There are different priorities in training. One of mine is spontaneity. This involves the abilities to both think and act in a quick and fluid manner, all terms that can be further qualified. Working backwards:
Fluid means smooth. Smooth can be fast or slow; what matters most is timing. Impeccable timing will neutralize many things.
Quick is acceleration, the ability to get from A to B in as short a time as possible. Fast is the speed at which you are moving when you get there. In longer performances, such as a foot race, winners may not be moving as fast as second place, but they get there first. The faster runner, not being as quick to reach speed, plays catch-up. In longer races, though, the overall speed of the winner will be decisive. It matters not how quickly you initiate movement off the line in a marathon.
Action springs from the mind; of that there is no question. Training increases neuromuscular connections, building faster, more efficient responses. How well one performs, though, is as much about the clarity of mind and will as it is about the condition of the body. Whatever we do when we train, we are training our minds how to use our body.
Notice I used "minds" in the previous sentence, the plural form of the word. We have both conscious and unconscious systems in operation. Which is in charge and how well they cooperate is key.
We spend a lot of time being aware of our conscious thoughts. Seems self-evident, but we really spend most of our time in unconscious states. It's when we tune in that we become self-conscious. This state of awareness is fantastic for thinking thoughts, analyzing information, reading this or having a conversation. It is good for directing the unconscious mind, which is where willpower comes in, but cognitive perception is always the last link in a chain that starts from physical stimuli interpreted unconsciously and then elevated to immediate attention. At that point, decisions are made, and the unconscious mind sends signals back downstream to activate physiological responses.
The unconscious mind, however, is capable of making its own decisions, whether it is to jump if we hear a rattle in the bushes, or to reach for the phone when it rings. In a sense martial art training is very Pavlovian; we see/hear/feel a stimulus and we respond reflexively. It is possible to react even before the conscious mind is activated because there are sub-brains throughout the body. These are the major ganglia, such as the solar plexus and at the tailbone. We used to mock dinosaurs that were so big they had brains at each end of their body; it turns out that isn't such a bad model after all.
There are other levels of the unconscious, however, beyond just mastery of the physical body.
There is a higher level of awareness, so refined as to be unbeknownst to many people. This is a place where things like wisdom come from, and root awareness. Nothing can happen on any level without recognition. How we move through the world, how we project ourselves, is all an image chosen on such a deep level.
When we train, we can practice mindfulness, becoming aware of every thought, move, nuance in each and every moment. Conversely, we can practice no-mindfulness, where there is no thought, or more correctly, no awareness of thought. Paradox is wonderful; there are many ways to the mountaintop. Either way, the inhibition of conscious thought is removed from the director's seat, relegated to a more appropriate role as spectator. Sometimes I've experienced it as a commentator, like a sports announcer, but such is a distraction, a ploy to pay attention not to the action but the chatter, a status once-removed. Thought may become awareness of one's thinking; the point is there are ways to capture or corral the monkey mind. What is hypnosis but fixating the mind very specifically?
Now that we've popped down the rabbit hole, how does this apply? When we learn to flow, we learn to think more quickly than other people. We recognize possibility in motion; we respond to changing circumstances before they overwhelm us. We allow intuition and feeling to operate tactically, while our conscious mind strategizes goals.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Keeping the details alive
I see many videos of Serrada these days where people are doing things that Angel worked so hard to train me not to do, things like cocking a #1 strike back behind the shoulder, or reaching in with the check hand automatically in lock position at the end of techniques, or stepping into daga range on basic techniques. Those are details I try so hard to pass along to my students so that Angel's insights don't simply disappear. After all, he had reasons for ever inch of movement, and we went to train with Angel to gain his insights from real combative experience, so why would we ignore what he shared with us?
Most of those details should be familiar to direct students, certainly those from the 80's when Angel claimed to open up his teaching completely. There are of course some variations between practitioners, based on skill and application in the moment, but overall the folks who were training during my time with Angel are technically very similar to how I was taught.
Passing along a martial art is like the childhood game of telephone, where kids sit in a circle and pass along a message whispered from one to the next. By the time the message goes full circle, it is often completely scrambled from the original. This is common to many arts, and one reason why different lineages appear. It's one thing to innovate and explore, making the art one's own, but it's another to lose sight of the original intent and practices.
I'm by no means saying I'm the sole repository of Angel's knowledge. He taught many people, and some lessons may only have come from a specific question in a class or been shared with those whom he trusted. This is why there is benefit in training with a variety of instructors. That's one thing I really liked about Aikido training, that teachers would visit each others' schools and share their insights. An arm bar is an arm bar, but there are different ways to make it effective, after all. Still, Angel was as sharp and discerning a teacher as I've ever met, and it would be a pity if years from now the art bearing his name were to become something he would not recognize or acknowledge.
Most of those details should be familiar to direct students, certainly those from the 80's when Angel claimed to open up his teaching completely. There are of course some variations between practitioners, based on skill and application in the moment, but overall the folks who were training during my time with Angel are technically very similar to how I was taught.
Passing along a martial art is like the childhood game of telephone, where kids sit in a circle and pass along a message whispered from one to the next. By the time the message goes full circle, it is often completely scrambled from the original. This is common to many arts, and one reason why different lineages appear. It's one thing to innovate and explore, making the art one's own, but it's another to lose sight of the original intent and practices.
I'm by no means saying I'm the sole repository of Angel's knowledge. He taught many people, and some lessons may only have come from a specific question in a class or been shared with those whom he trusted. This is why there is benefit in training with a variety of instructors. That's one thing I really liked about Aikido training, that teachers would visit each others' schools and share their insights. An arm bar is an arm bar, but there are different ways to make it effective, after all. Still, Angel was as sharp and discerning a teacher as I've ever met, and it would be a pity if years from now the art bearing his name were to become something he would not recognize or acknowledge.
Thursday, March 07, 2013
Twirling For Power
Why twirl a stick? There is a reason for this if done properly; it isn't just to look cool. First, the downside. It can leave you open to a high counter if you're not careful. Timing and positioning are important considerations.
The reason to twirl is to generate power in a very compact motion compared to a linear strike. If I throw a #1 strike (high right forehand) in a linear motion from a fully retracted position, my hand travels approximately 20 inches. I can add some arc, either by cocking my wrist or positioning the stick over my shoulder. Both add power, but affect timing because my hand has to travel the distance, and the over-the-shoulder position leaves my face unguarded. A twirl moves the tip of the stick a tremendous distance, further and more quickly than retracting and reversing direction.
Let's do some math. The circumference of a circle is pi (3.14) times diameter (C=pD). If I have a 20 inch stick, the diameter of a twirl is 40 inches but the distance the tip travels is approximately 10.46 feet! That greater distance allows tremendous acceleration. With a 28 inch stick, the tip covers some 14.65 feet! All this is done with minimal hand travel; add a short "pump" to the motion and the effect can be devastating.
I've often demonstrated this by having someone hold out their stick for me to strike. First I hit it in as linear a motion as I can, as though I'm throwing a punch, a relatively weak hit given the lack of mass in the stick even compared to impact from a fist. Then I tell them to hold on tight as I strike with a twirl, moving my hand as little as possible. If the stick doesn't fly out of their hand (I warned them to hold on tight!) they'll certainly feel a much greater shock. If that had been their wrist, the fight likely would have been over.
Of course there are other reasons to twirl, such as reversals around blocks or for secondary hits to targets, or to hide intention before attacking a target, but as a hidden way to hit hard, it's something that is often overlooked.
The reason to twirl is to generate power in a very compact motion compared to a linear strike. If I throw a #1 strike (high right forehand) in a linear motion from a fully retracted position, my hand travels approximately 20 inches. I can add some arc, either by cocking my wrist or positioning the stick over my shoulder. Both add power, but affect timing because my hand has to travel the distance, and the over-the-shoulder position leaves my face unguarded. A twirl moves the tip of the stick a tremendous distance, further and more quickly than retracting and reversing direction.
Let's do some math. The circumference of a circle is pi (3.14) times diameter (C=pD). If I have a 20 inch stick, the diameter of a twirl is 40 inches but the distance the tip travels is approximately 10.46 feet! That greater distance allows tremendous acceleration. With a 28 inch stick, the tip covers some 14.65 feet! All this is done with minimal hand travel; add a short "pump" to the motion and the effect can be devastating.
I've often demonstrated this by having someone hold out their stick for me to strike. First I hit it in as linear a motion as I can, as though I'm throwing a punch, a relatively weak hit given the lack of mass in the stick even compared to impact from a fist. Then I tell them to hold on tight as I strike with a twirl, moving my hand as little as possible. If the stick doesn't fly out of their hand (I warned them to hold on tight!) they'll certainly feel a much greater shock. If that had been their wrist, the fight likely would have been over.
