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The Thailand Eskrima Tour is unique training and travel experience for the avid learner, adventurer, andmartial artist.
The tour offers a 10 day journey in to the heart of mountainous Northern Thailand for Eskrima training and travel. Join us on this adventure and take your skills to the next level!
Chiang Mai is a modern and charming Thai city lodged in the mountains of North of Thailand. It has been recognized as one of the best places to live across the globe according to the Forbes Index and also voted as the number 1 city in Asia by readers of 'Travel and Leisure'.
Eskrima training will be conducted twice a day by trained masters – 1.5 to 2 hours every morning and evening (3 to 4 hours total daily). During the day the group will explore the breathtaking beauty and pure nature that can be experienced in the mountains of North Thailand - pristine waterfalls with turquoise water, wild forests, mountain villages, jungly mountains tops, golden temples, and spectacular wildlife.
As many of these hidden gems are spread out and difficult to access, transportation and guides are provided and are inclusive. The group will also have the opportunity to participate in amazing adventure activities. Deep immersion in to authentic Thai culture with the exploration of night markets, visiting temples, cooking classes, visiting elephant sanctuaries, witnessing Muay Thai fights, relaxing with thai/swedish massages, and experiencing the street food are all part of this journey.
The tour will end with a spectacular national 3 day festival in Thailand called Songkran from April 13-15. The festival of Songkran is celebrated annually allover Thailand and is essentially a massive street party featuring loud music and a giant friendly waterfight.
Included Activities and Highlights
– 3-4 hours of daily Eskrima training
– 10 nights private accommodation at a Village Green Cafe and Retreat
– Breakfast included for the entire tour– Airport pick-up and drop-off
– All road transportation
– Visit to a sustainable and ecological Elephant Sanctuary
– Visit to Araksa Tea Plantation
– Visit Chiang Mai night markets
– Thai cooking class
– Entry to a Muay Thai event in the heart of Chiang Mai
– Fully guided trip to Doi Suthep temple
– Fully guided trip to Doi Inthanon National Park
– Fully giuded trip to Namtok Bua Tong (Sticky Waterfalls)
– Fully guided trip to Wat Tham Buatong temple
– Songkran festival
– Immersion into Thai culture
– Professional photography
After arriving at Chiang Mai International Airport, group members will be picked up by our private transportation and taken to their new home – Village Green Cafe and Retreat. Everyone will have the opportunity to eat, relax, and enjoy the beautiful scenic area. For more information and details about the provided accommodation, please see the Accommodation Section.
The first Eskrima class will start at 5pm. Group members will meet their instructors and begin theirtraining. For more information about DUMAA Eskrima system please see the Eskrima Section. Forinformation about the instructors please see the Teachers Section.
Breakfast will be served between 7 and 9am and the morning Eskrima class will start at 9:30am.
After lunch, we will travel 1 hour west to the most famous temple in Chiang Mai – Wat Phra That in DoiSuthep.
This temple sits on Doi Suthep mountain at an elevation of 1,073 metres from which impressive views of Chiang Mai can be viewed. It is a sacred site to many Thai people. A guide will be provided for the temple visit and members can learn about the temples history and explore its beauty.
Eskrima class will be conducted in the beautiful mountains of Doi Suthep. Students will learn and practice Eskrima overlooking breathtaking views of Chiang Mai.
After Eskrima class and exploration of the beautiful Doi Suthep, we will proceed to Chiang Mai to enjoythe vibrant night markets and see the city. The night markets in Chiang Mai offer wonderful authenticThai dinner options, as well as a great opportunity to shop for beautiful handmade trinkets, clothing, andother interesting items.
Transportation will be provided to return to Village Green Cafe and Retreat for a good night's rest and recharge for the next day.
Breakfast will be served between 7 and 9am and the morning Eskrima class will start at 9:30am.
We will travel 1 hour north to the famous and spectacular 'Sticky Waterfalls' on the outskirts of Srilanna National Park. This waterfall special and unique piece of nature is a must-see in Northern Thailand. The water here comes up from a natural spring, and it has such high levels of dissolved minerals that it coats the rocks and tree roots it flows over in high-traction limestone.
