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Building Your Own FMA Back Yard/Garage Studio
By Marc J. Lawrence
With a bit of island ingenuity, a practitioner of Filipino Martial Arts can construct their own studio with quality training aids and weapons. A basic studio can be set up in a garage, backyard or other location. I have one constructed in my backyard, another at work in a storage area. The focus of this article is for Filipino martial arts practitioner to be able set up anywhere and be able to practice their art with locally available tools and equipment. I will break down this into three areas, these being first striking aids, second are striking and cutting weapons and third is projectile weapons.
The first area should be striking aids; these are critical to a practitioner building proper skills. The first striking aid I would recommend building is the Island style tire bag for stick practice. The second striking aid I would recommend would be a freestanding punch bag. The third is a knife throwing / arrow backstop target.
The second area should be striking and cutting weapons. These have two categories: sticks (Pakal and Olisi) (practice sticks, padded sparring sticks and fighting sticks and staffs are one and the other is knifes (Baraw) and swords Bolo, Kris, and Lahaut).
The third area would be projectile weapons. These have four categories: Blowguns, Slingshots, Bow and Arrow and Spears.
Tire Bag for Eskrima Practice
 All of Eskrimadors need a way to practice strikes for stick fighting. Regular kicking and punching bags do not work as they are expensive. So one of my cousin's friends came up with this design.
If you can work with tools and do basic carpentry you can build your own. You will need six car tires-same size, (I used 15 inch) and six 2X2 or six 2x4 and some bolts and screws and set of 4 casters. This Tire Bag is available from KRIM, in Cebu City. Build your base first 24 X 24 inches as an X shape brace; notch them so they lock. Run a wood screw to lock them together. Flip this over drill four holes for the four caster wheels then flip it back. Now from the center of the X brace measure 7.5 inches and then bolt on your first upright. Then do the same on the opposite side, and then do the other two. It should look like and X with four fingers sticking out. I recommend through bolting but if you have to use drywall screws it will work. Construct another X brace no wider then the tires are. Now install it at knee level. Make a third X brace at 15 inches and install it about 12 inches from the top. If you want a finish put on your stain and varnish and let dry overnight. Mount your first tire on the bottom and stack the next five up. You will have about five foot 8 inches tall. Two or three students can practice stick at the same time. It will hold up to Espada Y Daga, Bokken sword and staff also. Only one student at a time for edged weapons. If you are going to keep it outside drill the tire sidewalls to drain the water out.
Free Standing Punching Bag
 Empty hands training requires a punching bag for practice unless you have a banana tree like my wife’s uncle Ray. I am not that lucky; he had one and had the kids practice punching the banana bunches till their hands were sore. He said that the green banana juice helped your sores hands feel better.
I looked around at what I had to work with and with a little island ingenuity I came up with this freestanding bag system. I started with a cut-down 55-gallon plastic drum for my base. I had sacks left over concrete mix and 5-foot section of 4-inch schedule 80 PVC from my neighbor the contractor. I talked with relatives and came up with old foam pads. You can use old egg crate hospital matrices, old commercial shipping pads, or carpet padding. You would need a lot of carpet padding. All I needed was to assemble my project.
To make the post stand up I had to make a large clamp out of scrap wood and some old bolts to stand up and center the center post up while pouring the concrete. I saw cut gaps into the wood so that the clamps did not move while pouring it. I used a torpedo level to check the center post on all four sides. I mixed the concrete in my old wheel barrel with a shovel and poured it in the half barrel. I used an old 2x4 to tamp the wet concrete down until I had all four sacks in. That was 240 pounds on concrete in the base. Yes, those who can really punch and kick will rock the bag a little bit. I finished the surface with a bricklayer’s trowel that I got at a yard sale. I let the concrete dry with my homemade clamps in place for one week. I removed the clamps.
I went to a fabric store and bought a can of foam glue. The stuff is like spaying spider webs but works great. Follow the directions on the can! Spray in on the pole first and then foam as you wrap it. This is two-person job. My older son helped me do this.
Once it was completely wrapped, I had my son use some duct tape to help hold the foam in place with while the glue cured. Again this part is a two-person job, because you need four hands to do this! Two hold the foam while the other wraps it. If you do not have access to foam glue, make two small holes ¼ inch or smaller at the bottom of where to foam ends on either side. This is for nylon cord. You will need a coat hanger or wire to fish the cord back to the top. You can tie it off to hold the foam.