Of course there are other reasons to twirl, such as reversals around blocks or for secondary hits to targets, or to hide intention before attacking a target, but as a hidden way to hit hard, it's something that is often overlooked.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Stickman Escrima T-shirts now available! The silk-screened mandala image started as a photo of an array of training knives for an escrima club; the fist and stick were done by renowned rock 'n roll artist John Seabury, one of the featured artists in the book "Art of Rock".
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Ballistic Punching
Recently I've been reading up and watching video of Systema, a Russian system that's becoming more popular in the West. I see a lot of similarity with things I do, incorporating some of the concepts I've learned over the years from Aikido and Tai Chi as well as Escrima. One is something Val Riazanov call "ballistic punching", a term I've used as well to describe the idea. It involves relaxation, not tension; more like firing a bullet than pushing a car. Extreme examples, but to get the idea ...
Here's a simple example of how it works. Punch your fist into your opposite open palm. You can do it like a baseball player pounding the palm of his glove, just putting it in there so it sticks. Now keep doing this: stick, pull it out, repeatedly. Now throw one punch that's faster but not "harder" or deeper, just faster. Let it snap back on impact. Feel the difference in energy?
There are specialty spark plugs that have capacitors. This takes the incoming electrical charge, stores it for a millisecond and then discharges it in a much shorter but more intense burst of energy, resulting in a hotter spark. Just another analogy.
Saturday, June 02, 2012
Vallejo's Pistahan Festival sure appears successful. I say "appears" because I couldn't get in! It took maybe 15 minutes to drive there, then I spent longer than that looking for parking. It didn't help that there were dozens of cars ahead of me, circling block after block and double parking in hopes someone would leave. I finally gave up and went home. My consolation prize was stopping off in Hercules on the way and picking up some Filipino food. Choko's Cuisine had dinuguan today ... not bad!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Public Safety Video About Kitchen Oil Fires
This is a 30 second public service announcement about kitchen oil fires that I've had on my website for several years. It could save a life!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Marc Denny meets Arthur Gonzalez - GM to GM
Yesterday I went out to Lodi for the first meeting of GM Arthur Gonzalez of Tenio's Decuerdas Eskrima and GM Marc Denny of the Dog Brothers. Since I was the person who put them in touch with each other, I was very interested to see the results of my matchmaking. I met Art Gonzalez a little over a year ago and was immediately impressed with his no-nonsense down-to-earth approach to self-defense. I first met Marc Denny back in 1988 at the 1st National Eskrima Championships in San Jose, and I've appreciated his savvy in developing the Dog Brothers as an organization and as a vehicle for FMA education. I thought I saw a commonality in the approach of these two men, hence the introductions.
When I arrived at GM Gonzalez' home at 11am, Marc was already there, along with a couple of Art's students. I could tell right away that there was a good rapport between the two grandmasters, without any sign of formality or stiffness. It was raining, so we drove to the business district in Lodi where Art sometimes teaches at a student's location. There Art gave a 90 minute presentation of his system, introducing Marc to the concepts and principles of his approach. The half-dozen of us in the room practiced a few techniques for grappling against someone with a knife to get a taste of practical application. When I say a few techniques, I mean we were all drenched in sweat by the end of the session, and I for one was a little bit sore, the sign of a productive workout.
Afterward we all went to lunch, where discussion ranged from martial arts experiences to travel to neurolinguistic programming (NLP). By the time we broke, it was 4pm, and a few of us headed back to Art's place. There we practiced some flow drills in the yard until the rain picked up again, at which point we called it a day. When I left, Art and Marc were heading out again to meet some more of Art's friends. I could see a high level of respect between the two men, and what looks like the beginning of a new friendship.
When I arrived at GM Gonzalez' home at 11am, Marc was already there, along with a couple of Art's students. I could tell right away that there was a good rapport between the two grandmasters, without any sign of formality or stiffness. It was raining, so we drove to the business district in Lodi where Art sometimes teaches at a student's location. There Art gave a 90 minute presentation of his system, introducing Marc to the concepts and principles of his approach. The half-dozen of us in the room practiced a few techniques for grappling against someone with a knife to get a taste of practical application. When I say a few techniques, I mean we were all drenched in sweat by the end of the session, and I for one was a little bit sore, the sign of a productive workout.
Afterward we all went to lunch, where discussion ranged from martial arts experiences to travel to neurolinguistic programming (NLP). By the time we broke, it was 4pm, and a few of us headed back to Art's place. There we practiced some flow drills in the yard until the rain picked up again, at which point we called it a day. When I left, Art and Marc were heading out again to meet some more of Art's friends. I could see a high level of respect between the two men, and what looks like the beginning of a new friendship.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
2010 World Series has a Filipino twist
Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants and starting pitcher Tim Lincecum on their victory last night to open the 2010 World Series. What few people know is that Lincecum is half-Filipino on his mother's side.
In 2008 the Giants also became only the second major league baseball team to have a full-blooded Filipino on the roster. Geno Espinelo pitched one season before going back down to Giants' minor league affiliates. The first Filipino to play in the majors was Bobby Balcena, who briefly appeared with the Cincinnati Reds in 1956.
Of the three, Tim Lincecum is by far the most successful. Called up in 2007, he already has two Cy Young awards, in only his second and third seasons! He's known as "The Freak" because he generates so much power and control from a diminutive 160 lb. frame, using a highly unorthodox throwing style taught to him by his father.
Here's more from the Filipino American National Historical Society, documenting Lincecum's family roots in Stockton, California.
In 2008 the Giants also became only the second major league baseball team to have a full-blooded Filipino on the roster. Geno Espinelo pitched one season before going back down to Giants' minor league affiliates. The first Filipino to play in the majors was Bobby Balcena, who briefly appeared with the Cincinnati Reds in 1956.
Of the three, Tim Lincecum is by far the most successful. Called up in 2007, he already has two Cy Young awards, in only his second and third seasons! He's known as "The Freak" because he generates so much power and control from a diminutive 160 lb. frame, using a highly unorthodox throwing style taught to him by his father.
Here's more from the Filipino American National Historical Society, documenting Lincecum's family roots in Stockton, California.
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
An Odd Premonition
It is with sadness that I learned yesterday of the deaths of two pillars in the Filipino martial arts community, with the passing of grandmaster Ben Largusa and master Christopher "Topher" Ricketts. Ben Largusa, age 83, was head of the Villebrille-Largusa system and one of the early big-name instructors here in northern California. Christopher Ricketts, only age 55, was a protege of Tatang Ilustrisimo and the founder of the Bakbakan association. The following story, which I was already writing, begins some 72 hours prior to getting these messages .....
* * * * * * *
The weekend following Bruce Juchnik's event saw a different kind of gathering, a memorial service in Stockton on Saturday for the late Isidro Javier, a relatively unknown grandmaster from the Stockton area. This was attended by many from Bahalana, with whom he was associated, as well as folks from Serrada, the Kenpo community and more. There were speeches from those who knew him, and a few demos, including Chaz Tibon and Gelmar Cabales (Serrada), Dexter Labanog (Bahalana), Max Pallen (Cinco Teros). Among other notables present were Eric Lee and Glenn Abrescy.
I was pleased to see so many Serrada people in attendance. Virtually all the active teachers from the area were there with students, including grandmaster Vincent Cabales and masters Ron Saturno, Carlito Bonjoc, Darren Tibon and Jerry Preciado.
Again this is one of those things that makes Stockton so unique, that there is such a broad community linked by the Filipino martial arts. It's one thing to learn techniques, but there is something very much alive in meeting people and knowing the stories. Events such as this are markers in the history of the FMA, bringing people together to acknowledge a community that is bigger than the differences we use to define ourselves.
Years ago I read about how Yip Man would bring students along to tea houses, where he'd spend time with old friends. At the time the students did not always appreciate the invitation and were bored. I thought I understood how the "kung-fu life" included such ostensibly "teachable" moments, but one has to live a while to really begin to feel the connection of those roots. The art is a living thing which we experience, through the movement that we embody and through the stories which imprint value upon that knowledge.
The next morning, Sunday, I attended a Kilohana meeting at the invitation of Art Gonzalez, an association member and grandmaster of Decuerdas escrima. Kilohana is planning an FMA festival in 2011 and would like to expand involvement of the FMA community. Professor James Muro was there, and after the meeting I got to hear him share his wealth of knowledge about Decuerdas escrima, in which he holds a rare master's certificate from the late grandmaster Gilbert Tenio. Afterward I walked to lunch with Art Gonzalez and his crew, yet another opportunity to delve deeper into local escrima lore.
* * * * * * *
That night I had an odd dream. I was on an airplane with some top martial artists. Art Gonzalez was to my left, the others were sitting just ahead of us and I couldn't identify them. I knew the plane was going to crash and that I'd be alright, but a voice told me clearly that a couple would die. I awoke thinking "that was odd", and even mentioned it to my wife in the morning. Twenty-four hours later the emails arrived about Ben Largusa and Christopher Ricketts ....
