Category: Kali Escrima

Thursday Muay Thai and Kali…Elbows and Espada Y Daga

Me and my Coach

2 hours and 30 minute training tonight.

30 minute warm up of 200 kicks and 50 knees.

Some days are just mediocre. Here is what I mean. Some days are annoying I am struggling to get the new techniques or even my body to do the old techniques in the correct way. Then there are other days where it is fantastic, I am learning new things, I am buzzing along, and I am doing great while I still make mistakes I am jazzed and doing fantastic. Then the pendulum swings back and hits the middle, where I am doing the techniques I have learned already, and helping less experienced students develop their skills. Helping others is a different kind of satisfaction then beating my body into submission. I am getting some work in but nothing to write home about. Well today was one of those days.

We worked on elbows today in Muay Thai. We went through all 9 elbows. 1 = horizontal elbow, 2 = upward diagonal elbow, 3 = downward diagonal elbow, 4 = vertical up elbow, 5 = downward vertical elbow, 6 = side in elbow, 7 = side out elbow, 8 = tach malach (spelling is probably wrong) or spear elbow, and finally 9 = spinning elbow. We worked on the parry or scoop and entry with elbow. We also worked on scoop, elbow entry, and then followed up with spinning elbow. I have two videos of me doing some of those elbows.

Parry Jab to Elbow Entry
Parry a Jab, Elbow Entry, to Spinning Elbow drill

In Kali we worked on Espada Y Daga. Which translates to sword and dagger. This was fun, and surprisingly easy. I say this even though I made plenty of mistakes and needed to work on my footing. I was able to figure out how to cut my opponent and get out of the drill as well. We then got to spar afterward. Where if we had actually used real weapons I would have died many times. However, I got many good strikes in and would have been able to win a few fights. One of my friends even laid me out on they floor. We say in a knife fight the winner bleeds and the looser gushes. So if you end up in a knife fight expect to get cut. Anyway enough of my babbling. Here is a video of me doing the drill.

Espada Y Daga drill

If you made it this far, wow, I have rambled. But this is the reality of a fitness journey. Not every day is going to be sunshine and sparkles. Not every day is going to suck. Some days are going to be meh… but I have still shown up, and put my time in. These days are days when it may seem like I am not learning a lot, but it will all culminate in the end.

Thanks for reading… =) Keep up being awesome you.

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Tuesday Muay Thai and Kali…Off Balances and Half Beats oh my!

I just completed 2 hours and 30 minute training.

1.5 hours of Muay Thai. For the first 30 minutes of my training, I did 200 kicks over a foam roller, and 100 knee number 3’s into a heavy bag. We then worked on basics again. It’s amazing even though I know these techniques I was having a hard time with them. It occurred to me when I was working on my jab, cross and then horizontal right elbow that maybe I am stiff cause of weight lifting yesterday. Or I just might be having an off day. We worked on entries after the jab, cross.

Then we worked on off ballances so that we could get range from opponent to get your knees in. We got to do the leg bump off ballance which is my favorite. I was asked to come up and demonstrate it to the class where normally I would hesitate and be embarrassed. But to my surprise as I sit here and think back on it, I jumped at the opportunity and to do the move on guy taller than me. I was able to execute it so fast and accurately that he almost fell over and my instructor was impressed. It’s a great off ballance for me cause I am short and shorter than everyone in our class. My instructor always says use what you have to your advantage. If you are tall use that if you are short use that. So I get in close and my opponents cannot see my hits coming if I am fast enough.

The mind bending Kali was also fun. We worked on off beats in Kali. Where we were performing standard six and adding a witik into it. I like the outside deflection witik and the lower back hand almost gunting type off beat. I messed up a lot, and you just have to keep going and pick up the beat again.

Shower and sleep is in order next.

Anyway here is a video of me doing it slowly cause I just learned it today and need to practice.

Again think you for reading and watching. Talk to me if you want. Let me know if you like anything, or want more information on anything I am doing.

Kali melts my brain…but I love it.

Kali a.k.a Escrima and or Arnis. Is a Filipino martial art. During the Spanish occupation of the Philippines, this martial art was disguised as practicing a stick dance. The Spanish Conquistadors in the 1500’s did not want to have the people they occupied teaching and learning a martial arts.

In Kali we focus on the ability to transition from weapons to open hand combat with fluidity. Kali very much believes that open hand combat uses the same moves as having weapons so both are learned and taught congruently. We learn single stick, double stick, sword and stick, and dagger.

Part of the reason it melts my brain is that forces me to use both sides of my brain. What we learn on the one hand we will learn on the other. So I am right handed and we may learn something like say, the Running Saint Rafael on the right side, but to do the whole thing you have to do it on the left side all together. Making the left side of my body do what I want it to do can and often does melt my brain a bit.

I can say it is getting better, and the more I learn the better it gets. However, Kali class is right after Muay Thai, and my body is usually tired from Muay Thai and then I ask my body and mind to figure out how to move it around and not hit myself with the sticks. I have hit myself, and it sucks, but I am still here and alive. I still love Kali, and love learning it.

I have included a video of me doing the Running Saint Rafael. I am not very good at it, but I am learning, and hopefully getting better. N

Thursday Muay Thai and Kali… Back to basics in Muay Thai…brain blender Kali

I look like a hot mess after a workout. I have never been that kind of girl that can look like she just left a salon after a hard workout.

