Strands of Strife and Life Vol. II - The Book of the Stick (Part 2) by The Immersion Foundation

The IMMERSION Foundation Presents Strands of Strife and Life Vol. II

THE BOOK OF THE

STICK

part 2

A Comprehensive Survey of the World's Stick Arts

edited by Mahipal Lunia / Juha A. Vuori, Ph.D / Mika Harju-Seppänen

THE BOOK OF THE

STIC K

THE BOOK OF THE

STICK A Comprehensive Survey of the World's Stick Arts

part 2

Contributors CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Mahipal Lunia Explorer-in-Residence, The Immersion Foundation Executive Editor, The Immersion Review @theimmersionfoundation

@immersion.foundation

http://www.therenaissancepath.com http://www.theimmersion.foundation

Juha A. Vuori, Ph.D Professor of International Politics, Faculty of Management and Business Tampere University, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1487-2961

Mika Harju-Seppänen mika.harjuseppanen@gmail.com

PEER REVIEWERS Juha A. Vuori, Ph.D Mika Harju-Seppänen 2 Anonymous Reviewers

PRODUCTION Hana Shin Editor & Production Director Cover image by Jdcollins13 on Wikipedia.com (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silambam#/media/File:Silambam_vector.svg). Cropped from original image. Permission given by Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode).

The Immersion Review, founded by The Immersion Foundation, is a conduit for penetrating insights in combat and combative behavior. It is a space for the dedicated martial artist, who dares to seek ideas from diverse fighting systems. The Immersion Review is a peer-reviewed journal for the martial arts comprehensivist. FOR EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT: thereview@theimmersion.foundation

Copyright © 2023 by The Immersion Foundation. All Rights Reserved. First Edition published in 2023 by The Immersion Foundation. http://theimmersion.foundation No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.

Acknowledgments

We would like to expresss our heartfelt graditutde to all the auhtors who contributed to this book, the anonymous reviewers who offered their time and critical review through the process, and the students of the Mountain View Aiki school who spent countless hours doing the unseen work behind the scenes. We would also like to offer special thanks to Michael Belzer for being thie guiding light on this journey and a bridge connecting The Immersion Foundation to Donn F. Draeger's work and legacy, and Michael J. Ryan, Ph.D for his contributions to the first two issues of the Immersion Review Vol. 1 - Stick Arts.

Left: Sir Richard Francis Burton [Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Francis_Burton / public domain] Right: Donn F. Draeger [Photo courtesy of Michael Belzer]

Dedication

This work is dedicated to the two pioneers and leaders of hoplology: Sir Richard Francis Burton, who founded the field in the 19th century; and Donn F. Draeger, who revived it in the 20th century.

United Kingtom France

Un i t e d

Central America Colombia

States

Barbados

at a gla nce TH E B OOK OF THE STICK p art 2

Greece

Japan

China & Hong Kong The Philippines

South Africa

Cont ents Grima: the Venezolano Moderno Style

T.J. Desch-Obi Wandering Warrior-Scholar of African and Afro-American Combative Arts

T.J. Desch-Obi First Things First: The War Club in Native American Warrior Arts

Bethany J. Dillon Geijin Ryu Staff Arts

Michel Farivar The European Quarterstaff: A Historical Review

102

Steaphen Fick Training Weapons In the Modern Era

126

Jeffrey Finder Sticklicking

138

Philip Forde Filipino Martial Arts or Filipino American Martial Arts?

