Abenir Kali

ABENIR KALI

2010-07-06T04:41:00.000-07:00

Abenir Kali System is primarily a blade based martial art which derives its bulk of techniques and fighting principles in the arts of Kalis Ilustrisimo, Yaw-Yan, other FMA styles and Pencak Silat. The founder Master Bong Abenir had fused these systems in order to come up with his own training system and also added techniques and strategies discovered effective during live sparring. Most of the techniques that were effective during a full sparring session without protective gear were thoroughly observed whether its efficiency were replicated many times and would therefore include it as part of its repertoire of techniques and skills to be practiced and developed over and over until it becomes an automatic response. The founder believes that during a fight wherein everything is sudden and happening so fast that you may not have time to think but instead rely on your quick reaction to any attack or situation you are in.
"The empty hand fighting system could be practiced anytime at any stage or level of the practitioner"

The weapons progression is used in conjunction with the empty hand training progression of the system in order for the practitioner to get a "complete education" in the variables possible with the major techniques in and tactics employed in Filipino Fighting Arts.

The major characteristic of Abenir Kali is efficiency. It is a very pragmatic and practical system which applies the laws of physics and psychology. It does not waste time with unnecessary movements but instead goes right through the heart of the problem when dealing with an adversary. We make sure that the practitioner is able to fight or defend himself in just a few sessions of training within the system. Although it does not mean achieving mastery of the skills and techniques within the system in such a short period of time but rather the skill and confidence during a street encounter is what we are after (learn to fight first, then work on the finer points of the art later). That is we do a lot of drills during the first sessions and help the student analyze the different strategies and tactics that could be employed during a street fight. It does not matter much how well you execute the techniques during a fight as long as it scores or hits the target. People are not concerned on how beautiful or skillful you employ your techniques but whether who is left standing during the encounter. After learning these things, only then comes the formal training for the purpose of mastery and teaching of the system.

PRINCIPLES OF ABENIR KALI

-Don't waste moves, be flexible. A parry which does not incorporate an attack is wasteful movement.
-The defense is an attack, an attack is a defense
-Hit,hit,hit until the opponent is no longer a threat to your safety.
-Avoid wide movements but use centerline theory in order to deliver your blows without telegraphing your attack as well as your defense.
-Wrist locks and disarming techniques are only incidental. A hit could cause a disarm that only counts as 1 beat which is faster and more practical to use than complicated locks during a heated encounter especially against multiple opponents.
-Hand techniques should correspond with your footwork.
-Hit the nearest and the open targets presented to you.
-Only engage in a fight if no other option or escape in order to avoid it is possible.
-Run if you must, fight if you must, whatever you do, do it decisively and quickly.

ABENIR KALI STICKFIGHTING

The founder of the art decided to explore more on the other side of Kali which is stick fighting with punches, elbows, knees, kicks and sweeps. We have posted a clip in youtube wherein both players fight with protective gear but allow the use of hand and foot techniques so as to turn the sparring session of Kali more intense, technical and explosive. Unlike the modern sport of Arnis where we see two players just banging up each other with padded sticks and turns the whole game of Arnis into a boring and sometimes even senseless match. You rarely see the fighters put up a good defense but rather they just keep on relentlessly attacking each other hoping to earn more points than the other. Do that in a real fight and you’ll probably beat the hell out of the other guy but you yourself might also end up in a very bad situation by having a lot of bruises, cuts and broken bones all over. And with this kind of sparring format there is more freedom of techniques to be used and it will also blot out most of the skeptics comment whether an arnisador or eskrimador would still be an effective fighter once he loses his sticks. Although it is a fact that FMA do have hand to hand techniques but still most of the uninformed would think that it is only stick fighting and nothing more. That is probably why a lot of Filipinos would rather take up other hand to hand arts because they don’t see much within our won martial art and watching most tournaments held here makes the impression a lot worse. I was present on two separate occasions where an Arnis tournament is being held and I heard a lot of negative comments by onlookers. The worse comment I’ve heard were from a group of young men who said “walang kwenta naman pala panoorin ito, hampasan lang ng hampasan ng mga ulo na parang mga bata! (This is not worth watching, they just keep banging each other’s head up like kids!) With that said, I left the place knowing why most Filipinos don’t seem to have interest in taking up Arnis, Kali or Escrima

Panunumpa ng isang Kalisador (OATH OF KALI)

Ako ay isang kalisador, nanunumpang hindi gagamitin sa kasaamaan ang aking kaalaman. Ipinapangako ko na gagamiting lamang upang ipagtanggol ang mga naapi at maging aking sarili sa oras ng pangangailangan. Ako’y magiging mapag mahal sa aking kapwa at mananatiling tapat na lingkod ng aking inang lupa.