They call it the “Sticky Falls” because the stone has so much grip. It’s a waterfall and it looks like it should be slippery, so your eyes can’t quite believe it when you see people easily walking on the steep rocks. You can literally climb all over the waterfall here and go wherever you want to go.
The group can relax, enjoy, and have lunch together nearby the waterfall. We will have Eskrima class overlooking this marvelous nature.
On the way back, we can visit a famous temple in the area, Wat Tham Buatong before returning to Village Green Cafe and Retreat early in the evening.
Breakfast will be served between 7 and 9am and the morning Eskrima class will start at 9:30am.
After lunch we will travel close by to Da's Organic Farm Hut Thai Cooking School.
Da's farm was passed down to him from his parents and has been in his family for generations. When you visit the beautiful organic garden, you will learn about the history and see all of his organic herbs and vegetables.
Da grows rice, various types of basil, green beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, bananas, papaya, pineapple, galangal, ginger, and much more! Almost all of the ingredients that you cook will come from his garden, freshly picked. This is a true glimpse into traditional Thai culture & life that will fascinate visitors.
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Eskrima class will be conducted nearby the farm. Students will learn and practice eskrima in nature and enjoy the Thai countryside.
In the evening, we will travel to Chiang Mai city and visit Loh Kroh Muay Thai stadium to watch a Muay Thai event. Muay Thai is Thailand's national sport and has deep roots in the culture and history. It is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques.
This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterized by the combined use fists, elbows, knees, and shins.
The event will finish late, and transportation will be provided to return to Village Green Cafe and Retreat.
Eskrima class will be conducted nearby the farm. Students will learn and practice eskrima in nature and enjoy the Thai countryside.
In the evening, we will travel to Chiang Mai city and visit Loh Kroh Muay Thai stadium to watch a Muay Thai event. Muay Thai is Thailand's national sport and has deep roots in the culture and history. It is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterized by the combined use fists, elbows, knees, and shins.
We will travel 2 hours south early morning to the elephant sanctuary located at Doi Inthanon National Park.
On arrival you will be greeted by members of the local Karen Hill Tribe, who will give you traditional clothes to wear. You will also be provided with fruit and vegetables to feed the elephants, whilst you can also play and interact with them.
Later on you will walk with the elephants down to the river where you can swim and bathe with them. Doi Inthanon Elephant Sanctuary was born with the intention of conservation, transparency and protecting elephants in an ecologically friendly manner. There is no riding and no maltreatment allowed, and the elephants are cared for like family members.
For further details about these practice and more pictures please see
https://www.doiin-elephantpk.com/tour/tour-a-half-day-elephant-care/
A lunch buffet consisting of freshly prepared, local home cooked food is provided. After lunch we will have Eskrima class overlooking the spectacular rice terraces in Doi Inthanon.
Here we will also sit at the highest point in all of Thailand. Doi Inthanon is one of the must-see places in all of Thailand.
We will return to Village Green Cafe and Retreat in the late afternoon for our evening Eskrima class.
Breakfast will be served between 7 and 9am and the morning Eskrima class will start at 9:30am.
After lunch we will travel 1.5 hours north in to the mountains to visit Araksa Tea Plantation.
Here we will enjoy a tour through Araksa Tea Plantation and learn about the tea growing process. You will be invited to join resident tea pluckers, watch how tea leaves are processed according to age-old traditions, and enjoy a cup of tea with a traditional Thai snack in Araksa's Tea House. Araksa Tea operates chemical-free and upholds ideals of ecological and social responsibility.
We will have our afternoon Eskrima class in the mountainous countryside. After which, we will return to Village Green Cafe and Retreat.
For last 3 days of the tour, the group will experience the legendary Songkran water festival which is celebrated nationally all over Thailand. Essentially this is 3 day massive street party and friendly waterfight in which everyone participates.