* * * * * * *
The weekend following Bruce Juchnik's event saw a different kind of gathering, a memorial service in Stockton on Saturday for the late Isidro Javier, a relatively unknown grandmaster from the Stockton area. This was attended by many from Bahalana, with whom he was associated, as well as folks from Serrada, the Kenpo community and more. There were speeches from those who knew him, and a few demos, including Chaz Tibon and Gelmar Cabales (Serrada), Dexter Labanog (Bahalana), Max Pallen (Cinco Teros). Among other notables present were Eric Lee and Glenn Abrescy.
I was pleased to see so many Serrada people in attendance. Virtually all the active teachers from the area were there with students, including grandmaster Vincent Cabales and masters Ron Saturno, Carlito Bonjoc, Darren Tibon and Jerry Preciado.
Again this is one of those things that makes Stockton so unique, that there is such a broad community linked by the Filipino martial arts. It's one thing to learn techniques, but there is something very much alive in meeting people and knowing the stories. Events such as this are markers in the history of the FMA, bringing people together to acknowledge a community that is bigger than the differences we use to define ourselves.
Years ago I read about how Yip Man would bring students along to tea houses, where he'd spend time with old friends. At the time the students did not always appreciate the invitation and were bored. I thought I understood how the "kung-fu life" included such ostensibly "teachable" moments, but one has to live a while to really begin to feel the connection of those roots. The art is a living thing which we experience, through the movement that we embody and through the stories which imprint value upon that knowledge.
The next morning, Sunday, I attended a Kilohana meeting at the invitation of Art Gonzalez, an association member and grandmaster of Decuerdas escrima. Kilohana is planning an FMA festival in 2011 and would like to expand involvement of the FMA community. Professor James Muro was there, and after the meeting I got to hear him share his wealth of knowledge about Decuerdas escrima, in which he holds a rare master's certificate from the late grandmaster Gilbert Tenio. Afterward I walked to lunch with Art Gonzalez and his crew, yet another opportunity to delve deeper into local escrima lore.
* * * * * * *
That night I had an odd dream. I was on an airplane with some top martial artists. Art Gonzalez was to my left, the others were sitting just ahead of us and I couldn't identify them. I knew the plane was going to crash and that I'd be alright, but a voice told me clearly that a couple would die. I awoke thinking "that was odd", and even mentioned it to my wife in the morning. Twenty-four hours later the emails arrived about Ben Largusa and Christopher Ricketts ....
Bruce Juchnik's Sacramento Gathering
The past couple of weeks have had a lot of intense martial arts energy. The weekend before last I went up to Sacramento for Bruce Juchnik's annual martial arts gathering. It's a busy event, with dozens of instructors from nearly as many disciplines and styles.
The FMA were a popular draw, with participants filling the conference room to which we were assigned. That was the first problem; as I looked at all the people crowded together, most clutching double sticks, I knew this was going to be a challenge for all. The second problem was the number of instructors sharing a tight schedule, meaning each one only had 20 minutes to teach.
First up for the morning session was Graciella Casillas, who grasped the issue and immediately told everyone to put down one stick. Watching her perform Serrada was quite interesting. Everyone has their own idiosyncratic personal style, and there's something to be gleaned from seeing that diversity. Graciella still has very fast hands, one of the hallmarks that made her the first fighter to ever hold simultaneous world championships in boxing and kickboxing.
Next up was grandmaster Arthur Gonzalez of Tenio Decuerdas Eskrima. A large man with an intense manner, he projects a commanding air, reflected in techniques honed for the street. He taught a couple of no-nonsense close-quarter self-defense scenarios against a knife that were simple yet quite effective in their details.
Remy Presas Jr. followed, demonstrating disarms and joint locks with the single stick. His ability to flow through techniques impressed the crowd, leaving many wondering how he could make it look so easy!
I taught next, and went back to knife work largely because of the crowded room. I showed how and why to bring an attacker's weapon hand tight to the hip when doing an arm bar, then finished with a basic wrist lock to teach the principle of finding the open direction in any disarm.
After that things became a bit of a blur as I circulated the room helping the familiar instructors, who followed: Mata Sa Bagyo founder and Serrada master Carlito Bonjoc, Serrada grandmaster Vincent Cabales, and Serrada master Ron Saturno.
We broke for lunch after that, and a couple of car loads of folks from Decuerdas and Serrada drove to a Chinese buffet. Listening to Stockton natives reminisce about that town's FMA history is an education in itself. There was a time when Arthur Gonzalez was a teenager and his father had both Angel Cabales and Gilbert Tenio working for him. Arthur was stunned when he discovered their pictures in a martial arts magazine!
Those are the kind of roots that make Stockton such an authentic breeding ground for FMA here in the United States. Just as in the Philippines, there are generations of families and students who have trained over decades. It's a tough town, where the art has not just survived but thrived in response. It's a wonder more students in America don't visit this Mecca to train; it's certainly as real and intense as the Philippines, and a heck of a lot closer!
The afternoon session was largely dedicated to Pentjak Silat with Victor and Paul De Thouars, assisted by Bernard Langan and another whom I don't recall. As always, I love the deadly beauty and sophisticated knowledge of body mechanics found in Silat. Alfredo Bandolan spent his time on Doce Pares sparring. The last person up was Glenn Abrescy, but that segment ended abruptly when he had to go to a different session scheduled at that same time.
I've since heard that there were some teachers at this weekend who were upset at the brevity of time allotted, or felt they should have had more priority billing, but one feature of this gathering is that teachers are introduced by name and style, but not by rank. This is to level the playing field so that participants choose with whom to train based on the art alone. Regardless, the key to my weekend was getting to meet and socialize with some of the best martial artists on the planet.
The FMA were a popular draw, with participants filling the conference room to which we were assigned. That was the first problem; as I looked at all the people crowded together, most clutching double sticks, I knew this was going to be a challenge for all. The second problem was the number of instructors sharing a tight schedule, meaning each one only had 20 minutes to teach.
First up for the morning session was Graciella Casillas, who grasped the issue and immediately told everyone to put down one stick. Watching her perform Serrada was quite interesting. Everyone has their own idiosyncratic personal style, and there's something to be gleaned from seeing that diversity. Graciella still has very fast hands, one of the hallmarks that made her the first fighter to ever hold simultaneous world championships in boxing and kickboxing.
Next up was grandmaster Arthur Gonzalez of Tenio Decuerdas Eskrima. A large man with an intense manner, he projects a commanding air, reflected in techniques honed for the street. He taught a couple of no-nonsense close-quarter self-defense scenarios against a knife that were simple yet quite effective in their details.
Remy Presas Jr. followed, demonstrating disarms and joint locks with the single stick. His ability to flow through techniques impressed the crowd, leaving many wondering how he could make it look so easy!
I taught next, and went back to knife work largely because of the crowded room. I showed how and why to bring an attacker's weapon hand tight to the hip when doing an arm bar, then finished with a basic wrist lock to teach the principle of finding the open direction in any disarm.
After that things became a bit of a blur as I circulated the room helping the familiar instructors, who followed: Mata Sa Bagyo founder and Serrada master Carlito Bonjoc, Serrada grandmaster Vincent Cabales, and Serrada master Ron Saturno.
We broke for lunch after that, and a couple of car loads of folks from Decuerdas and Serrada drove to a Chinese buffet. Listening to Stockton natives reminisce about that town's FMA history is an education in itself. There was a time when Arthur Gonzalez was a teenager and his father had both Angel Cabales and Gilbert Tenio working for him. Arthur was stunned when he discovered their pictures in a martial arts magazine!
Those are the kind of roots that make Stockton such an authentic breeding ground for FMA here in the United States. Just as in the Philippines, there are generations of families and students who have trained over decades. It's a tough town, where the art has not just survived but thrived in response. It's a wonder more students in America don't visit this Mecca to train; it's certainly as real and intense as the Philippines, and a heck of a lot closer!
The afternoon session was largely dedicated to Pentjak Silat with Victor and Paul De Thouars, assisted by Bernard Langan and another whom I don't recall. As always, I love the deadly beauty and sophisticated knowledge of body mechanics found in Silat. Alfredo Bandolan spent his time on Doce Pares sparring. The last person up was Glenn Abrescy, but that segment ended abruptly when he had to go to a different session scheduled at that same time.
