Yaw Yan

Discussion in 'Filipino Martial Arts' started by vismitananda, Jan 26, 2009.

  1. vismitananda

    vismitananda Valued Member

    Yaw-Yan, or also called as *Sayaw ng Kamatayan or "Dance of Death" is a Filipino martial art developed by Grand Master Napoleon Fernandez. It is a form of kickboxing and resembles Muay Thai but differs in the hip - torquing motion as well as the downward-cutting nature of its kicks, Yaw-yan also differs from Muay Thai because its practitioners can deliver their attacks from long range. Yaw - Yan is oriented in attacks such as kicks and push using the foot.

    Yaw-yan practitioners participate in various Filipino mixed-martial arts tournaments such as the Universal Reality Combat Championship and Fearless Fighting.

    The originator of Yaw-Yan is Napoleon A. Fernandez a native of Quezon province. The word Yaw - Yan was derived from the last two syllables of Sayaw ng Kamatayan meaning "Dance of Death". It reflected the growing popularity of kickboxing (and later, Mixed Martial Arts) in the Philippines and the world. The style includes elements of striking, takedowns, grappling, arnis stick and knife fighting, and additional kickboxing material.

    Techniques
    Yaw-Yan is not purely a full-contact no-holds barred sport martial arts. It is a complete martial training with body-mind coordination and test of enduring indomitable spirit. More than just physical training, it also involves the mental disciplines of focus, concentration, alertness, flexibility, stamina, speed and continuity. Students train for real confrontation and actual fights -- on or off the ring.
    Advanced Disciples have to go through a rigorous ritual of practice and discipline consisting of actual full-contact sparring, bag hitting, and flexibility exercises. The Elbows (*siko), knees (*tuhod), and shin (*lulod) are utilized in much the same way as in Muay Thai.
    Yaw - Yan practitioners have to learn 40 basic kicks, advanced disciples have to be able to execute and apply complexed advanced kicks requiring great dexterity, flexibility, and mastery. Most of these advanced kicks are trick kicks could catch unsuspecting opponents by surprise. Yaw-Yan Back-kick, reversed Yaw - Yan roundhouse stomp thrust and the famous scorpion kicks were some of these kicks popularized in national motion picture by action stars Boy Fernandez and Rey Malonzo, both Yaw-Yan experts.
    Yaw-Yan practitioners are also train with Philippine bladed weaponries as *balisong and *bolo. Bladed weapons are treated as extensions of the hands. The forearm strikes, elbows, punches, dominating palms, and hand movements are empty-hand translations of the bladed weapons. There are 12 bolo punches which were patterned from Arnis, the Philippines' very own armed art. These punches have continuous fluid striking motion quite similar to western boxing but incorporating the art of Arnis.
    Grappling, ground-fighting, and knife-fighting had always been a part of the Philippines' martial art and are always incorporated during the Yaw-Yan practice period. Yaw-Yan is a transformation of ancient Filipino Martial Arts and a Modern Competition Sport with high emphasis on practicality and actual confrontation.
    "Mountain-Storm Kick" The mountain-storm kick had been debatable as who originated it, where and when, similar to Thai roundhouse kick except that the kicking leg was drawn up and swung-through in full force swiftly with a continuous downward cutting motion of the shin as the hips torque in instead of burst through. A carefully planted mountain-storm kick had left opponent with agonizing pain. Yaw-Yan fighters have been known for breaking their opponent's strong femur bone if not the ribs or jaw, with one mountain storm kick.

    * Tagalog words
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 13, 2010
  2. mma master

    mma master New Member

    I like this Martial art. I once saw this performed in our city and i was amazed of their moves and techniques. You can say it is muay thai but it is not.
     
  3. vismitananda

    vismitananda Valued Member

    Indeed. This is one of our very own Martial Arts. Its movements and type of attacks were derive from "Arnis" or the stick fight, or other people called them the "Kali".

    Where you from by the way?
     
