Issuu

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

THE BOOK OF THE

STICK

part 4

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 4

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.

Italy Portugal United States Cuba Puerto Rico Trinadad and Tobago

Argentina

at a gla nce TH E B OOK OF T HE ST ICK part 4

Russia Japan China India

Burma

The Philippines

Indonesia

South Africa

Cont ents Bonafont Argentine Cane Combat System

Jorge Prina The Italian Stick Fighting Tradition: A Journey from the Middle Ages to the Contemporary Era

Marco Quarta A Brief History of the Afro-Caribbean Dances

Miguel Quijano & Miguel Machado Indian Lathi

Mahesh Kumar Ramakrishna Traditional Stick Fighting: Common Themes Oceans Apart

Burton Richardson Various Types of Fighting in Filipino Martial Arts: Modernity and Tradition

118

Andrea Rollo Punjabi Wooden Weapon Fighting Arts

152

Harjit Singh Sagoo Speed

196 Ron Saturno

Drunken Boxing: The Staff

216

Daniel Schultz Jogo do Pau and the Differences between Dueling and Group Combat

236

Pedro Silva Jogo do Pau Pedro Silva & Oscar Cunha

262

Strife and Folklore: Discovering the Rural Fighting Art of Jogo do Pau

280

Vincent Tamer Tell Me About Yourself: A Conversation in Random Flow

298

Maija Soderholm Kali Abtik Largo

320

Mark Stewart The Long and the Short of It: Staff Training in Choy Lay Fut Kung Fu

344

Mike Sutherland A Journey through the Monastery of Kalinda

370

Keegan Taylor Warriodhood: A Deep Discussion

394

Keegan Taylor & Mahipal Lunia The Art of Jo Jutsu

418

Henri-Robert Vilaire Jo Jujutsu Staff Work

434

Henri-Robert Vilaire Systema Stick Fighting

452

Martin Wheeler Systema Mindset

456

Martin Wheeler Bando Staff

468

Geoff Willcher History and Development of Ulin Limbuhan Roedy Wiranatakusumah & Gending Raspuzi

496

Jorge Prina @tacuara.dpu

BONAFONT ARGENTINE CANE COMBAT SYSTEM COMBAT WITH A TANGO FLAVOR . . . Jorge Prina

THERE WAS A CANE FIGHTING SYSTEM in Argentina that existed at the beginning of the 20th century, in the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina—Buenos Aires, the cradle of the tango. And this story began like this . . .

History WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE year 1900, a new century began. Over the last few years, Argentina had shifted its economic base from small landowners selling their surplus to Europe to an industrialized export-oriented economy bringing the country wealth rivaling that of Europe or North America. Money flowed in, and the rich became even wealthier. For the gauchos of the pampas, life turned out differently. The expansion of a hacienda economy fencing in the once wide-open spaces in the mid19th century reduced the range of the herds of wild horses and cows that had roamed the savannahs for centuries. With the disappearance of the herds, the traditional source for the economic livelihood of the gaucho disappeared as well. The increasing implementation of modern rational methods of managing livestock and the plow-

BONAFONT CANE II

· Jorge Prina | 17

Dr. Marco Quarta @marco4quarta

THE ITALIAN STICK FIGHTING TRADITION A JOURNEY FROM THE MIDDLE AGES TO THE CONTEMPORARY ERA Dr. Marco Quarta

ITALY IS LIKE AN ALCHEMIC furnace: different cultures merged, transformed and forged into something new and unique for centuries. Beginning our story with the glory that was once Rome, the Italian peninsula was the center of an international culture, where arts converged and evolved. The history of Italian martial arts is no exception. Indeed, the name “Arts of Mars,” or Art of the Roman God of War Mars, suggests how relevant these arts were among the ancient Romans. Characterized by vibrant military culture, Romans emerged onto the Indo-European landscape with unique tactical and technical martial legacies. Foremost, it was the legions military technology that enabled Rome, over several centuries, to conquer much of western Europe, parts of Asia, and the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

