Ray Floro, Kalis Ilustrisimo Seminar
It has been a very busy 3 days! Ray Floro, flew in from San Jose California, to start my training in the Floro Fighting Systems, Kalis Ilustrisimo. We checked in the hotel and went over to the school for some training on Friday night. The one thing, I fully enjoyed was that Ray teaches his art out of sparring, meaning, put on a little protective gear and bring it on! There are many teachers in the arts today, but not many of them put their art to the test against their own students, never mind a complete stranger. Ray introduced me to the basic fighting position, footwork and blade grip. We quickly went out and started to drill some basic techniques out through sparring. The first thing you will notice in the Kalis Ilustrisimo system is that it is very subtle, feints to draw an attacker into a position to quickly dispatch him. After, about 45 minutes of sparring, and quite a bit longer talking about various fighting systems, training philosophies, and projectile throwing. We called it an evening.
Saturday
The first full day of the seminar had us working on the basic fighting position, footwork (almost like walking!!), how to non telegraph the strike, and then basic strikes. This quickly lead us to basic set ups and feints. Ray, would also have a student put on some headgear, and tell them to parry the incoming strike anyway they could and he would then hit them in the mask. Out of the 10 that he tried it on, not one successfully stopped the strike! We moved on to Rays version of the cross block, which is braced version of crossing the forearms in a cross. This can be used empty handed, or with 1 or 2 weapons being held. We drilled from here using a single blade and counter attack after stopping our opponents incoming attack.
After a break for lunch, we moved on to Machete work!! Again, Ray covered the basic fighting position, and basic method of punching out the strike while maintaining the elbow in tight. As we moved on to the counter/defensive methods, Ray then had a student take a live machete and strike at his hand, Ray quickly used the spine of the weapon to deflect the incoming attack on the outside or inside attacking angle. There was just a slight rotation of the body and a small pulling motion of the blade being drawn across the belly line. He then covered his version of the roof block, and counter to the low line attack. Once we had enough grounding in these fundamentals he covered his basic numbering system, and the Matrix of strikes/feints etc. As a closing to this first day of the public seminar was coming to an end, Ray then asked if anyone wanted to spar, several students came up and had the opportunity to see and feel Rays techniques first hand!
My day wasnt over just yet... several of us went out to a Buffet dinner, then for a quick shopping trip, and for Ray and I, back to the school for some more training. Yes, more sparring!! We covered the thrust, and counter thrust as well as the Crane and double machete. Ray and I also went over some Sayoc Kali Whip work, and various methods of projectile use as well.
Sunday
With several new students coming in for the second day, Ray went back and covered the basic strikes and footwork again. But, then added a little more to the mix by adding in some fencing footwork that allowed you to cover a great deal of distance as well as break the rhythm and timing of the opponent. He also demonstrated the same footwork being utilized while one hand dropped to the floor. We switched to double machetes, and practiced countering various strikes and follow ups. We went back and reviewed the cross block and more counter attacks and finishing moves. After, this Ray proceeded to teach the bandana vs the blade! Awesome, work that brought together the cross block into various disarming techniques. As a final part of the seminar, Ray went over several disarms vs the machete or short blade. Again, nearing the end of the seminar, Ray offered to spar with anyone. Each time Ray stepped up and worked the basic techniques he had taught in the seminar to lay a hit upon his opponents.
Ray and I, had another 45 minutes of sparring to cover more material at the end of the seminar. The day wasnt over, after a nice dinner at a local Indian restaurant, we headed back to the school for more reviewing of the bandana and several other techniques.
As a final wrap up: I had a lot of fun training with Ray. Our personalities clicked and there wasnt any time where it was this style is better than that style, no politics etc, just fun training .All the participants came away from the seminar with a lot of material to add to the fighting repertoire, and they are already asking when he will be coming back! I would like thank Ray Floro, for a great seminar, also a special note of thanks to everyone who attended and supported this seminar, especially the Atienza Guros who drove from New York, and then drove back at the end of the seminar!
