Training Kalis Ilustrisimo in Paris

What a treat to spend some time learning privately from Guro Fabrizio Filograna of Kalis Ilustrisimo while I was in Paris! He led me through some of KI's Combate General techniques, & I did my best to fumble through them. After watching his videos online, I got to take his 2016 workshop, and loved it.  So obviously, when I knew I would be in Paris, I had to seek him out for more.

We know that KI is a big influence on the Inosanto FMA blend (Regino Ilustrisimo was Guro Dan's teacher), but to get to dive into Tatang Ilustrisimo's material unfiltered was a lot of fun. I got a little of it through Guro Burton Richardson and Guro Keith Davis, but not a whole lot. Next time I'll ask about any differences in the way Tatang expressed it versus Regino.

The techniques he chose for me were excellent. Precise in targeting, footwork, & execution. 15 degrees here, 120 degrees there- it was nice to be held to the details, as well as have it explained & demonstrated WHY it is done that way. The techniques were aggressive & unrelenting, as this was battlefield instead of dueling material.

Thoughts on training- the equipment makes the training. Without the safety gear, you'll never feel the pressure from the blade during the redirects or the pins.  I felt awkward and sloppy, and even the weight of the sword was an issue for me. (Holding the blade extended activated the tendonitis in my elbow, resulting in some clumsy & weak-looking cutting motions, as you'll see in the video).

 Guro Dan always tells us "know the difference between blade material & stick material." In FMA, many times you hear that the stick teaches the blade & vice versa. On a base, gross motor motion level, yes, but once you go beyond the surface, they move very differently.  And I don't have to tell you that a good FMA practitioner should research both.

I highly recommend Guro Fabrizio for anyone interested in researching Kalis Ilustrisimo. He was chosen by KI's archivist, GM Romeo Macapagal to pass on the system, & Guro Fabrizio does it justice.

Here are his California workshops:

Sunday, October 15^th, Butterfield Park in Walnut, hosted by Guro Steve Del Castillo

Tuesday, October 17^th, Pacific Martial Arts, Fresno Hosted by Matt Smith

Saturday, October 22^nd, Huntington Beach, hosted by Guro Ron Reekers

Also find him at:

Youtube: Fabrizio Filograna

Instagram: pg_fabrizio_mansur

Facebook: Fabrizio Filograna