·       Balance

·       Focus

·       Speed (Timing and Distance)

·       Power

·       Transition

·       Syllabus

·       Theory

·       Strategy

Balance: Without balance most things will not work, some points to consider:

· Are you balanced as you fight - with or without a weapon?
· Do you know if you are balanced and can you maintain your balance under pressure as you and your opponent move?
· How do you deal with different types of contact using different weapons or unarmed - can you adjust to the unequal   balance of weapons?
· What is the balance of your welfare: are you ill, tired, stressed, happy, frightened, angry, do you have full use of your   body or are you injured and in pain - what is your emotional state of mind?
· Balance the environment: what are the weather conditions, are you sitting, are you on an incline, are your clothes tight   or bulky, are your shoes slippery, etc?

Focus: The ability to read a situation if you are not aware of danger it will be difficult to assess the risk, no point being a great martial artist or fighter but don’t see the threat, some points to consider:

· Long focus - assess the surrounding area quickly
· Short focus - deal with the immediate problem (Pre-empt and Post Fight Focus)
· Be aware at all times by learning to remain calm in chaos
· If you cannot see their hands they are armed
· If they look like they wish to invade your personal area - they mean harm
· If they should not be in an area they may have ill-intentions
· Are they alone - did you notice other people in your environment?
· Did you notice help in your environment - buildings with people in, weapons in the street, etc?
· The way you may be attacked - do they appear trained or untrained?

Speed, Timing and Distance: How quick ground is covered between two people or their weapons and who evades or makes the first strike? If you cannot cover a distance or read how fast the attack happens or time the moment of impact - then you will struggle and fight instead of learning to win, some points to consider:

· How fast can you or your opponent move (or both of you move together)?
· Are they balanced and in control of their speed - do they lose energy?
· Can they hurt you - are they armed - are you armed?
· What is the distance to cover (if they move, if you move or if you both move)?
· If they are faster than you and cover the distance quicker - can you time your attack to win?
· Can you attack them first - did you time it right?

Power: To deal with a person's individual power and the power of a specific weapon - if you cannot deal with and analyse superior power or take advantage of your own power - then what is the point of using power if you cannot control it? Some points to consider:

· If you over-hit with an unarmed strike you may lose balance and leave  yourself open if you do not connect - this may compromise a situation
· If you over-hit with a weapon you may lose even more balance, become very vulnerable and may compromise a situation
· Power only works if you can control it - anything else is tiring and compromising.
· How do you develop power?
· Where is the power/energy of a weapon?
· How do you balance the power of a man/woman and weapon together?
· Can you split the power?
· How does energy and power work together and is power and energy the same thing?
· Is power dependant on size and strength?
· Is power needed?

Transition: The ability to use a variety of weapons and unarmed techniques to a given situation - if we train only with one weapon then we may not be proficient in using other weapons. Do we have time to learn thousands of techniques with all weapons in a short time frame? If we do not understand basic body and weapon mechanics then our weapons may not have the desired effect when used, some points to consider:

. To take the knowledge of weapon and body mechanics and take advantage of how to use them against other weapons

. To take the knowledge of weapon and body mechanics and take advantage of how to use them against other people.

. To understand the weapon and body mechanics and apply the previous concepts together to establish a sound knowledge of different sizes, weights, strengths and sharpness of weapons right through to an unarmed situation.

Syllabus: To enable to work with the freedom of Concepts you have to be free from something for everything to be analysed - therefore a Syllabus is needed to bounce the concepts off:

. 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 and drills but it was soon realised that this became confusing and that a COMPLETE SYSTEM needs a Structured Syllabus.

. A syllabus allows each student to know and recognise their development and each instructor knows how to progress and motivate each individual via grading levels that the syllabus promotes.

. Once a student knows the basics and is confident and controlled then our instructors know how hard and fast to hit and to what areas. The progression of the syllabus allows for advanced concepts and theories to be taught as the instructors now know the abilities of each student.

Theory: To know what techniques, exercises and drills to apply for different people means to be able to explain and put into practice the art of Escrima Concepts. Theory must be adaptable for simple, quick and immediate retention and yet designed for greater detail as we all progress:

. In the past our Escrima system was fancy with spinning techniques bouncing around the environment with weapon and body. This looked good and felt good but as we understood and developed our system it became obvious it was not effective and created many illusions so our Escrima became combat orientated only.

. Combat allowed for fast and strong strikes but often stopped movement and progress as it was too dangerous to train. Now in Escrima Concepts we still hit hard and fast but use preparation for combat theories to enable safe realistic training. We use our theory to DISSECT, ISOLATE and FINE-TUNE the system to progress it for present and future members and we balance the hard and soft side of the art whilst economising movement.

. With theory being the meat inside the sandwich of the generic concepts and our syllabus the system progresses without confusion. It is very important to know when to explain theory and that it matches the correct level - this avoids a first student grade turning into an instructors grade and also ensures everything is taught at the right time (depending on talent) as to put students quickly through any syllabus just for grades can also lead to confusion, embarrassment and remove confidence. Theory is important to teach but when to teach is equally important which is part of our strategy.

Strategy: To put a complete system together by linking all training, theory, concepts, experiences and ability to gain advantage and out-manoeuvre an opponent whether armed or unarmed:

. Many martial artists learn exercises and techniques via a syllabus but seem confused when and where to apply their gained knowledge. Many may not immediately recognise who they have to fight or possibly control. To know what weapon or unarmed techniques to use is very important.

. There is no point a 65 kilo student struggling to apply an arm lock on a 130 kilo opponent just because they have been taught this lock – they should recognise other opportunities - on the other hand the 130 kilo person may wish to apply a lock to control a smaller person. If you had a staff in an elevator would you be happy with this weapon or prefer a knife? Whereas in an open field would you prefer a longer weapon? Would you put a battleship in the desert or a tank in the ocean?

. Being good with weapons and being able to use them is not enough – we need to know; where, when and how to use them and what is available – its not enough just to lash out. Through strategy we see threats and opportunities and only with strategy can a system be complete.

The above description of our Escrima Concepts System is not designed to go into great detail of the system and alternatives - it is only an overview of what can be achieved if required. The most important factor is that when you put everything together the bigger picture can be seen - only then will you have a trained an adaptable person confident in the use of everyday weapons that include an unarmed system as our body is the ultimate weapon. The above can be reduced and expanded upon in both practical and theory depending on our members or customers needs or employment demands.

Escrima Concepts have run and prepared courses on all the above for different customers ranging from Police Training, to Sixth Form College Education Diplomas, Self-Defence Courses and Security Agencies. For Further information contact: