Advice on Holding the Mitts

by John Chow of Tao of Tai Chi Chuan Institute for Health, Self Defence and Spiritual Development.

"You can only be a good eskrimador if you are a good feeder"

"Feed properly with care in order not to hurt yourself and your partner"

“Improve your skills and character by feeding your partners with loving care to help them improve. In return, their improved skills and character will benefit yourself”

“By executing the striking, punching, kicking, elbowing, kneeing, throwing, sweeping, locking - all techniques properly and with a benevolent state of mind, not only you prevent injury to yourself and your partners, but you also enable both to advance together”

• Hold the mitts to your side.  Do not hold the mitt in front of your face.  

• Avoid the path of the punches.

• Do not try to crash your partner’s punches.  It will sprain your partner’s wrists. 

• Use footwork to avoid the momentum of your partner’s punches.

• Softland the force of your partner’s punches  - withdraw the mitt slightly upon contact.  Use footwork to assist in this. 

• Do not over-withdraw the mitt,  making your partner chase after it in order to hit it.  Do not run away from your partner!

• Place the mitt where your partner can (easily) hit it.  Be helpful.  Your job is to assist your partner to hit it,  not try to prevent your partner from hitting it.

• Retreat bit by bit as your partner inches forward bit by bit.

• Co-ordinate distancing and footwork with your partner.  Retreat to accommodate your partner’s advances.

• Face the mitt directly at the angle that the punches are coming from.  This is usually where your partner’s fist are.