16,99 €
Mehr erfahren.
- Herausgeber: Crowood
- Kategorie: Lebensstil
- Sprache: Englisch
Eskrima, which is also known as Arnis (De Mano) or Kali, is the indigenous martial art of the Philippine Islands. Dynamic and flexible, with a wide range of training methods it can be practised by students of all ages and levels of fitness. Well known and respected as a highly practical weapons-based system, Eskrima is practised worldwide by civilians, law enforcement personnel and special units within the military. Eskrima uses training weapons (rattan sticks and daggers) from the earliest stages, alongside purely unarmed techniques. These training methods have been found particularly effective at increasing co-ordination and reflexes, providing a fast track to developing the qualities needed for practical self-defence. This fascinating book traces the history and evolution of this art form. It highlights Eskrima's essential principles and concepts. The instructional section illustrates how the Eskrimador is able to succeed in a wide range of combat situations involving fighting with both weapons and open-hands. Techniques, two-person flow drills, self-defence applications, training with specialized equipment, the philosophy of the art and 'self-defence and the law' are all covered in depth.
Das E-Book können Sie in Legimi-Apps oder einer beliebigen App lesen, die das folgende Format unterstützen:
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012
Ähnliche
Copyright
First published in 2010 by The Crowood Press Ltd, Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 2HR
www.crowood.com
This e-book edition first published in 2012
© Krishna Godhania 2010
All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
ISBN 978 1 84797 469 3
Photographic Acknowledgements: The instructional photographs were taken by Scott Benzie, the cover photographs were taken by Juan Antonio Tabernero (aka Kometa), and the photographs taken in the Philippines were supplied by Noel Perkins.
Disclaimer Please note that the author and the publisher of this book are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any loss, damage, injury or adverse outcome of any kind that may result from practising, or applying, the principles, ideas, techniques and/or following the instructions/information described in this publication. Since the physical activities described in this book may be too strenuous in nature for some readers to engage in safely, it is essential that a doctor be consulted before undertaking training.
Contents
Dedication
To my parents, Keshav and Liri Godhania, for encouraging me to study the martial arts and for the sacrifices they made to give me a good life.
To my Eskrima teacher, Grandmaster Abner Pasa, for sharing his personal art, and for the countless hours of happiness, joy and laughter gained from ‘playing’ Eskrima.
To my wife Deepa, without whose encouragement and support this book would never have seen completion.
To my students: the future of the art – your support continues to help keep it alive.
Acknowledgements
First of all, I would like to thank Sifu Shaun Rawcliffe (Wing Chun Kung Fu) for originally recommending me to Crowood.
Sincere appreciation to my long-time training partner Graham Lawrence, for his invaluable suggestions regarding content, and for editing the manuscript into a more reader-friendly form.
Many thanks to my Eskrima teacher Abner Pasa, for contributing the superb chapter on Eskrima philosophy.
Respect to my students, Darren Moore, Dion Trigg and Michelle Trigg for their technical expertise and assistance with the photographic sequences.
Salutations to Scott Benzie for the excellent instructional photographs that form the bulk of this book, and salutations to Juan Antonio Tabernero (aka Kometa) for the superb cover shots.
Thank you to my student Noel Perkins for supplying copies of photographs taken in the Philippines.
I also have to thank Eskrimador and hugely talented artist Orville Visitacion for the superb life-like illustrations in Chapter 12.
And to Rafael Kayanan for the wonderful body outlines used to construct the template diagrams.
Finally, sincere appreciation for the excellent template diagrams that were constructed by student and friend Francisco ‘Paco’ Gomez.
Preface
The purpose of this book is to give readers a detailed insight into the Filipino martial art of Eskrima: I hope it inspires them to contact a qualified instructor (guro); and for those already actively involved in the practice of the art, I hope it will inspire them to look in more detail at the system they use, and to further research it. The training methodology, principles and concepts are predominantly from the ‘Warriors Eskrima System’, founded by Grandmaster Abner Pasa.
As the lineage holder of this system, I have continued to evolve it by introducing new training methods, and by organizing the original techniques and training drills into a progressive and structured curriculum.
The Filipino martial arts are highly evolved and massive in scope, and to go into detail in each area of Eskrima is beyond the scope of this book. However, this is by far the most complete and detailed work on the subject that has been published to date in the UK.
The bulk of the book goes into detail concerning the techniques, drills, training principles and concepts in the following areas: single stick, knife defence, empty hands, double stick, stick and dagger, and staff, with supplementary chapters on flexible weapons, projectiles and training with equipment.
The history chapter contains extremely rare and previously unpublished photos of Eskrima Masters and Grandmasters; and the chapter on philosophy sheds light on a relatively unknown aspect of Eskrima.
