Our training philosophy encourages active learning; instead of relying on an instructor to tell you when something is right or wrong, you'll be shown how to evaluate your own actions in a given context. This enables you to not only self-correct, but to evaluate an opponent's actions and determine a suitable way to deal with them as well.

Principles over techniques

Because we train for many different situations - standing or on the ground, wrestling or striking, weapons or empty-hands - we focus on principles that can be applied to any situation. Your training consists of discovering how to apply those principles to a particular context, giving you the freedom to express those principles in your own way.

Fighting and self-defense

Our method emphasizes practical application, so every training session involves limited-context freeplay or sparring. You have the ability to limit the level of intensity; keep it low for experimentation, exploration, and play, or turn it up to a desired level to pressure-test yourself.

Historical, cultural, and artistic aspects

You'll also learn the about the history and culture of the arts. Garimot arnis has roots in Paete, Laguna, and the surrounding area that goes back for generations. If you only want to learn the artistic aspect, we have an alternative approach that emphasizes aesthetics through learning movement patterns and choreographed sequences with a partner.