Informative Issue No.

129
2014

2014

The Instructors
Overall Look at What Went On
The Peaceful Warrior Camp
So Intense and So Rich
Filled with Great Martial Art Training
A Path Between Self-Protection and Self-Perfection
Intense in Many Ways
An Unexpected 3rd Dan!
A Gathering of Martial Arts Practitioners
Pool Practice

The FMA Informative wants to thank Punong Guro Fred Evrard for sending us the pictures and writing the introduction that gives an overall look at Bali Camp 2014 and also the practitioners that submitted their comments
about the Bali Camp 2014.

Instead of the usual issue which tells what went on at an event, the FMA Informative thought that it
would be very good as in the FMA Informative issue Bali camp 2013 to have some of the practitioners that
attended the camp once again tell their thoughts on their experience at the event.

As you read this issue you will find that Punong Guro Fred Evrard Founder of Kali Majapahit and the
coordinator of the Bali Camp and the instructors that taught at the camp made Bali Camp 2014 an experience
that would not be forgotten.
About Kali Majapahit:

It is a synthesis of several Filipino martial arts, and some other fighting arts from the ancient Majapahit
area in Southeast Asia.

Kali Majapahit, concepts are woven together into a complete and very effective system. Any improvement in one aspect of the art will accelerate progression in the others.
Kali Majapahit
Punong Guro Fred Evrard
43 Carpenter St. #02-01 Singapore 059922
(65) 6534-5254
Email - contact@kali-majapahit.com

www.kali-majapahit.com

www.kalidemano.com

Each issue features practitioners of martial arts and other internal arts, other features include historical, theoretical and technical articles; reflections, Filipino martial arts, healing arts, the culture of the Philippines and other
related subjects.

The authors, publisher and owner of this online magazine are not responsible for any injury, which may result
from the instructions contained in this online magazine. Before embarking on any of the physical activates described in
the magazine, the reader should consult his or her physician for advice regarding their individual suitability for performing such activity.

The ideas and opinions expressed in the FMA Informative online magazine are those of the authors or instructors being interviewed and are not necessarily the views of the publisher, editor or owner of the FMA Informative. The
articles are the property of the authors that wrote them and cannot be used without the permission of the author.

The FMA Informative is for the promulgation and promotion of the Filipino martial arts and the Culture of the
Philippines. NO issue can be printed and Sold for Monies, without the express permission of the Owner and Publisher
of the FMA Informative.

Pangulong Guro Claes Johansson is specialised in the Southeast Asian Martial Arts
and is the founder and Head Instructor of Kali De Mano.

His martial arts teachings are now foremost focussed in his style of Kali de
Mano, his expression of Pencak Silat and Ringside (Southeast Asian boxing) .
Claes martial arts teachings heavily includes elements of personal development training in both hands-on and esoteric forms - such as peak performance strategies and
spiritual teachings .

Kali De Mano is my style and expression of the arts . I believe in a genuine
training that gives solid techniques , associative skills and understanding - creating
possibilities when moving into advanced aspects of performing. Power and strength
are necessary in the arts, but flow will give us the quality and opportunity to push
ourselves and our limits, allowing us to grow - to react, adapt, find new ways - within
the arts - within Kali de Mano. - Claes Johansson
Katalungan Guro Lila Evrard started Martial Arts under her father at the age of 6,
and never stop training ever since . In year 2003 , following a lifetime dedicated to
the Martial Arts, Lila and her husband Fred, left her home in Tahiti for a 4-year Martial Arts & traditional medicines trip around the world.

4 years without going home, sleeping in dojos , in temples , or directly at their
instructors place ; training all over the world with Masters of several Martial Arts,
monks and healers.

They have lived and trained in China, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, Singapore,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Tibet, Philippines, Lebanon, USA, Hawaii, Tahiti, France, Germany, Canada, and more; searching for knowledge and sharing it, teaching seminars
all over the world.

