As the Filipino martial arts are weapons-based, maelstrøm takes an interest in all the various styles that incorporate weapons. Most martial arts have some type of weapons content, often taught at more advanced levels – but kali tends to focus on weapons first and foremost. It is always beneficial to cross-train in other arts, and there are many, many styles and systems that exist out there. In fact, most of our instructors, have trained in other styles and for some reason or another, fell in love with kali in particular. But maelstrøm is at its core a non-profit martial arts club that loves the Vancouver community. In that spirit, Around the GVRD takes a look at some clubs in and around the Metro Vancouver area that would be worthwhile to check out.
While not technically a club, Grapplearts.com is featured this week as a rich resource for all things Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) related. Run out of the Vancouver area by maelstrøm’s long time friend, Stephan Kesting, the website offers volumes of content from articles, to DVDs, to videos, to books and newsletters. Besides BJJ, the subject matter extends to submission grappling and mixed martial arts (MMA), as well as more general information on health and fitness. All the content is aimed at improving the readers’ grappling and groundfighting skills – and there are articles for the beginner to the professional competitor.
Maelstrøm has experienced firsthand Stephan Kesting’s expertise in BJJ. A fine technician and teacher, Stephan has been doing martial arts for over 30 years. A BJJ black belt, he is also ranked and certified in Kajukenbo Karate and under Dan Inosanto in the Filipino Martial Arts. He has competed in tournaments and writes prolifically on the topic of martial arts in various print magazines, such as Black Belt, Ultimate Grappling, Tapout Magazine and more. He’s been interviewed many times by various media (blogs, news outlets, podcasts, you name it!) and is clearly passionate about sharing his knowledge. Stephan’s knowledge is very useful to us here at maelstrøm , since grappling has particular relevance to Dog Brothers Martial Arts. Stephan has even filmed a short video on weapons grappling at our club!
The posts on his website is amazingly good, with articles updated almost daily. There are instructional videos showing specific techniques, such as maintaining rear mount, applying the head and arm choke, common butterfly guard mistakes and much more. Women will particularly appreciate his ‘Female Grapplers’ section, which includes articles on things like working against bigger opponents. The content on techniques, drills, training strategies and more are complemented by the occasional general interest article, on health supplements and even Stephan’s reading list. His Grappling Tips Newsletters has been sent out to grappling enthusiasts all over the world for almost a decade. You can even see the content via apps on your mobile device – Grapplearts.com is truly the one-stop shop for everything you want to know about regarding grappling.
One thing is for sure : a grappling enthusiast can spend hours on the website.
For those unable to make it out to a physical club or looking to supplement their training, Grapplearts.com is unparalleled for material.
This article is published under fair use and with credit.