Hosted Programs
First Defense also occasionally hosts specialized classes and workshops for other instructors and organizations. There are two ongoing classes hosted weekly at First Defense. Currently, there are classes in Chinese Shuai-chiao and Carlos Hermanos Escrima.
Chinese Shuai-chiao
Shuai-chiao (commonly translated as “Chinese Wrestling”) is an ancient traditional Chinese martial art that specializes in throwing techniques striking, kicking, and joint locking. Shuai-chiao teaches how to trip, take down and throw opponents and is an integral part of police and military training.
At our school, we incorporate all aspects of the art in our training including strength and conditioning exercises, competition and self-defense applications, specialized training drills and apparatus, and Grandmaster Chang’s Tai-chi and Hsing-Jin.
As home of the Northern Virginia Shuai-chiao Club, First Defense is the only school in the Washington, DC metro area to teach this time-tested martial art style and classes are open to young people and adults.
Classes are Mondays and Wednesdays at 5pm. Contact Head Coach Nick Masi for more information.
Carlos Hermanos Escrima
Carlos Hermanos Kali-Escrima is a Filipino martial art which emphasizes close quarter combat principles and techniques. Founders, Sixto and Baste Carlos,were strongly influenced by their teachers Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje, Master Ireneo “Eric” Olavides, Master Tony Diego, and Master Benjamin Pueblos. Each teacher had their own style and their own teaching methods. Sixto and Baste learned from these masters what worked, then distilled it and developed their own teaching method around it. At some point in the late 1990′s the name Carlos Hermanos (Carlos Brothers) was coined to identify the system.
The mid length stick is used and the focus is on simple, direct techniques that can be learned and applied quickly and teaching is designed to impart the reflexes and attributes needed to actually fight in the shortest amount of time possible.
As they gain new skills, students will be afforded the opportunity to spar with safety equipment both empty handed versus padded stick and padded stick versus padded stick.