156

Dean Franco, Dwight Woods, Mahipal Lunia & Mark Stewart Stick Grappling in Central America

220

Darren Patrick Friesen The Greek Stick / Staff Fighting George E. Georgas

268

Shaolin Staff in the 21st Century

296

David Giomi An Interview with Sastri Sensei: Jo Jutsu Staff Techniques

308

Jeevan Gowda The Wing Chun Long Pole

320

Mukatder Gül La Canne de Combat

334

Nicole Holzmann Cudgel of the Great Sage: Application, History, and Personal Evolution of the Monkey Kung Fu Staff

358

Damon Honeycutt Applying Stick Fighting Skills in the Modern Environment

374

Mark Human The Weapon of a Jedi Knight

402

Benjamin N. Judkins & Jared Miracle Katori Shinto Ryu

420

Riichi Kitano Bridges of Rattan, Bolos, and Daggers

446

Dexter Labanog Hermit Training

462

Mahipal Lunia Tatang Ilustrisimo's Combat Efficiency through Measure Romeo Macapagal

486

T.J. Desch-Obi, Ph.D Fighting for Honor: The History of African Martial Art in the Atlantic World

GRIMA THE VENEZOLANO MODERNO STYLE

16 | The Book of the Stick

T. J. Desch-Obi

“MORE EXTENSION ON YOUR attacks!” directed Maestro Nabor as he instructed my partner Lucy and I through an educational sequence of Venezolano Moderno, the most recent of all Colombian grima styles. These two-person fight choreographies were the basic method by which Afro-Colombians had been trained to stick fight for well over two centuries. The techniques and approaches to combat taught in such sequences depended heavily upon the style being studied. The more than thirty styles of grima could be organized into five categories based on historical depth and taxonomy of range, tactics, and strategies. In previous publications, I have outlined some of the characteristics of the numerically dominant classical and neo-classical styles of grima. This brief article will explore the history and practice of the most recent branch of grima—the Tulueño Moderno family of styles— through an oral history of the two most prolific living masters of Venezolano Moderno.

GRIMA (VENEZOLANO MODERNO)

· T. J. Desch-Obi | 17

*The following article is an edited transcription of the Stickmata Talks interview conducted by Mahipal Lunia as part of The Immersion Foundation's Stickmata Lab (2019). To listen to the origianl interview, visit: https://soundcloud.com/theimmersionfoundation/sets/stickmata.

WANDERING WARRIOR-SCHOLAR OF

AFRICAN & AFRO-AMERICAN COMBATIVE ARTS AN INTERVIEW WITH T.J. Desch-Obi

34 | The Book of the Stick

T.J. is a historian and martial artist who has trained intensively in a number of systems over the years. He is also so low-key you could pass him in the street and never know that this quiet man spent years training both Nigerian sidehold wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, first with Helio Gracie, then Rickson Gracie and finally John Danaher (head coach of the Danaher Death Squad). After some coaching with longtime friend and martial artist Mark Cheng, T.J. entered a Shuai Jiao (traditional Chinese wrestling) tournament in Paris, France, and medaled in his weight class. In addition to his recreational activities, T.J. has spent decades wandering through Africa, the Caribbean, and South America searching out African, or African-descended, martial art traditions. Back in the 1980s and 90s civil wars were flaring up throughout southern Africa. He was repeatedly caught in the middle of quickly shifting lines of control as government and rebel offensives moved back and forth. Once, T.J. was stuck in a village (with an ever-diminishing supply of food) for a few months. Eventually, he and a few others were able to take advantage of a break in the fighting to escape by boat across a river. From there he made his way back to government-held lines and safety. In Colombia, T.J. found himself once again caught between government and rebel forces as he searched for a renowned teacher of a local system of grima. In New York City, where he is a professor at Baruch College, he spent a great deal of time raining with the legendary Angoleiro from Bahia João Grande. Both of us consider ourselves very lucky that we are able to combine our passion for research with our other love of martial arts. Here is sampling of his story. This interview has been edited for clarity and re-written in parts for ease of reading.

