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One of the more surprising portions of the class was when the machetes came out.  These were real steel machetes, not trainers. 

It is all too easy to become sloppy when working with sticks, forgetting edge orientation, but Sifu Winfree was careful to point this out, telling the students to keep the edge pointed towards the opponent.  To his credit and to that of his students, there were no injuries and the live blade training went smoothly.  While the machetes were not razors, they were still quite sharp and more than capable of inflicting damage on human flesh.

It was refreshing to see martial artists who are no strangers to knives.  Sifu Winfree had a tactical folder clipped to his pocket, as did at least one of his students.  In a community that boasts far too many "martial" artists who eschew practical tools and self-defense weaponry, this was a breath of fresh air.

Stick disarms and takedowns were also included in the day's training.  At least one of these involved using the stick to apply leverage to the opponent's wrist.  "Nothing works like pain compliance," Sifu Winfree chuckled.

It is a pleasure to watch a closely knit group of students, regardless of their martial art, come together to train and enjoy one another's company.  Sifu Winfree and his excellent group were no exception.

Kali, among other arts, is alive and well in the Syracuse area.