ESKRIMOLOGY : A COMPENDIUM OF ARTICLES ON FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS
By Jay de Leon
First Printing 2006
ESKRIMOLOGY : A COMPENDIUM OF ARTICLES ON FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS
By Jay de Leon
First Printing 2006
FOREWORD
This e-book is a compendium of articles I have written, with an underlying theme of some sort which the title “Eskrimology” suggests. I do not believe that you will the word eskrimology in the the dictionary. dictionary. If it were a real word, it should mean the study or science of eskrima, another name for Filipino Filipino martial arts. I have a suggestion. suggestion. For us, let us define the the word eskrimology as the study and enjoyment of eskrima. For nothing has given me more earthly enjoyment than studying, practicing and even writing about eskrima. Some of the articles have been published previously, mostly in online magazines. Some of them are being being published for the first time time here. I would like to fancy that Eskrimology is more than just a collection of articles thrown together. I hope to present a literary collage collage of historical events, engaging personages, current events, anecdotal tidbits, pictorial illustration and some purely subjective views on eskrima. The first part of the book, the bulk of it, is indeed about eskrima or Filipino martial arts (FMA). (FMA). At first I was tempted to to group the articles in categories but eventually eventually decided against it. I decided to let the reader take take his own literary journey, either look at the overall fabric and rich tapestry of Filipino martial arts, or store individual articles in the different compartments compartments of his martial arts memory bank if he so chooses. The second part deals mostly about entertainment—movies, television, and the like. Most of them have a direct or tangential tangential relation with either traditional or Filipino Filipino martial arts. I had fun writing those articles, articles, since it blended two arts or disciplines I enjoyed, enjoyed, martial arts arts and entertainment. entertainment. I hope you enjoy reading Eskrimology as much as I enjoyed writing the articles. Jay de Leon
ESKRIMOLOGY
Table of Contents
Part I: Filipino Martial Arts ALL THE FAMILY: FAMILY: CURRENT INHERITORS INHERITORS OF THEIR THEIR FAMILY SYSTEMS IN FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS BLADEMASTERS OF FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS IN THE U.S. ESKRIDO: GM CACOY CANETE’S LONG-AWAITED BOOK CONTEMPORARY FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS STYLES FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS MASTERS WHO ARE ALSO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MILITARY TRAINERS SEEN ANY GOOD FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS MOVIES LATELY? FMA VIDEOS YOU SHOULD HAVE IN YOUR LIBRARY FUSING FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS, FOLKLORE, FANTASY AND STORYTELLING GATPUNO ABON BAET AND GARIMOT ARNIS HARIMAW BUNO (FILIPINO WRESTLING) HILOT: THE HEALING ARTS OF FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS LEGENDARY FOUNDERS OF FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS FERDINAND MAGELLAN, THE BATTLE OF MACTAN AND FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS MODERN ARNIS IN THE MIDDLE EAST MYTHS, MYSTERIES AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT FMA SPOTLIGHT ON JEREMIAH STANELY THE BACKYARD TRAINING IN FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS THE DAY REMY PRESAS DIED THE RENAISSANCE MAN OF MODERN ARNIS: MASTER RENE TONGSON THE TOUGHEST FIGHTERS IN THE HISTORY OF FMA HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN TRAINING EQUIPMENT FOR YOUR FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SPREAD OF FMA IN THE U.S.