ITALIAN STICK FIGHTING

· Dr. Marco Quarta | 31

Miguel Quijano @michael.quijano.581187

EL JUEGO DE MANÍ & COCOBALÉ A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AFRO-CARIBBEAN DANCES OF WAR Miguel Quijano & Miguel Machado

FIGHTING. BATTLE. COMBAT. Warfare. Regardless of the name we use to describe it, conflict is a fundamental aspect of the human experience. As such, it is only logical that codified systems for settling conflicts—martial arts— would arise on every continent, in every culture. And yet, people are

52 | The Book of the Stick

always surprised when I mention that Puerto Rico and Cuba have their own respective martial arts— ones birthed under the ugly banner of slavery. Nowadays, most people are well aware of other Afro-diasporic arts such as Brazilian capoeira or Trinidadian kalinda. They might have

even heard about esgrima y bordon and juego de garrote, from Colombia and Venezuela, respectively. However, most are unaware that similar arts exist in Puerto Rico and Cuba. While there are resources out there that briefly touch upon the martial arts from these regions, they have always concluded that, with no current practitioners of the martial component, the arts must be extinct. This conclusion is the result of one of two things: either their sources were only folkloric

practitioners (those not trained in the traditional methods of combat), or they did not do their research. The following article is a direct rejection of the extinction line of thinking and will offer an in-depth analysis of the Afro-diasporic arts of Cuba, known as el Juego de maní and kokoye, and their Puerto Rican sister traditions, calinda, cocobalé, and cocolembe. For over 50 years, I have dedicated my life to these arts—not just to the mastery of their combat

EL JUEGO DE MANÍ & COCOBALÉ

· Miguel Quijano & Miguel Machado | 53

Mahesh Kumar Ramakrishna @silambammahesh

INDIAN LATHI Mahesh Kumar Ramakrishna

MY NAME IS MAHESH KUMAR RAMAKRISHNA, and I am happy to be a part of The Immersion Labs to bring my experience in showcasing one of the popular forms of Indian martial arts practices across India. I started to practice silambam and kuthu varisai (the name for lathi comes out of silambam of Tamil Nadu state) at the age of eight and completed it at the age of 18. I then started researching, teaching, and then traveling across South India to gain more knowledge. It has been a long journey since then, and it is still going on.

Burton Richardson @ JKDUnlimited

TITLE

TRADITIONAL STICK FIGHTING: COMMON THEMES OCEANS APART

SUBTITLE Author

Burton Richardson

SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME when two untrained human beings have picked up sticks and attemptPLITATIONET ES edADIT to grievously harm oneINT anothmagnam autendae. Iquatat has quaer, the resulting bludgeon-fest mend been andaere mporuptaThey doluptate always predictable. put sa stick quae.hands Lectionem rendam, the behind dis them, lowsunt. er their heads, and step in with repeated forehand strikes to the Xerepudam, ut quia cum nonnogplacgin. Not pretty. cae eium hariandunto evelibu santis unt sint Have twodenimpe seasonedriorempore stick fighters officiistrum facepudae volspar, and youesed will et see unique apora dolorpo ratur, si blaut moproaches unfold. Some stylesidwill luptat. stay relatively stationary, some will circle on the and Nem utatur? Mo periphery, illor ant quam others will cutlaccullor distinct angles. Cerillatusandit si dolorepta tain stylesasimaxi call formporporrum a fighter to stand sollupt fugit tall, and still others to crouch est quae sequiaes et porupta or vokneel—all depending on environluptatur? mental factors, such as the slope recab il in ut qui orCea theniet slipperiness of ex theest, ground dolore them. plit rat endebisfrom as verrovi beneath Methods areas with a high rate of rainfall often prefer lower stances and simple footwork to mitigate slipping and

