India - The Home of the Martial Arts

Even in tribal warfare weapons were used. See the Phillipines as a prime example. The fact is that in any conflict where people are playing for keeps, each side will always go for the greatest advantage.

Secondly DO NOT, again I stress, DO NOT trust oral history. Especially in the Martial Arts. Go to source documents. All of the source documents we have do not detail many (if any jumping techniques). Ironically, most of those manuals don't even contain a lot of empty hand techniques. They are often primarily weapons because weapons are what was used in almost any form of combat that counts.

- Matt

 

I've heard two different versions of Lapulapu's slaying of Magellan. One talks about an epic sword duel on the beach. The other suggests that Magellan was speared while he was wading ashore. One's very cinematic, but the other's probably closer to the mark. (And, in it's own way, cooler.)


Stuart

 

But both of them use weapons. Man has never been stupid when it came to immediate survival. Once weapons were developed, man used them to hunt. And if he had them to hunt, then why the heck not use them to fight?

- Matt

 

Um, quite.

You know I was agreeing with you, right?

I was emphasizing the bit about each side using their greatest advantage. Spearing the invaders from the shore while they're waist deep in water. That sort of thing.

 

Stuart,

Yes I knew you were agreeing (great historical reference btw), though I agree it wasn't clear. I was just hammering home the point for other folks!

- Matt

 

[deep voice] SOLID! [/deep voice]

 

The version I heard from the curit in the museum were Vilibrille's certificate was suposed to have been on display (The curit said he had no record of this, but that's another story) was that Magellan had to waide ashore because of the low waters that run along Mactan Ilsands shores (I've been to the island and at the right time you can wade out for 1/4 of a mile and the water is still around your waiste) Anyway, the story goes that Lapulapu sailed up to Magellan on a raft and battered him over the head with a big oar, whilst over a thousand of his fellow country men routed his crew from the shore with arrows and spears.

Now this sounds like sensible military tactics and probably closer to the truth than more would tend to want to beleive.

 

Beautiful!

Tactically, I love it. Myth be damned.

 

Yeah, it's amazing how the real truth can be the total opposite from what many would want to have us beleive.

But then again their are those who look for the truth and then there are the poloticians who gloss over the truth, re-write it, re-invent it and then tell us a completely differnt story all together in order to become popular.

 

Absolutely.

It boggles my mind that we don't have more regard for cunning, ingenuity, tactics, and common sense in our heroes, quite honestly.

 

No we are not allowed to be cunning, ingenius and deceptive, after all we are just stupid martial artists and that is not what martial arts is all about is it. It's about making funny nioses and mimicing animals with those postures that even animals dont make

 

I don't know how this came up after searching "Medieval Total War" but i spent the last hour or so reading all of it:| Very interesting stuff...

 

More interesting fact about kalari is suicide squads or chaver in malabar area of kerala. Until 1400 ad a duel known as mamangam conducted. In that if a king wants to win he has to send 20 kalari warriors their aim is to fight until death. Just lik modern terrorist. Jus luk abou mamangam in wikipedia

 

No one cares - stop resurrecting dead threads with pointless crap

 

Because first seems to mean better

Boddhidharma did not teach martial arts




Sorry to post on this, but I wanted to put this thread subscription in my "Re-Read Folder" in my emails