go on to the next person).

Tuhon Raf was also there at the seminar. PT asked that everyone place all the blades (training or real) in the front of the group. He later had Tuhon Raf share with us the reasons for each design in different blades. Each blade has a specific job or character. What is the blade used for? Each blade was made for their specific use.

Pamana Tuhon later showed another blade to blade technique which knocks the blade out of your partners hands. Luckily, no one lost a finger or hand. We ended the seminar with a question and answer session. There were a few interesting questions...but I don't remember them all. Sorry guys! Although, there was one major theme among most of the questions that I noticed. What makes your kali art different when it comes to the mental training aspect? That was a good question, because it's an answer that can not be simply answered at a seminar. You have to go through the training, because it's more than training applications. You could apply it to your business, relationships, and life.

Paman Tuhon approached the question by showing two guys facing each other. One was armed (feeder) with blades and the other (receiver) wasn't. PT later told the receiver, what would he do if he didn't have hands, how would he defend himself? Later, what if he didn't have arms to defend himself?

The demonstration above is part of the mental training called L.O.T. (logical order of thinking) training that goes with being an instructor of Sayoc Kali. Training your thought process while keeping your emotions in check to be streamlined to problem solve. Not just in martial arts, tactical training, but in life. This is just one part of the training in Sayoc Kali.

Overall, the seminar was a good overview of what Sayoc Kali is like. Keep training!

Class: March 18, 2012

Attendees:
Bryant
Tavon
Lem

Notes:
warm-up with 3 of 9 rh/lh template, 3 of 9 w/tapping
Smoking knife (reverse grip template), 2 of 12
TD 1-3, introduced TD 4

Tuhon Tom: Mindset Why We Should Train with Blade Rigs/Holsters