The Immersion Review - Stick Arts #4

VOL 1

Stick Arts ISSUE 4

The Ring of Fire Part 1

For the martial arts comprehensivist

Top Left - Te Waitere Jason Paahi Top Right - Riichi Kitano Bottom - Michelle Manu

VOLUME 1

Stick Arts ISSUE 4

The Ring of Fire Part 1

56 Michael Belzer

My Path to Menkyo

146 Dr. Michel Farivar

Geijin Ryu Staff Arts

238 Riichi Kitano

Katori Shinto Ryu

210 Mukatder Gül, Ph.D

The Wing Chun Long Pole

38

Daniel Schultz

Drunken Boxing: The Staff

228

Scott Meredith

Yiquan Staff Energy

CONTENTS

Vol. 1:4 - Stick Arts

The Ring of Fire, Part 1

14 Michelle Manu

Secrets of the Lua

102 Andrea Rollo

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

262 Michael Mulconery

The One and the Many: Hawaiian Tobosa System

Michael Mulconery

136

Romeo Macapagal

Tatang Ilustrisimo's Combat Efficiency through Measure

222

Roedy Wiranatakusumah & Gending Raspuzi

History and Development of Ulin Limbuhan

166 Te Waitere Jason Paahi

Traditional Māori Martial Arts

334

The “Barabara” and Basic Long-Weapon Approach

MARTIAL ARTS IN THE

RING OF FIRE THIS ISSUE OF THE Immersion Review steps into the Ring of Fire.

Even today, the notion of martial arts tends to bring to mind mainly East Asian forms of armed or unarmed fighting. Those versed deeper in the field may include Southeast Asian forms in their denotations. Still, despite these persistent imaginaries, martial arts can be found all around the world and, indeed, all around the Pacific.

In the present issue of the Review, we trace the seams of the Pacific tectonic plates, the literal Ring

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of Fire, and cover arts all the way from Hawai’i, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and China, to Japan. This journey through the fiery seams of the Pacific presents us with some of the panoply of fascinating indigenous forms of fighting that can be found within the ring.

This issue includes many firsts.

Although widely practiced outside Japan, Katori Shinto ryu has remained secretive about the advanced understanding of their tactics and techniques. In this issue,

From the Editors

though, we get some sense of ways of using long weapons in this art with a century-long unbroken lineage of teachers and teachings. We will also get to read about two lesser-known indigenous arts, namely Ku’ialua, the ancient combat art of the people of Hawai’i, and Mau Rakau, the traditional Māori fighting art from New Zealand.

Martial art systems in the Ring of Fire are not only about physical confrontations and prowess in them. Indeed, maintaining the legacy of a martial art system can

also be about maintaining forms of life, and maintaining communities. Kumu Manu opens this issue of the Immersion Review by presenting us with the history and weaponry of Ku’ialua, the ancient combat art of the indigenous people of Hawai’i. Even though its public display was for a time forced underground, it remained a means to maintain forms of commitment, honor, integrity, respect, and perseverance as forms of life.

The article provides us with a view on various combat tactics and the implements used in Lua.

Editorial | 5

Our next stop is in China, where Daniel Schultz shows us how the staff is used in the style of Drunken boxing. Shultz goes through the three common ways of using the staff in Chinese arts, namely the dragon pole or single-ended staff, the box or double-ended staff, and the old man staff. These ways of holding the staff accord with the progression of a practitioner from an “infant” to a “cocky teen,” and finally to an “old man.” Like with many other forms of Chinese staff arts, its applications in Drunken boxing concern profound principles and philosophical ideas.

Our exploration of Japanese arts begins with how Michael Belzer, who has had an important role in preserving Donn F. Draeger’s hoplological archive, describes his path to the rank of menkyo in Shindo Muso ryu jojutsu. The beginnings of this journey go back all the way to the 1970s, and show a glimpse to a past era of martial training and pioneering international exploration of Japanese martial arts. Belzer’s path also showcases the multiple aspects of Japanese martial

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culture that go beyond the use of weapons and unarmed techniques, like the value of learning calligraphy. Indeed, training martial arts can be as much about culture and philosophy as fighting skills.

Andrea Rollo begins the presentation of Southeast Asian arts with a discussion of different formats of stick dueling in the Philippines.

Indeed, agreed-upon engagements with sticks have abided by a great number of different rules or conventions. Some sports associations have detailed rules for giving points in matches, yet the times of old had shared understanding of what was appropriate in different types of stick fights, and what the criteria of winning were. Fights could consist of merely “marking” a place where there would have been a hit to “full play” where nothing was out of bounds. Rollo suggests that this is the origin of the notion of the legendary “death matches” retold outside the Philippines. As such, death did occur as a result of such duels, but it was not always a necessity. Indeed, stick duels could range from friendly

[Photo credit: The Ring Of Fire by GaryMachen]

plays between masters to serious challenges where the health and life of the players was at stake.

Full duels were not always limited to the use of sticks. Indeed, one legendary figure of such contests was Antonio “Tatang” Ilustrisimo.

Accordingly, the Southeast Asian leg of our journey in the ring continues with Romeo Macapagal’s discussion of measure in Ilustrisimo’s fighting system. While there are multiple categories of measure,

the most famous one is to have the opponent miss you by “one inch” while you are able to reach them with deadly effect. The mastery of simple movements taken at the right time and at the right place requires a thorough investigation of geometry and efficiency. Moving away from an attack, while doing a riposte without a parry, is one of the most important—and impressive—means of gaining such efficiency in combative engagements.

Editorial | 7

The secret to such mastery can be found in the deployment of correct footwork like the elastico-retirada and the doble carrera.

Simplicity and effectiveness is emphasized in Illustrisimo’s system.

Physiological functionality is also essential in the principles at play in Geijin ryu staff arts that are introduced to us by Michel Farivar.

The art emphasizes the seamless transition between armed and unarmed techniques. At the same time, blocking is avoided as it hinders the flow of energy in the bodily movement. This is particularly important as Genjin ryu explores how parts and elements of the human body align in movement and deployment of techniques. Unlike in many Okinawan and Chinese martial arts, Genjin ryu does not have any solo forms, or kata, but uses partnered exercises as a form of bodily discussion. The art also does not work through categorization, but through sensory experience in applied scenarios that aim at realism.

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Allowing us a rare glimpse into Māori forms of fighting, Te Waitere Jason Paahi starts his discussion with Mau Rakau, the traditional Māori art of wielding the taiaha, a two-handed flat “bladed” hardwood weapon. This, however, is only the beginning as he situates Mau Rakau in the much wider context of the Māori warrior culture.

This, in turn, contains a comprehensive set of weapons and a holistic worldview, constituting a form of life comparable—and rivaling— that of the classical Japanese weapon arts. As such, these arts are also seen as a cultural revival of “the old ways” resulting in healthier and more resilient communities.

Mukatder Gül gives us insight on Wing Chun kung fu’s use of the sixand-a-half-point long pole form from the Ip Man – Ip Ching lineage. He argues that the roots of the long pole form date back to the late 1800s and early 1900s and the famous Red Boat Opera Company.

When using the pole as a weapon (or, indeed, the system as a whole), key factors in play are simplicity, effectiveness, and explosiveness.

Furthermore, Gül discusses the ways in which the long pole training connects to and improves all the understanding contained in the first four forms of the system.

He also argues that, unfortunately, the true form has been lost in some Wing Chun lineages.

Roedy Wiranatakusumah and Gending Raspuzi shed light on the history and development of Ulin Limbuhan, a style of pencak silat specializing—perhaps surprisingly in the context of Indonesian arts— in the use of sticks. The roots of the art, however, are deeply in traditional West Javanese forms of silat. The founder of the system, Gending Raspuzi, came to realize the interconnectedness between, firstly, armed and unarmed training and, secondly, different training forms, or jurus. He also gives us a brief outline of the structure of the Ulin Limbuhan system.

Scott Meredith describes the physical and energetic dynamics of Yiquan long staff training for internal energy. Although the art is historically derived from Xingy-

iquan, the training methodologies of these two arts are quite different. At first glance, Yiquan seems to begin from a rather abstract and pared-down form of solo training. At a closer look, though, the three seemingly simple exercises described by Meredith contain a wealth of concepts and ideas to start one on the path to understanding this unique art.

Our journey also includes rare insights into Katori Shinto ryu’s use of long weapons from Riichi Kitano. The weapons discussed here include the yari and naginata. Indeed, while Katori Shinto ryu is perhaps most well-known for its use of the katana sword, the art consists of training with multiple weapons. When engaged in battle, a samurai had to be prepared to handle situations where their spear tips were broken and the yari essentially turned into a bo staff.

Such flexibility on a battlefield requires training that supports encounters with asymmetric weapons and the use of various different types of weapons. While the weapons of the samurai are no longer in

Editorial | 9

everyday use, training with them— and thus following the principles of Katori Shinto ryu—can still instill a practitioner with confidence that translates into other aspects of life beyond combat.

set required to speak the language of Casag fluently. Mulconery finishes the exploration of Casag with a brief introduction to ways of using the barabara (staff) on its own, or as part of Casag.

Michael Mulconery provides us with a long article on Casag and the Tobosa School of Arnis-Kali-Escrima from Hawai’i. His is a rare and detailed insight into the formative years, multiple influences, and comprehensive martial arts background of the Tobosas, leading, first to the KAJI Kumi system and finally to Estilo Casag. The strategy of Casag is quite simply to use all of the eight directions to drive an opponent to angles that disadvantage them. Still, simple does not mean easy. This strategy requires one to be able to immediately translate one’s responses according to the relative distances and positions—“to speak with meaning in all situations,” to paraphrase the writer. What follows is an analysis of the different strategies, tactics, and training methodologies, not to mention the mind-

All in all, our brief tour of martial arts in the Pacific has veered open the door of some secretive martial traditions, shed light on different ways of fighting with sticks, and shared insights from personal martial art journeys. Despite the persistence of the Asian martial art imaginary, the richness of other martial traditions, too, is beginning to come to light. Like the tectonic plates of the Ring of Fire, hoplology shifts to produce new heights in comprehending the pluralities of human combatives and martial arts.

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Mahipal Lunia Executive Editor

Juha A. Vuori, Ph.D Managing Editor

Mika Harju-Seppänen Managing Editor

Editorial | 11

STAFF / TEAM 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 1 Anonymous Reviewer

PRODUCTION Hana Shin Production Director

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

“BY THE 18TH CENTURY, each major island chiefdom had a Hālau Ku’ialua where was taught the martial arts science blending harmony of the loina wahine a me loina kāne (duality in nature) with mauliola (harmony of life’s principle) and with evenly balanced intellect, spirit, and emotion. As a physical art, the purest form of Ku'ialua comprises the arts of lima hāmama (open-handed techniques), including defensive and offensive strategy, stealth, invisibility, ritual participation, and ceremonial dance. Knowledge surrounding the ‘oihana lapa’au (medicinal profession), ‘oihana limalima (physiotherapy), hahā (diagnostics), ha’iha’i (acupressure and osteopathy), and mea ai (diet) completed the picture. At the onset of the seventeenth century, maximized armed tactics were introduced, augmenting the function of all major weapons, altering the warrior’s fighting style from that time onward.”1

SECRETS OF THE

LUA

Michelle Manu

1 History of the Ku’ialua The pure form of Ku'ialua or Lua, the ancient combat art of the people of Hawai’i, was open-handed or lima hāmama. It is like other indigenous combat art forms and lifestyles in the sense of commitment, honor, integrity, respect, and perseverance. The maoli or ancient ways demanded no less, or it was punishable by death. The Lua was prohibited from public display and went underground into the hula dance.

Warriors, male and female, held titles and ranks in King Kamehameha’s military. As the culture changed and visitors arrived, the metaphysical way of life and its purely open-hand warfare evolved to incorporate weapons for King Kamehameha’s military and bodyguards. Wood, pohaku or rocks, shark teeth, tree bark, roots, and fish and human bones all serve as materials to create weapons. The weapon becomes part of the warrior. It becomes an extension of his or her body.

In 1917, Henry Okazaki secretly learned Lua from a male kumu in the Puna district and concealed it in his art, Danzan ryu.

1 Lucia Tarallo and Natalie M. Jensen, Nā Kaikamahine ‘o Haumea: Women of Ancient Hawai’i, Daughters of Haumea (Honolulu, HI: Pueo Press, 2005), p.32. Partially re-formatted by current issue’s editors.

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History of ‘Ōlohe Solomon Kaihewalu’s Lua ‘Ōlohe Solomon took what his family taught him and chose to evolve the art of Lua, making it his expression. His mindset was entirely battle-focused—to take out as many as he could—as if he was making his way down the battlefield. Solomon taught that it emerges out of land, sea, nature, and animal movements.

Examining the physical body, we learned to divide it into the man/ kane (waist down), woman/wahine (waist up including the head), children/keiki (arms), and grandchildren/mo’opuna (hands and fingers). Each family member has a job, and they must work together as a family. The father carries

mother and children—not off-balance—with a strong core, the children and grandchildren go out and, through blocks and weapons, then come home to report back to mother and protect.

Like Ku'ialua, Solomon’s Lua empty-handed training consists of disciplined competition hand-tohand (mokomoko), informal boxing (ku’i ku’i), grappling (kaala), kicking (peku), wrestling (hakoko), and strangulation (ka’ane).

Deployment and Use of the Weaponry Kamehameha’s army would strategically attack in circles and waves.

Encasing the opponents, the pike would rain down on the opponents. Then the combat would take place using the weapons mentioned above. If a weapon breaks or a warrior loses their weapon, the battle would continue with open hands. The cleaners would move behind the battlefront, cutting the throats of injured—but not yet dead—opponents.

WEAPONRY OF THE LUA OF SOLOMON KAIHEWALU pike – 15-foot spear ho’e – paddle iwi – 6- to 8-inch double-pointed hand dagger pahoa – single-edged dagger maka pahoa – double-edged dagger maka pahoa ko’oko’o – double-edged dagger at the end of short bo/staff ko’okoko – long staff, cane/kololu ko’oko’o pokole – short staff newa – club lei-o-mano – club with shark teeth palua ‘o newa – double-clubs/sticks ku’eku’e – knuckle duster with shark teeth ma’a – slingshot

The iwi

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LUA

· From the Editors | 21

Pike In ancient Hawai’i, the pike was one of the main weapons of the armies. All weapons had several variations and styles. These 12- to 15-foot dense weapons served the Hawaiian Royal Army in a javelin-like way, thrown overhead or underhand. As the first strategy in combat, using linear formations to advance on enemies, the pike would fly through the air with great accuracy and velocity.

Ho’e The ho’e (paddle) served as a tool to travel, dig, and prepare food. In combat, the flat part of the paddle and bo (handle) was well suited to shield, parry, block, and strike, as well as to scoop and throw dirt or sand at an opponent’s eyes. To shield, the flat part of the paddle was to deflect and protect from objects intended for the head, body, and spine. The flat and blade-edged sides could strike, stun, chop, and cut opponents. The handle served to fight as would be done with a short or long bo/staff.

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(Top & Bottom) The ho’e

One of the original uses of this weapon was to dig holes to plant seeds, pound a variety of fruits, nuts, and meat, and to secure a fishing net at the shore or rocks.

The combat use of this weapon is to parry and block objects thrown at a warrior. The point relentlessly pokes, spears, and seeks to tear into the opponent’s flesh. The cord at the end of the weapon is available to trap, wrap, and choke.

Pāhoa - 2.jpg

Pahoa

LUA

· Michelle Manu | 23

Maka Pahoa This tool aims to create two trenches of soil at a time and to poke holes in the ground to plant seeds, among other things. In combat, this is four weapons in one: 1) The sharp double-pointed ends can poke, stab, or go through an opponent’s eyes or any other puka (hole) of the body.

2) The two outside, carved edges are perfect for striking an opponent’s knuckles and pulling an opponent in by the neck for a set-up.

3) The U-shaped opening is readymade to trap the wrist or forearm.

4) The cord can quickly transform into a projectile to catch and hold the arm or forearm or disarm a weapon.

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Maka Pahoa Ko’oko’o After this first advance by the pike, the next wave of warriors moved steadily forward on the combat terrain equipped with shorter 4to 6-foot weaponry, allowing for more speed and maneuverability for close combat. This maka pahoa ko’oko’o is a double-edged dagger combined with a short staff.

Ko’oko’o (short staff) is useful to smack the top of the waters to get the sea life in a position to be netted. Some other uses included carrying water and herding animals.

In combat, the short or long staff can block, parry, strike, lock, and keep the attacker at a distance. It is also a means to take an opponent down by sweeping their feet out in a motion like a baseball swing or continuous nalu (wave) of energy.

LUA

· From the Editors | 25

Kamu Manu holding the pahoa (left) and the ho’e (right)

Kamu Manu holding the lei-o-mano & ku’eku’e (left) and the maka pahoa (right)

Kamu Manu holding the lei-o-mano & ku’eku’e (left) and the ka’ane (right)

His mindset was entirely battle-focused—to take out as many as he could— as if he was making his way down the battlefield. Solomon taught that it emerges out of land, sea, nature, and animal movements.

Kamu Manu holding the lei-o-mano & ku’eku’e Kamu (left) Manu andholding the ka’ane the(right). pololu

Ko’oko’o

Lei-o-mano

Like with the maka pahoa ko’oko’o, the short or long staff was used to go through anything it wished to.

Even today, fishermen smack the top of the waters to bring sea life to the surface where a net awaits them. Some other uses included carrying water and herding animals.

Originally, this tool cut meat or anything else that needed cutting.

This was four weapons in one in combat, like the maka pahoa:

In combat, the short or long staff is a perfect weapon to block, parry, strike, lock, trap, and keep the attacker at a distance. In Lua, you will see it used many ways, including in the takedown of an opponent by sweeping their knee or foot out in a motion like a baseball swing or a continuous nalu of energy.

The lei-o-mano

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1) The flat portion is used to block, parry, and strike.

2) The outside edges are shark teeth facing east and west, allowing the slicing of an opponent in both directions.

3) The handle has a blunt or sharp edge to strike, trap, poke, and tear.

4) The rope provided for this weapon to become projectile.

As a projectile attached to one’s wrist, it is similar to a poi ball, creating a shredding and slicing circle of shark teeth.

The ka’ane

Palua ‘o newa

Ka’ane

One of the first uses of these two clubs was to pound drums for communication. In combat, they are used to strike various parts of an opponent’s body ranging from knuckles, wrists, arms, legs, eyes, face, soft tissue, head, and the center mass of the kino (body). The longer of the two clubs (28 inches) is held toward the end and used to check and counter. The shorter of the two clubs (24 inches) is held in the center and used to spear, poke, and strike.

This weapon’s end is two to four inches of wood or rock attached to a six-foot piece of double-braided cord. As a projectile, it is highly effective, like a whip. As an infighting tool, it can be used to attack at the opponent’s joints that hold weapons, to make strikes to the face and other soft tissue, and for its primary purpose: strangulation.

Ku’eku’e This shark-tooth weapon is a knuckle duster. With shark teeth facing east and west, it allows for slicing in both directions. The pahi or knife-pointed edge can be held to conceal the dagger or held to have the dagger facing toward the opponent. The dagger also traps, pokes, stabs, and tears.

This weapon was also used by older or injured warriors who would trail back a bit from the battle to evaluate the battlefield. If injured warriors of the other side were still alive, the koa would use this weapon to finish them off.

The ku’eku’e

LUA

· Michelle Manu | 35

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Where One Can Learn the Lua There are ‘ōlohe and Kumu Lua in different lineages throughout the Hawaiian Islands. For the Kumu of the Kaihewalu lineage in North America, one can visit luamartialarts.org for more information.

Michelle Manu @michelle.manu.50

LUA

· Michelle Manu | 37

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

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DRUNKEN BOXING

· Daniel Schultz | 39

see sticks carried into war when you could easily have a sword or a spear. So, we can see that the staff remains a more improvised weapon or an alternative to a deadly polearm for those who wish to protect themselves but not necessarily kill others. Staves were used a lot in temple systems of kung fu by monks who wished to keep to their Buddhist teachings and not kill, as well as in family systems as a weapon for protection, hiking, or carrying things hobo-style.

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The idea of the staff as the most fundamental of all polearms persists until today. Most contemporary styles and systems of kung fu include it in their curriculum at a relatively early stage. In fact, it is common for the staff to act as the gateway polearm to prepare the handling of all other polearms. It is also valuable for developing fundamental skills for empty-hand combat. Drunken staff, which is the main topic of this article, adds an extra dimension of training to staff practice. There is a lot to

unpack regarding changing paradigms in this practice. It would be a disservice not to mention them, as, like any advanced practice, it is not something secret or new but instead an extension or a redefining of the basics.

First, I would like to talk about the fundamentals of how the staff works in combat. There are generally three different systems for how a staff fighter approaches combat. With the various systems you see out there, one can notice that some systems may exclusively prefer one over the others. In contrast, others may embrace multiple or all three. The first of these is the dragon pole. The dragon pole is recognized at first by the hand positions on the staff; the rear hand will be near the end of the staff, while the forward hand will be about halfway up the staff. It is also referred to as single-end staff, as the predominant use of this system is to keep the opponent far away, using the entire length of the staff to its fullest. Techniques usually include parrying with circular movements and straight attacks to the opponent’s hands to get them to drop their weapon, or to the body, head, or legs. It makes full use of simple thrusts and quick obstructing motions. Techniques will primarily be done with the forward

end of the staff while occasionally sliding the hands to make use of the other end. The three keywords often associated with spear also apply here: lan (“obstruct”), na (“seize”), and zha (“thrust)”. We treat this type of staff use as the infant stage. As the name implies, the practitioner’s skill is that of a child at this stage. A child approaching combat will be much more fearful of the adult man, so the child uses the length of the staff to keep the enemy away. Also, the child is not as knowledgeable of the world yet, so the strategy and moves must not be too complex, or the child would be in danger.

The second system of staff fighting is often referred to as box staff, or sometimes double-ended staff.