falling, which can prove to be fatal during combat. The characteristics of the weapons dusae. Fero dolorio tem rerum cor used will also influence the style. rerspid quod quo volupti untium Weight, length, and balance detersitem. Nam, coriatus, core volupmine how the sticks are most eftas aut hil in reptatempor mosto ficiently wielded. One swings the quatemp orumque nimi, officit massive Samoan nifo’oti war club atincto ium si offic te volupta temwith different body mechanics porupta quod molut et dolor sit than a short Irish shillelagh. Culversperitem et voluptat rerro endi tural values also make an impact. aute veliquam corrum que corumIn some regions, standing your quis dolor aut exerchicia doluptas ground “to battle it out” is the sinis ilit volorit pa apictat volemost fearless approach. Another sUciis excestio blabore henducidis group may esteem simplicity and de nos non explaudipsam evenia efficacy, so movement and subternonsequo officatur? Icide con cus fuge are valued and emphasized. dellam repel il mod eles maxim The range of possible give sundit la volorem sumfactors coribus anusdendi distinct artsrepudae from which dolor nos we ad can quiallduciuntis appreciate andaut learn. But there dus experibus aut are specificvelit aspects common faccuptia pore prestet esti to totraditional stick-fighting systems, taquatur mo expe pora core pro regardless of where in the world they originated.

There are two fundamental aspects of martial expression found worldwide: "war dances" and "the fight." A war dance may be choreographed or spontaneous. Sometimes it is both, where practitioners are free to riff off a learned pattern as they swing the sticks impressively or delightfully and sometimes both simultaneously. War dances are done solo or with a partner in a manner where there is no actual attempt at dominating each other. Many war dances have an indigenous musical accompaniment creating a rhythmic motion that is pleasing to the eye and beneficial to the body. Dancing brings people together so an entire village can socialize and strengthen familial bonds. The fight is where each partner does their best to dominate the other. The intensity varies between types of fighting. Fights can take place in many ways. They may range from relatively safe sparring, where controlled strikes or protective armor minimizes injuries. On the other end of the scale, they may engage in extreme sparring where the combatants have only their skills to protect themselves from serious injury. Traditionally, both dancing and fighting were emphasized in most stick-fighting arts because it produced the chief desired result: an efficient, functional warrior.

KALIS ILUSTRISIMO & ZULU 'NDUKU

· Burton Richardson | 99

Andrea Rollo @rollo.andrea.1

VARIOUS TYPES OF FIGHTING IN FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS MODERNITY & TRADITION

Andrea Rollo

[Translated by Simona Esposito, Ph.D] [Revised by Dott. Roberto Parravani, Ph.D]

Sports Competitions FEDERATIONS, ASSOCIATIONS, schools, and masters in the Philippines have in recent decades been engaged in the promotion of Filipino martial arts by organizing tournaments and sports competitions at both national and international levels. A large number of different styles, and the technical variety, typical of the fighting arts in the Philippines, have resulted in the existence of several different sporting specializations. The most common are generally: •

single-stick (or single olisi)

•

double-stick (or sinawali)

•

knife

But there are also competitions of: •

espada y daga (or baston y daga)

•

Filipino boxing (suntukan – also known in the US as panantukan)

•

Filipino wrestling (or dumog/ buno)

The baston, or stick, being the basic weapon in most Filipino martial arts systems, the pre-eminent specialty is undoubtedly the single-stick.

FMA STYLES

· Andrea Rollo | 119

Harjit Singh Sagoo Harjit Singh

PUNJABI WOODEN WEAPONS FIGHTING ARTS HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, CONSPIRACY, AND TECHNIQUE

Harjit Singh Sagoo

THIS ARTICLE EXPLORES wooden weapon combat in Punjab, the ancient Indian land of five rivers as well as saints, poets, and warriors, from the past to the present, particularly among the Sikhs. Weapon Typology The traditional wooden weapons of Punjab include the following four major types: •

soti (meter-long stick)

•

sota or danda (short wooden club)

•

lathi or daang (staff)

•

salotar (pestle)

For actual combat, the ends of the first three would be steel or ironcapped in order to maximize damage to the target whilst protecting the weapon from impact damage. It would be erroneous to assume that the utilization of wooden weapons in Punjab is now redundant. In present-day Punjab, sticks and clubs can still be found in the hands of the Nihang Singhs (members of a martial Sikh sect), players of the combat sport of gatka, Punjab police officers, as well as thugs and rioters.

