For Example

 

A typical 2 hour Kali Majapahit class goes like this:

• Warm Ups - focused on joint limbering and mobility
• Stickwork - single or double stick drills
• Empty hands - could be Kali, Silat, Hakka or others.  Could be knife defense or other topics.
• Boxing or Kickboxing - also some cardio/strength training

We keep busy and the time goes by quickly. In two hours we cover a lot of material.  In general, I use the Japanese method, which means showing a basic movement (Kihon) and then variations (Henka) that we work on, explore, discuss.  My goal is not memorization of specific techniques per se; rather it is about understanding how to apply the body's maximum power via a strong structure, and of course to deny the opponent any opportunity to do the same.

At the beginner's level of understanding, there is only mimicry and trying to match the instructor's movements and sequences exactly.  Everything is either "right" (matching the instructor) or "wrong" (anything else).  There are so many details to remember about footwork, posture, weight shift, rotation of shoulders and hips, extension, focus, breathing.  It is common for students to want to film the techniques so they can try to do them exactly as shown.  They often obsess about tiny details such as which foot is forward, which hand goes where, etc.

Later, as intermediates, students begin to connect the dots more and more.  They begin to see drills and patterns not as absolutes, but rather as arbitrary frameworks or templates used to develop understanding and promote muscle memory.  The basic physical skills start to become automatic and they are starting to conceive of solutions outside specifically what they have been shown and extrapolate movements from one subsystem to the next.  There is a better understanding of distancing and ranges, planes and geometry, their own body position in relation to their opponent, and varieties of options for every situation.

Advanced students are well aware that whatever drills or techniques I show are just for illustrating certain concepts or providing food for thought.  They must explore and express, ultimately using their own "FLOW" and moving in accordance with their physical, mental and emotional circumstances.  Weapons no longer represent totally different ways of thinking and moving.  Instead, they are tools of convenience found in every environment and used to multiply defensive force in a self-defense situation.  Their attention is less on the minutiae of the various details and more on the broader situational awareness of each encounter.  They are able to maximize their force in each balanced movement and transition smoothly from concept to concept as appropriate to the situation.

I can use the example of developing mastery of an instrument (or any other complex motor skill) which also goes through similar stages.  In piano, at the beginning the fingers struggle for every note and chord.  Each hand and finger must be micromanaged to perform the basic actions.  Asynchronous movements are impossible.  At an intermediate level, fluency is enough to play chords and melodies with different hands simultaneously and read music well enough to replicate what is on the sheet.  In the end, their is a freedom of expression unique to the individual and the musician can jam ad hoc to whatever he or she hears or imagines.  The hands move as the mind suggests with a focus on expression rather than rote memorization or replication.  The basics are automatic and the artist is free.

As a teacher, I love the journey that each student is on as they move forward toward mastery.  I look forward to the day when they express their own Kali flow just as I learned to do, no longer bound by what I show them.  Free to be who and how they are.

Pugay Po!