In this way of using the staff, the practitioner changes his grip on the staff to have his hands further up the staff. The hands will be with one on either side of the staff center. As a result, the length becomes reduced at one end and longer on the other. The advantage of this grip is providing an ability to use either end of the staff. Some systems differ in grip, preferring both thumbs to point into the center of the staff, while others have the thumbs positioned to point the same way. Though both ends of the staff are now readily avail-

DRUNKEN BOXING

· Daniel Schultz | 41

able, it would be a mistake to think that, all of a sudden, we are going to fight like Robin Hood, continuously clacking the staff together.

Instead, a staff should only make one sound. That sound is the initial touch of the staves to make contact; the next move should be the one to end the encounter. So, although both ends can attack, generally, one will be used to attack, while the other will weave its way behind the opponent’s staff to strip their grip off of their staff. There is initial contact; then,

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there is a strip or a winding maneuver to clear away obstructions and attack the enemy. This method of staff fighting is at a much closer range than the previous and will not try to keep the opponent at long range but instead aims to get in close to end the fight. This method is known as the cocky teen stage, one growing into their bodies and starting to see the limits of their potential. Young teens tend to think of themselves as invincible and constantly push things to the edge. This method of staff

fighting reflects that in its style of getting in close and mixing things up a little.

The third method is the old man staff. This one is quite different from the others. The grip is constantly changing, but one of the stereotypical positions would be held vertically with one hand ¾ up the staff, representing an old man with his walking stick. This method is a bit more unorthodox in its presentation. It changes between one and two hands rather than

relying on a two-handed firmly gripped method. Hand positions change constantly. This method relies more on momentum and trickery, represented by an old man. Back in the day, when martial skills were the difference between life and death, to get to an old age meant something. To get there, you must know some good tricks. Also, noting that an old man does not possess the strength of a young man, the old man must be more innovative and wiser. He is cleverly dodging while putting

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· Daniel Schultz | 43

their staff by their feet to trip over, cleverly using momentum given by the opponent’s move to direct and fuel his next strike. Age will overcome youth’s strength through cleverness and treachery. The old man will not spend more effort than needed and will overcome youth with skill and brutality.

With this in mind, we can see these methods ingrained in various systems; in traditional Shaolin staff systems, you can see the change between the methods and some Southern systems like wing chun that may only use the dragon pole method, meeting the very no-nonsense vibe of wing chun. Now that we have talked about the fundamentals in how they relate to combat with weapons, the next place to look would be how it affects empty-hand practice.

We often look upon weapons as extensions of the body rather than a tool. When people treat them as tools, their attention naturally turns to the tool, and they somehow forget they have another hand

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DRUNKEN BOXING

· Daniel Schultz | 45

and two feet. In empty-hand combat, we do not look at our body as having two hands, two feet, etc. Instead, we regard every part of the body as a fist or striking surface.

Many people tend to only think in one part of the body at a time, so when they go to punch, their legs are not doing much, and when they go to kick, their hands stop attacking. The ideal is to get the whole body working as a unit. When you add a weapon, the body gets larger. It becomes more difficult not to segment yourself. So, naturally, practicing and removing the seg-

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ments when you have a weapon will make it easier to do so when you put the weapon down.

Being an extension of the body also brings up the training of getting one’s force to project beyond the body. When the body is tight, it obstructs movement, preventing the power of one’s strikes from penetrating the opponent as deeply. We learn to project force to our striking surface and into the opponent. Now, put a staff in someone’s hands, and suddenly their hands are longer. Thereby, one has

to make corrections in one’s body to get the power to reach the end of the stick and into the opponent.

It essentially trains you to project your force through a longer body.

Now, take the staff away again, and suddenly projecting power becomes easier as you do not have to get it to reach as far as when you had the staff. There is a drill in staff and spear training called pole shaking, which explicitly works to get power to the pole’s end. When done correctly, the end of the pole will shake violently, provided the

pole has bending capacity. One can also learn this power through equal and opposite reactions.

Since this type of weapon allows us to grab it with two hands, it also allows us to add a push-andpull effect to power one motion with increased leverage. If one were to hold a staff out horizontally from the chest with the hands in the same position as in dragon pole, they would find that, when turning the waist to one direction or the other, it will cause the end of the staff to move, but that

this happened because one hand pushed while the other pulled.

Turning the waist consequently moves the shoulders as well, and from this turning, we can see that one shoulder retreats while the other advances. Of course, you can apply this concept with many empty-hand techniques—for example, when one catches the wrist and elbow of the opponent. At this point, we thank the opponent for the staff they have given us, and we apply the law to their arm, resulting in a broken arm.

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Pole shaking is also an essential practice for developing internal force. The beginnings of internal force come from the use of the torso in power movement rather than the arms. My waist moves, and it moves my whole body laterally. The waist moves, and the foot moves. The waist moves, and my hand moves. This practice applies across both empty-hand fighting as well as weapon fighting. But once again, we see the staff becoming an extra hurdle to get past. Once one gets to a point where the waist

moves the end of the stick, having the core move the hands will be a much easier task. The more we dive into the fundamentals of staff work, the more crossover we can see to empty-hand training. And this is because it is no different in the end. I have no weapon but simply a long arm if I have a weapon.

These fundamental theories and practices will cross all weapons and not belong solely to one—efficiency. This aspect of weapons training is always agreed on but often glossed over. There are many aspects to efficiency. One of the first is the idea of keeping the weapon between you and your opponent. There is nothing to keep your opponent at bay if your weapon is behind you. With no obstructions, your opponent can attack freely without consequence. However, this is unfavorable as there is no way to punish the opponent for their advance. Keeping the weapon between you and your opponent makes it easier to react to their attack because of the shorter distance it has to travel to defend. When armed with a sword or spear, this idea becomes more evident. A person holding a sword to the side presents a certain amount of threat, but you can still advance to take them out. But a man pointing a sword at you presents more

threats than the previous. Now, not only do you have an immediate threat to your life, but it is obstructing the way to take down the opponent, so you must first deal with the obstruction before you can take out the threat. Having the sword point at the opponent creates a lot of hurdles the opponent has to overcome without expending much energy.

From keeping the weapon in front of you, next it is vital to keep in mind the importance of efficient movement. This does not mean that large expansive moves are not efficent, but rather, it is about cutting out the extraneous movement.

If it takes three miles to reach the destination, then traveling two miles will not be enough, but traveling five miles would be too excessive and impractical. If I add an extra flourish to a movement, it will create openings for my opponent to exploit. To spend more effort than necessary will only gas one out. In this rule, we find ourselves in the middle. If we are too conservative with our movement, nothing will get done, but if we move excessively, we become sluggish. Balance becomes key.

Now that we have covered staff in its fundamentals of how it relates to weapon and empty-hand fight-

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ing, where does the drunken part come into play? Drunken boxing is looked at as a very advanced-level martial art, but it is not how most people think. The tendency is to think it is advanced because of the acrobatic ability that is difficult to perform. This is very low-level thinking on the subject. Instead, Drunken boxing is advanced because of what its paradigm shift is meant to put you through. We learn the principles, concepts, theories, and rules through orthodox practices. The intent of this training is to lead a student in the right direction and teach them how to do their art. It is a very important step. As kids, we need rules to help teach us the difference between right and wrong. Without those rules that teach us to be good people, humans tend to learn to be selfish and work to please themselves. But after we learn right and wrong, the rules become redundant. Why would one need a rule if they already know what is right in their heart and act on it? So, while rules teach us to be effective, they become limiting. Many people will

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watch a fight knowing what styles the practitioners practiced and later say, “They weren’t adhering to the principles of their art.” If they won, why would it matter? The rules then start to work against us. We may be in a scenario, see an opening, and strike, but later be upset with ourselves because it was not a technique of our style. It is at this point we have missed the significance of the rules. We learned that the rules teach us efficiency, not to move like “A” style or “B” style. If it was efficient, then it was right.

The intent of Drunken boxing is to break the practitioner out of the box of rules limiting them to move freely without restrictions.

When we can do that, things become instinctual. You see in many styles how they will tell you to be upright, firm, and so on; Drunken will say, “What is upright? What is firm?” Drunken does not necessarily throw out the rules but instead bends them to their extremes right before they break. Styles teach us to be upright and have good structure and roots, so we are not eas-

ily moved or thrown off balance; Drunken will take the structure, bend it over backward, and figure out how far we can bend the rule before you lose stability. A style will say to use your opponent’s force against them and maintain vertical alignment; Drunken will take that to the extreme, let the opponent’s force completely move their body out of its normal shape, and let that fuel the Drunken practitioner’s attack. The art’s intent is not to care about the self but to go for a ride and see what becomes of the opponent along the way. The Drunken practitioner has no strategy and ultimately allows the opponent to move them, in the following momentum where the attack comes in unexpectedly.

In Drunken boxing, we call them “happy little accidents.” In styles, they teach us to have firm yet movable footwork that is not easily unbalanced; Drunken will say forget that and stumble around. But this stumbling is entirely purposeful without extra movement. You should take balance to the extreme and play there.

One aspect to take away from this is that when rules limit you when the opponent breaks your positioning and causes you to break your rules, the usual next thing to do would be to get back to a good position as quickly as possible. But if you have not learned to fight without the rules, the art can break apart.

So, training in a place where the rules do not sway and the opponent holds the advantageous position can become necessary to learn how to recover. Drunken boxing trains in that space already. It will train how to turn a loss into a win.

With this in mind, let us go back to efficiency. It is efficient to have the weapon between you and your opponent. So naturally, the opponent wants to keep this rule while making the other break it. When you apply Drunken, it turns from a moment of the fear of, “Oh no, I have to recover,” into, “Oh, we’re doing this now.” Drunken takes whatever it gets and works with it. In this way, it helps get rid of a fear response. The natural tendency with fear is to tense up. Tensing up restricts free motion. Drunken

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teaches us to relax and follow momentum. One can look at Drunken like karma; what goes out will come back. The enemy is defeated because of his action. In this, it is the inaction of the Drunken player that allows the opponent’s action to maneuver the Drunken player to victory.

We see moves in Drunken staff where the practitioner strikes over the top and behind them and lots of different moves where one ignores the concept of keeping the weapon between you and your opponent.

But again, we can look at it and see that there is a reasoning behind it.

The best place to be when fighting someone is behind them, because the practitioner’s options will be limited, and so will their sight, whereby a good opponent will try to get behind at all costs. It will make more sense to hit behind you in the context of fighting an opponent who managed to get behind the practitioner. If the practitioner moves one way, chasing them will take longer, as both are moving in the same direction. Coming up and over reduces that time.

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Falling is common in Drunken staff forms. Falling and rolling makes sense in the context of the opponent tripping you up. The Drunken practitioner is making the best of a bad situation and trying to survive.

All this Drunken theory boils down to breaking limitations, thinking outside the box, and training to make the best of what you have.

One should ideally want to have the weapon between oneself and one’s opponent. Life is not always fair, though. Ideal situations do not always happen. It is ideal to use as little movement as possible to get the job done, but sometimes more movement becomes necessary. Sometimes the long way is shorter. Now we can look back to what we noted above about excess motion. Motion is only excessive if unnecessary. We all know that a straight line is an efficient way to a destination. But it is also the most predictable way. If I thrust my staff directly at my opponent in a straight line, it is the closest distance to the target. But the trajectory is predictable and easi-

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ly blocked. So even though it was the shortest path, it did not reach its destination. Was it the shortest path in such a situation? An attack traveling along one plane is easy to track. An attack moving along two planes becomes more challenging to follow. Then the question arises: how many planes are needed? Like with successful feints that force an opponent to move, it becomes more difficult for them to change their response mid-motion. In this example, the long way was shorter because the attack along the straight line did not reach its intended target while the other did.

Drunken boxing and its weapon work is an advanced practice not because it is difficult to perform but because it is about letting go.

Letting go of the need to follow the rules, letting go of control, and simply making the best of things, letting go of the need to move a certain way, look a certain way, and just let be. Forms transform into formlessness. Shapes transform into shapelessness. When you let go of obstructions, you can move freely. But to let go of things, we must first have acquired them.

You must first pick up a pen before you can put it down.

In the same way, you must follow the rules before you should break

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them. The rules teach a concept.

Once you have the concept, you do not need the rules anymore. Then you can let go. Drunken staff is just like the Drunken empty hand, except you now have more extended hands. Therefore, you have more to let go of.

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MY PATH TO

JODO MENKYO Michael Belzer

WHY SHINDO MUSO RYU? Over the past decade, I have dedicated myself to walking the path of jojutsu—the art of Japanese stick fighting. I could not have had a better introduction to the art than when I was 18 years old and training at the Rembukan dojo in 1974 under the 25th Headmaster, Shimizu Takaji, and later in 1979 under Donn F. Draeger Sensei in Malaysia.

Although I was occasionally able to pick up a jo and practice with some folks between 1979 and 2007 (a break of 28 years), I really thought that my experience in Shindo

Muso ryu was limited to an excellent introduction and that was the end of that chapter in my martial career. As fate would have it, in 2007 I took my wife, Meredith, on a trip to Kyoto. While I was in Japan, I took the opportunity to visit Otake Sensei of the Katori Shinto ryu and also Ono Sensei of the Takenouchi ryu. The experiences I had at both of these dojo reignited my interest in the koryu of Japan.

When I returned to Los Angeles, I decided to Google around to see if, after 30 years, there were finally any qualified teachers of the art that I started a lifetime ago—Shindo Muso ryu.

The Rembukan dojo, 1975.

Back row: Mike Belzer (far right), Larry Bieri (3rd from left). Front row: Nishioka (2nd from left), Shimizu (center), Kuroda (3rd from right), Kaminoda (far right).

Shimizu Takaji (25th Headmaster) & Kuroda Ichitaro (Shihanke).

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IJF Jamboree Taping, Malaysia, July 1979.

Penang, Malaysia, July 1979.

Donn F. Draeger (Hawaii, 1980). This is the last time I saw him. He died in 1982.

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Otake Sensei of Katori Shinto ryu (Narita, Japan).

Ono Sensei of Takenouchi ryu (Kyoto, Japan).

I have to say that my life in the martial arts (starting at the age of nine in Danzan ryu jujutsu) has been filled with what I can only call “fantastic luck.” My luck continued with my Google search when Steve Bellamy and the Santa Monica Jodo Club popped up in . . . Santa Monica? That was my old hood from high school and college days!

When I met with Mishima Sensei, I shared my early experience at the Rembukan with Shimizu Sensei and later with Draeger Sensei in Malaysia. She seemed satisfied with that and explained to me that Shindo Muso ryu was not a sport, a game, or even a hobby that you can just “dabble in.” Once you start and become a member of the ryu, you commit to learning the whole art from your sensei. As with many things in life, “I had no idea what I was getting into,” even with all of my previous training and experience in various martial arts.

I believe I sent an email first and I received a polite reply from Chisato Mishima about the steps necessary to learn the art: 1. Come to an interview.

2. Watch three classes.

3. Be invited.

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Steven Bellamy (Menkyo Kaiden) & Chisato Mishima (Menkyo) demonstrating the okuden kata in 2013.

I have often said, “If growing up in Danzan ryu was equivalent to my B.A. undergraduate degree in martial arts, then the 10 years I spent under Guro Dan Inosanto learning the Filipino arts of kali, escrima and arnis, was like getting my master’s degree. This makes my training in Shindo Muso ryu like studying for my Ph.D in the martial arts.”

When I arrived at Clover Park to watch my first class, Bellamy Sensei asked if I remembered any of the omote kata. I said that I did and he said: “Show me tachi otoshi.” When I was finished he said, “Good, you are doing the same style we are do-

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Guro Dan Inosanto and his drumming teacher, Buddy Helm.

ing. You are welcome to practice with us.” And so it began.

I was expected to train privately with Bellamy Sensei once a week and also attend the early-morning group classes. When I was told that each student was put on a mandatory one month probation period, I thought carefully about that, and then asked for a threemonth probation. My reasoning was this: anyone can adjust their schedule to do something special for a month. Actually integrating something new into your life takes more time. As the training continued, I met the two senior students,

Raffi and Kee, and we were soon training together as a small group on Sunday mornings with Bellamy Sensei and his wife, Chisato Mishima.

Bellamy Sensei has very high standards. He expects us to come to class, practice on our own and do study sessions that cover the history, customs, and traditions of Shindo Muso ryu. One of the first things I realized was that I would have to make some sacrifices in order to do this training and do it well. I had been teaching my own Wednesday night escrima class at the Circle Park dojo (in Santa

Receiving my shodan in Danzan ryu jujutsu from my Sensei, Jim Marcinkus, in 1972 (at age 16).

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Monica) for several years, and I decided that I would need to close that down. This would give me more time and energy to devote to my Shindo Muso ryu training.

It was from that point in 2008 that I knew I was committed to learning the art of Shindo Muso ryu and completing the path I had begun almost 30 years ago. Signing the entrance document, nyumon-sho, was a significant event. Karunakaran from Malaysia agreed to be my sponsor, and Meredith also attended the event. As my wife, she

needed to know, and also agree to this path that I was taking with Bellamy Sensei.

I helped organize an Introduction to the Jo seminar, and we attracted 20 students to this event. Two thirds of the people were from the Danzan ryu dojo, and I was quite pleased with that. From that first introductory seminar, three people began training with us on a regular basis: Brendan Dowling, William Fordes, and Rob Eiseman. Rob had to drop out due to his work schedule, but both Brendan and Bill have stayed with it along with me.

Malaysia Mike at age 22 standing with Karunakaran in one of the cabins at the IJF Jodo Jamboree in Taiping, Malaysia (July 1979). “Karuna” was the first student of Donn Draeger in Malaysia, and is the leader of the Malaysian Jodo Federation.

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Our first Introduction to the Jo seminar with Bellamy Sensei (2008). Interesting note: The San Fernando Judo Dojo is 100 years old!

Being asked by Bellamy Sensei to become his deshi was a very significant and important event for me.

I knew that he took it very seriously and he carefully explained that taking the step would deepen our relationship as he also committed to teaching me “all of his art.” In 2009, I signed the shoden-sho document, which signifies that the student has now become more like “an apprentice.”

Bellamy Sensei also began talking about taking a group of us to Japan so we could experience Shindo Muso ryu in its native envi-

ronment. The plan was to make it a jungyo, where we would travel throughout Japan to practice Shindo Muso ryu at different locations and dojos around the country.

The trip to Japan in 2009 was an awesome experience. Most of the students of the Santa Monica Jodo group were able to make the 17-day trip. This included myself, Brendan Dowling, Bill Fordes, and Rich Kaczmarek, along with Bellamy Sensei and his wife, Chisato Mishima. We started in Tokyo and trained at the dojo of Kaminoda Sensei, who was an icon of the

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budo and bujutsu worlds, especially in the realm of Shindo Muso ryu.

Kaminoda Sensei was one of the teachers I saw demonstrate in Maryland when the first demonstration of koryu martial arts was made in the United States along with Donn Draeger. I was 13 years old and saw Shimizu Sensei along with Donn Draeger and Kaminoda Sensei.

Kaminoda Sensei was very gracious to our group, and we were invited back to practice with his dojo a

second time. We saw a student get promoted to his Gomokuroku, and we received a very nice demonstration of the kusarigama.

In direct contrast, when we visited the dojo of Matsui Sensei, we were disrespected and ignored. It was a very strange experience for me. As a matter of fact, it was the worst I have ever been treated in any dojo in the world. The way I look at it, you can learn from any and all experiences even if it is just what not to do.

The announcement of the first demonstration of Japanese koryu to be demonstrated in the U.S. appeared in the Judo Illustrated magazine.

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The Kaminoda dojo (Tokyo, 2009).

Malaysia Mike (left), Des Roy (center), and Bill Fordes (right) at the Tokyo Shrine (2009).

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I would have to say that the most memorable part of the 2009 jungyo was our visit to the Cave of Muso on Mount Homan in Fukuoka. The hike up the mountain was an event in itself. Hearing the Buddhist chanting coming from inside the cave as we approached it really “set the tone.” Entering the cave and leaving our own jo as a sign of respect was definitely a high point.

Being asked to demonstrate tachi otoshi in front of the cave with Rich truly was a “peak experience” for both of us.

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The sign at the cave entrance gives the story of Muso.

From inside the cave, there was chanting as we arrived.

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We saw and experienced many, many things on this trip—way too many to go into here. Suffice to say, it was both awesome and challenging.

Rich & I in front of the cave, after our embu of tachi otoshi.

Receiving my Sandan from Bellamy Sensei on Mt. Homan.

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Returning home from this trip met us with a surprise. Chisato’s mother’s health had taken a turn for the worse and Sensei decided that they needed to stay in Japan and help take care of her. Before we left for this jungyo, we had made many plans with Sensei upon his return to Los Angeles. The primary one was to help them develop a center for training in a variety of the classical Japanese traditions including Shindo Muso ryu jojutsu, Muso Shinden ryu iaido, shodo, and cha-

do. However, sometimes real life interrupts our plans for life. This is what happened here and quite suddenly our little yagai (outdoor) dojo of six guys had to figure out “what to do” now that our Sensei was staying in Japan.

As 2010 started up, I led our first kagami biraki ceremony. We laid out the portable Shinto shrine, bowed to the rising sun, and then each of us made a small demonstration. We drank our sake and discussed how we would approach and continue our training in Shindo Muso ryu, now that our Sensei had moved back to Japan.

Since we did not have a teacher able to be with us on a regular ba-

sis, our small group of dedicated students—Raffi, myself, Brendan, Bill, and Greg—really became what is known as a “Study Group.” We decided to meet on a biweekly basis, and Raffi and I would lead the group on an alternating basis. I am the one who organized the group. I really had no desire to “start teaching,” but someone had to lead the group. Raffi was the senior member of our gang, but over the next year his participation dropped off and, by the end of the year, it was just me leading the group. We continued in this way for the next two years between 2009 and 2011.

We practiced regularly as a group twice a month. We also paired up individually and trained together.

Clover Park yagai dojo (January, 2010). From left to right: Bill Fordes, Raffi Gabriel, Mike Belzer, and Brendan Dowling. Our "portable Shinto shrine" in the middle.

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Kuroda Ichitaro with his sword and a sample of his shodo.

We performed several embu at different events and we each began weekly study sessions with Sensei via Skype.

