Inland Empire Filipino Martial Arts

2011 was a great year for Inland Empire Filipino Martial Arts! It wasn’t that long ago that we started classes here in Claremont. What began as a single class in the park has become an official training group representing Sayoc Kali & Atienza Kali, as well as an Inosanto Kali course offered (now for it’s eighth session) through the City of Claremont. We are proud to be one of the Sayoc LA groups, counted alongside the groups in Burbank, Los Angeles, Monrovia, Long Beach, Huntington Beach and Oceanside (San Diego) under the instruction of Guro Brian Calaustro (Tribal Tactics), Guro Travis Downing (Sayoc LA) and Guro Joey Pena (Filipino Combatives).

We started off the year with curriculum as our primary objective. The Sayoc Atienza class goal was to install the Sayoc LA short blade foundation material: Transition Drills 1-5 and Panantukan Set 1 of 12. We reviewed all of our basics, improved on our current strengths, and developed new and evolved skill sets. Our group retained our core, but welcomed new members and wished our best to students moving on: Tony started the Sayoc Hawaii training group, Eric was deployed to Afghanistan and Mike headed off to Basic Training.

We also had opportunities individually and as a group to train with some of the world’s best Filipino Martial Arts instructors. Sayoc LA/Filipino Combatives West Coast brought Tuhon Felix Cortes in February for a workshop in Long Beach, working on C-Template 1, the Hidden Template and Combative Mindset. In April, Guro Joey Pena and I made the pilgrimage to Atienza Kali Sama Sama in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, where we worked Bolo, short blade, Bolo and knife, and tons of other AK material. Guro Brian Calaustro also gave a Sayoc Members Only workshop in Ontario that covered lakads, digables and Guard 5. In May, Tuhon Carl Atienza came out for the Atienza Kali training group in Long Beach, and then in July we went out to Sayoc Kali Sama Sama, again the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Sayoc LA hosted Tuhon Tom and the Sayoc Tactical Pistol 1.0 course in August, and then in September I travelled up North to the Tribal Weapons seminar taught by Tuhon Rafael Kayanan at Sayoc NorCal. Tuhon Carl came out again in October and this time instructed on the finer points of long blade, such as cutting, multiple person tactics and even security protocols. IEFMA also attended the 4th Annual FMA Congregation, alongside Tuhon Felix and the Filipino Combatives West Coast crew. A few weeks later I attended Sayoc Instructor Weekend, and spent a great deal of time with Pamana Tuhon himself on our Logical Order of Thinking progression. Last month Guro Brian gathered the Sayoc Instructors in SoCal, and then this past weekend IEFMA held it’s final Sayoc Atienza class for the year.

After class, we discussed preparation and survival over lunch and reflected on our own year. We did install Transition Drills 1-5 and worked through Panantukan Set 1. I completed my personal Legacy Project after probably hundreds of hours of training and footage. My final version included a paper and curriculum spread out over six DVD’s. I could not have done it without my instructors, brothers-in-arms, students and friends especially Guro Jon Auzenne, Guro Victor Gendrano, John, Brent and Craig. I’m also proud to welcome my brothers into the ranks of instructors, including John Rellias (Sayoc Kali), Nick Pena (Filipino Combatives) and Phil Acosta (Atienza Kali).

Next year we have projectiles, whip and mass attack on the agenda. It’s going to be a good one. Until then, enjoy the holidays. As you spend time with your families, friends and loved ones take a mental picture. Capture the moment and experience it as fully as you can. Treasure each second, remember each smile and hold on to those close to you. Then ask yourself what you would or would not do to protect them. How much are those memories worth, and how valuable are those moments? If someone threatened to take them away, if something threatened to never let them happen again, what would you do? Do you have the information to do what you need to do? If not, let’s work it out in 2012.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Guro Joe

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We build warriors… masters of conflict.

Our methods are deliberate practice, progressive resistance, and conscious repetition devoted to the mastery of the basics.

We use the feeder principle and logical order of thinking to produce warriors proficient in any range or combative situation.

