Class Structure
How are the classes taught?
How are the classes taught?
Classes include both weapon and unarmed training, with the balance varying from one session to another. This allows you to explore how the same principles of movement, timing and positioning connect across different areas of the system.
Each session begins with a brief warm-up using striking, footwork and coordination drills. These engage the body and mind while preparing you for the training that follows.
You will then usually work with a partner or small group on syllabus material appropriate to your grade and experience. At other times, the whole class works together on a shared exercise. This allows students at different stages to train alongside one another while continuing to progress at the appropriate level.
What do I wear?
How are the classes taught?
There is no uniform. We trust you as adults to dress yourselves appropriately, and our instructors are more concerned with what you are doing rather than what you are wearing, though we recommend loose comfortable clothing that you can move around in, and clean indoor trainers. Many of our students wear regular gym attire.
What is the syllabus?
What is the syllabus?
Escrima Concepts has a syllabus of 9 student grades, with beginners starting at grade 1.
Grades 1-3 are the beginner grades and establish the foundations of the system. Students learn the basic strikes and angles, working to hit defined targets accurately and with control. They also develop core defences and footwork. Training includes single-stick, double-stick and unarmed work, developing coordination on both sides of the body and active use of the free hand.
By Grade 3, students are beginning to connect striking, defence, positioning and counterattacks in a unified way rather than treating them as isolated techniques.
Grades 4-6 are the intermediate grades which broaden your options and introduce more advanced ways of engaging. Earlier strikes, defences and footwork are developed with disarms, locks, controls and takedowns. You learn to pass and redirect attacks, disrupt patterns and move between ranges while maintaining your position and awareness.
Flow drills, sparring, and increasingly unpredictable attacks develop timing, power generation and economy of movement. Speed and pressure are gradually increased without sacrificing control or safety.
Grades 7-9 are the advanced grades, bringing together everything you have previously learned, with speed, power, and pressure added, and further new weapons.
Students learn to adapt to changing rhythms, ranges, angles and weapon combinations.
Drills also include situations where the initial response does not go to plan.
Pressure testing is used not to prove a technique works every time. It is used to find its limits, understand why it breaks down and learn how to adapt and recover when things do not go as expected.
Blade awareness is approached honestly. There is no guaranteed answer against an edged weapon; training explores movement, distance, timing, risk and the limitations of different options.
Once you have completed the student grades, you then move onto the Technician Grades (TG) which are the equivalent of black belt (dan) grades.