MODERN ARNIS TIPUNAN MAKES HISTORICAL DEBUT BOOKS ABOUT FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS YOU SHOULD HAVE IN YOUR LIBRARY TRAINING WITH THE PROFESSOR, THE SECOND TIME AROUND ABANIKO DE TRES PUNTAS ESTILO THE FIGHTING WEAPONS OF FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS
Part II: Entertainment and Martial Martial Arts MARTIAL ARTS ROLES: BOON OR CURSE? ACTORS WITH BLACK BELTS FILIPINO ACTION STARS IN THE MOVIES ROGUES GALLERY OF MARTIAL ARTS MOVIE VILLAINS STRONG WOMEN ON-SCREEN, PART I: THE PIONEERS STRONG WOMEN ON-SCREEN, PART II: ACTION QUEENS AND LADIES-IN-WAITING THE PIONEERS OF MARTIAL ARTS ON-SCREEN
ALL IN THE FAMILY : CURRENT INHERITORS OF THEIR FAMILY SYSTEMS IN FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS By Jay de Leon
The issue of succession in martial arts has always been a sticky wicket. When the head of a martial arts system dies, who succeeds him in the organization? Most of the time, time, answering this seeming seeming innocuous question becomes a contentious, contentious, divisive, untimely, untimely, petty, unseemly, unseemly, and very public affair. It seems that the more famous the deceased Master and the bigger the organization, the more acrimonious the battle of the pretenders, and the more uneasy the ascension of the inheritor. Examples would would include the succession to Ed Parker ( Parker Kenpo), Gen. Choi ( TaeKwonDo) and, ironically, even Bruce Lee ( jeet kune do). Why ironic in the case of Bruce Lee? Because Bruce Lee would would have said, “Do “Do not fight over my classical mess. Make up your own. own. That is the essence of jeet kune do.”
Bruce Lee (left) battles villain Bob Wall In “Enter “Enter the Dragon”
Well, Filipino Martial Arts (FMA ) has fared fared no better. better. The deaths of several grandmasters in the past decade have produced the same acrimonious struggle, struggle, squabbling and bickering over succession. succession. Without going into details, the deaths of the following modern grandmasters have produced succession, schism and secession issues issues within the system itself— Professor Remy Presas, Mangisursuro Mike Inay, Ted Lucaylucay, Edgar Sulite, and Angel Cabales. Instead, we will look at the other side side of the coin with this article. These are relatives of grandmasters who have stepped up to the plate, and by dint of hard work, fence-mending, people skills, and media savvy, are carrying on the life work, vision and humanity humanity of the Founder. In this list, we are limiting the scope to actual blood relatives who would have made the old man proud, the so-called chips of the old block. block. For them, they they have managed to keep the system all in the family. So here are the inheritors of family systems, currently making names for themselves. As some of you knowledgeable knowledgeable readers will probably probably notice, a few are not really direct inheritors, but they have taken the initiative, seized the day, and assumed a leadership role in their family style without a formal coronation, making their efforts even more laudable.
Yuli Romo – Philippines
Epifanio “Yuli” Romo’s great uncle was Wenceslao “Eslao” Romo, one of the most respected Filipino martial artists of the 1940’s who defeated many revered masters in challenge matches, including the famous Felicisimo Dizon.
Master Yuli Romo
Punong Guro Yuli is one of the most senior and dynamic students of the late Antonio “Tatang” Ilustrisimo, and is known for his creative interpretation of the art, as well as his devastating disarming techniques. He now calls his system Zu-Bu.
GM Yuli Romo (left) and Jay de Leon at the Bakbakan Filipino Martial Arts Invitational Tournament in Manila in July 2006.
Jason and Jena Inay – U.S.
Jason and Jena Inay are the son and daughter, respectively, of Mangisursuro Mike Inay, Founder of the Inayan System of San Jose, California. Mike Inay was a senior student of Angel Cabales, Gilbert Tenio and Dentoy Reventar. From a young age, Jason and Jena have been helping their father perform demos in Northern California, including the annual Kilohana Gasshuku (training camp) in San Jose, CA.
Guro Jason Inay
Jason and Jena Inay are exceptional arnisadors, extremely personable and articulate, and are continuing their father’s legacy. There are, however, splinter groups of the Inayan System who are equally active, including one in Europe.
Rodrigo Maranga – Philippines
Rodrigo “Drigo” Maranga is the son of the illustrious Grandmaster Timoteo “Timor” Maranga, founder of Tres Personas Eskrima de Combate Super Kuwentada System. This system is now known as “C.E.M ” or Combat Eskrima Maranga, and this is the system that Drigo Maranga teaches in Cebu City, in the Philippines. Arnis practitioners in the U.S. are hoping he will accept several invitations to do demos in the U.S. in the future.
Rodrigo “Drigo” Maranga
Chris Sayoc – U.S.