- Mahipal Lunia

GRIMA HISTORY & STYLES

· T.J. Desch-Obi | 35

Bethany J. Dillon @bethany.dillon.90

FIRST THINGS FIRST:

THE WAR CLUB IN NATIVE AMERICAN WARRIOR ARTS Bethany J. Dillon

WE HAVE ALL HEARD OF individual Native American warriors and their daring feats of bravery and skill. Over and over again, These men stoically faced certain death in the quest to resist the invasions of explorers, government agents, and colonists. Representing another world, another way of life, they poured over every crevice, river, and burial ground in the Americas, looking for gold and silver and furs. Some of the names of the great men and women who stood tall and fought for the freedom of their people include Sitting Bull, Geronimo, Chief Joseph, Capitan Jack, Cochise, Crazy Horse, Blue Jacket, Little Turtle, and Lozen. From the first Indian uprisings against the Vikings by Inuit warriors in Vinland in AD 1010 to the last Apache holdouts from the band of Cochise in the Sierra Nevadas of Mexico in the 1930s, the stories of these Indian

NATIVE AMERICAN WAR CLUB

· Bethany J. Dillon | 53

Dr. Michel Farivar

GEIJIN RYU STAFF ARTS

Michel Farivar

Geijin ryu is a martial art that expresses its combative relevance through an understanding of the anatomy, and, amongst other strategies, the kinetic physiology of the body. This is as relevant in armed as in unarmed combat. The art maximizes, wherever possible, the potential of weapons in a strategic manner. Keeping this in mind, we can begin to explore some of the features of staff arts as understood in this discipline.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY from the outset, that in Geijin ryu, no distinction is made in the general approach between staves and other weapons that share their basic characteristics, other than the additional potential afforded by attaching blades, hooks, and chains to polearms and sticks. In Geijin ryu, working the staff does not involve blocking techniques. There is a clear differentiation between blocking versus infiltrative and strategic counter-strikes, in that the former involves a dead stop to the kinetic motion of the enemy’s weapon. The latter attacks the enemy at a vulnerable point and disables the attack. Blocking constitutes a hindrance to effective infiltration, interception, and counterattacks. At its most basic, the potential afforded by the use of a weapon relies on how the weapon both enhances and limits movement. Once committed to a certain movement, other potential movements or

GEIJIN RYU

· Michel Farivar | 81

Steaphen Fick @steaphen.fick

THE EUROPEAN QUARTERSTAFF A HISTORICAL REVIEW Steaphen Fick

THE QUARTERSTAFF IS AN iconic weapon used in history and fiction for self-defense and war. Staff weapons are some of the oldest weapons of war and defense, and every culture has staff work and uses a long staff for combat. In the European tradition, we do the same, and it is used as a training tool for other weapons as well. The staff was most commonly cut from ash, oak, or some other hard

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wood. Higher quality staves were also often tipped with metal on either end to add to the force of the strike. We have all seen the picture or video of Robin Hood fighting Little John with a quarterstaff on a bridge over a creek, but how did they use the staff weapons? In the European tradition, the staff weapon is taught as a staple in the mar-

Jeffrey "Stickman" Finder @jeffrey.finder

TRAINING WEAPONS IN THE MODERN ERA Jeffrey Finder

THE WORD MARTIAL DERIVES from the Latin martialis meaning “of war” or “belonging to Mars.” Among those belonging to Mars, there has always been the practical matter of training without causing unnecessary injury or death to students or partners. This was often an unfortunate and perhaps even regrettable outcome in societies, which had little qualms about culling the weak. Nevertheless,

126 | The Book of the Stick

the goal is to promote proficiency in fighting, whether it is children play-fighting with sticks outside a family compound, or a warlord training raw recruits for an army while doing so in relative safety. The modern martial arts’ focus on empty hands is, historically, a relatively recent phenomenon of the 19th and 20th centuries. Weapons are ubiquitous in hunting, self-defense, and combat in every culture. Training weapons and martial arts probably go together (pun intend-

ed) as far back as the efforts of our earliest ancestors to pass on survival skills to their offspring and tribe. As sticks and rocks evolved into shapes and materials capable of inflicting more dangerous wounds, those became symbolic of hunters and warriors who earned the right to bear them, as well as the social costs of time, skill, effort, and resources invested. Let us not discount that economic value. Whether sticks, wooden swords, or even fake wooden rifles sometimes

Philip Forde @philip.forde.14

STICKLICKING AN INTERVIEW WITH Philip Forde

STICKLICKING IS THE traditional recreation sport and martial art of the Barbadian men. I believe we can trace it back to the days of slavery. Of course, it has changed over the years as the society has changed. I also believe that what we practice now evolved from a more complete, well-rounded martial art to one focusing on the stick alone as it became more of a sport. I believe it is a combination of several different African stick arts with some British military influence.

