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By Perry Gil S. Mallari, Reporter
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Contrary
to popular notion,
the Filipino martial arts work
well with or without weapons |
Arnis, escrima and kali—by whatever name you
call it—are recognized the world over to possess the most
effective knife fighting techniques on earth. The special forces of
various countries train here to learn our deadly arts. But few
Filipinos know about Filipino martial arts (FMA).
There is no doubt that the deeply ingrained
colonial mentality among Filipinos is the foremost reason why arnis,
escrima and kali collectively known as the FMA are not enjoying the
same popularity as their foreign counterparts like tae kwon do,
karate and wushu right in their very own turf. In addition to our
veneration of anything foreign, there are other contributing factors
that led to this condition.
Historically practiced by the maharlikas or
noble class, a sort of lowbrow image became attached to the FMA in
the modern times. In the early part of the 20th century, the FMA
were known as brutal arts associated with plebian types like farmers
and stevedores. The stick fighting contests during those times were
conducted full contact without the aid of armor and often resulted
to the permanent injury or death of the participants. Such deadly
matches continued in the farmlands and waterfronts of the
Philippines and among the Filipino communities in Hawaii until the
1940s.
Another obstacle that stands in the way of the
FMA gaining wide acceptance is that it took sometime before a method
to teach it en masse was systematized. Originally, the art was
taught one-on-one. Though the very personal approach to teaching
meant quality instruction, this resulted to a small number of
qualified instructors to proliferate the art.
Fallacies about the art also pose a problem. One
misconception that hinders the attractiveness of the FMA is the
notion that it will only work with weapons. Contrary to this belief,
arnis, escrima and kali are complete fighting systems that encompass
bladed weapons, impact weapons and empty hand techniques. All the
FMA principles are transposable regardless if the practitioner is
fighting armed or unarmed.
It is a good thing to note that a change of view
toward the FMA continue to transpire in the past 36 years. The
perception toward the FMA began to change after the celebrated
Filipino-American martial artist Dan Inosanto showcased the art in
Bruce Lee’s last film The Game of Death in 1972. Known as
Lee’s protégé, Inosanto was responsible in introducing the late
founder of jeet kune do to escrima—specifically the use of the
nunchaku. With an international superstar like Lee picking up the
Filipino sticks, the FMA was included in the world map of martial
arts. The The Game of Death also became instrumental for Hollywood
to notice the cinematic potential of the FMA. Among the most notable
movies of recent years that featured the FMA are: Out for Justice
starring Steven Seagal in 1991; The Hunted starring Tommy Lee Jones
and Benicio del Toro in 2003; and The Bourne Supremacy starring Matt
Damon in 2004. And the trend continues. It’s now circulating in
the grapevine that Golden Globe Best Actor winner Forest Whitaker,
an FMA practitioner in real life, will feature his stick fighting
ability in his upcoming movie Repossession.
Another element that contributed to the FMA
gaining global respect is the fact that it’s techniques,
particularly the knife work were used by military and law
enforcement agencies around the world. A good case in point is Paul
Vunak, a student of Inosanto who taught Filipino knife techniques to
the members of Navy Seal Team 6. Martial artists from other styles
also discovered the FMA as a good addition to their base system.
Besides the fact that FMA training will provide them weaponry
skills, working with weapons like sticks, swords and knives were
proven to turbo-blast the development of fighting attributes like
power, reflex, speed and coordination. Swinging the heavy fighting
stick for instance will develop punching power the same way as an
old-school boxers build wallop in their punches by chopping wood
with an axe.
In the Philippines, the rather boorish view of
the FMA is starting to wane as intellectuals and those belonging to
the middle class beginning to embrace and espouse the art. Professor
Felipe Jocano Jr., a professor of anthropology in the University of
the Philippines is an arnis expert and also writes extensively on
FMA history. Alvin Aguilar, founder of the Ultimate Reality Combat
Championships and perhaps the most well rounded fighter to emerge
from the Philippines in recent years is also a proponent of the FMA.
Aguilar even devoted a section on the FMA in the martial arts
reality TV show Real Pinoy Fighter, which he produced and was aired
over ABS-CBN two years ago.
Though much has changed on the public’s
outlook on the FMA, it is safe to surmise that it will never attain
the palatability that karate or tae kwon do possesses. Arnis,
escrima and kali are originally war arts, hence it explains its
emphasis on weaponry and its unique progression of training that
starts with weapons and ends with empty hands. Its techniques were
refined through the centuries not on the mat or the ring but in
actual battlefields. The use of the blade, which is essentially the
backbone of the FMA and often constitutes its highest level of
practice, needs lethal commitment. Few are those who are willing to
go that far.
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