2008-07-23T04:02:00.000-07:00

FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS.
By Bong Abenir

Arnis, Escrima , Kali and Kalis

Are Martial Arts which have its origins in the Philippines. The practitioners of these arts emphasize the use of blunt, projectile, hand to hand and bladed weapons. Projectile weapons may refer to spears, bow and arrow, blow guns and knives. (It does not include plates, glass, spoon, fork and other kitchen wares which Filipina wives throw at their husbands during marital warfare.)

Arnis de mano is the term commonly used to refer to the Filipino Martial Art. It is a corruption of the Spanish word “Arnes” that refers to the various means by which armor was strapped on.

Escrima is also from the Spanish word “Esgrima” which means “Fencing”, it is a sword fighting art through which the older masters of the blade-based Filipino Martial Art prefer to call it.

Kali is a modern term used to refer to the Filipino Martial Art which probably may refer to the term “Pagkali-kali” in describing the locked talon-jousts of eagles in mid-air. Others have given their explanations as to the origin of the term. However this new term is not familiar to most of the Filipino Masters here in the Philippines although it is widely used in foreign countries.

Kalis is a term which means sword. A preferred term used by one of the factions between the Ilustrisimo groups. “Kalis Ilustrisimo” headed by Master Antonio Diego says that the term is more appropriate for Antonio Ilustrisimo’s art due to its blade based orientation.

All these are now interchangeable terms which describe blade, stick and empty hand way of the Filipino Martial Art or FMA.

History of Arnis

Nobody really knows the true origin of Arnis (But we Filipinos know more about the legend of the banana tree!) since there were no written treatises on the art before the twentieth century. And this is probably due to the fact that most of the written documents our ancestors had were burned by the Spaniards and also since it was outlawed by their officials that the practice of the art went underground and its masters and practitioners reduced to doing roles as fight choreographers and actors on theatrical performances during Moro-Moro stage plays which depicts combat between Christians and Muslims. Although for sure we had a martial art which was being used by our ancestors in order to protect each other either from other tribes or warring clans and from foreign invaders. That is why we have the story between the fight from the army of Magellan and the legendary Lapu-Lapu and his warriors. Nobody knows exactly what kind of martial arts they were using or if they even had a name for it……but it’s quite clear that they knew how to fight well. As for the claim of others that Kali is the term used before Arnis and Escrima, it is still a matter of debate and thus needs further investigation.

However there were references to the art by the likes of Jose Rizal when he studied Arnis as a young lad and even included it on his school curriculum when he set up one during his exile in Dapitan. We also have other well known historical figures such as Juan and Antonio Luna and Marcelo H. del Pilar who were known to have studied and practiced the art. An epic called Florante at Laura by Balagtas also mentions the term Arnis as a form of martial art.

Today we have seen the Filipino Martial Art featured on both local and international films such as Kamagong, Mano-Mano, Bourne Sequels, Mission Impossible 3, and the Hunted. There are also a lot of instructional videos and numerous reading materials found in the internet and books written about it. It has now become one of the most in-demand and popular Martial Art in the United States and Europe. Thanks to the likes of Dan Inosanto, Romy Macapagal, Antonio Diego, Mark Wiley, The Dog Brothers, Leo Gaje, Bobby Taboada, Edgar Sulite, Christopher Ricketts and others who had popularized the art by exposing it to the public thru seminars, instructional videos, magazines and books.

History or rather stories by many of its masters and practitioners are often made up or not always trustworthy since most of their claims regarding the origin of their art are often shrouded in mysteries such as masters who dreamt of being taught by enchanted spirits, and others who traveled many treacherous mountains and learned their skills either through a beautiful blind princess or a hermit. (I am dying to hear stories of those who learned Arnis from a very ugly princess without arms and legs or those who dreamt of learning from an enchanted frog…..iyan ang usapang lasing o mga kwentong barbero, hehehe)

Thanks to authors like Mark Wiley who have made a thorough investigation of the history of the Filipino Martial Art that we have now a scholarly study of the subject. His book “Filipino Martial Culture” is a good reading material. We also have other good sources which come from Filipino authors like Rey Galang and Edgar Sulite.