Finally, the chapter on self-defence and the law discusses important considerations for the martial artist with regard to the use of ‘reasonable force’. Unfortunately, battles don’t always end on the street, and often continue into the courtroom, therefore knowledge of the law must be a part of a martial artist’s education.
Krishna Godhania May 2009 Warwick, England.
Map of the Philippines.
The Battle of Mactan (1521).
1 Eskrima – History and Evolution
What is the early history of Eskrima? The answer is that nobody knows for sure. Unfortunately, there are no written treatises on Eskrima before the later part of the twentieth century, and subsequently the history has largely been handed down through oral tradition.
The region known as Visayas (Central Philippines), and in particular Cebu, is widely regarded as the cradle of Eskrima. It was in nearby Mactan Island that the local chieftain Lapu Lapu and his men repelled the Spanish conquistadors in 1521. Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese navigator who led the expedition on behalf of the King of Spain, paid with his life at the battle of Mactan. It is believed that Lapu Lapu’s men fought with spears, swords and sharpened sticks, and this is the first reference to the existence of the ancient art of Eskrima. The painting (see p. 8) shows Lapu Lapu about to apply the ‘finishing stroke’ to Magellan.
Before the coming of the Spaniards, Eskrima was most likely an art of war taught to warriors to use in the constant tribal wars of that period. Being an art of war, each tribe would evolve its own distinctive techniques based on the type of weapon it preferred, and the environment it lived in. Understandably, each tribe would jealously guard its techniques, strategies and tactics. During this period Eskrima could be classified as a tribal fighting art.
Eventually the Spanish conquered the Philippines, largely through the church, and this Spanish colonization radically changed the practice of Eskrima. To minimize future revolts the warrior class was outlawed, as was the carrying of bladed weapons. The Eskrima Maestros (Masters) were forced to take their styles underground, and this involved training with rattan sticks instead of swords, and teaching private pupils who were either members of their own families, or select students who had specifically sought out the Masters.
The techniques of the various styles and systems prevalent during the 1600–1800s would have continued to be closely guarded, as these were centuries of personal duels. Also, Maestros would have had to have kept a low profile to avoid attracting the attention of the Spanish authorities.
It is believed that Jose Rizal, Antonio Luna, Juan Luna, Marcelo H. del Pilar and other Filipino exiles working in Spain in the late 1880s for Philippine independence studied fencing. Fencing was often a term used to refer to Eskrima – in fact the French word for fencing is escrimé, and the Spanish equivalant is esgrima.
However, revolts spreading the gospel of freedom continued to occur over subsequent centuries. The most significant of these was the formation of the secret society for Filipino Independence known as the Katipunan (the Brotherhood) in 1896; leading figures in this organization such as Andreas Bonifacio were reputedly Eskrimadors.
After gaining independence from the Spanish in the late 1890s, the Masters slowly started to go public with their styles, with an emphasis on individual ‘self defence’.
Eskrima in Cebu
The earliest records of a martial arts association are from 14 August 1920, the year in which the Labangon Fencing Association was organized. The association was formed by a group of eskrimadors (practitioners) who practised different styles of Eskrima, but recognized that they could benefit by sharing their knowledge. The Masters of that club all resided in Labangon, a district of Cebu City, hence the name Labangon Fencing Association.
The style of Eskrima most commonly used at that time was still the long blade- (sword-) orientated style. The famous families of eskrimadors in Cebu at that time were the Saavedra (Labangon), Romo (Pasil) and Ilustrisimo (Daan Bantayan). Other lesser known fighters such as Pablo Alicante, who resided in Toledo, were also regarded as being amongst the best.
The Labangon Fencing Club had been formed with the aim of unifying eskrimadors into one group, but this proved to be difficult. The problem of personalities, and whose personal style was the best, soon forced the club into constant conflict. The club was sometimes referred to as the ‘club of cats and dogs’ (‘iro ug iring’), because as one practitioner was exhibiting his style, the others would be criticizing him. When he finished, someone else would begin to suffer the same treatment.
Eskrima legend Venancio ‘Ansiong’ Bacon.
Balintawak self-defence club (1952).
The club was officially closed due to financial discrepancies by a vote in a board meeting, according to the late Grandmaster Eulogio Canete who was the secretary of the club at that time. The association officially ended on 14 August 1930 – it had survived for exactly a decade.
Two years later, the Doce Pares (Twelve Pairs) club was formed. The name of the club was chosen from a group of fighting men in France who were all expert swordsmen, during the reign of Charlemagne. The club was to have begun in December 1931, but it lacked the desired number of people (twenty-four) to start, and subsequently began on 11 January 1932. Many of the eskrimadors who had been in the Labangon Fencing Association continued their training by joining the new club.
