Combat Science by Laura Holmes - Arnis, Kali, Escrima

Guro Laura Holmes is the Head Instructor at Combat Science and has been training and teaching for over 15 years, specializing in the Filipino martial art of Arnis/Kali/Escrima (Arnis for short) as well as Aikido. She has studied with and been certified by numerous Guros, Masters and Grandmasters in the Philippines and across North America. She offers a wealth of knowledge of many different styles and sytems within the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA).

Classes consist of warm-ups and stretching, cardio enhancement, coordination drills, power development and set curricula from various styles of Arnis, ensuring participants experience both skill building and physical conditioning. Beginners are welcome and all classes and instruction are adapted for students at all skill levels.

Why Train With Weapons First? While most other martial arts begin to teach the use of weapons only after years of unarmed training, students of Arnis learn to use weaponry first. The Arnis philosophy is that the same technique can be performed with any weapon -- including stick, knife, sword (bolo), rope, or empty-handed -- and that this connection among the various weapons and unarmed combat is best taught by introducing weapons at the very beginning. Traditionally, weapons were considered to be merely extensions of the fighter's hands, a perspective that guides us in hte practice of Arnis to this day.

A Complete Martial Art - Arnis/Kali/Escrima is a complete martial arts system that does not focus exclusively on unarmed techniques (as in Judo, or Muay Thai), weapons techniques (as in Iaido or Kendo), striking techniques (as in Karate or Boxing), or grappling techniques (as in Judo or Brazillian Jiu-jitsu). Rather, Arnis integrates all of these. Students are taught to use any weapon that is available, regardless of shape or size, or else to fight empty-handed -- they should be equally skilled with and without weapons.

Arnis covers all ranges of combat: long range (with feet, stick, or rope), medium range (with hands, feet or stick), and close range (with elbows, knees, stick or knife). It also includes wrestling (grappling) techniques, wrenches, takedowns, sweeps, throws joint-locks, and pressure point strikes. Because of this versatility, Arnis can be seamlessly integrated with many other martial arts.