138 | The Book of the Stick

Licking is a term we use to mean “to beat a person;” so sticklicking is getting beaten with a stick. Sticklicking used to be the main form of recreation for the formerly enslaved men, and also a means of self-defense against animals. My grandfather was a postman and one of the things that he had to fight or guard against were dogs, especially in the plantations. So, being a stick fighter helped him considerably. It was very useful for defense against both dogs and people who wanted to attack you.

Dean Franco @fmadiscussion5153

Dwight D. Woods @dwightdwoods

Mahipal Lunia @TheImmersionFoundation

Mark Stewart @mark.e.stewart

FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS OR FILIPINO AMERICAN MARTIAL ARTS? Dean Franco / Dwight D. Woods / Mahipal Lunia / Mark Stewart

with editorial contribution from Juha A. Vuori and Mika Harju-Seppänen

156 | The Book of the Stick

The following is an edited version of three discussions on Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) and Filipino American Martial Arts (FAMA) hosted by Dean Franco on the FMA Discussion YouTube channel. FMA Discussion hosts notable Filipino Martial Arts enthusiasts and has become the leading YouTube forum on FMA with global reach and participation. Martial arts training has transformed with the times irrespective of which art one looks at: training was different in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and in the new millennium. There are many reasons for why such transformations take place, especially when the training takes place outside the context of origin of the particular martial art. The question that the three episodes of FMA Discussion consider is when and whether such changes constitute a new form or expression of the original arts; when do the content, systematization into curricula, and pedagogics change to a degree that would justify calling something a new art or a different form of the art altogether? Here, the focus is on whether this is the case for FMA when it became more widely taught and trained in the U.S. and what the key differences are between the “old” and the “new.” These discussions are historical in the sense that this topic had not really been broached systematically before.

FMA & FAMA

· Dean Franco / Dwight D. Woods / Mahipal Lunia / Mark Stewart | 157

Darren Patrick Friesen @darren.p.friesen

STICK GRAPPLING & IMPACT TRAINING FOR SECURITY PERSONNEL IN CENTRAL AMERICA

Darren Patrick Friesen

IT WAS QUITE A SHOCK, culture-wise, when we first moved to Costa Rica from Canada roughly 12+ years ago. I think it took almost two years for me to find my footing and actually get over the “deerin-headlights” sentiment to take an active part as a contributing member of society. That “part” also did not come easy even after that point. One of my first gigs here was being subcontracted from a major security firm in the Central Pacific which operated out of seven cities or towns here (Jaco, Quepos, Manuel Antonio, Santa Ana, Dominical, Uvita, and Hermosa). It seemed like a great opportunity to test my skills, expand my portfolio, and re-engage with an outlet I was worried about having left behind in Canada. It was a rather knee-jerk shock to the system, to be sure. My wife did not like the training as I was challenged, tested, and even jumped and threatened at times. The solo ride in the dark from the beach was not always the safest, especially for a foreigner that could break down at any time and be a target for robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, and the like. The demographic was often obligated and required to be there—translation: many did not want to and resented the extracurricular commitment.

STICK GRAPPLING FOR SECURITY PERSONNEL

· Darren Patrick Friesen | 221

George E. Georgas https://medievalswordmanship.wordpress.com

GREEK STAFF/ STICK FIGHTING George E. Georgas

268 | The Book of the Stick

STAFF/STICK FIGHTING HAS deep roots in Greece; it found a use for military training and for civilians to defend themselves. The staff was easy to make as a weapon, so even a person of the lower classes could own and use it easily. For example, since ancient times, the staff served as a weapon for shepherds to protect their flocks against predators and thieves.