Lila Evrard is not only Full Instructor in Filipino Martial Arts and Filipino
boxing, but also a specialist of Southeast Asian martial arts, a personal fitness trainer
and Tahitian Dance Instructor.

Instructors

Punong Guro Fred Evrard started training in Martial Arts at the age of 6, some 35
years ago.

Fred is the founder and Head-Instructor of Kali Majapahit. He owns 14 Black
Belts and Instructor certificates in 14 different styles, and is a specialist of Southeast
Asian Martial Arts.

In year 2003, following a lifetime dedicated to the Martial Arts, Fred and his
wife Lila, left their home in Tahiti for a 4-year Martial Arts & traditional medicines
trip around the world .

Fred is a Peak Performance , psychology and life-skills coach, trained in the
Tony Robbins system . He gives international conferences on Vegetarian/Vegan
Nutrition, Posture correction , Breathing, Psychology, life-style, and also on Buddhism and Asian philosophy.

Sifu James Nener has been practicing martial arts his entire life and is a specialist
of Internal Chinese Martial Arts such as Taiji Quan (ancient style) , Bagua Zhang
, Qi Gong and even Chinese medicine. James is also an expert in Kempo, Pencak
Silat, Ashtanga Yoga and meditation.

His knowledge in inner arts does not stop him from being extremly efficiant in combat, being himself a police officer...

James has been studying Asian philosophies for a long time and is a fantastic
speaker when it comes to Hinduism , Buddhism and Asian spirituality in general.

His knowledge in Health and wellness is phenomenal , and he knows all
there is to know about vegetarian and vegan nutrition.

Overall Look at What Went On at Bali Camp 2014

2014 Bali Camp was simply
amazing, with its world-class
martial arts sessions from sunrise
to sunset and life-changing conferences on personal development,
peak-performance, spirituality and
asian philosophies!

Where else do you learn
about stick-fighting and Yoga at
sunrise, knife disarms and karambit in the morning, Kali, Silat,
Panuntukan in the middle of the
day, Pencak Silat and combat Taiji
in the afternoon and Buddhist and
taoist advanced concepts in the
evening (concepts such as karma,
yin-yang, wuji and emptiness,
the 5 elements, meditation, prana-yama, reincarnation, comparative studies on western and asian
philosophies)s, all in 1 camp?
All this over good and healthy
food, friendship and laughter...
Well... BALI CAMP!

This year was so special.
The energy was at its peak. We had
classes and training in 4 main arts:

Kali De mano, Kali Majapahit,

Pencak Silat (Harimau, Cimende,
Bukti Negara), and Chinese internal arts (Taiji Quand and Bagua
Zhang). This year in Bali, 3 of our
students were ranked from 1st dan
to 3rd dan, and let me tell you,
those guys rocked!

Within our sessions, we
trained in Advanced Serrada (solo
baston, espada y daga, empty hands Vs stick applications
and mano y mano applications),
Panuntukan tactics, advanced
Sikaran (kicks combinations and
flying kicks), Kadena De Mano,
Single and double sticks, Trankada
(locks and counter locks), Dumog
(Filipino wrestling), Advanced
knife strategies, double karambit,
knife and karambit, and much
more...

The conferences were at
an extremely high level, with all
speakers trained in Tony Robbins
peak-performance method, but
also all advanced in a traditional

spiritual or philosophical path such

as Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese
Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and
most important, students with lots
of deep and amazing questions that
allowed us to stay late at nights
teaching, sharing, questioning,
growing

We also had nice teachings
and conversations about nutrition,
posture correction, breathing, stress
management, positive thinking and
much much more.

And dont let me start on
our sister camp, that many of
our kali ladies joined as well, the
Tahiti Dance Fit camp, with whom
we shared the morning sessions
and the evening conferences,
while splitting during martial arts
or dance classes. The ladies were
awesome!

One of Kali Majapahit
core values sentence has also
become the Bali Camps: Grow
Yourself, Built others, Educate
people!