Figure 1 - Vintage photograph of Nihang Singhs armed with various clubs, two of them steelcapped.

PUNJABI WOODEN WEAPON COMBAT

· Harjit Singh Sagoo | 153

Ron Saturno @ronsaturno

SPEED Ron Saturno

“Slow is smooth and smooth is fast,” I say. It’s my mantra. When I practice escrima, I mentally repeat it again and again. It’s hard, damn hard to seamlessly transition from movement to movement during a spar smoothly and efficiently. It’s a very rare breed that can.

196 | The Book of the Stick

SERRADA ESCRIMA & SPEED

· Ron Saturno | 197

Daniel Schultz

DRUNKEN BOXING THE STAFF Daniel Schultz

THE STAFF IS ONE OF THE most common and fundamental weapons found in many Asian martial arts. It has evolved from a simple walking stick into an improvised weapon like other weapons have. Throughout history, we see that evolution, from simple weapons like tying a stick to a rock together to make a mace, and later to the development of spears, swords, and other polearms. Yet the staff remains unchanged—it is essentially a big stick. You would not

216 | The Book of the Stick

DRUNKEN BOXING

· Daniel Schultz | 217

José Avelino

Pedro Silva & Oscar Cunha @pedro.fma

@gabriel.cunha.1257

JOGO DO PAU AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DUELING AND GROUP COMBAT Pedro Silva

*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).

JOGO DO PAU AN INTERVIEW WITH Pedro Silva & Oscar Cunha

WE ARE CONNECTED WITH the Cepães group of. Cepães is a small village in the north of Portugal, in the area of Fafe, in the district of Braga—near Porto in the north. Jogo do pau used to be practiced around the country, in all the territories, including the Azores. Before going to jogo do pau, I [Pedro] had been practicing mar-

262 | The Book of the Stick

tial arts since 1992-93. I did many things from kickboxing and boxing to the traditional martial arts. The more traditional arts that I have trained are hapkido, a Korean martial art, and Filipino Martial Arts (FMA), that I have been doing since 2001-2002. From there, I started along the way of jogo do pau, in the school I already men-

tioned, where I was lucky enough to have a man that always kept the art going, Mestre José Avelino. He is one of the Mestres, the other being Mestre José Carlos. Mestre Avelino was the man that accepted to teach me, and the lessons he gave are very valuable. I think he is an important character, a landmark, in the jogo do pau tradition

and history. Oscar, like me, is Portuguese, and he has practiced jogo do pau for 32 years, since he was a kid. His father is Mestre José Avelino, so he is connected with the art. What is Jogo do Pau? Jogo, translated directly to English, means “a game,” but it also has another meaning, which is “skill.”

JOGO DO PAU II

· Pedro Silva & Oscar Cunha | 263

Post-Script:

STRIFE & FOLKLORE DISCOVERING THE RURAL FIGHTING ART OF JOGO DO PAU

Vincent Tamer

IT DIDN’T TRULY DAWN ON me that I was heading to Portugal until I had made it to the airport that day. For an American who has become deeply interested in the study of history and culture, it is an incredibly important pilgrimage to travel to Europe to rediscover one’s origins. When I imagine Europe, I imagine the millennia of history that have brought me to where I stand now. Portugal was the perfect destination for my homecoming to the Mediterranean, as I could celebrate not only the beauty of Iberia but also the fighting spirit of a traditional means of self-defense. Jogo do pau is a rural stick fighting practice that translates literally into “game

of the staff.’’ Within the municipality of Fafe, some thirty minutes outside of Porto, there was much to celebrate, as jogo do pau is experiencing a small renaissance. Twelve schools coming from all corners of the small country arrived in Fafe to exchange, demonstrate, and plan for the future of the treasured fighting system that has come close to extinction on several occasions. This was the pivotal moment for The Immersion Foundation to make a hoplological expedition to Portugal to document the art of jogo do pau in stunning 4K resolution. I must say, it was an absolute privilege to film and learn the basics of such an old form of justice.

