Eskrima Street Defense: Practical Techniques for Dangerous Situations

BONG ABENIR'S Book Is great!!! If you check him out on Youtube, you will see the proof that would make you get this excellent book. He also has a dvd out now, also well worth getting. Great photos enhance this book. This is not a watered down version of Filipino arts, but a next generation style of Abenir's training with some great masters of Kali and Silat. His moves are fantastic. This is an art aimed at street defense, not competition. And kudos to Master Mark Wiley for publishing this book with his company. You need to check this one out!!! Thank you Ka Abenir!!!

So I received this book today. My anticipation for this book would be that it would reveal or even state clear and consice aspects of the filipino martial arts (FMA) on how it can be extrapolaited for close quarter combatives/self-defense application. Unfortunately I was very dissappointed to see that the application for the FMA in a street confrontation was lacking to say the least. I speak from the view point of being a FMA practitioner myself which just under 5 years of participating in the art, but I also speak as an individual from almost a decade of being a law enforcement officer as well. So with that said, I have somewhat of an insight when people engage in the taking of life. (notice how I didn't say "fighting" because that implies some type of equality) When someone who wants to FINISH you (i.e. kill you), then the situation is much different. So on to the book, the empty hand tactics and techniques for facing an altercation is good. Solid movement, easy to follow, and from what I can see of the pictures it gives a clear idea of what needs to be done to end an altercation quickly. As far as the empty hand versus knife.....geez....this is hard to say only because the photos and book description as what you would do are somewhat unrealistic. It shows that you should grab the wrist or try to disarm the knife or blade with the hand (which in reality would be difficult and possibly deadly to you if you screw it up!) Mind you, you are in the adrenal state and all those fine motor skills go out the window so ya, not very realistic on the hand versus knife. Same thing with the empty versus bolo (machette), again not very realistic. The knife versus knife, again if you want to duel and such, then fine. But if you actually find yourself in a situation where you are blade versus blade, then again, this book fails to give an accurate picture of what may happen. Again, your not tryng to 'fight' but finish your opponent. If this book was a DVD instead then maybe I would have been able to see what the author was trying to state in his movements and ideas. Unfortunately that wasn't the case and the book kind of fails in showing an accurate picture of that. As far as what I feel would be a good alternative to empty hand compatives that still have the expressionism of the FMA in them, check out the following: Kelly McCann--Combatives for Street Survival DVD, Jim Grovers: A hardcore guide to Offense based Defensive tactics DVD, Jim Wagner's Reality Based Personal Protection Series DVD, and Kali Tudo DVD (Dog Brothers Martial Arts) These are the people who have faced combatives in life and on the job, along with alot of what they show is very similar if not almost identical to some of the FMA based empty striking and such. These people have either tested or shown how the FMA can be applied for self defense and combat application. Sure, it may not look pretty or apparent to be the FMA, but if you look closing and extract the essense of the material presented, you will definitely see it!

Very informative book. I like its practicality

I love it.

Eskrima Street Defense by Master Fernando Bong Abenir was an outstanding read.With the passing of many of the grand masters, perpetuating the art and especially the fighting spirit of the Filipino martial arts are becoming increasingly important. Master Bong does an outstanding job of capturing and presenting his vast knowledge gained over decades of training with some of the greatest masters in the Philippines in a simple and easy to understand way. He more importantly provides a glimpse into the kind of mindset needed to fight through and prevail in life and death situations in environments that are less than optimal.I would highly recommend this book for both experienced and novice FMA practitioners.~ Guro Jay Fujimoto

As a filipino martial artist training in Giron Arnis, Lameco Eskrima, and Pekiti Tersia Kali, i find this book simple to read and understand the technology. The techniques are not made to be flashy like one would assume is on tv. The tech is real and is what is needed to save you in a real life situation. I starting working in corrections in 2002 and have been a martial artist since 1996. I enjoyed this book, its one of the best books ive read on FMA i would really like to see another book maybe even a dvd in the future.

I find this book informative and the techniques are simple enough even for beginners, yet the book still has enough to capture the interests of more experienced martial artists.I hope the author comes up with more books

unrealistic in the extreme. Using techniques within will get the snot beaten out of you. Book also assumes you have an understanding of how to strike already.Buy something else.

don’t buypoorly written