Martial Arts Program

The Martial Arts at Rizal Center emphasizes the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA).

Scheme

The scheme is simple:

• Health & Safety First. Unsafe training is ineffective training. Scale activities to your level.
• Relax & Play. You are consenting to do something healthy, meaningful, & enjoyable. Discourse is encouraged!
• Modular Learning. Small and simple foundational pieces combine. Start with like vs like.
• Grow Over Time. Add more pieces, varieties, repetitions, combinations, tests, etc. Share & pass on!

Modes covered include:

• Unarmed & Armed. Core arms:
  • < 1′: Dulo Dulo (Palm Stick), Daga (Knife)
  • ~2′: Baston (Stick), Bolo (Sword Machete)
  • ~3′: Tungkod (Walking Stick), Spada (Sword, e.g. Kampilan)
  • 4’+: Poste (Pole), Sibat (Spear)
• Unarmored & Armored. Core armor:
  • Fencing Mask. For general safety and correct distance.
  • Kalasag. An oblong Shield in a hand or tower version.
  • Taming. A circular forearm Shield.
• Upright & Ground
• Blows, Trapping, Clinching
• Wrestling, Takedowns, Throws, Pins, Grappling, Locks, Breaks, Submissions
• Varying degrees of contact
• Solo, Like v Like (e.g. 1 v 1, Few v Few, Boxing v Boxing), Like v Unlike (e.g. 1 v Few, Armed v Unarmed, Axe v Sword)

Time periods include:

• Pre-Colonial. Before 1521.
• Colonial. 1521-1898.
• Post-Colonial. After 1898.

Emphasis

Safety. The first step in risk management is believing that danger is possible. We will foster street smarts, i.e. preventative self-defense and active self-defense. Unsafe training is ineffective training. Training can be demanding, but injuries should be avoided. Video game combat may be safer, but physical combat is more real.

Health. Activities will be scaled to a level that can safely challenge each individual. We will periodically do simple tests so we can have a benchmarking perspective. Yes, you can drink water, go to the bathroom, or take a break. Activities will foster your cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy, but we will focus on martial arts. Feel free to cross-train! 

Atmosphere. Learn and practice in a legal, ethical, proud, fun, social, positive, and effective fashion. Martial arts (like life & tennis) come alive when done with a partner. Your partners are very important! Foster productivity & innovation with work AND play. You can do more if you are rested & relaxed, curious & collaborative, questioning & authentic. Fostering civility & character also enhances safety. 

Inclusivity. Everyone regardless of culture, background, race, language, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, disability, or age can benefit from martial arts. This program supports tolerance for all except the intolerant. It is beneficial for all participants to train with a robust variety of body types, styles, skills, mindsets, experiences, etc. As far as the degree of knowledge, skill, athleticism, etc., don’t let it be a barrier. Perfection is the enemy of good. We are all learning and improving. Do not worry about making mistakes or starting easy, that is the way of growth. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. Like swimming: Don’t panic; instead, stay calm. There is always someone better. We welcome feedback.

Consent. All staff and students consent to participate. Unwanted harassment will not be accepted. When we play, we consent to rules of engagement. Cheating in Tic Tac Toe makes it unplayable, but cheating in martial arts makes it also unsafe.

Intent. A key goal of martial arts is defense; You don’t need martial arts to be offensive. While martial arts may share aspects of dancing (such as pleasure, entertainment, expression, athleticism, and real-time execution), martial arts are not dancing. Awareness of non-sporting actions & gear, dirty fighting, fouls, laws and statutes related to felonies, misdemeanors, and murder helps us clarify our intent.

Fundamentals. Abecedario (“The ABCs”): A few letters can make many words. Fundamentals include stances, structure, breaking structure, blows, blocks, grips, leverage, geometry, momentum, weight distribution, distance, lines, anatomical pros & cons, timing, initiative, and provocations. Like learning to drive there are 3 levels: Learning fundamentals, executing intuitively, then insights akin to emergent properties or “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts”. The large and complex are built upon the small and simple.

Curate. Filipino Martial Arts are fighting methods, arms, and armor devised in the islands of the Philippines and practiced by the diaspora of Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike. This includes the past (such as pre-colonial Philippines), the present, and the future. Some things cannot be recovered if lost (like a species or stories you haven’t heard from your elders), while other things can be rediscovered (like the concept of numbers).

Openness & Transparency. This program is open and adaptive, so it explores the broader field of martial arts in general. How do you know? Ask questions and test (especially under pressure) theories, concepts, gear, combos, etc. More repetitions can increase your confidence in your knowledge, gear, & skill. This is knowledge as a justified true belief. Absorb what is useful from any source. Education is not just learning but learning how to learn. Feel free to cross-train or share cool stuff with us! 

Intuition. People are learning machines with a lifetime of learning. You teach yourself how to hit by hitting things. You innately know about breathing, moving, hunger, thirst, lust, anger, fear, fight-or-flight stress response, etc. How do you feel? Problem-solving takes IQ + EQ. Every class should include free play (randori) scaled to a level that can safely challenge each individual. The intuitive execution of combat while under stress is enabled by many methods including chunking, reps (for muscle memory), cues, reference positions, reference points, and other heuristics. 

Gear. One of my goals is to grow a pool of on-site communal gear because there’s a lot of gear, some of it is specialized, expensive, or both, and gear gets difficult to lug around. We’ll start with our core gear but explore others. We can categorize weapons as impact, bladed, flexible, hooking, projectile, historical, armor, and improvised gear (stuff that has non-defense uses and is commonly owned by modern law-abiding citizens, but is accessible and applicable for defensive purposes).

Disaster Preparation. Build awareness of actions, gear, and knowledge helpful for disasters. You can prepare, even if you don’t know Who, When, What, How, Why, or If the cookie crumbles. We will tie knots, build gear, watch our finances, make backups, look ahead, etc.