Filipino Martial Arts
Welcome to the ICU Filipino Martial Arts club homepage
Vital information
To sign up to the mailing list, click here.
Buy 2011/12 membership here for £10
Classes every Wednesday 18:00-19:30 in G47 Flowers Building (marked 31 on this map) from a four time world champion for £3 (limited offer) per 90 minute lesson.
Contact us by e-mail:
President Raj's phone number: 07917308815 (call if you need to get into the Flowers building for a lesson).
For details on any of the above, or just for more information, please read on.
What is it?
Eskrima, also known as Arnis or Kali, is an indigenous Filipino Martial Art. It encompasses a range of styles and involves stick drills, knife work, and also unarmed combat. All of these are highly practical and geared towards allowing students to develop self defence skills.
Why should I get involved?
As students of the Doce Pares system, we are extremely fortunate to be under the instruction of four time world champion Master Ermar "Alex" Alexander, and Diana Fauner, one of his highly experienced students who is a certified instructor, herself.
As mentioned, the material learned by students is highly useful for self defence, and students are trained from the beginning in co-ordination. It's all very well to know a variety of, say, disarms and locks, but if you can't do them, or require your assailant to "co-operate" with you or attack you in slow motion to carry them out, then there isn't much point in knowing those techniques. That is why a firm foundation is built and developed throughout all the learning, so that your wrist is "programmed" to be able to twirl sticks fast, so that quick and dynamic movements feel natural, so that you can make multiple strikes with a stick in a single second, so that you can go into autopilot when it's really needed and don't waste time remembering the exact steps in techniques.
OK, that sounds great, but I'm a student - can I really afford lessons from a four time world champion?
You tell me - can you afford £10 membership for the year, and £5* per 90 minute class? While our grant from the Union lasts, we will even reduce the price paid by students to a mere £3 per lesson.
If you want to try out a lesson, come along and see if it's for you. If you like it and want to come back, it's rather important that you buy membership, as this covers insurance under the Union.
*As we get more members, more of our grant from the Union is made available to us to subsidise our classes to the price of £3 per person per class. As long as this grant is available to us, we will continue to use it to subsidise classes. Once the grant runs out, students will pay £5 per lesson. We expect the grant will last for the total duration of the Autumn term 2011.
I think I'll check it out - when and where are the classes?
We have one lesson with Alex per week - this is on Wednesdays from 17:00-18:30.
On Tuesdays at 18:00-19:00 we have a free practice session - Alex does not attend, and this is just for students to practise any drills or techniques they have covered with other students. They will have access to the society's equipment (sticks, pads, faux knives).
Both of the above sessions are held in G47 Flowers Building. The Flowers Building is marked 31 on this map (near Falmouth gate, across from the central library, behind the Biochemistry building).
Most people don't have swipe card access to this building, so if you want to attend a class and no one's at the door to let you in, feel free to call the club president, Raj, on 07917308815.
To receive regular updates and reminders of class times, click here to join the mailing list.
"Martial art"? Does that mean I need to spend ages learning how to properly "bow"?
Not really - we all "bow in" at the beginning of the lesson (this lasts about 5 seconds), and then "bow out" at the end (about another 5 seconds). Apart from those 10 seconds in each lesson, there's nothing of the sort - as long as you're polite, that's cool.
Do I need to buy expensive equipment to partake in this martial art? And is there a uniform?
No and no.
All you need to pay is £10 membership and, at most, £5 per lesson (or £3 while the subsidy lasts). The society has its own stock of equipment that can be used during lessons and practice sessions, including protective gear, sticks, and faux knives.
If you wish to buy your own equipment for your own practice at home, by all means do. However, there is absolutely no obligation to purchase equipment in order to be a part of regular club activities.
There is no uniform - just wear something you'd be comfortable doing a bit of physical activity in.
That should cover most of your questions. If you want to know anything else, please contact us at