The Silat Fitrah Ground Fighting Workshop
An introduction to the principles and approaches of Silat Fitrah ground-fighting. Ninety minutes of fantastic instruction from Guru Tua Chris Parker, filmed by the brilliant Steve Reynolds at a workshop I organised in Birmingham over a decade ago.
Content includes:
• Why everything is groundwork.
• Understanding the relationship between moving on the ground and moving when standing up.
• How to apply the ‘feet to core to four led by the head’ principle when moving and fighting on the ground.
• A simple, solo groundwork flow drill.
• The importance of breath – and how to get your breathing right.
• Identifying and applying the ‘outriders of mischief’.
• Ways of striking when on the ground.
• Defending from the ground against opponents who are standing.
• The power of curving and circular strikes.
• Defending from the ground against 2 opponents.
• How to get off the ground and back onto your feet quickly and safely.
Your Instructor
Instructor Bio:
As a direct result of Bapak’s influence, Chris started a daily meditation practice in the same year. His experiences with Bapak also inspired him to begin learning about communication and influence. This, too, turned into a lifelong activity.
Controlled breathing exercises were added to his daily routine in the mid 1980s. The initial motivation for this was illness, rather than the inspiration of an exemplary teacher.
Over the years, Chris developed his own approach to sharing the art, which Bapak named Silat Fitrah.
Whilst the martial aspects of Silat Fitrah focus on the use of blades and the threat of multiple opponents, Chris has always prioritised an holistic approach to his training, referring to what he teaches as a Life Art.
This interrelated mix of meditation, controlled breathing and Silat influences every aspect of Chris’s life and continues to be a source of great learning.
Currently, he enjoys the great pleasure of teaching the Silat Fitrah Learning Community alongside two wonderful and talented individuals: Guru Eddie Quinn, the lineage holder to the art, and Guru Katherine Hill.
Chris Parker
Guru Tua
