# Kali Help



## GOMAB (Jan 20, 2005)

Got a question. I just started taking Kali and I think it is a fun and interesting art. The issue I have is how I am being taught. When I go to class, the teacher does not differentiate between the senior and new students as far as instruction. Everyone in the class trains on the same thing. Therefore, the new students like myself are stumbling along because we don't know the basics.  I am starting to catch on,but in my mind I know that I could be doing a lot better if more attention was focused on getting the new students up to speed. Is this technique of teaching common? He only teaches Kali one night a week and that makes it even tougher for a new student to develop.


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## MJS (Jan 20, 2005)

There are some schools out there that just have the new students just jump in with the rest of the group and others that will break the students into 2 groups...beginner and advanced.  

IMO, its best to separate the 2 so the new student will have a chance to learn the basics.  If the basics are not taught, how can an advanced move be taught with full understanding of whats going on?  Getting the basic footwork, blocks, strikes, etc. down first is the best way to go.

I would take some time after the class and speak to the inst.  about this issue.  It obviously is having an effect on your training.

Good luck and let us know how things turn out!

Mike


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## GOMAB (Jan 20, 2005)

thanks for the response! I will talk to the instructor.I didn't want to say anything at first because I am a newbie and "what do I know" about teaching and instruction.  I did not want to upset the teacher but like you said, if I don't get the basics down then I am doomed from the start







			
				MJS said:
			
		

> There are some schools out there that just have the new students just jump in with the rest of the group and others that will break the students into 2 groups...beginner and advanced.
> 
> IMO, its best to separate the 2 so the new student will have a chance to learn the basics.  If the basics are not taught, how can an advanced move be taught with full understanding of whats going on?  Getting the basic footwork, blocks, strikes, etc. down first is the best way to go.
> 
> ...


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## JPR (Jan 20, 2005)

GOMAB,



   Welcome to the wonderful world of FMA.  I cannot really answer your question of commonality of teaching technique, but here is an attempt to help.

     One of the interesting things I have found about kali is the depth / layering of the drills.  Any given drill can be taken from the simple to the complex by adding movement, breakouts, transitions, extra strikes, etc.  It keeps the drills interesting, and provides great learning but it can also be confusing especially for a new student.   

     First, talk with your instructor and tell him what your problem is.  That will give him the opportunity to target his training for your needs.  Often, our instructor will partner up people of similar experience and give the newer students the foundation of the drill while giving the others more of the options (of course <shameless plug> I have two really great Inosanto Kali instructors).  


 Second, talk with your training partner.  He / she, if they are and advanced student, should be able to show you the basics and help you on your way.  


 Third, team up with a partner outside of class once you learn the basics and drill them.  The only way you will own the basics is to drill them repeatedly.  This will prepare you to go deeper in each class.  


 Fourth, get some supplementary material (books or tapes) of your system of kali and work on the fundamentals you find there.  


 Finally, dont get to frustrated.  There is so much material in Kali that it takes time to feel comfortable with what is going on.   

     Most of all have fun.  The FMAs are a set of wonderfully rich arts that are a lot of fun to practice.

 JPR


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## Guro Harold (Jan 20, 2005)

GOMAB said:
			
		

> Got a question. I just started taking Kali and I think it is a fun and interesting art. The issue I have is how I am being taught. When I go to class, the teacher does not differentiate between the senior and new students as far as instruction. Everyone in the class trains on the same thing. Therefore, the new students like myself are stumbling along because we don't know the basics.  I am starting to catch on,but in my mind I know that I could be doing a lot better if more attention was focused on getting the new students up to speed. Is this technique of teaching common? He only teaches Kali one night a week and that makes it even tougher for a new student to develop.


Hi GOMAB,

Welcome to MartialTalk!!!

Please note also that FMA was taught as a family system and for some styles there wasn't even a curriculum that was followed until some students of stated organizing the material teachers. So how you are learning is not uncommon.

Take care and have fun!!!

