Escrima Concepts

Escrima Concepts: Master Steve

The International Escrima Concepts (EC) Organisation has been progressed by Chief Instructor Steve Tappin, Master Stephen Kinvig along with great support and help from their friends, family and high ranking teachers and members, who decided to teach Escrima from the solid foundations of our past - combined with effective and progressive training that is essential for today’s and tomorrows demands, knowing that this way forward meets the needs of those who contact and train with them.

“We understand this system is not our system – IT’S EVERYONE’S SYSTEM – we may guide, support and look after EC for a moment in time but we aim to prepare EC for future generations and want them to do the same – no ego or controlling methods just a passion for our art for the benefit of ALL our MEMBERS and FRIENDS”

The world-wide recognition of teaching Escrima and other martial arts using ‘Generic Concepts’ has been around for centuries in Eastern and Western styles (read the manuscripts). EC was once heavily influenced by selected Concepts but it was soon realised that this became confusing and that a COMPLETE SYSTEM needs a Structured Syllabus with theory and strategy to work with various Concepts designed in a logical order that links everything together.

To enable to work with the freedom of Concepts you have to be free from something for everything to be analysed - therefore we need a Syllabus to bounce the concepts off, to advance the system further we add theories and to bring everything together, then we analyse strategy. Many systems have theories and patterns as we do but we delve deeper for a greater understanding - we DISSECT, ISOLATE and FINE-TUNE the system to progress it for present and future members.

The following are just a few theories of what Escrima Concepts teach that include:

The Three Boxes - we merge these so the Weapons and Unarmed Applications unite to prepare for Body and Weapon Mechanic theories.

We also explain the Power of Curves; that incorporate many patterns including the Figure Eight which we have grouped into three main features.

Within the Figure Eight we analyse the X-factor to study Knife and Unarmed Practises and Opportunities.

We put them all together to analyse movement involving Weapon and Body Mechanics (with Muscle Memory) that Co-exist with all the above to examine Threats and Opportunities – we Learn to Feel the Fight and not look for one. Fighting can be Painful so don’t Fight – Win!

We go on to explain movement such as the rules of Three and Five, Reaction-In-Motion, Controlling and Understanding Space, using Soft (not weak) and Aggressive Pressures. We want members to understand how Stress, Fear and the Environment change Reality and Training – being in Control to assist Self-defence means controlling our movements - then we can analyse other people’s movements and intentions.

Then we apply our ‘Three Points of Strategy’ with Re-action In Motion and Staggering Time, to examine how Concentrated Forward Energy works on a variety of targets (Body-Shocking, Spine Compressions, etc). When we know how, why and when to move then maybe we don’t need to but if we cannot move then we may suffer the consequences, especially when Sharp Weapons are involved.

Many more factors, theories, strategies and principles are used to explain our art for our teachers for the benefit of our members but are to numerous to mention them all now - hopefully the above will give you a small insight to what we offer. Ask your instructors to explain some of our theories above. you may find their answers interesting? If you do not get a satisfactory answer or get a language, cultural or history lesson, instead of a direct answer - you may want to contact us ;-).

EC use the name Escrima out of respect for the teachings and guidance of some past masters and cultures that influenced present instructors to progress the system forward to meet the needs of a modern society. Steve and Stephen accept that the influence of Western Society enriched the system to such an extent that it has progressed beyond the original Filipino teaching of years ago – but previous teachers would have expected this, as we anticipate EC will change as time goes by. The system taught now should really be called 'Weapon Concepts', but Escrima is a name most people recognise and it's what our EC Founders have been part of for 30 years, most of those years used teaching around the world.

This Site Is Dedicated To

John Dovey 'Budge'

1959 - 2006 RIP

Some of our instructors have 20 - 30 years or more in the study of Escrima and other weapon systems. Many of our current instructors gave much support and helped advance the knowledge into the original system, mainly in Europe but also throughout the world. They now help advance the knowledge of EC using new progressive ideas.

