Excited FMA Beginner

[RudeMood]

10 years. The approximate amount of time it took me to find martial arts instruction I WANTED to go to.

I had been offered classes in various styles when I was younger, mostly due to the presence of other family members in their respective schools. Yet, as I watched a series of family members learn flashy kicks and do massive amounts of calisthenics in class I couldn't help but think ... "meh." My interest was non-existent, and not only because it seemed to me that the Karate / TKD schools in my area, (the primary martial arts resident of most TX towns it seems.) All appeared to be carbon copies of each other, and most half focused on things I did in P.E. at the time.

Years later it was the instructors that put me off, either through blatant misrepresentation of themselves and/or their arts (I am thorough with my research), or what I considered to be outrageous pricing. One gentleman wanted my hard earned monies to the tune of $200 USD a month for a maximum of two lessons a week and no 1on1 time. Yuck. No thank you sir.

However, I was not to be deterred. My interest in the martial arts kept leading me back to the search for a place to train, with the familiar unsuccessful results. A relatively new location had set up not too far from my house, however, so I made an appearance in person to do some scouting. Admittedly, I had never given thought to going the FMA route beforehand, but after a pleasant chat and a surprisingly lengthy free demo ... I was hooked. I had read articles on Escrima before, and seen some video here and there in popular culture, but actually doing it with my own hands ...

So it is my pleasure to announce my excitement with my first post on this site:

I am stepping into the world of FMA world for my first "formal" training in the martial arts ever, , and I couldn't be happier at this moment.

As an aside, the other instructors for the other classes at the location also do Arnis / Escrima. I had a rocking good demo with the Danzan Ryu Jujitsu instructor as well, and hope to start up classes in that in the future should funds permit.

[Brian R. VanCise]

You should have a really good time and learn alot where you are going! Have a great time!

[nirgle]

So it is my pleasure to announce my excitement with my first post on this site:

I am stepping into the world of FMA world for my first "formal" training in the martial arts ever, , and I couldn't be happier at this moment.

Ah, are you sure you wish to embark on this path?

Welcome to BudoSeek and to a better life.

[DragonMind]

Kyle, welcome to the Dark Side

FMA is fun, painful, and outside the box. Let us know how your training is going and feel free if you have any questions. Enjoy.

[Mark Jordan]

Welcome to the forum, Kyle. It's good to hear that you've finally found what you want.
And yes, just as DragonMind said, if you have questions feel free to let us know. See you around.

[RudeMood]

Thank you for the positive response gentlemen. I start tonight officially, and look forward to getting work done today so I can go in already. =)
The class is pretty casual, so we'll be going at my / the other student's speed. I plan on doing my best, but really, don't we all?

[DragonMind]

I must confess I've never heard of that system of escrima before. I'd be interested to hear more about it.

[RudeMood]

I confess to what I consider a "movie attitude" on Tuesday, when I took my first class. We're all familiar with the general attitude the young hero tends to take upon meeting and/or training with the wizened Teacher the first time. You know the one, the "pfft, I'm in better shape than this slow, pudgy old man, I can do whatever he throws at me." Always our intrepid hero realizes his mistake quickly, and I am embarrassed to say that I fell into the same trap. To save my ego I'll just say: He put me through my paces.

DragonMind:

As I understand it it was a style of Escrima/Kuntao taught to my teacher during his time in the Navy. According to an old article I found doing my own research, it has some relation to Imua ShanTung KunTao, though it is its own separate system focusing more on/with Escrima. The article was written by my teacher, and appears in multiple places on the net. I shall quote it below since I can't link yet.


