Dog Brothers Public Forum

I have been cross training with some Pekiti oriented folks, though they are not exclusively Pekiti.  Which kind of lends itself to the question about "purists" and faith to an art.  Which may, in itself, be a silly concern when one considers the non rigid formation of some of the arts and the tendency of some of the masters to accentuate their own flavor than to adhere to a strict set.  My balintawak looks quite a bit different from my close friend's, but you can still see we are playing a similar concept.  What distresses me is to see another corto ranged stylists abandon vertical structures, or their live hand under stress and revert to something that relies on athleticism or other physical attributes than stylized technique.  I really enjoyed a DBMA video of Mr. Pallen sparring, and LOVED how he took a minute to get settled but eventually demonstrated a really nice defensive structure indicative of Cebuano stylists.  I really appreciated his willingness to "test" things out too, and liked seeing him adapt his existing skill sets to a new stress.

Ultimately, the outcome of an encounter is most important, though the methods used can be pretty damn important too!  I definitely like the Pekiti flow, and their work at largo range forces me to be committed to entering into corto, where I feel pretty comfortable.  But man, on the outside I demonstrate NOTHING similar to my corto base and rely on attributes rather than technique.  I don't however feel that I'm cheating the art... I just don't have as much to use out there.  But if I DO adopt a skill set on the outside, from Pekiti, for example, am I being untrue to either? If that makes sense... And does faith to an art even matter?  But if you aren't committed to the skill set trained in an art, then what the hell is the sense in spending hours doing it for?  If an art encourages practicing a particular drill, but that drill NEVER has application under stress, does it have any real value?  I have seen very skilled corto stylists, whose close range drills are beautifully honed, demonstrate NONE of it under stress, and wonder, why didn't they just practice something else that would encourage an athletic skill set if that's what they will use in a fight?  All of the training meant nothing in an encounter!

Thanks for the input!  I really appreciate the learned advice and comments from others on this forum!

Respectfully!

Good suggestions!  Football lineman gloves!  Wish I'd thought of that... LOL!  I've picked up all sorts of stuff wondering about flexibility/dexterity and the protection that it sacrifices... from soccer goalie gloves to MMA gloves, and everything in between.

I've been using Lacrosse gloves lately.  They make intricate motion very challenging (because of the bulk on the back of the fingers).  I have also tried hockey gloves (same issues) and prior to that, WEKAF style gloves, which really did nothing for me. 

I'm gonna pass by Dick's Sporting Goods today and try some lineman gloves!  Thanks for posting!

Mitch

Though I like the technique oriented material, I really enjoy historical footage and the anecdotal interviews from the Gradfathers speak videos.  I also agree that documentary work, that displays the prep work and training methods that others use to get in fighting condition, etc. would be great.  Specific techniques and training movements are one thing, while methods are another, if that makes any sense.  Thanks!

Yes, the Muay Thai instructor also teaches Kali, although I currently train in escrima with another group which is rather small, but has considerable "depth" within the community.  Furthermore, he is listed as a Dog Brothers instructor, which inclines me toward his curriculum.  He also teaches Silat, but interestingly, it is not his silat curriculum that I have really considered too much.  Nonetheless, yes, he does teach stick skills - which is an interesting point to consider! 

I had not considered the relevance of their background in stickfighting before you mentioned it here.  Thank you!

The silat instructor I am considering pursuing instruction with is one of the top Bukti Negara members in the country.  He has a background with the same escrima group I train with, but had limited time with our group several years ago.  For whatever reason, he chose to concentrate on silat and seemingly devoted his life to it.

In short, both are very qualified instructors and good people.  Both offer legitimate instruction.  The question I have is which of the two arts would complement my stick fighting training the most? 

I have begun to compete in stickfighting tournaments and would really like to start attending the Dog Brothers gatherings, so I am looking forward to training in arts that lend themselves to actual fighting in addition to their artistic and creative value.  I have respect for a wide range of arts (so I'm not trying to diss anyone), but am specifically seeking to complement my fighting skills both "competitively" in tournaments with limited or full protective equipment and contact as well as being prepared for "real world" possibilities.

Thanks a lot for resonding!

Good luck to everyone participating!  Be safe and strong.  I look forward to hearing the after action reports.  Til then - suerte!

I've thought about getting this video, but I would like to preview the video first. Anyone know if there are any clips avail online anywhere?  I've previewed every video I've purchased, and would just like to see a bit of this one before I order it.  I've started some competitive stuff and would like to do some fitness training that is kali specific rather than modifying other training regimens to fit a stick fighting style.  I thought this might be a good way to do it.  Thanks.

Hi all!  I'm just curious about how a style that appears to address more "corto" range techniques (such as Balintawak, as I have seen it practiced... which arguably may not be representative of all Balintawak practicioners) fare in free flow sparring against those who practice "longer" range styles.  I have the very greatest respect for both, and this is not to decide which is better, but rather to illicit the observations of others who may have been able to observe the two in application against each other.  I realize that individual attributes can often lend much to an engagement, regardless of style, but am just wondering how they have been observed in either stick or knife fights.  Thank you very much.

Hey all!  I'm new to the board, but very excited/interested in the content.  I would just like to get an impression about how others here feel about the value of participating in various stickfighting tournaments.  I've noticed quite a few opportunities around the country through various organizations and wonder how these events are generally received by DBMA.  I understand the padded stick format, or even WEKAF body armor style and "limited" contact (prohibiting the use of kicks or grappling in some cases) may not be consistent with the Dog Brothers philosophy, but wonder how others here might feel about the value of these formats to improve general skills.  How was the experience of those here who might have participated in these type events in the past?


Thanks in advance for any input you can provide.

Y.