“THIS SHOWS WE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE NOW”

To making lessons SIMPLE and RESPECTFUL for our friends and members we had to take into consideration language barriers and one obvious change from tradition is that EC is taught in English which simplify lessons to meet the needs and demands of our students, instructors and friends ACROSS THE GLOBE. We do encourage our students to read upon history, culture and various systems as a sign of respect to all Escrima and other influences but we wish to utilise our time teaching, supporting, training and developing and therefore we keep things simple to advance the system.

EC has also removed much of the showy techniques to develop a no-nonsense combat system - we have provided freedom and creativity for future instructors to ensure we have instructors of quality to maintain a high standard for all our members.

EC takes into account many factors, age, health, size, gender, experience, talent and much more as we have a system that grows as we grow – with no sell-by date – as we get older new members are often younger, fitter, healthier, faster and stronger – as we age our past injuries come back to haunt us – so we teach to educate our members and not to compete with them thereby removing ego and progressing the system, as we expect our students to surpass us as we give them all our knowledge to achieve this – but it involves hard work and patience on all sides ;-).

Download Concepts Flyer

EC takes into consideration the many needs of different martial arts and professional agencies including the police. Over the years Steve has often worked designing programmes and syllabus to promote Escrima or to support other arts. Steve also recognised the need for additional programmes to complement the EC syllabus to avoid confusion and to help specialised professional groups, and offers a highly developed, progressive and complete system planned to aid Police, Security, Blade Awareness and Environmental Programmes.

FAST-TRACK TEACHING PROGRAMMES are also available at our Full-Time Academies (other arrangements can be made to suit different needs).

EC also hold regular Escrima Tournaments throughout Europe for the enjoyment of their sporting members – soon we anticipate two circuits; Amateur (more protection) and Professional (limited protection with different rules).

Steve (see profiles) and Stephen Kinvig have over 30 years each of experience in daily life skills and martial arts training behind them, they were introduced to Escrima in the 1970's when Escrima first hit Europe and they have worked (and still work) with some of the best weapon experts in the world. Steve and Stephen have seen and been through many changes in 30 years and acknowledge that EC will always progress (thanks to our younger members) and be adaptable for future generations to reach many people in the study of EC or to complement and support different martial arts.

Now Steve and Stephen, with their Instructors (some of these Instructors were among the first taught in Europe) have evolved the system to an enjoyable, complementary, effective, direct, honest, modern, progressive, and creative combat art that is:

'ESCRIMA CONCEPTS'

Many of our EC members study in European Martial Arts and some of our members train or teach with, and for, the 'European Historical Combat Guild' (EHCG) known as the 'Guild' as taught by John Waller Master of the Guild (Royal Armouries, UK) with his son Jonathan and partner Kristina.

Download Guild Flyer

After EC was established we went into partnership with friends and created the Alliance as we wished to work with like-minded people with a SHARED VISION of ‘FRIENDSHIP and KNOWLEDGE’.

Many people from Escrima and other acknowledged weapon/unarmed backgrounds gave (and received) advice and input that helped develop EC as a high-profile martial art. We thank them all who contributed to our system that helped groom our forward way of thinking to be able to eventually help ‘FOUND’ the 'WORLD MARTIAL ARTS ALLIANCE' (WMAA) known as the 'Alliance'.

Steve along with fellow Founding Members Dai-Sifu Allan Jensen (Denmark) and Sifu Benno Westra (Holland) have established the WMAA to nourish and enhance the growth of Escrima and Wing Tsun Concepts alongside other Independent arts.

The 'Alliance' will not be a political body, but rather a place where Independents can train to obtain the best of teaching via different arts including EC that is now a very sought after system.

POLITICS – See Profiles

STEVE IS VERY PROUD TO BE A FOUNDING MEMBER OF ESCRIMA CONCEPTS, THE ALLIANCE AND THE GUILD AND EVEN MORE PROUD OF THE SUPPORT OF HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS AND MEMBERS.



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