GREEK STAFF

· George E. Georgas | 269

David Giomi @david.giomi

SHAOLIN STAFF IN THE 21ST CENTURY A LOOK AT THE PRAGMATIC USE OF CHI FOR POWER GENERATION USING THE SHAOLIN STAFF

David Giomi

NOBODY KNOWS THE EXACT origins of men using a staff as a weapon. Somewhere long ago, one of our ancestors figured out that if they picked up a long stick instead of a rock to hit with, they could get more leverage and distance to hit from. As soon as a second person picked up a big stick to defend themselves, the art of staff fighting was born. It can be found in all cultures around the globe. Brief History of Shaolin Temple As the story goes, when the Indian monk Bodhidharma (also known as Ta Mo in China) arrived at Shaolin Temple in approximately AD 520-527, he found the monks to be in such poor physical condition that they could not keep up with their spiritual studies and meditation. He then developed exercises to strengthen the monks’ mind, body, and spirit. This is often considered to be the beginning of the mind-body connection that many of the traditional Asian martial arts are famous for.

SHAOLIN STAFF

· David Giomi | 297

Srinivasan Sastri Jeevan Gowda @jeevan.gowda theimmersiondojo.com

AN INTERVIEW WITH

SASTRI SENSEI: JO JUTSU STAFF TECHNIQUES Jeevan Gowda

RECENTLY I HAD the honor to sit down with my oldest martial arts teacher, Srinivasan Sastri Sensei. Sensei has been guiding me in my martial arts practice since I was 19 years old. Now at the age of 85, he has been practicing martial arts for nearly six decades, training in the samurai arts for more than 40 years. I find it best to ask simple questions and let Sensei do what he does best: teach.

Jeevan Gowda: So, what is the advantage of staff training? Sastri Sensei: Well, first, it will help with the coordination of your body. If you train with no other weapon, or if you are from an empty-hand art it improves the coordination. When you pick up any staff, it becomes an extension of your hand and body! Your legs, your hand, your breathing, all these work together to move your staff. Moving everything together dramatically improves your coordination. Secondly, a good art will teach you various aspects of using a stick/ staff—striking to different parts of the body, using various types of strikes. Then there are several techniques you can use, such as throws, chokes, and sweeps. All these various aspects of jo training are improved. The staff will improve your coordination in life. Also, all the techniques you use, be they striking or throws—how to reach a moving opponent and adapting to the situation. Even if you do not have a traditional staff, then you can use whatever is at hand to protect yourself with your art. At least that is what a proper staff training means to me!

JO JUTSU I / SASTRI SENSEI

· Jeevan Gowda | 309

Mukatder Gül, Ph.D @sifuguel

THE

WING CHUN LONG POLE LOOK DIM BOON QUAN / SIX-AND-A-HALF-POINT LONG POLE FORM

Mukatder Gül

EVERYTHING I CAN SAY OR write about Wing Chun long pole is based on my experiences and training. The most important and authentic source for me is, of course, my Sifu Ip Ching, who taught me the long pole form and the use of the weapon. Of course, I also asked him about the historical aspects of the long pole. In addition, I am in constant contact with my friends who are themselves Sifus in several other Wing Chun lineages, such as Wong Shun Leung, Ip Chun, and Leung Sheung. Therefore, I have insight also into the different interpretations and versions of the Wing Chun long pole. My Sifu Ip Ching Ip Ching was born in Foshan, China, and is the youngest son of Grandmaster Ip Man. Even at an early age, he showed great interest in martial arts and began his Wing Chun training under the guidance of his father at the age of seven. Ip Man taught his students fre-

