# how your stick does the talking



## thekuntawman (Feb 28, 2002)

to many arnisadors ignore the most basic important part of stick fighting, which is stroking practice. they love to collect fancy  ways to counter the opponents numbers, and ways to take the stick and patterns of stick to stick drills, but at the foundation of his skill, he is a first grader.

years of practice and numbers of people you teach wont help you even, because to the trained eye you are still a beginner.

for your skill to yell out to the watchers that you are an expert, you need strong basic skill. you cannot get that by knowing a lot of technqiues. you can only get it by performing hundreds of strikes, with power, at a hard target, at a moving target, and against a target thats attacking you too, for years. there is a saying, that, your stick will do your talking. means, if you know what your doing, your stick talks for you. if you dont know what your doing, you need lots of students and a strong skill at running your mouth to get your credibilty.

so how can you do stroking practice? the most effective way, is to take your numerado, 1-6, 1-12, 1-24, 1-64, whatever it is , and do them 100 times each workout. in one month, if you dont see an improvement, email me, maybe you need a new teacher. 

stroking practice develops smart hands, which means hands that do what you need them to do when you need them to do it (or moving without thinking). it makes a strong grips, it gives you power where you dont need to pull back your stick before you strike. it give you speed. and automatic counter to stripping techniques. stroking sends the power through your stick into your opponents block where he realizes you are not just a average man. you blocks hurts his hands when he strikes, and your strikes hurt his hand when he blocks.

and guess what? very few arnisador have this kind of skill today, because you can be a beginner today, a master in five years, and you have only seen your teacher 30 times. if you spent five years doing stroking practice, then maybe some of these people would be more believable as a self made "master/professor".

this is what i mean by "your stick does the talking"


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## Icepick (Feb 28, 2002)

That's a great insight!  "Smart hands"...I like that a lot.


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## thekuntawman (Feb 28, 2002)

you know icepick, since your new title is "king" you could also call yourself datu, or "hare" (hah-ree). and if you challenge everyone who make fun of your title everyone will accept it.

i think people dont respect a title when they think they are a better fighter than the guy using that title. 

you can call me the prophet of eskrima


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## Icepick (Feb 28, 2002)

Kuntawman -

Do you think I started too high?  What will I promote myself to next time?!?

DAMN!


:cuss:


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## Datu Tim Hartman (Feb 28, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Icepick _
> *Kuntawman -
> 
> Do you think I started too high?  What will I promote myself to next time?!?
> ...



How about Saint of Modern Arnis. AKA *Saint Icepick?!?*




:tank: :apv: :redeme:


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## Bob Hubbard (Feb 28, 2002)

Emperor for Life? 

:rofl:


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## arnisador (Feb 28, 2002)

Thanks *thekuntawman*, I found your post interesting. It's too easy to start down the path of becoming a Master of Sinawali (in the sense of a drill, not the whole art) without being able to do more than dance.


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## Bob Hubbard (Feb 28, 2002)

Newbie question - whats "numerado"?  I have a feeling I know, but, rather ask and be sure.

Thank you.
:asian:


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## thekuntawman (Mar 1, 2002)

numerado is just your basic numbering system. some people just number his strikes, some will number the blockings, disarmings and counters.


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## Bob Hubbard (Mar 1, 2002)

Ok, thats close to what I thought. 

Thank you.
:asian:


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## Icepick (Mar 1, 2002)

I had to remove my new moniker.  I just realized that anyone not following the Modern Arnis thread might miss the sarcasm.  I don't want everyone holding their breath, waiting for me to start my organization.  

Kuntawman -
When you talk about striking moving targets, are you talking about sparring only?  Do you practice solo at all, using a suspended bag or something?  Manong Ted recommended I strike at a light bulb, to develop control.  I'm tired of sweeping up though.

:uhoh: 


P.S.  I love these toilet guys. :flushed:

Kaith, you have 2 ;uhoh; smilies.  I can't get the guy that gets pulled into the toilet, and that is very important for my personal expression.  I feel stifled as an artist without it.


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## Bob Hubbard (Mar 1, 2002)

Icepick,
  Whoops. typo.   try now  :toilclaw:  should work  use ;toilclaw; but with : not ;  or, just click on the pop up listing images.


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## thekuntawman (Mar 1, 2002)

When you talk about striking moving targets, are you talking about sparring only? Do you practice solo at all, using a suspended bag or something? Manong Ted recommended I strike at a light bulb, to develop control. I'm tired of sweeping up though. 

yes i strike moving targets, which can be a headache bag or tennis ball on a string, or something my partner will hold, like a focus mitt. then you have sparring. i recommend trying to spar and hit your opponent arms while you spar. this will give the both of you very fast reflxes.

when you move around with a moving target its important that you get your feet placed in the right position, so you have just enough distance for a power hit. too close will allow him to use his free hand and smother your hit. to far,  well you know its not far enough. when you fight with a partner, change the direction you come at him, so its not always to the front, because everybody trains for a frontal attack. learn to zig zag yourself.

for defense, make a habit of using your triangle and hit instead of block. all fighters get train to expect a block when they strike, not very many expect a hit on the hand or arm.


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## thekuntawman (Mar 1, 2002)

oh i got off the subject 
anyway when i talk about stroking practice, even just doing your strikes in the air, but doing hundreds of strikes each training session will develop many of those benefit i am talking about. to be an expert you have to do something millions of times, and stroking practice is the most basic of those skills. technqiue is no good to anyone who does not have good command of power, timing, and speed and coordinations. if you do that, take your basic 12, and do 100 reps of the 12 strikes each session (at least 2 times a week) i guarantee your skill will show a difference in one month.
slow practice of combinations and counters cannot develop your skill the way you need them for fighting. many of the people who train this way can only DEMONSTRATE techniques, and not "pull them off".


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