Anyone from Manila?

[juramentado]

Sino dito taga Metro Manila?

:)

[Andy Murray]

Good to have you here juramentado, welcome to Martial Arts Planet.

I don't think we have any members based in the Phillipines, but we do have many Eskrima fans here.

Look forward to your input.

[juramentado]

Thanks for the welcome :)

[YODA]

Welcome again to MAP :D

I see from your profile that you train in Pekiti Tirsia? How long have you been training and with whom?

[juramentado]

I've only started fairly recently, studying under Guro Rommel Tortal, the edged weapons instructor of the Phil. Marines.

Previous to that, I studied a hybrid style of arnis but not for very long.

My previous martial arts background is aikido, which I studied for about 10 years.

and just like you, I also do web design (but back in advertising, for now anyway).

What style of FMA do your practice?

:)

[YODA]

Sounds good - I've heard lots of good things about your Guro.

I practice three main types of Filipino Martial Arts - so what I teach is pretty much elements of each to a certain degree - with a good sprinkling of "truisms" that I've discovered along the way over the 20 years or so that I've been into FMA. These 3 main systems are...

Doce Pares Eskrima - I have a 4th Grade Black Belt from GM Danny Guba and 2nd Grade Black Belt from GM Cacoy Canete.

Inosanto/LaCoste Kali - I am an Associate Instructor under Guro Marc McFann of the Inosanto lineage.

Dog Brothers Martial Arts - I am in the early stages of learning from Guro Marc "Crafty Dog" Denny - and way off being qualified to teach the system - although I must say that it has been a major influence on my FMA in general for many years - it's only recently however that I've started to train it formally.

[juramentado]

Impressive credentials Yoda. You're lucky to have studied under those instructors:)

I just added the URL of our group's site in my profile.

Those Dog Brothers have really cranked up the intensity of FMA. Pekiti Tirsia in general seems very supportive of the trend toward full contact. Tuhon Gaje is already planning a similar full contact tournament in Manila in about 18 months. My Guro is likewise turning up the heat with our training.

The bar is already quite high and keeps getting higher. So I guess the only thing left to do is traing harder.

:)

[YODA]

Very nice website :D

I see you have your articles hosted on my good friend "Stickgrappler's" site - do you know Hy? He's a real good guy & comes here sometimes.

It seems from reading the articles etc that our training is more similar than it is not. I look forward to sharing knoweldge with you here :D

[officer_fujita]

I used to live in Mandaluyong city, but we relocated to Rizal some 5 years ago. Welcome to the boards.

[juramentado]

thanks for welcome officer_fujita :)

Rizal? as in Rizal province? that's a nice place. My family used to own some land up in Tanay.

I live in Quezon City and commute to Makati for work. Training is done a few blocks from my house and on Sundays we practice at the Marine base in Fort Bonifacio.

You do FMA too? what style?

[officer_fujita]

I used to train in modern arnis for 4 years, but I wouldn't necessarily call myself a "practitioner" since it was done out of necessity (it was a requirement in highschool and college), and the training was sub-par.

There was a time when I seriously wanted to take up a Filipino MA (either sinawali, yaw-yan, or bakbakan), but I found out that there's too much politics within the FMA community here.

Nowadays, I practice kendo and capoeira.

[juramentado]

Originally posted by officer_fujita
I used to train in modern arnis for 4 years, but I wouldn't necessarily call myself a "practitioner" since it was done out of necessity (it was a requirement in highschool and college), and the training was sub-par.

There was a time when I seriously wanted to take up a Filipino MA (either sinawali, yaw-yan, or bakbakan), but I found out that there's too much politics within the FMA community here.

Nowadays, I practice kendo and capoeira.

Yeah, politics in MA, any style for that matter, can kill your one's desire to train. :(

But I know of several FMA guys from different style who are moving away from the aggressive attitude of the older practitioners. The problem with FMA in the Phil. is tied into the machismo of the culture. Theres' always this rivalry between styles and frankly this has got to stop.

There's already a small but growing group of FMA people in Manila, from different styles, who meet at the UP (University of the Philippines) Diliman campus once a month for a picnic and just to get together and work at removing the barriers between the styles. This is a step in the right direction.

There are some styles, like Pekiti Tirsia for example, that is relatively free of politics, over here anyway.

I would suggest you reconsider studying FMA. We need more people getting into our native MA.


:)

[YODA]

The problem with FMA in the Phil. is tied into the machismo of the culture. Theres' always this rivalry between styles and frankly this has got to stop.

Very well said - although parts of your website seem to contradict that.

[juramentado]

Originally posted by YODA
Very well said - although parts of your website seem to contradict that.

really? in what way?

