Eskrima Kombat

My new Amazon Kindle book, NEW Bonafont Cane Fighting System, is available here on Amazon. The book was published in Argentina in 1930, so the question is, "How much of this is useful?" "How well has this method held up over time?" As I translated the book I spent a lot of time thinking about it. Translating forces a person to think deeply about what the author is trying to say. I had to try to understand Maestro Bonafont’s techniques in light of the techniques I’ve learned in decades in the martial arts, specifically with the long stick. I view the Bonafont method as a transitional method, meaning that although reverse grip (where the length of the stick extends below the fist, like gripping a large icepick) offers advantages of economy and surprise at close range, it is not the ideal grip for other phases of stickfighting. But if you don’t master close range, real-life combat, you’re unlikely to succeed in a street encounter, and this is the area where the Bonafont method shines. The problem with every stickfighting system is that you’ve got to have your stick on you. The vast majority of systems fail here–and I have to include Big Stick Combat. Maestro Bonafont shows the way. Most martial arts train in conditions of mutual combat, where the weapon magically appears in your hand. Nobody ever has to go home to get a stick. Nobody ever has to get a stick out of his car. A guy who has never carried a sword on him is his entire life just-so-happens to be holding a sword at the start of the sparring session. Combat starts at a comfortable fighting range, with weapons at the ready. Nobody has to draw a knife or open a folding knife. Nobody has to maneuver a stick from carry grip into a fighting position. In the dojo, combat starts from the ready position: on the street, combat does NOT start from a ready position. Once again, Maestro Bonafont shows the way. In this book I’ve distilled the Bonafont method down to the essential, eliminating the techniques that I thought were impractical, and adding touches that I think improve the system. New Bonafont Cane Fighting System