I've since heard that there were some teachers at this weekend who were upset at the brevity of time allotted, or felt they should have had more priority billing, but one feature of this gathering is that teachers are introduced by name and style, but not by rank. This is to level the playing field so that participants choose with whom to train based on the art alone. Regardless, the key to my weekend was getting to meet and socialize with some of the best martial artists on the planet.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Return of the longwinded blog
Okaaaaay ... It's been nearly 9 months since I posted on this blog, a new record for letting it slide. A lot has gone on in that time, some events worth noting, many more perhaps now forgotten. Writing, or at least making a stab at good writing, takes time. Unfortunately I've never yet earned a penny at it. It's a bit disillusioning when one's best talent is financially of such little worth, but the illusion of contributing to society makes up for that. Regardless of motivation, when the muse sings, it's time to write again. Signs appear, such as:
I've finally heard from my half-dozen loyal readers, scolding me for having been derelict;
I received a writing award, a bribe if I've ever seen one (and if it is, it's the first) - more on this later;
I met a prospective student who is even more prolific a writer than me; can't have that, y'know!
So here, with no further ado or mea culpas, is a brief update:
Cacoy Canete was scheduled for a seminar this summer at Ron Lew's Tiger Eye Claw school in San Jose, but due to health problems he was unable to leave the Philippines. Instead grandmaster Ron Lew, one of Cacoy's top proteges, filled in for him with an exemplary seminar on Escrido, demonstrating the effortless flow through endless locks that characterizes that form of FMA. Loved it!
My scheduled foray again this year to SoCal to do a seminar and help officiate the FMA part of the Long Beach Internationals was not quite so successful. Injuries had me sidelined, and I'm at the age where the slowdown of the healing process is no longer mere speculation. Despite a place in the seminar lineup, I ended up staying home that weekend. It was probably the right thing to do.
This year has seen interesting developments within the Serrada community. Back in February master Darren Tibon hosted the Legacy FMA tournament in Stockton. The day before the tournament was organized for seminars with participants from Tres Manos, Kombutan, Pakamut and Serrada. This was a particularly significant event for the Serrada participants, especially taking place in Stockton, because many had not seen each other in years. It was the first time since Angel's passing that so many of his students came together to teach and share with such brotherhood.
I won't go into further detail here; anyone interested in a more complete description of the event should refer to the FMA Digest March 2010 Special Edition "Legacy Seminar & Tournament", for which I was the principal contributor. The significance of the seminar has been a renewal of many positive ties within the Serrada community. It's been nearly 20 years since grandmaster Angel Cabales passed away, during which time most of us have gone our own ways and several organizations have sprung up. There's been enough time to now see who is still active in and dedicated to the art. Over these years we've all honed our personal skills, yet still it is clear that we are flowing from the same root source.
Here are a couple of things that have evolved since this event which affect me directly.
On June 21st I received a "Master of the Pen" award (along with Marc Lawrence) from Steven Dowd, publisher of the FMA Digest, for excellence in writing. I personally think of my write-up of the Legacy weekend as my masterpiece. It's certainly the most meaningful thing I think I've ever written, and I'm especially appreciative of this award coming in recognition of that as well as previous submissions to the Digest. Meanwhile, my mom hung around into her late 90's and still managed to miss seeing me get anything like this.
I'd like to put in a plug here: If you are someone who can write about the Filipino martial arts and wants to get published, contact the FMA Digest! Publications always need material to put out, and frankly, a lot of people promise but don't deliver, so here's a chance to contribute to the community and get some recognition for whom or whatever you choose to cover!
The other item of personal significance is that shortly before Labor Day I received a Master's certificate in Escrima. Frankly, it's a bit hard for me to write objectively about this. I take pride in accomplishments but I'm not much into self-aggrandizement; I jokingly refer to this as "my official getting old award", which is far more truthful than I'd like to admit. Still, this is a milestone for a couple of reasons, and important to acknowledge.
Officially the award was presented by grandmaster Anthony Davis through his World Serrada Escrima Federation. Anthony was the instructor to whom Angel Cabales entrusted my basic training, and though I've run my own program independently for the past two decades, we've come together many times at a number of events. Like the writing award, it's a symbolic honor recognizing my growth and contribution within the art over a 25 year period. Both this and the writing award were presented in a spirit of authenticity - no money changed hands, no favors were demanded - for which reason I was happy to accept these honors.
There's a bit more to this story though. There are those who would say (correctly) that this is not an official Cabales Serrada Escrima diploma. I always expected that my Advanced diploma from Angel would be my last promotion, since I've been independent of any formal organizational ties since the death or retirement of all my teachers. While Angel was alive I asked him twice about going for a Master's. The first time I wasn't ready and both of us knew it; the next time he acknowledged the request but was already too ill to proceed.
Forward to now ... Evidently Angel informed some of his master graduates that if three of them agreed to promote someone up to their level, they would have the authority to do so. This was only recently disclosed to me, and as far as I know I'm the first to receive such an upgrade. With the signatures of Angel Cabales' master graduates Ron Saturno, Jerry Preciado and Darren Tibon also affixed to the document, it feels like further validation of the progress I've made through the years. I've known and respected these men since we were all students under Angel. To them I express my humble thanks.
I'd also like to acknowledge promotions awarded by the WSEF to the following:
* Mila Davis received a grandmaster certificate. She has been both training and life partner to GM Anthony Davis for 35 years.
* Tasi Alo received a grandmaster certificate. He has been a close associate and training partner with Anthony Davis for over 30 years and is also currently recognized as grandmaster in the GMT system.
* Darren Tibon received a grandmaster certificate as well. In my mind I've considered Darren a grandmaster for some time. If building a strong school and lineage is what defines the term, Darren is someone who has walked the walk.
* Last but not least, Ronnie Saturno was presented a grandmaster award from the WSEF. Ron was with Angel long before I came on the scene, though it's only recently that I've come to know him better. He's a wellspring of knowledge not just about Serrada or martial arts, but is a deep thinker on many subjects and a hidden treasure whom I feel is fully deserving of such recognition.
I applaud all of them for the hard work they've done for Serrada and Angel's legacy!
For my part, I realize this isn't a retirement award (not quite that old yet anyway) but an incentive to step up and re-energize my own endeavors within the art. The blog is part of it. A training manual, which Angel wanted for new students, and for which I had plans long ago, should get off the shelf. There's other projects, such as the CAD/CAM I'm learning for CNC machining. My "sparring grade" barongs, bolos and knives are showing up in the hands of top instructors on the West Coast, such as Remy Presas Jr., Alex France, Vincent Cabales, Darren Tibon, Anthony Davis and others.
Teaching is still to me the biggest part of it, what keeps my mind active and my body ... well ... still moving (and that's much better than the alternative!) I'd like to thank my students, in particular Jonathan Winter and Josh Newman, for keeping me on my toes and forcing me to always go deeper to find the answers.
Life hands us these moments. Many young men are bemused when they first begin hearing themselves addressed as "Mr." since that was a title previously associated with a father or other adults, but soon it becomes common to the ear. So I presume it will be with the lofty resonance of "master", which now separates me from the young bucks who are working hard to establish their identities. Having heard myself introduced more and more often as "master Finder" at FMA events, I've already given up on correcting those introductions, since it just seemed rude to contradict such politeness. It's also my excuse not to dye my hair dark again, since "silver" is getting me so much more respect.
Organically it's the passing of the torch from generation to generation. Just as Angel Cabales used to call himself the master of Escrima, as many of his students became recognized in their own rights, people began to call him grandmaster until finally he adopted the term. That kind of progression, taking the mantle of responsibility for carrying the art forward, is happening with my generation now. We need to move forward ourselves to create space for those coming up after us. In the end, titles and awards are no more nor less than what we make of them. It is in the sharing of experience that we provide meaning.
As an old saying goes, "Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water."
I've finally heard from my half-dozen loyal readers, scolding me for having been derelict;
I received a writing award, a bribe if I've ever seen one (and if it is, it's the first) - more on this later;
I met a prospective student who is even more prolific a writer than me; can't have that, y'know!
So here, with no further ado or mea culpas, is a brief update:
Cacoy Canete was scheduled for a seminar this summer at Ron Lew's Tiger Eye Claw school in San Jose, but due to health problems he was unable to leave the Philippines. Instead grandmaster Ron Lew, one of Cacoy's top proteges, filled in for him with an exemplary seminar on Escrido, demonstrating the effortless flow through endless locks that characterizes that form of FMA. Loved it!
My scheduled foray again this year to SoCal to do a seminar and help officiate the FMA part of the Long Beach Internationals was not quite so successful. Injuries had me sidelined, and I'm at the age where the slowdown of the healing process is no longer mere speculation. Despite a place in the seminar lineup, I ended up staying home that weekend. It was probably the right thing to do.
This year has seen interesting developments within the Serrada community. Back in February master Darren Tibon hosted the Legacy FMA tournament in Stockton. The day before the tournament was organized for seminars with participants from Tres Manos, Kombutan, Pakamut and Serrada. This was a particularly significant event for the Serrada participants, especially taking place in Stockton, because many had not seen each other in years. It was the first time since Angel's passing that so many of his students came together to teach and share with such brotherhood.