Christopher “Chris” Sayoc is the son of Baltazar “Bo” Sayoc, founder of the Sayoc Kali system and a pioneer of FMA in the U.S. Bo Sayoc has retired to Cavite City, in the Philippines and Chris has been head of this family system in Philadelphia for a while now.
Tuhon Chris Sayoc
This system is authentic, their organization is solid, the upper echelon instructors are top-rate, instruction is first-class and Tuhon Chris is one of the most approachable grandmasters around. Following family tradition, Tuhon Chris’s two sons are also senior instructors in his system, Chris “Jeff” Sayoc, Jr. and Jimmie Sayoc.
Ramon Rubia/Eva Canete Rubia – U.S.
Eva Canete Rubia is the granddaughter of Eulogio “Yuling” Canete, first President of the original Doce Pares Club of Cebu, Philippines, and wife of Ramon Rubia, an instructor in Doce Pares out of Orange County, California. Technically, they are not the inheritors of a system, but this husband-wife team has taken on the mantle of leadership in San Miguel Eskrima , the personal style of Filemon “Momoy” Canete.
They have made several trips to the Philippines to research the history and original techniques of the system from the original practitioners of Momoy’s San Miguel Eskrima still living in Cebu. Ramon Rubia’s tournament fighters have begun to make their presence felt in many local FMA tournaments in California.
Vincent Cabales – U.S.
Vincent Cabales is the son of Angel Cabales, founder of the Cabales Serrada System and a name associated with the spread of FMA in the U.S. Leadership of the famed system, as well as the Cabales Serrada Academy, was passed on to his son Vincent.
Master Vincent Cabales
In a recent interview published early this year in 2006, Vincent Cabales admits to numerous rifts with many of Angel’s former students, but reiterated that his organization was carrying on the work of his father and has numerous projects in the pipeline including more schools, more organizational infrastructure, a training film and a documentary on Serrada, and of course, ongoing classes at the famed Academy in Stockton.
Diana Inosanto and Ron Balicki– U.S.
Diana Inosanto is the daughter of Dan Inosanto, founder of Inosanto Kali and keeper of the flame for Bruce Lee’s jeet kune do, and the wife of Ron Balicki, a senior JKD and Lameco instructor, professional shooto fighter, law enforcement trainer and stuntman and fight choreographer.
Diana Inosanto
In addition to teaching FMA, the couple has lately collaborated in producing FMA videos, as well as producing commercial movie and TV projects, both in front and behind the camera.
Ron Balicki
Raffy Pambuan – U.S.
Raffy Pambuan is a fifth generation inheritor of a family system from Santa Cruz, Laguna, Philippines, now called Pambuan Arnis Tulisan Caballero. Lolo Guro Isidro Pambuan, the grandson of the founder, is considered the developer of the family system.
Lolo Guro Isidro Pambuan
Ama Guro Raffy learned the family system in his youth. In 1993, he immigrated to Orlando, Florida, US and continued his training with FMA pioneer Bo Sayoc. In 1996, he was inducted, and is a member of, the World Head of Family Sokeship Council. He continues to teach out of Gotha, Florida and attends many Masters seminars in the US.
Ama Guro Raffy Pambuan
Remy Presas, Jr., Mary Jane Presas, and Demetrio Presas – U.S.
Remy, Jr., Mary Jane, and Demetrio are the children of Professor Remy Presas, Founder of Modern Arnis. All of them started their arnis training at an early age, actually helping their father Remy in his early demos of Modern Arnis in the Philippines and Asia. After their father’s death, they formed the organization MARPPIO (Modern Arnis of Remy Presas International Organization) to further their father’s legacy.
Demetrio Presas
Manuel Caballero – Philippines
Manuel “Mawe” Caballero is the son of Grandmaster Jose D. Caballero, founder of the style known as De Campo 1-2-3 (Uno, Dos, Tres) Orihinal . He trained in the Philippine Army and garnered extensive combat experience fighting Muslim insurgents in Jolo, Mindanao.
Manuel “Mawe” Caballero
While he is not the inheritor of his father’s system, he is a strong proponent and champion of the system. He has competed and won in many tournaments representing his father’s system. Today he continues to teach the same curriculum of De Campo 1-2-3 Orihinal in Toledo City, Cebu, Philippines.
