I did post a lengthy Article or rather opening Post for Discussion on Balintawak Footwork here...

http://www.fmatalk.com/showthread.php?t=4420

Hoping for a good Discussion with many Insights from different Lineages and Instdurctors as well as Students of Balintawak!

Thanks!

Yours, Philipp "Mono" Wolf

I did post a lengthy Article or rather opening Post for Discussion on Balintawak Footwork here...

http://www.fmatalk.com/showthread.php?t=4420

Hoping for a good Discussion with many Insights from different Lineages and Instdurctors as well as Students of Balintawak!

Thanks!

Yours, Philipp "Mono" Wolf

Boy that discussion was pretty technical! Coming from a non-Balintawak perspective, I'm more interested in the interaction of Balintawak with various other approaches. I see from your article that you have studied other systems, so you probably have a lot to say on the subject.

My own experience with balintawak practioners was for them to work in very close... one could say they'd sorta balinta-walk all over you. But their footwork wasn't exactly linear either, as they'd kind of move in and around me... damn near ending up behind me, sometimes. That seemed to entail a bit of very narrow and efficient off-lining. I'm sorry I can't be more specific. It was a while back. But it was very interesting.

My experience with Balintawak has been pretty much completely from GM Bobby Taboada's lineage. We draw from it primarily to teach students good body mechanics and stick control before we move into other areas mostly influenced by Lacoste/Inosanto blend.

I have no formal rank within Balintawak. My instructor trained with GM Bobby in the early 90s (soon after GM Bobby moved to the States). When I first started training in FMA in '95 he required us to learn the Balintawak system to the point that we could have tested for "Completion of Art." I'm a little rusty on some of the higher level material but have seen most if not all of the basic curriculum (up to "CoA" level). As I understand it GM Bobby has modified his curriculum over the years (which, of course, stands to reason) and I don't know about those modifications.

GM Bobby posted later in that discussion Mono originally referenced and, of course, I won't reinvent the wheel by trying to re-explain what he put ... go read it there :D

A couple of things I would like to point out that I didn't see mentioned in that discussion:

In Cuentada the second method that Mono mentioned (triangulating against the incoming attack) is used.

Shadowboxing is a preset form that GM Bobby taught my instructor (I assume it was a standard part of the curriculum then but I don't know if it still is). Shadowboxing starts with no footwork. Later, though, it becomes mobile and the footwork is not prearranged. This leads the student to explore footwork and find what feels comfortable within the parameters that s/he has learned in the previous training in Cuentada and Grouping Systems.

Mike

In Cuentada the second method that Mono mentioned (triangulating against the incoming attack) is used.

Just a point of order - cuentada is a concept rather than a specific technique or set of techniques. As such, there's no specific footwork attributed to the art of cuentada. Also, any perception of "triangulating" (I'm assuming this is meant as triangular/v-pattern footwork...?) is purely coincidental - we don't teach or train triangular or v-pattern footwork.

Shadowboxing is a preset form that GM Bobby taught my instructor (I assume it was a standard part of the curriculum then but I don't know if it still is). Shadowboxing starts with no footwork. Later, though, it becomes mobile and the footwork is not prearranged. This leads the student to explore footwork and find what feels comfortable within the parameters that s/he has learned in the previous training in Cuentada and Grouping Systems.

Shadow fighting is still very much a part of the program. It has many uses and is a very good exercise. Where the footwork comes in with shadow fighting is when training to deal with multiple attackers.


Robert

Just a point of order - cuentada is a concept rather than a specific technique or set of techniques. As such, there's no specific footwork attributed to the art of cuentada. Also, any perception of "triangulating" (I'm assuming this is meant as triangular/v-pattern footwork...?) is purely coincidental - we don't teach or train triangular or v-pattern footwork.


I think there's a difference in our definitions of the term "triangulating."

What I mean is that, for instance, as Angle 1 comes in I "triangulate" to the attack by squaring my shoulders to the line of attack and blocking with a vertical stick, middle to middle then countering. Generally (though not always) that triangulation will also mean I have a right lead (against an Angle 1) because it provides a good stable base for that block.

So when I say "triangulating" I'm not specifically talking about footwork - though the footwork is often part of the overall equation but, as you say, it's somewhat coincidental in cuentada. The triangle I'm referring to isn't related to male/female triangular stepping; it's related to the triangle formed by my shoulders as the base and my stick at the point. If I were to put both of my hands on my stick then my arms/stick/shoulders would form a triangle.

I think that explains it better than I previously did. The footwork we use in cuentada is linear and, usually, matched lead and the "triangulation" (the term my instructor uses - not sure where he got it) happens in the upper body.

I think this puts us more on the same page, right?

Mike

I think this puts us more on the same page, right?


Yep, I'm tracking with you now.

Robert