Today, I had the pleasure of covering Julian’s weapons class. Julian is off sunning himself in Greece, and our legendary instructor, Bob Breen, was supposed to step in. Unfortunately, Bob was under the weather, so the baton—or rather, the stick—was passed to me.
The Art of Floreti
Bob, in his infinite wisdom, suggested we dive into the art of floreti, a beautiful Filipino stick fighting technique. Imagine the tip of a stick tracing the petals of a flower, and you’ve got the essence of floreti. We started with a simple defense against an angle 1 attack using an inside sweep—block with the stick pointing up, supported by your hand. From there, we used the floreti to change the attack’s trajectory and strike the defending hand.
Next, we moved into a stick disarming sequence: vine, punch off, vine with the puño (butt), and then snake. Each move flowed into the next—an elegant dance of defence and counter-attack.
Life’s Unexpected Flow
Before class, I caught up with Bob. I hadn’t seen him since my return from France, and I’d been going through a rough patch, having recently broken up with someone I love dearly. Bob, ever the sage, empathised. “Sometimes,” he said, “you have to let go of things that aren’t working and flow into the next phase of life.”
His words struck a chord. Much like the floreti, life requires us to change direction, adapt, and sometimes let go. What we may not achieve today could be possible tomorrow. It’s important not to get stuck but to keep moving forward, both in the dojo and in life.
The Takeaway
Martial arts teach us more than just physical techniques; they offer life lessons. The floreti reminds us that change is natural and necessary. As we trace the petals of our own journeys, let’s embrace the flow, knowing that what eludes us now might be within reach later.
Remember, the path isn’t always clear, but sometimes the flow takes us exactly where we need to be.