Post-Script: JOGO DO PAU III

· Vincent Tamer | 281

Maija Soderholm @maija.soderholm

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF A CONVERSATION IN RANDOM FLOW

[photo credit : Eric Nomberg]

Maija Soderholm

IN EARLY 2006, MAESTRO Sonny Umpad, my teacher and founder of Visayan Style Corto Kadena and Larga Mano Eskrima, was diagnosed with brain cancer. Soon after the diagnosis, he was taken to the hospital having lost motor function in one arm. Once there, he had surgery to remove tumors in his brain. He was told there were inoperable tumors they left untouched, and that he only had about six months to live.

SONNY UMPAD / RANDOM FLOW

· Maija Soderholm | 299

Mark Stewart @mark.e.stewart

KALI ABTIK LARGO Mark Stewart

Largo WHILE IT IS NECESSARY TO learn all ranges of combat with and without weaponry, it is taught by some that the ideal strategy and optimal function of a weapon is its longest reach or range, and that the rest are logical, and needed backup. This long-range distance is referred to as largo or larga in many Filipino martial arts systems, including Kali Abtik from the Guro Ted Lucaylucay kali lineage. Largo, like the “Latter Stage” developments of Bruce Lee’s jeet kune do, is the idea of maintaining the distance and position to strike or cut with the least chance of being struck or cut back, which is the pinnacle of the training pyramid and subsequently outlines an “engagement continuum” in training and usage. The largo range is defined as requiring the use of a step and fully extended weapon to reach the opponent, which includes both major and minor targets. Before his passing, Guro Ted Lucaylucay was integrating fencing principles into his art, as inspired from JKD, fencing, and Serfino arnis as taught by Master Federico Serfino Jr., as well as the previous largo training from Villabrille-Largusa kali, Giron largo mano, and his own research and development.

KALI ABTIK LARGO

· Mark Stewart | 321

Mike Sutherland

THE LONG & THE SHORT OF IT:

STAFF TRAINING IN CHOY LAY FUT KUNG FU Mike Sutherland

*Note: Due to differences within the majorbranches of Choy Lay Fut, this article is, by necessity, rather general and applies more to those within the primary Hung Sing lineage than to Fut San Hung Sing and Buk Sing. Also, please note that my own training has been very eclectic and may not accurately represent any of these branches. The key forms mentioned are all found in the Hung Sing branch with the exception of the pole form.

A Brief Background FOR THOSE UNFAMILIAR WITH the Choy Lay Fut system, it is a fusion of several southern styles. Regardless of the facts surrounding the legendary Southern Shaolin Temple,1 it is apparent from oral history that the founder, Chan Heung, learned a mixture of southern family styles from his uncle, Chan Yuen Woo, who was reputed to have trained at Shaolin.2 His training continued with his uncle’s senior classmate, Li Yau San, the founder of Li Ga—which specializes in faster, longer, and more changeable footwork rather than the stronger, more stable footwork normally associated with southern systems. His final influence came from the monk Choy Fok, who added elements of Choy Ga, internal training, and traditional medicine. 1 Speculation about the temple legends is beyond the scope of this article. 2 This is based on the term Fut Ga being used as a loose descriptor for the combination of arts supposedly taught at the temple.