I won't go into further detail here; anyone interested in a more complete description of the event should refer to the FMA Digest March 2010 Special Edition "Legacy Seminar & Tournament", for which I was the principal contributor. The significance of the seminar has been a renewal of many positive ties within the Serrada community. It's been nearly 20 years since grandmaster Angel Cabales passed away, during which time most of us have gone our own ways and several organizations have sprung up. There's been enough time to now see who is still active in and dedicated to the art. Over these years we've all honed our personal skills, yet still it is clear that we are flowing from the same root source.
Here are a couple of things that have evolved since this event which affect me directly.
On June 21st I received a "Master of the Pen" award (along with Marc Lawrence) from Steven Dowd, publisher of the FMA Digest, for excellence in writing. I personally think of my write-up of the Legacy weekend as my masterpiece. It's certainly the most meaningful thing I think I've ever written, and I'm especially appreciative of this award coming in recognition of that as well as previous submissions to the Digest. Meanwhile, my mom hung around into her late 90's and still managed to miss seeing me get anything like this.
I'd like to put in a plug here: If you are someone who can write about the Filipino martial arts and wants to get published, contact the FMA Digest! Publications always need material to put out, and frankly, a lot of people promise but don't deliver, so here's a chance to contribute to the community and get some recognition for whom or whatever you choose to cover!
The other item of personal significance is that shortly before Labor Day I received a Master's certificate in Escrima. Frankly, it's a bit hard for me to write objectively about this. I take pride in accomplishments but I'm not much into self-aggrandizement; I jokingly refer to this as "my official getting old award", which is far more truthful than I'd like to admit. Still, this is a milestone for a couple of reasons, and important to acknowledge.
Officially the award was presented by grandmaster Anthony Davis through his World Serrada Escrima Federation. Anthony was the instructor to whom Angel Cabales entrusted my basic training, and though I've run my own program independently for the past two decades, we've come together many times at a number of events. Like the writing award, it's a symbolic honor recognizing my growth and contribution within the art over a 25 year period. Both this and the writing award were presented in a spirit of authenticity - no money changed hands, no favors were demanded - for which reason I was happy to accept these honors.
There's a bit more to this story though. There are those who would say (correctly) that this is not an official Cabales Serrada Escrima diploma. I always expected that my Advanced diploma from Angel would be my last promotion, since I've been independent of any formal organizational ties since the death or retirement of all my teachers. While Angel was alive I asked him twice about going for a Master's. The first time I wasn't ready and both of us knew it; the next time he acknowledged the request but was already too ill to proceed.
Forward to now ... Evidently Angel informed some of his master graduates that if three of them agreed to promote someone up to their level, they would have the authority to do so. This was only recently disclosed to me, and as far as I know I'm the first to receive such an upgrade. With the signatures of Angel Cabales' master graduates Ron Saturno, Jerry Preciado and Darren Tibon also affixed to the document, it feels like further validation of the progress I've made through the years. I've known and respected these men since we were all students under Angel. To them I express my humble thanks.
I'd also like to acknowledge promotions awarded by the WSEF to the following:
* Mila Davis received a grandmaster certificate. She has been both training and life partner to GM Anthony Davis for 35 years.
* Tasi Alo received a grandmaster certificate. He has been a close associate and training partner with Anthony Davis for over 30 years and is also currently recognized as grandmaster in the GMT system.
* Darren Tibon received a grandmaster certificate as well. In my mind I've considered Darren a grandmaster for some time. If building a strong school and lineage is what defines the term, Darren is someone who has walked the walk.
* Last but not least, Ronnie Saturno was presented a grandmaster award from the WSEF. Ron was with Angel long before I came on the scene, though it's only recently that I've come to know him better. He's a wellspring of knowledge not just about Serrada or martial arts, but is a deep thinker on many subjects and a hidden treasure whom I feel is fully deserving of such recognition.
I applaud all of them for the hard work they've done for Serrada and Angel's legacy!
For my part, I realize this isn't a retirement award (not quite that old yet anyway) but an incentive to step up and re-energize my own endeavors within the art. The blog is part of it. A training manual, which Angel wanted for new students, and for which I had plans long ago, should get off the shelf. There's other projects, such as the CAD/CAM I'm learning for CNC machining. My "sparring grade" barongs, bolos and knives are showing up in the hands of top instructors on the West Coast, such as Remy Presas Jr., Alex France, Vincent Cabales, Darren Tibon, Anthony Davis and others.
Teaching is still to me the biggest part of it, what keeps my mind active and my body ... well ... still moving (and that's much better than the alternative!) I'd like to thank my students, in particular Jonathan Winter and Josh Newman, for keeping me on my toes and forcing me to always go deeper to find the answers.
Life hands us these moments. Many young men are bemused when they first begin hearing themselves addressed as "Mr." since that was a title previously associated with a father or other adults, but soon it becomes common to the ear. So I presume it will be with the lofty resonance of "master", which now separates me from the young bucks who are working hard to establish their identities. Having heard myself introduced more and more often as "master Finder" at FMA events, I've already given up on correcting those introductions, since it just seemed rude to contradict such politeness. It's also my excuse not to dye my hair dark again, since "silver" is getting me so much more respect.
Organically it's the passing of the torch from generation to generation. Just as Angel Cabales used to call himself the master of Escrima, as many of his students became recognized in their own rights, people began to call him grandmaster until finally he adopted the term. That kind of progression, taking the mantle of responsibility for carrying the art forward, is happening with my generation now. We need to move forward ourselves to create space for those coming up after us. In the end, titles and awards are no more nor less than what we make of them. It is in the sharing of experience that we provide meaning.
As an old saying goes, "Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water."
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Stockton Legacy Tournament Feb. 20-21st
The United States FMA Federation is hosting a two-day event this coming February 20-21st in Stockton California. The Saturday portion consists of nine scheduled seminars through the day, followed by a tournament on Sunday.
With five seminar slots scheduled with different graduate students of the late grandmaster Angel Cabales, this event should be of particular interest to Serrada practitioners, bringing together for the first time these instructors, representing over 125 years of collective experience in this system.
http://www.usfmaf.org/Events/future/USFMAF_Legacy_seminar-tournament.pdf
With five seminar slots scheduled with different graduate students of the late grandmaster Angel Cabales, this event should be of particular interest to Serrada practitioners, bringing together for the first time these instructors, representing over 125 years of collective experience in this system.
http://www.usfmaf.org/Events/future/USFMAF_Legacy_seminar-tournament.pdf
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Eskabo Daan Grand Opening
Eskabo Daan Grand Opening
November 7th was the opening of grandmaster Robert Castro’s Eskabo Daan school in San Francisco, and it certainly kicked off in grand style with drumming and demonstrations throughout the day.
This is a significant milestone not only for grandmaster and founder Robert Castro and the growth of his system, but also for the Filipino martial arts community in general. While there are many people teaching here in the Bay Area nowadays, almost all are using facilities such as other martial art schools, recreation centers, homes or parks (I’ve done all four). GM Castro’s school is special in that it is dedictated first and foremost to the FMA, thus putting a very public face on these arts that are still unknown to most.
Given GM Castro’s years of networking in martial arts, the opening was well attended by masters and grandmasters from throughout California. Balintawak was represented by GM Ver Villasin from Vallejo and GM Nene from Los Angeles, Tapado by GM Joe Tan, Senkotiros by GM Max Pallen, Kajukenbo by GM Emil Bautiste, Kombatan by master Alex France, and Serrada by master Ron Saturno, just to name a few.
The school facility itself is a fantastic resource, with large training spaces on two different floors. Robert understands feng shui, putting a lot of thought into creating his environment. The street level uses simple colors, mirrors, and a waterfall facing the entrance and windows for a sense of harmonious balance while emphasizing the public nature of this space.
Go down the narrow twisting passageway into the basement and you have the gritty feeling of an old-school private boxing gym, with mats, heavy bags, weights and other training gear. The two floors are yin and yang to each other, and a rare and fascinating combination to find in one school.
With a place like this, Robert plans to promote seminars. His first event hosted legendary Leo Fong, a martial arts pioneer, promoter and author who produced influential books on cross-training and conditioning for martial artists, as well as works on various martial arts that helped introduce them to the West.
Eskabo Daan is located at 1920 Polk St., San Francisco; (415)674-4388.
November 7th was the opening of grandmaster Robert Castro’s Eskabo Daan school in San Francisco, and it certainly kicked off in grand style with drumming and demonstrations throughout the day.
This is a significant milestone not only for grandmaster and founder Robert Castro and the growth of his system, but also for the Filipino martial arts community in general. While there are many people teaching here in the Bay Area nowadays, almost all are using facilities such as other martial art schools, recreation centers, homes or parks (I’ve done all four). GM Castro’s school is special in that it is dedictated first and foremost to the FMA, thus putting a very public face on these arts that are still unknown to most.