The Peaceful Warrior Camp

John Honeyman, Kali Majapahit Representative and Lead Instructor in Japan

Those words summarize
why we all were there, in Bali,
mystical Island of the Gods and
a major center of influence for
Southeast Asian Martial Arts.

We all want to better understand the context of martial arts
in our journey of self-discovery

and personal development, and

this 6-day intensive is a great way
to immerse ourselves in both the
practical and the spiritual.

We have come from all
over the world. Martial artists of
all levels from Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, France,

Germany all trying to be the best

we can be. We have come to one of
the most beautiful places on Earth
to live the dream; to escape our
day-to-day and dive as deep as we
can into our passion. We want to
be Peaceful Warriors.

The resort is 5-star, right

on the beach in Nusa Dua, the

most exclusive and luxurious part
of Bali. The buffet features a wide
variety of healthy options for us,
and the rooms are beautiful and
well-appointed. There are plungepools everywhere, and traditional
Balinese architecture is open-plan
and accessible. Staff are everywhere, always smiling, and really
seem to respect that we are there
to study their cultural heritage of
Silat, among other things. This is
truly paradise.


Our three teachers represent much in common between
Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Indonesian traditions, and have spent collectively nearly 100 years studying
these subjects. All are peak performance and personal development
coaches as well as world-class
martial artists. They represent the
goals we seek and live them every
day. In their rich experience we
have access to expertise in several
styles of Filipino Kali (Kali Majapahit, Kali De Mano), Pencak
Silat (Bukti Negara, Cimande,
Harimau, Seni Silat Titipenang,
Pencak Silat Concept), Bagua
Zhang, Yang Style Tai Chi, Wing
Chun, Jeet Kune Do, Ashtanga
Yoga, Parkour and much, much,
more. Individually, these teachers
are highly sought after on the seminar circuit; collectively it would
be hard to find more knowledge
and experience in any single camp
anywhere. Beyond this, each one
is accessible and approachable,
and we have many spontaneous
conversations over mealtimes or
by the pool. Every class is presented for us with a loving spirit to
teach us and help us grow. Before
the week is over, they know us all
by name and have spent time oneon-one with each of us during the

classes. You can feel how much

they care about us as people.

We start just before dawn
down on the white sand beach.
The sun is just starting to come
up over the horizon, and the sea
sparkles orange, pink and blue. Its
hard to sleep since we are all nervous with anticipation. Guro Claes
Johansson is there to start the day
with stickfighting. The drills
are fast and powerful, and
challenge our focus even before we are fully awake. Our
feet shuffle through the sand
as we work together to follow
the drills. Depending on the
day we have another hour or
two with our sticks/empty
hands or conditioning/yoga
before we even eat breakfast.

Mid-Morning we have
another two hours of training
in Kali or Pencak Silat with
Guro Fred Evrard and his
senior instructors. We move
from beginner drills on footwork into advanced chains of
techniques, counters, and flow
drills that push us to the limit.
By lunchtime we are sweating
and our muscles are burning.
A quick splash in the pool on
the way to the lunch buffet is
really refreshing.

There is some free time
after lunch until mid-afternoon
and we are back into our training
again, this time with Sifu James
Nener. Two hours of intense Bagua
Zhang offer a stark contrast to Kali
flows. Both styles seek to exploit
the centerline, but Bagua Zhang
has intricate footwork and a deep,
lowered center.

In the evenings we have personal

development conferences taught by
Guro Claes, Guro Fred, and Sifu
James in rotation. These peaceful
warrior talks offer us the chance
to better understand health, nutrition, posture, breathing, but also
span topics from Taosim and Buddhism to practical tools for using
these philosophies to achieve more
happiness and better performance
at home and at work. Each session
has a short lecture, followed by intense question and answer from us.

