Still the best? ...

Discussion in 'Filipino Martial Arts' started by Diego_Vega, Jun 25, 2004.

  1. Diego_Vega

    Diego_Vega Frustrated pacifist

    The following is a story I saw in today's edition of our country's most respected and influential newspaper, the Philippine Inquirer. Many Filipino martial artists still believe that we're the best when it comes to our indigenous martial arts.
    They sit back smug and self-satisfied and snear at how foreigners train. Well, if you've travelled and seen what the rest of the world can do with our art, it would definitely be an eye-opener for us to get serious about our training, our training methodology and appreciate what we might be losing. Heaven forbid if we wind up like the British who taught the world to play soccer (football), rugby and cricket only to have their former colonies and neighbours beat them handily year after year after year. (Okay, the last World Rugby Championships were an exception.)
    Granted this was "only" a sporting WEKAF style format and doesn't represent the the whole of FMA. But who's to say the results wouldn't have been any different under ARPI, Dog Brothers or any other rules anyone could come up with. For anyone more familiar with the WEKAF style and its history, has the Philippines ever done well in the sparring competition or do we only win in forms?

    Powerful US arnis
    squad upstages RP
    Posted: 1:24 AM (Manila Time) | Jun. 25, 2004
    Inquirer News Service
    CEBU CITY -- Filipino arnis artists captured six gold medals in the form events but the powerful American contingent dominated the opening competitions yesterday of the eighth World Kali Arnis Eskrima Federation Championships at the SM City-Cebu Entertainment Plaza.
    The Americans, displaying superiority in the routines, seized 10 gold medals to show the way in the overall race.

    David Chan, a student of Maria Ernestine Montessori, bagged the Philippines' first gold by ruling the children's singles category (10-11 years old).
    Roy Robin Chan, David's older brother, delivered the second gold, beating compatriot Ronald Santos in the boys' open multiple category, where the participant may use either a stick, dagger, sword or a combination of the three.
    Jelin Tabayayong copped the gold in the open singles junior (16-17), Romeo Santos ruled the traditional men's masters (50 and above), Yvonne Trigila topped the women's traditional singles seniors (18-39), and Scott Slezak, a Hawaiian residing in Dumanjug, Cebu, beat all-comers in the traditional single men's category to round out the Philippines' gold-medal haul.
    Trigila showed grace and better form to beat Americans Hanyann Ng and Cheryl Arcigal.
    Filipino-American Allysa Patalinghug led the big US charge by topping the open junior girls class in a close contest over teammate Isabelle Andrade.
    The other American gold medal winners were Joelle Zigman (traditional girls), Austin Hill Kleepie (traditional junior), Connie Fidel (traditional women's senior), Matthew Winkler (multiple traditional boys), Wendy Wigger (multiple traditional women), Christian Corrales (open junior boys), Emmanuel Patalinghug (open multiple boys), Matthew Cerbas (multiple junior boys) and Gabriel Patalinghug (traditional boys)
     
  2. shootodog

    shootodog restless native

    how can we be the best when our schools churn out taekwandistas and karatistas? brother teacher, let's face, it fma is big everywhere else but home.
     
  3. juramentado

    juramentado lean, mean eating machine

    I'm not surprised. Foreigners admire FMA more than most Filipinos so expect them to also end up becoming quite good at it, even better than Filipinos. Face it guys, FMA is way below the radar as far as Filipinos are concerned. They will rather study other MAs, or play basketball or badminton, rather than do their part in preserving their heritage.

    There's a movie on Arnis that's part of the upcoming Manila Film Festival. It stars the brother of Topher Ricketts, one of the pillars of Bakbakan and Kali Ilustrisimo. So maybe, just maybe, FMA as a whole can get some media mileage from this.
     
  4. DeeTee

    DeeTee Valued Member

    Ouch!

    "Heaven forbid if we wind up like the British who taught the world to play soccer (football), rugby and cricket only to have their former colonies and neighbours beat them handily year after year after year."

    Ooooh that hurts! Man, if you were in a tournament you'd be disqualilfied for a low blow.
     
  5. danceofdeath

    danceofdeath Yaw-Yan PASAY

    true, true.
     
  6. dori_kin_86

    dori_kin_86 Hu Flung Pu

    I think the Filipino masters are trying to get people to be proud of the Filipino MAs. I don't know why so many in the Philippines, do foreign MA. I think Filipino MA are very effective. The Philippines have changed according to my Grandma, who was born and raised in Pompango (I might have misspelled it), from the Taruc family. I think western mentallities are spreading fast, and most people I think have false beliefs about local MA, like once you lose the stick, you cant fight.
     
