# Sayoc Kali Seminar.



## arnisador (Aug 24, 2002)

I attended a Sayoc Kali seminar today at Monroe County Martial Arts in Bloomington, IN. The instructor was Jeff Chung, hosted by Steve Scott.

Mr. Chung gave a great seminar on a fascinating system. He covered knife-vs.-knife, open hand-vs.-knife, double knife-vs.-double knife, and briefly touched on a few other variations. He focused on the 3-of-9 template for the first half of the seminar, and later did a reverse grip drill and one of the transition drills. At the end he did a brief empty hand-vs.empty hand demo. I found the drills useful and the ideas behind the system interesting.

Mr. Chung was a clear, thorough, and approachable instructor who was extremely solicitous and friendly. He made sure to speak with each participant and made certain that everyone had all their questions answered. He also took plenty of pictures! I look forward to attending more seminars with him.


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## Stickfighter72 (Aug 25, 2002)

So, Im glad you got to attend he seminar.  I couldnt make it due to I had to work this weekend.   However I sent two of my training partners there to it,  did you get a chance to meet them by any chance?

Jay Dotson  a Muncie, In  city police officer
Justin Reese,  a dispatch officer for MPD as well.

I really wanted to accompany them there however I just couldnt make it,  Maybe next time.

Cory


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## arnisador (Aug 25, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Stickfighter72 _
> 
> *Jay Dotson  a Muncie, In  city police officer*



I worked with Mr. Dotson almost the whole afternoon! Nice guy. I gave him my card and hopefully will have the chance to work with him again. He was afraid he was holding me back because he had so little FMA experience but the drills were so lengthy it taxed my memory. Don't let him tell you that he was slowing me down! Tell him after he left he only missed more of the same transition drill plus some discussion and a brief empty hand-vs.-empty hand demo. I don't recall meeting a 'Justin' but I didn't get everyone's name. Mr. Dotson and I worked out with another guy, who had made his own very nice trainer and who had studied some Sayoc Kali from a tape, for a while; possibly it was him?

Give my regards to Mr. Dotson. You missed a great seminar I'm afraid! Steve Scott was talking about having him back in roughly six months and getting a regular training group going.


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## Stickfighter72 (Aug 25, 2002)

arnisador-

   Yeah, that sounds like Justin.

I will be sure to pass on the info to Mr. Dotson for you IM glad he got a chance to experience the FMA from another angle.  And w/ someone who could help him out like yourself.

He has not had any initial training in FMA other than a demo I gave him once, but we are soon to be getting together and start training, right now we just meet from time to time to teach Defensive Tactics to local Police and Corrections Officers, but I told him of the Sayoc Seminar and was hoping I could attend but he got to and thats the main point.  I'll Catch it on Guru Jeff's next visit.

Thanks
Cory


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## Guro_Jeff (Oct 9, 2002)

greetings to all,
and thank you so very much for the kind words and remarks... i apologize that i only just found the martialtalk forums today!!

i truly enjoyed meeting and training with everyone in Indiana... the seminar was filled with wonderful people from all over who had such great and positive energy

at any rate, i will be returning to Indiana... Bloomington, to conduct another seminar there... it will be a comprehensive 2 day seminar... i believe the dates are January 24 and January 25th of 2003

if i might be able to answer any questions about Sayoc Kali, please let me know!

respects, Guro Jeff

http://www.tribalbladefightingarts.com


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## IMAA (Oct 9, 2002)

Selamat Guru Jeff,

   Hi,  I am very interested in learning some Sayoc Kali.   In fact I was wanting to attend this last seminar in bloomington but I had to work.  I hated like heck to miss it.

If Jan 24/25 are the next dates for your next seminar pleas make a post about it for sure.  So I would know in advance to try to take some time off of work.  I usually work "every other weekend" and it never fails ALL the seminars I want to attend always fall on my work weekends, they have for the past 3 years.

  So Im sure I'll have to work that weekend.

But can you give me some general background of your Sayoc Kali.  Is most of it derived from Pekiti Tirsia? I know Tuhon Chris trained in Pekiti Tirsia under GT Leo Gaje.   So is sayoc a rather modified version of PT?  or is it blended w/ anything else?  
Since like most of the PT Kali is blade oriented I seem to see alot of simularities between the two.

