What Is the Cane and Knife Self-Defense Course?
The Cane and Knife For The Street program consists of all the basics you need, along with functional training in each of the 12 scenarios. Of course, the legal ramifications of employing a knife are also covered.
The Reality Check: Can Traditional Cane Defense Really Work?
Let me ask a very pointed question- do you think that an elderly person, one who needs a cane to walk, can generate the power and precision necessary to take out a younger, stronger, aggressive, fully committed attacker? Imagine a desperate young man in his physical prime who doesn't care if he critically injures or kills an elderly person during a robbery. Imagine that the young man is rushing and punching the victim several times as hard as he can.
Will the elderly person with a cane be able to overcome the immense physical advantages of the attacker? I say it is highly unlikely.
We are talking physics here, not the martial arts fantasy that "size (and age) doesn't matter". As one of the original full-contact stick-fighting "Dog Brothers" (I'm Lucky Dog), I have many times seen instructors with extensive backgrounds in weaponry arts who could not apply their techniques effectively when engaging in a full-speed, full-power fight. We basically did MMA with heavy rattan sticks, and this extreme contest showed who could really fight. I understand this from first-hand experience because I could not mount a single attack the first time I fought "Top Dog" Eric Knaus using heavy rattan sticks and minimal protective equipment. Just because you know techniques doesn't mean you can apply your knowledge under actual fight conditions. But the lesson is extremely valuable because it reveals many truths of combat.
Over the years, I have passed on this same pressure testing lesson to numerous stick fighting instructors in order to help open their eyes. Keep in mind that these "tests" were initiated and failed miserably, with seasoned martial artists who were in their physical prime. Imagine the disadvantage an elderly person faces when dealing with a sudden, all-out violent onslaught.
From Personal Weakness to Revolutionary Discovery
The great benefit from all this fighting experience is that it has gifted me with a very different perspective on using a cane for self-defense. The last thing I want to do is teach something that results in false confidence in the student.
So my cane teaching was very simple and relied upon a simple, functional approach that relied a lot on power generation. As practical as it was, I am glad that I did not put it out as a course. Why? Something happened that gave me a profound shift in my perspective.
In my 50's I became extremely weak from the debilitating effects of Crohn's disease. After dealing with it for thirty years, I finally needed several radical surgeries to save my life. Post surgeries, I spent nearly a year carrying only 140 pounds on my 6'1" frame. That was 45 pounds less than my normal lean and strong weight of 185. How weak was I? I needed lots of electrolytes, so I was ordered to drink a few Gatorades every day. Months into the recovery, I was still so feeble that I could not get the cap off the bottle. I had to ask my wife, Sarah, to open the drinks for me. Needless to say, I felt extremely vulnerable when walking the streets. Even while carrying a cane or strong umbrella, I knew that my many decades of full-contact stick-fighting experience would do little to stop a strong attacker. I was at a huge disadvantage due to my lack of strength and severely diminished mobility.
The Zulu Shield and Spear Revelation
Thankfully, the answer suddenly dawned on me as I was practicing the fabulous Zulu martial arts. During all those training trips I had made to South Africa to study their methods, one thing was always present: a shield. When stick fighting, we used a long defending stick and a small shield in our off hand, and a fighting stick in our strong hand. When practicing battlefield tactics, we used a large shield in the off hand with Shaka Zulu's infamous iklwa stabbing spear in the strong hand. Even when wielding an axe, the off-hand held a shield for protection. My mind finally made the jump. Instead of using the cane not as an impact weapon, I needed to use it as a shield so that I could use my strong hand to employ a blade. That would level the playing field. The movements with the cane and knife were very similar to the shield and spear approach of the Zulus. Finally, all 140 pounds of me felt like I could have a fighting chance in a bad situation. But I needed to take the next step; I had to pressure test the method.
Ready to train in one of the most practical and pressure-tested self-defense methods available? Get lifetime access to the Cane and Knife For The Street program today.
Pressure Testing and Real-World Validation
Over the next several years, I recruited numerous sparring partners from a variety of backgrounds to do their best to shut down the cane and knife method in sparring. After extensive testing and adjustments, I identified 12 major scenarios that routinely came up and developed sound answers to each scenario. I taught the methods to students and fine-tuned the approach until we had positive, repeatable results across a wide cross-section of people.
The Four Foundational Principles of Cane and Knife Combat
Let's look at the four main points that permeate this Cane and Knife For The Street course.