:)

[YODA]

I guess it's from the top as always - lots of "ours is better than yours" and "we beat so and so" in the "How to distinguish..." article.

As time goes by the younger generations will hopefully bypass the old rivalries and just get on with mutual learning :D

[juramentado]

Oh that? LOL that's nothing compared to what some FMA leaders (and websites) say about the other styles.

I think a little pride in what you're teaching is ok. :) But I draw the line that degrading someone else's art to prop up what you're studying or teaching. That's really low.

Yes, the next generation of FMA people have to get passed the rivalries and instead unite to get Filipinos to go back to their MA roots.

:)

[officer_fujita]

Originally posted by juramentado
Yeah, politics in MA, any style for that matter, can kill your one's desire to train. :(


It started when I went to ask for instruction in a FMA (I won't say what style anymore). I went to their training hall and I got to talk with the founder himself. He started by asking me about my martial arts background. During that time, I have already studied aikido and taekwondo for a while (but had to quit because of conflicts with school schedules). When he heard I was into taekwondo, he snorted:

"Wala kang matututunan sa taekwondo na yan! Kata, kata... KATArantaduhan ang matututunan mo"

(You won't learn anything from that taekwondo! Kata, kata... Foolishness is what you'll learn)

I was genuinely shocked with the attitude he had. And then he went on to bash aikido. He asked me if I was a student of Mr. Lydio's style of aikido here, when I said no, he went on to say how stupid Mr. Lydio was and his style of aikido. When I told him I was a part of Hombu aikido, he told me aikido was better suited for gay people. And then he went on and on how superior his martial art was and kept on asking me to show my skills in taekwondo and aikido (which he'll sneer at, and then he'd show how it is done with his style).

I know his style was powerful and very useful for self-defense (it HAS been featured a number of times on local TV), but I also know I won't be comfortable training with someone who's insecure with the art that he has developed and feels the need to constantly remind everyone how powerful he and his style is. It might be personal preference, but I believe that developing the right attitude is also important in martial arts.

In kendo, we beat each other with "kendo sticks" (as a friend of mine would like to call it) and it's fine with us. We don't care if people say it's outdated and has little or no practical use. We just do what we do and we're happy with it. In capoeira, my contra-mestre doesn't say he can beat a taekwondo practitioner or a karate-ka, he'll just flip a cartwheel and ask us to do the same and we're happy with what we do, and don't give much of damn if people think we're silly for doing handstands and cartwheels. There are no discussions about other martial arts and how capoeira can beat them all.

I don't hate FMA, just the instructors who give it a bad reputation here. I would often recommend MA like escrima, arnis, panununtukan, bakbakan, or any other FMA for that matter to people who are looking for a practical way to defend themselves; I do it because I'm a Filipino myself and proud of my country's achievements and contributions, and I believe FMA are also effective and good at what it does.

In my earlier posts, I gave the reasons why FMA doesn't flourish in the country of its origin- among them was the lack of qualified instructors. By "qualified", I didn't only mean proficiency in technical skill; it also includes the attitude, personality, outlook on others, and other things which make up the instructor as a person- and imho, these are important as well. ;)

It's nice to hear that good instructors are increasing in number. I'm still open to learning a FMA; maybe in the near future.

:)

[YODA]

By "qualified", I didn't only mean proficiency in technical skill; it also includes the attitude, personality, outlook on others, and other things which make up the instructor as a person- and imho, these are important as well.

I'd go as far as to say they are MORE important. I know qood fighters & good technicians who are not what I would call "Instructor material" - Sadly a lot of them are Instructors :(

[juramentado]

true, true..technical skills cannot replace basic human decency and humility. :( The problem is compounded by the fact that a lot of MAs still retain the somewhat paternal traditional hierarchy, which opens the students to abuse and intimidation if the instructor lacks the character and maturity to use this authority wisely.

I've had my share of terrible experiences with "instructors". Without naming anyone, I had supposedly mature teachers tell me that my current instructor didn't know anything or that what I was studying was useless. But most high ranking instructors, FMA or otherwise, are less candid about that they really think about other styles. Most have just expounded on their own style and yes sometimes it does seem a bit like coercion.

I might be making generalities here but I think the "we're- better" attitude in the FMA might be born of its neglect in the MA world in the Philippines. You could say that the FMA might have a chip on its shoulder and always needs to compare itself to the more popular MA styles. And that of course will turn off those who want to get into the FMA and thus a vicious cycle is created.

officer_fujita: I think you shouldn't let a few jerks that you encountered in the FMA ruin your image of the arts as a whole. I met a really nasty guy before starting in Pekiti Tirsia but I just reminded myself that he was just one student and I shouldn't pre-judge the art based on the actions of this one individual, who wasn't even the guro.