When Sensei began his Skype study sessions with me in 2009, he told me to begin studying Muso Shinden ryu iaido, and also to start learning shodo—calligraphy. Rats!

More stuff to do! And, I am not interested at all in these two activities—from what I have seen of them.

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Sigh. Okay, just do it. I searched around and found an aikido dojo that also taught Muso Shinden ryu iaido. The dojo was just 15 minutes away, in downtown Los Angeles.

The class was held on Thursday nights from 8 to 9 PM, one hour per week. I can do that. I called the dojo and spoke to Nishida Sensei.

I explained that I was a member of Shindo Muso ryu jojutsu and that my Sensei in Japan was encouraging me to start learning Muso Shinden ryu iaido. I also asked him if he taught the 12 kata of the seitei iaido set. He said “Yes, we do that too.” “Great!” I said. “That’s all I

really want to learn.” “Well, if you join this dojo you will be learning both. Not just one or the other.”

“Okay,” I said. “Damn!” The way I looked at it, the 12 kata of seitei iaido should be like the 12 kata of seitei jodo. Learn the 12 kata and I will have a good introduction to the use of the sword. Yes, I was looking for a shortcut. Ha ha!

watch the aikido class beforehand.

It brought back good memories of my time at the Aikikai Hombu in Tokyo, way back in 1974.

Getting back to an indoor dojo was a very interesting experience.

I came early and got a chance to

Nishida Sensei give me a bokken and worked with me through the basic motions: •

nuke—the draw

•

kiri—the cut

•

chiburi—the blood wipe

•

noto—put away

Nishida-sensei inside the City Aikido & Swordsmanship dojo.

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Learning the reiho to step on the mat with the sword, bowing to the shomen and then waiting for the class to begin while kneeling in seiza with my sword at my right side, was another kata to learn.

The reiho included bowing to the shomen as a group, bowing to the Sensei and then placing the sword in front of us correctly and bowing to it. Only then do we put the sword into our obi and tie it to our hakama.

Learning how to clean and powder the sword after each session was another kata to add to the list.

Over the next several months, I really got to enjoy the focus, the silent training and getting to know the sword. I did learn the 12 kata of the seitei iaido set and also began to learn and practice many of the kata from the shoden, chuden, and okuden kata sets of the complete art of Muso Shinden ryu. I am “nothing” when it comes to the practice of Muso Shinden ryu, but I demonstrated the 12 kata of seitei iaido when I was in Japan in 2015.

It was good to do it in front of my Sensei, as the use of the katana is part of his kyotei—personal teaching.

While I was at an iaido session, I met Masanao-san who was here from Japan to go to college. He was

an older guy in his 40s and we hit it off. I heard about a Japan Family Day event to be held at Santa Anita racetrack and thought it would be a fun event to go to: Japanese food, music, martial arts, and other Japanese arts and culture. As we walked through the fair, I passed by a booth where shodo (calligraphy) was being demonstrated.

The Sensei saw me stop and look, and she simply held the brush out to me and I took it. She said, “Sit down here. Let’s write your name.”

I cannot say that I was “hooked” at that moment, but I did take her card and saw that she was teaching down in Torrance. I knew that shodo was also a huge part of the kyotei of Kuroda Ichitaro and that meant it was part of my teacher’s as well. Although he did not give me “the assignment,” I knew I had to give it a go, and try my hand to learn shodo.

Two weeks later, when I walked into the shodo class, I saw that not only was I the only man in the room but also the only non-Japanese. What I had really walked into was a group of local Japanese women who had been doing shodo for years—kind of like walking into a women’s bridge club that meets every week. By the end of the class, the Sensei had “suggested” to me that “this class might not

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be for you.” However, she said she had a student that also taught shodo, lived in the Valley, and would come to my office in Glendale to teach me privately. “Really?” “Yes.” I contacted Yukari Tokumaru and she said, “Yes, I would be happy to come over to your office and teach you shodo.” Cool.

During our first class she said, “What you are doing to start is really called shuji. This is what the grade school kids learn first. It is kind of like how American kids learn to print letters and numbers and then how to write in cursive handwriting.” I started by learning how to prepare the ink, hold the brush, steady the paper, and how

to start the brush strokes at the correct 45° angle. Tokumaru Sensei began coming to my office on a weekly basis. I cannot say I practiced much between classes. As a matter of fact, I approached my shodo practice like I did my iaido practice—once a week for about 90 minutes at a time with no practice in between. I also have to say that I did not look forward to each session. I never felt that I had time for it, or that “I am getting the hang of it,” either. Having said that, Tokumaru Sensei was coming to my office and I simply had very few excuses to cancel my weekly class.

I kept going because I knew it was part of my Sensei’s kyotei, pure and simple.

Tokumaru Sensei (in orange) and Malaysia Mike (in black).

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As October 2011 approached, both Brendan and myself prepared for another trip to Japan. This would be the first time we would be training with Bellamy Sensei since we had left Japan in 2009. For this trip, Brendan and I would be staying in a suburb of Nagoya and not traveling all over Japan like we did in 2009. The other unique aspect of this trip was that both Brendan and I would be staying with “host families.”

My family, the Nozaki’s, were a great fit for me. Ayano Nozaki owned an English school in her house and taught class after “regular school” had finished up. Her husband worked for a computer company, and their two kids were both in elementary school.

Brendan and I trained with Bellamy Sensei at separate times and focused on learning the okuden set.

He trained us in a very interesting way. Sensei trained with me using the sword as the uchidachi. With Brendan, he trained him with the

jo as the shidachi. Our mission, when we returned to Santa Monica, would be to bring our knowledge together and teach each other the movements of the jo and the tachi.

We had many great experiences on this trip. Here are just a few of the highlights.

The Okuiri Ceremony: Both Brendan and I were given a full ceremony that recognizes the first level of Shindo Muso ryu known as the okuiri. The okuiri is a letter which indicates the “probation period” is finally over, and the deshi has proven himself to be worthy of learning the oku (deeper) aspects of the art.

Ahmed Mansuri acted as Sensei’s assistant. The location was inside a Buddhist temple that looked like it was right out of a kung fu movie set. It was a formal affair done in full hakama. Sensei wore his white one for this. Both Brendan and I had lost our inkan (personal stamp) that Sensei had given us back in

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The Nozaki family at home.

Bellamy Sensei’s Wall of Weapons.

Bellamy Sensei & his wife Chisato Mishima at home in Nagoya.

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2009. This was considered very, very bad—kind of like losing your passport while you are in a foreign country! So, Sensei said, “We need to stamp your okuiri with both my inkan and yours. Since you both lost your inkan you must do a keppan (blood seal). We did this by taking a sharp razor blade and cutting the top of our thumb just under the thumbnail. Then, we took the drop of blood and placed it on the okuiri document.

After the ceremony, Sensei and Chisato took us to another sec-

tion of the temple, and we were given a formal tea ceremony by the owner of the temple. One of the things she asked us was, “Why did you choose Shindo Muso ryu?”

She asked each of us this question.

When it came to me I told her, “I think Shindo Muso ryu chose me.”

As I started to answer, Sensei spoke up and told her my history in Japanese, starting with coming to Tokyo out of high school, training at the Rembukan, and learning from Shimizu Sensei; then, taking 30 years off and finally meeting Bel-

One of the several yagai dojo areas that Bellamy Sensei uses in Nagoya.

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Brendan & I sitting with our okuiri documents and Bellamy Sensei.

lamy Sensei in California in 2007.

“Ever since he met me, his life has never been the same!”

The thumb cut from the okuiri ceremony.

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The Tea Sensei thought about what Bellamy Sensei had told her, then looked at me, and said in Japanese, “You are like the dirt that remains.”

Bellamy Sensei explained to me that, “Although it sounds strange, she gave you a compliment.” He explained it to me like this: “When you wash clothes, first you shake the clothes to knock loose any dirt that might easily dislodge. Then, you wash the clothes and that gets

rid of most of the dirt stains. But sometimes, there is a little bit of dirt that remains. It is stubborn and persistent. The complement she is giving you is that you did not give up. You are still here. You did not quit. ‘Never giving up’ is considered a high compliment in Japan.”

pared a nice one with the long kata found in the gohon no midare set.

Too bad when we arrived in Nagoya and told this to Sensei and Chisato, they said, “Nice plan, but we want you to raise your game and demonstrate what you have learned while you were here.” The okuden set. “Really?” “Yes.”

Brendan and I returned to the temple for a third time. We were scheduled to give an embu, outside on the grounds of the temple. We had known that we were going to have to do an embu and had pre-

As the 17-day trip came to an end, we returned to the temple and began our embu. The embu really did look and feel to me like it was out of an episode of the old Kung Fu TV series. The weather was cloudy,

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and just as we began, it started to drizzle slightly. A funeral was just concluding in another part of the temple, and as they started to file out, they saw the demonstration, and politely stopped to watch.

The only sound you heard was the sound of their umbrellas opening up. I had one of those moments where I felt like I was “above it all” and watching Brendan and myself doing the kata like it was a movie.

The embu went off without a hitch and it was the culmination of our training time for this 2011 trip.

When Brendan and I got back to Los Angeles, we continued our regular training with the Santa Monica group. My weekly iaido training resumed and I also continued my weekly shodo classes. We also continued to make public demonstrations at various events.

Bellamy Sensei dispatched us on a cross-country mission to teach Sakimukai Sensei the satsuki ame kata set.

Jacksonville, FL (2012).

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The Shoseian Whispering Pine Tea House in Glendale, CA.

It was about this time that Meredith and I found out about the Shoseian Tea House located right in Glendale, up in Brand Park. It is a beautiful traditional Japanese tea house surrounded by an awesome Friendship Garden. After some investigation, I was able to locate the phone number of the lady who was teaching the tea ceremony at the tea house. Her name was Keiko Nakada, and I called her right

away. She answered the phone and explained to me that she had just been getting her energy back from an illness but she was planning to get activities started up again at the tea house soon. Nakada Sensei asked if we would like to attend the next business meeting of her group, and Meredith and I immediately said “Yes.” The meeting was a small one, held in Nakada Sensei’s house in Pasa-

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Intro to the Jo at the Shoseian Tea House

dena, with just herself and three of her students—Julie, Susan, and Ginna. We talked about the plans not only of holding tea ceremonies and classes at the tea house but also to offer other Japanese cultural activities such as budo, shodo, ikebana, and music. The City of Glendale has given Nakada Sensei’s group—the Friends of Shoseian—the use of the tea house on the third Sunday of each month.

By the end of the meeting, Nakada Sensei asked if we would like to be on the Board of Directors of the tea house. I said “Yes” immediately. The next question was, “Would you like a title?” I said, “Yes.” “Ambassador would be nice,” she said.

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“Fine, you will be our Ambassador of Martial Arts to the Shoseian Tea House.”

Meredith and I brought new energy and enthusiasm into the Shoseian Tea House. Along with each tea ceremony, we added an embu of Shindo Muso ryu to help attract people to come onto the grounds of the garden. Pretty soon, I had organized the first of several Intro to the Jo classes which were well attended with over 20 students in each class. Over the next year, we also added a shodo workshop with my teacher Yukari Tokumaru and ikebana class taught by Seiko Sensei.

I produced a very nice 12-minute video that gave the history of the Glendale Sister City Program with Higashi Osaka, the building of the Shoseian and the classes, programs and events that we were now offering. I made two versions of this YouTube video. One was in English that we could use to share with other individual groups and organizations here in the U.S. The other version was narrated in Japanese so I could take it back to Japan on my next trip which was coming up in 2013.

The 2013 trip was another great event. Brendan, Bill Fordes, Greg Poretz, Mark Willoughby, his wife Terry, and myself made up this team. Mark was from another jo group I had met in Bakersfield at a jo seminar. Bellamy Sensei had suggested to me to “invite anyone at the Bakersfield budo seminar to come to Japan with us.” So, I did just that as we had dinner with the group that night. An older guy, Mark Willoughby, approached me and said, “Were you serious? I’ve always wanted to go to Japan. It’s

The U.S. Team arriving in Japan for the Nagoya Gasshuku (October, 2013).

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Kurogo Sensei

been one of the dreams of my life.”

I found out later that Mark was already an accomplished swordsmith who actually makes Japanese katana in his garage. Boy, was he going to have the trip of his life!

The 2013 trip turned out to be a rough one for me. About a week into it, I came down with the flu and I was completely down and out for a solid week. On top of that, all sorts of problems were happening with my business at home. Meredith was really struggling to keep it all together. I was still able to participate in many of the activities, but at a much lower energy level.

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We learned all of the jutte kata in tandoku fashion (solo, not against the sword). We also learned the six kata of the yumidare set. We spent half the day working on some of the Matsubayashi jujutsu techniques.

Three very interesting events took place that I am glad I recovered enough to participate in: •

Training with Kurogo Sensei for the day;

•

Going to the location of the Battle of Sekigahara;

•

Receiving the Gomokuroku promotion after I took my exam.

An 8th Dan named Kurogo Sensei was invited by Bellamy Sensei to spend the day with us and take us through the Kendo Renmei seitei jodo curriculum. Sensei told us that Kurogo was “the Man” when it came to final decisions about any changes with the seitei curriculum in Japan. He wanted us to train with Kurogo Sensei and establish a connection with him. I had the opportunity to be his demonstration partner for the entire day. He took the sword and I had the jo. We went through all 12 of the kihon and all 12 of the kata. His technique was very crisp and he had a great kiai.

After the day of training, we went out for dinner, showed some magic tricks, and had a great time. I had a bit of a relapse after that training with Kurogo Sensei, but I was pleased that I could “hang” with him.

Bellamy Sensei sent a message to all of us that we would need to be ready to get on the road early the next day. “You’re going somewhere very important.” Early in the mornig, we all piled in the car and headed out for a road trip. Little did we know that we were headed to walk on the battleground where both Hirano Gonbei and Musashi Miyamoto fought in 1600 during the Battle of Sekigahara.

Dinner, gifts, and magic tricks.

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The battleground of Sekigahara.

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The battleground is an historic site, and there was activity preparing for some kind of ceremony that was to happen in a few days.

We had a chance to walk over the different areas, and Sensei painted the picture for us with some more history and stories.

After we returned to base, the next big events were examinations. I was going for Gomokuroku. Brendan and Rich were testing for Shomokuroku. Mark Willoughby was taking the grading in both iaido and jodo.

The most interesting part of the Gomokuroku examination was that I was on the sword for most of the time. Bellamy Sensei said he already knew what my jo technique looked like. “Gomokuroku means that you will be among the most senior people in the dojo and it means you will be uchidachi (on the sword) and be leading them using hiki tate geiko (pulling them along training method).”

Sensei always has us stand and answer questions as part of the exam. By “stand,” I mean just that: you cannot move, pantomime, or demonstrate anything. Your answers must be verbal only. Although I was still feeling the effects

of the flu, I did rally long enough to make it through the test which lasted about three hours. Sensei informed me that I had passed.

Nice!

Brendan and Rich partnered up for their Shomokuroku exam, and the most memorable part was when Rich was asked to spend some time working with me on some different aspects of the midare dome kata. He had not done very well on that kata. Sensei told him, “You are right on the borderline of pass or fail. I am going to give you a chance to practice that kata and then come back later and demonstrate it again.”

Rich and I practiced midare dome along with Brendan. Then, after an hour, Rich took another crack at it. By this time in the trip, Rich was also sick and he had a pretty bad injury to one of his ankles— not the ideal way to go in for a “make or break” moment, but that was the way it was. There is a moment in the kata where shidachi does a tai atari (double fisted strike to the body and face) of the uchidachi to knock him back a few steps. Brendan is a big guy, probably 6’ 3”. Rich is my size, maybe 5’ 9”. Rich “popped” Big Brendan so

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hard, it knocked him down on his ass. No one lets that kind of thing just “happen.” It was very impressive. Sensei let out a cheer, Chisato stood up with a smile on her face, and I caught it all on video. Sensei said, “Well, I guess that’s a pass.

Congratulations!” The even better

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news was that the new Shomokurokus had to pay for dinner for all of us. Ha ha!

Mark Willoughby really had “the trip of his life.” As a martial artist and a swordmaker at home in the US, he always had a dream of going to Japan, the “home of the samurai and his sword.” Now, here he was.

He already had spent a day with a

swordmaker and had an awesome experience learning the traditional way swords were made. As the trip was coming to an, end he now had the opportunity to take the grading for iaido and seitei jo. He would be awarded a Dan ranking, if he passed.

There was only one teeny-weeny little problem. The style of the iaido Mark practiced was not the standard “official kata” of the Kendo Renmei seitei iaido curriculum.

Although Mark knew “all of the moves,” there were just enough details and differences so whatever he demonstrated would be considered wrong. That was the bad news. The good news was that I knew all 12 of the seitei kata and

I told Sensei, “Give me an hour and I can train him to do what he needs to do.” How is that possible?

Because, to get your Shodan, you only have to demonstrate five of the 12 kata. Ha ha! Then he got to select them. Mark made his choice and I helped to make a change here and there. On this particular grading, Mark also took a grading for seitei jodo. I was his uchidachi and he did very well. He is an intense guy with the jo or sword in his hand. His iaido demonstration went fine. He passed! Sensei talked with him afterwards and gave him guidance and homework to do when he returned to the U.S. Even if he had not passed, the whole experience would have been “the best.” Talk about a “peak experience” for Mark!

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As the 2013 trip came to a close, we all agreed that the person who did the best, had the best attitude, kept the best spirit, never complained, and always supported usm was Mark’s wife, Terry—especially as a non-martial artist, coming along for the ride, and for the first time in Japan. She blew us all away!

The six yumidare kata that we also learned tandoku were more challenging because there just were no models, photos, or video that we could look at. The best we could do was watch the video of Ahmed doing them tandoku so that we could at least remember the sequence of movements.

It took me an incredible six weeks to recover from that last trip to Japan! Whatever flu bug I picked up zapped my energy longer than anything I have ever experienced.

Slowly, I got back to my early-morning fitness in the MMA gym and got back to leading the biweekly Shindo Muso ryu classes on Sunday mornings.

During our last Japan trip in 2013, Sensei created an organization called the “Musokan,” or “The House of Muso,” as a way to counter the problem of the Kendo Renmei’s decision to start teaching what they call koryu kata. He made me the head of Musokan USA and encouraged me to “grow the group.” I decided to use the Shoseian Tea House as my base and hold a series of three Intro to the Jo seminars on the grounds of the Friendship Garden each year.

We had already held one seminar which had over 20 students, and it was a great success. My goal with this series was to get the Musokan USA name out there and see if we could attract a few more dedicated students.

We worked hard to apply the sword movements to the 12 jutte kata that we were only able to learn tandoku (solo) while we were in Japan. We watched the videos, looked at the photos, and slowly put the sword attacks along with the jutte counters to the complete kata one by one.

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The next Intro to the Jo seminar I held attracted several aikido sensei and also a group of escrima practitioners. The escrima group spoke to me when it was over and requested that I come to their Pasadena location once a month to teach them. This is the first time a group (six men and two women) had approached me to teach them.

Two very interesting things happened: They did not quit. The group stayed together and their open-mindedness (junanshin) has been quite impressive.

Musokan USA—1st Gasshuku held in Tehachapi, CA (September, 2014).

The first meeting of the “Musokan” held in Nagoya, Japan (October, 2013).

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They are learning and making progress even at two hours a month! We are working on the seitei curriculum and, so far, they have made it through the kihon tandoku (solo) and sotai (paired) and the first six kata. They are just now learning how to handle the sword by learning how to “accept” the hiki otoshi and other strikes. They even came up with a name for their group: The Pasadena Jodo Society.

We had a big event here in Los Angeles when I re-established a connection with Dr. David Hall who had just published an amazing reference book called the Encyclopedia of Japanese Martial Arts. I had met Dave back in the mid-80s along with Hunter Armstrong as they were both heavily involved with Donn Draeger’s development of hoplology. It turns out that Bellamy Sensei had met both Armstrong and Hall while they were all in Japan in the 70s.

Bellamy Sensei reconnected with Dave Hall after many, many years and then both of us talked to him on a Skype conversation. Dave asked for my help in promoting his book by seeing whether I could set up a book signing and lecture. I was able to do this with the Asian American Museum in Pasadena.

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Dave and his wife traveled here to Los Angeles from Maryland, and he asked our group to help him with his lecture by demonstrating Shindo Muso ryu kata to illustrate the points he was making in his talk.

We treated this event as quite an honor for the Santa Monica Jodo group.

Time flies when you are busy. Running my real estate management company with my wife and partner, Meredith, can be more than a full-time job. We can be on call for an emergency at a building or with a tenant at any time, day or night. Having said that, since it is my own business that I have built over the last 25 years, I have developed a network of vendors and contacts that I can rely on when the call comes in. This allows me to have much more flexibility in setting my own schedule, and this is what has allowed me to carve out the time to study Shindo Muso ryu to the level of detail that Bellamy Sensei requires of me.

Returning to Japan for 10 days in 2015 and then moving on to Malaysia for 16 days, the biggest wild card in the deck was my left hip.

An MRI showed moderate to severe arthritis and thinning of the protective cartilage. The pain had

progressed to the point that just the daily activities of walking, sitting down, getting up, getting in and out of the car hurt. When you think about walking somewhere and the first question in your mind is, ”How far is that?”—you know you have a big problem.

Dr. Cipkenian put me completely out under anesthesia for cortisone injections which went deep into my left hip joint. The next thing I knew, it was “Time to go home, Mr. Belzer.” The first week was almost pain-free. It really did feel like someone had removed a knife from my hip! As of the second week, I started to notice pain coming back—not to the degree that was before, but still a problem.

I went back to iaido for the first time in many months. I decided it was time to test my hip and my newly sharpened sword. Class went fine. Not only did my hip survive, but there was no spilling of blood—mine or anyone else’s!

Sensei, a serious talk with Meredith, and some soul searching on my part, we decided that the best course of action for the 10 days in Japan was to take the “ramp up” to the 3-day Menkyo Evaluation, “off the table.” This way, instead of things having to go harder each day, with increased intensity, culminating in the 100% effort that will be required for the Menkyo Evaluation, we could back off, take it day by day, or even session by session, if necessary. Sensei had re-formulated the plan so that this 10-day trip was the beginning of a two-year Menkyo Evaluation period. This way we could still accomplish much, learn many things, and move forward on the Path to Menkyo. At the same time, we lowered the intensity, “were smart” about my hip and my limitations, and then returned to L.A. to get my hip replaced. I recovered and then came back to Japan in 2017.