Principle 1: Awareness and Avoidance First
First, awareness and avoidance are by far the best "solutions" to any street scenario. You win 100% of the fights that you don't get in, so that is our main emphasis. But as vigilant as you may be, trouble can sometimes find you.
Principle 2: Functional Cane Defense for Those Who Actually Need a Cane
Point two is that cane self-defense should be functional for those who actually need a cane to move around. Now, I understand that there are many martial artists out there who carry a cane legally while still being relatively strong and mobile. We'll get to that later. But let's first think of the elderly person whose mobility is compromised and needs a cane to enhance their mobility. Now think of the plethora of videos where people teach self-defense with a cane. The first question I suggest you ask is, "Do the techniques shown require a substantial degree of mobility and athleticism?" And, "Do you think that a somewhat frail person could actually use those techniques against an aggressive, younger criminal who is intent on strong-arm robbery?" If you see what I see, then you'd agree that the majority of the techniques would not work for a physically diminished person, even if they can still swing their cane.
When watching cane self-defense videos, be sure to note the action of the "attacker". Is that person actually attacking, or is he merely feeding the good guy in a cooperative manner to help him look good? Now compare their mode of "attack" with videos of authentic street attacks. If the practice "attack" looks nothing like a real-world assault, then we should question whether the techniques shown are actually useful in the real world.
Principle 3: Understanding Human Pain Tolerance Under Stress
A third important concept is to understand that human beings can withstand a lot of physical abuse. A strike with a cane is often deemed to be a fight ender, where in reality, it may do very little if not land on a specific weak point and land with substantial power. As one of the original Dog Brothers, we did all-out, full-power, full-speed fights with heavy rattan sticks while wearing limited protective gear. We found out very early on that full-power strikes to the arms, torso, and legs usually showed no results in the moment. This was due to what I call the "adrenaline shield". You feel very little unless hit with significant power in a very vulnerable area. In one fight, I made a mistake, and my larger, stronger opponent unleashed a full-power attack and smashed a heavy rattan stick into my unprotected shin. I heard the sound of rattan on bone, but to my great surprise, I felt nothing. That adrenaline shield had protected me from feeling the blow, and I continued the bout without any hindrance. That night, however…wow! The pain was incredible. But in the moment, just like in a street encounter, the adrenaline rush allowed me to continue. I tell you this to illustrate that striking a committed, aggressive, younger, and stronger attacker may not have any effect at all if you cannot develop tremendous power and accurately hit a very vulnerable target.
Principle 4: Application Under Pressure is Everything
Point four is to take heed of my favorite saying: "Knowledge is not power. The ability to apply your knowledge under pressure is power." Just because you know how to swing a baseball bat doesn't mean that you can hit a 90 mph fastball. The same in the martial arts. I don't care if a person has trained in kali, escrima, arnis, or other Filipino martial arts, or other arts like tae kwon do, hapkido, karate, krav maga, BJJ, MMA, etc. You can't just memorize techniques. You must develop the skill required to apply the techniques against an uncooperative attacker. This is why the Cane and Knife For The Street course consists of simple movements that most people can perform under pressure. Then there are simple, safe training methods to enhance the skills of the practitioner so they have a much better chance of prevailing. The tactics that are trained in the 12 scenarios help give another layer of advantage to the defender.
The Physics of Self-Defense: Why Cane and Knife Works
The truth is that a younger assailant will always have a big advantage over a person who is smaller, less mobile, and weaker. Again, that is just physics. But using an equalizer like a knife helps even the odds. Add a shield to support the knife, and the odds go up even more.
If you want a more practical method of dealing with extreme self-defense scenarios, get the Self-Defense Cane and Knife For The Street course today. You will be better equipped than ever. If you wish to be certified to teach this method to others, I have a testing procedure whereby you can earn your teaching credentials and help those in your community who need this worst-case-scenario training.
Want to protect yourself or help others with this functional and realistic approach to self-defense? Start training now — and get certified through JKD Unlimited if you’re ready to teach.
$159.00
Would you like to challenge yourself and take your double stick training and teaching to a much higher level? Do you want to make your sinawali training more fun than ever? Then the Advanced Double Stick Partner Sinawali program is...
View full product details$249.00
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Silat For The Street blends the most brutally efficient Silat techniques with the training methods and tactics of elite-level MMA.
Want to train in person? Find a Silat For The Street teacher near you. (this feature coming later)
You can purchase Silat For The Street Series 1 and Silat For The Street Series 2 individually or buy the Combo right away if you prefer.
