Five Ways to Improve Hand Speed

Many years ago, I was at a bar and witnessed an interesting altercation. A very large, tall man was harassing a much smaller man, saying the standard “Hey, whatchoo looking’ at?” dialogue. The big guy was about a foot taller and was least 100 pounds heavier than his would-be victim. The small guy kept his hands up in a placating but slyly defensive position while trying to extricate himself from the situation. The big guy seemed to be backing down, but suddenly pulled back his right arm as if to throw a haymaker. The small guy responded with an incredibly fast jab-cross-hook combination that knocked the big guy out cold. He then promptly left the premises.

A key lesson from this little story is the importance of hand speed. It’s a lesson I’ve seen time and time again in sparring. I have encountered quite a few strong, muscular guys with really slow hands. It’s actually rather amusing when they spar with seemingly out-of-shape partners who happen to have really good hand speed. Guess who tends to get more strikes in?

In a self-defense situation, hand speed could mean the difference between life or death, especially if a weapon is involved. Fortunately, there are ways to improve hand speed. These five have worked for me…

Q&A About FMA

I was recently interviewed by writer Caitlin Basilio for an article about Filipino Martial Arts that appeared in a local newspaper. (You can see the article here.) As is often the case, only a small portion of the interview was included in the finished article. For those who might be interested, the text of the full interview is below. Enjoy!

What are the philosophies behind Filipino Martial Arts?

FMA is all about practicality and flexibility. Methods and techniques are not written in stone. It’s very open ended. You personalize the art and do what works to defend yourself. Adaptability is key. A big part of FMA philosophy is learning to see things as potential weapons. For example, people wonder why bother learning to fight with sticks. Look around you; the world is filled with sticks and stick-like items: car antennas, longneck bottles, rolled-up newspapers, etc.

It’s important to remember that FMA has its roots in warfare. The Philippines consists of over 7,000 islands with countless tribal and ethnic groups who were often in conflict with each other. If the village a few miles away periodically sends war parties to raid your village, you develop some effective, easy-to-learn combat techniques.

When did you begin practicing? What drew you to it and what keeps you interested? 

Ii started training with Burton Richardson about 15 years ago. Even before taking up FMA, I was interested in the art based on what I’d read. The integration of both weapon-based and empty-hand techniques fascinated me. And I’ve always been interested in hand-to-hand armed combat. It goes way back. My father was a fencer, and his dad was a U.S. Marine Corps saber champion who learned machete techniques from Filipino guerrillas while island-hopping across the Pacific during World War II. I was playing around with real fencing foils and quarterstaves from when I was a kid. 

Me! In a Newspaper! Talking About Filipino Martial Arts!

Yours truly was interviewed for an article about Filipino Martial Arts that appeared in Marine Star, a local newspaper. The PDF is available here. Enjoy!

Antigone Bezzerides on Why She Carries Knives

“Fundamental difference between the sexes is that one of them can kill the other with their bare hands. Man of any size lays hands on me, he’s going to bleed out in under a minute.”

—Antigone Bezzerides (Rachel McAdams), True Detective

(PS: Looks like she's doing the top half of a classic asterisk pattern. Nice!)

Respect, Open-Mindedness, and Martial Arts Dilettantism

In many ways, this is a great time to be a student of the martial arts. Thanks to Bruce Lee, the UFC, and the tough guys in the bad parts of Honolulu who melded several traditional styles into Kajukenbo, the idea of crosstraining and experimenting with different arts is usually acceptable if not encouraged. This more tolerant approach to martial dilettantism allows individuals to become more well-rounded as they explore the rich world of the fighting arts.

Of course, there can be problems as well. Some students can become plagued with a sort of martial attention deficit disorder, flitting from one art to another without really taking the time to learn anything.

Then there is the issue of respect. A little knowledge—or even a lot—can be a dangerous thing, and can lead to arrogance and closed-mindedness.

Several years ago, there was a young, douchey dude visiting Hawaii who decided to try out one of Burton Richardson's Kali classes.  Before class, I heard him talking to his girlfriend, telling her he had never practiced Kali before but he had participated in some amateur cage fights, so stickfighting should be "no problem."

Watch your head!

That bothered me. Douchey Dude's comments were arrogant and disrespectful to Burton, everyone in class, and the Filipino martial arts in general. I looked forward to sparring with him.

The end of class came and we all put on our helmets and gloves and took out the soft sticks. I don't make it a habit of going hard when sparring with newbies. With Douchey Dude, I made an exception. For better or for worse, I wanted to teach him a lesson regarding the reality of stickfighting. I sought him out as a sparring partner, and made sure to hit him on the head really hard over and over and over again. As someone said to me afterwards, "You lit him up!"

