to all eskrima students...

[parapa-da-rappa]

wassup yall!
im plannin on taking private lessons in eskrima but first i wanted to ask you guys what everybody likes about eskrima. im hoping to learn more about my culture through taking classes but im also hoping to improve myself physically and mentally. to all the students here, what are the benefits you've seen in yourselves physically and mentally? is there anything you don't like about it? with or without weapons, is this style effective in defending yourself? has anyone ever have to actually use it and what was the outcome? what should i expect from my first couple of classes? i know these are a lot of questions but any help or advice is greatly appreciated. thanks in advance!

[JKD-Escrima]

I have found it to be an excellent emans of defense. With more training it is impressive to see how all the techniques tie in together. The open hand techniques are very similar to the weapons techniques, and the footwork is superb.
It may be complicated at first, and frustrating, not as much if it is not your first martial art.
As far as mental and physical conditioning goes, it's all what you put into it.
The more dedicated you are, the better your results will be.
Where do you live? In California there are a variety of quality schools, several that I have been to personally.
You said you wanted to get in touch with your culture, are you Filipino?
If so, ask some family members if they can teach you, tell you about it. I have yet to meet older islnaders that don't know a thing or two about it.

[adacas]

eskrima is the bomb shizznadi for shawdi. It complements any other art that you may be taking or plan on taking and is very effective. It wouldn't be trained to the marines and other military groups if it wasn't. There are so many individual styles that it is mind boggling. You will learn how to utilize many different weapons depending on your instructors style from sticks, bangkaw (staff), knives, spears, swords, espada y daga (sword and dagger), etc. The empty hand methods are great and the disarms are the coolest ever. I'm a huge fan of sharp and shiny objects so eskrima was only a natural choice for me. Why buy all those knives for a collection and not know how to use them? I would give eskrima two thumbs up except for the fact that I lost one of them while training with the knives...jk

[kodankan]

escrimas are so much based in reality that they are possibly the greates weapons to learn

[RapidAssault16]

Arnis rocks!

I've studied Muay Thai in Bangkok.... Jeet Kune Do, Boxing, and Grappling in the USA...but the one form of martial arts that I have stuck with the most with the most enthusiasm are the Filipino Martial Arts. After training for a while in Manila, and coming back to the US...I must say that the Filipino arts are the most ideal for me.

A word of advice: After training in both Manila and in the US...I must say that there are a LOT of different Arnis styles, and you're gonna wanna stop and ask yourself: "What do I want out of this?" Some styles are more oriented toward tournament competition. Others are strictly for self-preservation. Others are more designed for recreational purposes. Some styles of arnis are totally comprised of just drills (sumbrada, sinawali, etc.)You should look into researching the different styles before officially signing up at your local studio.

Have fun!