  4. Commander Nitro

    Commander Nitro Valued Member

    I thought this type of martial arts is chinese in origin because of the name. It's interesting to know this is Filipino in origin. Thanks for the info
     
  5. Eclectic_Fist

    Eclectic_Fist Valued Member

    I heard of Yaw Yan about three years ago. I still don't know much about it, but it's always interested me. I'd love to see the kick that's always mentioned in action.
     
  6. bloodicuss

    bloodicuss New Member

    do we have our own yaw yan in melbourne???pllease somebody if you know where please tell me???really interested in learning my own art than of the others
     
  7. Browneagle

    Browneagle Valued Member

    To what extend is Sikaran an element of Yaw Yan? I know little about it but I don't want my knowledge to depend on wikipedia....

    Also I saw a clip of a Yaw Yan instructor showing its self defence techniques. I was not too impressed by what he showed. I personally thaught just the ring fighting techniques were more appropriate for self defence than what he showed.
     
  8. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    Depends what you mean by "sikaran." The term is used to describe the kicking component of a larger FMA curriculum. It's also the name of a style developed by Geronimo Meliton, based on his experiences in taekwondo, karate, and FMA.

    If you're talking about the latter, here's my take (and I'm no expert on either Sikaran or Yaw Yan): Yaw Yan bears more resemblance to kickboxing and muay thai than to taekwondo and karate, the way Sikaran does.


    Stuart
     
  9. Browneagle

    Browneagle Valued Member

    Yeah sorry I suppose I was just a tad to vague with the term "sikaran". What I meant was just as how Kickboxing evolved out of karate...Was Yaw Yan more traditionaly influenced by the farmers kicking methods made to be safer for contest?
     
  10. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    Nah mate. We both know that terminology in FMA is always an adventure. :)

    As I said, I'm no expert in Yaw Yan or Sikaran (with the capital S). So I shouldn't hypothesize too much. I'll be interested to hear what someone with more expertise has to say though.


    Stuart
     
  11. shootodog

    shootodog restless native

    Yaw yan was never influenced by sikaran (the game) and definitely not Sikaran (the martial art that looks like tae kwon do).
     
  12. MaharlikaTimawa

    MaharlikaTimawa New Member

    ndigenous Unarmed Filipino martial arts used in mma
    One of the indigenous martial arts of the Philippines is Eskrima which is more of a weapons art than anything else and has some influence but is indigenous to the island of the Philippines.


    However, are their any unarmed Filipino martial arts that can be converted into kickboxing like sanshao or vovinam?
     
  13. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    No need to when the "weapons art" (inaccurate btw) can readily be converted
     
  14. MaharlikaTimawa

    MaharlikaTimawa New Member

    Eskrima/arnis/kali is more of a weapons martial art than an empty handed art, your not going to use eskrima when empty handed or when your in mma.

    http://filipinofightingsecretslive.com/2009/08/26/the-fallacy-of-empty-handed-fma/



    I'm looking for an unarmed Filipino martial art that focuses more on unarmed than weapons
     
  15. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Yes you are if can actually do Kali/Escrima/Arnis properly...if you can't then you clearly aren't doing it properly
     
  16. MaharlikaTimawa

    MaharlikaTimawa New Member

    Please re-read the article as to why empty hands of eskrima don't work
     
  17. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    Why? Surely someone can disagree with the assertions in the article without having misunderstood it. Opinions differ. The article represents one opinion.
     
  18. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Please learn to do it properly so you will know why the article is wrong
     
  19. Guitar Nado

    Guitar Nado Valued Member

    Yaw Yan to me is interesting. There is a new school that teaches this 30 min drive from my house, but I am spread way, way, way too thin with what I am already doing. Watching their videos and stuff, it seems VERY similar to Muay Thai, but with some differences - Scorpion kick, back fist to spinning back fist combo done often.

    I'd be interested in any comparisons of Yaw Yan to Muay Thai people have. To me it seems a big crossover between the two, but I have Zero Yaw Yan training and only 10 months Muay Thai..so not a lot to go on. :confused:
     
  20. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    I'm no expert, but I'm deadly curious. Where (and who) is the yaw-yan teacher in Maryland? Or is it across the border, here in Virginia?
     

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