Afterwards, Douchey Dude came over to me. "Man, you kicked my ass!," he said. "You just kept hitting me on the head!" I asked what he thought of Kali. He replied that it was way harder than he expected. We shook hands and parted on good terms.

Rattan Sparring!

My friend and fellow JKD/Kali instructor Manny Valladares recently travelled from  Las Vegas to Honolulu to attend a seminar featuring the legendary Dan Inosanto. While in town, Manny and I did a bit of rattan sparring. Here are a few photos...

Nice hand hit by Manny. 

Nice hand hit by me.

Manny both blocks and evades a head shot.

Grazing shot. Still  left a mark.

Right on my head.

Manny closes for the clinch!

Hand-check to clinch!

Manny is a very gifted martial artist with over thirty years of experience. If you are in the Las Vegas area and are interested in quality training, check out Manny's Facebook page.

Film Review: The Bladed Hand

Last night I attended the Hawaii premiere of The Bladed Hand: The Global Impact of the Filipino Martial Arts at the Honolulu Art Academy. As a student and teacher of Kali, I may be biased, but I thought it was one of the best martial arts documentaries I have ever seen.

Here's a description of the film from producer Sonny Sison:

A documentary featuring numerous Filipino Martial Arts luminaries and established styles and systems propagating the growth of an indigenous form of self defense from the Philippines with historic and social contributions to the world at large including its influence from military and law enforcement training to Hollywood films and television.

The film took over two years to complete, and was a labor of love for director Jay Ignacio.

The Bladed Hand proceeded in a fairly chronological fashion, moving from the indigenous, pre-Spanish conquest roots of FMA to modern trends of the early and mid-20th century through FMAs increasing popularity in Hollywood and the international special forces community.

An obvious highlight of the movie was the great footage of important Grandmasters training and sparring. It was a real pleasure to see Antonio "Tatang" Ilustrisimo in his early 80s beating the crap out of guys a quarter his age. If I didn't already think FMA was incredibly cool, I would after seeing all of this footage, and if I didn't already train in FMA, I would immediately start.

Some of the most famous masters of FMA were highlighted in the film including Rodel Dagooc, Bert Labaniego, Daniel “Mumbakki” Foronda, Christopher 'Topher' Ricketts, and Dan Inosanto. I'm also pleased to note that my own instructor, Burton Richardson of Battlefield Kali, was also prominently featured.

Roland Dantes and some Austrian guy.

Though I've trained in Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) for over 10 years and have read quite a bit about its history and lineage, there was still quite a bit in the film that was new to me. There were several Grandmasters profiled that I had never heard of. For example, I am embarrassed to say I was unfamiliar with the late Roland Dantes, a bodybuilder and martial artist who was quite well known in the Philippines and played a considerable role in the modern development of FMA. (He was also one big guy… sort of a Filipino Arnold Schwarzenegger.)

I think part of the reason The Bladed Hand is so successful as a documentary is because Jay Ignacio is not himself a practitioner of FMA. Why is this a good thing? Because it means he doesn’t have a stake in the endless (and needless) bickering and quarreling that seems to be part of the FMA community. Also, because Ignacio didn’t initially know very much about the subject, he has a legitimate curiosity and unbiased desire to learn that reflects in the film.

There was a touch of melancholy to the film that is worth noting. As the film points out, FMA is not particularly popular or well regarded in the Philippines. Most Filipinos who practice martial arts gravitate towards arts such as Karate or Tae Kwon Do. Why? Partially because those arts are far more structured than most FMA. (Plus they have neat uniforms and multicolored belts and things like that.) There also seems to be a class issue involved, as FMA is apparently deemed something only poor people do by many Filipinos. (There may be some truth to that: Despite being an incredibly important and influential martial artist and war hero, Antonio Ilustrisimo died poor and was buried in an unmarked grave.)

Because few Filipinos are interested in FMA, as the various Grandmasters die (and four died while The Bladed Hand was being made) no one is opting to carry on their legacies. Since most traditional FMA is passed on verbally and via teaching as opposed to through books, this means techniques developed over generations risk being lost forever. For better of for worse, the future of Filipino Martial Arts may very well lie in the hands of non-Filipinos.

Do I have any quibbles with the film? Nothing serious. I would have liked to see a bit more about FMA empty hand arts such as Panantukan and Dumog. And it would have been nice to include something about the influence of FMA on western boxing. But these are small complaints that no doubt reflect my own preferences and biases.

If you have an interest in martial arts, you should check out The Bladed Hand: The Global Impact of the Filipino Martial Arts. However, if you have even a slight interest in Filipino Martial Arts, than the film is a must-see. It deepened my depth, appreciation, and love of the art I am proud to teach and practice.