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"Understanding Imua Tamaraw Escrima Kuntao"
By Joel Morales

I was asked yesterday, "What is the belt system and how do I go up in rank"? There are 6 levels in my system of Imua Tamaraw Escrima Kuntao. The first level will take well over 1-1/2 years of learning and practicing to fully understand the aspects of the 9 Gates System. With diligent and constant practice, the system will teach the student. For example: A beginner student learns the basic kicks, front, side, roundhouse, and back/rear kick, then teacher challenges the student to come up with several two kick combinations, then three kick combos. If the student comes up with front kick-roundhouse-back kick while advancing using each leg and has not been taught the spinning back kick, then he gets the idea from the combination work and improves with practice under the eye of the teacher/guide. This is one of the teaching princples of the Imua Tamaraw. Example two, teacher shows beginner student the 9 gates striking pattern, it is the students first lesson. After explaining all angles of attack, while standing (showing to pivot and use hips) and some practice time, the teacher then tells the student the same pattern is not only in front of you, but at your sides, behind you and over head, and last but not least you are standing on it, futher explaining the attacker is at angle number 7 ( the top of the 9 gates pattern), and the student/defender is at number 9 on the pattern (center of the pattern). The student then learns one direction at a time what he can do to counter from that particular number on the pattern, in this case number one (top righthand-45* angle ( first 4 numbers form an X, 5-8 form a +, and 9 is the center). Attacker advances with a number one strike (since it is the attackers #1 strike, it will be coming toward the defender at the #2 angle), defender steps to his #1 with his right foot and executes and #1 strike to attackers weapon arm/hand/head. The student futher learns the targets on the attackers body and begins learning the range/distance/timing for that #1 position of the footwork pattern of the 9 Gates System. Teacher explains to student that striking can be blocking, using the idea of mirror imagining, using strikes 1 and 2 with partners, they learn and practice the downward figure 8, then the next lesson would be upward figure 8, the lessons after that would be to use the first 4 directions of the 9 gates footwork with these striking drills. These beginning drills both solo and with partners are also done while advancing (floor work) as well as the directions of the footwork pattern. When concidering the 9 directions of the footwork pattern, you might begin to understand how to progress and advance in knowledge of the 9 Gates System, and I haven't even mentioned the blocking pattern of the system, or empty hands, or double sticks, takedowns and follow-ups, control techniques or other weapons. So you can see that advancing in rank takes time and every 6 months I will give students a certificate with how many hours of class/training time he/she has, and if the student stays and fully learns, I will award the appropriate rank/title the students deserve when the time comes. If classes were held every day for three hours a day, five days a week and once in awhile on sat. and the student came to all classes with out fail, they would most certainly reach and attain Black Belt status.

The name of this martial art is "Imua Tamaraw Escrima Kuntao". This was taught to me by Lino Rodriguz, of Merced,Calif. I learned from him in the mid 70's during ''A" school while in the US Navy. His teacher was Sijo Abrecsy, who learnd Escrima from his Uncle and was also with Tai Sifu Otto VanDeergoen of the Imua Shang Tang Kuntao. In a sense we are sort of related to that system, of which I really do not know how they teach that system, but it is well run under Master Armando Soto. Imua as it is understood, is Polynesian/Hawaiin, and means advancing, aggressive, and or progressive, Tamaraw is a very, very endangered spieces of wild water buffalo found only on a remote island in the Phillippines. This patictular animal is said to be an agressive beast that doesn't back down when threatened, and it is to this attribute that the style was named for. Though I have thru my martial arts journey several Black Belts in different systems including Hapkido, Kenpo, Tang Soo Do, And Taekwondo, I teach the style with no other FMA influences ( I have been to several seminars of PTK, and Doce Pares). The closest that resembles this style is the BahadZuBu that my good friend Mike Blackgrave teaches under Master Yuli Romo. The other weapons that I teach in Imua Tamaraw are, sai, tonfa, staff, spear, kwan dao, and the three section staff(both little and large). I teach of course using again the 9 Gates System, and not with outside influence like some other styles' forms or katas, only the patictulars of the weapon, its specific uses, techniques according to the "concepts" of the 9 Gates. In the past I have worked with other Instructors who wanted to learn "sticks", I enjoy teaching advanced martial artist in a whole different enviorment, at my home for an afternoon or evening while cooking outdoors in a friendly family type setting, or on a road trip to the beach (only 3 hours away). Imua Tamaraw at advanced stages is to be practice and taught in the manner just mentioned, in a family gathering way.

Imua Tamarwa Escrima is a complete style, that fits into any style of empty hand martial art and can help others understand thier own martial art. The basis of Imua Tamaraw can be the same for all one step techniques, Kenpo techniques and even Hapkido techniques (but that is for maybe another article).