The first Grandmaster of the club was Lorenzo Saavedra, while the top fighter of the club was his nephew, Teodoro ‘Doring’ Saavedra. Another notable who was involved with the club was the knife specialist Jesus Cui. The Saavedras taught and influenced future greats such as Venancio ‘Ansiong’ Bacon, Filemon ‘Momoy’ Canete and Eulogio ‘Yoling’ Canete.
Other teachers of the Canetes were their father Gregorio and Uncle Pedro. Eulogio also studied with Lieutenant Tinyente Piano Aranas – one of the best and most feared eskrimadors in San Fernando, Cebu. The other top fighters in the San Fernando area were Juanso Tekya, Andres Suarez, Tito de Gama and Cesario Aliason.
It is not clear whether the Doce Pares club was also known as the ‘Cebu School of Self Defense’, or if this school was an offshoot of Doce Pares. The school taught fencing, jiujitsu, wrestling and physical culture.
It is interesting to note that Filipinos were cross-training in Japanese martial arts (jiu jitsu) as early as the 1930s, and this was to continue further after World War II, when Filipinos trained in such arts as judo and karate.
When the Japanese invaded the Philippines, many Eskrima Masters enlisted into the army and were part of the Bolo Battalion. Bolo is the common term used in the Philippines to refer to a short sword, similar in size to a machete; this was the primary weapon of this battalion, and hence the name. The Filipinos would engage the Japanese in the Philippine jungles, where they were able to use the bolo to great effect. Some soldiers would engage the Japanese in a ‘triangle’ formation, with the best fighter at the ‘point’ of the triangle; it was his job to first engage the enemy, whilst the other two would watch his back, and were responsible for ‘finishing off’ the enemy. A lot of the ‘point men’ were Eskrima Masters.
Others fought as guerilla fighters, utilizing their combat skills in close quarter skirmishes with the Japanese. But with war comes casualties on both sides, and a number of Eskrima Masters lost their lives, amongst them the legendary Doring Saavedra (who was captured and killed by the Japanese kempe-tai); this left a void in the Doce Pares, although it regrouped with Ansiong Bacon as its top fighter. Unfortunately, personalities and politics soon divided the club. As a result, Ansiong Bacon left and founded the Balintawak Self Defense Club (see p. 11). He later went on to train such notables as Delfin Lopez, Teofilo Velez, and Jose Villasin.
Seated on the first row, second from the left is Delfin Lopez, third from the left is Venancio Bacon, and seated third from the right is Jesus Cui.
Meanwhile, the Doce Pares Club was kept alive by the Canete family, with Eulogio and Momoy Canete as the chief instructors, and Ciriaco ‘Cacoy’ Canete and Vicente ‘Inting’ Carin as its top fighters. Challenges were common, and a strong rivalry ensued between these clubs for some years. In mid-August 1952 these two fighters organized a self-defence club known as the San Nicolas Mutual Security Association (SANIMUSA) – the name was later changed to CEMUSA.
In 1959, Gerardo ‘Larry’ Alcuizar (a student of Fernando Candawan, who in turn was a student of Momoy Canete) founded the Durex (Excalibur) Self Defense Club at the Cebu Institute of Technology, where in addition to Eskrima he offered instruction in Combat Judo and Tang Soo Do.
During the 1960s, interest in the Filipino arts increased substantially as more schools and styles opened up to the public. In 1966, Florencio Roque founded the Tornado Garote Self Defense Club to promote the Bahad or Juego Todo (no holds barred) style, made popular by Doring Saavedra.
The 1970s proved yet another important decade in the growth and spread of martial arts in the Philippines. In 1972, Felimon Caburnay, a former sparring partner of Momoy Canete, founded the Lapunti Self Defense Club, ‘Lapunti’ being an acronym of three barrios in Cebu – Labangon, Punta and Tisa. This style is known for its rapid Abaniko (fanning) strikes, and was later known as Lapunti Arnis de Abaniko.
Later in the same year, Napolean Fernandez founded the art of Yaw Yan, a Filipino kicking style similar to Thailand’s Muay Thai. In 1973, Magdeleno Nolasco founded the Black Cat Self Defense Club, where he taught judo and Eskrido – the personal style of Cacoy Canete.
In 1975, Crispulo ‘Ising’ Atillo formed the Philippine Arnis Confederation. Atillo, who learnt the art from his father, and Venancio Bacon later participated in the infamous duel with Ciriaco Canete in 1983. Also in 1975, Artemio Paez, Felipe Atillo and Carlos Navarro founded the Punta Princesa Eskrima Club. Paez and Navarro would later go on to form the Black Eagle Eskrima Club. In 1977, Florencio Lasola founded the Oolibama Arnis Club in the Talisay area of Cebu.