Workout: 2 hours and 20 mins of Muay Thai and Kali.

We worked on Jab and to left kick transitions, and jab cross to left kick transitions. Smoothness and quickness of transition is important. Your opponent will not have the time to react and or will not see it coming if you do it fast enough. We were working on the basics of Muay Thai and It’s was amazing to see the changes I have made. I can see some of my improvements in the art. What was once hard to just get my body to do I am am able to do and hoping to get tiny changes in form to stick so that I am able to get power in. You see in Muay Thai if you try to force/muscle the move your kicks for instance will be slow and not powerful. If you focus on form and laying the kick in using all of your torso it will be more powerful and devastating in a fight. The move almost becomes effortless. I say almost cause after a ladder of kicks ( 1 kick then 2 kicks up to 5 kicks in a row then back down again to 1) that is gassing. But much less so than when I first started out. Thank you Kru Kristen DeBruycker.

In Kali we had a guest instructor called Inchun Kim. He was an amazing instructor and he taught us some great movement with intention. Not just hitting sticks but focusing on hitting with the intention to hurt, maim, and damage. Where some drills we tap the sticks he wanted us to change our intent and using foot work advance on our target.  I have said it before and I will say it again Kali melts the brain. Especially brain blending when wielding double stick and reverse gripping the stick in left or right hand or both.

I am exhausted and need sleep. First shower and then to bed. Thanks for reading. As always let me know what you think.

Tuesday Muay Thai and Kali…Thai minute changes, Kali and chewing gum

I am going to try to document my Tuesday, sometimes Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday Thai and Kali workouts here.

I just got home from 2 hours of Muay Thai and Kali. In Muay Thai we were working on our transitions from punch to kicks. I am at a point in my training where it’s it’s minute changes that I have to make. Like kick through the person, after kick bring back and keep knee up. Things I have to consciously apply to get my body to do it. I got a compliment on my speed again from a few people and a compliment on my punches to kick transitions from my Kru. Just have to keep knee up.

In Kali we worked on High box, Low box, and Middle box. Double stick is a brain workout. Making your body do the things you need it to do and avoid getting hit is a full time mental activity. My practice partner was talking to me and getting my brain to think other things. To hold a conversation about something completely different to what my sticks were doing was like listening to a skipping record. I had to start and stop my sentences to keep my hands and feet moving. It’s like trying rub your tummy and pat your head. Or for us even less skilled walk and chew gum! 😃

Thank you Kru Kristen DeBruycker, and Kru Krysta Scharlach

As I write this up I notice a bruise blossoming on my foot just now. Lol 😆 I did not even register I might have hit the edge of the Thai pads wrong.

Anyway thanks again for reading and my adventures will continue on. Let me know what you think, what content you are curious about.

Thursday Night – Muay Thai, and then Kali Running Saint Gabriel



We just got home from Muay Thai practice and Kali, and I can tell you no other sport, or physical activity can melt my brain faster than Kali.

I sit here after class trying to type up what I wanted to, and I have a combination of tired body, and exhausted mind.

So, we worked on sparing in Muay Thai, where we were learning some of the entries that we could use to get into the “box” and be able to get our hits in on our opponents. You will get hit in the face and other parts of the body. This is not negotiable. It happens, and it teaches you to get your hands up and block, parry, or move (slip/bob and weave). I got hit twice in the face today. It was not hard, and I am totally ok. But that makes your body and head tired.

Now after Muay Thai we did Kali. Kali ask you to use both your right and left brain at the same time. It asks you to use your right and left hands at the same time. It is both an art and a… I was going to say science, and while there is science, to it… it’s more of an art and a deadly dance. A DANGER DANCE!

Anyway, I am rambling on. For today I did a 30-minute warmup/workout before Muay Thai.

  • 1 minute stretching
  • 200 kicks over a foam roller
  • 100 # 3 knees, which are the side in knees
  • Then 10 minutes of ladder work to work on foot work and getting faster in my transitions.

One hour of Muay Thai:

  • We shadowboxed/jumped rope to warm up
  • We worked on parry jab, while coming in with a jab entry, then getting out of the box.
  • We worked on outside parry where I slip under the jab and hit a jab into the midsection of my opponent.
  • We worked on the boxing 20.
  • We worked on using the entries to get into the box, then a upper cut, hook, and cross, bob and weave to get out
  • We then worked on sparing and using what we know and have learned to avoid getting hit.

I can tell you I got hit a couple of times, but I am getting more used to it.

1 hour of Kali:

  • We started with heaven figure 8s then earth figure 8s
  • We then worked on Running Saint Gabriel, the right side first
  • We worked on the Running Saint Gabriel right then left
  • Finally we worked on the heaven box.

I am tired and should go to bed. Its 11:39 pm right and I have to be up at 5:30am tomorrow. This is a bit of a rambling post, but this is what I do on Tuesdays and Thursdays. =) If you like hearing about what I am for my workouts let me know. I am still figuring out how often to put out content to my blog.

Also see below, me practicing the Running Saint Gabriel. This is about the 30th time worked through it. I did it about 30 more times till the end of class after this.

Running Saint Gabriel