Our modules are suitable for all levels from beginners to experienced martial artists.
Download the sparring logs and testing requirements here.
Click the links below for more info:
First complete the check out process, then you will be able to access your online videos here
Make sure to download the sparring logs; link is in the main product description.RANKING
Series 1 includes 4 videos, one per student level 1,2,3,4.You can take your Instructor Level 1 test after you pass Level 4.
Series 2 includes 4 videos, one per student level 5,6,7,8. You can take your Instructor Level 2 test after you pass Level 8.
This unique certification program was developed by world renowned self-defense, silat, and MMA expert Burton Richardson.
VIDEO TESTING
Student Testing Fees listed here.
Instructor Testing Fees listed here.Video testing is easy! Just video tape yourself using any camera even your phone’s camera, then upload it to youtube OR mail us a disc with the footage.
Learn about how to video test here.
RECOMMENDED TRAINING GEAR
1 mouth piece/person- We recommend you get a custom mouth piece from a dentist
1 groin protector/person
1 pair of MMA gloves/person
1 pair of focus mitts/pair
1 helmet- We recommend you get the brand we sell as it is proven to work really well for the training we do
Silat For The Street is a complete curriculum that follows a logical progression to take students from beginner to advanced level all the way to instructor certification. We have taken all of the guess work out and made it easy for you to teach this cutting edge curriculum.
We are keeping the teaching license fee low, so anyone can afford it.With just one student on a one-year contract, paying $100/month, you will make a profit on your investment (even after buying all the DVDs and taking all the tests up to Instructor level)
Fill out the application to get started now!
$199.00 $249.00
You can buy this series via:
"My Solo Sinawali (double sticks) and Karenza program starts with the beginning fundamentals of sinawali stroking and footwork, then takes you step by step to the expert level. Instructor Certification is available for those who want to teach this program. Regardless of whether you want to be able to move the weapons with speed, power, and precision for demonstrations, film work, to enhance your fighting ability, or for the all-important health and longevity benefits, this program will work for you. " Burton Richardson- Black Belt Magazine Hall of Famer
Download the sparring logs and testing requirements here
BURTON RICHARDSON'S EXPERTISE
Burton Richardson is known for his pressure-tested approach to functional self-defense to BJJ, MMA, and weaponry arts. An original Dog Brother (Lucky Dog) and Full Instructor under Guro Dan Inosanto, and a Kali Ilustrisimo instructor directly under the great Tatang Ilustrisimo, Burton travels the world teaching people the details and training methods that make the art highly functional in the real combat. But did you know that Burton was also a Karenza (forms) champion? Way back in 1991, Burton took first place in one of the largest FMA championships in the country: the Eskrima Coalition Championship in Stockton, California. His ability to move the sticks and his body fluidly and with purpose also got him into the movie industry where he did fight choreography for 12 feature films. Burton has garnered all his expertise to put together this easy to follow program that will take you from beginner to expert in a fun, engaging progression.
WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?
Anyone who wants to move and feel better now and for years to come from complete beginners to advanced practitioners.
How would being able to move the sticks with phenomenal flow help you? Guro Dan Inosanto says that his instructors touted the “almost magical” qualities of sinawali (double stick) training. Practitioners in their 70’s, 80’s, and even 90’s regularly retain an uncommon degree of mobility. It is a very low impact exercise with an element of resistance training. The motions gently encourage full body motion that leads to greater mobility and balance. Whether you are a young combat athlete or part of our older population, sinawali training can help you stay fit and limber longer.
I AM AN ATHLETE, WHY DO I NEED THIS PROGRAM?
For athletes, coordination carries over to almost all sports, especially because footwork is included with the double stick upper body motions. Do you want to fight better? You need to be smooth, accurate, and have the ability to move wherever you need to in a split second. Properly performed sinawali drills develop these abilities. That’s why many of the best stick fighters have outstanding Karenza. Do you want to have a fun and interesting way to keep your body loose and agile as you age? Knowing a variety of solo sinawali drills will maintain your range of motion and keep your muscles and neural connections firing.
I ALREADY TEACH, WHY DO I NEED THIS PROGRAM?
Teachers who need to demonstrate the art in order to get others interested. A good karenza is always impressive and gives insight to the depths of the Filipino Martial Arts. This program allows you to have a step by step blueprint to sharpen your own skills and teach your students.
I WORK IN THE MOVIE INDUSTRY, WHY DO I NEED THIS PROGRAM?
