Knuckle Up's Filipino Martial Arts Program.

The Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) Program is based in the Sandy Springs Location and classes are held Tues and Thurs from 6:30 to 8:00pm, with an extra hour of training for advanced students.

The classes are taught by Lakan Guro Chris Caban, a two-time member of the U.S. Stickfighting Team. Caban’s training has taken place across the Globe, from Mactan Island, and Cebu Philippines, Southern and Northern Cal, Fla., London, England, and Atlanta. Caban also has over 4 years of Law Enforcement Instruction, teaching Defensive Tactics at Dobbins AFB, and North Central Law Enforcement Academy, also working with Operational Skills Group, and Control F.O.R.C.E as an instructor. Caban has a blue Belt in BJJ, 10 years Folk Style Wrestling, and has competed in Muai Thai Kickboxing.

Classes are structured around a simple plan of Footwork, Drilling and Sparring. Levels of sparring change as the student progresses through the training. Beginners wear the full body armor created for and used by WEKAF (The World Escrima, Kali, Arnis Federation). Then progress to limited target, and Soft-Stick sparring. Live Stick sparring, coupled with Kickboxing and Grappling, is at the highest level of sparring.

FMA, is a weapons based fighting system, centered on Single Stick, Double Stick, Knife, and Flexable Weapons. Other Weapons are involved in training and used in sparring. Open hand or Mano-Mano training is found as the students progress through the training. Stances, defenses and strikes are very similar to Boxing and Kickboxing, with a less sporting selection of targets, i.e. Joint strikes, neck punches, and shocks to the eyes.