  7. ptkali778

    ptkali778 Valued Member

    juramentado....what's the movie called? is it by ronnie rickets? i will have to watch for it and rent at our local filipino store here ...the last arnis movie that i've seen is kamagong by lito lapid......
    anyways im not surprise that fma doesnt have the same recognition and respect it deserves as other MA, cause other filipino's dont even know bout its existence. I've asked filipino's who are older than me and to think that they know or even heard of fma, sad to say they dont. How can we progress when our own people doesnt even know about it? but i support Fma all the way, and maybe one day help preserve and promote it....mabuhay ang fma (hail fma)
     
  8. david f

    david f New Member

    The movie is called "Mano Mano 3" and it stars Ronnie Ricketts and his nephew, Bruce Ricketts. For those who may not know, Bruce Ricketts is the son of Master Christopher "Topher" Ricketts who is the head of Bakbakan.

    Tuesday niight was the premier and it was a great event. Master Ricketts invited my teacher Roland Dantes, Vicente Sanchez, Rodel dagooc, Pepido Robas,myself and many other close friends and martial artists to the premier.

    Great film and they deserve credit for trying to help expose FMA in the film. Bruce Ricketts is a great martial artist and is trained in kali ilustrisimo, boxing/kickboxing, bjj and kung fu and he has been training since he was aIknee high to a grasshopper. When I first met him in 1998, he was already impressing people with his skills and he would have only been 6/7 years of age.I am sure there will be big things from him in the future.
     
  9. johndoch

    johndoch upurs

    So if I were go into a head to head arnis fight what would be the general rules?

    what is arnis what is the translation?
     
  10. narra

    narra Valued Member

    Lack of support from the Goverment and schools are two major reasons why FMA is dying in the Phils. Maybe the foreigners are getting better at it than us pinoys, but you can never be sure. Being good in tournaments does not mean they are also good in combat and knife fighting, you can never be sure. It is not a guarantee.

    We have all the resources here, the problem is most pinoys don't train that hard to imporve their skills or go from one style to anothrer to imrove their knowledge.
     
  11. shootodog

    shootodog restless native

    there are so many different rules. at one end of the spectrum there ie wekaf rules, where the fighters are heavily padded and they have a go at it and points are scored by the number of blows you've landed. there is the other end of the spectrum called "laro" (translates roughly to "play"), the rules are simple, two guys, single or double sticks, no protection. if you let go of the stick(s) you lose, if you're knocked out, you lose. if you die, you lose. you can surrender too (for a broken arm/ leg/ skull and cannot continue), but you'd lose too.

    arnis, some say comes from the proper term arnis de mano. some claim that this comes from the spanish arnes de mano or harness of the hands. in theory, the movements of the weapons translates to the movements of it's equivalent empty hands (whith some adjustments here and there of course). the art in general is traditionally taught the reverse way that other arts are taught: weapons first, empty hands last. why? because learning weapons skills that could be used in combat immediately was a necessity in the olden times.
     
  12. Diego_Vega

    Diego_Vega Frustrated pacifist

    Results from Day 2

    RP's Chan bags second
    old in world arnis tilt
    Posted: 11:19 PM (Manila Time) | Jun. 25, 2004
    Inquirer News Service
    CEBU CITY-Ray Ruben Chan became the first double-gold medalist in the eighth World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (Wekaf) world championships when he beat fellow Filipino Junrey Seno in the boys' heavyweight 10-11 age group final Friday at the SM City Cebu Trade Hall.
    The Philippines, after a six-gold opening day haul, upped its tally to seven gold medals on a day when the the United States hoarded six golds to raise its total to 16.

    Chan, a grade six protege of coach Remegio Barandoy, bagged the gold in the boys' open multiple category in Thursday's form competition.
    He trains at the Doce Pares International, which is hosting the tournament in cooperation with the Cebu Visitors and Convention Bureau, the Cebu City Government, Casino Filipino-Pagcor Sports-Cebu, Nature's Spring, Cebu Pacific, and USA-made Calmoseptine Ointment.
    In other results, Matt Alinaya defeated RP's Cesario Perez for the gold in the juniors' lightweight, JD Tabayayong went unopposed in the lightweight 10-11 boys' division, while Kerry Sheader outplayed fellow American Tony De Rooy to top the junior boys heavyweight (14-15) division.
    Carlos Patalinghug dominated the heavyweight boys (12-13) and Joshua Teves copped the junior boys' (16-17) title.
    Most of the girl stick-fighters from the US won unopposed: Joelle Zigman in the girls' heavyweight (12-13); Rosalie Garcia in the girls' heavyweight (16-17); Allysa Patalinghug in the girls' lightweight (10-11); and Isabelle Andrade, girls heavyweight (10-11).
    Sim Martin of Britain grabbed the children's 10-under gold medal.
    The Americans, displaying superiority in the routines, also dominated the first day with 10 golds in the form events.
     