In each and every training session, I still did my best and was my best.

Bellamy Sensei was quite concerned about my hip, and he wanted to monitor it carefully while I was in Japan. He wanted me to be able to go on to the second part of my trip, which was 16 days in Malaysia. After much discussion with

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My trip to Malaysia was a very interesting one. I met up with my old friend, Christopher Sanmugam, who was my age and an original student of Donn Draeger from back in the 70s. We met at the 1st International Jodo Jamboree held in Taiping, Malaysia in 1979.

We have maintained contact ever since. Christopher came here to the US and attended the IJF Ha-

waii Gasshuku in 1994 and also traveled with me here in Los Angeles. Now it was my turn to go to Malaysia and travel with him for a bit. Our plan was to visit many of the instructors that Draeger Sensei took me to originally (at least those that are still alive) back in 1979. The pentjak silat Master Abdul Rhaman has passed on but his son, Sazali, interviewed me as I

Left to right: Larry Bieri, Nanis, Quitin Chambers, Pascal Kreiger, Meik Skoss, Karunakaran, Mike Belzer, and Christopher Sanmugan.

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was one of the people that Draeger Sensei brought to visit his father.

I also had quite a few pictures and some video of his father that he was very interested in since he was writing a biography of his father, and most of the family photos and videos he had have been destroyed by fire or flood.

Karuna & Christopher with Pascal Kreiger.

Johnny Seow (left), Donn Draeger (center), and Pascal Kreiger (right) at the IJF Jodo Jamboree. Taiping, Malaysia (1979).

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Christopher Sanmugam & Malaysia Mike at the IJF Jodo Jamboree. Taiping, Malaysia (1979).

Bellamy Sensei has asked me to write out what my “philosophy of training” is concerning the practice of Shindo Muso ryu. Here it is: Shindo Muso ryu is a traditional bujutsu of Japan, which is a fighting art, a cultural art, and a path to follow in life.

The art itself was born out of a duel between Hirano Gonbei and Musashi Miyamoto, who were two very accomplished warriors in the early 1600s. The art was designed

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for personal combat, not for use on the battlefield. The jo, which was a new weapon, and the kensho (“great enlightenment”) of Hirano Gonbei was quickly adopted for use by the dominant Kuroda clan in Fukuoka for controlling unruly samurai. The art has always been associated with the police and is alive and in use even today, by the Tokyo Riot Police.

Four hundred years of history makes this art “bigger” than any one man. The art has grown, been tested in conflict, and evolved over the centuries into the art we know today. The art has been “paid for”

by the blood and sometimes even the life of its practitioners. Shindo Muso ryu is taught in the “old way” from master to student. The art is not conducive to being taught to large groups. I feel that it is both a high honor and an awesome responsibility to learn Shindo Muso ryu in the “old way,” and then to transmit it, in its entirety, to the

next generation. This is how it has been done for 400 years. Soon, I will “get the ball,” and it will be my responsibility to care for it (carry it) and then find the ones who are ready, willing, and able to do the same thing I have done.

Following this path of training has made me a better person. There is no doubt in my mind about that.

By following the directions of my Sensei—“Do this, learn that, follow up on this, research that, report on this, find this teacher, go to that training . . .”—my life experience

Demonstrating Kasumi Shinto ryu kenjutsu.

Donn Draeger & Karuna

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Shindo Muso ryu strengthens my mind, body, and spirit to such a degree that “I can do anything” if I put my mind to it.

Transmitting this amazing art to the next generation means that both the sensei and the students have to “find each other.” This seems to happen naturally, and I think the main purpose of an embu is to demonstrate the art so that a potential student “gets the fire sparked” enough to make the approach to the sensei with the ques-

Hirano Gonbei with his new weapon—the jo.

has become richer and more expansive. Besides the training in the art itself, there are all of the people that I have met along the way, and will continue to meet. With each and every person I meet and interact with, I represent my Sensei and the art of Shindo Muso ryu.

Personal character is revealed by adversity. When everything is “going right,” it is easy to say the right thing and do the right thing. When the daily grind of life throws the “whoppers” at you, that is when your true colors are shown. I believe that the complete practice of

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Musashi Miyamoto and his two-sword style of kenjutsu.

tion, “How can I learn to do this?”

Each student is different and the responsibility of the sensei is to find the way to meet the student and “be a beginner with them.”

Patience, respect, communication, and the willingness to “do it again and again until we get it” are the qualities of a good teacher, and those same qualities, applied to the dojo of life, make us better human beings. In the dojo of life, the qualities of respect, communication, and sincerely being interested in another person, will help us “bridge the gap” and help turn strangers into fellow travelers along the path. Once you have broken through the initial “I don’t know you, so I don’t trust you” part, you begin to share information, stories, and advice. Who knows, you might even find someone who says, “How do I learn that?”

Since I am not a professional warrior or a police officer, it is unlikely that I will find myself in a situation where I am the target of an attack.

In both of these professions, you will be very likely to have to use your skills in just the same way as our warriors of the past—to protect your life or the life of another. Having said that, learning the skills of a combative art such as Shindo Muso ryu teaches you the

A Tokyo police officer standing ready with his jo.

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secrets of all combat, which include understanding timing, distance, the vital targets, and the mental/ emotional conditions necessary to prevail in a conflict. The “martial art training paradox” is this: The more you train in the fighting arts, the less likely you will be to have to actually put them to use “in the real world.” There are two primary reasons for this: Your level of awareness and preparation for action alerts you to potential trouble in advance because you see “signs of trouble” ahead and take the necessary steps to avoid them. Awareness and avoidance are the most important aspects of personal self-defense.

The way you carry and present yourself to the world sends a message that you are not a good target.

You will not be a victim and any predator will be smart to look for another “target of opportunity.”

Along with my personal philosophy of training, I have the following training rules:

No excuses. It is going to be difficult.

•

Go the extra mile. “Average” just is not good enough.

•

Be helpful to others. Especially your Sensei.

•

Represent your Sensei. Do not embarrass him.

•

Strive for excellence in your jikiden. The physical performance of the kata is how people will “see” the art and appreciate it.

•

Know the history, traditions, and customs of “your art.”

This is how your practice of a 400-year-old traditional Japanese martial art is put into context with your own life.

•

Seek to make connections with other practitioners. “There are many ways to be correct.”

•

Be confident of what you know, yet be ready to receive new knowledge.

•

Show up.

Along with a training philosophy and training rules, we need a motto. Here is mine:

•

Be consistent.

“You Never Know, Until You Go.”

•

Have a good attitude.

•

Keep an open mind and trust your teacher (junanshin).

•

No complaining. No whining.

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Michael Belzer @ michael.belzer.3

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VARIOUS TYPES OF FIGHTING IN FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS MODERNITY & TRADITION

Andrea Rollo

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.

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Moreover, the large number of sports federations, coupled with the lack of a single federation that would be recognized worldwide, has led to the creation of numerous regulations. These, besides the techniques permitted, the targets allowed, and the scoring criteria, differ substantially in two main respects: the protective equipment and the type of weapon used. In short, considering only the single-stick specialty, three different types of sport fighting can be identified: •

full protection and rattan stick (top photo)

•

minimum protection and padded stick (middle photo)

•

minimum protection and rattan stick (bottom photo)

The combination of the level of protection and the type of weapon used determines the degree of risk to which athletes are subjected during the fight. In turn, the fear of getting hurt by contact with the opponent has led to the creation of specific fighting techniques and strategies that best suit a specific regulation over another.

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In his article, The Evolution of Arnis, written in 1997, Pedro Reyes considered the transformation of a fighting art into a sport to be the most important challenge the masters had to face. One of the difficulties was (and still is) creating equipment that ensures the right balance between the safety of the athlete and the realism of the fight: “Traditional arnisadores fight without protectors; fights end only when one combatant can no longer bear the pain, although referees usually step in before disabling injuries occur. That will no longer do. Weapon or [sic] similar to that of kendo has proven to be too confining. The search is on for a baton that would be sufficiently rigid to allow parring [sic] while remaining flexible enough to prevent injuries. Since those are contradictory requirements it may take some time before a suitable compromise is found. A baton of fabric-covered rubber made stiff by pumping in compressed air looks promising, although its helf [sic] and balance is different from the usual baton.”

According to Reyes, another important aspect to take into account was the way the regulations influenced the fight:

“Again, tournament officials currently give higher points to blows to the head or body compared to blows to the weapons or legs. But that violates a canon of the art.

The essence of arnis is to first damage the opponent’s weapon so that he cannot defend himself or strike another blow. The violation of this canon in tournament play has been deleterious. Combatants mill about wildly slashing at one another without art or form in the hope of scoring the first killing blow.”1 Basically, the sport created a new form of arnis, necessarily different from tradition, that Reyes calls tournament arnis or sport arnis.2,3 In this respect, it is important to emphasize that the cornerstone of a sporting regulation is the principle according to which the rules are established. There are two main currents of thought. One, more tradition-oriented, consid1 Pedro Reyes, “The Evolution of Arnis,” August 2019, http://www.yellowbamboohk.com/arnis/arnisarticles/ Evolution_of_Arnis_by_Pedro_Reyes. html.

2 Pedro Reyes, “Classifying Arnis,” Rapid Journal 5, no. 2 (2000): 15.

3 Pedro Reyes, “The Filipino Martial Tradition,” Rapid Journal 4, no. 1 (1999): 20.

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Advertisement for the Grand Fencing Contest at the Civic Auditorium in Honolulu, Hawaii on June 9, 1934. [Source: Dennis Francis, ed. Bridgewater Frank, Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Honolulu), June 8, 1934.]

ers sport as an evolution of the ancient duels, in which the first blow was decisive in determining the winner; another, more modern, considers sport to be the transposition of an armed street fight, where the fighter who inflicts the most damage on the opponent wins. That is why one stick-fighting match may resemble a fencing assault and another a MMA fight.

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Actually, not all Filipino martial arts practitioners agree on the agonistic practice’s usefulness. Some of them believe that using protection, even if minimal, would offset the perception of danger in a real clash. This opinion, however, does not take into account another crucial aspect. In a sport fight, the opponents intend to overwhelm each other; therefore they strike

with maximum power and speed.

Their aim is to win and prove their superiority. Only the experience acquired in several and repeated matches with strong and skilled opponents allows the development of certain vital skills, which will be useful in a real fight or in a self-defense situation. These skills include reflexes, timing, distance estimation, combat intuition, and, above all, a winning mentality.

Thus, considering that, for reasons that do not even need to be explained, one cannot go around the streets looking for an armed fight, competitive fighting remains the only viable possibility in which to really put oneself to the test. Ultimately, physical confrontation, nowadays conceivable only in the form of sport, remains the most efficient way for a practitioner of Filipino martial arts to test attack and defense techniques. Obviously, doing it without a helmet is out of the question.

Traditional Stick Fighting In the past it was different. In the Philippines, until not too long ago, arnisadores / escrimadores used to challenge each other and fight with no protective gear.

Juego Todo, Bahad, and Patayan4 Throwing down a challenge to prove one’s technical superiority or that of one’s system was a common and accepted custom among the arnisadores / escrimadores of the past. Mark Wiley talks about this in his book, Filipino Martial Culture, where he states: “In the past, the only way for a master to test the superiority of his art over another was to engage in a patayan where the superior art would be determined by death or maiming of one (or both) of the combatants.”5 The term patayan, used by Wiley, was narrated to him by the famous master, Antonio “Tatang” Ilustrisimo. Etymologically, it comes from the root word, patay (“dead”), and can be translated as “fighting to the death.” For this reason, Ilustrisimo used it to describe life-anddeath challenges.6

4 Andrea Rollo, “New Insights Into the History of Filipino Martial Arts” (Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, 2022), http://www.kalifilippino.it/storia/ new-insights-into-the-history-of-filpino-martial-arts.html.

5 Mark V. Wiley, Filipino Martial Culture (Martial Culture Series), (Singapore: Tuttle Publishing, 1997), 98.

6 Romeo Macapagal, personal communications, January 14, 2018.

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However, not all the challenges were classified as life-and-death.

The challengers could opt for different types of fighting, the rules and intensity of which were agreed upon before the confrontation. To challenge or accept a challenge, and agree on the type of fighting, the opponents used to communicate through different movements and positions of the body and weapons.7,8 The goriest type of match was the infamous juego todo. Juego means “play” or “game” in Spanish, while todo means “all.” Possible interpretations are: “anything goes”9 or “I play all,”10 but I lean towards “full play.” This term, used especially in Cebu and other areas of the 7

Wiley, Filipino Martial Culture.

8 Abundio S. Baet, “Filipino Folk Dances and the Fighting Arts,” Filipino Martial Arts Digest: Doce Pares Multi-System Style (Special Edition 2007), ed. Steven Dowd, p.6, https:// www.usadojo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/fma-Special-Edition_ Doce-Pares_Multi-Style_System.pdf.

9 Krishna Godhania, “The Filipino Duel: Its History and Practice,” in Arnis: Reflections on the History and Development of the Filipino Martial Arts, ed.

Mark V. Wiley (Tuttle Publishing, 2001), 119.

10 Jasmine W. Payo, “Juego Todo, Ingenious, Indigenous,” Philippine Daily Inquirer, December 12, 2016.

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Visayas, refers to a type of stick fighting match between two escrimadores who did not use any protection and where there were no limitations that concerned types or power of the blows. Using a current terminology, Dionisio “Diony” Cañete describes them as full-contact sparring, fights that ”were conducted without protective gear.”11 Given the high number of dialects and languages spoken in the Philippine Islands, juego todo was not the only term that existed to describe a “total combat.” Abundio Salazar Baet, a master from Paete, Laguna, reports that the term was not used at all in his place of origin. Instead, the Tagalog expressions, laban sa lahat and matira matibay, or the spanish Combate general were used.12

11 Dionisio Cañete, Eskrima Kali Arnis (Doce Pares Publishing House, Inc., 1993), 89.

12 Abundio S. Baet, personal communications, August 20, 2019.

A stick-fighting match held in 1947 at the Civic Auditorium in Honolulu, Hawaii. This is so far the first known FMA-related photo published. [Photo credit: Bob Ebert. Source: O’Brien Eileen McCann, “Camera Highlights,” Paradise of the Pacific 59, no. 12 (1947).]

Roque “Oke” Valiente from Paete, Laguna (left) vs Bobet Abadier from Lumban, Laguna (right) during the Paete Arnis Tournament in 1998. [Photo courtesy of Abundio Salazar Baet.]

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According to an online forum user, whose identity I was unfortunately not able to trace, there were two other types of match. Both have Spanish names: •

the juego toque (which in Spanish means “touch, contact”), which was a sort of “controlled sparring,” where blows could cause some bruises, but not more serious damage;

the Spanish words, muestra and demostración, which both mean “demonstration”).

Abundio Baet adds that, in Laguna, a light contact fight was called laban mahinan, lapat mahinaan, mustracion, or controlada (Spanish for “controlled”), and a non-contact one laban sa wala, walang lapatan, or juego no toca.”16

13 Anonymous, “About Atillo Balintawak and Balintawak History,” Dog Brothers Public Forum, accessed February 20, 2018, https://dogbrothers. com/phpBB2/index.php?topic=218.

The Spanish terms, juego toque and juego sinyas / juego no toca, which indicate two types of “controlled sparring”, are not so known in FMA circles of today. In their place, Cebu has the Filipino term, palutsanay. For instance, Abner Pasa of the Balitok system, in a survey on The Implementation of Arnis in the Physical Education Program of Tertiary School in Cebu City: A Proposed Training Program Framework, defines the word palutasanay as “controlled freestyle sparring.”

Following a scale of decreasing intensity, he places this fighting format in between juego todo and muestra:

14 Abner G. Pasa, The Implementation of Arnis in the Physical Education Program of Tertiary School in Cebu City: A Proposed Training Program Framework (University of San Carlos, Cebu City.).

Also published in Arnis, ed. Wiley, 152.

“The integrity of the art was protected by the practice of challenges. These challenges were usually done in a juego todo (noholds-barred fighting) faschion

15 Placido Yambao, Classic Arnis: The Legacy of Placido Yambao / Mga Karunungan Sa Larong Arnis, trans.

Reynaldo S. Galang (Arjee Enterprises, 2005), 36.

16 Abundio S. Baet, personal communications, August 20, 2019.

•

the juego sinyas (from Spanish señas meaning “signs, gestures”), which did not involve any contact, and in which the blows were “called” when they arrived close to the opponent’s head.13

Finally, a friendly exchange of blows for sharing techniques and demonstrating skills was called muestra14 or muestración15 (mix of

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Newspaper article about the famous match between Ciriaco “Cacoy” Cañete (left) and Crispulo “Ising” Atillo (right) in 1983, considered the last juego todo match and public bahad that took place in the Philippines.

[Source: Sunstar Daily, “Cañete-Atillo: Who Won?” Sunstar Daily 1 no. 291, Sept 18, 1983, cover page.]

[sic]. Serious injury to one or both contestants was common. On rare occasions, death resulted from the encounter. Another method was the palutasanay (controlled freestyle sparring). Palutsanay was conducted on a more friendly basis than juego todo. It was conducted in several ways. Generally, the protagonists would agree on a mode of conduct before engaging in a fight, the most common of which was one where no blow [sic] was al-

lowed to the head and the force of the blow was controlled. The winner was determined when contact was made by the weapon of [sic] any part of the body or when one conceded to the superiority of the other. Among friends, the sharing of skills is also done through the muestra or 'monstracion' (responses to certain forms of attack or combinations thereof) whereby the parties share experiences and awareness of other styles and prac-

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tices. This process also ensures the perpetuation of the art’s rich cultural heritage preserved in its oral traditions.”17 However, according to Dionisio Cañete, palutsanay is the vernacular term for “sparring”, which can generally be of two types: “The first is controlled sparring in which the attacks and counterattacks are not intended to land, but are stopped short of the point of contact. The other one is full contact sparring, or juego todo. . . .”18 From the above quotations of Pasa and Cañete, it can be assumed that juego todo is the only Spanish word that has remained in current use, whereas juego toque, juego sinya, and juego no toque have been forgotten over time and replaced by the Cebuano term, palutsanay. This is not surprising if you consider that, among the types of fighting described above, the one that arouses the most interest among FMA enthusiasts is the juego todo. It has been the subject of discussion by many FMA authors, and this, in some cases, has created some confusion regarding the meaning of certain terms.

17 Pasa, The Implementation of Arnis, as appears on Arnis, ed. Wiley, 152.

18

Cañete, Eskrima Kali Arnis, 89.

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For example, a term often used today to describe this risky type of fighting is death match. The first use of this term that I have been able to trace is in the 1977 book, The Filipino Martial Arts As Taught

By Dan Inosanto, in reference to the escrima competitions that Filipinos, who emigrated to Hawaii, used to organize in the early decades of the 1900s: “Before 1944, Ellustrisimo [Regino Ilustrisimo] says he watched one of the death matches his nephew [Floro Villabrille] won when competition was legal and common among the Escrimadors in Hawaii.”19 Undoubtedly, death match is a very evocative term, suggesting the values of courage, strength, daring, and recklessness so admired by martial artists. Probably, for this reason, it was then used by numerous authors, both Filipino and non-Filipino, to refer to matches under juego todo rules. However, using death match in substitution of juego todo match is wrong and confusing. While death match could be the appropriate translation of the above-mentioned Ta19 Dan Inosanto, Gilbert Johnson, and George Foon, The Filipino Martial Arts as Taught by Dan Inosanto (Know Now, 1980), 24.

galog word patayan, it does not fit the meaning of juego todo.

Death match means a “match until death,” whereas juego todo indicates “the set of rules of a match”.

As a matter of fact, juego todo matches (namely “matches applying the juego todo rules”) only rarely ended with the death of either opponent. As the old masters recall, they were often organized during fiestas celebrating the Patron Saint, a situation not appropriate for the death of a man. Unpleasant situations were “resolved” once the festive event was over.

Romeo Macapagal in his book, Kalis Ilustrisimo: The Archived System of Antonio “Tatang” Ilustrisimo, explains: “A prizefighter in those days went to fiestas and enrolled in tournaments of arnis or escrima which were like cockfights. The rules were simple: you dropped your stick, you lost; you gave up, you lost; you got bloodied typically in the head, you lost. And in the politics of the day, if there was a town or a barrio favorite and you were an outsider, then you lose to him.

Otherwise, you would be waylaid on your way out of the town or barrio. And most places at that

Antonio Ilustrisimo showing the symbolic poses with two sticks as a premise of a patayan. [Source: Mark V. Wiley, Filipino Martial Culture (Singapore: Tuttle Publishing, 1997).]

time were in rather secluded areas with expanses of field and forest in-between.”20 20 Romeo Macapagal, Kalis Ilustrisimo: The Archived System of Antonio “Tatang” Ilustrisimo (Books Supplu, Inc, 2021), 19.

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fight in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur.21 Although the name dumog indicates a specific style of wrestling from Panay, in Visayan this term was also used with the general meaning of “wrestling,” as we can read in the 1935 Visayan-English Dictionary (Kapulúngan Binisayá-Ininglís) by John Kauffmann:

Antonio “Tony” Diego showing the symbolic poses with espada y daga indicating a patayan. [Source: Wiley, Filipino Martial Culture.]

Fiestas were occasions for entertainment, where the inhabitants of the barrio or barangay would gather to drink, eat, watch theatrical performances, dance, and have fun.

In addition to escrima matches and tournaments, dumog competitions were also common in some places of the Visayas and Mindanao. For instance, there are some old photos depicting escrima master José D. Caballero, creator of the system, De Campo Uno-Dos-Tres Orihinal Escrima, who referees a dumog

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“dúmug, Wrestling; to wrestle, grapple, struggle, scuffle. Magdúmug—or—dúmug na kamó.

Wrestle now. Start wrestling.

Dumúga siá. Wrestle with him.