(FYI: The Bladed Hand is slated for a DVD release in Fall 2013.)

The Bladed Hand from ShowVIS LLC on Vimeo.

Finding Real Life Inspiration from Fictional Heroes: The Bourne Trilogy

I was very excited when I first heard about The Bourne Identity. The idea of an old-fashioned thriller directed by Doug Liman (who had already directed the excellent films Swingers and Go) and starring Matt Damon sounded very promising. And then I discovered that Damon would be training in the Filipino art of Kali for the role. That was just the icing on the cake!

While I had not trained in Kali myself at that point, I was very interested in the art based not only on what I had read but on some family history. My grandfather—a Marine saber champion—knew some Kali from his time fighting in the Pacific during World War II. He was taught by Filipino rebels working against Japan. Plus, the idea of swinging sticks around just sounded fun.

Doug Liman explained how Kali was more than just Bourne's fighting style. It came to define the character.

The martial arts actually ended up being the thing that helped us define Jason Bourne and his entire character. Right after Matt agreed to do the film, we arranged for demonstrations of different martial arts and Kali really inspired us. It is ridiculously efficient. You don't break a sweat or expend any energy, you use your opponents energy against him. And we thought - that's Jason Bourne, that's how he'll do everything in this movie. He'll figure out the simplest, least energetic, most efficient way to get something done. For example, when the cops surround his car, he's going to calmly pull out the map, browse through it and figure out a route before he starts driving.

(I respectfully disagree about the "you don't break a sweat or expend any energy" line!)

Then when I actually saw Matt Damon's Jason Bourne in action, I knew this was what I wanted to pursue. The mixture of Kali, Boxing, and Jeet Kune Do looked practical, efficient, and (I must admit) cool. After all, the fight scene in Bourne's Paris apartment is far and away my favorite fight scene in any film.

When I finally got serious about martial arts training, I specifically looked for a school that would incorporate some Filipino martial arts as part of the curriculum. I ended up finding Burton Richardson's JKD Unlimited and Battlefield Kali,  which utilized not only Kali but also kickboxing, grappling, etc. I started training with Burton back in 2002 and haven't looked back. Not only am I still a student of Burton's, but I'm one of his instructors as well.

And all in part because of Jason Bourne. No wonder I still sometimes listen to Moby's "Extreme Ways" on the way to train!

The Bourne Trilogy is inspiring in other, non-martial ways as well. The character of Jason Bourne is street smart, with excellent survival and tradecraft skills. He also knows a variety of languages. These are qualities worth having. Plus, both Bourne (and Bond) are partially responsible for my love of simple black jackets.

Also, the films have a moral and political complexity not usually found in a Hollywood action movie, which I appreciate.

Amazingly, the Bourne Trilogy maintained a high standard of quality throughout all three films. (The Damon-less The Bourne Legacy is an outlier.) The final movie, The Bourne Ultimatum, even managed to beat the dreaded three-peat curse and proved to be just as good as the first film.

Shock Knives!

This is knife sambrada. Great drill, but it's not sparring.

This is a follow-up of sorts to yesterday's Kali article.

I'm a firm believer in the effectiveness and practicality of Filipino martial arts (variously called Kali, Escrima, Arnis, etc.). However, that effectiveness and practicality goes out the window if you don't train properly.

There are two key elements to getting the most out of Filipino martial arts: 1. Hard sparring against a fully resisting and engaged opponent; and 2. Respecting the weapon.

This IS sparring!

A word or two about that second item... We are
fortunate to live in a time in which we have a wide variety of gear available to us. Padded sticks, lacrosse gloves, and helmets mean we can spar hard without getting hurt. However, they can also make us sloppy. If a weapon doesn't inflict pain, we tend to not respect it. Thus, you see things such as people not worrying about possibly being hit on the head with a stick or being stabbed with a knife. This is not good.

Stick sparring with rattan.

When training with a weapon, you must treat that weapon as real. That means not "trading" shots. In a real knife fight, would you be willing to take being stabbed in the stomach so you could slash someone in the throat? That isn't really smart strategy. If a tactic has no place on the street, in has no place in sparring.

How to rectify the problem of not respecting the weapon? For one, there is the power of imagination. Just pretend the weapon is real and act accordingly.

For stick sparring, more advanced students can spar with light rattan sticks. Just make sure to start light, wear good quality protective gear, and treat your opponent right.

 From a grazing shot from a rattan stick.

Knife sparring is a bit trickier. Imagination is probably your best bet. It's very hard to recreate an edged weapon in a safe sparring environment. 

