i know this question is an old one and probaly had been answered many times ,. I am 40 yrs old and interested in Escrima and FMA but in Kuwait where i live there is no club for it so is it effective to learn from DVDs ?
In a short answer, no!! There's alot of smaller technical details that really only a qualified Instructor could give you and help you understand better.
You don't want to try learning something as complex and potentially lethal as blade based combat without an instructor. If you have prior martial arts training and good coordination and powers of observation you can learn some basics Footwork and basic cutting shouldn't be too hard if you're already experienced. A quick google search found this: http://www.platinumkw.com/MartialArts_en.cms?act=MartialArts It says it has Jeet Kune Do and it would be worth checking and seeing if the instructor has any kali/escrima experience.
thank Many thanks to you all of replying . I checked the platinium before and no escrima there . I have some experience with kung fu sanda but was very interested in the stick fighting part of Kali I will continue looking - i found a club but its for Filipino only so .... - Any way wish me luck
Have you asked them if you can join in? Remember you want to practice the art and learn more about their fascinating culture.
As a Filipino, I can say: yes you can learn from DVD. The thing is it will be the PE variety of Arnis/FMA that you can learn, the one commonly taught to elementary to college students in Philippine schools. The other styles will need personal instruction to be conveyed properly. To what level do you want to attain expertise? Basic stick swinging, learn it from DVDs, no sweat. But don't expect getting to the level of dog brothers and such. As a Filipino, I ask for pardon for my fellow Filipinos. And I will say that is nonsense. Unless that club is the woo-woo variety (which I would advise you to avoid entirely), most FMA clubs accept foreigners, even those that say "For Filipinos Only." However, the foreigners they readily accept are those of the white-skinned Caucasian type. If you don't fit the criteria, you'll find a hard time getting accepted in clubs with such criteria. Sorry, but that's the way it is. Filipino culture is predisposed that way. Good luck in finding a club that suit you.
thanks to baby cart for the reply . For the level i know that i will not be a master from DVDs but atleast to know some basics for stick movements , leg stances , .. For the club no need for pardon my friend . if this is what this group feel then no problem i left them to their training -sorry i don't know what is woo-woo variety - for me i am normal Egyptian guy so i am Caucasian . Any way thanks you gave me hope to learn something about a sport i liked and culture i respect cause if no DVDs option then i would droped the whole thing
Burton Richardons "Battlefield Kali" series of DVD's is excellent if you wish to go down that route....but you HAVE to spar it or the system is useless, so you WILL need a partner http://battlefieldkali.com/ [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNW8vbHtQxM"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNW8vbHtQxM[/ame] [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ9qQuq9xhM"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ9qQuq9xhM[/ame]
Just reading through the site now. Yeah, I'm interested in doing this while I'm out of going to the club. I could easily do it at home. Where does his kali come from? Inosanato? I am sure I read that he is heavily influenced by PTK.
Primary he is ILS and he is one of the original Dog Brothers. IIR he also has a big Illustrissimo background
Yep, he comes to kali through Guro Dan. Mind you, that in itself implies everything from Lameco to Villabrille to PTK to...