How do you train with a gun? There is more than 1 correct answer.
Just like when training with any Martial Art, you go easy sometimes to "get the movement down". Then when you and your partner get in the rhythm, you pick it up some. Maybe you get to 50 % and pop each other a little. Cool! Of course, you could go for the max and sport fight. Maybe ring your opponent's bell on the way to winning.
Gun training has it phases also. Training at the range: nice and easy, breathe out, squeeze slooowly- BANG. OK, that's fun. But is it practical? Yes- to a point. It is important to be able to accurately shoot. So now you're in class. If it's MA or LEO, you're doing scenario drills with a big, hard, heavy chunk of plastic called a "training gun". Are you sure it's not an impact weapon? Could you knock someone out with it? Could you break your buddies finger when you strip it from his hand? What would happen if you hit him with it? If you've done this before, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. The training becomes a JOKE because you are using a damned useless training tool and between "making sure your finger is out of the trigger guard", and "don't scrape the gun across your opponent", and"wear gloves to avoid cuts", and "don't hit with the gun", your training session becomes a slow speed dance that has NO similarity to a real fight with someone holding a GUN! Your slow speed "careful" training is going to get you KILLED! You are practicing at the wrong speed and intensity so your timing and response characteristics will be WRONG. There are no 2nd chances with an attacker with a gun. Think about it for a minute.
Every time I trained hand to hand with a training gun, I walked away thinking "there has got to be a better way". So just like everything else we develop, we started at ground zero and designed a training gun the way it should be no matter what. We wanted a gun that 1) would not break your finger, 2) had a stiff barrel structure for strips, 3) is made from a semi-soft material so you can have impact, 4) has smooth front and rear sights and no protruding levers, 5) has the correct overall shape, 6) and is clearly identifiable as a training gun whether in or out of a holster.
And we did it! The TAK Impactor Training Gun has all the features required for a safer and more realistic training session.
Here is a very good tutorial for sharpening with a stone. As someone who has experimented with sharpening for 20 + years, I always find tutorials leave out small but critical details, but this guy covers them. So, give it a watch, and consider picking up our inexpensive sharpening kit and sharpen up all those old pocket knives you have laying in your desk drawer.
Hint: I use a stone to keep a razor edge on an X-Acto blade. Have been using the same blade for 5+ years. The metal is so soft, all it takes is about 10 passes on each side. Not as sharp as new but still very sharp and saves a lot of $ in replacement blades.
3-25-16 Update: "The Real Miyagi" is now on Netflix. Just watched it- Fantastic!
When I was a teenager, I wanted to learn nunchaku so I bought 2 books by Fumio Demura, "Nunchaku" and "Advanced Nunchaku". I practiced several years just using the books, my heavy bag, and backyard trees. So here we are 40 years later and I Googled him. He is still alive and there is even a movie coming out about him! Take a look at the trailer. I learned so much from his books and am very grateful that a film has been made of his legacy. I used to stand in the backyard for about an hour a night, studying the images on the pages, trying to figure out what happened between picture 5 and 6. No YouTube videos then! Never heard of Fumio Demura? Watch the video; if you are into MA, you will be surprised. Enjoy .....
We have been very lucky to have Datu Worden in Virginia Beach for the last ~6 years for Water & Steel East. Datu is an excellent instructor and has great history lessons of the great but gone fighters he trained with through his career. If you ever get the chance, do not hesitate to attend his class- you will not regret it!
Here is an example of Datu's teachings utilizing the staff. There is an entire series of staff videos on this YouTube channel but this is the beginning of the instruction. You could use these videos on your own to pick up the basics. I especially like how you can relate this staff work to a walking stick and Datu's use of a FMA numbering system helps to pull it together in your head. Another point he makes is that it came together for him when he started using the staff against a heavy bag. That is a great point since many moves look cool but lack power. Using an 80 pound bag will give you the appropriate feedback (movement/ bounce) to know if that strike will work in real life or are you just pissing your opponent off more! I relate it to using a reverse grip for a knife. Looks good but when you actually try to cut material on a pell with a reverse grip live blade, you realize that you are going to need a LOT of practice to make your cuts as effective anywhere close to a forward grip. Enjoy!
We can really appreciate a skilled craftsman. Especially when you see someone take such basic raw materials and craft a really nice knife from them. John Heisz does a fantastic job fabricating this knife from some surprising materials. If you were walking by this at a knife show, you'd have to stop and pick it up!
This is a great demonstration of what your training should aspire to be. If you train to this intensity, techniques will transfer to real world situations.
The speed and skills are fantastic on the stick work but take a close look at the 2nd half of this video where it is just hand to hand. There are some great techniques here. The number of high speed attack techniques are enough to overwhelm just about anybody. Reminds me of my (long time ago) kickboxing coach telling me to "work a plan" till it stops working and then move on to the next "plan" (of combinations). When I watch this video with all the strikes that are not allowed in sport fighting, I just envision one big massive "plan" of working every opportunity that is available. Awesome!
Sad news indeed. GM Canete has passed away Feb 5, 2016. Please send your prayers and regards to the family. A Legend has passed. This is a dark day but lets give thanks to his teachings and knowledge that was passed on and feel some comfort that he will be a legend forever.
A message from the family:
IN DEEP SORROW MY FAMILY AND I REGRET TO ANNOUNCE THE PASSING OF OUR BELOVED FATHER SUPREME GRANDMASTER (SGM) CIRIACO “CACOY” DELA CUESTA CANETE. SGM CACOY WAS THE LAST FOUNDING LEADERS OF THE OLDEST ESKRIMA ORGANIZATION IN THE PHILIPPINES - DOCE PARES. MOREOVER HE WAS THE LAST OF THE GREAT ORIGINAL TEACHERS AND DEVELOPERS OF THE UNIQUE FILIPINO COLTURAL ART OF ESKRIMA THAT TRACES BACK TO LAPULAPU. HENCE HE WAS THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.
HE EXPIRED THIS EVENING, FEB. 5, 2016 AT EXACTLY 8:08PM. COINCIDETALLY HE WAS BORN ON 08-08-1919. HE WAS 96 ½ YEARS OLD.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR CARING THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. WE WILL MISS HIM SO DEEPLY.
VERY TRULY YOURS,
GM CATHERINE-KITTY CANETE-KNIGHT EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT CACOY DOCE PARES WORLD FEDERATION
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Amazing skills! Please enjoy watching Supreme Grandmaster Cacoy Canete at ~ 89. This man is an inspiration. Do you think you will still be able to do this at 89? 79? 69? Much respect to SGM Canete and his system "Cacoy Doce Pares".
