So, how do you grip the weapon? The way you grip the weapon is important to how you focus and control the strike.

1) Most people simply whack with the weapon. They use the power of their muscle to hit as hard as they can. Yet, are they actually doing damage? No...they can't gauge how to increase the velocity or decrease the velocity of the strikes. If they did they would understand "timing". They would know how to regulate the power of the strike to the varied actions of their opponent. In other words, knowing to use the appropriate about of "stroke".

My grandfather was an escrimador that came to Hawaii in 1910. He was a master escrimador and a master pool player. He understood that each stroke must be honed in escrima and in pool. Sometimes you hit very very softly, fluidly and precisely to do damage and sometimes you have no choice but to stroke hard.

2) Most people can't hit with accuracy and focus the major targets of the "head, hands or feet" as they are moving. Most people today, "hit stick against stick" a watered down version of the real thing. Even Remy Presas and Juny Canete talked about how dangerous it was to practice striking directly to the hand. They both decided to use lighter sticks, striking stick against stick, and created the use of armour to make modern FMA into sport.

3) Most people can't "change up" to redirect the strike as their opponent changes his movements. In sport, these guys stand there "whacking" each other never thinking of defense. What if you didn't have armour?

So, what is your grip? I can tell how good you are by how you hold your stick.

Tuhan Joseph T. Oliva Arriola