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How difficult is kali?
- Thread starter Seb
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2000
- Messages
- 12
This is a very interesting question.
I've been told, as well as read in some books, that in the very early days of Kali, the warriors would be trained anywhere from six days to six weeks to six months to become proficient with their battle skills. The whole point of such short, intensive training was to get the warriors ready for battle in the shortest time possible. The P.I.'s being the target of many foreign invasions, the warriors didn't have alot of time to develop a long, complicated combat system: it had to be learned quickly and effective - period.
These days, developing some kind of decent skill in the art of KALI depends on the individual. How much time are they willing to put in to practicing and training? Are they willing to spar (both protected/unprotected) to test their techniques under pressure? Since we (as Kali practitioners) don't have to worry about foreign invasions and such anymore, most of us train in the art mainly for our own personal interest, enjoyment, etc.
Myself, I've been practicing Kali/Eskrima since I was 14 years old (about 14 years ago) and I'm still learning! It never stops. Before I started sparring with minimum equipment, I was mainly concerned with techniques and 'looking flashy', but once I started sparring, I found my 'real' Kali skills finally came out in combat (albiet friendly combat).
Dilligent and honet practice and training will make you a good Kali man/woman, but it's also important to have a really good teacher. Your teacher will be the one to act as your guide, but it's completely up to you where and how you go on from there.
Hope this helps, and good luck with your training in this wonderful art.
Peace,
Jay
I've been told, as well as read in some books, that in the very early days of Kali, the warriors would be trained anywhere from six days to six weeks to six months to become proficient with their battle skills. The whole point of such short, intensive training was to get the warriors ready for battle in the shortest time possible. The P.I.'s being the target of many foreign invasions, the warriors didn't have alot of time to develop a long, complicated combat system: it had to be learned quickly and effective - period.
These days, developing some kind of decent skill in the art of KALI depends on the individual. How much time are they willing to put in to practicing and training? Are they willing to spar (both protected/unprotected) to test their techniques under pressure? Since we (as Kali practitioners) don't have to worry about foreign invasions and such anymore, most of us train in the art mainly for our own personal interest, enjoyment, etc.
Myself, I've been practicing Kali/Eskrima since I was 14 years old (about 14 years ago) and I'm still learning! It never stops. Before I started sparring with minimum equipment, I was mainly concerned with techniques and 'looking flashy', but once I started sparring, I found my 'real' Kali skills finally came out in combat (albiet friendly combat).
Dilligent and honet practice and training will make you a good Kali man/woman, but it's also important to have a really good teacher. Your teacher will be the one to act as your guide, but it's completely up to you where and how you go on from there.
Hope this helps, and good luck with your training in this wonderful art.
Peace,
Jay
Find a good school(teacher) or traning partners and practice,practice,practice!!!You only get as good as much as you practice, reading a book or watching a video wont do it! you need a partner! Remember Practice!Train hard! You will get only good as much as you put into it !!
Good luck! WWW.SAYOC.COM
Good luck! WWW.SAYOC.COM
Seb,
I have been doing Lucaylucay Kali/JKD for almost 20 years now. I think I am almost getting to the decent skills stage. It depends on your definition of 'decent skills'. I look at people like Guro Dan Inosanto, Graciella Casillas, Paul Vunak and others and I realize I have barely scratched the surface. I know I can defend myself and I strive to improve my skills a little bit everyday and everything else just comes with time. (Boy, does that sound like a bad self-help book or what?)
I have been doing Lucaylucay Kali/JKD for almost 20 years now. I think I am almost getting to the decent skills stage. It depends on your definition of 'decent skills'. I look at people like Guro Dan Inosanto, Graciella Casillas, Paul Vunak and others and I realize I have barely scratched the surface. I know I can defend myself and I strive to improve my skills a little bit everyday and everything else just comes with time. (Boy, does that sound like a bad self-help book or what?)
For me, Kali was very different and difficult from the other martial arts I was exposed to.
It takes TIME and WORK. Dedicate those two things and you will get it. How much time and work depends on you as an individual. Stay with it. And enjoy yourself, its a great ride.
It takes TIME and WORK. Dedicate those two things and you will get it. How much time and work depends on you as an individual. Stay with it. And enjoy yourself, its a great ride.
- Joined
- Nov 30, 1999
- Messages
- 423
Personally, I've been in JKD/Kali for 7 years and feel "comfortable" with it.
Like anything else you get what you put into it.
Vince
------------------
Stay sharp and be Safe!
------- ---- ---------
That which does not kill us only makes us stronger.
F.W. Nietzche
Like anything else you get what you put into it.
Vince
------------------
Stay sharp and be Safe!
------- ---- ---------
That which does not kill us only makes us stronger.
F.W. Nietzche
- Joined
- Nov 28, 1999
- Messages
- 235
if you are doing a curriculum of hittings, body and foot movement, and countering, then sparring at every practice, you should be a decent fighter after about 6 months to one year. but if you are doing a lot of prerrange techniques and "flow" drills and sinawali, it will take you a very long time, especially if you never spar. if you dont spar, i dont think you will ever become a good fighter. but if you do, sometimes those drills and things will work against you if you are trying to learn to fight.
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2000
- Messages
- 12
For myself, I found studying Wing Chun easier than Kali/Eskrima. I've only been training in W.C. for the past 7 years; I'm pretty comfortable with it (the fact that I had a great teacher really helped me in understanding the W.C. combat philosophy), but as my father was my first FMA teacher, he taught me from a more 'conceptual' point of view. He would show me the basic attacks, defenses, footwork, etc., but left it up to me to put it all together - he believed it was the best way for me to truly learn and understand Kali. This approach made it very difficult for me to learn at first, hence my reluctance to learn FMA at 14 yrs. of age.
As I got older and trained with other practioners, continued training hard and sparring, I began to get much more comfortable with Kali. My point is that - for myself- Kali was a much more difficult journey to take than my other m.a.'s experiences. Difficult yes, but well worth the time invested.
As for W.C. being more or less comlicated than FMA, I think that's a matter of personal opinion. I've trained with many W.C. guys who had great difficulty learning FMA, but I find that my W.C. skills readily apply and add to my Kali skills. So really, it all depends on the individual involved, not so much the style. Some will have an easier time at it than others will, but as stated earlier, hard work and dilligence will show you the way to success in any art!
Peace,
Jay
As I got older and trained with other practioners, continued training hard and sparring, I began to get much more comfortable with Kali. My point is that - for myself- Kali was a much more difficult journey to take than my other m.a.'s experiences. Difficult yes, but well worth the time invested.
As for W.C. being more or less comlicated than FMA, I think that's a matter of personal opinion. I've trained with many W.C. guys who had great difficulty learning FMA, but I find that my W.C. skills readily apply and add to my Kali skills. So really, it all depends on the individual involved, not so much the style. Some will have an easier time at it than others will, but as stated earlier, hard work and dilligence will show you the way to success in any art!
Peace,
Jay
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2000
- Messages
- 112
Stuart, where are you on this post?
If you want to get good in the art, it takes a long time. If you want to get good in the fighting, it's not too long. Stuart, back me up here...
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Chad
Full Contact Stickfighting Hawaii
www.fullcontacthi.com
If you want to get good in the art, it takes a long time. If you want to get good in the fighting, it's not too long. Stuart, back me up here...
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Chad
Full Contact Stickfighting Hawaii
www.fullcontacthi.com
Just like the story goes, alot always depends on who your teacher is. The empty hands of kali is not only very effective, but easy to learn. Nothing fancy, just all out fighting. Alot of people only think the filipino arts are all about weaponry, but in reality there is just as much empty hands as there is weaponry. There is kicking, punching, grappling, etc, and then there's the weapons. It all goes together. If you find yourself a good teacher, it should'nt take long at all to get in the filipino arts.
good luck
breaker
good luck
breaker