Thanks
selamat
Cory
www.geocities.com/indianamartialarts


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## Guro_Jeff (Oct 10, 2002)

Dear Cory,
in response to your post...

i have the correct dates posted above... it will be held in Indiana on January 25 and 26... you can attend one day or both days... it is the saturday and sunday of that weekend... 2003

to answer your questions about Pekiti Tirsia, Tuhon Chris and Sayoc Kali

Tuhon Chris did study Pekiti Tirsia for about 3 years time

Tuhon Chris is currently promoting and passing on his family blade art... Sayoc Kali

It is most definitely NOT close to Pekiti Tirsia knifework

it is funny how so many detractors have come out on the net, and even have stated in person that what we teach is PT... yet, NONE of these detractors have attended the seminars i have been present at, or present at classes that i have been at

as i have travelled about the US teaching, i've run across several PT practitioners, they were all excellent in skills and attitude, and they could all see beyond a doubt that what we teach is nothing like what they practice in their classes

i have copies of emails sent to me by several PT instructors here in the local area continually requesting me to teach them Sayoc Kali, and i have chosen over the years for various reasons not to do so

many systems of FMA are based upon bladework, yet we are the only publically known system that trains with blades constantly... in my classes here in NYC, every class is taught with blades in hand

one of the reasons that this is an important consideration is thus, a stick and a knife are not the same... certain movements you can do with a knife, if done with a sword/stick in its appropriate range, would cause you to impale yourself <grin>... that is not a good thing

i am sure that PT knifework is awesome and great stuff, i have nothing but respect for the instructors of that system

i'd suggest looking at the Sayoc Instructor's curriculum, and comparing it to what you may have heard or seen of the PT system of knifework, then if you have an opportunity to attend one of our classes or seminars, please do so... AFTER you have had that exposure, then you can make your own decision as to whether or not Sayoc Kali is PT based or not 

in my own ranks, i have had 4 students with a background in Pekiti Tirsia, none of them having seen the most basic of our materials can state that it looks like or is PT based bladework

our materials that we present are unique to the Sayoc family of bladework period... all the materials we present are currently found only within our system... i'm sure that in the future as videos become available, more written materials become available you will see in the future, other 'systems' coming out with terms used as we have been using for decades... templates, correct responses, transitions, non-linears, etc..

all the Sayoc practitioners take their understanding of Sayoc Kali very seriously... we all feel that it is a 'gift' that is given to us by Tuhon Chris... a true, lifesaving and life-enhancing practice

rather than spend time in constant online battle with semantics and issues which carry little importance, we instead choose to pick up our blades and practice our skills constantly... when we consider that if engaged in real conflict, that not only our individual lives, but rather the lives of all those who are significant to us, are somehow potentially affected by the results of conflict...we can understand that it is more important to develop our skills to best give us a chance at getting home safely

Sayoc Kali practitioners do not spend time questioning the roots or backgrounds of other practitioners, we instead choose to practice and practice, and share our knowledge and skills with others who have a similar interest in developing themselves as practitioners of the blade

wow, lol... sorry for the long-winded post... i've got to get ready to travel 45 miles to a private student in another state to give a private lesson  

hopefully you can make it to my seminar in Bloomington... i'd love to be able to meet you in person and share what i am able to with you, all of the attendees usually have a really fun time and there is always a very positive environment.

any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask!!

respects, Guro Jeff

http://www.tribalbladefightingarts.com

January 11, 2003--Seminar in Rochester, Michigan
January 25/26, 2003--Seminar in Bloomington, IN


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## IMAA (Oct 14, 2002)

Selamat Guro Jeff.

   Thanks for the reply I really now have a goodunderstanding of what and where PT and Sayoc differ.  I again meant no disrespect I was just curious as I knew that Tuhon Chris and Gaje had spent some time together.  

Okay on to bigger and better things.

 I most certainly will try my best this time to make it I really am interested in being intorduced to Sayoc Kali.  It makes me want to experience it that much more now that I have a bette understanding.

Agian thanks
Cory


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