Escrima Concepts

For details of our upcoming events please check out our Events & Updates page on FuTube.

Originating from the Philippines, Escrima (also known as Kali and Arnis) has evolved into a modern, realistic and effective martial art through the study of other weapon and unarmed concepts; Balance, Focus, Timing/Distance/Speed, Power, and Transition. Everything which we do with a weapon in Escrima uses the same concepts for our unarmed applications which has the benefit of making Escrima Concepts an easily accessible martial art for street situations. We live in a society in which weapons are used widely in violent crime and understanding weapons can prove invaluable in protecting yourself.

Escrima is a fighting art; pure and simple. Originally practiced with knives and machetes in the Philippines, it was more a way of life than a hobby (like people in the wild west owning a gun). These days, the majority of people walking the streets, people like our students, are not in fact carrying around bladed weapons. Instead, should we need to defend ourselves, we have to make do with what we normally have with us; what we are legally allowed to carry around with us in our daily life.

The Benefits of Escrima Concepts

Escrima Concepts is a very practical martial art which is excellent for both self defence and fitness. The physical benefits of our Escrima Concepts classes include increased mobility, increased dexterity and improved coordination. As students progress through our syllabus and begin to use two weapons, they will benefit from improved left/right coordination as a result of using both their left and right arms with different weapons and leg combinations simultaneously. The added pressure of using weapons without hurting yourself, or your training partner, improves confidence and develops increased body control and awareness of yourself and others.

Many of the techniques you will practice do not require strength or power since most of the power is derived from body movement and economy of motion; because of this anyone can practice Escrima Concepts regardless of their build or physical strength.

Because you will be using weapons from the very beginning everything is initially taught slowly and with control, aiming to keep students relaxed under the natural pressure caused by using weapons. Once you are comfortable with, and proficient in, the use of basic attacks and defences, students can then begin to add some speed and eventually power.

In addition to the physical benefits of our Escrima Concepts classes, it is our aim for all of our students to benefit from the self-discipline that comes from studying a martial art and the self-confidence that comes from knowing ways in which you could defend yourself should it become necessary. All of our classes are designed to help students lead a safe, happy, healthy and successful life.

Training Escrima Concepts

Escrima Concepts uses five concepts (Balance, Focus, Speed(distance/timing), Power and Transition) to train with both traditional weapons like sticks and knives as well as modern items like a pen, mobile phone or a magazine. Instead of having a system of fighting for each separate item, we use the core concepts and our body mechanics to train us to be able to pick up anything and use it instantly as a weapon.

The main principle of Escrima Concepts is; “Don’t Get Hit!”. Taking a big ‘baseball-bat-like’ swing may be effective in terms of the sheer amount of power you can generate, but you are not particularly safe while winding up and starting the manoeuvre. Instead, we aim to keep our weapon between us and our attacker. It is our weapon but also our shield, and from behind this shield we can move to attack or defend.

Because we cannot rely on being bigger and stronger than our opponent, we must learn to develop power by moving our entire body. Escrima Concepts works because an attacker does not get hit by a 7 pound arm holding a mobile phone, instead they get hit by a 12 stone person, all impacting through one small point.

For details of the Escrima Concepts syllabus, you can check out our online resources at FuTube.co.uk.

Our Classes

Our Escrima Concepts classes begin with using a rattan stick as a learning tool. As well as learning to use a piece of wood as a weapon, you are also teaching your subconscious about effective range. This ‘beginners’ weapon is the same length as your arm, so you learn about you and your opponents unarmed range. When using the back end (or ‘butt’) you are changing to the unarmed range, without dropping the weapon. The idea is that this stick is not just a stick, it could also be a rolled up magazine, an umbrella or a rolling pin; the concepts for using any of these as a weapon remain the same. 

When we teach unarmed concepts this is also the same as using a mobile phone, keys, a knife, a bottle or a biro; the objects may change, but the ideas of movement and the concepts of balance, focus, power, transition, and distance (speed/time) are all used equally as you move from weapon to weapon. 

Escrima Concepts is not a ‘stick system’, but a weapons system to be used with anything you pick up in the moment.

Upcoming Events

We are pleased to host Grandmaster Steve and Master Wayne in Cambridge several times throughout the year.

For details of their next visits to Cambridge, along with all our other events, please check out our FuTube Events & Updates page.

Interested in a FREE trial class?

We offer everyone the opportunity to try our classes for free,
so if you've checked out our Timetable Page and are ready to jump in and have a go:

Escrima Concepts Instructor Team

We are very fortunate to have learnt Escrima from some of the top Escrima practitioners in the world, including Grandmaster Brian Jones and Master Ricky Crofts (Latosa Escrima and Integrated Kun Tao), Grandmaster Bill Newman (Latosa Escrima), and Master John Morgan.

We are now proud to train and teach the ‘Escrima Concepts’ of Grandmaster Steve Tappin, who is an internationally renowned master of martial arts specialising in the use of unarmed and weapons for self protection. Grandmaster Steve and his son Master Wayne Tappin teach all round the world to top martial artists as well as bouncers, police, and military units. Throughout the year both Grandmaster Steve and Master Wayne visit Cambridge to give seminars and to grade students who are ready.

In Cambridge, our Senior Instructor is Col Maggs who is currently a 3rd Technician Grade (3TG) and private student of Master Wayne Tappin.

Col has been training Escrima since 2003, and now teaches the Cambridge classes assisted by Instructors Tiest Vilée (1TG) and Martyn Weeds (2TG).

Photo: The EC Cambridge Senior Team at an Axe Seminar at the start of 2020 with GM Steve and Wayne.

From L-R: Tim, Neil, Col, GM Steve, Tiest, Amy, Martyn, Wayne.