Palusut


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## arnisandyz (Jan 20, 2005)

ahhh...the "velcro wall"! (throw a bunch of velcro balls at a velcro wall and whatever sticks sticks)

You'll notice alot less hand holding in FMA than in other arts. Its up to you to remember what you want to remember.  The trick is not to try and remember everthing at once.


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## lhommedieu (Jan 20, 2005)

Just to reiterate what's been said above:

Eskrima classes are generally informal and questions should be encouraged.  This is not to say that students (and often teachers) should engage in a repetitive round-robin of what if? what if? what if? etc.

I think you'll find that you'll soon start understanding some of the concepts that are being taught and "the light will start going on" more regularly the more that you practice.  After all - it's during practice time that the real learning takes place in terms of understanding fundamental principles (instead of learning mere techniques).

My advice is to try to take away one (and only one) "Big Idea" from any class or seminar you happen to attend, and then practice, practice, practice until it becomes second nature.  After a while, you may start to notice more than one "Big Idea," and you can take away two or three at a time, etc. - but to be honest, I tend to get overloaded and generally end up sticking to just one.

Hope this doesn't sound too fuzzy.  

Best wishes for your continued martial arts success.

Steve Lamade


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## bart (Jan 21, 2005)

Hey There,

That's kind of a tough call. The fact of the matter is that traditionally people are taught at differing levels in the same class or session. However this came about, be it due to the number of people interested, the facilities, family style, etc, it's given the FMA a distinct flavor and methodology that is different and in some ways is better. 

Having mixed levels in a class is a good thing. The beginners get to work with people who possess more advanced skills and they get a taste of what is to come so they know what to expect. The advanced people get a chance to cover their basics in greater detail and they get a chance at learning how to teach while still being supervised. It forces you to be interactive with your training partners and it forces them to be vested in your development. 

Learning the basics is gradual. It's also asynchronous. By this I mean that you don't just learn the basics and then start working on advanced techniques. Some of the basics you already possess, you just don't know that is what they are yet. 

For example, by the time you are 25, you've got a couple decades of walking experience. Do you really need to learn how to step? If someone takes your stepping and forces you to relearn, they are essentially throwing away years of skill. FMA should take your natural stepping ability and graft martial skill onto that. From there you would work to refine your basic stepping, but it should be done in the course of study as part of things that you do. The process should be natural.  

I think there's been some excellent advice offered in this thread but I would like to add that you shouldn't be too concerned about getting everything technically crisp and exact to the point where you look exactly like the person next to you. Flow is more important. Effectiveness is more important. And also internalization is more important. Because everyone is built differently, they are going to correspondingly differ in appearance and execution of technique. 

Like Steve and Andy have said, there are a lot of ideas that float around during any given training session. Take one or two of them and remember those. Just because the class moves fast doesn't mean you have to move faster than you can. 


Just my thoughts.


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## arnisandyz (Jan 21, 2005)

Great points Bart.

And to answer one of your questions....In my opinion, based on my experiences, I think this teaching method is very common in the FMA.  Some people may call it a "seminar" format. As Bart mentioned, rather than to try and mold each individual piece of clay, the teacher tries to give the students the ability to mold themselves. I have mentioned this before, but you, as a martial artist must take responsibilty of your own art. Learn the techniques in class, but make them your own. Go home and practice, sometimes you'll put your own flavor into the technique, bring it back and share it with your brothers/sisters.


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## AC_Pilot (Jan 22, 2005)

I will say I have been in both types of FMA classes, and so it seems to be just the instructor's choice or style that decides.

As far as the sticks, you have to be very patient and drill the basics again and again until the motor controls take a good set. In other words your nerves, muscles and brain have to work together..this takes time. At first the sticks will be *working you*, later *you* will begin to _*work the sticks*_.. then at some point the *big click* (wow, I coulda' had a V-8!) will occur and you'll realize this is a universal art that can easily be applied to open hand or any improvised weapon. that's when it will become a valuable _real world combat art_.


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