CHOY LAY FUT KUNG FU

· Mike Sutherland | 345

Keegan Taylor @keegan.taylor.96

[Photo courtesy of Maria Nunes, 2015]

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE MONASTERY OF

KALINDA Keegan Taylor

[Photo courtesy of Maria Nunes, 2015]

KALINDA, ALSO KNOWN AS “stickfighting” in Trinidad, is a martial tradition involving two batonierres, or bois men, competing for warrior supremacy by exchanging licks and blows with skill and strategy in an attempt to subdue or draw first blood from their opponent. I have played the game for more than a decade. I consider myself a diligent student of the game, its methodology, history, and the unique and varied elements making up the tradition.

KALINDA II

· Keegan Taylor | 371

WARRIORHOOD A DEEP DISCUSSION

Keegan Taylor & Mahipal Lunia During their interview with Michael J. Ryan, Keegan Taylor and Mahipal Lunia discuss the dangers of digital forms of teaching martial arts and their play with live cutlasses during the Barbados expedition.

Henri-Robert Vilaire Henri-Robert Vilaire

THE ART OF JO JUTSU Henri-Robert Vilaire

Background I PRACTICE AN INTEGRATED martial arts system consisting of weapons and empty-hand arts. The system works as a single art, although subdivided into sections for ease of learning. They are: aiki jujutsu, the art of receiving and redirecting an opponent’s energy through throws, joint manipulation, and other principles of body mechanics and movement; atemi jutsu, the art of striking to vital targets and pressure points with the hands, arms, feet, and other body parts; ken jutsu, the art of fighting with blades, including all lengths of swords and knives; and jo jutsu, the art of fighting with staves, or sticks, of all lengths, bladed or non-bladed. At higher levels, the system sets different weapons against each other. In addition to the four pillars of the system, here are supportive arts: tessen jutsu, the art of fighting and communicating with a metal fan, and obi tai waza, the art of restraining and controlling an attacker utilizing a strap and/or a rope—which are fundamental to the system.

JO JUTSU II

· Henri-Robert Vilaire | 419

*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.

JO JUTSU STAFF WORK AN INTERVIEW WITH Henri-Robert Vilaire

Jujutsu and Staff Work I DESCRIBE JO JUTSU AS A TOOL that you utilize, and where the tool brings your body together. If you have a staff, because the staff is between your arms, it makes your movement in line; it coordinates you better, and coordinates your mind. It is just like when you play the piano chords and notes on the right side with your fingers. People just think you hold the staff by gripping it tightly, like the old

434 | The Book of the Stick

European ways of staff, or some other ways. No, it is flowing: your hands slide, your fingers move, hand caresses the staff; it moves, it goes underneath the arm, it works in coordination with your upper part of body, and your hips as well. Your legs play a part of it, too. So, it is a whole ensemble of movement in your body—not to mention the mind as well. What makes that beautiful is that you just have a piece of wood in your hand. In our tradition, we think that the piece of wood, jo, translates as a rope. We see it as when you pull a rope between your hands, and then it becomes flexible. To us, it is not a rigid tool. It is a flexible tool that you use. That is why with a staff, we are able to block, parry, and strike in many fashions. You could bring it closer, when the enemy comes closer, you could extend it further out, you can do a takedown with a sweep, or with a throw, you can choke with it, do arm locks with it, and various deadly strikes as well—which is basically what it is there for. You can strike both hard and soft parts of the body, but, preferably, it is used to strike areas where it does more damage. You have to know where you are striking, but, to us, the targets are not points, but rather areas.

The striking areas depend on how the person is moving. If somebody is moving towards you, you would strike the chest, almost to drive the person back to create a wider distance. When the person goes away from you, you strike to the head area. Many people would think that you would strike the head coming forward, but this is not so for a charge. When the charge is fully engaged, full speed ahead, you drop your body low, or you go behind the person, and strike towards the back of the neck, the back of the head. Everybody thinks about striking the jaw; we, on the other hand, strike also towards the back of the head, back of the leg, and so on. It all depends on the movement of the opponent when they are attacking you. Just like the empty hand has various strikes to use in various attacks, the various ways of using the staff is the same. Changing the Parameters In the art, you do not respond to what is given to you. If an attacker comes at you, you do not respond to that; you “recreate” the attack, and you make him recreate his plan. If you take a plan the way it is, and you come and meet that plan, who is in control? The attacker. For example: an attack comes, I take the attack, I change that attack, then I counterattack,