Forms of Arnis, Escrima and Kali/s

Solo Baston or single stick is a form which an arnisador uses a stick measuring about twenty to thirty inches long, with a diameter of an inch. The free hand is used for parrying, striking and snatching the weapon from the enemy.

Doble Baston is using two sticks with equal length and is wielded with skill. Another term for the movements used for wielding two sticks is called sinawali.

Espada y Daga is a form which uses a sword and a dagger and got its influence from Spanish sword play using such weapons.

Kutsilyo or Baraw is the form of using a knife in which the skills used by the Filipinos in wielding this weapon is highly regarded as a very practical and functional way of fighting with a knife. It also employs the handling of two knives.

Mano-Mano is the empty hand form which employs the use of punches, elbows, knees, kicks and grappling skills. Many do not know that this particular phase of Arnis, Escrima and Kali/s is included in the curriculum. Thinking that the art is purely weapons oriented, but the truth is that it is a complete fighting system where empty hand and weapons training are emphasized to become a well-rounded martial artist.

There are also fighting systems which is indigenous in the Philippines that does not emphasize the use of sticks or bladed weapons such as Sikaran, Yaw-Yan, Dumog and others that are based on empty hand combat. Although they do have some training in weaponry, it is not their main focus. (We also have what we call “Sayo na tsi” which is basically a running art wherein you give your slippers to your opponent and run!-“Sayo na Tsinelas Ko!” hahaha Duwag!)

Why train with such primitive weapons?

We are in a world where guns are used in order to do the job of either using it for self-defense or for committing crimes effectively and for keeping law and order as well. All it takes is a well aimed shot and a good squeeze to trigger the bullet inside the ammo, and that’s it! The problem is, not all could afford to buy himself one and keep it around his person anywhere, all the time. You also need to go through a psychological test before you get a clearance and a license to buy a gun if you happen to have the money for it. Maybe you could settle to buy low quality ammo made from danao (just make sure that the bullet fires at the direction of your assailant and not you!) So leave these to those who could afford to buy and who really need to use it, such as law enforcers and law breakers? Hehehe.

A well trained Arnisador is not limited to using sticks and knives as a means for fighting. He is able to pick up anything such as pens, books, keys, umbrellas, stones, pipes, magazines, trash cans, pool cue (save the pillow fights for kids) or whatever is available and effectively turn it into a weapon provided that he has trained himself to use these things. The weapon an Arnisador holds could be used effectively to defend himself provided that he knows the limitations of whatever weapon is at hand. (Well with some exception of course. Don’t expect an Arnisador to hold a banana and fight someone with a knife! Tsk, tsk,tsk delikado ka iho.)

Training with weapons helps one develop the necessary attributes such as Coordination, speed, strength and power. It also helps in reducing ones fear when faced with a bladed weapon such as the bolo or knife or when up against someone holding a baseball bat or a lead pipe or a broken glass, ice pick, or a light saber?. It equips you with the necessary skills and courage to help you deal with these kinds of situation wherein you have to defend someone or yourself for that matter. And a weapons oriented person is likely to survive than someone without knowledge on handling a weapon when it comes to combat. (But always remember that the best thing to do whenever confronted with an armed assailant is to find a way to get out of his way and run like hell!)

Belting System in the Filipino Martial Arts

Pedro Reyes one of my teachers in Arnis, told me that the only thing a belt does is to hold your pants up (what color that maybe.) Well…..that’s probably true when we’re talking about what we usually practice here in our country, where we don’t normally issue belts to our students but rather we just let our students keep on practicing until he or she becomes proficient in the art and finds himself an apprentice to pass on the art. Or if a student suddenly realizes that he has been hanging around with him for too long then that’s his time to go his on way.

But of course there are others such as Modern Arnis who adopted the beltings system which could also be very helpful when it comes to student evaluation whether he or she has been learning the art properly and in accordance to the principles, guidelines and techniques found within the system or style.

Probably the craziest thing adopted by some systems is by using the terms used by tribal ethnic groups such as datu or village chieftain to signify their ranks on their system. I won’t be surprised if one day the term alkalde, konsehal and senador would be used as well….susmaryosep!