Given GM Castro’s years of networking in martial arts, the opening was well attended by masters and grandmasters from throughout California. Balintawak was represented by GM Ver Villasin from Vallejo and GM Nene from Los Angeles, Tapado by GM Joe Tan, Senkotiros by GM Max Pallen, Kajukenbo by GM Emil Bautiste, Kombatan by master Alex France, and Serrada by master Ron Saturno, just to name a few.
The school facility itself is a fantastic resource, with large training spaces on two different floors. Robert understands feng shui, putting a lot of thought into creating his environment. The street level uses simple colors, mirrors, and a waterfall facing the entrance and windows for a sense of harmonious balance while emphasizing the public nature of this space.
Go down the narrow twisting passageway into the basement and you have the gritty feeling of an old-school private boxing gym, with mats, heavy bags, weights and other training gear. The two floors are yin and yang to each other, and a rare and fascinating combination to find in one school.
With a place like this, Robert plans to promote seminars. His first event hosted legendary Leo Fong, a martial arts pioneer, promoter and author who produced influential books on cross-training and conditioning for martial artists, as well as works on various martial arts that helped introduce them to the West.
Eskabo Daan is located at 1920 Polk St., San Francisco; (415)674-4388.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Autumn Leaves
It’s a warm and sunny late October afternoon. The elm trees are starting to drop their leaves; I’m raking the back yard in preparation for a class. I breathe deeply and take in the fresh air and suddenly what began as a necessary settles into a timeless meditative rhythm, connecting me to every martial art student who has ever swept a dojo floor. The scratching of the rake as it creates little piles of the fallen leaves puts me in a reflective state, bringing to mind an awareness of mortality, a reality that once again has encroached on the ego’s illusion of stability in an ever-changing world.
In early August Kajukenbo’s Professor Charles Gaylord passed away. Though I only met him a couple of times at Sifu Mark Gerry’s home, our conversations were both casual and intimate, sharing a love of martial arts. I wish I'd known him better.
Then this past week I heard that Art Gitlin had just died. Art was the founder of the Haak Lung school, originally located in Alameda, and was the former editor of Soldier of Fortune magazine. I lost track of Art when he moved the school to Lafayette. A few months ago I ran into his wife Sue Thomas, herself one of the highest ranking women in Kajukenbo, and learned that Art was ailing. I said I’d come by to visit, but I never made it by, to my regret. Again, though I only met Art a couple of times, he was someone who left an impression not easily fogotten.
It’s funny how our perception of time’s passage can be elastic. Boredom or nervous anticipation can stretch on endlessly while good times are over oh-so-quickly. A split second can be enough time to notice a myriad of small details in sparring, or in an accident. Aging itself alters and distorts our awareness of time’s passage. When I was little, my grandfather explained it in a way I’ve never forgotten. The time between one’s 6th and 7th birthday represents 1/7th of your life, so waiting for your birthday seems like forever. At age 80, however, that year only represents 1/80th of your life, and as a much smaller percentage, it seems to pass so much more quickly.
So here it is, nearly the end of October. I barely remember the start of the month; in fact, mentally I still feel stuck somewhere back in July. Though I can easily recall logically where I’ve been and when over the past several months, emotionally things move at a different pace.
The ancient Greeks had different concepts for time. Kronos is clock time, how we keep track of daily events. Kairos is spiritual time, in which events unfold organically, such as seasons or phases of life. I think martial art training partakes a bit of both. We need kronos to get us to classes and workouts, but actual training is timeless; all we have in that moment is presence in the Now, and while we can hope for advancement and promotions according to plans or schedules, true progress is not linear.
I’ve often thought of growth like building a dam in stages. After the dam is built, it takes time for water to fill in the reservoir behind it. Once it’s full, the dam can be raised, and again it takes time for the water to reach the top. Only when our skills and knowledge have reached the level of our container are we ready and able to raise the bar, setting a new goal to fulfill.
The leaves are raked; I’m waiting for my students to arrive. As these thoughts have crossed my mind, I thank those who have contributed to my being here today, doing what I love, recognizing in return that the knowledge they’ve shared is now my obligation to pass on to others. We are just links in a chain, and if we don’t complete the ccycle, all that has been gained from previous generations down to ours will disappear as though it had never been …
In early August Kajukenbo’s Professor Charles Gaylord passed away. Though I only met him a couple of times at Sifu Mark Gerry’s home, our conversations were both casual and intimate, sharing a love of martial arts. I wish I'd known him better.
Then this past week I heard that Art Gitlin had just died. Art was the founder of the Haak Lung school, originally located in Alameda, and was the former editor of Soldier of Fortune magazine. I lost track of Art when he moved the school to Lafayette. A few months ago I ran into his wife Sue Thomas, herself one of the highest ranking women in Kajukenbo, and learned that Art was ailing. I said I’d come by to visit, but I never made it by, to my regret. Again, though I only met Art a couple of times, he was someone who left an impression not easily fogotten.
It’s funny how our perception of time’s passage can be elastic. Boredom or nervous anticipation can stretch on endlessly while good times are over oh-so-quickly. A split second can be enough time to notice a myriad of small details in sparring, or in an accident. Aging itself alters and distorts our awareness of time’s passage. When I was little, my grandfather explained it in a way I’ve never forgotten. The time between one’s 6th and 7th birthday represents 1/7th of your life, so waiting for your birthday seems like forever. At age 80, however, that year only represents 1/80th of your life, and as a much smaller percentage, it seems to pass so much more quickly.
So here it is, nearly the end of October. I barely remember the start of the month; in fact, mentally I still feel stuck somewhere back in July. Though I can easily recall logically where I’ve been and when over the past several months, emotionally things move at a different pace.
The ancient Greeks had different concepts for time. Kronos is clock time, how we keep track of daily events. Kairos is spiritual time, in which events unfold organically, such as seasons or phases of life. I think martial art training partakes a bit of both. We need kronos to get us to classes and workouts, but actual training is timeless; all we have in that moment is presence in the Now, and while we can hope for advancement and promotions according to plans or schedules, true progress is not linear.
I’ve often thought of growth like building a dam in stages. After the dam is built, it takes time for water to fill in the reservoir behind it. Once it’s full, the dam can be raised, and again it takes time for the water to reach the top. Only when our skills and knowledge have reached the level of our container are we ready and able to raise the bar, setting a new goal to fulfill.
The leaves are raked; I’m waiting for my students to arrive. As these thoughts have crossed my mind, I thank those who have contributed to my being here today, doing what I love, recognizing in return that the knowledge they’ve shared is now my obligation to pass on to others. We are just links in a chain, and if we don’t complete the ccycle, all that has been gained from previous generations down to ours will disappear as though it had never been …
Upcoming Bay Area November Events
Saturday November 7th, GM Rob Castro is having a grand opening of his new Eskabo Daan headquarters in San Francisco at 1920 Polk Street (cross street Pacific) from 10:30am to about 4:30pm. Donations will be collected for Philippine relief aid for the recent typhoons, to be delivered to the Philippine consulate.
For those who wish to make donations outside of government channels (there are many complaints of poor distribution or corruption, which I am not in a position to verify) the following link with alternate resources was left in response to my earlier blog about the typhoon floods:
http://diskorner.blogspot.com/2009/10/where-to-donate.html
The following Saturday, November 14, GM Ted Sotelo will be hosting an escrima clinic at the BITW, 2661 Alvarado St, San Leandro. This is geared primarily towards preparing Kajukenbo practitioners for stick fighting competition. For information regarding times and directions, the phone number is (510) 347-2939.
For those who wish to make donations outside of government channels (there are many complaints of poor distribution or corruption, which I am not in a position to verify) the following link with alternate resources was left in response to my earlier blog about the typhoon floods:
http://diskorner.blogspot.com/2009/10/where-to-donate.html
The following Saturday, November 14, GM Ted Sotelo will be hosting an escrima clinic at the BITW, 2661 Alvarado St, San Leandro. This is geared primarily towards preparing Kajukenbo practitioners for stick fighting competition. For information regarding times and directions, the phone number is (510) 347-2939.
Friday, October 02, 2009
The Great Rattan Shortage of 2009
I've been quite surprised at the shortage of rattan over the past 2 months. I've checked my usual sources and they have no idea when they'll be able to restock! I've got orders I can't fill and I've been turning away other customers looking for rattan. One possibility is that the Society For Creative Anachronisms (SCA) has adapted many of their weapons to rattan, and with their upcoming Fall tournaments, perhaps there has been a run on sources.
I'll say this for the SCA, from a small backyard Berkeley event they've grown into a huge international community, and the quality of armor and weaponry they use for tourney sparring is far beyond what we settle for in the FMA, which has had very little innovation in these areas. I know there is some cross-over between the SCA and FMA practitioners, but I doubt we'll see many half-garbed "natives" taking on armored SCA fighters. Lapu-Lapu and his men defeated Magellan with superior numbers and tactical position, but I don't think the SCA will offer similar odds.