Grapple with him. Dumúgi siá. Get him to fight a wrestling bout with you. Ang mga waláy sing tinónan nagapáti gid silá nga kagáb-i gindúmug sang áswang si Fuláno.

Silly folks actually believe that last night the evil spirit wrestled with N.N. Madámù nga mga pamatán-on ang magatámbong kon may dúmug.

Many young fellows will attend if there is wrestling.”22 Since the early 1900s, activities during fiestas included boxing matches, and this tradition is still 21 Andrea Rollo, “Dumog,” accessed March 20, 2017, http://www. kalifilippino.it/sistemi-approfondimenti/dumog.html.

22 John Kauffmann, Visayan-English Dictionary (Kapulúngan Binisayá-Ininglís) (Iloilo: La Editorial, 1935), 115-116.

alive. Typing “Filipino street boxing” on YouTube, you can view dozens of videos where men and even children engage in boxing matches in the middle of the streets with gloves on during the country fiestas. Even women fought occasionally, but this was much more rare.

To add fun to the show, Filipinos have created some nice and imaginative variations such as matches balanced on bamboo poles or bridges. These too are easily viewable on YouTube by typing “Filipino bamboo boxing.” For example in Barangay Marmol, in the municipality of Tuburan, province of Cebu, people used to fight sitting on a large bamboo tube and soon ended up fighting clinging to the same.23 In Leganes, Iloilo, instead, people stand in balance between two parallel bamboo poles, or on a bamboo bridge kept constantly wet to make it slippery.24

23 Doños Jhesryll, “Bamboo Boxing in Brgy. Marmol Tuburan,” YouTube video, accessed April 19, 2021, https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2tZmTpCsXY. 24 MARK PH, “Funny VIDEO [emoji] BAMBOXING LEGANES, ILOILO, PHILIPPINES [emoji],” YouTube video, accessed April 19, 2021, https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBsgxh2VVoI.

Another recreational activity practiced during the fiestas was and still is sipa, a particular game in which a little ball is dribbled with the feet without dropping it to the ground.

Fiestas were, therefore, a time of joyful celebration for Filipinos, but also moments of competition and confrontation. The escrimadores, in particular, had the possibility to test their skills against other escrimadores coming from their own village and the neighboring villages. The participants, although conscious of the risk of serious injury, competed to prove their superiority, not to kill the opponent who, by the way, could surrender at any time. There were actually only a few fatalities in contests. The goals for competing in a tournament were varied and subjective. There were those who fought to earn the prize money, those who wanted to test themselves, and those who wanted to attract the attention of the female audience.

In conclusion, the inaccurate use of the term death match (match until death) substituting juego todo (rule set of the fight) is probably due to two factors: the first is the rare chance that the juego todo matches could, in sporadic cases,

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end in death; the other factor is the feeling of danger, courage, and strength that the term death match evokes.

In Cebu, another term often confused with juego todo was bahad.

There was, however, a substantial difference between the two.

In this regard, as reported in a quotation a few pages earlier, Abner Pasa uses the term juego todo to indicate “no-holds-barred fighting,” while in the following paragraph he describes bahad as an “open challenge,” where escrimadores face each other in juego todo matches: “Matches also took place when anyone who claimed knowledge or expertise was challenged. The rivalry between masters, generally initiated by intrigues among students from separate clubs, was resolved through a bahad. The bahad is an open challenge usually done in public where Juego Todo-type matches are conducted.”25 The difference between the two terms used is clear. Juego todo applies to the rules of the matches, which took place during a bahad, an open challenge fought by students from different escrima clubs.

25 Pasa, The Implementation of Arnis, as appears on Arnis, ed. Wiley, 152.

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In the book, Cebuano Eskrima: Beyond the Myth, Macachor and Nepangue confirm this difference in meaning and, as an example for the term bahad, they cite the famous public challenge launched by the club Balintawak against the club Doce Pares in 1964.26 On the other hand, they also provide the very first definition of the Cebuano term bahad. Literally it meant “vow to seek vengeance,” but escrimadores of the past also used it with the meaning of “grudge fight.” In their book, the two authors explain: ”In bahad, everything is supposedly 100% no-holds-barred match or Juego Todo.”27 From a legal point of view, they compare a bahad to a duel and write: ”It is claimed that the old bahad was a gentlemen’s fight. The partecipants [sic] were expected to follow the agreed though limited rules. Those who lose the fight were expected to accept defeat.

Many times it was bloody and just took a few seconds, but there were also some mortalities [sic]. . . . Le26 Macachor and Nepangue, Cebuano Eskrima, 114.

27 Macachor and Nepangue, Cebuano Eskrima, 113.

Amador Chavez (right) of Arnis Rikarte en Cruzada practicing espada y daga with another escrimador at the Bacolod Arnis Club. In the back, second from the left is Jerson “Nene” Tortal Sr. of Dekiti Tirsia Siradas. [Photo courtesy of Samuele Simone, 1958.]

gally speaking, bahad is simply a duel, a formal or regular combat agreed by two individuals in the presence of two or more seconds in each side, who help facilitate the fight, which is for real of course.

The motive is to inflect [sic] physical harm, damage or death to the opponent and survive.”28 28 Moreover, the authors specify that “[i]n some areas of Cebu they used the term banóg-banog for these bloody matches where the fighters moved like abanóg or hawk.”

In brief, the two references above agree on the meaning of juego todo as “no-holds-barred fighting,” as well as on the most recent meaning of bahad as “open challenge, where escrimadores of different clubs fight juego todos matches.” But, according to Macachor and Nepangue, in the old days the term bahad had another meaning; it meant a “grudge single fight, legally a duel, where the two rivals fought a juego todo match”. Evidently, with the emergence of the

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first escrima clubs and the first clashes for affirmation, the term bahad gradually lost its original meaning of “duel” and came to refer to the increasingly common challenges between different clubs.

The confusion between the two terms, juego todo and bahad, may be explained by the fact that the escrimadores who were involved in a bahad (both in the old sense of “duel” and in the more recent meaning of “challenge”) fight matches under juego todo rules.

However, it is worthwhile to reiterate the difference in order to avoid misuse, linking them to their context. To give an example already mentioned, the juego todo matches were also organized in the form of fiesta tournaments, but speaking of bahad in this case would be completely wrong. It exclusively refers to situations of challenge or duel.

Focusing on the old meaning of bahad—that of a “duel”—it must be underlined that in the above quotation, Macachor and Nepangue use the term duel alluding to its specific meaning in European fencing jargon.

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The term duel means a formalized fight between two people. In the Italian classification, there are four main types of duels: the duello cavalleresco (“chivalrous duel”), the one aimed at resolving a dispute between gentlemen, characterized by the presence of witnesses on both sides and well-defined rules; the duello giudiziale (“judicial duel”), practiced in the Middle Ages and based on the concept that the “Judgment of God” would prove the innocence of one or the other contender; the duello guerresco (“war duel”), the one in which the champions of two armies fought, thus avoiding the mass clash; and the duello rusticano (“rustic duel”), the one fought by common people with popular weapons such as knives or sticks, without witnesses, and with less strict rules. If the duel, chivalrous or rustic, was fought for matters of honor, it was called duel of honor.

In particular, from the 15th century onwards, the duel of honor in Western societies took on clearly defined features: it was fought on equal terms between people of the same social class according to rules

explicitly or implicitly accepted, and in the presence of witnesses.

Generally, it could be fought to “the first blood,” when the fight was interrupted as soon as one of the duelists managed to hurt the other, even lightly, and to “the last blood,” in which it was fought until the death of one of the two contenders.29 The bahad fought by the old school escrimadores was undoubtedly a duel of honor because the duelists fought to preserve the honor of their art, their master, or their school. Specifically, it falls into the category of the rustic duel according to the weapons used and the social rank of escrimadores.

As in Europe, also in the Philippines they could be fought, to the last blood, but over-dramatization 29 Duello according to the Italian Dictionary of Hoepli Editore in La Repubblica, accessed May 3, 2021, https:// dizionari.repubblica.it/Italiano/D/duello.html. See also: Duello on Wikipedia, accessed May 3, 2021, https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duello. See also: Duello Rusticano, on Wikipedia, accessed May 3, 2021, https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Duello_rusticano.

aside, in most cases the first blood was enough to determine the winner.

According to Romeo Macapagal, another term for “duel” used by Filipino arnisadores and escrimadores of the past was the Spanish word, duelo.30 Among the words used by old arnisadores in Paete, Laguna, Abundio Salazar Baet recalls for instance the words, duelo de vida (“duel of life”) and duelo de caballero (“duel between gentlemen”).31 The latter, in particular, seems to be a synonym for “duel of honor.”

Given the long list of Spanish loanwords in the Filipino languages and dialects, the presence of duelo as a substitute spelling of the Tagalog word duwelo is not surprising at all. What must be underlined, though, is that it was not just a linguistic phenomenon.

Duel of honor was a cultural element typical of European society 30 Romeo Macapagal, personal communications, January 14, 2018.

31 Abundio S. Baet, personal communications, January 14, 2018.

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that was brought to the Philippines by the Spaniards. In a certain period of the Spanish colonization (1565-1898), Filipino arnisadores and escrimadores made that custom their own, adapting it to their needs. And so, in the arnis-escrima community, fights to test one’s skills were carried out under some form of formality, mimicking the Spanish approach. In other words, Filipino escrima duels were one of the many aspects of the Spanish cultural influence on Philippine society. It is not possible to pinpoint with certainty the date when the first Filipino escrima duels began. However, it is known that arnisadores and escrimadores kept the custom alive until the 20th century, even after it had died out in Spain.

A famous bout is the one between the two legendary escrimadores, Pablo Alicante and Teodoro “Doring” Saavedra. It was held in Argao, Cebu in September 1933. Krishna Godhania, in his essay, The Filipino Duel: Its History and Practice, defines it as “an officially sanctioned match” because “the Mayor and

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other local officials were aware of the bout.”32 But the bout between Alicante and Saavedra is only one of the many examples. It enjoys a certain degree of notoriety because it was publicly organized even though there are also countless stories of hidden challenges and fights between escrimadores during that period.

As well as solving matters of honor, duels could also be a way of protecting one’s economic interests.

Romeo Macapagal in his Kalis Ilustrisimo book tells of a challenge by three mestizo brothers to Antonio Ilustrisimo, a famous escrima master, when he was working as a supervisor on a sugarcane plantation on the island of Negros, Visayas.

The three brothers, who were also supervisors, suffering financial losses due to the growing reputation of Ilustrisimo in managing the plantation workers, thought to solve the problem with a sword duel. Macapagal comments:

32 Krishna Godhania, “The Filipino Duel,” 120. See also: Macachor and Nepangue, Cebuano Eskrima, 114.

“The dueling culture of the Spaniards was adapted as part of Philippine culture until the middle of [the] 1900s. This was perfectly acceptable practice. Challengers and their seconds followed a generally accepted procedure [Note: Seconds in dueling were typically needed to prevent a duelist from being overwhelmed by more men on the opposite side. Also, to take over if their duelist loses heart or is disabled.].”33 Ilustrisimo, who arrived at the appointed place without his second, fought against the oldest of the three brothers in front of an audience of spectators who had come to watch the event. In a few moments, Ilustrisimo, who was holding a kris, cut off his opponent’s thumb, causing him to drop his sword. The latter started to run away, pursued by Ilustrisimo. The two brothers, acting as seconds, stepped in to protect the man’s escape.

In the quotation above, Macapagal points to the mid-1900s as the period when the practice of du33

Macapagal, Kalis Ilustrisimo, 21.

eling ceased in the Philippines.

Specifically, in Cebu during that period, formalized individual duels were replaced by the preponderant challenges between different clubs (the term bahad was retained). With the foundation of the first escrima clubs in the early decades of the 1900s, the first disagreements began to arise between masters and students belonging to different clubs. Soon opposing factions were formed. By mid-century, Cebu city became such a battleground between the various escrima clubs that the decades of 1950s and 1960s have been called “The Golden Age of Eskrima.”34,35 Particularly fierce was the rivalry between the Doce Pares of the Cañete family and the Balintawak of Venancio “Anciong” Bacon. This 34 Perry G. Mallari, “Eskrimadors,” The Manila Times, January 20, 2010, https://www.manilatimes. net/2010/01/21/lifestyle-entertainment/life-times/eskrimadors/636447.

35 Frank Bram, FMA: Filipino Martial Arts Masters and Grand Masters: A Glimpse Into Those That Made It Possible and Those That Continue the Arts (2015), 68.

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rivalry arose even before Bacon split from the Doce Pares. In November of 1951, Vincent “Inting” Carin, who was pro-Cañete, shot Delfin Lopez, who was on Bacon’s side, and seriously wounded him.36 Tensions between the two groups subsided in early 1970,37 but did not disappear completely.

The famous match between Ciriaco “Cacoy” Cañete of Doce Pares and Crispulo “Ising” Atillo of Balintawak, held at the PC/ INP Clubhouse Gym in Cebu City on September 17, 1983, is the last documented time when two masters tested their abilities to prove their superiority in a bahad. Before the fight, the two masters signed an agreement deciding upon the point system and the rules of the

match. The only forbidden techniques were related to executing techniques specific to other martial arts: “b) Wrestling is strictly prohibited in the cause of playing and will subject any participant as player for disqualification and decleared [sic] as defeated. (…) d) Judo, side sweeping, kicking, boxing, or pushing an opponent is strictly prohibited or the adoption of any karate, kungfu, and the like is prohibited and shall cause any participant to be disqualified and shall be decleared [sic] defeated for using foul play.”38 Thus, it was supposed to be a “pure” escrima stick fighting match.

36 Marc Lawrence, “Doce Pares History WW2 to Modern History,” Filipino Martial Arts Digest: Doce Pares Multi-System Style (Special Edition 2007), ed. Steven Dowd, p.8, https:// www.usadojo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/fma-Special-Edition_ Doce-Pares_Multi-Style_System.pdf.

It is not easy to categorize this match. The agreement presented the event as “arnis exhibitions,” but it clearly was expedient to hide its true nature. Prior to the event, the local radio station broadcast challenges and counter-challenges

37 “Doce Pares,” accessed August 30, 2021, https://bandalan.com/history/doces-pares/.

38 Macachor and Nepangue, Cebuano Eskrima, 116.

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on both sides. As a matter of fact, it was a stick fighting match with no protective gear and full-contact strikes, which satisfy the conditions for it to be considered a juego todo match. Moreover, even if the adoption of a point system made it a sports event, it was in fact a challenge match with limited rules as in the old bahad. The fighters were two masters of rival clubs, which also brings it within the more recent meaning of bahad. In conclusion, since it was held in front of a large audience of spectators, it can be classified as a public bahad. Joe A. Bautista, in an article published in Atlas Sports Weekly Magazine one month after the event, labels it “Arnis Duel of 1983” and writes: ”The feuding stick-master even agreed on waging a “duel to the death” in a legitimate manner under the prescribed rules and regulations of the bone-breaking, skull-cracking game. A security bond in the amount of P2,000 each was also agreed upon by the duelists, which was duly certified to by

their respective lawyers. The bond was put up, just in case of serious or fatal consequences.”39 The practice of the duel in the Philippines has now disappeared.

As in Spain and in the rest of Europe, the “duel of honor” no longer has a place in modern Filipino society. Even the juego todo rules have been put aside. Dionisio “Diony” Cañete attributes the definitive end of the juego todo matches to the birth of sports tournaments with their regulations and protective gear. In his book, Eskrima Kali Arnis, he comments: ”Juego Todo has thus become a thing of the past, overtaken by the civilized rules of tournament competition, yet it has left an indelible mark in the lives of some great masters.”40 While juego todo matches happened between fighters of rival clubs, within the same school, or 39 Joe A. Bautista, “Cañete Still Unbeatable at 64,” Atlas Sports Weekly Magazine, Inc. 10, no. 490 (October 21, 1983): 31.

40

Cañete, Eskrima Kali Arnis, 89.

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among fellow clubs, sparring was a training method that allowed an escrimador to put himself to a test and enhance his skills. For instance, the members of the “Bacolod Arnis Club,” founded by Narciso “Sisoy” Gyabros in Bacolod, Negros Occidental in 1956 and active for only two years, competed among themselves or with other arnis groups in seven different modes of sparring, all of them without any protection: “Singko henerales was five-stop, pre-arrenged [sic] sparring using espada y daga. Isa kontra isa was sparring with the single stick against the single stick. Metola obra used any of the 12 methods to counter, while your opponent delivers controlled strikes by the numbers. However, the numbered strikes are not always delivered in order. Double baston kontro is [sic] aka baston was sparring with double stick versus single stick, while double baston kontra double baston was double stick versus double stick sparring. In defense-offensa nga mani-obra, both practitioners used a semi-defence, offence method with espada y daga.

Seventh was the “arnis torneo”, or full contact tournament sparring.

Arnis torneo was a bloody affair.

Players usually squared off, going toe-to-toe, crossing their canes and daggers to engage. When the

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referee dropped his cane, the players attacked and counterattacked, striking until first hit or first blood. Matches continued until one player conceded or the referee stopped the contest and declared a winner. If someone was disarmed, he would try to counter with another disarm and continue fighting with empty hands, using kicks, punches, or submission locks. The referee declared a winner only when one player could successfully deliver his pamuno [first initial strike] or segida [series of blows]41 against the unarmed opponent.”42 In addition to the classic confrontation described so far, there were different types of traditional combat, where an expert fighter had to demonstrate his abilities in terms of balance, precision, and speed.

Paya With this term, James U. Sy Jr. describes in the article, “100 FMA systems practiced in Negros,” the “style of arnis” characterized by a triangular footwork learned by training on three pieces of coconuts cut in half. Paya is in fact 41 Simone Samuele, personal communications, August 28, 2019.

42 Ronald A. Harris, “Arnis. Classic vs. Modern,” in Inside Kung-Fu, ed.

Curtis R. Wong (USA: 1991), 76.

Combat on coconuts. [Source: Ned R. Nepangue and Celestino C. Macachor, Cebuano Eskrima: Beyond the Myth (USA: Xlibris Corporation, 2007).]

the Hiligaynon term for “shell.”43 However, this training method was widespread all over the archipelago and aimed to develop balance and footwork.

Roberto Bonomelli that “walking on coconut shells cut in half, he trained agile and accurate movements, keeping on crossing his legs.”44

For instance, Onofre “Loloy” Lumantas, an elderly master of Bohol, told the Italian FMA master

Coconuts disposed on the grounds were also used for fighting and challenges. In the book, Cebuano

43 James U. Sy Jr., “100 FMA Systems Practiced in Negros,” Rapid Journal 13, no. 3 (2009): 25.

44 Roberto Bonomelli, “Rotta Sulle Filippine,” Arti D’Oriente 1, no. 5 (October 1998): 29, 31.

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Onofre “Loloy” Lumantas from Bohol with the Italian FMA master Roberto Bonomelli. [Photo courtesy of Roberto Bonomelli.]

Eskrima: Beyond the Myth, Celestino C. Macachor and Ned Nepangue write:

er and at times there are only two coco shells. Every step is well calculated.”45

“Old-time eskrimadors were known to balance themselves on coco shells while sparring. By limiting movements they refined their moves. Initially one starts with the coco husk bunút or unhusked coco shells binoongan, since it is comparatively easier. Then gradually learn how to make use of the husked coco shells. The shells are usually arranged in a triangle or in a diamond by placing four coco shells in the corner plus one in the middle. The bagól [coco shell] are positioned not far from each oth-

In a biography of Jose “Joe” Caballero pertaining to the De Campo Uno-Dos-Tres Orihinal system, it is reported that, in 1936, he defeated a famous fighter from San Carlos City, a certain Horje Navado, feared for having defeated seven escrimadores by moving on three coconuts disposed in the shape of a triangle. 46

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45 Macachor and Nepangue, Cebuano Eskrima, 248.

46 Jay Dilan, “Jose Diaz Caballero,” accessed August 20, 2018, http://jaydilan.weebly.com/eskrima.html..

In the article titled “The Heroes of Cebuano Eskrima: Nemesis of Moro Pirates,” Celestino C. Macachor writes that Pablo “Amboy Kidlat” Sabanal “would challenge anyone to hit him in any part of his body without losing his footing on the coconut shells and at the same time successfully foiling all attacks. As a prerequisite, the apprentice would have to undergo full contact sparring also known as juego todo with the use of rolled upak, the outer dead skin of a coconut palm.”47 Another Cebuano escrima club mentioned by Macachor and Nepangue, whose members used to train on coconut shells, was the X3X Club of Self Defence of Carlos Samolde. Their training sessions were often held at night in the moonlight. Focusing on traditional weapons used by old-school escrimadors, X3X Club members called juego todo a “freestyle full contact sparring with the use of rubber band-bundled silhig tokog (broom from coco midribs) or bani sa saging (banana leaf stalk).”48 47 Celestino C. Macachor, “The Heroes of Cebuano Eskrima: Nemesis of Moro Pirates,” accessed July 19, 2016, http://cebueskrima.s5.com/eskrimaheroes.html.

48 Macachor and Nepangue, Cebuano Eskrima, 186-187.

Estokadas Blanco y Negro With this term, James U. Sy Jr. names the traditional form of competition between arnisadores in which the ends of the sticks were rubbed with charcoal and soot. At the end of the match, the dirtiest fighter lost the match. Estokadas blanco y negro means “white and black thrusts.”49 Sticks rubbed in soot were also used in the training phase. In the introduction of his book, Classic Arnis: The Legacy of Placido Yambao, Reynaldo S. Galang writes: “Pampanga historians write of the martial training of Pampango men garbed in white, moving swiftly and smoothly like ghosts under the pale moonlight. They trained with their ‘mutuns’ rubbed with soot, making the ‘vanquished’ easily identifiable.”50 This type of training or fighting was sometimes combined with that described in the previous paragraph. In his book, FMA Grandmasters and Masters, Bram Frank writes that, in 1933 the Mayor of Bago City, Negros Occidental, Don Gregorio Araneta invited the best bastonero of the Panay Island, 49

Sy Jr., “100 FMA Systems,” 23.

50

Yambao, Classic Arnis, 19.

