Hi, I'm looking for sparring partners for stickfighting in the London or surrounding areas. Any format whatsoever, corto, full contact, stand up only, padded or live sticks, minimal armour.... Anyone interested please write via PM. Thanks,
OK, after 57 viewers and no response, I'm willing to travel (within reason) as long as it's on a like for like basis.
Come on people there must be someone in the South East who is willing to bash sticks with DeeTee. I know DeeTee and can vouch for his open mindedness and general "good eggness"
Hi Dave, Thanks for the support. North, East, South or West, it doesn't matter to me. An hour and a half to 2 hours in either direction is ok. Maybe I should change tactics and offer to pay!!!
Ok, this is looking like a lost cause now, but it does beg one or two questions. Firstly, I'm wondering what those involved in the FMA here are hoping to get from their studies? I see these arts as purely combative and one gets to a point where the only way forward is to learn through sparring. My overiding impression of the FMA in the UK is that it has produced, for the most part, a population of drill enthusiasts who can do a thousand and one disarms out of box, screw you up every which way in Hubad, but can't apply any of it in real time. After more than 2 decades of training and studying I've become overwhelmingly disillusioned and disheartened with the direction the art has taken here and the fact that honor and integrity has been sold out for commercialism egos and empire builders. This may not be a fact for you but it has certainly been my experience and remains true for me. Some truths aren't always universal. I'd hoped that once all the BS had died away with the WEKAF ****e, the authentic aspects of the art would gain more recognition. Sadly despite the efforts of one or two individuals this hasn't been the case. Even those individuals have given up the ghost now. What we have in the UK now are people who feel that Eskrima is one of two extremes. It's either two combatants covered from head to toe battering each other with toothpicks or it's the Dog Brothers approach. Both I feel are way off the mark. Anyone for sparring? Don't bother. Stick with box pattern, hubad, tapi tapi, sinawalli, pak gang etc. Should you become a teacher one day it will be these drills that make your students stay around a little longer and put an extra 20 quid in your pocket.
Sorry DeeTee, It must be frustrating not being able to find sparring partners in this big metropolis. I would volunteer, but I know diddly squat about Stick Work and not a massive amount about Filipino arts in general, so you'd only end up teaching me, which is not what you are looking for.
I understand what you mean.... The best way to learn escrima and to keep your motivation is to go to the Philipines and learn there (under a GM)..... My training partner and i stoped taking classes a long time ago in France as it was useless prefering to train in the Ph. islands whenever possible.... Now I have to cross the channel once a month to spare with him as I couldn't find a good t.p. in the place I live, thanks god I am going to settle to the Philippines in eight months.....
Hi Krys, Thanks for you reply. Been there on a number of occassions and continue to do so. However, you still ned people to train with / teach when you return. Sometimes your own students aren't enough. You have to know how your art stands up against other styles that have a different appraoch to you. You have to go against people you don't know to get an honest assessment of where you're at. And this is the hard part because when you go down that road most people feel you have alternative motives, or feel that they have something to lose, when infact the reverse is true. Everyone gains. For myself, I have 4 students, don't advertise, don't charge, rarely accept new students, have nothing to prove to anyone except myself and have nothing to lose. Where are you located by the way? UK?
Hello Juramentado, Yes I will settle to Manila, the Philippines Islands are real jewels for martial arts as there is a wide choice (arnis, silat, kung fu, kuntao, dumog and many many unknown local arts) and competent instructors..... My training partner will also go there for a long time as he will prepare his PhD at UP.... I would prefer to live in Mindanao but will have to work in Manila, Manila is nice too.... DeeTee, In France my t.p. and I actually gave up the idea of practicing fmas (and martial arts in general) as we were really disgusted by what we were taught by poor-fake instructors.... it was during one of my trips to SEA in the Philippines that motivation came back and I could convince my former t.p. and best friend to train again....... What you say is true..... but the Cinco Terros Arnis style I practice has an internal side, looks really like a traditional chinese martial art with forms, stances and many exercises to practice alone..... there are to my knowledge no drills so that keeps me busy when I cannot fight.... I tried to teach traditional arnis to a few students for free but they didn't like it because they weren't shown drills.... (Cinco Terros has no drills, exercises done with a partner are more on defending/countering random attacks at different speeds, practicing evasion while unarmed, and sparring) and it looked weird to them and too hard to keep good stances while training and practicing hard footwork as they were used to McDojo stuff (drills and disarming)..... I live in the north of Scotland ......
Hi Dee Tee, You know there's an open offer north of the boarder for you. I know it's not much use but hope it get's your spirits back up
Hi Krys, "I tried to teach traditional arnis to a few students for free but they didn't like it because they weren't shown drills...." That about sums it up doesn't it? I wish you all the best for your training and future in Manila. Doug
"""""Sadly despite the efforts of one or two individuals this hasn't been the case. Even those individuals have given up the ghost now. What we have in the UK now are people who feel that Eskrima is one of two extremes. It's either two combatants covered from head to toe battering each other with toothpicks or it's the Dog Brothers approach. Both I feel are way off the mark. Anyone for sparring? Don't bother. Stick with box pattern, hubad, tapi tapi, sinawalli, pak gang etc. Should you become a teacher one day it will be these drills that make your students stay around a little longer and put an extra 20 quid in your pocket."""" WHOOO hold your horses man.... firstly i agree with what you are saying... but instead of getting angry with people on this forum not responding to your POST.... take a look around you aim sure you have eskrima clubs willing to spar with you.. how about the warriors clun and their master K. Godhania who proclaims to be the next grandmaster of the balitok and warriors eskrima systems im sure he or his top students will spar you
Angry? Yes your right, I am. Krishna? Warriors? What's that, a wind up? "Bladefighter" is an impressive name. What's your real one and background? Just curious as your profile doesn't have any info in it?
Hey DeeTee, I guess it just shows how much you like it, that you are upset. Suffering from the same issues here in Brisbane Australia. To few practice FMA and those that do are either keeping it to themselves or no longer practicing. I get frustrated by this because it is such an effective combative art. I see some of the schools over in the States, Canada and the Filipines that have large numbers attending. Very envious. I am going to the Filipines later this year. I don't know what it is, I guess a lot of people are afraid or something. Once I tried it Arnis I was hooked. You may wish to try advertising at some martial art stores for people who are interested. Not sure if they do that were you are, but in some good stores you can leave leaflets etc There's no money involved you may just find someone. Good luck, hopefully someone will turn up in your area.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of students like that in the Philippines also, but not that much. DeeTee, too bad you live to far away; I would have loved to just spar. Pax.
Hi Pax, I was in Manila last April training and will likely be there again next year. If you're still around maybe we can hook up then. I stay in Bagong Barrio. Novaliches isn't that far away - is that right?
