# Attended my first Kali class today.



## Benevolentbob (Jun 4, 2012)

I'm starting at a new gym and today was my first kali class. I've never done anything with weapons before but it was the most fun I've had in a long time. First we went over how to  hold a knife and then worked on drills for most of the class before  strapping on some goggles and sparred with the practice knives for the  last few minutes. In the sparring I did pretty well with intercepting  attacks but still got caught from time to time. My little moment of  pride was went I sliced down the bicep to the wrist and knocked the  knife out of my opponent's hand, took his back in a rear-naked choke  esque hold bringing him to the ground and peppered his torso with the  practice knife until the instructor stood us up saying "That was some splinter cell **** right there" :ultracool. All in all a successful first kali lesson and I'm pumped for more.  I've got JKD tomorrow morning and then later in the evening as well,  definitely liking this gym so far. Don't have kali again until Wednesday evening though.


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## Carol (Jun 4, 2012)

Isn't it great how you can train in weapons on your very first day?   

So glad you liked your first class!


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## Blindside (Jun 5, 2012)

Hooked!


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## Benevolentbob (Jun 5, 2012)

Thanks guys, I'm really looking forward to learning more and developing my skills in this art. So far I am very pleased with it.


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## MJS (Jun 5, 2012)

Sounds like you had a good time!


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## Brian R. VanCise (Jun 5, 2012)

Glad your first class was awesome!!!


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## geezer (Jun 5, 2012)

That's how I felt after my first FMA class about three decades ago ...and I _still_ feel that way. It's still a mystery to me why FMAs aren't the most popular martial arts around. But I'm lucky to get about one out of five of my students to even try it. The rest just want to do straight Ving Tsun!?! Go figure.


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## billc (Jun 8, 2012)

I agree.  I don't get it either.  The FMA are both practical and the most fun I have had in the martial arts.  The empty hand arts are fine, but with all the other arts I have studied the FMA are the only ones I don't find a chore to practice.  They are endlessly fascinating to me, especially with the in depth knowledge of kife, stick and sword fighting that they posses.  Also, they are much easier to access than the weapon skills of other arts.  I many arts you have to train up to two years sometimes before you even touch a weapon, and then a lot of the arts simply teach solo kata with the weapon.  The fact that from class one, and every class after that you concentrate on using a weapon against another person also trying to use the weapon on you is just endlessly entertaining.  Add to all this the fact that many of the teachers today are trained by men who used the arts to survive in combat, both military combat and civilian combat, and that is just a bonus all the way around.  Some of the stories I have heard of the great names in the art, who have been known by people living today, are really cool.

On top of the fun, the FMA are also easy to get started in.  I remember when I began iaido.  It was close to two hundred dollars for the uniform, and then another 50 bucks or more for the bokto, and then close to 500 dollars for a low end iaito, on top of the 70 dollars a month for a one hour class each week.  On top of that, you were expected to get a traditional japanese blade that could run you 10,000 dollars for a low end sword.  Of course there were cheaper swords out there but this was a koryu and the instructor had his standards as far as swords went.  The FMA gets you started in a school t-shirt, gi bottoms or sweats and a 30 dollar pair of sticks.  You can't beat that.  It is really amazing that the FMA aren't as well attended as other arts.


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## Cali Gal (Nov 1, 2012)

Hi - everyone here seems pretty knowledgeable about Kali. I've never tried it - have been pretty focused on Krav Maga - but am considering it as a supplement to my Krav training. Any pointers for finding a good school? What to look for in instructors?


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## James Kovacich (Nov 1, 2012)

billcihak said:


> I agree.  I don't get it either.  The FMA are both practical and the most fun I have had in the martial arts.  The empty hand arts are fine, but with all the other arts I have studied the FMA are the only ones I don't find a chore to practice.  They are endlessly fascinating to me, especially with the in depth knowledge of kife, stick and sword fighting that they posses.  Also, they are much easier to access than the weapon skills of other arts.  I many arts you have to train up to two years sometimes before you even touch a weapon, and then a lot of the arts simply teach solo kata with the weapon.  The fact that from class one, and every class after that you concentrate on using a weapon against another person also trying to use the weapon on you is just endlessly entertaining.  Add to all this the fact that many of the teachers today are trained by men who used the arts to survive in combat, both military combat and civilian combat, and that is just a bonus all the way around.  Some of the stories I have heard of the great names in the art, who have been known by people living today, are really cool.
> 
> On top of the fun, the FMA are also easy to get started in.  I remember when I began iaido.  It was close to two hundred dollars for the uniform, and then another 50 bucks or more for the bokto, and then close to 500 dollars for a low end iaito, on top of the 70 dollars a month for a one hour class each week.  On top of that, you were expected to get a traditional japanese blade that could run you 10,000 dollars for a low end sword.  Of course there were cheaper swords out there but this was a koryu and the instructor had his standards as far as swords went.  The FMA gets you started in a school t-shirt, gi bottoms or sweats and a 30 dollar pair of sticks.  You can't beat that.  It is really amazing that the FMA aren't as well attended as other arts.



So we do agree on something!

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