The only thing I would really suggest to you, so you do not go down the road to disappointment I did at first is...
Have a clear understanding from the Instructor that you want to learn
knife more than anything.
Do
not settle for, "anything you can do with a stick, you can do with a knife."
Do
not settle for, "you can find a stick anywhere."
The sticks can teach you many valuable lessons, however, there are knife-specific things that you simply cannot learn with a stick.
There is also the problem of orienting the edge...alot of stick aficionados will state that you have to focus on the stick as a sword, and to a degree that is true, in the final analysis, it is still a stick.
A stick is very versatile and it is a weapon that is fast and it can merely be used to dissuade, injure, lock up, choke and/or kill. Very versatile.
As long as the people you seek instruction from are serious folks that deal with knives and sticks...I don't see a problem with any of the Filipino Arts per se...just keep your eyes open and look around. Talk to people.
You can carry a knife in both front pockets of your pants, you can tuck a fixed blade in your waistband...
The stick is basically one of two things nowadays...it is a walking cane which is basically a two handed weapon, or it is one of the excellent ASP Telescoping Batons.
The only problem with the ASP is, in most places, it will land you in the slammer faster then the knife will.
Police are not too keen on you carrying weapons they are authorized, or in some cases, where they are strictly forbidden, to carry.
Either way, you get the shaft. If they are allowed to carry it, they get an Elitist attitude.
If they're not, they have the attitude, "I can't even carry that thing, and you think you're going to?"
Every Officer is different, and some will let you slide, it all depends.