Nothing is off-limits, and we are

free to leverage their many years
of wisdom and get the most from
every session. Afterward, many of
us continue talking by the pool or
down at the beach, listening to the
gentle waves rolling as we discuss
among each other.

We sleep the sleep of the
satisfied, exhausted and happy,
waiting for the next day. The camp
is an intensive week of immersion
training. At the end, we take away
not just some very cool new tech-

niques and drills, or some deeper

understanding of martial philosophy and health, but also new
friendships that we will treasure
forever. The Peaceful Warrior path
is meant to be shared - shared by
our teachers to us, shared with each
other, and then finally shared by us
with everyone we meet every day
thereafter. We become the change.
You can, too. See you at the next
camp!

we learned how to kick some serious ass. Every class was exciting,
every class had something new
to offer. If you missed just one
class you would really regret not
knowing the really cool stuff that
the others had just learnt! We used
all kinds of weapons - short sticks;
longer sticks; karambit; sarong;
empty hands; knife; Kuntao; a few
at once We covered distances
- largo, medio, quarto We did
various footwork Filipino martial arts triangle, boxing, South
Chinese martial arts Too many
to relate here. In 7 days of nonstop training, it felt like we covered every possible variation in the
field of martial arts studies.

Everyone, at every level,
from beginners to advanced, took
so much away from the elegantly
balanced teaching. All 3 instructors had such diverse martial
experience and wisdoms to offer;
yet they showed us that there are
common truths, and taught these
truths to us in their own martial
languages.

The meditation sessions
beautifully complemented our
training. Every day, we performed

breatTestimonial for Bali Camp

2014hing exercises that centred
us as human beings, reconnecting
with our own deepest selves. We
discovered the deep and ancient
arts of meditation in movement, of
the total focus and emptiness that
comes to the warrior when he is
fully into the martial art.

We were all living so
intensely every second of every
day. Rushing to classes; luxuriating
in the supremely wide spread of
gourmet fare at every single buffet
meal; going for more classes, and
at the end of the day, after we had
maxed out our physical learning,
going for conferences with intense
teachings and profound reflections.
Then waking before the dawn and
doing it all over again. It was just
amazing.

Through the daily conferences, and through leading and
living the example in their own
lives, the instructors reminded us
that being a warrior isnt just about
being able to punch someone. They
reminded us of the art of martial arts, of the depth and philosophy behind the practice. That being
a warrior means fighting the good

So Intense and So Rich

Lee Yee Han

Some of us have never
seen the real thing before, and are
surprised at the powerful
movements. We move in
spirals in and around our
partners, everywhere at
once. Sifu James Nener
makes it look effortless,
but we struggle to keep up.
Again and again he tells
us relax, no tension. Go
LOWER.

By dinnertime we
feel exhausted, having
packed seemingly a month
of training into a single day.

The Bali camp has changed
me so much. It was so intense and
so rich, it isnt possible to come
away from it unaffected!

Ive been doing martial arts
at Kali Majapahit with Guros Fred
and Lila for 6 years. And for the
last year, my commitment in the
school had been waning. It wasnt
that the school had any less to offer
- in fact, the more deeply one goes
into the curriculum, the more interesting it gets - but I had become
distracted by other commitments. I
looked to the Bali camp as a re-ignition of my interest in martial arts.
But it was so much more.

From the camp, we saw
stunning individual testimonials
to how martial arts can touch and
change who you are. I saw students like Maeva and Kim who
had never done martial arts before
blossom in wonder with their first
hit of the sticks. I saw myself grow
in understanding of human nature
through simple classes on martial
instruction.

I not only found again my
love of martial arts, but also discovered a richer depth. Of course

southeast asian touch, life changing conferences, good and healthy

food What else can we ask for?

A Path Between Self-Protection and Self-Perfection

Rose - Singapore

fight, every day, hour and minute.

Within yourself; and if against
others, without ego, with empathy.

We went to Bali as uncertain humans, looking for change.
We left with the seeds of being a

warrior planted in us.