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Tansiong Padilla from Iloilo, an expert in the Aldabon style, to fight against Conrado Tortal during the local fiesta. The espada y daga match took place with the two opponents balancing on three pieces of coconuts cut in half, and their wooden arms rubbed with charcoal powder. The winner would be the one who managed to mark the opponent’s shirt black. Tortal, expert in short-distance fighting, managed to surprise Padilla with a special technique that allowed him to enter his guard and hit him.51 Estokadas Bangko By this term or, in an alternative form, Bangko Binaston, James U. Sy Jr indicates an arnis form originated in Panay in which fights are performed on a bench. The winner is the one who manages to remain in balance over the bench. Bangko means “bench.”52 This particular form of Filipino martial arts was, however, also widespread in other geographical areas of the Philippines and, like the two described above, was used both in training and combat.

51 Bram, FMA, 445. Note: Tansiong Padilla could refer to Moises “Tay Panyong” Padilla Sr. or his son, Moises Soto Padilla Jr. himself, whom several FMA sources describe as “the famous bastonero/arnisador of Iloilo.”

52

Sy Jr., “100 FMA Systems,” 23.

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Romeo Macapagal, the archivist of the Kalis Ilustrisimo system, recalls that in his youth he had witnessed competitions on a bench in the provinces of Central Luzon, including Pampanga, Bulacan, and Tarlac. He points out that bench fighting is an ancient Malay tradition that is also practiced during the festive season in Indonesia and Malaysia.53 Antonio Diego and Christopher Ricketts, in their book, The Secrets of Kalis Ilustrisimo, recount a match won by Melicio Ilustrisimo against an arnisador from Pampanga who challenged him to a match on a long, narrow bench, the rules of which stipulated defeat in the event of a fall, disarming, or a blow sustained.54 This tradition is kept alive in Paete, Laguna, where tournaments of Eskrima sa Banko, the local term that indicates this ancient fighting method, are still held today, usually from November 3rd to 4th, on the feast day of San Antonio Abad, the patron saint of the Barangay Ermita. Other localities in 53 Romeo Macapagal, personal communications, April 25, 2017.

54 Antonio Diego and Christopher Ricketts, The Secrets of Kalis Ilustrisimo: The Filipino Fighting Art Explained (Tuttle Publishing, 2002), 5.

Traditional Eskrima sa Bangko fight between Gregorio “Goyo” Baet (left) and Rogelio “Owing” Alberto (right) in 1999. [Photo courtesy of Abundio Salazar Baet.]

the province of Laguna where, in the past, combat on the bench was practiced, were Paagahan, Mabitac, Famy, San Antonio, Kalayaan, Casa Real, and Pakil.55

55 Abundio S. Baet, personal communications, August 18, 2019.

A kind of variant practiced by Telesporo Subingsubing, whose system is known as Sinayoup Kali, consisted of performing offensive and defensive techniques, walking on a bamboo pole, almost 5 meters long (16 feet) and with a diameter of approximately 10 cm (about 4 inches). According to Mark Wiley,

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Arnis Tournament in Paete in November 2, 2018. [Photo courtesy of Anthony Pagalanan].

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this particular kind of training was “unique of the Moro style of Telesporo.”56 Another exclusive method of fighting, that does not have a specific name, is the one practiced by Melecio Ilustrisimo, who, according to Diego and Ricketts, “used to spar with one foot nailed to the floor through a healed, scarred hole. With his seeming immobility, Melecio would lure his opponents to where he was able to employ his unique footwork, known as lutang (floating), wherein the mobile leg would glide back and then forward to create space to effectively lure and then counter an opponent. When employed in all eight directions, the footwork is called walong apak (eight steps).”57 The source of this information is Guillermo Tinga, who was Antonio Ilustrisimo’s maternal uncle.

Romeo Macapagal, who confirms the story of the hole in his foot, describes Melecio Ilustrisimo as a prizefighter, who was famous for his walong apak. In his book Kalis Ilustrisimo: The Archived System of Antonio “Tatang” Ilustrisimo, Macapagal tells: “During tournaments, he would claim that he can leave his foot unmoved from a point on the ground. This could be marked by a piece of flat stone on which he would step, on which he would put his left foot. Or even dig a hole, perhaps almost a foot deep, where he would put his left foot and from which he would fight. So that he was not going to move away from his position and that he could defend himself and attack with the skill of his footwork, with his right foot and the skill of his hand.”58 Traditional Empty-Hand Fighting

56 Wiley, Filipino Martial Culture, 288-289. Note: The term moro, referring to the style practiced by Telesporo Subingsubing, is presumably the contraction (wrongly used) of the term moro-moro, plays of the Philippine traditional theater.

After this roundup of traditional ways of stick-fighting, eventually some traditional Filipino bare-handed fighting methods are described.

57 Diego and Ricketts, The Secrets of Kalis Ilustrisimo, 5.

58

Macapagal, Kalis Ilustrisimo, 19.

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Paligitan Carlito Lañada, master of the Kuntaw Lima-Lima system, used the term Paligitan, which can be translated as “circle fight”, to indicate a fight carried out within a circular area. In the interview with Mark Wiley for the book, Filipino Martial Culture, he reports that around the 1940s in the South of the Philippines, fighters from different villages, including his father Yong Iban Huenyo, would challenge each other on a bet. At stake were sacks of rice placed one on top of the other in a circle to form the match area. The winner of the challenge was awarded the rice.59 Sikaran Another form of combat within a circle on the ground, but involving only kicking, was Sikaran, a hobby practiced by the farmers of Baras, Rizal in the 1920s, and now a widely practiced sport not only in the Philippines but also in various countries around the world. Mark Wiley writes: 59 212.

“Sikaran is a style of Philippine foot-fighting. It was initially developed by farmers as a past time activity. The farmers would designate an area of the rice paddy, a circle with a twenty-five foot circumference, called the pitak. They would rely on the proper use of the naturally strong legs to drive their opponent outside of the circle with a barrage of kicking techniques.”60 Hukot Sumbag Brothers Jorge and Aurtenciano Jr. Miranda of the Istukada Miranda system recall that, in their place of origin, Cawillan Island, Taganaan, Surigao del Norte, Mindanao, a peculiar way of two fighters confronting each other with bare hands was by holding each other with a rope, which could be held between the hands or tied around the waist. The Miranda masters do not give a specific name to refer to this particular type of fighting, but simply call it Sinunbagay, the Suriganon term for “fist fight.” In the neighboring Gigaquit province, however, it was known as

Wiley, Filipino Martial Culture,

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60

Ibid, 185.

Sikaran fight [Source: Nid Anima, Filipino Martial Arts (Quezon City: Omar Publications, 1982).]

Hukot Sumbag. Hukot means “tied with a knot” while sumbag means “punch”. It derives from an ancient local tradition of settling feuds called Hukot Tinigbasay, a “form of duel wherein the two opponents are tied to each end of the same rope allowing just a close distance, [hacking] each other to death using a bolo.”61 On many occasions both of the fighters died.

61 Steven Egay, “Gigaquit Cultural Sports Tourism,” GCC Reports: 2008, accessed March 29, 2020, http:// gigaquitcivicclub.blogspot.com/2008/.

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OTHER REFERENCES

• Aurtenciano, Miranda Jr., personal communications, August 20, 2019.

• Philippines. An Act Revising the Penal Code and Other Penal Laws. Act No. 3815. Adopted December 8, 1930. https://www.officialgazette.gov. ph/1930/12/08/act-no-3815-s-1930/.]

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

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Andrea Rollo @ rollo.andrea.1

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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,

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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.

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Moving away from the strike while still remaining in a position to hit the opponent, the defender forgoes the need to parry the attack.

Foiling the opponent’s estimate of the distance sufficient to hit you by moving away while retaining your reach on him, requires only one strike from you, which reduces the number of beats needed to fulfill your technique. Movement that is needed to parry rather than to strike directly is wasted movement. Parrying requires one movement, striking after the par-

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ry requires another movement. By simply avoiding the strike, moving the targeted part of the body away from the strike, and hitting at the same time, efficiency is achieved.

The foundation of this efficiency is footwork. The footwork of Ilustrisimo is based on a geometric study of distance and angle, and on the changing reach of the arc of the opponent’s weapon as it is swung at you. As the opponent strikes forehand, his arc and reach reduces; as he strikes backhand, the reach

of his strike increases. Simultaneous striking when your opponent’s reach is the farthest from you and your reach is the closest to him is done by shifting your body position relative to the opponent with footwork. This is studied first in slow motion and then practiced at increasingly higher speeds in competitive drills with the use of proper protective equipment.

By moving to where the strike is exhausted, Tatang was able to get into a position where he could

reach his opponent and deliver a strike at the same time or just a split second after as the opponent struck. This requires perfect timing, which is always dictated by measure and personal reaction time in which to take advantage of an opponent’s opening or gap, either in his guard or in his attack.

The basic footwork of Ilustrisimo is called the elastico-retirada and the doble carrera. The elastico is a backward movement to the left to avoid a backhand strike by the op-

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opponent. This moves your body away from the strike. By raising the heel in the backward motion of the right foot, one is able to gain reach on the opponent while his strike falls short.

Against a direct overhead strike, there is also a retirada movement directly backwards, again to avoid the maximum reach of the arc of the strike while being able to deliver a mortal strike to the opponent at the same time. This backward movement can also be accomplished with an elastico directly backwards to exhaust the reach of the opponent’s strike while still being able to hit the opponent.

ponent. This means sitting down on the left leg and stretching out the right, so that one is able to avoid the arc of the opponent’s strike while still being able to reach out to him. The backward, leftward jump with the left leg stretches the body away from the strike.

The retirada is a backward movement to the right along the trajectory of a forehand strike by the

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The doble carrera are small, mincing footsteps either to the left or to the right, backwards and forwards, to adjust one’s measure precisely to the angle of the strike or thrust of the opponent so that, instead of parrying the weapon at close range, one is still able to simply strike the opponent (either in the head or in other lethal parts of the body), or at least disable the weapon hand or arm. In the meantime, with the doble carrera, the left hand is able to come into play to parry or control the weapon hand so that one can strike directly into the opponent, whether in the arm, the head, or other vital parts of the body.

There is a main concept of footwork, which is called the retirada de reloj (watch), so called because its eight lines that radiate from the center follow the directions of north-south, east-west, and the half angles in-between. One moves along these eight lines to get away from the strike of the attacker while attacking the hand or arm that is brought close to you in the course of the attack.

A horizontal forehand swinging cut is avoided by moving the right foot to 3 o’clock and swinging the left foot to the right, behind the right foot, thus exhausting the swinging forehand cut while cutting at the same time at the head, neck, or other targets. For a backhand horizontal cut, step to 9 o’clock with the left foot, swing the right foot behind the left, and as the strike is used up, strike available targets.

Standing in the center of these eight directions, one moves away from the direction of the cut by stepping along the line that continues the direction of the cut, keeping the supporting foot in place, and dragging that foot to keep body displacement still in line with the angle of the strike.

While direct backward retirada footwork is useful in avoiding forehand, vertical, and backhand strikes, horizontal strikes have more reach due to the pivot of the body on the spine that adds a half body-width to the reach of the attack. Thus, a movement along the line of the attack is needed to buy time and gain measure.

In general, the bottom half of the reloj is used when avoiding strikes.

A strike from overhead is avoided by going directly backward. A forehand cut is acted upon by stepping backwards and to the right with the angle of the cut and 15 degrees to the inside of the attack. A backhand strike at a 45-degree angle is avoided by stepping with the left leg/foot backwards and to the left, stretching the right knee while bending the left knee, sitting on that left leg.

By the same logic of the skeletal system, 45-degree upward cuts have one to three inches more reach, exhausting the strike beyond the 3 or 9 o’clock points. Thus, an upward 45-degree cut must be avoided by jumping forward 45 degrees to avoid getting hit while striking downwards at the attacking arm, either right or left. Again, the back foot is swung behind the forward foot enough to pivot the body to face the cut and bring one’s right hand close to the opponent’s right hand.

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Of the eight lines of the retirada de reloj, only seven lines to the side and back are used in reaction to an attack. The forward line at 12 o’clock is mostly used in attack.

The lines used repeatedly are right backwards, left backwards, and directly backwards, which become the most prevalent at medium measure. These are the elastico-retirada. The horizontal and forward movements are called bisagra or “hinge,” denoting the swinging motion of the supporting legs.

Strikes When the body is properly positioned by the retirada de reloj footwork, the corresponding strike must follow a narrow 15-degree angle to either inside (if forehand) or outside (if backhand), giving a clear, unimpeded line either to the arm, head, or body of the opponent.

At this largo range, one endeavors not to encounter the opponent’s weapon, opting instead for clear lines of strike to the opponent’s anatomy as much as possible. The closest targets would be the point of the shoulder, the bicep, elbow, forearm, wrist, and the strong of the opponent’s weapon (i.e. about the third of its length closest to the hand).

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Practicing Measure The feeder in an attack or lunge position places his weapon with pressure on the student. The weapon is placed on the top or to the side of the head or on the base of the neck of the student. Furthermore, the weapon can be placed either horizontally or at an angle.

The student moves away in a direct line opposite from the pressure, while, at the same time, endeavoring to place his weapon on the feeder. The student then is able to determine the proper measure, footwork, and angles of both the body and weapon(s) as the feeder’s weapon misses while the student’s weapon is able to have a sufficient disabling reach. These final adjustments are based on each player’s morphology, and are always an approximation of the theoretical lines and angles on the ground.

To begin with, the exercise is characterized by low pressure in terms of the speed used and reach or un-reach of measure. When the student is competent at low intensity pressure, protective gear is donned, and the exercise becomes a competitive drill.

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The Doble Carrera

Striking

These are small, mincing footsteps, about the person’s foot’s length. They are intended to adjust measure once contact is made at largo range to the hand or arm of the opponent. With the weak of one’s weapon (i.e. about the third of its length from the tip) at this measure, the hand and torso can be reached interchangeably. The left hand can also touch the wrist or elbow of the opponent. This is a period for rapid strikes at close range (medium range is simply a transition).

The “punch cut” is the best way to describe the Ilustrisimo tagang eskwalado, which means “a right angle cut (i.e. 90 degrees),” but it is really 120 degrees measured between forearm and weapon. The cut is not delivered in a circular trajectory; rather, the weapon is delivered in a straight line, with the weapon protecting the hand and arm. In contrast, in circular strikes, the hand arrives ahead of the weapon.

Both weapon and empty-hand movements coincide with every foot movement. At high speed, the feet stomp heavily on the ground, and then this footwork is called darag. This is done in order to startle and confuse the opponent, with sensory feedback from four limbs—sound with the feet, strike, and pressure from the arms. In Spanish fencing, this same action is called llamar.

The intention is to move to the opponent’s outside and onto his back. Your empty hand continuously pushes on the opponent’s arm, shoulder, and back all the while the weapon blows are rained on him.

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In a punch cut, the point and the length of the weapon are forward of the hand, protecting it. In a swing strike, the hand is ahead of the weapon, exposing it to parries and strikes.

The Guard The principle of having the weapon protect the hand and arm all the way to the shoulder dictates the vertical positioning of the high, middle, and low guards of Ilustrisimo.

The middle guard points what would be the striking edge of your weapon towards the hand of the opponent. A flat plane is imagined with the line of the weapon where the forearm and the shoulder are on one line. In this guard, one is constantly looking for an opening

into the opponent’s arm so that it can be struck unopposed while keeping one’s own arm protected at all times. This is achieved by footwork that is angled at either side of the opponent’s arm.

In the low guard, the point of your weapon is constantly pointed at the hand or face of the opponent.

In high guard, the weapon is pointed at the sky, with a straight arm, so that a strike at your body is easier, but foiled by a retirada or elastico.

Parries Except in a few instances, parries in Kalis Ilustrisimo are not meant to stop a strike. The main intention in weapon contact is to deflect the incoming weapon to get it out of play so that an extra beat has to be made to recover it and bring it back into play, thus exposing the opponent. Weapon-to-weapon contacts can be percussive, so that the attack is thrown out of its original trajectory, or, at close measure, guided along the length of either weapon.

Romeo Macapagal @ romeo.macapagal.3

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GEIJIN RYU STAFF ARTS

Dr. 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

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strategies may become less available. Therefore, within Geijin ryu, the initial approach is always a posture and method that either conceals the next movement, or is the most versatile in terms of possible approaches.

Like in other combat arts, feints, exploitation of voids, and blind spots apply. Geijin ryu techniques transition in a facile manner between weapon and unarmed methods. The empty hand techniques are practiced in such a way as to be unimpeded when a weapon is introduced into the same movement. There is specific training on this. In other words, the training prepares for armed and unarmed techniques in either direction. This anticipates the very real possibility of losing the weapon during an engagement. The results are a question of the kinetics of the body.

To begin with, the weapon, like our bodies, has three basic distances in combat; these are long, intermediate, and short. Naturally, these vary according to a person’s own dimensions and the range of the weapon itself. The application of distance used may also be affected by the number of opponents and other considerations, such as whether they are armed. At each range, the array of strategies and types of

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techniques change. The purpose of the encounter may also dictate the methods chosen. The actual range expressed within a technique varies in the same manner as in empty-handed fighting. This has to be intuitive in the practitioner and is acquired through training with various types of weapons and realistic combat scenarios.

For illustrative purposes, we might consider range analogous in empty hand fighting, to say that a fully extended kick is long range, a fully extended arm is medium range, and anything less than that is short range. If you are using a stick the length of your arm, you would consider a fully extended arm holding the stick at one end as long range, using the stick arms bent and close to the body in a short fighting stance would be medium range, and if you were to hold the stick in the middle and apply it as a grappling implement, that would be short range. While we understand this as the most basic lesson a person would learn in any martial arts school, and might barely need mention, it is in fact foundational to everything that comes after, and the ability to transition range without the slightest thought while engaged in combat is critical.

If a practitioner has only learned

to strike and parry with a weapon, and not to grapple, choke, and lock joints, they will be at a significant disadvantage when their enemy successfully closes in, especially if they are armed and capable.

At a longer range, obviously, strikes take place. These are taught, due to their risk of inaccuracy, to attack the most vulnerable targets, maximizing the effect for the amount of effort. Strikes are also intended, to some extent, to presage further

movement on the part of the enemy, opening them up to vulnerability and manipulation. Strikes attack vital areas—vital in more than one sense: vital to stopping the attack, and often, vital to the physiology of the enemy. Such strikes can be aggressive or defensive.

Generally, the attacking enemy has opened themselves to counterattack, and although they may anticipate a counter maneuver, they often will try to press an attack on

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a retreating opponent until they land a decisive hit. Knowing how to respond to driving violent attacks of this kind is essential in Geijin ryu training. In Geijin ryu, the mindset is not to only stop the attack and set up a retaliation; it is to capture and destroy the enemy themselves as the assumed originator of the violence.

The method of striking, and where to strike, will also adapt to whether the enemy is armed with a blade, projectiles, or a flexible weapon. It is critical to apply strategy in a rational manner that eliminates the enemy’s ability to execute their attack. It is also critical to know how to respond to feints, jabs, and aborted attacks from your enemy.

The ability to do so requires a psychological state, not dominated by the enemy and the danger they represent. In this area, sparring, if necessary with armor, is needed.

There is a potential divergence in topic that can be exploited at this junction, exploring the changes in behavior that happen in combat when wearing armor. This is a very serious caveat to such training. To illustrate the point, try to imagine a kendo match with no armor, and noting how the strategies and behavior differ. We can return later

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to the needed psychological state for successful staff training, as it has substantial bearing on the execution of techniques.

At the point of combative engagement, basic counter strategic considerations are: infiltration of the enemy’s movement; limitation of their movement while freeing one’s own, neutralizing their ability to fight; and thirdly assuming total control, and if necessary, destruction of the enemy. Naturally the application of these strategies necessitates learning evasive and counterattacking movements against many types of attacks. Evasion, infiltration, and counterattack are realized as one continuous movement.

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How this can take place, is one of the areas of training where the most training is devoted. It requires a fairly in-depth understanding of the human body: how clothing moves on the body and often hinders it; how skin and fascia work; how muscles work with joints, ligaments, and bones; how bones interface with nerves, and how blood vessels interact with muscles and vital organs; how structure and balance in the body operate in movement, and how all that operates in a bidirectional manner with the psyche. To those new to the art, this part of the training can be psychologically overwhelming.

Witnessing techniques and being subjected to them confers little

understanding outside of a subjective appreciation for their effect.

What is required to teach this material is that a number of subjects need to be studied, similar by category to what is taught in medical school. The kinds of charts seen in many martial arts books and on acupuncture illustrations are essentially useless without the proper instruction and didactic.

Incorporating knowledge of this kind into actual fighting is not a simple matter. Overcoming natural reflexes and tendencies is difficult. This is illustrated by the observation that people trained in martial arts that utilize strategies intended for street fighting, when made to spar, will resort to styles of fighting alien to the

core of their art, and start emulating boxers, Thai fighters, and MMA competitors. What does this say about their skills taught in the school and their relative perceptions of these more competition-based arts? This point offers a broad analysis that is out of scope for this topic, but nonetheless is relevant to weapons training and the approach to the staff. To limit that discussion in this case, certain concepts are offered for consideration: certain contexts of combat are intended to test techniques, others to demonstrate or showcase them, and others to offer an experience that approximates certain important features of combat that require desensitization and cognitive adaptation.

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Returning to how the paragraphs above relate to the use of the staff draws our attention to the fact that, in Geijin ryu, the weapon—in this case a staff—is incidental. The art does not differentiate strictly one type of weapon from another in such a manner as to give name and subculture to that weapon and an associated style. This point is made because the understanding of weapons as applied in Geijin ryu does not separate out in the mental constructs of the fighter.

Questions such as, “What is your favorite weapon?” ring irrelevant to Geijin ryu.

Exploring further, actual stances are not assumed until the combative engagement is initiated. The staff and position of the body are in constant motion, making future movement difficult to predict. Every effort is made not to telegraph intent. Closing range and seizing the opponent require filling voids, utilizing physical and cognitive blind spots, dissonance of timing, and demoralizing the enemy by robbing them of control. For a fighter to experience the feeling of impending loss can create different psychological reactions that have to be understood, and these are not related to the element of surprise, which occurs for the enemy who firmly believes their attack is succeeding.

