Stick Fighting Seminar

Jason Stanley 

I just returned to the U.S. after a two week visit to my homeland, Australia.

It’s been 6 and half years since my wife and I decided to move from Melbourne to the southern California and while we’ve been back several times since, it had been 2 years since we were last there, so we were eager to see family and friends.

I often get asked in the US, “Wow, Australia. How long does it take to get there? I’d love to go there one day…”

The flight from LAX to Melbourne is around 15 hours or so, but this time we had a couple of hours in Sydney before heading to Melbourne, so the entire trip door to door was actually about 25 hours. We left Friday night and arrived Sunday lunchtime, with Saturday vanishing into thin air as we crossed the International Date Line.

The flight itself was fine and the vibration of the engines lulled our 7 month old daughter to sleep. She barely made a sound for the entire journey, so I guess we’re lucky, as friends tell me horror stories of their travels with their little ones.

Anyhow Melbourne greeted us with a sunny spring day, and our challenge for the next couple of days was to adjust to the new time zone. At the moment the difference is 19 hours between Pacific Standard Time and Australian Eastern Standard Time, so arriving lunchtime Sunday was really about 5pm Saturday night PST.
Hello jetlag.
This time the reason for the visit was very different to the last time, in which I visited twice within a 6 week period to say my goodbyes to my father as he went through his final battle with cancer. This time my visit was much more fun despite getting the flu 4 days into the trip. This time I came to teach some stick fighting seminars.

In addition to teaching karate I’m also an instructor for the Pakamut system. It’s the original fighting art of the Philippines. You may have heard of it referred to as Arnis, Kali and Eskrima, which are the Spanish names for the Filipino system. You can read more about the Pakamut system here (https://www.pakamut.com/).

In short, the Pakamut system is a complete system most often with stick or knife in hand involving short, middle and long range techniques.
In many way it’s similar to karate with strikes, blocks, throws, locks and holds, and yet in other ways it’s very different… mostly with it’s circular movements versus the linear movements so often taught in karate.
While I’ve been practicing stick fighting for nearly as long as karate, a couple of years ago I had the good fortune of meeting Master Felix Roiles, head of Pakamut International.
Master Felix filled in the blanks, gave me the rest of the pieces to the puzzle, and now I’m happy to teach the system to anyone who likes to learn and further their knowledge – just like my friend Tim (above) who insisted that I choke him out.
Of course I was pleased to oblige. =)

This is just one simple choke in the system in which the stick braces the back of the neck while the forearms form the triangle choke. Very painful and very effective when done correctly.

Part of the course I taught involved some full contact sparring, which everyone seemed to love. There’s something about putting on the armor that brings out the warrior within.

Unlike karate tournament fighting, targets include the hands, arms, body and head. Basically anything that is covered by armor is allowed to be struck with full force.

Think the armor absorbs all the pain? Think again. But for those who think armor is for the weak, sometimes we just spar with head and hand protection – no body armor at all. If you watched shows like “The Human Weapon” or “Fight Quest”, and caught the stick fighting episodes let me tell you those bruises are real. And they hurt like hell.

All in all the course was well received with over 60 people attending the two seminars. And I’ve got to say I had as much fun teaching as the students did learning.
A special thanks to everyone who attended and those who made it possible. Keep practicing what you learned and I’ll see you next year for more!

– Jason

Jason Stanley

Jason Stanley has been practicing karate for 37 years. He is a 5th dan in Shitoryu/Shukokai, and 3 x stick fighting world champion. Since 2002 Jason has provided karate tips, hints and information to help both students and teachers increase their karate knowledge, deepen their understanding and improve their karate skill sets. His materials, e-books and courses have sold in over 35 countries. If you haven't already done so, please subscribe to the KarateTeaching newsletter and receive free karate teaching tips delivered to your inbox. No spam. No BS. Just helpful info to improve your skills. 100% privacy.

Recommended Posts

Embracing Empathy: The Art of Teaching Martial Arts

Teaching martial arts goes far beyond imparting techniques and movements; it is about shaping character, instilling respect, and promoting continuous growth. Our approach to instruction, therefore, can significantly impact the way our students perceive and engage with karate. One aspect we should reflect on is the tone and method of our instruction. Are we merely […]

Jason Stanley 

How To Keep Students Interested

In a recent survey I asked instructors what their biggest challenge is when it comes to teaching and running a dojo. I received a wide variety of responses from needing new drills and exercises, to keeping helicopter parents from interfering, to managing student data. But one of the more common challenges relates to student retention, […]

Jason Stanley 

How to Develop Fighter Instinct

The tactical landscape of tournament fighting is forever changing. Competitors and coaches are always looking for an edge over their opponents. And with the all-too-frequent changes in rules, there is an arms race to develop the next great strategy, tactic, or method. Thanks to the pursuit of the next nuclear fighting tactic, fundamentals have taken […]

Jason Stanley 

Leave A Comment