This is a unique cultural experience that should not be missed. The Thai people believe that water is spiritually purifying: it cleanses you of any bad luck or grievances from the past year, and blesses you with fortune and happiness for the year ahead. The festival originated with locals collecting water that had been poured over Buddha statues for cleansing. This was then used to bless village elders and family members by trickling it over their shoulders.
Since these somewhat tame beginnings, Songkran has developed into a country-wide water fight, occurring in April, which luckily happens to be Thailand’s hottest month. As with many historical and cultural festivals, the emphasis has shifted from the spiritual and religious to enjoyment and joviality.
Eskrima classes will be conducted every morning and evening at Village Green Cafe and Retreat. During the day, transport will be provided to the city for the group to roam around and enjoy Songkran freely. Transport will also be provided at the end of each day to return to Village Green Cafe and Retreat. This is also a great opportunity for those who want to self explore different parts of the city and engage in other activities of their choosing; such as massage, shopping, or visiting other temples.
Breakfast will be served between 7 and 9am and our last Eskrima class will start at 9:30am.
The last workshop will go for 3 hours and students will have the opportunity to revise and practice all exercises they have learned during the tour. Students will receive a certificate of completion for their diligence during the tour.
After the workshop, the group will come together for a nice lunch before saying their goodbyes and Eskrima Travel Tour coming to an end.
Free transportation will be provided to both the city and the airport for students to travel to their next destination.
How much does the tour cost?
The price of the tour is 2,400 EUROS (aprox. 2,390 US$ - use currency converter)
What is included?
- 3-4 hours of daily Eskrima training
– 10 nights private accommodation at a Village Green Cafe and Retreat
– Breakfast included for the entire tour
– Airport pick-up and drop-off
– All road transportation
– Visit to a sustainable and ecological Elephant Sanctuary
– Visit to Araksa Tea Plantation
– Visit Chiang Mai night markets
– Thai cooking class
– Entry to a Muay Thai event in the heart of Chiang Mai
– Fully guided trip to Doi Suthep temple
– Fully guided trip to Doi Inthanon National Park
– Fully giuded trip to Namtok Bua Tong (Sticky Waterfalls)
– Fully guided trip to Wat Tham Buatong temple
– Songkran festival
– Immersion into Thai culture
– Professional photography
Whats not included?
– Airfares
– Insurance
– Lunch and dinner
What will I learn?
Students will learn the DUMAA Eskrima system which included combat ad artistic applications with sticks, knives, and empty hand.
Can I arrive before the tour or stay longer after the tour ends?
Yes, of course you can explore the fantastic area of northern Thailand or should you wish the whole country of Thailand on your own. Thailand offers easy transportation by airplane, bus and trains to all major tourist spots. Also you will find accomodation for all budgets, from Hostels for around 15 EUROS a night to luxury hotels
The training for this tour is appropriate for ALL levels from complete beginners to advanced.
This style of Eskrima was pioneered by Mano Mano gym in Dumaguete, Philippines. The system is not confined by dogmatic or rigid principles, but rather promotes and improves adaptation and flexibility of eskrima skills in general. Learning such a system will give you general skills to add to, and compliment your current skill level in your specific eskrima style/system, as well as other martial arts.
The principles underpinning DUMAA Eskrima centre around practicality, adaptation, diversification of patterns, and proactive reactions. The idea is that if you are truly good at Eskrima you must be able to adapt to many different styles and movement patterns. Martial Arts training is the cornerstone of knowledge and the basis for credible self-defense and the perfection of human character. Skills are the key by which martial artists develop their combat proficiency and exercise the collective capabilities required in self-defense or competition. Eskrima training builds character and when necessary prepares the martial artist to 'win' if or when confrontation or combat cannot be avoided.
The DUMAA Eskrima International Inc. was created to help students develop the ability to quickly and efficiently defend against any conceivable threat. Self-defense and protection friends and family members were strong ideas that fueled the creation of DUMAA Eskrima. The most important thing is to attain the actual ability to perform realistic defenses against a variety of attacks, whether the assailant is armed or unarmed. This style of Martial Arts is currently taught to police and military personnel in Negros Oriental, Philippines. During this training tour, techniques using weapons will be taught and students will learn to apply and integrate these skills - single stick, double stick, espada y daga, and knife techniques. Essentially ,students will learn the angles of attack and defense and how to implement these angles in to Proactive Reaction exercises.