While the glue is curing make a cover out of fabric like canvas or other heavy material. Mine came out to 18 inch wide by 36 inches long on the punching bag portion. If you cannot sew find some one who can, the duct tape does last long out in the sun. I cut the base flush to the concrete with saw and rough sanded the edge of the drum base at the instance of my wife. OK so it did look better when finished. But do not tell my wife she was right. I would never hear the end it.
Homemade Weapons Set
 Backstops for Arrow Practice and Knife Practice
Making backstop requires that you have enough space and place for where arrows can go if you miss. If you have a walled back yard you could set up like one I had as kid. When I was growing up I had a bow and arrow set and so did my older brother. My dad made us an arrow backstop using three old hay bales. The targets were made with scrap paper sheets or cardboard. We used my mother’s pots for templates to make the different rings for the bull’s eye target.
When I was in my 20s I shared an old house with my Grandmother and my older brother. We lived at the end of block up against the hills. I was teaching my brother and his friends to throw knifes as part of their training. We needed a place to practice. I had a backyard that was up against a hill with a lot of rock in it. I needed a backstop for knifes and arrows. I did not have anyplace to get hay bales. I solved the problem in another way I got some old 2X2 to make an A-frame like an artist’s easel for a target stand. I got a scrap piece of plywood in was about 2 feet by 3 feet in size. I laid it flat on a table. I put one small nail in the center. This was to hold my cardboard roll in place when gluing the finished product. I got a lot of large cardboard boxes. I cut them into strips about 6 inches wide. I started rolling it on edge like a tire from the center outward and glued the strips ends together. I stopped when I was about 2 feet in diameter. I had a 6-inch think and 2 foot wide target. This target painted with a grid. We mounted it on the board with white glue. We let it dry overnight. The board was placed on the target stand and set against the hill. We used it for practice and were able to put it away so my grandmother could enjoy her garden.
Making a Pakal for Practice
 A Pakal is also known as a short stick. It is a very effective weapon that can be simple to use. When used with certain knife (Baraw) techniques and in Empty Hands techniques it is a highly effective weapon. The problem is that a real one would do damage to your sparring partners if used during speed type drills.
A training one can be made out of easily obtainable materials. I have made a number of these out of an old Halloween toy axe handle. It is thin-walled plastic pipe, ½ inch in diameter like plastic conduit or sprinkle pipe.
To make one I cut a piece at 6 inches long. I sand the edges to smooth. I wrap it with gray foam pipe insulation that I have scrap from other projects. I use 99-cent store grip tape to wrap it at four spots. These spots being the following: top, bottom and two spots in between. These can be given to my boys to practice without worry of one of them will hurt each other.
A real fighting one like a Doce Puntas can be made from a hardwood dowel 5/8th inch diameter cut at six inches long. Using as disk sander in a vise, turn the stick like you would sharpen a pencil until you have blunt point on both ends. Take a propane torch and burn the ends black. Then heat the stick back and forth until tan overall. Put any bands or other designs you wish and then varnish it. Now you will have a real Pakal to go with your practice one.
How to Make Eskrima Sticks for Practice
 To make a good Olisi, baston or stick, first step is the selection of material. The piece must be straight with no flaws or cracks. The preferred material is Rattan. Rattan is palm wood. The spacing of the growth joints is very important. The closer the joints, the stronger the stick will be. Water Bamboo is grass so its strength is in the outside of the wood. If you use Water Bamboo make sure that it is from the base of the plant. The smaller the water hole in the center the stronger the stick. Look for close joints it will make a stronger stick.
Hardwoods such like Hickory, Mango, Oak, etc. can make good sticks. These woods but may have flaws in the grain. Flaws can lead to failure of the stick. Do not use soft woods like Pine, Fire, Hemlock, etc. These will splinter easily when bagging or during Sinawali.
Stick diameters should be the correct size. Too big or too small will cause many problems in your arm! Your proper grip size is measured from the middle of your palm to the tip of your third finger. Use a paper tape measure to make the measurement.
Stick lengths are measured from the armpit to the tip of the finger. This allows you to twirl your stick without striking the ground or yourself. The Standard length for many schools is 29 inches to 31 inches. Cut you stick to length with handsaw. Sand the ends round. With Rattan and Bamboo wood sand with the grain. Burn the ends and rub smooth. With Bamboo and Rattan be very careful to remove any branch nubs by sanding so they will not cut your hand. With joints lightly sand to smooth area. Vanish or paint to finish. I prefer to varnish as a finish this allows visual inspections.
