The Kali Majapahit curriculum is vast, incorporating empty hands (striking, kicking, locking, disarming, sweeping/throwing) as well as a wide variety of weapons (edged, pointed, impact, flexible, hybrid), not to mention the various subsystems which all move the body a bit differently. There's a lot to learn and a lot to remember. It would take years just to see it all, let alone become familiar with it or master it. After 16 years, I still have so much to explore and discover.
Sometimes students ask me to do a particular thing like knife disarming or karambit. Sometimes they want to do flexible weapons or single stick disarms. I smile to myself because in their minds these are all different sets of knowledge; discrete; separate; compartmentalized. Every technique to be understood one at a time. I no longer see them that way.
Let me explain.
These days I try to teach Kali Majapahit through a variety of templates. I have templates for the stickwork, the empty hands. There are foundation movements that are used across all FMA and these important sets are to be mastered since they have wide application and form the base of expression.
For example, Sinawali 6 is a basic template of six movements that is commonly used to train double stick manipulation. Learning it correctly builds coordination and timing, and the movements of sinawali 6 help us learn how to chain together various strikes and blocks using our sticks. However, as a template, sinawali 6 can be done with single stick, as espada y daga, using empty hands... Almost any technqiue in kadena de mano can be taught/learned/expressed using the sinawali 6 template. I can use it to teach flows in aikido, panantukan, silat, muay thai...Sinawali 6 concepts can be used to train the karambit, barong, sibat, bangkaw, sarong or any other tool.
How?? Just by using some simple maths.
The template is a baseline. A starting point from which things can be added or subtracted to change the experience. As per the example above, maybe as a variation I use two sticks of different lengths to do sinawali 6. Maybe I use espada y daga. Maybe I use a stick and a tomahawk. Or a karambit. Or even a screwdriver or dinner fork. It doesn't matter. It's all really the same.
In the example of sinawali 6, in addition to high/medium/low, we have various add-in movements to increase the difficulty of the pattern such as abanico, redondo (vertical or horizontal), dunga, doble doble, flips, twirls, fleuridas and so on. These additions extend the usability of the drill.
Maybe I use the hubud lubud template. Common as an empty hand drill, instead maybe I use it to practice knife versus knife. Maybe I explore it as empty hand versus knife. Or stick. Maybe I try hubud lubud as a double stick drill into a series of disarm flows. Hubud lubud is commonly trained from the angle 1 feed, however, there are variations for angle 2, angle 5, angle 6, and elbow striking, as well as low line interpretations.
Maybe I use Cabca 1-8 or Sinawali 2-9 or Five Count Sumbrada or Punyo Sumbrada like that. Maybe I chain together different templates like five count sumbrada and punyo sumbrada to practice changing fighting distance from medio to corto and back. Maybe I use the sinawali 2-9 template and subtract the sticks so it is an empty hand drill instead. Maybe I take those concepts and apply them using the MMA gloves and mitts as part of panantukan. Maybe I am using sinawali 6 flows on my back against an opponent in the mount as part of my dumog or grappling training. The training opportunities are limitless.
As another variation, maybe I take a combination of strikes and kicks and I change the order of the sequences. If the kicks were last what if they were first? Could I make it work? If they were used in an offensive combination what if I used them as a defensive combination? What if I start to shuffle the order/placement of strikes and kicks? What happens then?
This simple math of adding or subtracting various elements allows me to use the same template in an almost unlimited set of ways. Having learned the basic movement of a template, I am then free to mix and match the concepts of it in any way I want, in order to get the deepest understanding and develop my muscle memory across a wide variety of scenarios.
To beginner students: consider each foundation drill as a template that teaches particular concepts. Do not be in a hurry to see the next technique. Spend enough time to fully understand the templates you are shown.
To intermediate students: Try adding/subtracting from the templates you already know. What changes? What stays the same? What awareness can each permutation bring? How can you solve for various scenarios of addition/subtraction in your templates?
To advanced students: Can you start to see the reusability of various templates and elements? Can you start to solve for changes to templates you already know? Or do you still need to be shown by the instructor? Are you using the templates for discovery and exploration? What are you learning?
To instructors: Variety is the spice of life. Changing the templates changes the context and perspective and can help students really get comfortable with the foundation movements of Kali Majapahit and how to use and combine them. This can add or reduce complexity according to students' abilities and progress.
Some key templates to be explored include:
- Cabca 1-8
- Sinawali 2-9
- Sinawali 6
- 6 count sumbrada
- 5 count sumbrada
- 4 count sumbrada
- 3 count sumbrada
- Punyo sumbrada
- Hubud Lubud
- Abecedario
What other templates do you know? Can you create some of your own?
Happy training!
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