Filipino Martial Arts: Dedicating a Space for Practice at Home

The emergence of Filipino martial arts dates back centuries ago. Naturally, it was borne out of a necessity for self-preservation, whereupon combative situations call for immediate battle skills. Through the years, the Filipino people have been heavily influenced and shaped by a wave of martial, cultural and linguistic mixture.

Such cultural and martial change extended from monumental occurrences such as states of war, advancement in technology, as well as the development of different political and social systems. Moreover, evolving local conflict imposed and necessitated underlying forces to thrive in combat and street fighting, making these specific mechanisms responsible for the progress and ever-growing popularity of Filipino martial arts through the decades.

The national martial arts of the Philippines is Arnis, also called Eskrima and Kali, which are roughly translated as stick fighting. It is considered complementary to any other fighting styles, be it kicking, hand-based, or throwing arts. Aside from Arnis, other popular martial arts in the country include Yaw-Yan, which has similarities to Thailand's Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Korea's Taekwondo, China's Wushu, and wrestling, among others.

History of Filipino Martial Arts

In ancient times, specifically in the 12th century, Philippine islands were substantially influenced by Indonesian martial arts. In addition to this, the country also had cultural influences from neighboring countries Cambodia and Thailand. By 14th century, Arnis de Mano, used with either two rattan canes or wooden sticks, became the native martial arts of ancient Filipinos. At that time, they are also considered highly skilled in using dagger and broadsword for weapons training in anticipation for combative situations.

Other fighting systems and styles in the Philippines is Silat using daggers and sabres; and Sikaran, a mostly foot-fighting martial art specifically practiced in Rizal province. In 1972 during the Marcos dictatorship, the Filipino martial arts became part of the national sports arena and, by extension, applied to the high school and college curriculums through Physical Education classes. Fast forward to 2006, Arnis was included in the annual Palarong Pambansa. In 2009, finally, Arnis was proclaimed as the country's national martial art and sport. Learning about the different fighting skills and styles in the Philippines is mandatory among students in the military and police.

Why Dedicate a Space for Filipino Martial Arts Practice at Home?

You never know when the need for self-defense becomes necessary. But if you don't have time or money to enroll in martial art classes, dedicating a space for practice at home is an excellent alternative. The following are the top reasons why this setup would work for aspiring Filipino martial artists like you.

Flexibility and convenience

Learning and practicing traditional Filipino martial arts entails flexibility and convenience. For starters, you won't have to travel to a training facility to practice. You can set your own schedule based on your availability and preferred time of the day. This makes it easier for you to adjust your daily routine without compromising one or the other.

Privacy and comfortable environment

Many people prefer not to hit the gym because they want more privacy and a comfortable environment where they could train without feeling they're being watched or judged if they do it incorrectly. This very much applies with training for Filipino martial arts. Your own home is where you can achieve privacy while hitting your fitness and self-defense goals.

You can train at your own pace

If you're training at home, you can implement a more personalized training method that is based on your individual needs. You then have the liberty to focus on a martial arts skill that you may still be lacking in, or maximize your strength on a combative ability you're already good at. Moreover, if you missed training for a day for personal reasons, you can always dedicate another time where you may allocate additional time for training.

Save more money

Enrolling in a traditional Filipino martial arts class require you to pay for training fees. If you choose to train at home, however, you can save more money and time. Alternatively, you could then rely on instructional materials which are vastly available on the internet. Just be sure to subscribe to online channels and coaches with a verifiable expertise in the field.

A source of family bonding and activity

If you plan to train over the weekend after a week's worth of tiresome work, you might as well tap your other family members to join you in a martial arts session. This way, you can encourage physical activity among your loved ones, be it your partner or your youngsters at an early age. This is also a fun bonding activity to do with the entire family.

Factors to Consider Before Practicing Filipino Martial Arts at Home

But before you dive into practicing traditional Filipino martial arts at the comforts of your own abode, you need to factor in several things first. To make sure that your home is ideal for martial arts practice, refer to the following considerations:

Space availability

Arguably the most important consideration is having sufficient space for your training at home. As such, you must have a large-enough space where you could train and perform techniques and various footwork without restrictions. If you will transform a certain room in your house to become your training area, make sure to remove furniture and other items that will serve as hindrances to your martial arts practice.

Personal safety

Since martial arts can be considered as a highly physical sport, safety must be taken primarily taken into account. A safe training space can be achieved by ensuring that no sharp or unnecessary objects are present in the area. Also, for extra cushioning, consider putting pads or mats on your flooring to make sure that it's utterly safe from the risk of falling or slipping.

Mirrors for self-assessment

Practically all fitness gyms have large mirrors installed for gymgoers to see their reflection while strength-training. This may seem like a show of vanity, but it's actually intended for self-assessment and progress tracking. Consider installing mirrors in your training area as well to see yourself sweat it all out and be more motivated.

Storage space for equipment

Aside from an adequately spacious training area, a space for equipment storage must also be factored in prior to your actual martial arts practice at your house and lot Philippines. Since you will not only be practicing mano a mano (empty hands and kicking) techniques, you would be using sticks, knives, swords, and protective gears, a storage to keep them is necessary to keep your training area clutter-free. Ideally, your storage for these equipment must be accessible for you, but at the same time unreachable from curious children.

Good lighting and ventilation

It may seem inconsequential, but ample lighting and ventilation are significant factors in ensuring that your training sessions will be both effective and comfortable. Good lighting enables you to clearly see your movements, while natural or artificial ventilation allows you to not tire easily due to excessive sweating that can only ensue without proper ventilation.

Audiovisual setup

If you choose to train at home without a personal trainer or partner, having an audiovisual setup will help in your solitary training sessions. In so saying, consider including an audiovisual equipment to your training area. It may inspire you or serve as a helpful guide if you can watch a video while training, or when you can listen to instructional methods that you can incorporate in your sessions.

Training partner or hired coach

Finally, you can always seek a martial arts professional to help you achieve your physique goals and self-defense skills. Just because you chose to train at home doesn't mean you can't hire one to expertly assist you. While this necessitates that you pay for training fees, this is still a worthy investment if you are bent on achieving your fitness aspirations and be able to defend yourself by learning the different Filipino martial art skills.

If you want to achieve a home where you can safely train in a relaxing environment, affordable house and lot provisions from Lumina Homes can help you attain your homeownership and fitness aspirations. You can have the full liberty to reserve and set aside an area for your regular martial arts training sessions at home without worrying about not having adequate space left for other equally important areas of the house.

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