We work to develop the virtues courage, integrity, loyalty, perseverance, and strength of spirit, as they are essential to the warrior ethos.

– Mission Statement 11-01-11

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For the most current IEFMA schedule, see the new “Schedule” page on the sidebar.  Next Sayoc Atienza class will be this Friday evening, November 25th at 2000.  Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, please let me know ASAP if you plan on attending class.

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Many martial arts, particularly Filipino Martial Arts talk about the fellowship and brotherhood (and sisterhood) that comes from our passion for what we do.  In Sayoc Kali we use the term “tribe”, both as an acknowledgement of the indigenous tribal culture of the Philippines and also to signify the community that we take part in.  This morning we welcomed three new potential students to the Sayoc Atienza class.  While we had the opportunity to cover some great material, we also discussed the importance of why we train and the context that our lives often hold these martial arts in. Sayoc Kali not only welcomes, but encourage family to participate in our training.  In any given class, students may see my toddler coming out to play or meet other members of my family.  Students in turn, have on occasion brought their own children, spouses and even parents.  Guro Dan Inosanto has often stated that we train in these arts for the love of our families, and for our love of life.  We all train to grow, to evolve and get better.  And with the time and diligence we will definitely do so, but especially in this “energy based” system we get even better when those who we surround ourselves get better too.  There are no egos here, and we teach and push each other to be the best we can be.  There is no “crab mentality” here.  We all get better together; we all come up together.

This afternoon the training continued with an instructor gathering in Los Angeles.  Sayoc Kali instructors from all around Southern California represented.  At the invitation of Full Instructor Brian Calaustro (Tribal Tactics) and hosted by Guro Zee Alhusaini (Sayoc LA), Guro Steve Feng (Sayoc San Gabriel Valley), Guro Jon Auzenne (Close Combat Martial Arts), Guro Mike Woodworth (Sayoc San Dieg0), Reza (Sayoc LA), our own Guro Sensei John Rellias and myself came together for some great eats and even better training.  Many of us have trained together now for many years, and long before we ever even thought about teaching we were training just like Lauren, Michael Ann and Andrew started this morning.  And just like in our own classes here in Claremont, our gather in Los Angeles had girlfriends, wives, children and dogs running around and coming together as a tribe, getting better together as family.  We don’t all move or train or even teach the same.  And in our family not everyone plays the same role.  But our kids and our loved ones learn with us and through us.  And with our struggles, our challenges and successes, we all come up together.

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Sayoc Atienza Schedule

Friday, November 4th at 2000

Saturday, November 12th at 0900

Saturday, November 19th at 0900

Friday, November 25th at 2000 (tentative)

City of Claremont Filipino Martial Arts

Last class of the Fall 2011 session will be on Tuesday, November 8th at 2000.  Winter 2012 session starts on Tuesday, January 3rd at 2000.  Please contact the Alexander Hughes Community Center in Claremont to register.

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Filipino Martial Arts in the City of Claremont has begun it’s Fall 2011 session!  Now in our 7th session in Claremont, this is an introduction to Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) rooted in the Inosanto blend curriculum.  All sessions have covered various aspects of FMA including single and double stick, knife and even flexible weapons.  This Fall we have started focusing on Filipino Boxing, the empty hand component of the FMA often referred to as Panantukan.  Guro Dan’s Panantukan draws primarily from the Lacoste and Lucaylucay systems of Kali.

To register please visit http://www.ci.claremont.ca.us , call 909.399 5490 or walk in to the Alexander Hughes Community Center at 1700 Danbury Road in Claremont, CA.

Sayoc-Atienza Classes are ongoing and continue on Friday evenings or Saturday mornings.  These classes are heavily blade based, however also include multiple components of the FMA such as empty hands, stick material, flexible weapons, projectiles, multiple person and situational based scenarios.  This month we will be focusing on Sayoc Kali Transition Drills, and Atienza Kali Knife Evolution 1 (Feeder and Receiver Sets).