As for me it’s not what color of your belt that counts, but what you can give when it comes to sparring or fighting. You may have a black belt wrapped around your person but if you can’t fight, then that’s just what it is, a thing to hold your pants up.

Stick fighting and knife fight are two different things

I have heard a lot of old-timers in Filipino Martial Art Circle says that learning how to use the stick will automatically give you the ability to translate it’s techniques into knife work or whatever impact or edged weapon you are using. I do believe that there are similarities with the movements being used for each weapon but then again it also has its differences. And by knowing this simple fact would give you an understanding of up to what point a certain weapon is effective and where its limitations lie. (It could even save your life!)

Knowing how to wield a stick does not mean that you know how to wield a knife effectively. First of all a stick is an impact weapon, and the way you generate force in order to use it effectively as a weapon is very much different from a knife which is designed to cut, thrust or hack that requires a different kind of timing and handling compared to the stick or any kind of impact and edged weapon for that matter. No amount of stick fighting would prepare a student for knife work not unless he trains in the use of such weapons. So the assumption that learning how to use a stick could be easily translated into knife work or vise versa is not true. Although they might argue that the angles are the same and movement are the same is true but the law of physics when it comes to the use of different kinds weapons says it isn’t. Try wielding a stick and a bolo or a jungle knife and you’ll know what I mean.

Defanging the snake (Weapons disarming techniques)

This particular skill which is used to help the students learn how to eject a weapon out of the opponent’s hand or to use nerve destructions is easier said and done during practice drills than actually doing it during sparring and real fighting. Although this may be a good tool to add variety to your training. But to spend and focus much of your time practicing these techniques is not very practical. Even old timers in these business would tell you that it is very difficult to pull off during sparring much less during an actual fight due to it’s complex nature, I think it is better to focus more on practicing effective altercation moves in order to finish it off as soon as possible or to create an opening where you could safely get out of that dangerous situation. Don’t think much of how to eject that knife out of the assailants hand but rather think of the fastest way out or if that is not possible then get a hold of something and I mean anything that could help you equalize things or to be of an advantage by having a more effective weapon is turning the odds into your favor. Imagine the shock of your assailant who points a Rambo type knife in front of you when you suddenly pulled out a grenade! (hehehe exaggerated but I hope you get my point)

Aliveness

An old martial arts teacher told me that sparring is of no real value in actual combat because it has nothing much to do what a thug or criminal would do in a real situation and he continues to say blah blah blah and all sorts of lame excuses to justify his belief regarding the matter. Well I never believed him and continued too be an advocate of what I refer to as “aliveness” which means that you go duke it out with your sparring partner and see what works and what fails during a quasi combat encounter with your fellow martial artist. That means that you get hit and he gets hit and both suddenly realize that you sometimes go home with a bruise here and there and it feels good. Although I believe that it is not the only tool you could use for practicing your skills but I really believe it to be an essential part of martial arts training. Sparring teaches you a lot about timing, being able to read your opponent’s mind and countering his attack, when and how to attack effectively, knowing and exploiting your opponent’s strength and weaknesses and knowing yours as well. It also helps you to understand and feel pain when you get hit and what it means to fight under pressure!

I was once in U.P. Diliman with my student and we were there to demonstrate what my system was all about. Of course there were other groups too who were invited to demonstrate. I got so tired of seeing techniques being done over and over in a pre arranged setting while everybody was intently watching these people. I really had nothing against them and I do respect their arts but when it comes to demonstrating what my system is all about then I would have to really show it. So after a few words of introduction I then instructed my student to go live! Well we did stick sparring, knife fighting and hand to hand without any armor or protective gear and I got hit, my student got hit and everybody was silent. That’s ALIVENESS folks!