Those Filipinos who cross-trained in the Japanese or Korean arts quickly learned that it takes organization and continuous publicity to popularize a martial art. Some styles started to adopt uniforms, a belt ranking structure, and structured curriculums. At some time in the late 1970s the term ‘Grandmaster’ was adopted to represent the head of a particular system.
Grandmasters gathering (1987). Abner Pasa, Eulogio Canete, Ciriaco Canete, Arnulfo Mongcal, Teofilo Velez, Prudencio Caburnay, Vicente Carin, Jose Mena, Antonio Ilustrisimo, Dionisio Canete.
From the mid-1970s onwards the tournament, or ‘Sport Arnis’, grew in popularity, and organizations such as Naraphil and Arnis Philippines were formed.
So as to keep some of the older traditional styles alive, Abner Pasa formed the Institute of Filipino Martial Arts in the late 1980s, the aim being to expose interested practitioners to teachers of the lesser known traditional and classical styles of Eskrima.
Although Cebu is known as the ‘cradle of Eskrima’ in the Philippines, there are some similarities and connections with Eskrima on the other Visayan islands, particularly the island of Negros, located to the north-west of Cebu.
Arnis in Negros
Oral tradition tells us that when the Sri Visayans came to the central Visayan islands, some other Datus (chiefs) went to the island of Panay, where they taught and popularized the art. One famous eskrimador, ‘Tatay’ Isko, who was a member of the Pulahan Rebellion against the Spanish at the end of the last century, moved from Panay to Negros and is believed to have taught some of the better known Negros fighters. Iloilo City (Negros Oriental) at one point in time was a melting pot of Filipino teachers; many of these later relocated to either Bacolod City or Manila.
Bacolod City (Negros Occidental) also has a rich history of Arnis. In 1932, Jose Vinas founded the Lapu Lapu Arnis Aficionados; this made his club, along with Doce Pares, amongst the oldest in the Philippines.
Sisoy Gyabros formed the Bacolod Arnis Club in 1956; Sisoy along with Mang Karpo was regarded as the top fighter of his time amongst the Negros Arnis community. This club only remained active for two years, but produced such notables as Juan Lawan, Frederico Serfino Snr and Amador Chavez. Chavez later went on to establish his own group in 1959.
In 1960, Romeo Mamar founded the art of Tapado. This art utilizes a short staff and is renowned for its power. The art in a basic sense uses only two movements; these are quite often simultaneous blocks and strikes. Mamar developed this style after an extensive study of other long-stick styles such as Lagas, Uhido, Layaw and Sinamak.
Eskrima Outside the Philippines
Many of the Eskrima Masters worked as sailors, or cooks on ships that travelled to various ports around the world. In search of adventure and better economic prospects, many of them ‘jumped ship’ and resided in Hawaii or Southern California. Floro Villabrille became a legendary figure in the Hawaii Eskrima community, and Eskrima Grandmasters such as Juanito ‘John’ Lacoste, Leo Giron and Angel Cabales were largely responsible for propagating Eskrima in Stockton, California.
Eskrima came to the UK in 1975, when Rene Latosa, an eskrimador from Stockton, California, first introduced the art to the public. Later, in 1979, Dan Inosanto introduced his Filipino Kali blend, which soon gained a prominent following. However, it was not until 1990 that the Masters who resided in the Philippines started to visit the UK to share their approach to the arts.
The 1990s saw the introduction of stickfighting tournaments, known as Sport Arnis, and wider publicity of the Filipino martial arts in martial arts magazines and the media.
Nowadays, the Filipino martial arts are practised throughout the world. Modern technology such as the internet has certainly made the world a smaller place, and it is now easier to locate teachers around the globe than ever it has been in the past.
History and Development of Sport Arnis
The popular styles of Eskrima/Arnis that are currently taught and practised today can be classified into traditional (combative) and competitive (sport). Traditional Eskrima places emphasis on classical teaching methodology. This involves learning the Abecedario, amara, numerada, disarming and so on, eventually progressing to two-person flow drills, and finally freestyle sparring. Emphasis is placed on developing a sound defence in addition to effective striking capabilities. In the golden era of Eskrima, when challenge matches were fought without the use of armour, the yardstick by which an eskrimador’s level of skill was judged was through his ability to avoid being hit.
It was a common sight in the Philippines to see a proven eskrimador demonstrating his level of proficiency at fiestas. He would place three coconut halves on the floor, balance himself on them, and invite bystanders to attack him. The objective was to defend himself without once losing his balance – and he rarely lost.