Abon Baet – U.S.
Abundio “Garimot” Baet is the inheritor of the family system from Paete, Arnis. He comes from a long line of Laguna, Philippines called Garimot Arnis arnisadors, tournament champions and buno experts experts of Laguna. What makes his tenure a little bit different from his forebears is the fact that he now has to promote the family system in the U.S. versus the familiar confines of Laguna and the Philippines.
Gat Puno Abon Baet in full regalia at the Tipunan sa Disneyland in Anaheim, California in 2005.
In addition to the hardcore style of Garimot Arnis, Gat Puno (Chieftain) Abon, as he is more popularly known, is also promoting several unique components or subsystems of his style, the grappling (called Harimaw Buno), and the healing arts (called hilot ). ).
Bruce Ricketts – Philippines
Bruce Ricketts is the sixteen-year old multi-talented son of Bakbakan great Christopher “Topher” Ricketts. Ricketts. At the recent Tipunan sa Disneyland in in Anaheim, California in 2005, he showcased his considerable skills as his father’s demo partner. partner. He was also fresh from his movie movie with his uncle, action star Ronnie Ricketts, in a movie Mano y Mano : Arnis, the Lost Art ” the lone action entry in the 2004 Manila Film Festival.
Bruce Ricketts
At a recent seminar, he showed me his magic tricks, including biting a quarter in half and restoring restoring it. I told him that if he could substitute substitute a tiger for the quarter, he could have yet another career in Las Vegas more lucrative than martial arts or the movies.
Just like any other martial arts, the Filipino martial arts are a dynamic arts, ever changing and evolving with technology, nutrition, sports medicine and even business business techniques to meet the demands of of our changing times. times. It will be these young blood, steeped in tradition but imbued with a fresh outlook and innovative ideas, who will insure the survival, development and improvement improvement of Filipino martial arts.
Copyright, Jay de Leon, Leon, 2006 2006
THE BLADEMASTERS OF FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS IN THE U.S. by Jay de Leon
Originally Published in WorldBlackBelt, 2006
For those of you that have recently seen the blockbuster Bourne Supremacy, you have probably noticed and marveled at Matt Damon’s new-found martial arts prowess. prowess. What you probably probably do not know is is that, for his action scenes in this movie and its prequel, The Bourne Identity , Matt Damon trained extensively in Filipino Martial Arts (FMA). Another major movie, the Hunted starring Tommie Lee Jones and Benecio del Toro, showcased knife-fighting skills and techniques based on FMA. Students of my friend Tuhon Chris Sayoc of Sayoc Kali can claim credit for choreographing the awesome knife-fighting scenes in that movie.
Tommie Lee Jones and Benecio del Toro in the climactic knife fight in “The Hunted.”
It is no secret that FMA has one of the most effective knife-fighting techniques in martial martial arts, or in life-and-death combat, combat, for that matter. matter. So you’re probably wondering, who are the top guros currently teaching knifefighting skills (sometimes called blademasters or edged weapons experts)?
Here then are the top FMA instructors currently teaching edged or bladed weapons skills in the US.
Chris Sayoc
Tuhon Chris Sayoc is the inheritor and current head of the family system, Sayoc Kali , based in Philadelphia. Philadelphia. His father, Baltazar Baltazar “Bo” Sayoc, Sayoc, was one of the pioneers of FMA in the US, and now currently lives in semiretirement in Cavite, Philippines. The Sayoc system is a blade-oriented system, and is characterized by the deployment of multiple knives in an encounter, and the use of “templates” in their training system.
Tuhon Chris Sayoc
Chris Sayoc conducts seminars, tournaments and training camps all over the U.S., and is one of the designated grandmasters teaching the Dog Brothers. His Sayoc instructor team is so deep and talented that his senior instructors rate mention as blademasters themselves, including Rafael Kayanan, Tom Kier, Felix Cortes and Jeff Chung.
