What is the teaching term at maelstrom Martial Arts?
A term is a three month period during which we narrow our focus in kali to specific curriculum. This applies commonly across all our kali classes at both locations. This enables students to experience the same material regardless of class and instructor. And it helps students burn in specific skills and drills through repetition. At the end of each term, there are review classes to give students a clear sense of what they have acquired. New students may join any of the classes at any time and are not committing to any specific period of training.
This winter’s term (January to March) 2014, the theme is shifting to focus on “fighting double” or using two weapons simultaneously. While there are many versions of this, the ones that will be addressed this term include:
- Sinawali (double stick or bolo)
- Espada y daga (stick/bolo and knife)
- “Stick boxing” (single stick with aggressive third hand)
- Punching/slapping with the free hand
The first two are pretty classic cases of double weapons. But we will also be focusing on how the “third hand” becomes another weapon that should be used actively when fighting with a single stick or bolo. For most of us, the third or free hand tends to be passive and only assist the weapon hand. Some systems (like Lucay Lucay) talk about mixing boxing tightly into the single stick fight.
Curriculum will include:
- Sinawali
- Cycles drills (fluid/broken X, overhead/overhead 8, power 4-count)
- Gunting/santikan Xing
- Sinawali vs. second-stick-as-shield
- Saints
- Espada y daga
- Dakup y punyo to box sombrada (espada y daga)
- Ranging in and out
- Contradas, tapping and flow
- Using disarmas
- 1st 6 espada y daga contradas
- Dakup y punyo to box sombrada (espada y daga)
- Stick boxing (use of third hand for striking)
- Sigung labo cycle as base for striking with third hand
- Empty hand 3-count (emphasis on left side and transitions)
- hacking cycles, single count, and transition to sigung labo
- Breaking in with umbrellas to strike with empty hand
- Break-in/break-out cycle as basis for entry and striking