Some final thoughts; always test yours sticks on bag prior to using for training. If there is a flaw you missed it will break there away from other people. Use this information about making sticks to make some pocket sticks and sticks for the kids to practice with.
Fire Hardening
Fire Hardening is a method of removing moisture from wood by slowly and lightly charring it over a fire. It is the earliest methods of increasing the durability or longevity of wood is fire.
Fire "hardening" is not used so much as to actually "harden the wood" as to "cauterize" the surface fibers and the resins in the wood. My Grandfather use to do it to tool handles. I still do this to my sticks to stop flowering of the ends.
To make a point, like a spear, arrow, or sword, shape the wood with rasp and then use a fine pumice stone to finish it smooth. Always go with the grain of the wood. Then wet surface to raise the broken wood fibers know as whiskers by wood workers singe them off. Dry the shaped portion over the fire slowly until lightly charred to harden. This can be done with propane torch or even over BBQ if that what you have. The drier the wood or course the harder the point or edge. To make a strong wood blade use a hard wood as possible. Rattan is a palm not a grass like bamboo. This is type of material is strong on the outside and soft on the inside. It is pithy and requires a lot of drying. It can be made very strong.
How to Make Your Own Padded Eskrima Sticks for Sparring Practice
 Well by this point you have been practicing your Eskrima and would like to spar but do not want to get injured or at least bruised up. You need to have some padded sticks for practice sparring.
For kids I start with a very simple padded stick using the Pool Noodles made of heavy foam. Cut the Noodle in half and will be 24 inches. These can be used for sparring sessions they make a loud noise and make light contact. I get them from the 99-cent store. Wear safety glasses with retention straps for eye protection. These would injury your eyes if hit. So wear safety glasses.
The second version is for adults and big kids. Take the Noodle and insert a piece of 3/4 inch PVC cut to length. Use duct tape to cover the ends. Using these for sparring does require eye protection and light hand protection. I would recommend a Fencing Mask and leatherwork gloves. You will feel it when hit.
 The third version can be made three different ways. I made one with ¾ inch PVC slipped inside standard gray foam pipe insulation. I made another with a dried hollow cane that grows along the river here. I covered the ends with duct tape. This type of cane fractures very quickly but I get it free. The last of third version is made with a worn tire bagging Eskrima stick. Tape up with clear packing tape the flowering ends and slide it into the gray foam pipe insulation. You can cover the length with long strips of duct tape. Then seal and wrap the ends with duct tape. If you want it to last have someone who can sew to make a sleeve to go over it and put Velcro flap at the end to seal. These feel just like commercial padded sticks with the exception of the hollow cane due to the lightness. These sticks when used will require head/eye protection and hand protection.
A fourth version can be made from the thin walled black plastic rods that are used now with the Halloween props sold at 99 Cent stores. Taking the thin walled ½ inch diameter rods cut to length and then slide a section of black AC piping insulation over it. This type of insulation is more expensive. Make a fabric sleeve so it will last. These sticks when used will require head/eye protection and hand protection. These feel just like commercial padded sticks.
Homemade Staffs for FMA Practice
Staff is basic weapon that is universal in its use. To make one to practice with, it is not hard. If you are lucky to have rattan or bamboo growing in your backyard, it is simple then. Just cut down one piece you like about one in diameter. Cut it to length and then let is cure till dry. The old timers used to take sections and put them on the roof to cure in the sun. Trim off the branches and rough spots. Sand all rough spots smooth. Then finish it by burning ends and varnish to seal it. Remember to sand or use a pumice stone going with the grain not cross grain.
Well the rest of us do not have groves of rattan of bamboo handy but if you are determined to make one out of traditional materials, get in contact with some of the suppliers of Cane and Rush suppliers and you can make one.
My solution was much simpler, I went to my local hardware store and looked at their hardwood squeegee and scrapper handles. They are usually five to eight feet long. Do not use paint roller handles, as that wood I have found breaks very easy. I only use hardwood, no soft woods like pine or fir.
First I look at each one for flaws and warps. I discard any ones that have knots or wavy grain. Then I look at the end and stare down the length and roll the other end across the floor. If it is warped you will see it roll uneven across the floor and see any bowing or other flaws.