I'll say this for the SCA, from a small backyard Berkeley event they've grown into a huge international community, and the quality of armor and weaponry they use for tourney sparring is far beyond what we settle for in the FMA, which has had very little innovation in these areas. I know there is some cross-over between the SCA and FMA practitioners, but I doubt we'll see many half-garbed "natives" taking on armored SCA fighters. Lapu-Lapu and his men defeated Magellan with superior numbers and tactical position, but I don't think the SCA will offer similar odds.
Typhoons wracking the Philippines.
Last week northern parts of the Philippines were hit hard by typhoon Ketsana (called "Ondoy" there - Photos). As I write this, the country is bracing for a second assault by incoming typhoon Parma (also, apparently known there as "Pepeng"), which is expected to have a tsunami-like storm surge.
It's been a tough week on the far side of the Pacific Rim, with earthquakes in Indonesia and Tonga, the latter creating devastating tsunamis in Samoa. I've been reading about organized efforts by the local Samoan community to send aid overseas, and there are similar efforts directed to the Philippines being organized in the upstate NY area. The following is one of the messages I've received:
"As most of you may already know, the Philippine islands have been hit by Tsunami Ondoy. The effects of this tsunami were so severe that over a quarter of a million people have been displaced from their homes. In an attempt to help these people in their time of need, we will be collecting donations at the Buffalo Martial Arts and Fitness Expo. Seeing that the Can-Am Filipino Martial Arts Summit is taking place at the Expo, we felt that it would be appropriate to set up a station for those who wished to donate. We will be accepting cash, money orders and PayPal donations. This money will then be sent to the Filipino Red Cross. For those who are planning sizeable donations, we recommend sending the funds directly to the Filipino Red Cross. If you need help making your donation through PayPal, please do not hesitate to contact us.
In case you have not received information on the Buffalo Martial Arts & Fitness Expo or the Can-Am Filipino Martial Arts Summit, we are attaching all the pertinent information.
Datu Tim Hartman
World Modern Arnis Alliance
Buffalo Martial Arts & Fitness Expo
Horizon Martial Arts
So far I'm quite surprised at the lack of similar outreach by the FMA community here in California (and apologies if I'm simply uninformed). I've been in several mostly Filipino places in the past few days (restaurant, community center) and have yet to see any kind of local response, including any emails from the usual sources.
It's been a tough week on the far side of the Pacific Rim, with earthquakes in Indonesia and Tonga, the latter creating devastating tsunamis in Samoa. I've been reading about organized efforts by the local Samoan community to send aid overseas, and there are similar efforts directed to the Philippines being organized in the upstate NY area. The following is one of the messages I've received:
"As most of you may already know, the Philippine islands have been hit by Tsunami Ondoy. The effects of this tsunami were so severe that over a quarter of a million people have been displaced from their homes. In an attempt to help these people in their time of need, we will be collecting donations at the Buffalo Martial Arts and Fitness Expo. Seeing that the Can-Am Filipino Martial Arts Summit is taking place at the Expo, we felt that it would be appropriate to set up a station for those who wished to donate. We will be accepting cash, money orders and PayPal donations. This money will then be sent to the Filipino Red Cross. For those who are planning sizeable donations, we recommend sending the funds directly to the Filipino Red Cross. If you need help making your donation through PayPal, please do not hesitate to contact us.
In case you have not received information on the Buffalo Martial Arts & Fitness Expo or the Can-Am Filipino Martial Arts Summit, we are attaching all the pertinent information.
Datu Tim Hartman
World Modern Arnis Alliance
Buffalo Martial Arts & Fitness Expo
Horizon Martial Arts
So far I'm quite surprised at the lack of similar outreach by the FMA community here in California (and apologies if I'm simply uninformed). I've been in several mostly Filipino places in the past few days (restaurant, community center) and have yet to see any kind of local response, including any emails from the usual sources.
Once again it’s taken me a long time to get back to blogging. A lot has happened, and I hate to catch up, or maybe I should call this ketchup, because it will have about 57 ingredients, like Heinz.
I’ll start where I meant to jump back in, with Cacoy Canete’s seminar at Ron Lew’s “Tiger Eye Claw Center” in San Jose, Ca. back in July. First, last, and just about everything in-between, Cacoy was amazing. There he was, about a month shy of his 90th birthday, actively demonstrating to a packed house ( and I’ll bet that kind of energy keeps him going!) What was astonishing to me was that he looked so much better than when I saw him about two years ago (and perhaps he was just tired that day).
Poor Junior Cautiveria, a senior master in his own right, got to play uke this time. I say poor, because so many of us were struggling to figure out the nuances of Cacoy’s techniques, he finally begged us (half in jest) to hurry up and get it so he wouldn’t have to take too many more of Cacoy’s demonstrations!
Lots of interesting people show up at Cacoy’s events. Tom Meadows made it up from the coastal hinterlands. We met in 1989 as teammates in the Philippines, where we attended Cacoy’s 70th birthday in Cebu, so this had a bit of a reunion feeling to it.
I had a great time working out for awhile with a tough looking guy with the physique and intensity of a pro linebacker. Joe, as he introduced himself simply, was one of the Kajukenbo guys there from Benicia, so I correctly surmised he trained with grandmaster Emil Bautista. Well “Joe”, as it turns out, is Professor Joseph Bautista, a legendary competitor, 8th dan in Kajukenbo and Emil Bautista’s kid! There I was, handing out pointers; sometimes it’s better NOT to know who your partner is …!
My other big summer trip (it kinda feels like pulling out the slideshow here – LOL) was a four day swing down to southern California for the Long Beach Internationals. I was there to help officiate as a judge for the USFMAF. Interestingly, WEKAF had the adjacent ring, so there was a lot of FMA action all weekend in the corner of the auditorium nearest the entrance.
While fighting was separate for the two organizations, forms were combined because there were only about a dozen competitors in those divisions. Some of us on the judges’ panel have been active in both organizations, and basically most of us have gotten to know each other over the years, so it was nice to see how smoothly this went off.
Now here’s two things I’ve observed about these competitions. First, there are 10 year old kids from karate schools who can run rings around most FMA players when it comes to forms, and second, very few non-FMA forms competitors will get in the ring to fight with weapons.
Both of these are the result of training priorities. Most martial arts forms competitors go through their routines hundreds, if not thousands, of times. Many are fast and flashy, opting to demonstrate with things like shiny ultralight aluminum staffs that can’t take a blow. Those are not the attributes for which most FMA’ers train. There certainly are formidable weapons experts out there in many disciplines, but just like the FMA, how many of the top people actually compete in fighting?
The other thing is publicity. The USFMAF has the right idea with the “Cultural Challenge”, opening up the ring to anyone from any style, using a variety of padded weapons representing sticks, swords, staffs, spear, naginata and shield. As this was created in conjunction with the Chanbara association, I was expecting a deluge of Japanese and other stylists to try it out. Unfortunately that didn’t happen, and so a handful of FMA players got to have fun amongst themselves.
The fact seems, however, that most people attending a major competition are doing so under the particular auspices of a home federation and are unlikely to spend time or money once there to step outside of that sanctuary to try something so unfamiliar. This is nothing new, as even Narrie Babao’s legendary precedent had only three competitors!
Participation within larger martial arts competitions is a key to recruitment. It’s how I found my way into the art, meeting GM Angel Cabales at a Max Pallen tournament. To a certain extent, the FMA remain an exclusive “insiders art”, and so I’ve seen some organizations sponsor events in direct competition with each other on the same dates. This is unfortunate because it dilutes participation at both venues, having a threefold effect.:
* First, it promotes division rather than camaraderie between FMA schools and organizations.
* Second, it reduces quantity and quality of competition and officiating.
* Third, smaller turnouts make it harder for small promoters to stay in the game, or to get larger promoters to make room at their venues.
Aside from all that, the fun part of the tournament was seeing some great performances and meeting old and new friends, most memorably Kalimaya Herrera and Eric Lee among the former, and Jose Rogers among the latter.
On the way back from Long Beach I stopped overnight to visit Anthony and Mary Delongis at their ranch up in canyon country. I’ve known Anthony through Tom Meadows’ Latigo y Daga Association but this was the first time I’ve actually met him. Anthony is a professional martial arts coach and actor, having trained Hollywood stars such as Harrison Ford and Halle Berry, plus his cameo appearance as the swordsman facing Jet Lee in the opening fight in Fearless. He’s also been featured on tv programs such as Extreme Marksmen, so a visit to his ranch was quite a treat.
Now I’ve managed to collect a few weapons over the years, which I like to hang on the walls for display, but there are a few places that make me drool with envy. Sid Campbell’s dojo was one such place. Anthony’s is another. It’s funny how one can feel so comfortable when everyone is within reach of something potentially nasty. As Robert Heinlein famously said, “an armed society is a polite society”.
