Saturday, April 11, 2009

Serrada!

Can you believe it? A Serrada seminar in SINGAPORE!?!?

I have had only a few very brief glimpses of this style of Kali, and let me be very honest that this is at the heart of what makes the FMA so exciting. Serrada is done up close, my favorite place to be. Done well, this style is fast, fluid, and very, very hard to defend against. It requires you to stay in Corto, close distance, throughout. If you can do it, you stick to your opponent like glue, and they will not last long at that range.

Of course, a kalista should be comfortable at all ranges, in all planes, but for me it just doesn't get better than Serrada. Being up close and personal gives you the maximum chance to hit any target you want, and especially for shorter guys like me (168 cm tall), it negates (even restricts) larger opponents' reach.

Some might call Serrada the "straight blast" of Kali, similar to what Bruce Lee and his JKD disciples used to use when they wanted to get a fight over quickly. Serrada closes distance, and then your opponent just cannot get you off no matter what they do. Serrada will take them apart, from arms to body, and has stick, knife, and empty hand application. The only good news for opponents is that they get to die quick.

If you can make this seminar - DO. I cannot think of a better example of what Kali is all about than this. The content is for pros, but everyone will walk away with a new respect for how practical, efficient, and deadly Kali can be. For beginners, you will get to see one of the specialist areas of the training that you will fall back on again and again. Serrada will be a style that will become fundamental in your Kali.

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