Sport Arnis may look like combative Eskrima to the uninitiated, but it is an entirely different thing. The emphasis has shifted largely from defensive to offensive. In fact, it is common to see people who have barely practised the art, but are physically very fit, join tournaments and become ‘overnight’ champions.
In 1975, an organization named Naraphil (National Arnis Association of the Philippines) was formed under the leadership of General Fabian Ver, then the chief of state of the armed forces of the Philippines. Its objective was to unite the various clubs and eskrimadors throughout the Philippines. Towards this end a decree was issued by the then president, Ferdinand Marcos, to include the teaching of Arnis in the educational system.
On 24 March 1979, the first open Arnis tournament was sponsored and held by Naraphil in Cebu City; it was well attended, and the Masters’ division was dominated by top eskrimador Ciriaco ‘Cacoy’ Canete. Later, in August of the same year, Naraphil sponsored the first national invitational Arnis tournament in Manila. Once again a Masters’ division was held; among those who fought were Cacoy Canete (Doce Pares), Timoteo Maranga (Balintawak), Jose Mena (Doblete Rapillon), Benjamin Lema (Lightning Scientific Arnis) and Florencio Pecate (Pecate Arnis). Cacoy Canete went on to win this division, too.
However, various other Masters who were invited did not fight; among these was the famous Antonio Ilustrisimo. They refused to compete under the tournament’s rules, feeling that the restrictions imposed for safety purposes made the whole thing unrealistic. In fact Illustrisimo once said, ‘If anyone wants to take my reputation, they will have to fight me with a sword’: unsurprisingly there were no challengers.
In the 1980s, the sponsoring of tournaments gained momentum, with the aim of further establishing Arnis as a sport. To this effect, on 16 March 1985, the third national Arnis tournament was held in Cebu City, and the fourth national Arnis was held in Bacolod City on 26 July 1986.
In 1987, after the first international instructor’s camp in Cebu city, the World Eskrima-Kali-Arnis Federation (WEKAF) was founded; Dionisio ‘Diony’ Canete became its first president. It was hoped that with the influence of Western memberships world championships could be held. This materialized on 11–13 August 1989, when WEKAF sponsored the first World Championships in Cebu City. It continues to hold world championships every two years.
In 1991, Arnis Philippines became the ‘official’ organization (in that it had the backing of the government) to promote and popularize the art of Arnis. Later it went on to become the thirty-third member of the Philippine Olympic Committee. Through this organization’s efforts Arnis was featured as a demonstration sport in the 1991 South- East Asian Games (SEA Games). Arnis Philippines then formed the International Arnis Federation, which brought thirty countries together to work towards the acceptance of Arnis as a demonstration sport in the Olympic Games. With Arnis now the national sport of the Philippines, the Senate Committee on Youth and Sports Development, the Philippine Sports Com mission and the Philippine Olympic Com mittee jointly sponsored and endorsed the Grand Exhibition of Martial Arts in Manila.
Types of Sport Arnis
The introduction of rules, which are necessary to limit injury and to increase spectator interest, has made Sport Arnis a game, and like any other game, its operation is greatly influenced by the rules. There are several types of tournament today, one using padded sticks while the competitors fight with minimal protective gear, and the other whereby rattan sticks are used with the use of full body armour. One format recognizes the first hit as the means of determining points, while another awards the decision to the player who delivers the highest number of strikes for the duration of the bout.
Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages. In the first format, padded sticks are used to resemble a blade or a very heavy stick – weapons that could very well finish a fight with a well placed powerful blow. Subsequently, points are awarded to the first strike that scores. This format can be boring from a spectator’s point of view, because the referee will quite often stop the fight and restart it; thus, one will rarely see a spectacular exchange of blows – ‘toe to toe’ in this format. Because it has minimal spectator interest, this format is less popular. However, if conducted properly it has an advantage in that the minimal protective gear worn – usually headgear and gloves – obliges the player to develop good defensive skills. If he does not, he will feel a well placed strike.
The second method involves wearing a body protector in addition to the headgear and hand protection, and is the most popular today. It is a good method to introduce a student to full contact sparring, as the safety gear helps remove inhibitions and encourages the student to be aggressive when fighting. Since this format scores on the highest number of hits, the style of play is attacking by comparison. This format can look spectacular and is, therefore, more popular with spectators; as a result it is the preferred format for most tournaments.
However, there are some disadvantages with this approach. First, the padding can encourage the player to become complacent and neglect his defence, and in the process absorb blows that could render him unconscious in a real fight. Furthermore, many techniques are banned in the interest of safety; these include thrusts, punyo strikes, and punching with the live hand and leg sweeps, and the exclusion of these techniques can make the player vulnerable to such manoeuvres if he is not familiar with them.
