What is training in an authentic Philippine Combat Art like? It is most simple, and yet most complicated. In other words tradional training isnt a game of memorization. There are no 1001 "basic techniques". There is not 50 odd drills. There is no memorizing the arts lineage, worshipping some shrine to a teacher, etc... Instead, there a simple basic that is practiced with power, and there is the exploration of applying this basic in a dynamic environment (aka. sparring).
When you learn a tradional Philippine Combat Art, the bulk of your learning is not learning "techniques" or drills, instead it is learning the strategy and timing, of how to get your simple basics to work. In other words to learn the essence of the art of arnis or escrima, is not to learn some random basic movement, or a simple drill, it is directly imparted into the practioner by someone more experienced in the art, in the sparring ring. It is an experienced escrimador sharing of their actual combat experience to a novice, in the same way in which they learned it in the first place, fighting.
To truly experience a Philippine Combat Art, is to play with an Eskrimador, or in other words to spar. Learning "techniques" or "drills" shows you nothing but the mere surface of the art, but in the ring the core of that style is shown. If you're just interested in learning "techniques" or "drills" buy a DVD, or better yet take up ballroom dance, because in the end, merely being able to mimic "techniques" without the context of real strategy and timing that is only born in the ring, is simply dancing with a tough face.
There are many guys who do this, and they do not follow real tradional Filipino warrior arts. Instead, they seek to impress girls, and fear even fighting small children. True Filipino Combat Arts, are plain to the layperson's eye, but give you the real confidence to fear no one. You do not theorize about your skill in arnis, or eskrima, and talk about what if scenarios of that magical day your skills are tested, instead true eskrima tests your skills every day in training, and gives you concrete answers of whether or not you will survive in combat. No excuses, no questions, no compromises, Mabuhay ang Madirigma (long live the warrior).
