Beginner's Guide to Stick Sparring - Arnis, Kali, Escrima

For the beginner, there's that moment where you have to swing a stick at another person's head. For most of us, that's not something we're comfortable with.
So how do you get from that stage, to the point where you're comfortable sparring and fighting? No worries, we've got you covered with a step-by-step method, and several drills to get you where you want to be.

[@KingMob4313]

I love the shirt!

[@gurobadger]

It garners a lot of comments when I'm wearing it.

[@user-sg8kq7ii3y]

Great channel, just upset that I didn't come across your channel sooner.

[@gurobadger]

Happy to have you aboard, and more on the way!

[@dhalav]

Love your t-shirt. So that's with great pleasure and honour that I officially invite you to join the Cat Fellows, a gathering of cately cat persons that love cute little ball of fur and fighting.

[@gurobadger]

Thank you, friend, honoured to join such an esteemed fellowship!!

[@Marioloubert]

Coffee first. Safety is like third or fourth. But seriously great video. I'm going try to implement some of these with some of my greener students who are having some of those issues. Thanks for sharing

[@gurobadger]

Safety? Pfft, what's that ever done for us? Let me know how it works out for them!

[@lastnameavailable326]

Among possible safety gear, you don't mention padded sticks. What's your view on them?

[@gurobadger]

Excellent question. Padded sticks let you swing hard while still maintaining a high level of safety. That said, I'd still recommend eye protection with them. The level of flex in the stick bugs me, but absolutely that's a personal thing, and not something that should be considered as a general problem with them.

[@user-sg8kq7ii3y]

Do you have any specific recommendations for fencing masks? Brand, and where I can purchase. I have been looking for one, but just have not been able to find one that I like. I've tried on other people's masks, but none felt comfortable for me.

[@gurobadger]

I don't have any solid recommendations, other than getting a 3-weapon mask, which are the stronger ones. If you've been able to try on other people's masks, that's a good start because you might find a brand you like. That said, if those masks aren't new, they might already have been shaped a little to their owner's heads. I'm a big proponent of kludging your gear to make it perfect for you. I've added a little extra padding to the chin of mine, because it kept slipping and I would get cheese-gratered on my chin.

[@user-sg8kq7ii3y]

@@gurobadger Thank you for the tips! Much appreciated!🙏

[@thomasstillman4805]

Cherry Dog Cha Cha 🙂

[@gurobadger]

The dumber the name, the more it sticks :) In this case, Cherry Dog came up with the variation, and the rhythm is five beats, like the Cha Cha.

[@LeadingIndicator]

Minimal safety gear is good, and in many cases getting rid of the head gear would improve your technique. The ideal use of the fencing mask in Kali (et. al.) is to protect the feeder while allowing the receiver to land clean counter-attacks under pressure. In such a drill, the receiver is NOT protected, only the feeder, since only the feeder gets hit. The problem w/ Dog Brothers is that they sacrifice range for aggression, which is a recipe for self-deletion. None of their "techniques" are viable if you train with real weapons, i.e. sharp ones. It's great for building courage, which is important, but not as good for fight IQ. In short, if you have a stick (or a sword) and you let somebody tackle you, then there is something wrong with your training. Dog Brothers always try to grapple, which could get them killed in a street-fight with strangers. I respect them, but I don't fear them. Cheers.