Filipino Martial Arts - Latosa Concepts
What is Latosa Concepts, FMA?
Latosa Concepts is based largely on the dynamic teachings of Grand Master Rene Latosa. As well as being a stand-alone system, the Filipino Martial Arts also work well as a supplement to other martial arts because of the realistic view of weapons. Realistic, logical, and dynamic solutions to self-defense are the key.
Solid and honest strikes are the lifeblood of Latosa Concepts, FMA. Students start with simple strikes and counter strikes and progress to more complicated versions of the same base strikes as they work their way through the grades.
Add to that, the LC FMA thought pattern, all possible attackers are assumed to have a weapon and it becomes even more universal. Some of the terms that are used during classes are buffer zone, power mechanisms, dynamics and the concepts that GM Rene Latosa has combined and refined to create his special brand of Filipino Martial Arts. Speed, timing & distance, and transition are but a few of the conceptual tools Latosa Concepts, FMA follows.
Terms such as sinawali ( strike pattern ) are used at times, though the English / Danish variations are used for the most part. You will learn about the Feminine-V and the Maskuline-V footwork as well as others, such as GM Latosa’s Box System footwork.
What situations are trained in Latosa Concepts?
After the basic mechanics of moving and striking and some of the mental aspects of Filipino Martial Arts are introduced, students learn about blunt weapon defence first. Bladed /edge weapon dangers are looked at after that. As students progress they start to train bladed applications of self-defense. Unarmed application including take downs are taught along side the weapon drills from day one.
A percentage of training is based on many different themes. Environmental Training, Power Training, etc. are some. Every single strike being a well-placed and honest strike can also be a theme for training.
Drills such as hitting sit-ups, counters to psycho attacks and many other drills are common ground for students of all levels. The common drills are adjusted to fit the students’ levels and abilities. Other skills are taught to specific grades via drills for a given grade.
Training drills using combinations of weapons are common. Circle drills, in which a student defends them self against different attackers is a common example of such drills.
Sparring using rattans sticks, hockey gloves and helmets are used to introduce more stress and test, and develop FMA and self-defense skills.
Latosa Concepts, FMA has it’s name directly from GM Rene Latosa. Chris Williamson, founder of LC, FMA, was given permission while GM Rene Latosa was in Denmark for one of the many weekend seminars he has given.
More information about thoughts and training practices can be found at www.LatosaConcepts.com and the website for the Copenhagen group… Danish FMA and Self-Defense Group. The Copenhagen group trains at the Grøndals Multicenter in Copenhagen. Another group trains in Jutland.