Sonny Umpad
Santiago “Sonny” Umpad is probably the most low profile (some describe him as elusive) bladed weapon expert in the group, but one of the most naturally gifted gifted and fluid fighters fighters in FMA. His lethal system is a Visayan , style comprised of elements from Moro-Moro, Doce Pares, Villabrille Kali Serrada, Balintawak Balintawak and and Wing Chun kung fu , which accounts for some of the low stances he sometimes uses.
Sonny Umpad (right) (right) and young protégé Chip Ellsworth
To date, he has shunned any commercial products showing his art, but teaches individualized instruction and participates in Masters training camps like Dieter Knuttel’s seminar in in Europe. He also co-authored a wellreceived book on the use of the balisong .
From the author’s collection. Includes some some “tactical” folders designed for self-defense.
Christopher Ricketts
Christopher “Topher” Ricketts is the founder and chief instructor for Bakbakan International , a designated grandmaster for Antonio “Tatang” Ilustrisimo’s Kalis Ilustrisimo, and a grandmaster of Edgar Sulite’s Lameco Eskrima. He is also a law enforcement and military trainer, a fight choreographer and director in Filipino movies including his brother Ronnie Ricketts’s movies, and an author of several books and producer of instruction videos.
Grandmaster Christopher Ricketts (right) in a demo segment with actor son Bruce Ricketts at the “Tipunan saDisneyland” seminar in Anaheim, California recently this year.
He has recently relocated to San Diego, California, makes periodic trips to teach at the Bakbakan headquarters in Lodi, New Jersey, and has hit the seminar trail here in the US including the Bakbakan and Tipunan seminars.
Mat Marinas
Amante “Mat” P. Marinas is the founder of the arnis system called Pananandata (literally, the art of weaponry), and one of the most prolific writers on FMA around. He has either written about or produced tapes on a whole array of weapons including blowguns, throwing knives, ropes, nunchuks, bolo, the 14-inch diameter ring, horsewhips, tonfa, chain and, of course, the balisong (Filipino butterfly knife).
Grandmaster Mat Marinas
He is a true master of Filipino weaponry, including bladed weapons, and has been teaching, conducting seminars and writing for several decades now.
Felix Valencia
Felix Valencia is a senior instructor for Lameco Eskrima who has fought numerous full-contact fights at the Dog Brothers’ Gathering using sticks. But his forte’ is bladed weapons, which has served him well in his early days of bar bouncing and private security work. He is now one of the premier edged weapons training specialists in the country.
Felix Valencia (right) demonstrates a technique at one of his edged weapons seminars
He has provided defensive tactics training to numerous law enforcement agencies like the Los Angeles Police Dept. and Arizona Highway Patrol, knife companies like Cold Steel Knives and Trident Knives , and firearm/weapons schools, like Front Sight, Halo, Close Quarters Battle and Gunsite. He has also worked as a fight choreographer for action movies, and produced DVD’s of his knife techniques. He was recently featured in the Feb. 2005 issue of Inside Kung-fu magazine along with senior students Allen Bridgeman and Jimmy Liu. .
Ray Dionaldo
Ray Dionaldo is the founder of “Filipino Combat Systems” in Tampa, Florida. He has the rank of Tuhon in Sayoc Kali , as well as instructor rankings in Modern Arnis under Prof. Remy Presas, in Pekiti-Tirsia Kali under Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje, and in Arnis Tulisan under Ama Guro Raffy Pambuan. He has over 100 wins in local and international martial arts and weapons competitions.
Master Ray Dionaldo
In addition to teaching FMA seminars worldwide, specializing in bladed weapons, he is an actual blade maker. He is the official knifemaker for the Sayoc Kali organization, and has recently designed a new “kerambit.”
Kerambit designed by Ray Dionaldo
Nene Tortal
Grandmaster Jerson “Nene” Tortal, the nephew of the founder of the PekitiTirsia Kali system, now calls his style Dekiti-Tirsia-Siradas. Just like the original style, it is a highly developed close-quarters in-fighting system, made up of complex sectoring tactics and combat elements with intimidating names like contradas, recontras, recontradas , etc. While Grandmaster Nene Tortal lives in the Philippines, he conducts year round training in the US, and also brings students over to the Philippines for training.
