Why Filipino Martial Arts Training is Unrealistic with Doug Marcaida

Doug Marcaida says that his Kali training is unrealistic. That "none of this is real" and that there is a damn good reason for it. Filipino Martial Arts, like all martial arts, is plagued by criticism of its training principles. That movements are staged, rehearsed, practiced over and over again, drilled, memorized---until it becomes routine, until it becomes natural, until it becomes instinctive. Sound familiar? If you're into firearms training, it should sound familiar.

(www.DougMarcaida.com)

Training is a progressive and fluid, never-ending lifestyle that first takes into the account the safety of the practitioner. When teaching someone how to use firearms it is advisable to take baby steps. To learn the safety rules. The mechanics of the firearm. Perhaps they start with a smaller calibre and progress and explore their preference. Paper and steel targets certainly do not shoot back. But the skills extracted through compartmentalized training (like how a boxer uses a skipping rope to work on stamina and coordination) are invaluable steps needed in order to progress the nature of said training. 

Keyboard warriors aside, those who train understand that the value of compartmentalized training is absolutely essential to the bigger picture. Yet, we still read comments like "Paper Targets Don't Shoot Back"---of course they don't. In the same token we hear things like well he's not attacking you realistically with that knife. Of course not. It's a knife. Even dulled training knives hurt. 

The point Doug Marcaida makes in this video is that like ALL training of ANY combative sport, any martial art, any sport PERIOD needs to first develop a solid understanding and mastery of the fundamentals before progressing into advanced. That the skills developed in training are valuable tools in order to appreciate and fully understand the nature of high speed, realistic and aggressive training. In the same way that a gun owner shoots paper targets to develop their skills and not simply tossed into an active shooter situation to "train." So the next time someone tells you that Kali or Filipino Martial Arts training is unrealistic, simply smile and say "Yes. Yes it is." ----you'll smile knowing the reason its unrealistic is that it HAS TO BE.

www.Doug Marcaida.com


Chris & Doug, Great job! Have to be able to flow from as Doug said from one question to the answer & back to another question. Flow drills are so important within our systems, yet when an outsider looks they barely scratch the surface with their understanding. NEVER, EVER underestimate the ability of any FMA stylist to "have a conversation"