Filled with Great Martial Art Training

Jakob

The Bali camp is filled
with great martial art training. The
level of the instructors is very high
and all of them have a deep understanding of different martial arts
which does give the training an
exta edge. The training was very
well adapt so both experienced
martial artist and beginners got a
lot out of the training.

All the instructors also
gave very nice and interesting
conferences about health, philosophy, spirituality and life in general.
All of the instructors are are great
educators and have a great abality
to teach many different things.

The conferences where
connected to the martial art training and vice and versa which made
the whole experience very pedagogic and easy to follow.

All the participants are
amazing persons, partially becouse
the clubs apparently have a nice
atmosphere and great culture when

it comes to training and how to act

in Life and behave with other people. Of course the intructors has
a big part of that nice atmosphere
which appeard in the camp because they have a big part of wich
culture the clubs are tinged of.

We should not forget about
the Tahitian dance group which really had a part of making the camp
very special. Very nice people and
interesting people to talk to came
from the Tahitian dance group.
They gave Another perspective to
the camp.

All the information and

the atmosphere in the Bali Camp

2014 gave prequeisites of making a
determinant change in Life. That is
a fact. For me the Bali camp have
started a personal change which
is very crucial. It started a process
which is very dynamic and continues long after the camp. All the
information and conclusions which
I got is always following me and
is alive in my Daily Life and really
influence me.

The conclusion is: Amazing people (students and instructors alike), high level and intense
martial arts training, with a deep

The much anticipated event
of the year where world class martial artists from around the world
gather together with a common
goal To touch and change peoples
lives one person at the time

The camp started with a
welcoming smiles and hugs from
the participants, common faces
and new ones, the friendship and
connection that we built during the
previous bali camp was still on fire
even though distance and time and
months of not seeing each other
separated us..... It was then followed by a short briefing from the
Guros of whats gonna happen for
the whole week.....and finally Bali
Camp 2014 has officially started.

The menu every day and
morning are full of different activities....It starts with solo baston
training on the beach at sunrise,
followed by a heartfelt and meaningful meditation with an auspicious appearance of rainbow each

time we had a morning session..

On the other days we have the
morning conditioning to help us
in mobility and movement with
Yoga to compliment afterwards....
Afternoon trainings are full of
excitement as well, Kali, Silat,
panuntukan, bagua, combat taiji,
flying kicks, dirty wing chun
and most of all the take downs/
throwing training in the pool

The evening conferences
topic are packed with teachings
about Buddhism and Taoism
learning more about karma, wuji,
detachment and emptiness.
Other conferences challenged
each one of us to stand in front
of every one sharing one of their
personal secret and something to
be proud of stories and topics
about Health and Wellness The
night training that involved Filipino Battle field role playing, in
which two tribes battling to protect
their flag from being conquered is

full of adrenaline and excitement,

using foam sticks for safety. All
these in one camp and to top it
all up, Bali Camp 2014 added a
little spice by inviting Tahiti Dance
Fitness team to join the camp...
where dancers joined us in morning trainings and conferences....

Our Bali Camp could not
be complete without surprises.......
The 3rd dan testing of Guro Guillaume, 2nd dan for Seb and 1st dan
for Alison it was a display of world
class martial arts. superb.

After this years Bali Camp,
I am going back to Singapore with
excess baggage... but not of things,
of memories that are imprinted in
my heart and soul because, Bali
Camp to me is about discovering
the PATH between Self-Protection
and Self-Perfection....

And I am looking forward
to next years Bali Camp.....!

Intense in Many Ways: Training, Conversations, People, Food, Climate, Nature

Sebel - Germany

A little bit of rain comes down fresh and just in time. Since sun rises at the Beach of Nusa Dua temperature goes
up just like the sticks of my training partner. As he strikes down, I block redirect and counter and try to perform
as precise as the teacher Guro Claes Johansson while realizing two rainbows in the sky right behind him. I am
tired, muscles hurt and I try to concentrate. Environment is too beautiful to stick to the exercise. No problem,
Guro Fred Evrard is here to teach us how to focus with meditation after a tight solo baston session.

person. He appears massive in many ways.

