1. I find in interesting you use fencing masks for protection. I can tell its a cheap model by the shape, even the cheap ones are solid enough for something like Kali though Id stick with my Uhlmann FIE. 2. Punching a fencing mask with your bare fist is a fantastic way to shred and damage your hands. Those are rated on a punch test by newtons and they are meant to stop a broken blade from piercing through. They adopted the FIE regulation standard after a blade snagged on the sleeve and broke and continued upward into the face killing him during bouting. One of my former coaches was there when it happened. These are solid steel woven mesh material and higher end ones like German and Italian masks tend to have a more pronounced arc at the center of the mask to better deflect incoming attacks. The punch tests are done at every single competition and if your mask fails you dont get it back, they take it and lay it on its side(not facing up, that would be much more difficult) on the ground and stomp it flat to prevent further use. 3. A black mask(and uniform) means the wearer is a coach, black is the coaches color. Also those cheaper masks are typically much easier to breathe in and are much lighter than competition grade masks, especially from companies like Negrini and Uhlmann/Allstar. Leon Paul makes the Xchange mask with is a balance of thinner mesh and far better breath-ability which if you are used to other FIE masks from respected brands the extra air flow will make you dizzy the first time you use it. For Martial arts like Kali I would not recommend the Leon Paul models as they are built for world class level performance in fencing not blunt impact from sticks with more mass and surface area. 4. Punching a fencing mask is like punching a cheese grater, especially the more its used as the coating on the mesh will fray and become more jagged. The black coating on the mesh is to insulate the mask from registering an on target hit as modern Olympic style fencing is done electrically, the other reason is to reduce glare, trust me, try a saber mask which are not insulated as the head is valid target. The light will reflect off the bare steel mesh and into your eyes giving everything a brighter tint which can be jarring at first if you are used to these black mesh masks. 5. Coaching equipment offers some solid protective add ons like thick padded leather hood for the top of the mask, thick padded leather sleeves to go over the jacket sleeves, leg pads of the same nature and even thick padded leather vests to go over the jackets as well. Fencers are competition athletes similar to Boxers and they both share many fundamental and advanced tactics and principles and they are both sports science focused. I've literally launched people off the strip, cracked someones voice box, fractured bones, left people on the ground gasping for air, bruised bones and so on. Concussions are not uncommon in fencing either and are usually the result of a bell punch(the guard on the blade is called the "bell guard") which can happen during infighting(infighting meaning too close for conventional attacks which is where you will get the around the back of the head shots, jumping flicks, under the leg shots and if your are tall and lanky enough the famous "Chamely-Watson"). Fencing is a very intense combat sport where the athletes DO NOT need to pull their punches, in training or competition. I tried a few classes of Kali and while they were introducing me to the swing they had me swing against a heavy bag, as a fencer it was all second nature. I only hit the bag a couple times because I didnt want to deafen the other students next to me. The instructor had only one thing to say after watching me give a few hits on the bag and those words were "remind me not to get hit by you" which gave me a good laugh. Watching a few videos on Kali online and one guy mentioned fencers and his experience with fencers and his words were "fencers will mess you up". Can confirm, dont underestimate a fencer with a stick, they dont do the grappling or punching or kicking but they are trained to be skilled in precise distance management using controlled footwork and tactics to deceive the opponents sense of distance. The principle is that to get to the fencer you must get past their blade and in the hands of someone who has been trained well that is much easier said than done and trying to grab it isnt so easy either. Olympic style fencing you will see whats called "absence of blade" which is to keep the blade out of reach of the opponents searching parries, beats and blade takes, essentially we are trained to attack with our blades in places such as what is classically called "fools guard" which is with the blade pointed down and to the side though that is not the only position a blade can be in absence in. Cant grab it because its out of reach but try to close distance quickly while its down is falling into a deliberate trap where they will likely sweep your incoming attack out of the way or they will bait you into distance for a counter. I fenced for over a decade at one of the US's top fencing clubs and also earned a Moniteur de Fleur or Monitor of Foil which is one rank below coach of Foil and I also did various martial arts since I was 7. Martial arts augmented my fencing a lot especially the breathing control. I taught a number of kids how to be much more explosive just by teaching how to use their sharp exhale to accelerate their attacks, parries and counter attacks and how to maintain calm breathing during intense bouts. It also significantly increased their overall force which meant the other coaches suddenly needed to bring out the heavier padding for their lessons lol. I found that Martial arts compliments fencing and very much vice versa too. Fencing a martial art in its own way though it does adhere to rules and depending on the weapon right of way as well. It adapts classical techniques to a modern sports setting just like Olympic style Boxing and modern Olympic looks nothing like classical or anything you saw in the movies, shows or pop culture and much more like an extreme sport. It isnt one of the only original Olympic sports still present for nothing.
Dear Sir, Excellent focus on breathing as first. Thast reminds me a piece of advice from Yoga, where during the Pranayama practice, students are asked to breath out intentionally and then unintentionally lettiing their body to suck in only the necessary amount of air. In fact you did so, by asking them to breath loudly. Just, they should have been told to breath out first. , loudly. It both confirms the age old Pranayama experience and checking the proper breathing of students.Unintentionally sucking in the needed amount of air, those 75% as mentioned. Warning, from my former experience, breathing in first may cause hyperventilation or even asthmatic shock, many people are unaware of it. Best regards, Paul, 68, retired instructort of Karate
You know.. that’s a good point. In good JEET KUNE DO, just a little free tip that might help you understand it. 1. USE YOUR LEAD HAND long like a sword. 2. USE your back hand as a palm. 3. USE your lead leg as a stop hit to keep em at bay: a stand still. Interception art. Between those three, you should be a able to fake high and just walk that poke right in over his lead hand. Once that is in place he’ll have no choice but to raise his hand. Your back hand with a twist of the waist can reach right up inside his forearm sleeve. If you follow that model, and face him meaning my lead left hand on a righty. Or my lead right on a lefty. Fighting while facing away works. It gives you a free hand inside. But with bigger people they can sometimes overwhelm us and collapse our stance. So I teach people to FACE AT FIRST. Use the stop hits. The lead leg JEET TEK, and go in loaded with two hands inside and out.
