“Flow Drills” are training exercises commonly associated with the Filipino Martial Arts. Known by many names such as “Sumbrada Drills” (or simply “Sumbrada”), Transitional Drills or Evolutions, Flow Drills are two-person pre-arranged sequences constructed to convey lessons or develop attributes. Not unlike the two-man sets sometimes found in Chinese Martial Arts, Filipino Flow Drills utilize … More Flow Drills

In all martial arts, but particularly with edged weapons training like in Sayoc Kali, familiarity with anatomy and physiology is extremely important.  All of our vital targets are internal targets.  As Pamana Tuhon Sayoc has said, “All of our targets are under the skin.  We do not have any skin targets.”  Whether we are targeting … More Anatomy Review: Brachial Plexus

This weekend Guro Dan Inosanto and Sifu Francis Fong will be teaching a seminar at the Inosanto Academy in Marina del Rey.  This is a chance to train with some of the best instructors in the world in Maphilindo Silat, Filipino Kali and Wing Chun Kung Fu.  Please refer to the flier for details.

Part of our training includes planning for any kind of emergency, crisis or disaster.  Whether we are learning to handle violent encounters, medical emergencies or even simply hard times brought on by family expenses like daycare or college, Sayoc and Atienza Kali students are taught to think of scenarios before they occur so we can … More Book Review: How to Survive The End of the World As We Know It

Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become your character. Character is everything. – Author Unknown (Although commonly attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Frank Outlaw”, Lao-Tse/Lao Tzu and others.)

Several years ago while still training at Integrated Martial Arts, Guro Travis Downing highly recommended the book “On Combat”, the second book by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman.  Since then it has been one of the core books in our unofficial training syllabus, and for those of you who have not yet read it, please do. … More Book Review: On Killing

My first Filipino Martial Arts system was Doce Pares Eskrima, or more specifically the Grandmaster Cacoy Canete System of Doce Pares Eskrima.  I was a student of the Patalinghug family in Maryland, however when my wife and I decided to move cross country I had to find other instructors to learn from.  My first mission … More Spotlight on San Miguel Eskrima

This is the first post of many that will showcase clips of my instructors.  IEFMA holds at it’s core Sayoc Kali, Atienza Kali and Inosanto Filipino Martial Arts. Here is a segment of Pamana Tuhon Sayoc discussing blade fundamentals at Sayoc Sama Sama a few years ago: A clip of Tuhon Carl Atienza: And my … More My Instructors

“Be strong to be useful.” – Georges Hebert, founder of the Natural Method   Thank you to Guro Willie Laureano for putting me on to his work.