JO JUTSU III

· Henri-Robert Vilaire | 435

Martin Wheeler @wheelersystema

SYSTEMA STICK FIGHTING Martin Wheeler

I AM NOT AN EXPERT ON Soviet secret-agent stick-fighting techniques. I am not Russian. I have never been to Russia. I do not speak any Slavic languages. I have never been a member of the Spetznaz, or any Russian secret service. The irony that I am a former English bouncer writing an article about a secret Soviet stick fighting technique among these genuine masters of stick fighting is not lost on me. I have, however, for the last twenty years trained under such men as I have described above—Vladimir Vasiliev and his teacher, Colonel Mikhail Ryabko— studying the Russian martial art of systema, or simply translated, “the system.” The reason I am struggling to explain the stick fighting method of systema is not because it is overly complex, but because it is purely an expression of systema. Furthermore, systema is not really a martial art at all, but a way of looking

at the world. It can be expressed in many ways, but it is also good for stick fighting, or, as I prefer to think of it, fighting with a stick. If you are a stick fighter, then your identity is most likely tied with the stick in some way. You might identify yourself as a stick fighter, and, if you should lose your stick in a fight, then the psychological damage of no longer being a stick fighter may be more defeating to you than your enemy’s potential to beat you. Maybe? Even if it is not the case, why take the chance that it could be? Why not just be a fighter who now has a stick, instead of being a stick fighter? Right or wrong, this is the approach of systema. If you have been a serious stick fighting student, like many of the men I have been lucky enough to have trained with, then you are most likely a formidable fighter irrespective of whether you are with or without a weapon. Even

SYSTEMA I

· Martin Wheeler | 453

SYSTEMA MINDSET AN INTERVIEW WITH Martin Wheeler

I STARTED JUDO WHEN I WAS quite young, about eight or nine years old, and trained for a couple of years. When I was about fifteen or sixteen, I got into Ed Parker's kempo karate and did that until my 30s. I actually have a fourth-degree black belt in kempo. I also went back to judo and trained that for a long time. I have trained in

456 | The Book of the Stick

the Filipino martial arts, boxing, Thai boxing, and jiu jitsu. I was a bouncer for 10 years, kind of putting all this stuff together. And for the last 20 years I have been training in systema and the Russian arts. I currently have a school with Rigan Machado, the legendary jujitsu guy, in Beverly Hills.

Geoff Willcher, Ph.D @gwillcher

BANDO STAFF Geoff Willcher

“BANDO IS A SYSTEM OF systems.” I did not realize what Dr. Gyi was saying, but later I came to understand what he meant. In this article, I infer bando staff forms and fighting from my conversations with Dr. Gyi and from my own staff practice of over 50 years of experience. I could have some details wrong, but I am presenting what I believe to be correct. Dr. Gyi has taught a number of staff forms, but relatively little staff fighting as such. He departed from Burmese/Myanmar tradition in that he did not repeat each set four

times, or once for each of the four directions. Rather, he said, “If you want to repeat a set, do the form again.” This let him include parts of several forms in one. Essentially, he synthesized one form from several others. I watched him do a particular form: the Four Winds staff system. We were at his farm—he has had several—where he attempted to build a pond, but the ground was too oily. Robert Shultz (with whom the author corresponded around 1970) was learning several versions of the Four Winds which Dr. Gyi taught him until he settled.

