INTERVIEW WITH MASTER Song Minjie

Interview with Weapon Master Song MinJie

Eskrima is a Philippine martial arts based on swords and stick training. It is also known as ARNIS or Kali. Eskrima practitioners are called Eskrimadors. Today, Eskrima has become a martial arts that is popular in the world, and it has also been introduced by military and police in many countries.

Today, we are very honored to interview the famous Chinese weapon master and karate coach Song Minjie. He is one of the only three black belt instructors in the authentic Eskrima in China.

The COVID-19 has lasted for nearly three years. In this three years of being very unfriendly for martial arts practitioners, let us listen to how he insisted on promoting the development of martial arts movement. Reporter: Hello, Master Song, I am glad that you can accept our interviews. First of all, I want to know your personal experience. When did you start practicing martial arts? What projects do you practice?

Master Song: I started practicing karate since 2006, when I was still in high school. Later, I also learned Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, Eskrima.

Reporter: You have practiced karate and Kickboxing, why are you still interested in Eskrima?

Master Song: In my student days, I have experienced armed fights. I think that as a Budoka or martial artist, it is very important to master weapon skills. Learning weapons is not to hurt your opponent, but you can protect yourself.

Reporter: Where did you learn about Eskrima?

Master Song: I saw Eskrima in Bruce Lee's film. I didn't know its name at that time. I thought Bruce Lee used Chinese martial arts. In 2009, I received an invitation from a friend to participate in a two-day private shortterm training course. An American coach had a two-day Jeet Kune Do training, but I had forgotten his name. In the course, I heard the name Kali for the first time, and learned about the existence of Philippine martial arts. In the following years, I often reviewed the training contents of those two days, and I have been looking for teachers who can teach Filipino martial arts.

Reporter: So, who was your later Eskrima teacher?

Master Song: My first Eskrima teacher is Grandmaster Vincent Palumbo from Australia. Later, I also attended some other masters' seminars. Finally, I went to the Philippines's largest and oldest Eskrima organization DOCE PARES for training, where I met Supreme Grand Master Dionisio "Diony" Canete. And, I chose to join DOCE PARES.

Reporter: SGM Dionisio is a very great martial artist. Although I have never seen him, I often hear his news from others. Please talk about your impression of SGM Dionisio?

Master Song: In the past, I saw SGM Dionisio on TV programs. But I didn't recognize him when I came to the Philippines. When he stood beside me in civilian clothes, I only thought he was a kind old man. Later, through the introduction of my friend Temple Cao, I knew that the greatest contemporary Eskrima master was in front of me. It is difficult for me to describe my feelings towards him in words. He is a very kind and approachable elder. In the place where I live, many martial arts masters are very arrogant and arrogant. I don't have a good impression on them. SGM Dionisio has overturned my impression of martial arts masters, and

he can be said to be my model.

Reporter: I know you have been actively participating in the Eskrima competition. Please tell me what awards do you win?

Master Song: From 2017 to 2019, I won the ranking in every official game of Eskrima in China, including: one champion, one runner -up, and one third place. In 2019, I participated in the PekaF World Invitational Tournament and won the third place of the two projects. At present, I am the best player of the Chinese men's 91kg+weight competition.

Reporter: Do you think a person who often awarded in martial arts competition means that he is a master of martial arts?

Master Song: I don't think so. Martial arts competitions are not all martial arts. Because the competition is just sports, it has many rules restrictions. If you only practice the skills allowed in the competition, it will be easier to win. I think the real martial arts master must not only win the competition. He must also be able to comprehensively teach all martial arts skills. In addition, character and knowledge are also very important. In the eyes of many people, martial artists are just thugs.Because some martial arts practitioners have no higher education and poor personality, this stereotype is created. Such people are not martial arts masters even if they win many awards.

Reporter: It is really a great answer. There are many weapon martial arts in China. Why do you choose to practice the Eskrima?

Master Song: The length of the weapon used by Eskrima is more suitable for self -defense. It is easy to find an alternative to the Eskrima stick in life. However, in fact, I am also actively practicing Chinese swordsmanship. I just completed the test of the coaches and referees of China's "Wushu Bingdao" in China this year.