Training and talking with Fred Evrard was no
suprise as he is always surprising. When he moves and
shares knowledge about FMA, nutrition, health and
personal development you will find yourself astonished
how this Guro makes you find new ways for training and
thinking. Talking about thinking, here is a challenge out
of Guro Fred Evrards conference for you. 7 days no negative thoughts. Do it.

Sounds like too much of spirituality and conferences? Dont worry. Besides hours of Kali, Silat and
Panuntukan MG Ben has you in the morning for parcour
and conditioning to make you beg for the meditation class
after.

Im back home in Germany for jetlagged three
days now and I feel fueled with positive energie for probably a very long upcoming time. Tons of new techniques
and ideas for my regualr training in the art of Kali Majapahit wait in my mind and my camera to work on until
I will meet my friends and techers from Bali Camp again.
Hopefuly very soon. Thanks to everybody who attended
on this fantastic martial art taining camp, especially to
those who made it happen.

An Unexpected 3rd Dan!

Guillaume - Singapore

Welcome to Balicamp
2014. Its intense in many ways,
training, conversations, people,
food, climate, nature

Bali is just beautiful and
the schedule for the camp is
amazing, trying to serve a balanced offer with all the different
aspects of the martial arts, com-

binig internal and

external styles, meditation and combat,
yoga and self-defense,
breathing and fighting,
talking and striking.
But in the end of the
day its the people
who make it special.
Its the conversations
with the students and
the knowledge of the
teachers that make me
think and smile. Wow, these guys
have so much to offer. Both, the
teachers and the students. They
gave me so many new ideas and
impressions, experienced with the
body and the mind.

It was the first time for me
watching Sifu James Nener move
and teach and I dont think that

I have to know lots about Bagua,

Yoga, Silat and Tai Chi to realize
that this guy is special. He made
us sweat, sough and think and left
us astonished during training as
well as during conferences talking
about philosophie and spirituality.
Meet him during breakfast or at
the pool of the gorgeous five star
resort Sofitel and you get to know
a grounded friendly talkative guy
with a smile on his face.

How can I use the principles and concepts of combat in daily life was the question of Guro
Claes Johansson, as we listened to
his conferences after dinner under a clear sky full of stars. In the
morning he made us block, strike
and cut ... in the evening he gave
us ideas how to use martial arts to
solve problems and develop as a

My name is Guillaume Ive been

living in Singapore and Ive been
training in Kali Majapahit system
for over 8 years now, under the
guidance of Guro Fred Evrard.

I was so excited to join the
Bali Camp this year, that I decided
to bring my wife and 2 kids along.
I previously participated in the
camp in 2010 and 2011 and had to

skip 2012 and 2013 for

working reasons.

I expected something similar to what I
knew, with instructors I
did not really know doing stuff I did not really
do. And curiosity and
excitement where definitely at the rendez vous
for this 2014 Bali Camp!

All started with a bad
twist of fate at the embarkation
in Singapore. My wifes passport
was not within the 6-month validity period required by Indonesian
immigration laws, and therefore
we had to decide rapidly that she
would stay with our 6 months old
son in Singapore, and that I would
go with our 2 years old daughter
The goodbyes were a heart-break-

ing moment, but hey, spend a full

week in a 5* hotel in Bali, practicing martial art and bonding with
my daughter, it could definitely be
worse!

So we arrive in Bali, spend
the night, and at 7am met with all
the participants (around 30 this
year) on the Beachfront for the
morning conditioning exercises.
My sleepyhead daughter in the
stroller, my head not really less

sleepy than hers, and here is Guro

Fred giving the very first morning speech for the Bali Camp and
announcing that Alison, Sebel and
Myself will be tested for our next
black belt level.Gosh this one
did wake me up! 100% focus, and
a massive What the Hell going
loudly through my mind! Ok, I did
not expect that at all But lets
embrace the challenge!