My last lasting impression of this trip was how much I dislike and distrust so many other drivers. The Friday drive to SoCal wasn’t too bad, but the Monday drive heading back north was nightmarish. Why is it, with traffic doing 90 mph and packed like sardines, literally at parallel parking distances, people think they have the right (or sanity) to simply squeeze into places that don’t exist?
There are consequences (I’m surprised there are not more). I got out to stretch my legs and sit down in the fast lane of I-5 at 2 PM, while the CHP blocked the road about 50 yards up so a helicopter could land to take away victims of an ugly wreck. It was 104°; I had to tell the two blonde cougars in front of me to put up the top of their convertible before they roasted from rare to well-done. By the time the freeway opened half an hour later, I’d gone through all the water in the car, clearly both a planning and tactical error to get caught short. When the road re-opened, I was near the front; fast driving, little congestion. Behind me the freeway was stacked for miles. The simple act of pulling off to get more fluids resulted in the nightmare derby for the next five hour marathon drive. I’ve been up and down the state many times before, but without a doubt, this drive was the worst.
Finally, I got some interesting feedbacks through the grapevine about this blog. Twice in the past couple of months I’ve had near-strangers, top martial artists both, tell me Ted Sotelo wanted to thank me for something I wrote on here. Ted, if you get this, thank you in return, and you are most welcome. For the record, I’ve never met Ted. I only hear him spoken of in the highest regard by folks like Tom Meadows. GM Ron Lew laughed when he said Ted turns him into a pretzel (we were discussing Cacoy’s Eskrido) while I simply gulped because that’s what Ron does to me. Clearly these guys are well above my pay grade!
On the serious side, though, the point of resonance is human mortality. In the past 3-4 years I’ve attended more funerals than my entire life prior till then. We say goodbye to those who raised us, even as we start saying goodbye to those with whom we were raised. Generally speaking, most young people have experienced little such loss , but as we get older we are reminded more and more often of the brief time we have here.
I’ll start where I meant to jump back in, with Cacoy Canete’s seminar at Ron Lew’s “Tiger Eye Claw Center” in San Jose, Ca. back in July. First, last, and just about everything in-between, Cacoy was amazing. There he was, about a month shy of his 90th birthday, actively demonstrating to a packed house ( and I’ll bet that kind of energy keeps him going!) What was astonishing to me was that he looked so much better than when I saw him about two years ago (and perhaps he was just tired that day).
Poor Junior Cautiveria, a senior master in his own right, got to play uke this time. I say poor, because so many of us were struggling to figure out the nuances of Cacoy’s techniques, he finally begged us (half in jest) to hurry up and get it so he wouldn’t have to take too many more of Cacoy’s demonstrations!
Lots of interesting people show up at Cacoy’s events. Tom Meadows made it up from the coastal hinterlands. We met in 1989 as teammates in the Philippines, where we attended Cacoy’s 70th birthday in Cebu, so this had a bit of a reunion feeling to it.
I had a great time working out for awhile with a tough looking guy with the physique and intensity of a pro linebacker. Joe, as he introduced himself simply, was one of the Kajukenbo guys there from Benicia, so I correctly surmised he trained with grandmaster Emil Bautista. Well “Joe”, as it turns out, is Professor Joseph Bautista, a legendary competitor, 8th dan in Kajukenbo and Emil Bautista’s kid! There I was, handing out pointers; sometimes it’s better NOT to know who your partner is …!
My other big summer trip (it kinda feels like pulling out the slideshow here – LOL) was a four day swing down to southern California for the Long Beach Internationals. I was there to help officiate as a judge for the USFMAF. Interestingly, WEKAF had the adjacent ring, so there was a lot of FMA action all weekend in the corner of the auditorium nearest the entrance.
While fighting was separate for the two organizations, forms were combined because there were only about a dozen competitors in those divisions. Some of us on the judges’ panel have been active in both organizations, and basically most of us have gotten to know each other over the years, so it was nice to see how smoothly this went off.
Now here’s two things I’ve observed about these competitions. First, there are 10 year old kids from karate schools who can run rings around most FMA players when it comes to forms, and second, very few non-FMA forms competitors will get in the ring to fight with weapons.
Both of these are the result of training priorities. Most martial arts forms competitors go through their routines hundreds, if not thousands, of times. Many are fast and flashy, opting to demonstrate with things like shiny ultralight aluminum staffs that can’t take a blow. Those are not the attributes for which most FMA’ers train. There certainly are formidable weapons experts out there in many disciplines, but just like the FMA, how many of the top people actually compete in fighting?
The other thing is publicity. The USFMAF has the right idea with the “Cultural Challenge”, opening up the ring to anyone from any style, using a variety of padded weapons representing sticks, swords, staffs, spear, naginata and shield. As this was created in conjunction with the Chanbara association, I was expecting a deluge of Japanese and other stylists to try it out. Unfortunately that didn’t happen, and so a handful of FMA players got to have fun amongst themselves.
The fact seems, however, that most people attending a major competition are doing so under the particular auspices of a home federation and are unlikely to spend time or money once there to step outside of that sanctuary to try something so unfamiliar. This is nothing new, as even Narrie Babao’s legendary precedent had only three competitors!
Participation within larger martial arts competitions is a key to recruitment. It’s how I found my way into the art, meeting GM Angel Cabales at a Max Pallen tournament. To a certain extent, the FMA remain an exclusive “insiders art”, and so I’ve seen some organizations sponsor events in direct competition with each other on the same dates. This is unfortunate because it dilutes participation at both venues, having a threefold effect.:
* First, it promotes division rather than camaraderie between FMA schools and organizations.
* Second, it reduces quantity and quality of competition and officiating.
* Third, smaller turnouts make it harder for small promoters to stay in the game, or to get larger promoters to make room at their venues.
Aside from all that, the fun part of the tournament was seeing some great performances and meeting old and new friends, most memorably Kalimaya Herrera and Eric Lee among the former, and Jose Rogers among the latter.
On the way back from Long Beach I stopped overnight to visit Anthony and Mary Delongis at their ranch up in canyon country. I’ve known Anthony through Tom Meadows’ Latigo y Daga Association but this was the first time I’ve actually met him. Anthony is a professional martial arts coach and actor, having trained Hollywood stars such as Harrison Ford and Halle Berry, plus his cameo appearance as the swordsman facing Jet Lee in the opening fight in Fearless. He’s also been featured on tv programs such as Extreme Marksmen, so a visit to his ranch was quite a treat.
Now I’ve managed to collect a few weapons over the years, which I like to hang on the walls for display, but there are a few places that make me drool with envy. Sid Campbell’s dojo was one such place. Anthony’s is another. It’s funny how one can feel so comfortable when everyone is within reach of something potentially nasty. As Robert Heinlein famously said, “an armed society is a polite society”.
My last lasting impression of this trip was how much I dislike and distrust so many other drivers. The Friday drive to SoCal wasn’t too bad, but the Monday drive heading back north was nightmarish. Why is it, with traffic doing 90 mph and packed like sardines, literally at parallel parking distances, people think they have the right (or sanity) to simply squeeze into places that don’t exist?
There are consequences (I’m surprised there are not more). I got out to stretch my legs and sit down in the fast lane of I-5 at 2 PM, while the CHP blocked the road about 50 yards up so a helicopter could land to take away victims of an ugly wreck. It was 104°; I had to tell the two blonde cougars in front of me to put up the top of their convertible before they roasted from rare to well-done. By the time the freeway opened half an hour later, I’d gone through all the water in the car, clearly both a planning and tactical error to get caught short. When the road re-opened, I was near the front; fast driving, little congestion. Behind me the freeway was stacked for miles. The simple act of pulling off to get more fluids resulted in the nightmare derby for the next five hour marathon drive. I’ve been up and down the state many times before, but without a doubt, this drive was the worst.
Finally, I got some interesting feedbacks through the grapevine about this blog. Twice in the past couple of months I’ve had near-strangers, top martial artists both, tell me Ted Sotelo wanted to thank me for something I wrote on here. Ted, if you get this, thank you in return, and you are most welcome. For the record, I’ve never met Ted. I only hear him spoken of in the highest regard by folks like Tom Meadows. GM Ron Lew laughed when he said Ted turns him into a pretzel (we were discussing Cacoy’s Eskrido) while I simply gulped because that’s what Ron does to me. Clearly these guys are well above my pay grade!
On the serious side, though, the point of resonance is human mortality. In the past 3-4 years I’ve attended more funerals than my entire life prior till then. We say goodbye to those who raised us, even as we start saying goodbye to those with whom we were raised. Generally speaking, most young people have experienced little such loss , but as we get older we are reminded more and more often of the brief time we have here.
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