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Did the headline grab your attention? Well, I guess it was supposed to. Being involved in the martial arts for so long, has allowed me an opportunity to see and hear the strangest things. Many were Half-truths, from misinformed people. Some were Misconceptions based upon hearsay evidence, but the worst are the outright lies that are perpetuated as truth, used to attract students. (more…)
What is ukemi? How can I use it to successfully survive a violent encounter, or a major fall that can happen in my life? Is ukemi just hitting the floor safely? These are great questions that everyone should think about in their training. (more…)
What made Soke Hatsumi, Takamatsu, Ueshiba, Takeda, and a long list of samurai, ninja, and martial artist able to reach a pinnacle in the arts? Well as the title states, it was and is hard core training. Many people do not know that Ueshiba’s early dojo was also nicknamed Jigoku dojo or Hell dojo. Sokaku Takeda, head master of the Daito ryu, was feared for his intense methods of training. A few of you can remember training in the basement of my home a few years ago. Do you also remember the intense training? We had few mats to practice with, never mind dodging the lolly column or the cramped space. Training was austere and hard. Lately, I have noticed a slack in the training as we practice today in our new dojo. That bothers me! I want all of my students to surpass my skill, but that won’t happen if you only haphazardly train, once a week and live on Fruit loops. I hope that this article will help you recognize the changes that are being implemented in our dojo as you read this. Have I peaked your curiosity yet? (more…)
Recently I have been asked, does Budo Taijutsu or would you use Budo Taijutsu in a real fight? Well this is a very easy question to answer, YES!! This is a good question, especially for lower ranked students, who are still trying to understand the fundamental techniques. At times new students feel that the techniques that they are practicing will not work, or are not working on their training partner.
The key to success in Budo Taijutsu is consistent practice of the thirteen basic techniques contained in Sanshin no kata and the Kihon happo. It is from this basis that all of our Budo techniques start and end.
In the beginning, it is easy to overlook this part of our training and underestimate the value of these simple kata. Most of us have never looked at them deeper than the basic form. But, underneath the surface, there is a myriad of hidden skills to learn. From our henka, or variation of the basic kata, to a deep understanding of the principles being taught, each kata is an endless journey that should be explored to it’s fullest. (more…)
I have no parents:
I make the heavens and earth my parents.I have no home:
I make awareness my home.I have no life and death:
I make the tides of my breathing my life and death.I have no divine power:
I make honesty my divine power.I have no means:
I make understanding my means.I have no magic secrets:
I make character my magic secret.I have no body: (more…)
This past weekend another fantastic Sayoc Sama Sama event was held in beautiful St Cloud Florida. Over 100 practitioners came from Sweden, England, Ireland, and all over the United States and Canada to spend three days of intensive training in Sayoc! Here is a brief overview of some of what went on during this massive FMA event! (more…)
Why do we do blade sparring? Are we really ever going to be in a dueling situation with another person? Note that I used the term “dueling” and not fighting. Dueling is “a formal prearranged combat between two persons” Dueling or sparring is what we do and at its outset has very little to do with having an attacker pull a blade and try to stick you. Don?t put your sparring on the back shelf just yet though, because sparring is a great method for improving the attributes of footwork, aggressiveness, sensitivity, endurance, technical refinement and coordination.
The reality in sparring is that you are practicing with another skilled (or somewhat skilled) opponent with the same intention as you, namely to beat you at the game. In a survival situation, you will have to deal with the adrenal response and all the niceties that it brings with it, as well as just survive to live another day. Rarely if ever will you be in a direct dueling situation on the street. It can happen, especially with the preponderance of all the new, so called ?Blade Masters? teaching the use of the knife in their martial arts schools, and the availability and use of a knife in everyday life. According to the FBI and Justice Department?s latest statistics on homicide, 13% of all homicides are with a knife. This statistic does not include the rate at which a blade was used in the act of committing a violent crime, which is much higher. Many criminals do not want to be caught with a firearm for the penalties are severe, and the availability of a bladed weapon is ubiquitous. (more…)
{This is a work in progress!!}
1910 – The Labangon Fencing club is organized in Cebu.
1910 – The Paete Arnis Club is revived.
1920’s – Cipriano Geronimo forms Sikaran.
1920 – 1929 Ramiro A. Estalilla teaches Riganon Estalilla Kabaron at the Minneapolis Athletic Club, Minneapolis Minnesota.
1928 – Professor Florendo Visitation (Profeesor Vee) , moves to Stockton, California where he continued studying Filipino martial arts from available sources.
1932 – Founding of the Doce Pares club in Cebu City (more…)
It has been a very busy 3 days! Ray Floro, flew in from San Jose California, to start my training in the Floro Fighting Systems, Kalis Ilustrisimo. We checked in the hotel and went over to the school for some training on Friday night. The one thing, I fully enjoyed was that Ray teaches his art out of ?sparring?, meaning, put on a little protective gear and bring it on! There are many teachers in the arts today, but not many of them put their art to the test against their own students, never mind a complete stranger. Ray introduced me to the basic fighting position, footwork and blade grip. We quickly went out and started to drill some basic techniques out through sparring. The first thing you will notice in the Kalis Ilustrisimo system is that it is very subtle, feints to draw an attacker into a position to quickly dispatch him. After, about 45 minutes of sparring, and quite a bit longer talking about various fighting systems, training philosophies, and projectile throwing. We called it an evening. (more…)