It means that any lazy
swimming pool / tanning sessions
or easy idling options are immediately dismissed from the upcoming week schedule. Its gonna be
training and training for breakfast,
lunch and dinner for the next 3
days.

And thats exactly what
happened, with the help of all my
martial artists brothers and sisters,
I went through every single training with my daughter being taking
care of by the group, to the extend
of their patience.

Monday was the last testing day for us. It started at 7am
and finished later in the evening
around 6.30pmA long day! Water, breathing, focus! I felt like being observed and gauged through
the microscope lenses and it brings
the stress a level up.

After a good 6 hour training, skills demonstration within
the range of weapons we use
(Empty Hands, Stick, Double
Stick, Knife, Double Knife,
Karambit, Espada y Daga,
Silat and kickboxing), class
skills teaching (I chose to
give a Daga) and a few
well-deserved Swimming
pool breaks, we manage
whatsoever to reach the
6pm group demonstration,
with my 2 other fellow
tested brother and sister.

Here we go, 30

martial arts practitioners seating

in a circle to witness the last part
of our testing, the demo; 5 teachers in front of us sitting still and
expecting the best of us.

Its not the first time I do
demos or exhibitions, but when it
comes to yourself being assessed
for what you can or cant do, the
exercise takes a much spicier flavor. But things are working fairly
well with my 2 fellow exhibitors
and styles and weapons and sweat
are growing in intensity and speed
by the minute. I can feel a sort of
brotherly love that is driving the 3
of us in a beautiful harmony. The
ego has no place here right now,
we are doing things for the others,
we are being the best partner we
can for each other, and we push
our guts for the people looking at
us from the edge of the circle A
real benevolent act of service to
the others And it felt so good!!!

Time flies, and here we
are, panting, sweating and smiling
lining up facing our instructors,
ready to receive our recognition
in our Filipino martial arts style of
Kali Majapahit. The moment is intense, and there are electric sparks
in the air, everyone is excited.

Guro Fred calls our name
and state our new titles and ranks
and I feel proud, so proud.

Eight years ago, how could

I ever imagine, dedicating so much

time and energy to a martial art
system, how could I have foreseen myself achieving a 3rd Dan
Black Belt? I have to say humbly
that Ive grown profoundly fond
of my school, my system and my
students, and that everything Ive
done in the past or currently do,
is and has never been for the rank
notoriety or any micro-fame that I
could have within our micro-community. We do things because
they matter, we do things because
we care, we do things because it
makes us better men and women
and overall we do things because
of love.

Kali makes me a better
person each day; A better man that
I was yesterday and exponentially better that I was 8 years ago.

No super power, just dedication,

focus and love. Thats all there is
to understand; All there is to live
for is passion and love, the rest is
a background that we can change
at will, lets not spend time on the
background, be the best actor you
can in the best live you can imagine for yourself and the persons
you love.

During this camp, I met
with 2 other great Kings of Heart
(the game was rigged somehow),
one is Guro Claes Johansson from
Sweden and Founder of Kali de
Mano and the other is Sifu James
Nener from France, Founder of

La Voie du Tao
and instructor of
internal arts such
as Bagua Zhang,
Taiji Quan, Ashtanga Yoga, ect).
I know that my
fellow writers will
spend quite some
time talking about
them as they are
incredible martial
arts instructors, but
even much better life instructors, so I will make it short Ive
only spent 6 days with those 2
kings, but it felt like weve known

each other for a lifetime...

I wont say much more
about them, but I know that the
bonds we forged during this camp,
are meant for life, see you soon!