Another option is,unfortunately, cost prohibitive for many people. That option is the shock knife. It is just what it sounds like: a sparring knife that gives a mild yet memorable electric shock. I don't own one, by my instructor Burton Richardson does. I've sparred with them on occasion. It's quite an experience. Here's a short video of me, Burton, and my fellow JKDU/Battlefield Kali instructor Manny Valladares demonstrating some shock knife sparring.

Kali for the Corps

Among other things, I am a professional journalist. In summer of 2012, I was working at Hawaii Marine, the official newspaper of Marine Corps Base Hawaii. One afternoon, I was chatting with one of the editors and my martial arts training came up in the conversation. We talked a bit more, and I eventually ended up writing an article for the paper about how Filipino martial arts can be useful to modern service members, especially Marines. The article was entitled "Kali for the Corps," and alas, it is no longer available online. The original version is posted below.

Kali for the Corps

Say the words “martial arts” and most people will think of Bruce Lee, The Karate Kid, the most recent UFC bout, or the latest joke about Chuck Norris. They don’t tend to think of guys swinging sticks at each other or trying to slash an opponent with a training knife.

Yet the Filipino weapon art of Kali (sometimes called Arnis or Escrima) is a valuable system for a Marine or anyone else serious about learning practical combat skills. If you have any doubts about this, check out the 1999 USMC Close Combat Manual. The stick and knife techniques shown in Chapter 3, “Hand-Held Weapons,” are virtually identical to what you might learn in a Kali class.

“The United States Marines have had a long history with the Filipino martial arts, even though it is not well known,” says Burton Richardson, founder of Battlefield Kali and Jeet Kun Do Unlimited. “Since the days of the Spanish American war, U.S. Marines serving in the Philippines were acquainted with and later many learned the ways of the Filipino bolo.”

While there are a variety of styles of Kali practiced in the Philippines, in general, the main focus is on fighting with sticks and blades. Unlike many Asian martial arts in which you learn empty hand techniques first and then move on to weapons, in Kali you start training with weapons right from the start. The reason for this simple: Kali originated as a war art. Battles between different villages and clans were common throughout Filipino history, and knowing how to win at armed hand-to-hand combat was simply a vital skill someone had to have to survive.

Kali has much to offer modern martial artists. While the chances of being involved in a straight-up stick fight or knife duel are slim, the skills developed in stick and knife sparring translate to unarmed fighting as well.

Consider, for example, footwork. Kali footwork uses a series of angles and indirect attacks that are easily applicable to boxing and kickboxing. Some have even argued that Muhammad Ali used some Kali footwork he picked up from Filipino boxer “Flash" Ellorde.

Speed is also a factor. You can swing a stick far faster than you can throw a punch. Because a stick is so quick, you have to improve your reaction time to avoid getting hit. If you do a few rounds of stick sparring and then do a few rounds of boxing immediately afterwards, chances are you’ll find that you are quicker and more alert.

Then there is the simple fact that, even a world of fighter jets, M16s, and other highly efficient modern weaponry, there is still a place for such seemingly primitive weapons such as sticks and knives. It is also not uncommon to find sticks and knives in the hands of street criminals. Granted, the sticks will probably not be the rattan “bastons” Kali practitioners use. The stick may take the form of a baseball bat, pool cue, or even an antenna ripped off a car in a parking lot. (It does happen!) As for blades, thugs carry everything from wannabe Rambo knives to straight razors to box cutters to switchblades. In Kali, you will learn how to fight stick vs. stick, blade vs. blade, stick vs. blade, and how to deal with an armed opponent when you don’t have a weapon yourself.

Even on the modern day battlefields of the Middle East, Kali can prove useful. “Today, functional training (emphasis on sparring) of Kali, Eskrima, and Arnis is very valuable for our troops, especially functional knife defense,” says Burton Richardson. “The Philippines has been a knife culture for centuries, and the techniques and tactics for dealing with the blade have been proven over and over again in combat. If a blade is pulled in close proximity, a Marine or soldier will not have time to get to his firearm, and so must be able to first deal with the knife threat empty handed. I ensure that all military personnel that I train become highly proficient in blade defense, and I am happy to report that our students have prevailed in a few blade attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan. The functional training saved them.”

Thanks to Hollywood, Kali has enjoyed a bit of a revival in the U.S. recently. Films such as Hannah, The Hunted, and Mission: Impossible 3 have featured the art. Perhaps most famously, Kali is the main fighting style of Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne of the Bourne Trilogy.

Flashback: Kali Demo for Charity

In May, 2011, I was honored to participate in a demo of Filipino martial arts organized by Guro Burton Richardson at the Ganbatte Japan Fundraiser to raise money for victims of the recent disasters.  Here are some pictures (I'm the tall guy in the olive shirt)...

Stick and shield.

Stick and shield

Knife vs. knife.

Knife vs. knife.