ABENIR KALI CURRICULUM

2007-03-04T17:55:00.000-08:00

I SYSTEMA NG PAGGAMIT NG SANDATA (Weapons System)
a)KALIS (Sword Fighting)
b)DOBLE KALIS (Two Swords Fighting Techniques)
c)BARAW/KUTSILYO (Knife Fighting System)
d)DOBLE BARAW/KUTSILYO (Fighting with 2 Knives)
e)DOS MANOS (Fighting) with a long sword)

II SYSTEMA NG PAKIKIPAGLABAN NA WALANG SANDATA (Empty Hand System)
a)PAGGAMIT NG ULO,SIKO,DALIRI AT TUHOD (Head butts, knees, Finger jab and elbows)
b)SUNTOK AT SIKAD (Punching and kicking techniques)
c)DEPENSA CONTRA BARAW (Disarming,ejection,wrist locks and return to sender)
d)BUNO AT MGA TRANCADA (Throws,takedowns,strangulation,joint manipulation)

"The empty hand fighting system could be practiced anytime at any stage or level of the practitioner"

The weapons progression is used in conjunction with the empty hand training progression of the system in order for the practitioner to get a "complete education" in the variables possible with the major techniques in and tactics employed in Filipino Warrior Arts.

The major characteristics of the Abenir Kali is efficiency. It is a very pragmatic and practical system which applies the laws of physics and psychology. It does not waste time with unnecessary movements but instead goes right through the heart of the problem when dealing with an adversary. We make sure that the practitioner is able to fight or defend himself in just a few sessions of training withing the system. Although it does not mean achieving mastery of the skills and techniques within the system in such a short period of time but rather the know how and confidence during a street encounter is what we are after (learn to fight first,then work on the finer points of the art later). That is why we do away with a lot of drills during the first sessions but instead we help the student analyze the different strategies and tactics that could be employed during a street fight. It does not matter much how well you execute the techniques during a fight as long as it scores or hits the target. People are not concerned on how beautiful or skillful you employ your techniques but whether who is left standing during the encounter. After learning these things, only then comes the formal training for the purpose of mastery and teaching of the system.

-Don't waste moves, be flexible. A parry which does not incorporate an attack is wasteful movement.
-The defense is an attack, an attack is a defense
-Hit,hit,hit until the opponent is no longer a threat to your safety.
-Avoid wide movements but use centerline theory in order to deliver your blows without telegraphing your attack as well as your defense.
-Wrist locks and disarming techniques are only incidental. A hit could cause a disarm that only counts as 1 beat which is faster and more practical to use than complicated locks during a heated encounter especially against multiple opponents.
-Hand techniques should correspond with your footwork.
-Hit the nearest and the open targets presented to you.
-Only engage in a fight if no other option or escape in order to avoid it is possible.
-Run if you must, Fight if you must, whatever you do, do it decisively and quickly.

(Bong Abenir)

SAFE IN THE CITY

2007-03-02T15:31:00.002-08:00

By Bong Abenir

In this article we are going to look at some of the possible dangers that may arise on the street and public places and suggest effective ways on how to deal with these situations. One does not have to act paranoid by constantly eyeing on every stranger although it is necessary to stay alert and prepared at all times.

Public Transportation
In the Philippines not many can afford to own cars because it is still considered a luxury. So it is quite common for people to wait and endure long lines in order to get a ride and the irritation that goes along with a fully loaded public transport. This is the situation where pickpockets and robbers thrive.

I had a one time experience when I was riding a jeepney going to Sta. Ana and a fellow passenger (turned out to be the pickpocket) sitting beside me started to put his hand in his pocket as if to get some money to pay for the fare. Suddenly I felt that he was leaning too much on my side so my instinct told me something was not right. I held on to my wallet and found that it was almost half way out out of my pocket. Quickly I grabbed my wallet and looked at the guy and in an instant he jumped out from his seat and went on to ride a motorcycle that was tailing us. Apparently, he had someone with him who was ready to assist his escape after robbing passengers.
Physical techniques may not be needed all the time especially when you're in a situation where everyone is packed like sardines inside a train (like the LRT during rush hour) and you find the next guy breathing down your neck trying to rob you. This is a difficult situation because an escape route may not be accessible and you may end up getting hurt since this guy is usually accompanied by other men. So awareness and staying alert is what one needs to prevent this from happening. I s much wiser to just get off when you sense danger and take another ride.

Rest Rooms
The ladies room could be a potentially dangerous place especially when it's located at the far end of the mall. It is better to be accompanied by another female companion when going inside these places. Males should also be aware because there may be potential attackers in the men's room ready to stick a knife at you when you are doing your thing in the urinals. In short, stay alert.

Movie Theatres
When entering a movie theatre scan the area before taking a seat. Pause for a while with your back against a wall and let your eyes adjust to the dark theatre, then scan the whole area and look for rows where there are other moviegoers. Avoid isolated areas since these are the best spots for would be criminals to hide. It is much safer to be with a friend or companion because this sometimes act as a deterrent against criminals who more often than not choose victims who are and alone and situated in a vulnerable area.

