Frequently Asked Questions:
What video do I start from?
You can start with just about any video, most of my videos are beginner friendly. Try to find stuff that clicks for you and start training from there. I recommend to work on the Angles of Attack forms (single stick) and Heaven 6 form (double stick).
Do you have a playlist?
Yes I do. Please click here for the playlist which has a bunch of basic videos for the beginner.
Which knife is legal for me?
Depends on your local laws. Talk to Police and lawyers to help you understand more. Also being professional and polite goes a long way.
What is my street cred?
I tested myself working security and doing a citizen's patrol in bad neighborhoods for some years. In college I had around 10 challenge matches. Post college I was in a BJJ and MMA competition team, and I competed very briefly in BJJ.
Which knives do I recommend?
Get a training knife first. Practice for at least 6 months under an instructor and earn your way to a real blade. Any knife from Prof Bram Frank is good for Filipino Martial Arts practitioners to study. For training at home and home defense I have weapons made for combat like a Karambit, Balisong/Butterfly Knife, and Bowie, but for EDC (Everyday Carry) I prefer utility knives. The small exchangeable razor blade kind.
Which Karambit do I recommend?
Get a Karambit training knife first. Investing in a training knife is a wise decision. Personally I have used the Smith&Wesson Urban Camo Karambit for many years and it has stood the test of time for me.
What is your martial arts background?
Over 30 years in the martial arts. Karate, Arnis, Muay Thai, Aikido, BJJ, etc.
What is the best martial arts style?
There is no best style. More important is to avoid bad teachers and bad students, because you want to train in a good learning environment. At the end of the day it's not what your teacher can do or what they have done, it's really about what YOU are doing.
What style do you teach?
What I teach basic traditional Escrima and Modern Escrima which is a hybrid of various martial art styles that I have cross trained in.
How long should the sticks be?
General length is 28 inches. Made from Rattan. I suggest getting them from eBay.
When making your own, armpit to your finger tips is a good length.
Thickness is between the size of a penny and a Quarter.
For making contact or strength training the stick should be harder, heavier, and longer.
For skill training the stick is on the lighter side.
For indoor training the stick is shorter and lighter so that you don't break stuff like the TV, ceiling fan, and window. PVC pipes can be bought for cheap at Home Depot or Lowe's. I frequently use PVC pipes and they were under $3 each.
What self-defense products do I recommend?
There are many great products I enjoy, just check my Youtube videos, but I want to encourage training rather than buying, become a user not a collector. Sticks and training knives can be found on eBay. My main knives are from Prof Bram Frank. Which are the Lapu Lapu Corto Knives and the Siko from Mantis Knives.
Does my style work for real?
Any style or technique can work or fail. Just like a weapon, styles and techniques are just tools. All you can do is try to increase the percentage of success by doing your part, which is to train seriously and to get better at using the tool!
Is it possible to teach myself?
Yes you can learn from books, videos, and the internet, but don't let that be the end. At some point you will need an instructor and it makes a HUGE difference.
When is a good age to start?
It's never too early and it's never too late. I began in junior high school, which worked out for me. I've also known people that started in their 50s and it worked out for them.
Where did you learn Knife Combat?
My knife method is a progression of my Filipino martial arts skills combined with Aikido, Russian martial arts, Ninjutsu, and other styles. After learning the material, I worked on crafting my skill, going through cycles of testing and evolving the material in the lab (Dojo), and then I tested it on the streets and my students to develop the knife program that I teach today. Now is more of a refinement and working on better presentation so that it's more clear for the students.
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