[2edgesword]

I had the opportunity to participate in the testing of instructor candidates at this year's Martial Blade Camp. A portion of the test is demonstrating partner flow drills. Many of the flow drills come out of various Filipino martial arts. The purpose of the flow drills is to allow you to get a lot of repetition in a short period of time defending against attacks from various angles. Rather then attacking, defending and stopping to reset the attacks continue from a chambered position that flows from the last attack or defensive position. In this way you get the heart pumping and adreneline flowing, especially when you combine drills so that your partner can't predict where the next attack is coming from.

The following is a demonstration of a drill called Sumbrada featuring one of the instructor candidates and yours truly (I'm the little bald guy).

http://www.brentwoodself-defenseacademy.com/Sumbrada_.avi

 

[Pistology]

Very fast! And no eye protection! Looks dangerous at times. Yet, inspiring.
On a Paladin Press discount, for $19.95, I just got Michael D. Janich's Mastering Fighting Folders, 2-discs of 159 minutes normally $79.95 with many drills including the Sumbrada. His is demonstrative. Yours is impressive.

 

[2edgesword]

Pistology

Thanks for the kudos.

I'm wearing eye protection and encourage all of my students to do so. This is especially important when you're doing reverse grip drills and in close. Bumps and bruises will heal but if you damage an eye it's for life. This is especially important when you're just starting to train.

Mike takes it slow on the training videos so you can more easy follow what is being done. Things are ramped up during the certification training via increased speed, variation and the exhaustion the candidates experience having to proform the drills at 8,000 feet against fresh partners that alternate the attacks. Good luck with your training.

 

[psychophipps]

I had the opportunity to participate in the testing of instructor candidates at this year's Martial Blade Camp. A portion of the test is demonstrating partner flow drills. Many of the flow drills come out of various Filipino martial arts. The purpose of the flow drills is to allow you to get a lot of repetition in a short period of time defending against attacks from various angles. Rather then attacking, defending and stopping to reset the attacks continue from a chambered position that flows from the last attack or defensive position. In this way you get the heart pumping and adreneline flowing, especially when you combine drills so that your partner can't predict where the next attack is coming from.

The following is a demonstration of a drill called Sumbrada featuring one of the instructor candidates and yours truly (I'm the little bald guy).

Sumbrada is pretty good but I always preferred Radanda(sp?) for the occasional low-line shots to the legs in the mix.
While I'm all for the practice of flow drills and the potential utility of pass parries, I always kept myself from getting too comfortable with it because it's really easy to get in the habit of just passing the blade and letting the opening go from drills practice when you should be trapping that *insert expletive* arm to their side, applying constant forward pressure, and running your best Viking and/or Singer impression from their thigh on up to their neck.

 

[2edgesword]

"I always kept myself from getting too comfortable with it because it's really easy to get in the habit of just passing the blade and letting the opening go from drills practice when you should be trapping that *insert expletive* arm to their side, applying constant forward pressure, and running your best Viking and/or Singer impression from their thigh on up to their neck."

I agree!

A few ways to avoid getting too comfortable and/or locked in a drill are:

1. Randomly throw in finishing applications while you're doing drills.

2. Randomly change from one drill to another.

3. Work only the empty hand or knife hand portion of the drill.

4. Start the drill from varying angles of attack.

5. Incorporate live hand disruption of the drill.

I like to include deployment and finishing applications in every practice session. The drills are not an end, they are a means to an end. The goal isn't to learn how to dance with a knife. The goal is ending the attack as quickly as possible with a minimum of damage to yourself.

"Viking and/or Singer"

You must be even older then I am. I remember the Singer but the Viking?