Jerson “Nene” Tortal
Graciella Casillas Graciella Casillas was a pioneer of women’s boxing in the early 1980’s and held the World Women’s Boxing Association bantamweight title, retiring undefeated with a record of 31-0, with 18 KO’s. She has black belts in Tae Kwon Do, BKF Kenpo, and Kodenkan jiu-jitsu.
Graciella Casillas
In FMA, she trained under Grandmasters Angel Cabales, Dan Inosanto and Bobby Taboada. She has become a widely recognized defensive edgedweapon expert, magazine columnist, and knife designer. She designed the widely-popular Ladyhawk with women in mind, but this Master of Defense knife has become a favorite of men as well.
Masters of Defense knife “Ladyhawk” designed by Graciella Casillas
Graciella Casillas with other guests at the Gala Night of rd the 3 World Filipino Martial Arts Festival held at the Heritage Hotel in Manila on July 2006. From left to right, Linda Pulido, Jay de Leon, Graciella Casillas, Paulina de Leon
Raffy Pambuan Ama Guro Raffy Pambuan is the fifth generation inheritor of a family system from Santa Cruz, Laguna, Philippines now called Pambuan Arnis Tulisan Caballero, a traditional and highly effective blade-oriented system. In 1983, Raffy Pambuan moved to Orlando, Florida and continued training with Grandmaster Bo Sayoc.
Raffy Pambuan
In 1996, he was inducted, and is a member of, the World Head of Family Sokeship Council. In addition to a FMA school he maintains in Gotha, Florida, he conducts many seminars all over the US.
Bram Frank
Bram Frank is a happy example of a martial artist who has blended wing chun, karate and arnis, stayed with arnis as a first generation student of Prof. Remy Presas ( Modern Arnis), and evolved into one of the most respected and decorated blademasters around.
Bram Frank (left) poses with Modern Arnis mentor Grandmaster Roland Dantes during a recent visit to the Philippines.
He is known for improving edged weapon tactics, designing innovative tactical folding knives (such as the “Gunting”) and less-lethal control tools (such as the CRMIPT, or the Close Range Medium Impact Tool), and producing first rate instructional videos on edged weapons. He has trained the U.S., Russian and Israeli security forces, law enforcement and civilians in the use of edged weapons and control tactics and tools, and is in great demand in the seminar circuit.
The “Gunting” knife designed by Bram Frank
John Jacobo A seasoned competitor in tae kwon do, kickboxing and FMA stickfighting tournaments, John Jacobo is a senior instructor and West Coast representative of Bakbakan International . In addition to countless seminars, his FMA training includes formal training in Grandmaster Mat Marinas’s Pananandata and Grandmaster Rey Galang’s Kalis Ilustrisimo.
Master John Jacobo
He currently teaches for his organization called The School of Weapon Arts and Combatives (SWACOM), which emphasizes practical self-defense. He has just completed two instructional videos titled “The Combat Principles of De Cuerdas” and “Dos Manos Methods” and is active in FMA seminars including the Bakbakan and Tipunan seminars.
John Jacobo during his demo at the Tipunan sa Disneyland held at the Hilton Hotel in Anaheim, CA in August 2005.
Others teaching FMA blade arts considered for this article include Bill McGrath ( Pekiri-Tirsia), James Keating ( Comtech), Rey Galang ( Bakbakan), Jeff Imada (for his balisong skills), Michael Janich, Steve Tarani, Hoch Hochheim ( Modern Arnis and Kombatan), Abon Baet (Garimot Arnis ), Ron Balicki ( JKD, Lameco), Roger Agbulos ( Lameco), Blaise Loong, and Cass Magda.
A note on bladed weapons skill. If you ever see any of these ladies or gentlemen perform bladed weapon demos, either solo or with a partner, it is a thing of beauty. It looks graceful, sinuous, deadly, even balletic. But a real-life knife fight is ugly, bloody, chaotic, scary, disgusting, and sometimes lethal. There is nothing beautiful or noble about it, except for the fact that it may have helped save your life, or that of another human being. Remember that it will probably be more your awareness, your wits, your will to survive, your resolve not to be a victim, your heart, than actual blade skills that will make you survive a dangerous situation.
Copyright Jay de Leon, 2005