Every time I have trained a movie star (Keanu Reeves, Brandon Lee, etc.), I start them with sinawali drills to enhance their ability to move in a relaxed yet powerful manner. This really comes across on the big screen, and has proven invaluable to many actors and stunt performers.
Regardless of whether you want to be able to move the weapons with speed, power, and precision for demonstrations, film work, to enhance your fighting ability, or for the all-important health and longevity benefits, this program will work for you.
The program is broken down into three sections.
Learning to move the double sticks well will enhance many attributes that are essential for high level martial arts and better everyday living. Hone your footwork and accuracy while developing combat attributes such as speed, power, and coordination,, grace, fluidity, body mechanics, and flow. And it will help you to, as Burton often says, Enjoy Your Training!
Download the sparring logs and testing requirements here
We also offer Partner Sinawali Universal Drill, Battlefiled Kali Knife, Battlefield Kali Single Stick, Battlefield Kali Sword.
Our certification courses are suitable for all levels from beginners to experienced martial artists.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART 1
1 Introduction
2 Practicality Of Sinawali Training
3 Quality Stroking
4 Three Basic Positions
5 Basic Patterns Of Motion
Footwork
6 Torsi – Upright posture or leaning back.
7 Female triangle – Replacement step and complete triangle.
8 Male triangle – Replacement step and complete triangle.
9 Hourglass – Female triangle and male triangle in and hourglass formation.
10 Square – Start at the bottom corner or top corner.
11 Freestyle with various footwork
Warm Up (WU) Sequence - Exercises 1-12
12 WU 1 Twisting Middle grip on stick, fanning
13 WU 2 Pumping
14 WU 3 Crossing thrusts, alternating which is on top, low to high then high to low.
15 WU 4 Upward figure 8, alternating which is on top.
16 WU 5 Parallel slashes on X
17 WU 6 Closed outside 4-count
18 WU 7 Fluid attack
19 WU 8 Walis Walis (golf swing)
20 WU 9 Horizontal parallel sunketes (curving thrusts), using the parallel slashes as a transition.
21 WU 10 Gunting into squat with roof and leg slash
22 WU 11 Open 4-count florettes
23 WU 12 Redondo 6
24 Full Warm Up facing the camera.
25 Full Warm Up facing away from the camera.
PART 2
26 Universal Sinawali Combination Solo
27 VARIOUS PATTERNS – Quality Is Paramount
28 Jab, Circle, Slash Open And Closed
29 Asterisk
30 Open 4-Count Doblete
31 Thrust To Slash
32 Redondo 10
33 Deconstructed Redondo 6
34 Closed Outside 4 Count With Redondo.
35 Closed Outside 4-Count With Witik And Redondo
36 “T” To Redondo 3 With Sempok Footwork
Redondo Fluid Attack Combinations
37 Redondo Fluid Attack Combination 1
38 Redondo Fluid Attack Combination 2
39 Redondo Fluid Attack Combination 3
40 Crossed Redondos To Fluid Attack
41 Witik Fluid Attack
42 Reverse Fluid Attack
PART 3
43 Helicopter To Payong To Transition
44 Slash To 2 Abanikos
45 Redondo 6-Count Transition To Upward 4-Count
46 Upward 4-Count Transition To Redondo 6-Count
47 Spinning Thrust
48 Burton’s Rift
49 Closing Remarks, Kali Philosopy, And Freestyle Karenza
50 Bonus 1 – Twirling
51 Bonus 2 – Kneeling Karenza
52 Bonus 3 – Freestyle Karenza
53 Bonus 4 – Short Karenza Set
54 Bonus 5 – Various Japan Clips
55 Bonus 6 – Tatang Ilustrisimo Sinawali Video Breakdown
Click on the links below for more info:
The complete series includes 3 parts
55 video clips total, 2.5 HOURS. Click on last image thumbnail to read the Table of Contents. Each section corresponds to an instructional video.
Burton Richardson is one of the world's leaders for teaching effective realistic self defense. You can read his full bio here.
Physical DVDs ship via first class mail with delivery confirmation. No insurance. If you wish to insure your package, please contact us.
Non insured packages lost by the post office will not be resent.
All sales final. No exchanges. No returns.