The intricate connection between Martial Arts, physical health, mental health, and general well being cannot be overstated. The body and the mind are connected in a deep and meaningful way. But through the bad ideas and spiritually poor concepts being peddled by modern society much of this connection has been lost. The expansion of social media, video games, office jobs, poor nutrition, and stress accumulated through daily life has led to a generation of individuals that are losing touch with themselves. Cultivating the mind, body and spirit connection has always played a fundamental role in the development and evolution of strong capable human beings. The practice of physical disciplines such as Martial Arts has always served to enhance this connection.
Eskrima is a Filipino combat system of stick and knife fighting. Despite the country’s turbulent history and never ending struggle for independence, this art has been deeply embedded into Filipino culture and movement practice. Hidden in dance and preserved in defiance, Eskrima was passed down and shared in rare purity. Obtaining knowledge and practice from the country of which these arts originated offers huge advantages which are often overlooked by western society. Free of bureaucracy and business centered institutions, learning Eskrima from original masters in the Philippines allows one to see the art flourish in its purest form alongside its philosophy and cultural relevance which should not be separated form the artitself.
Sakan Lam is a certified instructor in Filipino Martial Arts and Jeet Kune Do, with over 15 years of martial arts experience. Beginning his martial arts journey in the United States, he began studying Shaolin Kung Fu since 2001, eventually attaining the rank of 2nd Degree Black Belt.
After a major career change in 2007, he moved to Thailand where he would meet his teachers – Sifu Tylus Quan Do, Guro Mark Stewart, Guro Gianfranco Lanucara, Sifu John Koeshall, Professor Dominique Fontanarosa, Sifu Nicholas ‘JJ’ Lee, Tuhon Ray Dionaldo, and Mr. Lee Morrison.
Under their tutelage, he began to extensively train in the arts of Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chun, Muay Thai, Kali, Silat, Savate, MMA, & Urban Combatives. This would lead him to become a representative of Core Combat Unlimited, MANONUDA, FCS Kali Thailand and most recently, Thru The Fire.
Sakan has taught self-defense and combatives in seminars worldwide. Through teaching online tutorials via social media and YouTube, he has reached a worldwide audience with thousands of subscribers. His main motivation is to provide others with self-esteem, health, and confidence through the discipline found in martial arts training.
In pursuit of something worthwhile, Kasim began his martial arts journey just after university learning a style of kung fu called Wing Chun in Guangzhou, China. After years of full-time training his perspective of martial arts, health and the world had expanded so much that he found himself drowning in ideas and questions. He soon discovered that he was merely confronting the beginning steps of a lifetime of study. The next few years he spent time in Spain and back in his home country of Australia continuing to expand and develop this perspective. He began training in a multitude of different disciplines in martial arts such as Boxing, Muay Thai, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), and Eskrima as well as expanding into other physical practices such as yoga, hand balancing, locomotion, parkour and calisthenics. After some time purely dedicated to training day-in-day-out, he set up an organization called Exorcise in Melbourne, Australia which aimed at teaching the basics of holistic human movement practices.
Some years later he was once again enticed back to Asia. He ventured to the Philippines to continue training and continue his journey with the beautiful art of Eskrima. Through rigorous training in the Philippines Kasim earned his 1st degree Black Belt from Master of DUMAA Eskrima – Sir Ike Xavier Villaflores.
His journey through life and development in Eskrima and other Martial Arts led him to Germany. On the advice of his teachers in the Philippines to ‘keep the flame burning’, he began teaching Eskrima at a gym called Thrax in Velbert, Germany, and now continues to do it in Freiburg after moving there last year. In addition to teaching Eskrima, Kasim is a martial artist who has fought competitively in MMA and Boxing in Germany, Thailand, China and the Philippines.