[YODA]

The problem is compounded by the fact that a lot of MAs still retain the somewhat paternal traditional hierarchy, which opens the students to abuse and intimidation if the instructor lacks the character and maturity to use this authority wisely.

LOL! You really are coming out with the truisms - very well put. :D

[officer_fujita]

Originally posted by YODA
I'd go as far as to say they are MORE important. I know qood fighters & good technicians who are not what I would call "Instructor material" - Sadly a lot of them are Instructors :(

I guess it can be likened to what others have said before, like the best basketball coach doesn't necessarily have to be a basketball superstar like Michael Jordan... just someone who knows what he's doing and can bring out the best out of his team. :)


Juramentado:

No, I don't think bad of FMA, but a change in the attitude of some (not all) of the current FMA teachers here (Ph) would be welcome. And as I've said, I am still interested in learning a Filipino martial art in the future.

Hmn... should I take sikaran, or modern arnis? Lol, it's hard choosing a martial art.

I'll also try to look more into pekiti tirsia :)

[juramentado]

yes, I agree. Teaching a martial art requires a different set of skills altogether. Some people are just natural teachers and seem to know how best to motivate the students. Some are more suited to pushing the envelope of the style rather than disseminating the art.

I think there's a changing attitude among the local FMA teachers. Among the FMA people I know there is a growing awareness and even insistence on moving away from the negative attitudes that have help FMA in the shadows of the other martial arts.

You are most welcome to study Pekiti Tirsia, or any other FMA style. if you want to watch our class, just PM me for more details.

:)

[YODA]

I think there's a changing attitude among the local FMA teachers. Among the FMA people I know there is a growing awareness and even insistence on moving away from the negative attitudes that have help FMA in the shadows of the other martial arts.

That gives me real hope - it's attitudes like yours that are going to bring about positive changes :D

[juramentado]

You' be surprised how many of us think like this. There are high ranking FMA instructors in the US and Canada who are openly asking for change. And I think attitude changes will be the key to bringing interest in the FMA among Filipinos and even those learning it abroad.

Another reason for the lack of interest is that a lot of Filipinos got exposure to FMA at school, taught to them in a very sloppy manner by "teachers" who didn't know anything except to swing a stick. It's not the fault of the style of FMA taught but rather the quality of instruction. In the haste to teach it in schools, a lot of PE instructors were forced to do crash courses in FMA just to qualify to teach it.

The change therefore is not to create an army of mediocre teachers but rather to develop a sustainable corp of competent guros who really love what they teach and are very knowledgeable about their style. This will take time of course but if the decline of FMA among Filipinos in general is to be eliminated, then this is the best way to do it, IMHO.

:)

[XxSweetFacadexX]

actually, yeah. i'm in manila. :)

[krys]

There will be a silat competition in Manila from August 11-18, it will be sport silat but if somebody's interested I'll ask for details....

[alqhiqeurass]

yo yo yo fellow FMA-ists! this is my first post!

Mabuhay Kayo! :D

[TheMachine]

glad to see some filipinos here as well. Its just sad that politics is so rampant in the FMA community and so much bashing like thi style of arnis is a superior form as to others etc etc

[DeeTee]

Hi,
I been reading this thread with some interest - especially what Juramentado had to say about certain FMA groups getting together in Manila for Picnics etc.
I tried organising something like this a few years back and couldn't get anyone to meet up - nobody wanted to know. It may be because I'm not a name or belong to any group anymore, but if anyone wants to try and implement this kind of thing I'd definitely be up for it.

[TheMachine]

does anyone here know of the contacts of balintawak arnis in the phils? thanks

[XxSweetFacadexX]

Originally posted by TheMachine
does anyone here know of the contacts of balintawak arnis in the phils? thanks

contacts? umm.. i have a really good and awesome instructor that the people in the Martial Arts forum directed me to (and i am forever grateful!)

here:
http://balintawak.s5.com/home.html

his other contact info is there.

[TheMachine]

Originally posted by XxSweetFacadexX
contacts? umm.. i have a really good and awesome instructor that the people in the Martial Arts forum directed me to (and i am forever grateful!)

here:
http://balintawak.s5.com/home.html

his other contact info is there.

do you train under balintawak?? where? what are the rates and training sked?

[XxSweetFacadexX]

yes. i train in balintawak. Bob Silver comes to my house and gives me personal lessons. it's 1000 pesos per lesson for an hour (it sometimes goes to 2 hours if we lose track of time). i forgot the class rates. i think it's on the website.

i'm in Quezon City, btw. where are you?