Reporter: I just noticed a new vocabulary. What is "wushu bingdao"

Master Song: "Wushu Bingdao" is a Chinese swordsmanship competition project. This project has been vigorously promoted by the country in recent years. The skills of Eskrima and BingDao can be well integrated.

Reporter: Talk about your development expectations for Eskrima?

Master Song: First of all, I hope that more police and security personnel can learn Eskrima and contribute to maintaining social security. Secondly, I don't want Eskrima to be too commercial and popular. Nowadays, there are many taekwondo gyms that have started selling certificates and belts, and you can get a black belt without even taking an exam, which I don't want to see.

Reporter: Thank you for your answer. Let’s move on to the next topic. I would like to talk about some current situations. I believe that these issues are also concerned by many martial artsists. We all know that COVID-19 has caused a lot of losses to the world, and many martial artists have encountered difficulties. Is your Dojo affected by this?

Master Song: Covid-19 is a huge test for all martial arts and sports practitioners. I have a lot of members who have left Shanghai or cannot participate in training because of work changes. There are countless martial arts clubs closed down. However, my Dojo has not been affected too much. This is due to my Dojo does not have any commercial properties. It is just a small studio.

Reporter: What courses does your Dojo have? How many staff are there?

Master Song: My dojo has opened Karat, Eskrima, Kickboxing, Krav Maga courses, and the staff of Dojo is only me. Therefore, Dojo has no additional expenses.

Reporter: The two identities of coaches and operators are very different. Why can you hold these two occupations at the same time?

Master Song: Before 2017, I was an

operating director of an import and export trading company. Later, I resigned from my work and devoted to my hobbies. Therefore, I have many companies' operational experience. In fact, I am not just teaching martial arts now, and I still work part -time to some other jobs.

Reporter: You are not a professional Fighter, so do you think the identity of the professional Fighter is important to a coach?

Master Song: Both karate and Eskrima are not professional competitive projects, so they are not affected. In addition, I conducted a one -year -old professional Muay Thai training in 2017. I also participated in the professional Kickboxing training camp of Japanese coaches many times, but I did not participate in professional competitions. Because my weight is too big, and China's professional Kickboxing competition is mostly less than 75kg, so I can't participate. But I participated in the Kickboxing open tournament for four consecutive years and won the championship. I think the difference between professional Fighter and amateur Fighter is not the level of technical level, but whether you rely on fighting competitions to make money. In fact, many professions in Japan are not professional Fighter in a strict sense, and they will have another job. As a coach, it is not important whether you have participated in professional competitions, More importantly, whether your comprehensive ability is strong enough, and whether you are always learning new knowledge. I used to be a reporter from the martial arts media website. I have interviewed some professional Fighter and also participated in their courses. I found that in China, many professional Fighter cultural levels are not high. Their competitive competition is very strong, but it is difficult to effectively teach their things to students. Only very individual coaches will go to tutoring cultural knowledge and sports scientific knowledge after retiring.

Reporter: Covid-19 caused many martial arts championships and open competitions to be canceled or delayed. How did you actively promote martial arts during this period?

Master Song: I joined the Ave Fénix World Martial Arts Organization and the Martial Arts Association - International respectively, and participated in their electronic championships. The electronic championship is uploaded to the sponsor by recording Kata (forms) video, and then scored by the referee. I won a champion and a runner -up. In addition, I also actively held a seminar during the holidays. Even if only one person participated, I would continue the seminar.

Reporter: Final question. The situation of covid-19 has improved, but it has not ended. During this period, do you have any suggestions to other martial arts practitioners?

Master Song: No one knows whether the virus will mutate again, and no one knows whether the covid-19 virus will become stronger. In this unstable environment, I suggest that every martial arts practitioner should not give up your favorite martial arts, but you can find another part-time job to maintain your income. At the same time, you can also use your free time to strengthen the learning of cultural knowledge, which will also improve the quality of your teaching.

Reporter: Thank you again for accepting our interview. Through your answer, I believe more people can realize what kind of person is a real martial artist and master. Your method of promoting the development of