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News, current events and updates

Nov 2006
New class in Govan, Glasgow.

New branch in Bristol.

 

 

 

 

Training Equipment
and Tools of the Trade

Due to the nature of our training we are constantly experimenting with new equipment, the following are some of the ones that have stuck & that we use on a regular basis.

Sticks

Over the years we’ve all experimented with different materials for our sticks, from Hickory to Oak, Kamagong to Cocobolo, even on occasion with plastics.

In the end though we always seem to come back to the humble Rattan that is traditional to the majority of FMA’s. Our preferred training stick is usually made of Manu Cane and tends to run from 31”-37” with a diameter of 24-30mm, the longer being the traditional length used in the WMA of single stick. It is important to point out that not all Rattan is equal; there is a tendency to choose a stick that is a little shorter and a little lighter. While these sticks can have merit as training tools (the lighter weight putting less stress on the joints) if they are mistaken as weapons, they can, in the words of Eric Knaus “lead down the road of temptation”. In other words technique can be developed that will not transfer to the heavier more weapon like stick. As such, no matter what size of stick you chose to train with it is important that you always keep in mind the weight and density that the stick would need to be effective.

Padded Weaponry

Though in our training, we work towards the ethos of Minimal Armour (i.e. testing ourselves under realistic conditions with just enough equipment to stop permanent injury). In day to day training this is not always practical.

As such we have experimented with various forms of body armour. In the end however our preferred option is to pad the stick. These can range from professionally made sticks which can range quite drastically in price and quality, to home made ones. These being made from a core of either plastic pipe or thinner rattan sticks, pipe lagging and hockey/duct tape. When considering the price and quality of the padded sticks on sale, the majority of padded weapons used by the CAS are of the home made variety.

Hand Protection

Again due to the nature of our training we have found the options for hand protection to be quite limited, the following being some of the forms used in our group. Each having their own benefits & draw backs.

Ice Hockey Gloves

The main stay of most FMA sparring, these probably give the highest level of hand protection available. They do however tend to negate the effects of all but the most powerful of hand strikes, limit wrist motion and the thumb design on most does not give great protection. As such we tend to use these for beginners or training drills where a person will be expected to take a hand hit.

Street Hockey Gloves

While the Street Hockey Glove may look similar to the Ice Hockey the level of protection is greatly reduced. Meaning that though a level of protection is given hand hits become a greater factor. This alongside the greater wrist mobility makes the Street Hockey Glove the preferred glove of some CAS senior members.

Lacross Gloves

The level of protection given by Lacross Gloves that we have been able to obtain seems to differ greatly, from slightly heavier than Street Hockey gloves to comparable to Ice Hockey gloves. The one notable factor is that due to the design almost all of these gloves give better wrist mobility than the Ice Hockey gloves and the majority give better protection to the thumb.

Cricket Gloves

Though giving a decent level of protection for the back of the hand and the fingers, Cricket Gloves give little or no protection to the wrists or left thumb. As such these tend not to be used.

MMA Gloves

While giving little or no protection to the tips of the fingers and thumb, and at best limited protection to the knuckles/back of the hand. Some members have found that these can be quiet useful when training with lighter padded sticks. Though even then, a Deep appreciation of hand hits is quickly developed.

Head Gear

“Above all else, Protect your I.Q.” Guro Marc Denny

While we will play without head gear when using Padded weapons, when the raw Rattan comes out, a degree of head gear needs to be used.

The two main forms we use are:-

WEKAF Helmet

Developed by Dionisio Canete of Doce Pares these are the other main stay of most FMA clubs sparring kit. Basically a leather head guard similar to a boxing head guard, with extra padding, a bib like throat protector and a steel grill over the face. These give a high level of protection to the face & sides of the head however the padding on the top and back of the head is minimal. While the high level of protection can be considered a benefit, it can also be a draw back. Like the Ice Hockey Glove, these can lead to a loss of appreciation of a good head shot, often the main way of knowing you’ve taken the hit being the ringing from the metal grill. This said though these are excellent training tools and are used to allow head shots to be applied when drilling, for heavier weapons (i.e. staff) sparring and tend to be the first choice of people new to sparring.

Fencing Mask

Our preferred head gear. The fencing mask gives a good level of visibility, can be removed quickly if grappling happens and can, depending on the strength (measured in Newtons) and type of mask, give differing levels of protection. The main drawback being the complete lack of any protection for the back of the head.

Eye Gear

For obvious reason we wear eye gear when training drills that have a random element and for sparring with padded sticks without headgear. The types used range from the safety specs that can be bought from any DIY store to Squash goggles.

General Protective Gear

Less oblivious pieces of Kit are,

Joint Protection (knees & elbows)

The most common versions used at first are the usual Skateboard BMX or Moto-cross pads with a hard plastic shell. While giving decent mobility and good protection eventually some members forgo these in favour of soft foam padding.

Forearm Protection

While not normally worn during sparring this can be a good training tool as it allows shots on the arm to be placed with a degree of force. These can vary between a pair of small Football (soccer) shin pads fixed round the forearm, to the forearm protectors produced by Lameco Escrima International. The main trait being that, as these are to allow a degree of force, the protector has a degree of rigidity.

Chest protector

For obvious reasons this is a necessity for Female members especially during knife sparring

Groin Guard

The type is left to personal choice, ranging from the simple cup to the leather boxing style. This tends to be the one area where no amount of protection will EVER be enough.