Second UKKFF Escrima Concepts Workshop, 18th June 2006
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It had been just under two months since the UKKFF began offering all students the opportunity to study the Escrima Concepts weapon system with Master Steve Tappin. Since our first workshop in April 2006 we have since added two free-of-charge Escrima practice sessions to our weekly classes timetable to allow everyone some practice time. The attendance & interest for these has been excellent, so it was now time to welcome back Master Steve, Wayne and Shaun Bolwell for the next instalment. It was another lovely hot day, and this time we used the excellent facilities of Chessington Sports Centre which is where we hold Kung-Fu & Escrima classes every Thursday during the year. Besides having loads of indoor space (very necessary when sticks are swinging around) we also had the option to go outside & train, taking full advantage of the ability to train & get a nice tan at the same time!
Due to the growing interest in Escrima amongst our students, it was necessary to run two separate groups on this & all future workshops. One group catered for the complete beginners, introducing them to the concepts of 5 Strikes & the Defensive Box. The other group was for those who had attended previous workshops and the regular weekly practice sessions, so that Master Steve could check progress and take them to the next level. We were very happy to see so many people in the beginners group, especially lots of girls - Escrima is very suitable for women, especially as a large proportion of violent attacks involve some kind of weapon (or the threat of a weapon) and an understanding of how weapons are used is a good way to start learning how to defend against them. (Many places claim to teach realistic self-defence, yet really just give you a workout and show you how to hit pads. That's really just the illusion of self-defence.) Weapons are also a great equaliser - a big attacker offers you a bigger target! However please remember that it's illegal to carry weapons in the UK, even for the purposes of self-defence. Understanding weapons doesn't mean carrying them at all times - in fact just the opposite. Don't make problems for yourself! A big thank-you to EC Instructor Shaun Bolwell (the senior student of EC Master Steven Kinvig) who was in charge of this group, and we hope to have you back again soon.
For those in the main group it was immediately apparent that the practice sessions were paying off. Students were moving more fluidly and starting to appreciate the key concepts of balance, focus, speed, power & transition. Of course we all have a long way to go, however it's great to see that we were given a very correct start. There are few things more tedious than having to retrace your steps to correct fundamental concepts. After checking our progress to date & correcting some common misconceptions, Master Steve started passing on more material. Basic strikes were combined to provide more continuous attacks, which of course meant the defender having to improve range awareness, balance & their footwork too, introducing the concept of Squaring Off to defend certain attacks. There were a whole host of drills to sharpen our basic strikes, defensive boxes and the use of the empty-hand too, then we were treated to some great demonstrations with double-stick & staff, showing just how important the basics are when the pace steps up. Wayne Tappin put everyone under pressure with the Staff, showing just how deceptively quick a longer weapon can be, but always remaining in control & able to suppress any strike if the student made an error.
The day ended with group photos (and a great bundle-shot, which is a bit more dangerous when weapons are involved) and questions for Master Steve. Everyone had a great time, and not just because of the weather! The next UKKFF Escrima Workshop is on July 23rd at Kingston Arena Sports, so we look forward to welcoming everyone along then. In the meantime please take advantage of the weekly practice sessions, and if you are interested in starting Escrima Concepts with the UKKFF please get in touch in the usual way. See you in class!
- Author: Lee Heron
- Sources: None