  13. Diego_Vega

    Diego_Vega Frustrated pacifist

    Oops, no offfence intended towards our bro's from the U.K. The Brits also taught the world the concept of sportsmanship and we're all better because of it. Their arnis is pretty darn good too.
     
  14. danceofdeath

    danceofdeath Yaw-Yan PASAY

    yeah. im a filipino but i think that the greater population of the martial artists (includin those non martialarts people) country are weak. they dont have the humility, they dont have the discipline, they are too lazy and lastly, they dont have the will and the heart to do something and finish it perfectly. sad to say but this is true. as a result almost all of our MA's are slowly dying. hard to imagine that other than some dedicated filipinos, foreigners are one of some reasons why some FMA's are still alive.. sigh.
     
  15. johndoch

    johndoch upurs

    Cheers Shootodog :D
     
  16. Diego_Vega

    Diego_Vega Frustrated pacifist

    final results

    Arnis bets 2nd with 17 golds
    Posted: 3:04 AM (Manila Time) | Jun. 28, 2004
    Inquirer News Service
    CEBU CITY -- The Philippines added 11 more golds to its medal vault, but that was far behind the 30 victories scored by the United States Saturday on the penultimate day of the 8th World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (Wekaf) Championships held at the Doce Pares International headquarters in Sto. Niño Village, Banilad, Cebu City.
    The 100-strong US contingent bagged their second overall championship in the biennial event organized by lawyer Dionisio Cañete, Wefar chair emeritus, and hosted by the Doce Pares in cooperation with the Cebu Visitors and Convention Bureau (CVCB), the Cebu City Government, Casino Filipino-Pagcor Sports-Cebu, Nature's Spring, RCTV, Cebu Pacific and USA-made Calmoseptine Ointment.

    The US stickfighters added 10 gold, nine silver, and four bronze medals Saturday for a total tally of 30-17-7. The Filipinos were a far second with a 17-15-5 haul.
    Scoring golds for the Philippines were welterweight Lolito Pacubillo, featherweight Fernando Parcon, and lightweight Rolando Maraña in the men's senior division of the single stick sparring competition.
    Maria Therese Borces also triumphed, beating Holland's Yvonne Hoogendorn in the women's flyweight finals, while Bernie Inot outsmarted Christian Weber of Switzerland in men's action.
    Juan Furiscal prevailed in the men's bantamweight, edging out countryman Percival Vellino, even as Jim Clyde Garciano, Reynaldo Kumbati, James Clark Barte, and Ruel Carvellida topped their respective classes.
    Garciano overpowered Ruben Martinez for the men's superbantamweight gold, Kumbati triumphed over American Dale de los Reyes in the super featherweight class, Barte shone in the featherweight division with a win over American Deen Mandapat, while Carvellida bested Dave Sales of the US for the welterweight gold.
    Barte actually scored a double as he also subdued Ronnie Villeno in the double stick contest featherweight division.
    Switzerland finished third overall with an 8-3-3 harvest, followed by England with two golds and Italy with one gold.
     
  17. shootodog

    shootodog restless native

    i noticed that filipinos did better in sparring than in forms. [scratches head]
     
  18. narra

    narra Valued Member

    Bruce's moves looks good, he's still young and if he continues to practice hard will be even better. Ronnie is also ok, but from what I've heard he's more of a bare hands fighting person. Bruce's and the the moves used there are predominantly Illustrisimo, if you will notice the redonda style and the single hand drills.

    Bakabakan is mostly Illustrisimo they say, though they also adopted some LAMECO techniques. I hope to see more of this kind of movies, and sana more fight scenes. I hope they fight with real arnisadors, most of the extra's aren't as good as the main stars of the film, some don't know any arnis at all.
     
  19. Pat OMalley

    Pat OMalley Valued Member

    Oh Dear!!!

    Oh Dear,
    Don't worry Philippines, the Brits look like they are getting worse too. Only 2 Gold medals???, usually they bag more than 12, well never mind, the game changes all the time. And I should say nothing, havent been invloved in the WEKAF events since 2001.

    Usually the PI wins the home events, and the US comes 2nd, mind you Britain came 2nd in 2000 pushing the US into 3rd (no offense people) and the US had a lrage team then and GB had 23, but payback is a bitch eh! :woo: :woo: :woo: :woo: :woo:
     
  20. shootodog

    shootodog restless native

    we have a saying over here: panahon panahon lang yan! (literally translated: weather weather! it means, some days you're up, somedays you're not).
     

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