Currently the various organizations are still fine-tuning a scoring format, and the referee has two concerns: to judge the technical expertise of the players while maintaining spectator interest. This involves striking a balance between good defensive capabilities and non-stop striking and showmanship. Perhaps a system of awarding greater points to strikes delivered to vital points should be considered; doing so would force the player to exhibit accuracy and skill in the delivery of their strikes, as opposed to hitting anywhere. Considering these options will mean that the days of a champion who is merely superior in fitness but not in skill will be eradicated, in turn bringing together the skills of the traditional art with a transfer of skill to the sporting arena.
Conclusion
Since the late 1980s there has been a steady increase in the number of foreigners travelling to study Eskrima or Arnis in the Philippines. The stick-fighting tournaments have been a big draw, but the increase in publicity from television, and also Hollywood, have helped stimulate greater interest in the Filipino arts.
The first television programme to seriously showcase Eskrima in the Philippines was the BBC’s Way of the Warrior (1982), and in more recent years there was the BBC’s Mind, Body and Kick Ass Moves.
Regarding movies, following the Bruce Lee boom in the 1970s, a film was made in Cebu called Enter the Garote, translated as Enter the Stick; it featured many of the Filipino Masters mentioned in this chapter. In the United States, Dan Inosanto appeared in numerous films throughout the 1980s exhibiting aspects of the Filipino martial arts.
In more recent years, films such as The Hunted and the Jason Bourne Trilogy had fight scenes based on techniques and movements from the Filipino Martial Arts.
2 Principles and Concepts
Introduction
Martial arts are always structured around certain principles and concepts, and some instructors may sometimes talk about these without necessarily explaining to the student exactly what is meant.
A principle may refer to a rule of personal conduct – for example, you never start a fight – or to a fundamental law or basic truth, or assumed truth, which may be a guide to action. If you push someone, they are naturally inclined to push back rather than to give way. This is an observed principle, which you may be able to take advantage of.
A concept is the expression of an idea, in the sense of a generalized or abstract idea. It may be inferred or derived from specific observations, but the concept itself is on a higher level than having only one application or relating to only one observation. If you are aware of using a distraction to create an opening (to create a possible target for a strike), that is a concept, because it is a general idea. If you use distraction 1 to create opening 1, and distraction 2 to create opening 2, then you are using the concept, but within two different specific techniques. Neither of the techniques is the concept: the concept underlies both of those techniques, and many others.
If you unbalance someone, the focus of their attention will immediately be on recovering their balance before they can think about hitting you. That is a principle, a fundamental observed truth as a guide to action. For the martial artist, it is the act of unbalancing an opponent, which then becomes a useful concept, and that can be achieved through a number of different methods such as pulling, pushing, tripping, kicking, head manipulations – all different methods of employing the concept of unbalancing, to make use of the principle of the fact that while he is unbalanced, you are in control of your next action, but he is not: whether trained or not, his subconscious mind and his body’s own receptive sense will be absorbed with recovering control of balance, because of the basic danger presented to the organism by the act of falling.
The concepts of a martial art are therefore more important than the specific techniques, because they can be applied in different and creative ways to achieve the same desired ends. It is therefore more important to understand what you are trying to achieve and why, rather than how to do one or more specific techniques – although the ‘how’ is still the necessary first step, as this introduces the student to practical means of applying important concepts before they can acquire a higher level of understanding, giving them flexibility and adaptability rather than ‘more techniques’.
Eight Fundamental Principles
After decades of study and reflection, my Eskrima teacher, Grandmaster Abner Pasa, developed the following eight fundamental principles (in alphabetical order):
Appropriateness.Awareness.Balance.Characteristic of Tool.Nature of the Environment.Objectiveness.Skilfulness.Universality.I am going to look at three of these principles in this chapter, but please refer to Chapter 12 (written by Abner Pasa) for a more detailed explanation of all eight principles.
Awareness
The first principle of self-defence is nothing to do with physical fighting skills at all, but is awareness. You should generally be alert to your surroundings, rather than going around in a distracted frame of mind, with your attention focused internally instead of on your environment.
This does not require you to develop a paranoid sense of immediate and everpresent danger. It simply means being aware that dangerous situations are possible, and that they are often (though not always) indicated – for instance, there is an argument going on, or someone is becoming increasingly angry. It might be time to calm down or say something different, or to distract someone. It might look like time for you to cross the street and walk in the other direction, rather than heading towards that group of people up ahead.