Bali Camp - A Gathering of Martial Arts Practitioners

Alison Ang

Bali Camp - a gathering of martial arts practitioners; world-class

workshops lead by renowned
Masters of their art started as an
idea but has since evolved into one
of the best martial arts camps the
world has to offer.

The fourth edition of Bali
Camp was hosted at Sofitel Bali
Nusa Dua Beach Resort, a luxury
resort that combines French elegance and flair with warm Balinese
hospitality and culture, featuring
plush amenities and high-tech
fittings. Meal times were always
a treat at the resorts interactive
buffet restaurant, which offered
a wide array of cuisines and live
cooking stations.

Bali Camp promises not
only to improve our skills as martial artists, but also challenge us
to take control of our lives; to take
responsibility for our health, our
mental and emotional states, and
our spiritual being.

Every morning, set against
the backdrop of the gorgeous
Balinese sunrise, we begin our
day training on the beach. The
rhythmic clacking of our sticks
is accompanied by the wonderful sounds of birds chirping and
waves crashing against the nearby
rocks.

Apart from Kali, Silat,
Tai Ji Quan Ba Gua Zhang, Kickboxing, Mobility Exercises, and
Physical Conditioning, the camp
also included morning meditation,
yoga, and in the evenings Personal
Development talks, and discussions on Spirituality, Buddhist and
Taoist concepts, and comparative
studies on Western and Eastern
Philosophies, which completely
opened up our minds.

The mind is
like a parachute. It
works best when its
open. H.H, Tenzin
Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama

On top of the
phenomenal teaching that we received,
and the amazing
friendships shared,
this years Bali Camp turned out
to be even more special for me.
Exactly a year after I received my
Kasama rank, I was to be tested
for my Kadua Guro (Black Belt
First Dan). This was only announced on Day 2, which came
as a complete surprise to me, or
I should say us as Kadua Guro
Sebel Breidecker was being tested
for his Madunong Guro (Black
Belt Second Dan), and Madunong
Guro Guillaume Foucaud for his
Katulong Guro (Black Belt Third
Dan). My testing started on the
spot with a written examination.

Day 3. Under
the blazing Bali sun,
we were taken aside
and tested on every
single sub-system
weve learned over
the past years, every
double sticks drill, the
plethora of stick and
knife disarms, knife
against stick, knife
against knife, empty
hands again weapons, flows, and every
other exercise you can
think of, we did. In
the midst of the test,
we were each challenged to individually
conduct a 30-minute

class on the fly. By the end of the

afternoon I was physically exhausted, and mentally close to breaking
point.

The last 30 minutes of
the testing was conducted in the
presence of everyone at the camp.
Inspired and fueled by the encouragement of everyone present,
we sparred against one another,
demonstrating our skill, creativity
and ability to handle pressure. The
30 minutes went by in a flurry of
weapons disarms and takedowns.
With almost nothing left in the

tank, we heard the magic word,

BREAK. And that was it.

The graduation ceremony began with a short speech by
Guro Fred, and then he called out
our names one at a time. When I
received my Black Belt from the
man who has taught me so much,
I was overcome with relief, joy
and gratitude. At the end of the
graduation ceremony, as the hugs
and congratulatory words poured
in, tears started to flow. I am so
humbled and grateful for the experience. I could never have done it
without the support of all present,
my training partners these last few
years, those cheering for me back
in Singapore, and my Guros.

Every year, Bali Camp
showers us with many special

moments. The
laughter we
share; the sweat;
the rough and
tumble; the tears;
all come together to make up
the Bali Camp
experience. And
ultimately this
is what martial
arts is all about;
martial arts isnt about the weapon disarms or the stick fighting;
it isnt about the beautiful flow or
the fancy takedowns; martial arts
is about dedication, commitment
and most of all friendship.

For those who have had the

privilege of attending Bali Camp

will know that the effects last not
for a day, a week or a month; the
effects of Bali Camp stays with
you; it changes you. Bali Camp is
a milestone in our journey that we
look forward to year after year.

Pool Practice

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