quently at the family home and as Ip Ching lived with his father, this gave him tremendous insights into the Wing Chun system and his father’s teaching methods. Because of this fact, he assisted his father in teaching the students in Wing Chun until his death in 1972. Ip Ching knows exactly who learned what from his father. As an honorable disciple and a committed son, Ip Ching is following his father’s footsteps as his successor in the Wing Chun system. Among others, he is honored with the titles of The Master of the Keys and The Keeper of the Art and, for me, he is currently the highest authority in the Ip Man Wing Chun system. His authority does not rest only on his knowledge of the art; the character—the honesty, patience, and the warmth he gives to a student—of this extraordinary man is equally important. It is always the person behind the martial art who makes the art successful.

WING CHUN LONG POLE II

· Mukatder Gül | 321

Nicole Holzmann @nicole.holzmann.980

LA CANNE DE COMBAT Nicole Holzmann

DUELING WITH SHARP weapons was an upper-class phenomenon from as early as the modern age until the end of the 18th century and often resulted in severe injuries or fatalities. It was also customary to carry an epée to defend oneself against assaults in cities like Paris. The French Revolution put an end to that, banning all swords and other fencing weapons from the streets of France. And anyone caught dueling was severely dealt with by a judge.

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At that time, criminal gangs had already established kicking techniques that they called "savate" after a designation for “old shoe” and utilized canes as weapons. For the upper class, being stripped of their sharp weapons but used to carrying canes as walking aids or as a fashion statement, the idea of adopting the kicking and cane techniques as a self-defensive alternative was not far-fetched. And so, savate and la canne found their way into France’s gymnasiums

and fencing halls. While the techniques of English boxing had been incorporated into savate and had become known as boxe française around 1830, la canne became part of the standard repertoire of weapons taught by fencing teachers. They further developed la canne techniques based on sabre fencing. Different styles and directions shaped by different masters emerged, and soldiers in the French army learned savate and la

canne. These defensive weapons were unified in 1843 by Louis Leboucher in his work, Théorie pour apprendre tirer la canne en vingtcinq leçons (“The theory behind learning how to fight with la canne in twenty-five lessons”). Towards the end of the 19th century, the streets of Paris became safer, and the self-defensive aspect of la canne became less important. In 1899, Joseph Charlemont pub-

Damon Honeycutt @damon.honeycutt.52

CUDGEL OF THE GREAT SAGE APPLICATION, HISTORY, & PERSONAL EVOLUTION OF THE MONKEY KUNG FU STAFF Damon Honeycutt

not seeing you fruitlessly grasp snarled teeth make for dangerous encounters for again and again I meet you in an unfriendly manner

MONKEY KUNG FU STAFF

· Damon Honeycutt | 359

Mark Human @mark.human.9

APPLYING STICK FIGHTING SKILLS IN THE MODERN ENVIRONMENT Mark Human

Part 1 AS A CHILD GROWING UP IN Pretoria, South Africa, during the 1970s and 1980’s, formal martial arts training was quite limited in scope. Unlike firearms, this was particularly evident when it came to edged and impact weapons training. After a year of proverbially having my face up against the dojo window, watching the adults-only Japanese kobu jitsu weapons classes, my Funakoshi instructor vouched for myself and one other student, both of us 12 years old. He had allowed us to attend the kobu jitsu classes on a trial-run basis, and this, it turned out, was my introduction to formal weapons training. During this time, I was also "playing sticks" with the local gardener, a kind and caring Venda man named Joel. A few times a week, when he had a break, we would try to "tag" each other for around 15-20 minutes at a time. We used lightweight PVC rods as makeshift knobkerries (attacking sticks) and

a lightweight piece of willow plus a t-shirt wrapped around our shielding stick and hand for protection (he never used the African terms). During school holidays, my forays into fighting extended to "stick fights" with the neighborhood kids using sticks for striking and dustbin lids or for shields. Many times these games that began in a spirit of fun devolved into frayed tempers and the odd cracked knuckle, and sometimes broke out into rock-throwing fights. As for Joel, after a couple of years, he moved back to what was then called Venda Land. Looking back, I think I was his practice dummy. I never considered or had any clue as to the heritage of African stick fighting. I did not experience this as training like my kobu jitsu classes, this was just fun and play fighting. Little did I realize that my path into adulthood would be influenced by both my formal training and informal playing to develop a training regime for dealing with violent criminal attacks.