It might mean cultivating the habit of not walking next to walls where there are dark alleyways, and not walking around looking at the ground. If you perhaps look like a depressed victim, oblivious to danger, you can be a magnet to a potential mugger. If you have a confident and determined stride, and simply look as if you know where you are going and what is happening around you, the mugger is likely to look for a victim elsewhere.
It might mean making extremely basic decisions, such as not getting into an unmarked taxi outside the pub at 1 o’clock in the morning; or perhaps making sure that you are never outside a pub or nightclub in the early hours of the morning anyway, as this is a frequent time and place for drunken brawls and thieves and other dangerous situations.
All of that is about sensible awareness, and will keep you out of a lot more trouble than learning some self-defence techniques.
When faced by a threat, are you aware of possible escape routes? If you are being threatened by someone, have you seen a weapon? If you have not, are you aware of where he might draw one from? The best strategy for increasing the statistical likelihood of your success, escape and survival is to assume that if you haven’t seen a weapon, he has one; that if you have seen a weapon, he has another one; and that if you have seen only one attacker, there is somebody else about to turn up to help him.
If there is already more than one attacker, is it possible to position yourself so that they get in each other’s way, so that you can use one of them as a shield between you and the others? When fear increases your adrenalin flow, regard it as your friend: use it to increase your strength and speed, not to reduce your awareness and give you ‘tunnel vision’ so that one person distracts you while another one hits you from the side.
There are times when, no matter how sensible and aware you have been, you are unlucky enough to be in a situation where someone wants to hurt you. When you have no choice, your martial arts training takes over. Before that, however, there are many times when you would have had a choice, perhaps between injury and escape, if only you had been sufficiently aware.
The Nature of the Environment
In order to understand the development of a fighting art, one needs to analyse the environment in which it evolved. The environment in the Philippine Islands differs greatly, depending on where you are. For example, while travelling in northern Luzon, an area where rice fields dominate the landscape, I noticed that a linear type of system was more prevalent in this region. According to Abner Pasa:
The rice field is characterized by narrow and slippery pathways. The layout of those pathways is linear, and at points where one pathway crosses another it is angular. As a result, the styles in this type of environment are characterized by low, stable stances. Reinforced blocking is predominant, and evading blows is usually done with body angling, such as slipping, ducking or swaying. Footwork is minimal, for fear of losing one’s balance on the slippery terrain.
In the Western Visayas, such as Negros Occidental, the landscape is flatter and wider open. As a result the staff (long stick) is a popular weapon in this region, whereas in heavily wooded areas the short stick is more popular.
Environmental training – rice fields. Grandmaster Pacifico ‘Pacs’ Taneo.
Environmental training – sugar-cane fields.
In some parts of Mindanao the terrain is characterized by narrow paths with heavy underbrush growth on the sides; and the means of travelling is through narrow bamboo footbridges. In this type of environment, the styles tend to rely heavily on thrusts, known as ‘tutsada’, as opposed to slashing. The reason for this is, if you miss with a slash, your weapon may get trapped in the underbrush growth, while thrusting would minimize this risk.
Other traditional methods of environmental training in the Filipino martial arts are:
training on sand;training in low light;training on the stairs;training in a doorway.I feel it is very important to practise your art in different environmental conditions, as this will force you to adapt your style to any environment.
The practice of techniques in one training environment is insufficient to instil a well rounded ability to respond in different circumstances. The normal training environment is usually clear, well roofed and well lit. The repetition of technique in the usual gym or dojo will indeed lead to the acquisition of appropriate body mechanics, timing, coordination, footwork, sensitivity and reactions.
However, what will be the circumstances in which you are called upon to use your skills for self-defence? You could be on a strange street, tired and suffering from a virus, and suddenly under the influence of the fear of a threat. You may be alone, with a friend, or with a crowd, or with a child or an attractive member of the opposite sex who is perceived as a desirable target by one or more attackers. Can you use your skills while dealing with the distractions of having to avoid or protect other untrained individuals?
Do you always train techniques for oneon-one attacks? What happens when you have to try and deal with two or more attackers? This is extremely difficult, and training must occasionally include ‘zoning’ footwork and ‘shielding’ strategy for such situations. It can also be a good idea to place physical obstacles around the training area, in case you are in a position where you need to manoeuvre around objects (or use them for protection, or as self-defence tools or distractions).
What if it is raining, or muddy? What happens to your strategies and footwork, and balance and kicking skills? What if it is dark or you are injured? Do you deliberately explore the use of some of your training drills or techniques with an ‘artificial’ inhibition, such as only being able to use either your right or your left hand instead of both, or practising drills in low light, or being restrained or deflected by one person while trying to deal with a second?
