i heard FMA is good for fitness..i searched around for filipino martial art videos and i found nothing can sumone explain what kinda style it is? ps...i never even hear of FMA before.
Try http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27222 http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30596 http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32851 http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27919
If it is fitness you are after, I suggest you join a gym, yes their is a certain fitness benefit from it, but that is not the aim of the FMA, It is an art unlike many others that teaches you the weapons first and considers the empty hand aspect of it's combat to be the advanced level. In otherwords we teach things the other way round from other styles, but with good reason. It is at the end of the day a battlefeild art that is still relevant in todays society. Go to a reputable class and check it out for your self, I am sure you will not be dissapointed. Best regards Pat
er...martial arts indigenous to the philippines or a martial art created by a filipino? pat said it all. go browse through this forum. it's been discussed.
saskatoon Hi, Darren at Cutting Edge Cutlery is a member of the Pekiti Tirsia club in 'Toon town. He has trained in various Filipino styles and can probably teach you a thing or two. Gord
If I may answer your question, it has already been discussed in this thread. I posted something that goes: My instructor told me something about the history... Ancient Philippines is made up of tribes that are often at war with each other. So, as soon as a kid is able to hold a bolo, he's given one to defend the tribe and taught the basic necessary strikes he needs in a situation like the left and right diagonal strikes. If he survives an engagement, he is taught additonal strikes and skills, and so and so forth until they get to empty hand techniques. So, it was because of necessity and practicality that one was taught weapon techniques first because it was what they needed. And so, I guess the system of learning was developed in that way thereon.
My instructor told me that one reason behind it is that a stick has a higher linear speed then a fist, so you must react faster. He also said it helps develope range too.
that's the result of training weapons first, not the cause. the cause of training weapons first is that they wanted everybody they need for war to be proficient in the weapons first.
Hi, FMA is a a generic term for a whole array of different yet similar arts. FMA for the most part to my understanding thus far is not sport orientated yet is based upon proven methods of actual combat throughout the many regions of the filippines/philippines. {perhaps even throughout the greater indo-chine region as it's hard to map the many influences of the FMA}. The most well known FMA's {At least in Australia} are Arnis {more commonly, Modern Arnis} , Kali; which is debated quite alot within it's various factions, Escrima and Silat all of which are "complete" applications or systems in there own right [i use the word "complete" loosely]. I will comment only on Modern Arnis as it is the style with which I'm familiar. Modern Arnis is broken into to factions Remy Presas and Ernesto Presas styles, for reasons I was told of by my Guro yet shall not go into here. The common one in Australia is the Ernesto Presas branch, which is broken down into single stick or "solo baston", double stick or "doble baston", sword and knife or "espade y daga" and mano mano or empty hand techniques. Unlike many arts from Japan, China and so on training begins with weapons and progresses to empty hand rather than from unarmed to armed. Both ways of progression which are equally valid for differing reasons. As you can deduce the FMA is a rather vast topic and is difficult to cover respectfully in a short amount of time. I've found Arnis to be great for agility and hand/eye coordination though it doesn't require the cardio fitness of say Capoeira; Yet is nevertheless oftimes challenging, it is quite a quick system to learn yet as is possibly true of many systems which are "easy" to grasp to begin with, in the higher levels of the art there are many more areas of expertise to hold ones interest. Also the things which are "easy" to learn are often difficult to master. Anyhow regardless of your choice I wish you the very best of luck and every happiness. Regards, Tashi
