When you are in the gym/dojo/training hall/basement/garage/backyard/etc.... and you are training a combat art, who do you envision yourself fighting? Is it a predictable person, someone whose every move you can forsee? Is it a weak person, someone you know you can physically dominate? Is it a slow person, someone who even at their best, you can run around three times, and hit at will? Do you train to fight small children, or elderly persons? Do you train to fight unskilled people, those without experience? In other words, are you training for the easy fight?
I should hope that your answer to all these questions, at least if you wish to call yourself an eskrimador, arnisador, or kalista, is a resounding NO. As a practioner of the Philippine Combat Arts, we acknowledge that our foe is inherently unpredictable, we do not assume an advantage. If anything, we assume that we may be in a disadvantage, and our training seeks to overcome the odds. We do not presume that our fights are easy pickings, against untrained or unskilled fighters.
Because of this mentality, our training reflects our perceived future foe. Our training assumes is fit, is trained, is experienced. Because of this we train with the sentiment that no matter how tough the other guy is, I must make myself tougher. We seek to take away his advantages. Because of this, we seek other escrima players, to test our skills, and hone our abilities. We seek the challenge and do not sit on the maybes. We are a show me art, that believes not in rhetoric about unverifiable fantasy fights, but cold hard experience in any and every venue it can be found.
So I tell you this, if you only seek to be better than the average guy, then our art is not for you. If you only seek to get on by, our art is not for you. But if you seek to beat the best, to fear no one, and consider what makes the "average" guy cringe with fear, a walk in the park, then give us a try.