Take the tool handle home and cut to length. I recommend that the staff should be from the user’s chin to the floor. Sand the end smooth with a slight chamfer to ends. I lightly sand the staff and stain it or paint it. I will sometimes wrap the center section about one foot long with black sport equipment grip tape for practice. This helps when you are twirling and spinning it. This staff will be great for practice with others but it is not meant for full contact sparring. This staff would break bones if used in full contact sparring. If you want to spar with staff use wide joint rattan to make you staffs.
You can make a padded staff out of PVC tubing ¾ inch diameter cut to six feet long. Sand the ends smooth and square. Get a bag of gray pipe insulation and slide three sections on it. Wrap it at the ends and foam joints with duct tape then cover with it with duct tape to secure. This one you can spar with!
Training Swords and Knifes for the FMA Practitioner
 Swords and knifes are an important part of Filipino martial arts training. The cost on these can be very expensive and not all are that well made. Having two boys that are Filipino martial arts practitioners along with their cousin creates a real demand on equipment. To make good wooden sword or knife it must meet three things and these being the right size, the right wood and the right balance.
The blade size must be able to be wielded by the user, most kid size blades should be about 12 inch long overall. The wood should be a good hard wood like mahogany, maple or other similar wood. I have obtained some beautiful pieces hard wood from old motorcycle and machinery crates and pallets from Asia and South America. The grain must be strain with no knots or swirls in the grain when laid out to the sword pattern. The wooden sword or knife must be laid out evenly on the wood when shaped or the blade will wobble when swung or twirled. A well-made blade out of wood is a piece of art when done correctly.
 To make a sword, the basic cutlass style blade is a good starter blade to make. Other blades can be made once you have honed your wood working skills. A Kris, Lahaut or Bolo blade is more difficult to shape and finish. A basic cutlass is a good sword for kids because it has hand guards to protect their knuckles.
The first step is to lay out the shape of the blade on piece of cardboard or heavy card stock. Next lay out the tang of the blade from the centerline of the blade. It should be about ¾ to 1 inch wide and about 4-5 inches long. Make sure it is even or the blade will be off weight. Cut the pattern out and lay it on the piece of wood you selected for the project. For short cutlass the piece should be about 15 inches long, 3 inches wide and ½ inch thick. Trace the pattern with a pencil to the wood. Take the piece of wood and clamp it flat. Now using a coping saw carefully cut out your shape. Next take a 4 in 1 wood rasp and smooth the edges so it is flat and even. Use a strait edge to check it. Next put a bevel on one side of the cutting edge side of the blade. Next put a bevel on the other side of the  cutting edge side of the blade. Now clean up the area cut out for the handle. Start with #80 grit sand paper and sand with the grain the length of the blade until all of the rough spots are gone. Next use #120 grit sand paper and sand with the grain the length of the blade until smooth. Next use #140 grit sand paper and sand with the grain the length of the blade until smooth again. If you are going to use this for every day practice this finish level is fine. If you want to show it off finish it with stain and varnish or just varnish
Get a foam brush and give a coat of varnish. Let it dry for at least 1 day. Take some fine steel wool and slightly rough up the finish. Get another foam brush and give a coat of varnish again. To make the grip get a piece of hard wood dowel about 5 inches long and ¾ of an inch wide and cut it in half-length ways. I have used old hard wood broomsticks. These will make the side plates of your handle (grip) of your sword. These will be put on after you put on a hand guard. To make a hand guard get another piece of cardboard and lay out the shape of the hand guard you want, include the hole on one end to slide the bottom of the blade into. Lay the pattern on a piece of leather. An old wide leather belt is good source. Trace with a marker. Cut it out with heavy scissors & sharp knife. Cut it on an old pine board or thick cut board when using the knife. Cut slowly so you do not mess up. Take this part (leather hand guard) and slide it up the tang of the blade to bottom of the blade. Now attach the two side plates of the grip. If you glue them in place or cross dowel them or do both is your choice. If you are in a hurry you can use brad nailer instead. Attach the base of hand guard to the butt of the sword. This can be drill and screwed with two screws and washers. Again if you are in a hurry a brad nailer will do the job quick.