The new revised schedule is as follows:

Saturday, September 10th at 0900

Satuday, September 17th at 0900

Saturday, September 24th MANDATORY attendance to the 5th Annual Filipino Martial Arts Congregation in Duarte: http://pt-br.facebook.com/event.php?eid=218698708179444

NO CLASS Saturday, October 1st for ATIENZA KALI Training Group Session with Tuhon Carl Atienza in Long Beach: http://www.atienzakali.com

Friday, October 7th at 2000

Friday, October 14th at 2000

NO CLASS Saturday, October 22nd for SAYOC KALI Instructor Weekend

Saturday, October 29th at 0900

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Sayoc Atienza Updated Class Schedule

Saturday, August 20 @ 0900

Friday, September 2 @ 2000

Saturday, September 10 @ 0900

Saturday, September 17 @ 0900

Friday, September 23 @ 2000

Friday, September 30 @ 2000

Saturday, October 8 @ 0900

NO CLASS Saturday, October 15 for ATIENZA KALI Training Group Session

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Sayoc Atienza Classes

Friday, August 5 at 2000

Friday, August 12 at 2000

Saturday, August 20 at 0900

NO CLASS the weekend of August 27 for Sayoc Tactical Pistol 1.0

See www.sayocla.com for more information.

City of Claremont Filipino Martial Arts classes continue on Tuesday evenings at 2000. Summer 2011 Session ends on Tuesday, August 16. Fall 2011 Classes to be posted soon.

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Silak Dianne Atienza demonstrating Atienza Bladed Women Concepts

In Sayoc Kali & Atienza Kali we often talk about a Feeder’s “intent”.  Usually this means targeting a specific point and acting with purpose.  One of my instructors, Guro Ramon Rubia was detailing to me last week about the progression of traditional eskrima training which entailed “educating the eyes”, manipulating the body and recognizing openings.  Earlier that same day at the Inosanto Academy in Marina del Rey, Guro Willie Laureano spoke on how power exists within proper technique.  All of these ideas converge on the idea of true intent, learning to see and then acting genuinely.  Pamana Tuhon Sayoc is famous for telling his students to “trust in your training.”  The moment we can do that, trust in our training and trust in our instructors while also training honestly and intentionally we truly begin to grow.

All too often martial artists, particularly Filipino Martial Arts practitioners get caught up in the cycle of drills.  “If you don’t own the drill, the drill controls you”, Guro Ramon added yesterday.  We see it all the time, and even while working specific techniques out of Punyo Sumbrada with Guro Willie, several students had a hard time breaking out of the pre-arranged choreograph that they had done for years.  Taking this idea even further, how often do we go through the routine of going to class or training with our partners and then slip back into a state of low awareness in every other aspect of our lives?  It kind of reminds me of the holy and pious churchgoers that suddenly become rude and arrogant as soon as they leave mass and continue that way for the rest of the week.  How often do we train for situational awareness when we incorporate mass attack strategies, yet get caught off guard when we’re checking Facebook on our phones?

This past week one of our IEFMA brothers had the misfortune of having things stolen.  While the criminal is ultimately responsible for the theft, it does provide us with an opportunity to discuss the dangers of the routine.  The lessons we learn in our training, whether it involves constantly changing workouts so our muscles continually adapt, or being mindful and purposeful in our training so that we don’t get locked into infinitely cycling technique sets, can and should be applied throughout all aspects of our lives.  Pamana Tuhon Sayoc, responsible for creating and organizing the most comprehensive edged weapons system curriculum in the world has also said that “the knife is just a tool”; that what we do and train in is “to learn about life.”  I once came to Guro Travis during a difficult time in my life.  Without telling me what to do, he simply instructed me to find my template, and identify my targets.  “After that” he added, “everything else is just an obstruction.”

Find your template.  Identify what you want, who you are or who you want to be.  Dig deep and figure out your goals then pursue them with purpose, honesty and intent.  Power exists in the technique.  We just have to trust in our training.

Thank you to all of my instructors.

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