$249.00
**Available via online streaming only**
The martial arts staff is a weapon that has been used for millennia by fighters worldwide. Human beings have learned to utilize the staff effectively to repel attacks from enemies. The names change depending on the particular art. But whether it is a Filipino Sibat, Indonesian Tongkat, Indian Pandeeran, Ethiopian Donga, Japanese Bo, Chinese Bang, or English Quarter Staff, the practitioners of old had one thing in common: they knew how to fight with the weapon!
In today’s martial arts world, the staff is still popular but the training is primarily for show. Manipulation skills and two-person forms are by far the most common modes of training. But wouldn’t you like to know how to fight effectively with the staff? Just like the warriors of old? That’s where the Battlefield Kali Staff program comes in.
The Battlefield Kali Staff program is a highly organized course that efficiently develops high level, functional staff fighting skills in a safe and fun manner. There are no fantasy techniques, just practical, proven methods presented in a precise teaching progression. Burton Richardson’s foundational message is:
“Knowledge is not power. The ability to apply your knowledge under pressure is true power.”
Learning techniques and maneuvers with the staff is knowledge, but it doesn’t mean you can apply that knowledge against someone who’s actually fighting back against you. Becoming a skillful staff fighter is what the Battlefield Kali Staff program is all about.
Battlefield Kali is a weapons-based fighting method that focuses on pressure-tested techniques, tactics, and training methods. Created by original Dog Brother, Jeet Kune Do luminary, and Black Belt Magazine hall of famer Burton “Lucky Dog” Richardson, the basic premise is that the art must work against a fully resisting partner or opponent. Not just in theory, but through practical application. That means trying to apply the art against a partner who is trying his or her best to stifle your every move. Could you learn to become an effective basketball player without ever playing the game? No. Shooting around is one thing, but dealing with someone who is guarding you and trying to steal the ball is another altogether. In Battlefield Kali Staff, the object is to become good at playing the game.
But isn’t “playing the game” dangerous? It can be if you confuse safe sparring with perilous fighting. Please remember that sparring is not an all out affair like fighting. In a fight, you try to knock out or debilitate the opponent. In sparring you do your very best to play the game without any injuries whatsoever. The sparring environment should be playful, not severe. Therefore, we use protective equipment, padded sticks, and a friendly attitude so that EVERYBODY can play the game and enjoy the process of practical skill. It is great fun and a fascinating study.
The Battlefield Kali Staff program is divided into four levels. Level 1 introduces the absolute basics so that anyone, regardless of experience, can focus on the brilliant basics that are the foundation of functional application. Each successive level builds on the previous level with isolated training so that the student can focus on developing particular aspects of staff fighting. The fourth level is where we put it all together.
This same methodology has proven extremely effective in the Battlefield Kali Single Stick and Battlefield Kali Single Knife programs. Students around the globe have developed into highly skilled fighters just by following the techniques, tactics, and training methods prescribed in the course.
Battlefield Kali Staff is an enriching practice for people of all ages which enhances not only martial abilities, but life skills as well. The lessons learned through becoming an expert staff fighter translate directly into being more effective in all areas of life.
Order Battlefield Kali Staff now and get started! You will find it fun, fascinating, and rewarding.
Want to train in person? Find a Battlefield Kali teacher near you.
We also offer Battlefield Kali Knife, Battlefield Kali Stick, Battlefield Kali Sword
Our self defense certification courses are suitable for all levels from beginners to experienced martial artists.
Download the sparring logs and testing requirements here
Click on the links below for more info:
First complete the check out process, then you will be able to access your online videos here
One set of DVDs can be shared by all training partners as long as no copies are made.RANKING
Series 1 includes 4 levels. (There is only one series in the BK Sword module).
VIDEO TESTING
Student level testing feesVideo testing is easy! Just video tape yourself using any camera even your phone’s camera, then upload it to youtube.
See how video testing works here.
RECOMMENDED TRAINING GEAR
1 mouth piece/person- We recommend you get a custom mouth piece from a dentist
1 groin protector/person
1 staff/person
1 padded staff/person
1 hand protection/person- We recommend Lacrosse gloves
Heavy Bag or Bob dummy
1 helmet/person (headgear+ cage)- We recommend you get a fencing mask
Battlefield Kali is a complete curriculum that follows a logical progression to take students from beginner to advanced level all the way to instructor certification. We have taken all of the guess work out and made it easy for you to teach this cutting edge curriculum.
We are keeping the teaching license fee low, so anyone can afford it.With just one student on a one-year contract, paying $100/month, you will make a profit on your investment (even after buying all the DVDs and taking all the tests up to Instructor level)
Fill out the application to get started now!
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