History There are over 130+ separate tribes in Burma, according to the U.S.A. Diplomatic Handbook. According to Dr. Gyi, there are nine basic groupings of tribes. Dr. Gyi has grouped everything into nine categories. This is not necessarily correct, but he has been fairly consistent about this. He said that each major grouping tended to have organized staff fighting forms differently. This means that some groups put certain sets together and other sets in a different order. We discovered this when he taught the Hidden Draw short stick form to a group. He taught three versions of each set and had us choose the one which would be standard. The Burmese tend to be extremely superstitious, religious, and mystical. For example, they have a coconut in the back of their taxi cabs to make up three “people” in case an extra person is needed. Many things are grouped in multiples of three. Accordingly, many Burmese forms repeat the same moves in four or six directions. Supposedly, this pays respect to the four directions. Bando was systematized by U Ba Than (Gyi), Dr. Gyi’s father. He brought together hundreds of bando masters and asked them to explain their systems, what

they could do, and then he asked them to demonstrate it. He had them come to Aung San stadium to demonstrate their abilities. For instance, one master said he could defend against a number of men with sticks who would try to hit him. They hit him repeatedly. So, in this way, the bando that Gyi taught was tested and proven. U Ba Than was simplifying bando for use against the Japanese in World War II. The time was about preWWII. If U Ba Than liked what he was shown, he had Gyi learn the system so that he could synthesize from it. He prepared fighters for the war against the Japanese.

BANDO STAFF II

· Geoff Willcher | 469

Roedy Wiranatakusumah @roedy.wiranatakusumah

Gending Raspuzi @gending.raspuzi

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF

ULIN LIMBUHAN Roedy Wiranatakusumah & Gending Raspuzi

ULIN LIMBUHAN IS AN ARMED martial art system that originates from traditional West Javanese martial arts, especially the Cimande style of martial arts. I began to know the meaning of the term, limbuhan, first around 1977 when I learned pencak silat from (the late)

Mr. Moch. Saleh, and he taught me three series of forms (jurus) known as Jalan Limbuhan. Mr. Saleh got these forms from Abah Aleh, founder of HPS (Himpunan Pencak Silat) Panglipur Pusat. Abah Aleh, on the other hand, got these from Mr. Ujang, a teacher from the Cimande school.

When I learned the Jalan Limbuhan style, Mr. Saleh said that it is the basis of all armed games. If you have mastered the Limbuhan Kick, you will be able to use other weapons such as machetes, tridents (trisula, cabang), and so on. In addition, it will also be possible to perform armed moves by taking empty-handed moves from any style as the source of movement. Around 1989, I studied the cimande style of pencak silat at Babakan Tarikkolot, Bogor, from Abah Haji Darwis. I received 33 Buang Kelid Cimande forms (empty-hand forms) and 17 Pepedangan forms (weapon forms). It was only when I learned swordsmanship that I realized that the “Limbuhan Way” received from Mr. Saleh came from the swordsmanship technique. Jalan Limbuhan 1 comes from Kick Pepedangan 1, Jalan Limbuhan 2 comes from Kick Pepedangan 17, and Jalan Limbuhan 3 comes from Kick Pepedangan 4. The pattern of Jalan Limbuhan is exactly the same with Pepedangan Kick, but in the use of weapons, Jalan Limbuhan looks more varied.

ULIN LIMBUHAN

The guidance of another Cimande teacher, namely the late Mr. Beni Azhar (Abah Haji Ishak’s student, Babakan Tarikkolot Cimande), has opened my horizons even more. The 33 Cimande Throwing Kicks, which I previously understood were just empty-handed moves, turned out to be the source of armed technique. According to him, it is said that cimande’s moves were originally a sword-fighting stance, Wallohu A’lam. Since then, I have started to explore the three ways of the Limbuhan Way, the 33 Ways of Throwing Kelids, and the 17 Ways of the Swordsmanship, so that finally a systematic exercise called Ulin Limbuhan was arranged. Ulin means “game” or “science,” and limbuhan means “bat.” So Ulin Limbuhan can be interpreted as “martial arts using a stick.” It is a fact that the first known martial art using sticks in the world is arnis/kali/eskrima originating from the Philippines, an art which is now developing in America and Europe. Meanwhile, pencak silat

· Roedy Wiranatakusumah & Gending Raspuzi | 497