# Anyone Read Mark Wiley's New Book yet?



## Samurai (Apr 25, 2013)

I know Mark Wiley has a new book out called Mastering Escrikma Disarms.
It is basically a collect of over 20 styles and people and how they approach the idea of disarming a combatant.
The format and layout is a lot like his book Fillipino Fighting Arts  http://www.amazon.com/Filipino-Figh..._B000APA4HY_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1366898157&sr=1-4

Here is a link to the book on Amazon.
It really is worth your time to read.
http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Esk...TF8&qid=1366897946&sr=1-1&keywords=mark+wiley

Thanks
Jeremy Bays
www.WoodlandArchery.com


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## billc (Apr 25, 2013)

Granted, I haven't had a chance to look at the book, and I really like Mark Wiley and the work he has put into documenting the FMA...I love the FMA, and think they are the best arts to study for self-defense...but I will just say it...disarms seem to me to be the "trick shooting," of the FMA...and seem to be as useful as high kicks in some arts,  or the mass attacks in an Aikido class for self-defense.  Now disarms, high kicks and the mass attacks you see in Aikido teach things that complement the arts they come from, but they aren't my go to areas for real self-defense techniques...

I mean no offense to anyone or their art...I am stating an opinion based on close to 40 years in the martial arts.

Three times I have heard of disarms being applied...

1)  one of the Canete brothers giving a seminar at the Degerberg Academy told a story about one of his brothers picking up a bolo to go back to a party he had been kicked out of so he could adjust the attitudes of the perpetrator...another brother walked up, grabbed his arm and disarmed him.

2) one of my instructors was at a party and a guy who had been drinking was walking around with a machete...my instructor walked up, grabbed his arm and disarmed him.

3)  At a seminar with Edgar Sulite, he told a story of a fight he had with another guy in a park.  The guy swung a stick at him, he avoided the swing and counter attacked, striking the guys hand...the only two attacks in the entire fight...he said he could see the guys hand swell up, start to shake, and the guy eventually dropped the stick and ran away.

Other disarms I have seen or heard about...

4) in tournament competition I have seen guys disarm themselves when  they hit the opponent and knocked the stick out of their own hand...usually fighting in an over sized glove was the cause.

5) I heard a story about Grand Master Ilustrisimo.  He was in a fight and cut the thumb off of his opponent...I have to assume that the guy dropped his weapon although it was never mentioned as part of the story...

As neat as this book is and as cool as disarming is when you see someone demonstrating it...is it anything more than "trick shooting?"

I stand ready....


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