Latosa Escrima Edge Weapons Training Rene Latosa (On Demand)

The main emphasis of training with an edged weapon is knowing and understanding all the dangers associated with this type of weapon.

All the "what ifs" and "yeah buts" are useful for trial and error, and for exploring assumptions about predictability. However, the danger posed by edged weapons is very real and should always be treated with the utmost respect.

Your training priority should be survival. If you ever face a real edged-weapon attack, you are the one who must survive—not your instructor. A trainer can help you develop your skills, but only you are responsible for achieving your objective.

The training priorities I use in Latosa-Escrima are as follows:

Reality – Understanding exactly what can happen and recognizing the true dangers involved when using or defending against an edged weapon.

Techniques – Movements that present general possibilities and probabilities of what may occur in a confrontation.

Drills – Exercises designed to develop and enhance the body mechanics and movement skills needed to apply the techniques effectively.

The emphasis of this Edged Weapon Training is the proper placement and prioritization of these elements in your development. Techniques alone do not give you the skills to deal with an edged weapon; they simply present scenarios that demonstrate how certain responses might work. Likewise, drills and techniques are not the system itself—they are tools used to build your skills.

Reality-based training means having a partner attack you safely from a variety of distances, speeds, angles, and levels of intensity, including attacks from the side and from areas outside your peripheral vision.

There are many more advanced concepts and training methods, but the first step is understanding the basic thought process and recognizing where reality, techniques, and drills belong in your list of training priorities.