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Geijin ryu staff work applies its techniques through evasion with simultaneous counterattack in real time. Once closed in, the fighter’s body is positioned in such a way that controlling the enemy does not limit one’s own ability to respond to another attack.

Geijin ryu staff work does not employ any solo kata. Like with the empty hand methods, all is practiced with a training partner. Many of the staff techniques do not only emphasize strikes as the primary method. Rather, “body work” is done, which completes the encounter with very close infighting, pins, and control or physical damage of the enemy. That stated, the technique should not lock the fighter in with the opponent in a way that extricating oneself is difficult and creates vulnerability to additional attacks from others. This is vital to survival against multiple opponents.

When strikes are used, the aim is to immobilize the body through the nervous, musculature, or skeletal systems, and viscera, including the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. There are special strikes that aim at these vital systems of the body. These are all especially useful against multiple attackers.

In Geijin ryu, all objects possessing a shaft essentially qualify as a staff.

Therefore, to maintain innovative cognitive processing in combat, training involves using a wide variety of tools and common objects.

Although not considered necessarily by other systems as staves, what matters in Geijin ryu is combative effectiveness, and therefore, distinctions that limit innovation are considered irrelevant and are ignored. Training with tools such as a spade or rake is perfectly relevant.

For some who are interested in maintaining weapons classifications, perhaps for historical or other analytic endeavors, hybrid weapons present a possible challenge, and they might reject these as tools and not weapons. In combat, classifications of this kind have little importance, especially in a modern context, where true weapons are dominated by firearms and knives. People choosing self-defense will in many places be obligated to use whatever is available. In a manner, this puts Geijin

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ryu at odds with some traditional weapons systems. We may be tempted to think this places Geijin ryu in a category of modern martial arts derivative systems. Again, such distinctions are irrelevant when considering that many historical combat systems use tools in combat, while some traditional systems have adopted modern weapons as societal pressures changed the combative narrative.

Since practice in Geijin ryu seeks to be combatively focused, the actual training methods are important to discuss. Training methods are to be understood as different from the actual techniques themselves. The understanding moves along a hierarchical cycle, from philosophical to strategic/cognitive, to understanding the human body and psyche, to training methods to techniques and back.

All of these are combined in the expressed techniques of a person who has understood the art and is able to perform it.

Preparation for using the staff in combat requires a blending of the comprehensive teachings of the various levels of the art. Often, the beginning student is not fully aware of this. They will be introduced to evasive body movement

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with and without the weapon, and expected to note how this affects movement and brings opportunity for engagement. Training of this sort always takes place with an opponent.

Students are expected to work dexterity exercises, not prearranged kata. These will often involve executing strikes against a tree or other target. In this way, they practice combining postures, steps, and strikes, coordinating these together. Striking a tree and other solid objects, such as in cutting wood with an axe, toughens the ligaments in the arms and hands and trains the student not to lose their grip on the weapon when it makes contact.

As their ability to handle the staff improves, they learn how to use the three distances against a typically armed assailant. At first, this is slow and permits the student to comprehend the mechanics of the combined strategies, movements, and techniques. This phase of training serves to make them aware of the strengths, weaknesses, and challenges in each situation.

In Geijin ryu, these techniques are not memorialized in pre-arranged encounters called “kata” like in many Japanese martial counterparts. These are also different from

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the pre-arranged solo movements, also called “kata,” but which are complimentary. Geijin ryu solo movements are similar in concept to solo kata, but are a much smaller part of the training curriculum, so as to be negligible. Partnered movements are essential, yet in Geijin ryu they too are not pre-arranged or codified. Instead, these emerge from discussion, review of past techniques, and when the teacher seeks to complete an array of possible movements for a given scenario. There might be a class on how to use a staff when trapped in a choke, a nelson, or with a blade held to the throat, and various other surprise attacks.

It is during this phase that the student learns much of the body and psychological dynamics. They learn to handle the staff during falls and rolls (ukemi) and how to maneuver a staff during complex combat rolls and movements down halls and along walls. These skills get the student intimately familiar with their weapon, and they start to feel connected with it, as if it were part of their body.

The staff no longer consciously influences movement, and its use becomes natural. When this occurs, any staff-like object takes on this feeling. To enhance speed and dexterity, training with an iron

"I

n 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."

staff—hollow or solid, depending on ability to tolerate its effects—is recommended. Practicing dexterity with such a weapon not only greatly improves strength, but it also helps the student to be prudent with their movement. Hitting oneself with an iron staff is very painful—it is not recommended to use it in partnered training.

Comfort with the staff increases with the sparring, typically mock weapon against mock weapon.

Usually, some minor armor is needed to prevent damage to essential organs, such as the eyes and nerves in the upper extremities.

At this time, the student becomes aware that an actual combative encounter with a guarded and counterattacking opponent is far more complex than practicing drills with a partner. The actual skill lev-

el becomes rapidly apparent. Here, timing and positioning are crucial and ever-changing. Minor injuries can occur; cracked ribs, bruises, and twisted ankles happen. Students must learn that combat does not stop if injured, and must work to acquire the mind frame that prevents going into shock and paralyzing fear. The experience of getting hit is not a matter of points; it is about handling the stress of combat. The student quickly realizes that fighting is nothing like the choreographed depictions in film.

Having explored some of the bodily targets (nerves, muscles, joints, bones, and the vascular system) and some of the strategy for achieving access to these targets, it is important to understand that staff work in close quarters is a form of train-

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ing strongly emphasized in Geijin ryu. The rationale for this training is that an opponent facing a fighter with a staff will typically work to close the distance, where they may believe the staff loses what is perceived as its main advantage, which is distance, for the purpose of striking. The same will be true when an enemy faces a sword like the katana. It is generally understood that a shorter staff is desirable when fighting at close range.

Yet, in Geijin ryu, the teaching is to adapt the fighting skill to whatever weapon is available, regardless of length. What permits the application of infighting techniques

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with staff is that, in close quarters, the focus moves away from most strikes and transitions to locks, pins, and chokes. The transition happens when swinging the staff is replaced by weaving and infiltrating into the body of the enemy through their movement. Strikes may be replaced by short jabs and short hits with the shaft between both hands.

The attacker, in the commission of their attack, creates a series and array of openings to be exploited, and there are many. One of the ways an attacker can minimize the exploitation of these openings is by swinging two sticks or blades in

a whirl of motion that is difficult to follow and enter. This is seen in kali, some of the movements of silat, and Chinese styles of wushu.

Even some Japanese arts also do this to a more limited extent. In this method, the individual strikes are less effective in their percussive power, but repeated strikes of this kind disorient and rapidly beat the enemy into submission, opening them for the kill. Geijin ryu also performs these kinds of swinging strikes, but much less than in the aforementioned arts.

There are ways to move in and get around some of these rapid shortstick attacks, and there are ways

to break the rhythm of the movement. It requires training with a person who knows these drills. It is not easy to do, especially against a fighter who is very good at this strategy.

Given that we fight with whatever is available, a coveted/preferred weapon or a staff crafted for combat is typically not available. Fighting with a rough and natural tree branch is a common and desirable alternative. Their rugose surfaces limit any sliding motion along the shaft, which is a useful feature. A treated and prepared staff may be too smooth and can be dropped from wet or sweating hands. In

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Geijin ryu, whenever possible, an untreated natural wooden staff is preferred to a polished smooth staff of the sort used in karate demonstrations. The staff should also not be tapered, although having a point on the tip can be useful.

Show staves (for demonstrations) are sometimes tapered to enhance whirring sounds, probably to make them harder to grasp by an enemy. Geijin ryu typically works with thicker and heavier hardwood staffs, although bamboo sticks are

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also considered very good to work with due to their tensile strength and their special properties in striking.

When a staff is very smooth, as it can be with bamboo, it can be made to grip into the enemy by rotating it along its long axis. Bamboo also has rings on its surface which can enhance traction. This point is not so important when striking but is very applicable in grappling with a staff.

Training with natural rough tree branches full of knots is common in Geijin ryu. They come in unpredictable lengths, they often have rough splinters at the end, they may be wet, and they can also break. These are perfect to teach and train in rapid adaptations to unreliable weapons, which may be the only option against an enemy armed with a blade or other weapon. In spite of the unruly and unreliable features of tree branches, properly handled, they can be very effective.

Against blades, it is advised not to prune the smaller branches off before using a natural stick. The protruding branches cause tremendous hindrance and confusion to the enemy. There is mention of historical precedent for this practice in the book, Soldiers of the Dragon,1 a text on Chinese martial history. This strategy was reportedly used against Japanese warriors that had joined the Wa kuo, a pirate army that raided the Chinese coast and estuaries. One Chinese soldier would wield an untrimmed bamboo stick to entangle the samurai katana while two others, typically armed with 1 C. J. Peers, Soldiers of the Dragon: Chinese Armies 1500 BC to AD 1840 (Osprey Publishing, 2006).

spears, would stab. This example pits three Chinese foot soldiers against one samurai and is uneven, pitting skills against numbers. The pertinence of this story is, that in an emergency, a tree branch can be successfully used against a blade-wielding attacker.

Another possible advantage of such natural weapons is that they are inconspicuous. There are usually no laws against their use; they lack any significant premeditation in their use, therefore supporting that they are applied primarily for self-defense. If one were engaged in a premeditated act of violence, choosing a branch from the ground with all its potential failings would be fraught with risk.

With regards to using natural weapons such as tree branches, in Geijin ryu, there is the practice of throwing sticks. This originates from a well-known and ancient hunting practice. Often a throwing stick is either fashioned to operate like a spear or javelin, or like a club. In the latter case, a root ball or round heavy tree growth at one end is desirable, as it improves percussion. Staves that are specially prepared as weapons are not usually intended to be thrown, as this is a high-risk strategy in combat and the weapon may be of some value.

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Geijin ryu does use specialized staves that are specifically intended to be used as weapons. Trainees learn that a sword in its scabbard or a sheathed machete can be used in a manner like a staff. They learn that the unsharpened side of a long blade confers properties similar to a staff, and that the techniques are overlapping. Some specialized staves have iron rings, tips, and studs. These are capable of breaking bones, joints, and causing other serious and penetrating injury without puncture. They were used to match against swords and other bladed weapons. Such weapons have little pragmatic value today; they might not be legal to carry in public, and they can encumber movement in most contemporary settings. It is perhaps a small irony that the most ancient staff weapons—natural branches—and associated strategy, remain one of the most relevant today.

By the time the trainee has become deeply familiar with the concepts and methods utilizing stick weapons, they train more in the free application of technique through limited sparring, wearing body armor. They learn to blend the application of timing, distance, and positioning as the conflict transitions from strikes and sweeps to locks and pins utilizing the staff.

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They learn how to work against an aggressive opponent who is trying to close in with a blade. Their staff work is pitted against a variety of other weapons, including chains, blades, and other staves of various lengths. They will teach themselves how to close in and disarm an enemy armed with a staff, as well as how to retrieve a staff that has been taken away from them.

In these conflict scenarios, they learn that successfully landing a strike on their opponent does not stop or end the fight, as it would in point-oriented sports.

All through this process, the student learns to maintain an adaptive cognitive approach. In the event that they drop their weapon, or it happens to break, they can transition to using empty hand fighting or use what is left of the weapon.

They can blend free empty-handed techniques with one hand while holding the staff in the other. They learn through this not to rely overly on using the weapon/staff, just because they happen to be holding or carrying it. They learn to handle, in some cases, one weapon in one hand and another weapon in the other. This develops the capability to work in an almost ambidextrous manner with one-handed weapons technique.

The general approach to weapon work in Geijin ryu, as it pertains to the use of other weapons, is similarly comprehensive. The tuition of each form of weapon and empty hand training complements the other. The learning is not based on acquiring knowledge through categories and semantic memory. It is learned and reinforced through the multimodal sensory and executive experiences of applying the techniques directly to a human body in combat-oriented scenarios that strive for realism. The methods are not bound by cultural traditions; instead they are intended to be pragmatic and task-oriented. The expression of underlying cosmological influences develops through the student’s eventual appreciation that the art they are learning exists in the form that it does due to the natural systems found in human biology and physiology, which in itself is complex enough not to need the void in knowledge to be filled with myth.

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TRADITIONAL

MĀORI MARTIAL ARTS Te Waitere Jason Paahi Taura Pouwhakarae UmuTawhearangi

MAU RĀKAU IS WELL-KNOWN as a Māori stick fighting art. However, its scope is much wider than just fighting with a stick. Mau Rākau means “to wield a weapon” and is a general term referring to the skilled use of weapons. Mau Rākau covers a whole range of close-combat weapons and contains within it holistically much more than “just” fighting. Tra-

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ditionally, this art was practiced with weapons classed as matarua, or in other words, weapons with two-sided blades such as the taiaha, pouwhenua, and tewhatewha.

Each of these weapons was received as a gift from a different atua (god/ spirit), and represented different elements, purpose, protocols, and ceremonial functions. In combat, however, the function was always straightforward: to maim or kill opponents.

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Mau Taiaha and Te Whare Tū Taua o Aotearoa My journey in fighting arts began with learning the use of the taiaha, or mau taiaha, in 1985 when I started my formal education in the arts of war under Dr. Pita Sharples of the Te Runanga Tū Taua mau Taiaha o Aotearoa, later to be known as Te Whare Tū Taua o Aotearoa (“The International School of Māori Weaponry”). Te Whare Tū Taua o Aotearoa was founded during the

renaissance of the Māori language and customs in order to revive the ancient art of mau taiaha among the Māori. This was an innovative program including physical fitness, Māori history, knowledge of the Māori atua (gods/spirits), whakapapa (ancestor lineage), leadership skills, and, of course, all uses of the taiaha.

The taiaha is probably the most commonly known weapon of the Māori. It is an effective close-combat weapon which has been tested on battlefields and in one-onone combat for over 600 years.

The taiaha is made out of native hardwood such as maire, puriri, or matai, which is cut to various lengths, depending on the specifications of a given style. The length of the weapon is likened to the human body; the tongue (tip) is used to stab and slice vital organs, whereas the body (length) is used to defend, parry, or to get in close contact with the opponent. The taiaha is not used like a club or a heavy striking weapon.

Strikes are quick and accurate, and aimed to strike one-inch-deep into the body or used in a continuous movement—like the waves or the wind—until the weapon finds its mark. The blade of the taiaha has two sides used to strike key body parts in order to maim, disarm, or break bones.

The taiaha differs from a lot of stick martial arts in the fact that its user has a direct connection to his or her ancestors and Atua Māori. In fact, according to Māori history, these fighting arts can be traced all the way back to the origin of creation, the separation of Rangi and Papa (primordial sky father and earth mother), and the unbalance created between their children (Atua Māori). Thus, the traditional Māori see themselves as only a small part of nature, always connected to the universe, and surrounded by living elements and infinite energy identified as Atua Māori.

Learning the taiaha is only about 40 percent physical, the rest of it consisting of psychological and spiritual teachings by which the warrior learns to be in tune with his surroundings, elements, and nature. The taiaha can also represent an ancestor, so its user can connect to him on a spiritual level and thus the ancestor can also be present in defeating an enemy.

With this type of mindset and connectedness, the warrior is never alone on the battlefield, as the Māori believe that our ancestors are always with us. As an example, a warrior would use Tama-nui-tera (Atua of the rising sun), Hinepukohurangi (Maiden of the mist),

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Taura Pouwhakarae graduation (1997)

terrain, Hine-riporipo (Atua of water currents), or Tāwhirimatea (Elements of the wind) as part of their battle strategy. Sayings such as, “Taumaha waewae he kiri māku,” on the other hand, meant that, if your feet movement or body was not agile, then your skin would become wet in your own blood. Foot movement, fitness, and agility are essential to using this weapon effectively.

Taiaha schools and styles varied from tribe to tribe depending on the surrounding terrain or environment. For example, coastal

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tribes’ styles would be based on the ocean, tides, and elements present there, whereas other styles located further inland may resemble the bush and be limited to the mountain terrain. Formations might also be closing in as in the forest.

These various styles and tactics of the taiaha evolved and developed over time based on experience gathered from battles and duels fought. Only the most successful moves, strikes, or defensive counterattacks survived the test of time and were passed down from generation to generation.

It took me 13 years starting from a beginner to get to the eighth (and final) level, and to graduate as a master in this school of weaponry. Each stage was a journey of self-discovery, connection to culture, identity, history, combat, teaching, and mentoring. Once I graduated as a Pouwhakarae (Master) and achieved the fighting rank of Rakau kawa-nui, I was able to start my own school; however, I still felt that there were key gaps in my understanding of what traditional warrior knowledge, values, and further learning may consist of. At my Pouwaru (Master) grad-

uation, I likened my long journey to climbing a mountain, but also noted that there were now other mountains I had to climb in order to continue my study. In my search for the next mountain to climb, I met Hohepa Delamere (Papa Hohepa) who was a well-known and respected Tohunga (specialist) in the art of traditional healing and the ancient ways of the waananga (schools). He also has a military background and served in Malaysia. At that time, he had already started my younger brother’s learning path in the art of Rongomamau (traditional Māori wres-

Te Whare Tū Taua o Aotearoa

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He Tohu Atua using the signs of the elements to comliment training

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tling). I was then fortunate to be able to study with with Papa Hohepa intensively over the following years, especially the ancient school of Whare Aitu-a-Henga and other various waananga systems, the study of which would open my eyes to the wider traditional Māori worldview. This led me also to re-discover other traditional Māori weapons, methodologies, and knowledge that were not yet returned back to the world of light.

Meeting My Teacher’s Teachers I will never forget the early morning Papa Hohepa took me and my younger brother for a walk to Piha Beach (a secluded west coast beach in the Waitakere Ranges).

He told us he wanted to introduce us to his teachers to assist in our learning journey, as they also had assisted him in his. Once we got there, the beach was bare, and he told us to wait on a certain rock which was located between the beach and the ocean. He then left us sitting on that rock in the middle of nowhere, just walked off and left us sitting on a rock surrounded by wild surf crashing on the rocks and strong winds. After sitting there for a while, it became obvious that his old teachers were not in human form, but living ele-

ments of nature. We had to modify the way we were used to learning in a Western world, and adapt to this different reality so we could allow these ancient teachers to share their knowledge with us.

These are the true masters, “counsels of the gods”; from the clouds, the wind, the rain, waves that were calm and rough, the pounding of the rocks, the sand, the birds, the insects, the past footprints of our ancestors to the current context in which I was searching for the balance between life (healing arts) and death (fighting arts). We also noticed that each element had a duality which was male and female, but these halves also complimented each other to create a balance. When Papa returned to us, he had a huge smile on his face, because we were no longer sitting on the rock, only observing, but in the water with the elements, training with his teachers. My learning path took me to study these elements, and use these teachers in the context of weapons and close combat. I still use this methodology to teach and introduce students to these ancient teachers in order for them to develop their own learning style and relationship with the elements.

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THE BALANCE OF A WARRIOR The following is a learning pathway that I adapted throughout my journey—tangaengae o te toa (“the balance of a warrior”):

•

To be a great warrior in times of old, it was essential to be schooled in the art of war and instinctively know how to kill;

•

To know how to kill efficiently, it was essential to know the human anatomy intricately, and to know its functions and all the vital points;

•

To know the human anatomy intricately and to know the vital points in order to unbalance, hurt, or kill, it was natural and common sense to be able to balance those vital points in order to live or heal;

•

To be able to heal effectively, it was essential to be schooled in the art of healing using physical, psychological, and spiritual methods;

•

To have knowledge of one Atua or child of Ranginui and Papatuanuku, it was only natural to have knowledge of all the children of Ranginui and Papatuanuku, and knowledge of all elements and their significance to life or death;

•

To have a basic knowledge on all Atua, their significance and contribution to warfare, healing, life, death, mana tane, mana wahine (male and female rights), humans, and animals is to learn and be aware of the natural balance in all things Māori;

•

To have a natural balance in all things Māori, it is not possible to be just a warrior, but a master of all things in times of war and peace—for example: navigation, cultivation, healing, preserving ancient knowledge through waiata (song), and weaving or carving. As the seasons changed, so did our tupuna (grandfathers) naturally adapt. Traditional warriors were taught to excel and to understand how everything is connected in life and death, and in alignment with the universe.

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The rock we first met our teacher's teachers: Tangaroa, Hine Moana, Hine Kauika, Hine Riporipo, Tawhirimates, Hine Omairangi

Loss of Identity and Finding What Is Missing Due to over 180 years of colonization, suppression, and key legislation (such as the Tohunga Suppression Act of 1907) designed to assimilate the Māori population, the Māori language, knowledge, and traditional customs were either made illegal, lost, or driven underground. Land confiscations, introduction of alcohol, Christianity, and introduction of firearms

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assisted in this assimilation process. Traditions were either put to sleep, hidden, or taught by stealth within the shadows for over two generations. Throughout this period, Māori well-being plummeted.

The Māori became the bottom of most western statistics, including physical and mental health, corrections, abuse, violence, gangs, and education. Also, as a consequence, European anthropologists started writing about and recording Māori history, customs, lan-

guage, and Māori way of life. Many books were written by non-Māori theorizing about traditions and recreating traditional stories into myths and legends from a distinctly Western perspective, and propagating a narrative within which the Māori were seen as a dying race.

For my grandparents’ and father’s generation, this was a devastating time. For over 60 years the Māori were beaten, abused, and imprisoned just for speaking their own

Brothers-in-arms (Hawaii, 1999). From the left: Amorangi Papa Hohepa, Jason and Timoti Paahi, George Lindsey.

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language and practicing Māori customs. In my generation, we still see the after-effects on our physical and mental health, social disconnection, and psychological trauma that this period has caused. There is still a lot of distrust in sharing our traditional knowledge in fear of misuse, exploitation, and commercialization.

“Rapua i te e mea ngaro” (“Seek for what was lost, hidden or stolen”) is one of the many sayings that remind Māori descendants to search for, research, and awaken our ancient treasures that were put to sleep in order to be awakened and integrated back into Te Ao Māori (the Māori world) at a later time. This would also assist in the healing process for the Māori as a whole, and enable individuals to reconnect back to their culture and reclaim their identity in all areas of Māori knowledge.