This same process can be used to lay out any blade shape you wish to make. To make small simple knife for practice you will need 1 ½ round hardwood dowel. A simple but nice blade can be made this way. Cut a section at 9 inches. Find the center of the overall length and mark it at 4 ½ inches. Next make from the tip down 4 inches. This will be your blade section. Go the end and divide it in half now your have a top centerline. Go ¼ inch from top center line both sides and mark it. Now cut lengthways twice down to the center mark at 4 inches. This will give you a ½ inch thick blade. Now cut along the center mark to your lengthways saw cuts. It will now look like a blade. Round the blade tip so it looks like knife. Put a slight bevel on the butt of the blade. Carefully put a small bevel on the top of the grip either side of the blade. To make the grip better do the following: mark three bands around the diameter at the 1, 2, and 3 inch points. Take a small round file and make grooves all the way around on these lines half the depth of the small round file. Sand and finish the knife as you see fit.
Homemade Slingshots and Other Stories
My mother-in-law Kris and I were talking after lunch one day about growing in the Philippines during WW-2. She told my sons and me about how she and her brother had made slingshots and used them for defense and hunting small game during the war. She said everything was in short supply, so you really had use what you had. She said she used wear the slingshot around her neck all the time so it was handy. She said it was made from good Y-shaped branch as big as my thumb, with the bands from rim liners of the old cars and piece of leather from a belt for the sling. I said to her we should make some for the boys. We ran into some supply problems due to many of these items are not still available any more.
 I thought about it and came up with some alternative materials. We got some Pen Rose rubber surgical drain tubing for the straps, a piece of old leather belt from the garage. I found one Y branch to make up one slingshot. I used nylon construction string line to lash the rubber tubing to the slingshot. This worked to my older son but not for my younger one. I did not have enough materials. I made a second one using a coat hanger bent and twisted into the shape of a Y. I used a pair of pliers to roll over the ends for eyes to attach my bands. I used the heavy bands that come with the balsa gliders that were left over from broken planes. I cut the belt piece about 2 inches long and punched two small ¼ inch holes with sharpen hole punch I made from some old metal tubing.
My younger son took his with him when we went camping and used it on targets he set up. He is trying to be as good of a shot as his Grandma.
Making Your Own Bow and Arrows Filipino Style
 Grandpa Espi and I were talking about how he used to make his own bow and arrow sets. He said that back in the Philippines, he used to cut bamboo about ¾ his height long and as big around your finger at the about 2 inches from each of the joints. He would let the bamboo dry out on the roof to be ready. He said that he would cut the nubs and shoots close and then burn the spots and the ends. He would singe the ends.
Then he would drill through the end were the bowstring would sit and then saw carefully to drill hole. He would mark the center of the bow and then wrap with cord from six inches to the bottom of the mark. This would be your handgrip. The bowstring was made out of the gut fishing line with loops tied in the ends. The arrows were made from the skinny bamboo ends. The arrows were cut to size about 16-18 inches, sanded smooth. The base of the arrow shaft was notched for the bowstring. The arrow feathers came from chicken wings feathers that were cut and split then glued in place. He said they would then use sewing thread to carefully tie the top and bottom of the feather to the shaft.
I said this is great but we do not have any bamboo patch to raid for materials but with a little island ingenuity we could make some bows and arrows for the kids with what we had. We dug around to see what we had and we found some materials. We used schedule 40 PVC pipe about 4 feet long and ½ inch diameter. We cross drilled the ends with a 1/8 bit then sawed with hack saw down to the drill hole. We marked the center of the bow. Then we used a left over piece about 6-inches long of pipe insulation for the handgrip. We used duct tape and wrapped it to hold it in place. We used the nylon sting line used for construction work and tied figure eight loops knots in the ends for our bowstring. We made the arrows out of dowels the diameter of a pencil about 16-18 long.
 I notched them with a hacksaw and then sharpened them with pencil sharpener. I used wing feathers we found from the sea gulls at the beach for my arrow shaft feathers. The feathers are cut to 2 inches long and were split with a razor knife so they could be glued to the shaft base. Remember to stay up about ½ from the bottom by notch and divide the diameter by three so you can glue the feathers in place with proper offset.
Make sure that one of the three feather arrows is horizontal when you notch it. Glue them parallel on the shaft. I used crazy glue gel to hold the feathers in place. It should look like a rocket fin if done correctly.
This bow can be very powerful. If this will be used by kids do not sharpen the arrows but keep blunt and glue pencil erasers on the ends. I made larger one and used Spectra 80 pound fishing line for the bowstring. When it was fired it put a sharpened arrow through a roll of old carpet. So be careful.
Marc J. Lawrence is a Filipino Martial Arts practitioner a member of PAKAMUT and a member of the Doce Pares Los Angeles Academy in California.
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