Approaching you Car
If you happen to own one, it is best to scan the place where you parked the car for suspicious looking characters. If you sense potential danger look for a roving guard in the area and seek help. But if you are caught off guard and put in a helpless situations, then by all means do whatever is necessary to defend yourself. Your car keys may prove to be handy in such situations as it can be used to poke the eye of the assailant or rake his face. This will buy you some time to run and ask for assistance.

Entering your Home
Remember the incident where the house of a movie actor was infiltrated by armed men who tried to rob hi. Eventually , the situation was reversed when the actor was able to get hold of his gun and went after the robbers, killing one of them. The robbers entered the gates of his home by timing their assault when the maid was about to close the gate.
This is a common tactic among robbers which requires perfect timing. In this situation be aware of your surroundings and check out places along the perimeter where potential attackers may lie waiting. Exercise common sense by not letting strangers into your home. Ask for identification when accepting packages or mail. When in doubt, tell the delivery man to leave the package in front of the door or simply ask them to come back some other day. Remember even a tough guy can't do anything much when a man is pointing a gun at him. So it is best to use one's common sense to avoid such situations.

Rapid Journal Vol. 9 No.1 ISSN 0118-4113

Pointers on Street Combat

2007-03-01T22:25:00.000-08:00

By Bong Abenir

There are many reasons for learning joint manipulation techniques and strangle holds. They can be used as an effective self-defense method in some situation. They can be applied as restraints or arrest techniques when necessary. They can be useful in controlling or injuring a person to a certain degree and most of all they can serve as a bargaining position through which you could talk some sense to the other guy to stop whatever foolish thing he is attempting to do.
In my own personal opinion, these techniques are actually incidental in nature which means they can only be applied when the opportunity presents itself. Never engage on a street fight looking for a lock or a strangle hold. What I mean is that they should not be used as your primary tool for self-defense. Hitting with a barrage of elbows, knees, eye jabs and kicks will serve you better when it comes to a street fight especially when dealing with multiple attackers. It would even be better to grab a hold on to something which could be used as a weapon or as an effective equalizer should the assailants be armed with knives or other tools to be used as weapon.
Most real fights last less than ten seconds. There is seldom an exchange of technique between combatants or what we refer to as fakes, feinting, trappings and other maneuvers that are only used as drills or those that are executed in study sparring and tournaments. As in almost all fights, the guy who lands the first telling blow is usually the one who wins.
Against someone who is potentially dangerous and who constantly engage himself to troubles or does criminal acts as his way of living, it would be very risky to depend on locks and holds as your first line of defense. This is especially true if you are just a beginner in the martial arts because even to those who have achieved a high skill in the application of these techniques in the dojo finds it very difficult to apply these skills against a very aggressive opponent who happens to be punching, kicking, elbowing or even biting, simultaneously. It becomes even more difficult if you were up against two or more attackers. It would be like trying to catch three soccer balls in order to protect your goal. Forget what you see in the movies or even in the Ultimate Fighting championship for this matter because were talking about the real thing where everything is unrehearsed, goes without rules, no referees, no audience, no tap outs and no time limits. This is the world where guns, knives, broken bottles, tires and even trash cans can be used.
Please don’t get me wrong. I am not implying that application of these techniques, if applied securely and in full force could be your opponents worst nightmare because were talking about broken bones and NDE (Near Death Experience) choke hold. What I am trying to point out is that you should not rely on the locks and holds too much or use them as a primary tool in a street fight. The use of these technique as complete defense is limited to situations in which the adversary is drunk, moving at snail’s pace, or the attacker is not vicious and of course, you would prefer to use these techniques if your ‘best’ friend suddenly flips out and tries to kick your head. It is much wiser to incorporate these locks and holds together with striking methods in order to become more effective in self defense situations. The best equation would be to hit-hit-hit then lock, if necessary, and not lock-lock-lock, then hit.
Always remember that in most instances in street attacks, the prudent behavior is to escape as quickly as possible. If strikes such as head butts, knees and elbows are to be used, there is often no need to apply restraining techniques or strangle holds.

