Basic Information

There has been some questions about meetings and what to expect, bring, ect. so I am posting
some answers for FAQ.
When/where are the club meetings held?: We hold weekly meetings at Evergreen Park in Bremerton, WA from 3pm-5pm Saturdays.

What should I bring? : Aside from warm clothing in cold weather, please bring a water bottle for
yourself and you and your friends. All other gear is provided at the meetings.

Can I bring my own weapons? : No home made weapons (boffers) will be allowed in the fights. Rattan escrima sticks can be used only with drills as it presents a danger in full contact fights.
However we do encourage members to participate in tournaments such as Dog Brothers, keep
in mind that even they do not do their gatherings every week. They fight with padded sticks like we do as part of their regular training.
All other "manufactured" foam weapons must be inspected and approved by the ring master.

What are the rules? : The details of the rules will be given on a sheet given at the meetings but it encompasses the basic concept of respecting your opponent instead of telling you how to fight.
Surprisingly even members who attend regularly have trouble grasping all the avenues one can take during a fight that are allowed such as disarming the weapon and using it against your opponent or shield bashing, ect.

Are there any points given or declared winners? : We do not give out points, keep score, or have winners. Instead we do 2 minute full contact continuous rounds similar to what you see in the UFC or kickboxing matches. The biggest difference is we are using foam weapons as well. Fighting with this intensity takes alot of energy and we have not had one person who cared about who won at the end of the fight. This forces people to focus on technique and stamina rather than tally points.

What is the cost? : For the first two months there is no fee required except for the $20 initiation fee when first signing up. There is a $10 fee for every meeting afterwards to help with the cost of equiptment. We do encourage everyone to purchase and maintain their own weapon(s) and the best company to go to that has the most durable and realistic weapons is
http://www.calimacil.com/
They are pricey but they last a long time especially for full contact fights like ours and we fully
support and use them.