[TheMachine]

Im from paranaque city. What part in qc?

[XxSweetFacadexX]

West Triangle. i think Bob Silver is close to ortigas tho.

[TheMachine]

i sent guro bob an email. I'll probably check it out next week.

[Em-em]

I'm a Filipina and it's only now that I realized there are a LOT of FMA's. I only heard about Sikaran and Arnis because they were once featured in '5 and Up' (defunct kid friendly TV show of GMA7) and I'm not a TV bum.

Anyway, I'm studying at UPD.

[TheMachine]

hi em-em :) what art are you into?

[juramentado]

TheMachine, you do any FMA?

[Em-em]

I'm mostly into karate but I had a little experience on arnis. It was required during one of my High School Intramurals. :)

[TheMachine]

juramentado, nope maybe in the near future.

em-em, shotokan I presume?

[Em-em]

Opo. Shotokan, but I've also been an informal student of Goju Ryu back in the province.

[TheMachine]

em-em thats nice to hear what belt are you? KDA? AAK? or JKA ka?

[Em-em]

I've stopped for awhile. finals season. anyone else from manila?

[saikyou]

me. yeah. gotta review. gonna go back to MA this sembreak.

[shootodog]

manila?

brother juramentado?

[Em-em]

welcome to MAP kuya shooto!

[villarrg]

Mel here OFW from Manila, Paranaque...

Musta mga kabayan!

[juramentado]

Originally posted by shootodog
manila?

brother juramentado?

Yes Brother Shootodog, it is I :D

Welcome to MAP!

[saikyou]

daming mga pinoy ah!

welcome Shootodog! :D

[saikyou]

oi si villarg pa pala. musta saudi?

[Em-em]

villarg -- welcome to MAP! hows it going out there?

The Philippines is OK, we just stopped wiping our tears for poor Kris... LOL

And we're debating whether Schwarzenegger ran for Government post because he was inspired by Erap or not... :D

[juramentado]

Originally posted by Em-em


The Philippines is OK, we just stopped wiping our tears for poor Kris... LOL

And we're debating whether Schwarzenegger ran for Government post because he was inspired by Erap or not... :D

Please, please, let's not expose our petty local issues and politics here...I go here to escape all that...I don't need to reminded of them here :)

Atin atin na lang, ok (just between us, ok)

[Em-em]

copy that

[saikyou]

hangang d2 ba nman K and J? wag nman. :D

[shootodog]

thank you for the warm welcome people. there was this thing that my brother teacher is suggesting.

I was watching a National Geographic program on shaolin kung fu. In one scene they had 8,000 students all doing the same form on a soccer field. I thought it would be cool to see that many arnisadors on the same field. So...

I was thinking, do you guys think we can get at least 1,000 arnis people out to Luneta one Sunday morning and just use up the whole field to practice forms and drills? I think it would be a cool sight and a statement that we Filipinos are still passionate about our own martial art.

I don't want to contact any government groups or any large organizations to do this thing. If PIGSAI, ARPI or WEKAF want to show up, great. But, I don't want to ask them. Why? Because I don't want to give any groups particular recognition or respect. The playing field is flat, so let's all be even. I want to do this for the art itself not for any groups. I think we should begin promoting Filipino Martial Arts as a generic and forget the brand names on this day.

What I don't want:
1) politicians making speeches
2) military men expecting recognition
3) organization heads expecting honours
4) masters expecting to be featured
5) groups monopolizing the event
6) hostility and competition between groups

What I do want:
1) at least a thousand of us showing up to play and demo
2) an open invitation from every group to anyone around to join in their drills and exercises

What do you guys (and girls) think?
Can we do this? When would be good date? How about when the historic Lapu Lapu/Magellan encounter in Mactan, April 27th?

Anyway, tell me what you think and spread the news. I can personally guaratee five guys who'll be there bright and early that morning.

anybody up for this?

[shootodog]

brother juramentado,

so this is your hide out?

[Em-em]

What do you guys (and girls) think?

what I don't want
1) that bracket sign :)

what I want
1) (his) suggestion becoming reality

what I think
1) start with small numbers first, lot of time before the given deadline

[juramentado]

Originally posted by shootodog
brother juramentado,

so this is your hide out?


Hehehehehehe....Yes, MAP is one of my haunts. :D

Nice to have you here,

:)

[saikyou]

yeah i hope so. luneta is a good venue. :D

[homero]

hi. i'm new here. i wonder if any of you guys know an aikido dojo around manila.

[krys]

What do you guys think?

Don't forget sexy dancers...... hehehehe :D

Sorry couldn't resist......