RAPID JOURNAL vol.7 no.4 ISSN 0118-4113 Page 37

Lethal Points

2007-02-26T20:49:00.000-08:00

There are various points on the human body that are vulnerable that if they are struck with even a moderate amount of force would result in excruciating pain or death. Martial artist are aware of the location of these points which help them to develop defenses to avoid being hit in these areas. It also serves them well by striking the assailants in these points in the interest of personal safety. Whenever physical confrontation occurs the most logical way to defend is to apply simple techniques that would easily connect to the assailant’s vital areas. This would either slow him down or knock him off quickly in order to escape, control or terminate the fight as fast as possible.

Tools to use:
1. Finger jab to the eyes – if the assailants is temporarily blinded, he will have a hard time trying to complete the assault against you. This particular offensive move can be applied effectively at punching or at trapping range.
2. Knee strike to the groin – this particular point of the male anatomy has been emphasized in many self-defense books due to its effective result. But many people including some martial artist tend to neglect guarding this area.
3. Elbow to the nose bridge – even a slight pressure to this area could cause excruciating pain. It would usually cause the nose to bleed and eyes to water which eventually blurs the assailant’s vision.
4. Strike to the windpipe (trachea) using the edge of the hand (knife or ridge hand) – the function of the windpipe is to let air from the nasal area come in and spread to the rest of the body to be converted into energy. Hitting this area would cause choking that might lead to unconsciousness.
5. Downward elbow thrust to the kidney area – should the assailant tackle you by grabbing both of your legs this would expose his back and you could hit this area effectively. This area is vulnerable because it is not supported or protected by the skeletal bones or muscles.
6. Hell stomp to the instep of the foot – this is probably be most useful technique to break away from an assailants when held from behind.
7. Downward thrust hell kick to the kneecap (patella) – although not the easiest spot to hit, it would easily put an assailant down and keep him in that position. but it is not only effective if you are able to hit successfully. According to some experts it would only take seven pounds of pressure to break the kneecap.
8. Elbow strike to the temple – a blow to this area could stun, render unconscious or even be fatal depending on the amount of force applied.
9. Knife hand strike to the neck – delivered forcefully a blow to this area could cut the flow of blood supply to the brain temporarily causing lost of consciousness.
10. knee strike aimed at the floating rib – this area could easily break when hit forcefully and is preferred to the stomach because it is not supported by muscles.

Lethal Points
by: Bong Abenir
RAPID JOURNAL vol. 8 no. 3 ISSN 0118-4113 Page 27

Rules of Engagement

2007-02-26T20:46:00.000-08:00

What if…
You just took a short cut through the alley behind the parking lot because you’re very much in a hurry to get home and it is already getting late at night. As you walk alone in this dark alley, you notice a group of men standing besides a post drinking and smoking about 50 feet away from you. Suddenly you have this strange feeling inside your gut as if there’s a big knot, and then your heart starts pounding fast. What will you do?

What if…
You were walking along the street and suddenly someone grabbed you from behind with a knife pointed right through your neck and you realize he is not alone and then he starts asking for your wallet. What will you do?

What if…
You were suddenly confronted by a stranger who starts shouting at you and pushing you in order to provoke a fight. What will you do?

What if…
You found yourself trapped in a corner with a knife-wielding assailant who had just cut the throat of another guy. What will you do?