What if you are wearing more restrictive clothing, for example, because you are wrapped up against the winter weather? It can be advisable to arrange a training session in which the effects of this are explored. This is not only because some techniques become far more difficult to perform (and also the clothing itself will provide some protection against certain attacks); it can also improve the awareness of, for example, being able to use a scarf as a flexible weapon.
The Characteristic of the Tool
It can be extremely important to make a quick judgement about the characteristics of any weapon wielded by your attacker. A blunt weapon may not cut, but it could shatter bone with immediate, intense pain. A club or an axe is likely to be used for large, open, strong, committed attacks, whereas a small knife could possibly be more dangerous, as it could be used deceptively and could not only slash and penetrate but also cut again on the way out or around limbs or previous targets.
If the attacker is outside physical contact range, it can obviously make an extremely significant difference if he is holding a gun rather than a club, as his weapon can damage you without him needing to get any closer. Your potential for disarming an attacker, or perhaps turning his own weapon against him, will depend on the nature of the weapon and the type of grip or hold he has on it.
If an attacker with an axe makes contact with your body, the likely effect is that you will be maimed or crippled, if not killed; whereas it may be possible to take a knife cut to a non-critical area (such as the back of your forearm) in the process of disarming him or neutralizing the attack. You may therefore need better avoidance and footwork skills against the large and dangerous weapon, but better close-range sensitivity skills against the smaller, bladed weapon.
It is often the case that engaging with an armed attacker is not the best strategy, and that if possible you would be advised to throw something into his face and make your escape. However, if he is holding a gun, and starts shooting, you may have done exactly the wrong thing. If there are other people in the vicinity, you will also need to take into consideration the angle of any attempt to deflect the weapon: if you are out walking with your elderly mother-in-law, it is hardly good strategy to push the weapon away from you and towards her, as you may easily make the situation far worse than it would have been!
The Principles of Training
Traditional training in the Philippines is based on individual coaching methods; this is because it is either taught on a one-to-one basis, or semi-privately in the form of a ‘backyard’ group. The Eskrima Maestro (Master) would teach only those techniques that he felt the student could make good use of. Thus, what he would teach to one student would differ in detail, or even in essence, from what was taught to another student. This is because it is situational – that is, the Maestro varies his technique depending upon the ability and physique of the student and the nature of the environment. Essentially, the student is taught to respond appropriately to any situation.
When operating a school or club, the training methods revolve around mass instruction and the guro (instructor) will use the ‘whole-part-whole’ approach to teaching: that is, the whole skill will be demonstrated to the students, and then it will be practised in parts. The whole skill will again be demonstrated, and the students will then practise it in its complete form.
The five stages for skill development in Warriors Eskrima are as follows:
Learn: The acquisition of fundamental motor skills.Practice: Repetition, to integrate the skills into memory, muscle, balance and the nervous system.Master: Perform the movements and techniques with ‘correct form’ to maximize their effectiveness.Functionalize: Learn to apply them in practice, with appropriate speed and intensity, and against resistance or under pressure.Maintain: Periodical review of the skills to ensure they remain functional.3 Solo Baston – Single Stick
The single stick is perhaps the best known aspect of Eskrima. In fact, some practitioners refer to Eskrima as baston, or simply ‘Filipino stick fighting’. However, the stick is a relatively modern development: originally the art was practised with long blades. But it was not until the Spanish banned the carrying of bladed weapons for tribal leaders that the natives took up the stick as a substitute.
Originally the sticks were flattened so as to resemble the shape of a long blade, and the sticks were made from hardwoods such as kamagong or bahi. These woods were ideal for duels or juego todo (‘anything goes’) challenge matches, popularly known as bahad. However, for training purposes bahi or kamagong are unforgiving, and as a result rattan became the choice for the Eskrima stick. Olisi became a popular choice of rattan amongst many eskrimadors, as it is durable but not too dense; also the lighter weight compared to the hardwoods allowed for longer training sessions, and limited injuries to bruises as opposed to fractures.
Salutation (Saludo)
In every martial art there is a method of paying respects at the beginning and end of a training session: in some systems you bow, in others you use different types of hand gestures. In the Filipino martial arts, the term saludo, meaning ‘salute’, is the command used for paying respects. The type of salutation can vary from system to system, varying from simple to complex. The method used in warriors’ Eskrima is to stand with the feet shoulder-width apart, and when the teacher says ‘saludo’, bring the right foot in so that it touches the left, at the same time bringing the right hand to the heart.
Salutation positions.
If you are holding a weapon in your left hand – for example, as in doble baston (‘double stick’) or espada y daga (‘sword and dagger’) – then this should be held in a reverse grip. The reverse grip should also be used when saluting with the baraw (‘knife’).