[shootodog]

anyone from the pinoymma.com forum?

[saikyou]

Originally posted by homero
hi. i'm new here. i wonder if any of you guys know an aikido dojo around manila.

try to contact the guys from PCAF. (Philippine Combat Aikido Federation) ask them if they have a list of dojos near your place.
PCAF website (http://www.geocities.com/combat_aikido/)

[juramentado]

Originally posted by homero
hi. i'm new here. i wonder if any of you guys know an aikido dojo around manila.

although this is an FMA forum, allow me to provide some info:

Aikido Philippines (http://www.aikiphil.org)

[shootodog]

toby reyes wants to have a sparring session. any manilans want in?

[Enjoy]

Born in Cebu, but lived in America my whole life... just starting martial arts.

[saikyou]

welcome to the forum! what kind of m.a.?

[Enjoy]

Thanks. I'm starting tae kwon do.

[juramentado]

hey, why don't we organize a Manila EB? :)

[Gravity]

Yeah, politics in FMA made me drop out. I used to train under Grandmaster Cacoy Canete between 1989 and 1990. We used to get up at dawn and hike in the Capitol Hills bringing along our olisis. It was a sad day for me when GM Cacoy went to the US for a long time.

After Cacoy, I tried to learn the La Punti style but the stigma of being affiliated with the Canete brothers somehow made me an outcast there.

Then I tried to learn the art again under GM Dionisio Canete - only to find out later that Diony and Cacoy are "serious enemies". Hahaha. Talk about being caught in between!

Finally, in 1994, I dropped FMA altoghether from my list and learned Aikido, Aikijutsu and a little Kenjutsu instead. Nowadays, I still practice the Aiki arts but incorporate some FMA (arnis, kali and eskrido) into my weapons techniques.

But, there are times when I reminisce my FMA days and wished that I had continued in it.

[surgingshark]

Paranaque City here...used to live there, now I'm in Long Beach, CA

ANG LAMIG DITO!!!!!!!!!

[Gryphon Hall]

Just moved to Novaliches a few months ago.

I am not formally trained.

I want to be formally trained, pero masyadong mahal.

I learned by relying on freebies, i.e. I watched my Dad workout, I sparred with my brother for as long as I can remember, and then spar with guys who have been formally trained and try to beat them (siyempre, hindi nga ako formally trained, so that doesn't happen very often).

I am very interested in free (as in, libreng) sparring with anyone who wants to, but don't expect much.

Must be my Ilocano blood. :D

[shoto-kali]

shoto-kali here, born and raised in paco, manila and now trying to make a living here in las vegas.

for gryphon hall, if you want to learn FMA (even traditional karate) for free/cheap fee why not trying go on the weekends sa Luneta or sa QC circle. They have a bunch of good (and not so good) MA instructor there who will be willing to teach you FMA for free/cheap fee (even a balut vendor can afford). I just remember 3-5yrs ago, TFC-ABS/CBN has a segment in their show about this matro-aide cleaner in Luneta who is consider one of the best arnisador in there, alot of foreigner/westener trying to convience the old man to go with them (Australia/USA/Europe) to teach Arnis, for what ever reason the old man always turn them down, he said heenjoy what he'sdoing in Luneta and teaching his style to those who want to learn from him.

[juramentado]

Just moved to Novaliches a few months ago.

I am not formally trained.

I want to be formally trained, pero masyadong mahal.

I learned by relying on freebies, i.e. I watched my Dad workout, I sparred with my brother for as long as I can remember, and then spar with guys who have been formally trained and try to beat them (siyempre, hindi nga ako formally trained, so that doesn't happen very often).

I am very interested in free (as in, libreng) sparring with anyone who wants to, but don't expect much.

Must be my Ilocano blood. :D

Here's a list of FMA schools in Metro Manila

http://www.soapbox101.com/fmalist

It's not complete but has enough there for you to choose from.

Guys, let's plan a Manila MAP meeting. I already know some guys here and I'd like to meet the rest of the Manila FMA MAP crowd.

sound off if you're open to the idea...

[xLJx]

dude, sounds great! let us have an EB in Manila... we can have some chicharon or sisig together... but I don't drink anything with alcohol in it...

[Gryphon Hall]

Maraming Salamat, juramentado. Even if I don't get to join any of them, it is nice to know that there are still a lot of them out there, not just Lightning Arnis.

Maraming Salamat, shoto-kali. I have heard about that one, and I may screw up the courage to go there one time. A friend of a friend actually goes there already; but I have heard that challenges are still issued around there, especially if there is some pikunan.

I am basically a weapons guy, and my empty-hand techniques are kinda rusty. Pero thanks. I hope you do well over there.