TRADITIONAL STICK FIGHTING IN MODERN S. AFRICA

· Mark Human | 375

Benjamin N. Judkins, Ph.D https://chinesemartialstudies.com/

Jared Miracle, Ph.D https://www.goodreads.com/ author/show/15098190.Jared_Miracle

THE WEAPON OF A JEDI KNIGHT: LIGHTSABER COMBAT AS A HYPER-REAL MARTIAL ART Benjamin N. Judkins & Jared Miracle

Lightsaber Combat as a Global Movement IN FEBRUARY OF 2019, THE French Fencing Federation (Fédération Française d’Escrime; FFE) made the news. News stories ran in many major magazines, and the comedian Trevor Noah even graced the FFE with a Daily Show segment.1,2 Yet the topic of debate was not traditional sport fencing. Rather, the FFE had announced they were adding the LED saber, or replica lightsaber, as an official fourth weapon within the French fencing establishment, alongside the better-established foil, epee, and saber. The response to this announcement was electric. Some commentators were delighted, others aghast. The viral spread of this conversation, which went far be1 Sixt Wetzler, “Martial Arts Studies as Kulturwissenschaft: A Possible Theoretical Framework,” Martial Arts Studies 1 (2015): 20-33. 2 Paul Bowman, Deconstructing Martial Arts (Cardiff: Cardiff University Press, 2019), 44.

LIGHTSABERS

· Benjamin N. Judkins & Jared Miracle | 403

Riichi Kitano @riichikitanous

KATORI SHINTO RYU Riichi Kitano

KATORI SHINTO RYU WAS founded in the mid-Muromachi era (AD 1400s) by Iizasa Choisai Ienao (1387-1488). It is known to be one of the oldest martial arts in Japan and also considered as one of the roots of Japanese martial arts. The history of Katori Shinto ryu can go back in time as early as the era of the deities. Historically, people believed in multiple gods in

420 | The Book of the Stick

KATORI SHINTO RYU

· Riichi Kitano | 421

Dexter Labanog http://martialarts-history.com/Dexter_Labonog

BRIDGES OF RATTAN, TITLE

BOLOS, SUBTITLEAND DAGGERS Author Dexter Labonog

ADIT PLITATIONET INT ES dusae. Fero dolorio tem rerum cor magnam autendae. Iquatat quarerspid quod quo volupti untium mend andaere mporupta doluptate sitem. Nam, coriatus, core volupsa quae. Lectionem dis rendam, tas aut hil in reptatempor mosto STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA, KNOWN FOR its productive agrisunt. quatemp orumque nimi, officit culture and immigrant population before of the millen-tematinctothe iumturn si offic te volupta Xerepudam, ut quia cum non placnium, thrives today as a city tryingporupta to survive quodpost-bankruptcy, molut et dolor sit cae eium hariandunto evelibu santhe homeless population, and the cycle of impoverished families versperitem et voluptat rerro endi tis unt denimpe riorempore sint that continue from generation to generation. Despite its que notoriaute veliquam corrum corumofficiistrum esed et facepudae volety as the city with the most homicides in a single year anddoluptas the quis dolor aut exerchicia ora dolorpo ratur, si blaut id momost foreclosed homes in the nation, still are pa signs of op-volesinis ilitthere volorit apictat luptat. timistic hopes for the city: a new hockey arena and now henducidis a bassUciis excestio blabore Nem utatur? Moa illor quampark de ketball team, new ant baseball in nos downtown, food festivals, non explaudipsam evenia illatusandit laccullor dolorepta community events,siand the efforts nonsequo of local groups tryingIcide to preofficatur? con cus sollupt asimaxi mporporrum fugit serve the little positive history Stockton proudiltomod hangeles on to. dellamis repel maxim est quae sequiaes et porupta vosundit la volorem sum coribus anluptatur? dendi dolor repudae nos ad quiduciuntis dus aut experibus aut Cea niet recab il in ex est, ut qui faccuptia velit pore prestet esti todolore plit rat endebis as verrovi taquatur mo expe pora core pro