Gumagalang
Guro Steve Lefebvre
www.Bujinkandojo.net
It has been a very busy 3 days! Ray Floro, flew in from San Jose California, to start my training in the Floro Fighting Systems, Kalis Ilustrisimo. We checked in the hotel and went over to the school for some training on Friday night. The one thing, I fully enjoyed was that Ray teaches his art out of sparring, meaning, put on a little protective gear and bring it on! There are many teachers in the arts today, but not many of them put their art to the test against their own students, never mind a complete stranger. Ray introduced me to the basic fighting position, footwork and blade grip. We quickly went out and started to drill some basic techniques out through sparring. The first thing you will notice in the Kalis Ilustrisimo system is that it is very subtle, feints to draw an attacker into a position to quickly dispatch him. After, about 45 minutes of sparring, and quite a bit longer talking about various fighting systems, training philosophies, and projectile throwing. We called it an evening.
Saturday
The first full day of the seminar had us working on the basic fighting position, footwork (almost like walking!!), how to non telegraph the strike, and then basic strikes. This quickly lead us to basic set ups and feints. Ray, would also have a student put on some headgear, and tell them to parry the incoming strike anyway they could and he would then hit them in the mask. Out of the 10 that he tried it on, not one successfully stopped the strike! We moved on to Rays version of the cross block, which is braced version of crossing the forearms in a cross. This can be used empty handed, or with 1 or 2 weapons being held. We drilled from here using a single blade and counter attack after stopping our opponents incoming attack.
After a break for lunch, we moved on to Machete work!! Again, Ray covered the basic fighting position, and basic method of punching out the strike while maintaining the elbow in tight. As we moved on to the counter/defensive methods, Ray then had a student take a live machete and strike at his hand, Ray quickly used the spine of the weapon to deflect the incoming attack on the outside or inside attacking angle. There was just a slight rotation of the body and a small pulling motion of the blade being drawn across the belly line. He then covered his version of the roof block, and counter to the low line attack. Once we had enough grounding in these fundamentals he covered his basic numbering system, and the Matrix of strikes/feints etc. As a closing to this first day of the public seminar was coming to an end, Ray then asked if anyone wanted to spar, several students came up and had the opportunity to see and feel Rays techniques first hand!
My day wasnt over just yet... several of us went out to a Buffet dinner, then for a quick shopping trip, and for Ray and I, back to the school for some more training. Yes, more sparring!! We covered the thrust, and counter thrust as well as the Crane and double machete. Ray and I also went over some Sayoc Kali Whip work, and various methods of projectile use as well.
Sunday
With several new students coming in for the second day, Ray went back and covered the basic strikes and footwork again. But, then added a little more to the mix by adding in some fencing footwork that allowed you to cover a great deal of distance as well as break the rhythm and timing of the opponent. He also demonstrated the same footwork being utilized while one hand dropped to the floor. We switched to double machetes, and practiced countering various strikes and follow ups. We went back and reviewed the cross block and more counter attacks and finishing moves. After, this Ray proceeded to teach the bandana vs the blade! Awesome, work that brought together the cross block into various disarming techniques. As a final part of the seminar, Ray went over several disarms vs the machete or short blade. Again, nearing the end of the seminar, Ray offered to spar with anyone. Each time Ray stepped up and worked the basic techniques he had taught in the seminar to lay a hit upon his opponents.
Ray and I, had another 45 minutes of sparring to cover more material at the end of the seminar. The day wasnt over, after a nice dinner at a local Indian restaurant, we headed back to the school for more reviewing of the bandana and several other techniques.
As a final wrap up: I had a lot of fun training with Ray. Our personalities clicked and there wasnt any time where it was this style is better than that style, no politics etc, just fun training .All the participants came away from the seminar with a lot of material to add to the fighting repertoire, and they are already asking when he will be coming back! I would like thank Ray Floro, for a great seminar, also a special note of thanks to everyone who attended and supported this seminar, especially the Atienza Guros who drove from New York, and then drove back at the end of the seminar!
Gumagalang
Guro Steve Lefebvre
www.Bujinkandojo.net