What is Self-Defense?
You don’t have to become a Bruce Lee or Steven Seagal in order to learn self-defense. Neither do you have to possess the strength of a bear or be a heavily-muscled guy like Arnold Swarzenegger. Although it is good to be in great shape and possess the skills and strength of martial artist, what you really need is a logical, practical and effective way of protecting yourself without getting involved in time consuming discipline or learning from a master who instructs you to “dance” for so many years and say that only then will you be allowed to learn the fighting techniques of his style (talk about patience!).
Although there are martial arts such as pencak silat, jujitsu and judo that are highly effective for self defense, it would be practical for most men and women who lead very busy lives. Most ordinary people do not have enough time to go two or three times a week in a dojo and practice for two to three hours and have a life long commitment in order to learn how to defend themselves properly. Not even signing up for a ten-day street fighting course will offer much help in achieving this goal.
The best method should be based on the use of common sense and the use of a “natural weapon” that everyone possesses whatever size, shape or age one might be. A “natural weapon” is the normal human instinct of self-preservation or what others refer to as ‘killer instinct’ – used with control. Much like the instinct of a rat that fights ferociously against a big cat when it is trapped in a corner. But, of course, more often than not, you may never have to fight aggressively or resort to the use of physical skills when you can use avoidance, evade and escape methods or other common sense means.
Common Sense Rules of Self-Defense
1. Listen to your gut. Very often, when something is wrong you get to have a strange feeling about it. You may feel as if there are butterflies in your stomach or a big knot tied around your waist. This is an important warning signal that tells you to leave the place, to take an alternative route, to avoid a stranger, or simply to look for a crowded place to escape from danger. Many times our instinct or gut feels knows that there is danger lurking even before our mind does.
2. If you are confronted especially by an armed assailants or a group of gang members. Do what comes naturally – shout for help and run like mad.
3. Don’t look like a sorry victim. A person like this sends out messages to potential assailants indicating that they would not defend themselves or are too scared to do anything when confronted. Don’t walk around projecting an image of a person with low self-esteem or no self-confidence. You would be setting yourself up as an easy target. Instead you should project an image of confidence with head held up as you walk the streets. This feeling of confidence which eventually manifest in the way you talk and move discourages would-be attackers making them think twice before they make a move.
4. Use good communication skills. The way you speak is an important part of self-defense strategy. In a heated argument, a lot of fights are avoided if one only talked calmly. If the other person keeps shouting at you in return be confident but speak in soft and calm manner, it may help in making the other person realize what an idiot he is trying to intimidate or provoke you when he gets the impression that you are not going to succumb to his threat.
5. If all your rhetoric fails you, the final option is to fight back. You have to be prepared to use physical techniques to enable you to escape in such situations. Whenever evade and escape is not possible, resort to using engage and escape for this matter. What to use in engage and escape tactics will be discussed in the next issue.

Rules of Engagement
by:Bong Abenir
RAPID JOURNAL vol.8 no.2 ISSN 0118-4113 Page 26-27

preparation for street combat

2007-02-26T20:43:00.000-08:00

It is not unusual to hear about a martial artist who has won trophies and medals from tournaments but ending up badly beaten in a street confrontation with someone who only had little or no martial arts training at all. Why? The reason for this is that most tournament fighters train only for combat competitions which emphasize technique to score points, rather than techniques for self-defense. There is no denying that the more sparring experience one has the greater his confidence and preparation is to face an adversary. However, a tournament fight is still a game and not the real thing and losing in a real encounter may mean losing ones life.
Most tournament fights emphasize offensive attacks in order to score points. These fights tend to neglect defensive tactics; instead one often sees competitors just throwing their tools at one another without paying much attention to protecting the body from getting hit just as long as one scores more points than the other.
Another fact is that in tournament fighting attacks to vital areas such as the groin and eyes are considered illegal. I am not proposing a change in rules to allow such attacks. But my point is training for tournaments which disallow such attacks can be detrimental to one’s training for self-defense where in actual combat these prohibited areas of attack are often used by assailants. So it would be wise to spend some time learning to properly protect these vulnerable areas. It could also mean learning to raise your guard all the time instead of habitually dropping them, as most tournament fighters often do in order to encourage the opponent to initiate an attack and eventually fall into a set up where one applies a good counter. A competitive martial artist with such predisposition may actually be setting himself up as an easy target instead. One must not neglect to practice these self protective techniques in order to do them instinctively in case one encounters such situations in the street.
Now it does not mean that just because a martial artist has built the habit of protecting these vital areas one would automatically be invulnerable to attacks from an experienced street fighter. One should also adopt a street fighter’s mentality as well. In order to gain advantage, one should train properly in attacking these same vital areas of the opponent. The only way to do this is by constant drilling and sparring all out with the use of protective equipment. This way one gets to train effectively and safely.
Although many would frown and comment negatively with regard to the employment of such tactics, it is my strong conviction to continue teaching and using these methods to allow my students a better chance of surviving out there. One is better off getting ahead in self-defense situations rather than ending up as a sorry victim or worse dead in such encounters.
Remember fighting is ugly. No one wants to get into a fight, but when one is forced or pushed into it, it had better be done well. Now ask yourself this question, “when someone wants to harm you or your love ones, what will you do?”
Train hard my friend!

preparation for street combat
by:bong abenir
RAPID JOURNAL Vol. 8 No. 1 page 40-41 ISSN 0118-4113