The Port of Stockton, once the most inland deepwater port in California, was a major hub point for many Filipinos in the 1900s through the early 1970s and a significant employer for longshoreman workers. The surrounding military bases were also a significant source of employment, but agriculture is where many of the first Filipino laborers found work. As the surrounding communities and families became established, pockets of economic differences became apparent, and in Southside Stockton (West) and south of Charter Way, a sizeable Filipino community had developed. Filipino lodges and organizations thrived on helping each other in times of uncertainty or hardship and as a resource for guidance to new families arriving or individuals looking for work. Fast-forwarding to 1978, out of high school and attending Delta Community College, I discovered my own Filipino culture has a form of martial arts called escrima. Because of the boom of popularity that Bruce Lee brought to the movie screen at that time, martial arts was a trendy thing to do. But what is this escrima? Meaning "to

skirmish or fight," it is the name given by the Spaniards that occupied the Islands for nearly four hundred years. My sister asked if I was interested in learning escrima because her friend Thomas Bernardo needed a training partner in the Leo Giron School of Filipino Arnis Escrima located on San Joaquin Street, Stockton. I was told to go to the school to talk to the teacher (Leo Giron). The address was close by on San Joaquin street. So I went over, walked up the stairs and knocked on the door, and while waiting for someone to answer I looked around. It was hard to tell where classes were held. I later found out that the lower portion of the house, though above ground, was considered a basement where classes were taught during the winter, and then in the backyard in the summer. After the interview to see if I would be accepted, I was told to return for class on a Monday. I became curious about this escrima; some of what Leo said to me about the war (WWII) sounded like what my father went through in the U.S. Army, piquing my interest even more.

GIRON ARNIS ESCRIMA

· Dexter Labonog | 447

Mahipal Lunia @theimmersionfoundation

462 | The Book of the Stick

HERMIT TRAINING Mahipal Lunia

"... it is about developing consistency in your training and using various methods to combat boredom and familiarity in training. The more methods you layer into your stick, or for that matter, any weapon training, the better will be your chances of learning a new skill and amplifying the results."

HERMIT TRAINING

· Mahipal Lunia | 463

Romeo Macapagal @romeo.macapagal.3

TATANG ILUSTRISIMO'S COMBAT EFFICIENCY THROUGH MEASURE Romeo Macapagal

ANTONIO “TATANG” Ilustrisimo’s system is based on an accurate management of measure which enables the precise placement of strikes directly onto the opponent, very rarely needing to parry their attack. This precision of measure is predicated on a principle of evading the attack by an inch,

486 | The Book of the Stick

or un pulgada, thus enabling a simultaneous strike on the attacker without getting hit. There are body-to-body, weapon-to-body, weapon-to-weapon, and emptyhand-on-weapon-hand categories of measure. The movements of such precise attacks are based on a Spanish fenc-

ing technique referred to as parada por romper de la distancia—literally, “parrying by destroying the opponent’s measure.” This allows the simultaneous strike on the opponent without wasting a beat to parry. This is combat efficiency. Precise geometry is used in the analysis and study of the various distances, measures, and angles of

the combatants. The varying radius of a strike as it is delivered forehand, backhand, side-to-side, left or right, downwards or upwards, and at an angle, are closely studied so that one can be in a position from which to strike at the closest reach to the opponent while they lose their measure in their attack on you.

KALIS ILUSTRISIMO

· Romeo Macapagal | 487