The Tohunga Suppression Act was repealed in New Zealand 1962, but it was not until the 1970s that there was a push in the renais-

sance and revival of the Māori language, customs, and traditional practices. Through the revival of the language came the ability to unlock hidden knowledge within traditional songs, genealogy, stories, carvings, woven clothing, and weapons. Secrets that revealed traditional healing and fighting were hidden within the Atua, and could be understood by interacting with and studying the elements such as ocean, waves, currents, wind, forest, birds, fish, and insects. These elements also became teachers and were respected by students.

In this period, the Māori experts were able to reawaken this knowledge in all areas of the Māori world.

This included dispelling myths that were created in the assimilation process, such as: that the Polynesians navigated throughout Polynesia by mistake; that the Māori were a savage race and voluntarily gave up their sovereignty to a foreign power; and that the Māori were a lazy, violent, and sick people.

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Te Whare Aitu-a-Henga Te Whare Aitu-a-Henga was one of the many traditional schools that the late Hohepa Delamare brought back to the world of light. Through his instruction, this art has reemerged from the shadows into the light of this and future generations. Te Whare Aitu-a-Henga was founded and established as a school of healing and fighting arts in 1998 for both male and female students within the Hoani Waititi marae (school). It has schools throughout Aotearoa (New Zealand) and also abroad. Te Whare Aitu is a traditional Māori school dating back to the 1300s and distinguishing itself as an art of war utilizing weapons of physical, spiritual, and psychological nature.

Te Whare Aitu-a-Henga can be traced back all the way to the creation itself, to the realms of te kore (void), te po (darkness), and to the separation of Ranginui and Papatuanuku when the Atua Māori were at war with each other. Each Atua Māori contributed to the art of war in its own way, including Atua Tāne (male gods) and Atua Hinerei (female gods). This included weapons, movements, genealogy, customs, and a systems-based philosophy, which allowed the stu-

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dents to study and adopt their own learning style by connecting to the Atua that suited the way they thought or what came natural to them. The student would be dedicated to these elements depending on their purpose and destiny chosen. This enhanced and developed the uniqueness of each student; for example, the lesson of the day could be based on one type of a wave in the surf and its interactions with land, rocks, wind, and other waves. Ten students could be taught the same lesson; however, their understanding, adopting, and implementation of the teachings would be very different. This was encouraged, especially if the student was to integrate learning by using various weapons, or handto-hand methods, or using the teachings in a psychotherapy context. Students today are encouraged to return back to the source to test and modify their skills. This could mean that the student returned to the beach with high surf and riptide in order to navigate through the waves without being thrown or taken out to sea.

The Whare Aitu school has 12 levels and is made up of four main doorways or pou (pillars that make up the Whare Aitu):

1. Umurangi

2. Takarangi

Umurangi teaches traditional prayer, incantations, genealogy, anthropology, philosophy, astrology, history, connection to Atua, and phases of the moon and stars.

Students are blessed and dedicated to Atua Rei in order to open themselves for connecting with the elements, and to be able to read the signs of the universe. Takutaku (recital) was more than a prayer, as the words within it gave you guidelines or recipes depending on what your intended purpose was.

There are over 350 takutaku within this school that unlock hidden knowledge, traditional values, ethics, and key touchpoints to guide learners and teachers.

Takarangi is the doorway that teaches traditional healing, illness prevention, wellness, psychological therapy, plant medicines, massage, protection, and pressure point alignment. Every fighting art movement and weapon has a duality of balance which students are able to use in times of re-balancing. For example, the mere pounamu (short jade weapon) was used to decapitate the enemy in wartime, but during peacetime, it was used as a healing stone and also a doorway to rarohenga (underworld) when one could bid farewell to the dead and access the spiritual world. A huge emphasis is on prevention; it is encouraged to heal a sickness before it becomes a sickness, or heal a conflict or prevent a battle before things escalate to actual conflict. Rotū (hypnotherapy) and subliminal messaging through songs and chants are developed for use in psychotherapy.

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3. Tawhearangi

4. Pureirangi

Tawhearangi is the doorway that teaches weaponry (including their ceremonial use), fighting movements, physical fitness, stretching, movement, military games, battle formations, combat, and practice as a martial art. This is also linked with other traditional schools of fighting, such as Te Whare Tū Taua, Te Whare Maire, and Te Whare Ahuru. This pillar connects further also to other types of indigenous fighting arts throughout the world, and pays homage and respect to all cultures and arts of their ancestors. Tawhearangi allows students to train and practice ancient fighting arts without having to hurt, maim, or kill. This is done with sparring, games, competitions, and exercises. Sometimes in training, you are allowed to push the barriers and skills to drawing first blood, breaking a bone, or winning by submission. When we were learning, we were told that “if you break it, then you fix it,” which meant that if you hurt someone during training, then it was your responsibility also to heal them.

Pureirangi is the doorway that taught the art of killing effectively. This art was used for protection for over 2000 years, and although this doorway is currently shut, it is not locked. Students are taught to teach their children and grandchildren this art as self-defense and protection for their own whakapapa (generations). Traditional Māori fighting arts were commonly used in times of war and utilized by the New Zealand military.

These killing techniques were used throughout all the major conflicts including both World Wars and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. At least three of my previous teachers have shared their kairakau (war stories) on how traditional moves or techniques were used in dispatching the enemy. Tūpou, keira and urikore were traditional assassins (both male and female) that were taught from this doorway and specialized in the art of killing without being seen or used in stealth.They were taught how to blend in with the environment and strike with stealth to either make death look like an accident or to inflict psychological trauma by how they dispatch their target.

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TRADITIONAL MAORI ARTS

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TAWHEARANGI: WARRIOR TRAINING Military Games The art of war was taught from a very young age. The education began already while the child was in the kopu (womb) of the mother through love, songs, massage, oratory, and storytelling. Military games were developed into activities children would play to have fun and, at the same time, develop agility, competitiveness, strategy, and problem-solving skills. This allowed the tohunga (experts) to choose their students by observing their natural abilities and attributes, identifying those who may be future healers, weavers, leaders, food gatherers, navigators, negotiators, runners, and warriors.

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Teka, for example, was a competitive game in which children would propel darts amongst each other to see either who could propel their dart the furthest or how many darts each child could catch in midair.

To start with, the darts would be made out of light and harmless materials. However, once the children got older, the lighter dart would be replaced with a kotaha (stringlaunched arrow) which was, during times of war, used for battle and propelled towards incoming war parties. Tirakau, tititorea, poi, and whai are examples of other games used to develop the skills, mindset, and agility which could be easily adapted into fighting movements with weapons.

Ahunga

Tapene

Ahunga are traditional exercises developed to activate the whole body, including physical, mental, and spiritual awakening, from the fingertips to toe-tips. As the children grow older, these exercises will get progressively more difficult, or become even close to impossible to complete. The key focus is to encourage children to have fun, be competitive, and strive for excellence. Meditation and prayer are also included in training in order to induce in the trainee a trance-like state that would be useful in warfare. Traditionally, before battles, the warriors would perform forms of haka which would get their adrenalin pumping in addition to opening and calming their minds.

Tapene are body and foot movements that develop peripheral vision and manipulation of the physique in order to adapt to the elements, such as the ocean, water, and wind, as well as the rising and setting sun. Tāpene moanaroa exercises were used by the students to develop and train a natural flow of movement that would enhance their weapons’ skills by aligning their body mechanics with the elements and continuous movements.

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Rongomauri

Tohi Purea (Dedication Ceremony)

The Māori strive to develop and enhance an all-encompassing sensory system including senses such as sight, smell, hearing, touch, balance, proprioception, premonition, prediction, vibrations, and feeling. This is done in order to develop instinctive values, inner strength, and life force. Developing these senses is an integral part of the teachings and a prerequisite to access higher learning.

Both male and female warriors were dedicated to different Atua Māori and, depending on purpose, the dedication ceremonies would differ. Ancient rituals performed on warriors before battle or spilling of blood opened the doorways to be spiritually connected to their ancestors and Atua. They were no longer allowed to perform normal duties, such as preparing food or interacting with their family, before their task was complete. They were placed under tapu (sacred, restricted, set apart), where they had a specific purpose either in war, death, retribution, or revenge.

Sometimes preparing to go to war against another tribe or enemy was also a healing process. Unresolved issues between enemies could be healed also peacefully—for example, through intermarriage so that the future generations would have both bloodlines, and the conflict would thus be resolved.

We currently teach Rongomauri as sensory modulation wellness to health professionals when working to minimize stress and enhance wellness.

Kaupare Kaupare includes war armor, as well as other means of protection and ensuring of safety. War cloaks were traditionally made with care from flax, and they shielded the wearer from weapons. Kaupare was also a system of keeping safe and protected.

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He kahu kaupare potective clothing for training

Only after a battle was fought, or blood spilled, were warriors allowed to return back to their societies. Before entering back to their ordinary lives, they would have rituals performed to lift the sacred veil of war or death. Only after these rituals could they become their normal selves again and continue to interact with the tribe as fathers, mothers, healers, food gatherers, teachers, carvers, or or-

ators. In times of peace, also the weapons had peaceful purposes as eel spears, garden implements, healing stones, fish nets, and bird spears, as well as in military games and in pounding clothing and garments. At the completion of my training with Papa Hohepa, I was given the Tohi, which allowed me to become the Sacredotal Head of Whare aitu-a-Henga.

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He tii He Tii

Nono-tī training

Hoani Waititi marae training

Sparring

Taa-karo sparring mau rakau against mauare

Te Waitere Jason Paahi (author)

Photo captions.

TRADITIONAL TYPES OF WEAPONS

During my research with the old people and written archival documents, I have identified over 150 different types of weapons with distinct names, purpose, and tribal connections. A lot of these names are also embedded in traditional stories and chants, and thus carved in history. Through colonization, Christianity, and assimilation legislation, most of this information was lost, forgotten, or written off as myths or speculation. These weapons are now brought back from the darkness into the light so that we can learn, touch, experiment, and practice with them and, especially, give life back into the past.

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I have divided these weapons into categories based on how they were used; this includes weapons from close-combat to distance-fighting.

I will also briefly discuss some examples of them. Note that, because weapons belonging to Te Whare Aitu-a-Henga school were used in stealth and were hidden for a purpose, some details will not be disclosed in this article. Some of the weapons identified below vary throughout Aotearoa, Polynesia, and from tribe to tribe. Most of them can still be traced through genealogy, stories, legends, carvings, and songs. A lot of these weapons also have a tairua (duality of purpose); in wartime they were used as weapons and in peacetime

Cutting edge weapons

for other purposes. A lot of these weapons were used either by male, female, or warriors depending on the purpose or outcome required.

Each weapon had specific names for each of its parts or components, and these names related to human body parts. This would then determine whether the weapon in question was meant to be used by male or female warriors.

Two-Handed Long-Edged Weapons •

Taiaha

This weapon is unique to Aotearoa; however, its origin traces back to the creation stories. It is a very effective close-combat weapon as was described above.

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•

Pouwhenua

This is similar to a taiaha, but the end is more pointed, and sometimes the blade or body is wider than that of a taiaha. It is used to stab, parry, and strike. It was also used as a land marker.

•

Tewhatewha

A weapon made out of a single piece of wood, used to strike and thrust. The tewhatewha was used by war chiefs to signal to their war party various commands, usually on hilltops, or at a distance. It was also considered to be an effective close-quarter weapon.

•

Piaka/Pakiaka

A weapon very similar in appearance to the tewhatewha, but made from a tree root. It was used in war times by women.

Cutting Implements •

Koripi/Maripi

This was used as a weapon to slice or cut human flesh and vital pressure points.

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Short One-Handed Club Weapons •

Mere/Meremere

Commonly mistaken and confused with a patu, mere resembles a teardrop shape narrowing down to the handle and butt. It was designed to be fast and swift and to cut on impact. It was powerful enough to take off the top of the head of an enemy.

•

Patu

The patu has a similar shape to mere, except the blade is round and used to pound or break bones.

This difference between the mere and patu is evidenced in the oro (sound) each weapon makes when it impacts an enemy’s skull.

•

Meremere

A meremere is a blend between a patu and a mere. One side of the blade represents a male and the other a female element. The difference could be heard in the sounds that each blade would make on impact both in defense and offense.

bat. The distinctive shape of the blade was also used to castrate enemies if required.

•

Wahaika

This weapon was initially identified as a swordfish-type weapon, but it was also modified as a type of patu with a guardian figure for protection.

Long Thrusting & Stabbing Weapons •

Huata is a 10-feet-long defensive weapon used to stab attackers from a safe distance. The huata was rested along the cross beams of palisades and thrust into attackers aimed to wound them, and thus slow them down. Warriors with shorter weapons would then finish the attackers off.

Waananga weapons used for training

•

•

Patuki

Similar to a patu, but it has a distinctive pointed shape at the end of the blade.

•

Huata

Kotiate

There is a range of different types of koti; however, it is unique to Aotearoa, and used in close com-

Koikoi

Two-handed six-feet-long weapon with two pointed ends.

•

Tao

Similar to huata but with both ends pointed.

•

Tete Delete

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•

Tokotoko

Tokotoko is a traditional weapon about six feet in length used for defense and stabbing. It was used by the elderly to keep them safe, and to assist in walking. The term tokotoko refers nowadays to a walking or talking stick used by the elderly to hold knowledge or fight with their words on marae (court) of oratory.

•

Puraka

This weapon resembles an enlarged matarau or eel spear. The shaft is made out of manuka wood and it is about eight feet in length. At the business end of this shaft, there are three or four securely fastened points fashioned from mapara.

The weapon thus resembles a large fork, and it is used for stabbing.

•

Matarua

Double-pointed spear, the points being fashioned out of whale bone.

When fighting, it is grasped in the middle so that either point can be used to stab.

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Whale-bone weapons

Short Stabbing Weapons •

Oka

Oka is any rough stick or other material used to stab. It is used with a longer weapon to find a weakness in the opponent’s defense and exploit it.

•

Ti-Pokepoke-a-Tūmatauenga

This is a hidden dagger specifically shaped to penetrate the vital points of an enemy.

•

Ti-Pokeha

This is a hidden or concealed dagger used by women to get close on an enemy.

•

•

Ti-rakau

This was used in a children’s game to develop agility. However, when its both ends were sharpened, it was also used by adults as a stabbing weapon.

Barbed Weapons There are also weapons that have barbed points and look like spears, but it was not common practice to throw one’s weapon away. Despite this, the warriors were taught how

Kaniwha

A spear with two points (tara rua).

Each point was sharpened and hardened by fire. It is used as a spear to thrust, not as a striking weapon.

•

Ti-Torea

Ti-torea has been associated with the performing arts; however, traditionally it was used as an effective stabbing weapon when its points were sharpened.

•

to dodge, parry, and catch propelled or missile-type weapons.

Katete

A spear with two or more rows of barbs on its head. Katete were also used in the puwhara to throw and cast at evading enemy forces. The ends were deeply notched in order to break off on impact.

•

Tete-paraoa/Tete-whai

•

Tete

Long spear with barbed ends that were detachable once impaled or imbedded into enemy. Barbed ends were made out of stingray barbs, bone, or wood, and also laced with poison so wounds would become infected.

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Propelled, Thrown, & Missile Weapons •

Hoeroa

This weapon was made out of the jaw of a sperm whale or, in some cases, from hardwood. About five feet in length and two inches wide, one end was shaped in a transverse, convex edge, and the other carved with double spirals. A rope was secured to a hole in the butt end of the weapon, so that when it was thrown, its user could retrieve it.

•

Kopere/Maka

A sling, which was used throughout Polynesia, and imported to Aotearoa by early ancestors. Abel Tasman, the first known European explorer to reach New Zealand in the 17th century, recorded that stones were being cast or propelled from great distances from shore.

There is also a saying describing its use: “Pukoro koha Tū hei whakaruru ki te taua.”

•

Tarerarera

A short undressed spear thrown by means of a whip or cord. A deep

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notch was cut six inches back from the point as the spear was designed to break off on impact and to remain in the victim’s body.

•

Kotaha

Kotaha consisted of a straight rod about four feet in length with a cord attached to it. It was used to propel a dart or a short spear placed in the ground. These missiles could also be set in fire and propelled into enemy fortifications in order to create confusion and chaos among the defenders.

•

Kurutai

A stone weapon resembling a patu and attached to a cord. It was thrown at enemies and retrieved by the rope tied to the hand of its user. Traditionally, it was thrown at fleeing enemies in order to trip them up.

•

Peru

A type of stone that was shaped like a small or medium-sized potato. It was used in hand as an impact weapon or propelled at an enemy.

Hidden Weapons There were also special hidden weapons used by tūpou or urikore (traditional assassins). The names of the weapons described the wounds or the effect they had on an enemy. These were used by both male and female tūpou.

•

Karipiate

made out of wood, shark teeth, and obsidian.

•

Mairehu

A hidden weapon, which was thrown and used to kill in stealth.

•

Pūhau

A hidden weapon used in stealth to kill from a distance.

A hidden weapon used to assassinate and kill in stealth. It was

Training the mere pounamu

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•

Patuharere

Patuharere was used in times of peace as a flax-pounder, but in times of war specifically to pound the body of an enemy.

•

Ti-ure-a-Tūmatauenga

A very sacred specialist weapon used by tūpou.

•

Ti-pokehā

A specialist weapon used by keira (female assassins).

•

Nono-tī

A specialist weapon used to strangle an enemy in stealth.

•

Taiawhiau

This was a propelled weapon made out of stone and connected to its user by a rope.

•

Tokiawhiorangi

Made out of blue stone and used for delivering a killing strike to the head or temple.

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•

Kotihautoki

Weapon used to break bones and necks of an enemy. Also used in hunting and breaking the neck of the ancient Moa. Modern Hand-Weapons (post-1800s) •

Kakauroa

A long European axe with carvings.

•

Patiti

A short iron hatchet.

•

Patu pora

Patu made from iron.

•

Piharoa

•

Whakakau

Pu/Muskets (post 1800s) Types of muskets were given specific names based on their characteristics and effectiveness:

Whare Aitu training waananga in various weapons

•

Hakimana

•

Kauamo

•

Ngutu Parera

•

Putiti

•

Pu Toriri

•

Pu Toko

•

Purepo

•

Tahu Whenua

•

Tū para

There are many more weapons that were used and have not been named here. The list of weapons above is but an example of the weapons the Māori used, left dis-

TRADITIONAL MAORI ARTS

· Te Waitere Jason Paahi | 203

OTHER SKILLS

used or put to sleep over time depending on generation or purpose.

Furthermore, this list does not include those weapons that could not be seen, such as psychological or spiritual types of weapons that were used to unbalance the enemy. Evidence of the above-mentioned weapons and their fighting methodology is still embedded in genealogy, stories, songs, carvings, weaving, language, and customs.

Nga Tohutohu From a Western historical perspective, the Māori did not have a written language. However, the ancient Māori used different symbols to collect and capture knowledge of the universe and teach it in schools. This knowledge and these symbols were then passed on from generation to generation. This tra-

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ditional knowledge is captured, documented, and evidenced in activities and fields such as carving, navigation, house-building, weaving, tattooing, marae (courts), takutaku (chants), moteatea (lamentations), history, genealogy, and storytelling.

This type of learning was multidimensional and used all the sensory systems to activate the ancient memory. Students are still encouraged to go to the source to research and find knowledge which is embedded within nature, or hidden by our ancestors to be accessed at an appropriate time or for a specific purpose. All of the curriculum and teachings of the schools such as Whare Aitu are based on this traditional practice rather than on the written word.

Parirau Awhiawhi This was a system of movement taken from the way birds interact with nature, synchronize as a flock, navigate the air currents, and hunt for food. Within this system, students will develop their offensive and defensive fighting styles, peripheral vision, and continuous motion. Students would study which of the animals or birds have similar personalities or move similarly to them. Examples of warrior birds recognized in this process were: the hokio (Haast’s eagle), karearea, kawau, toroa, kahea, ruru, and tiwairaka (fantail).

Strategy and Psychology Indigenous psychology generally advocates examining knowledge,

skills, and beliefs people have about themselves, and studying them in their natural contexts. Traditional Māori psychology and psychotherapy practice can be traced back all the way to the creation, to the separation of Ranginui and Papatanuku which led to sibling conflict, disconnection, emotional distress, desensitization, anger, and unbalance which was identified as the Paerangi.

Tatau is a traditional psychological art of war used to unbalance an opponent through means of conscious or unconscious activities or actions. These actions are designed to plant in the opponent seeds of doubt that can be manipulated or even used to prevent conflict. Tatau is a traditional form of assessment, analytics, evaluation,

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· Te Waitere Jason Paahi | 205

and strategy used both in times of conflict and peace. This art form is still used today by Whare Aitu practitioners to psychologically restore balance in professional settings such as Māori health, mental health, education, business, and psychotherapy.

On the level of strategy, the student was taught ways to always see twelve steps ahead, and to use peripheral vision.

Te Whare Aitu Charitable Trust Te Whare Aitu has been a non-profit organization since 1998. All teaching and training has been done on a voluntary basis, and the school has had hundreds of students who have developed their own specialized pathways of learning that enhance their own destinies in life. By using the art of a warrior methodology, our students are encouraged to be well, healthy, and family-orientated, and to strive for excellence in everything they may

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do in life.

The thought of charging and paying money for ancient knowledge is a controversial one. Although time is money, and people’s time should thus be compensated, to pay for the knowledge itself is debatable. I was never charged for my teachers’ knowledge or time, and I myself have never charged my students. However, I believe that there should be a reciprocal relationship between student and teacher, where the student’s koha (gifts) give something back to the teacher rather than the student just taking and taking. One way of graduating is when the student becomes the teacher, but this is done in humility and with respect.

We have relied on public funding from time to time, donations from philanthropy funders, and contracts to deliver professional training to professional practitioners who may be working in areas such as Māori health or mental health.

Students of Whare Aitu are also expected to sign a confidentiality agreement that protects both the ancient knowledge and the integrity of the school, so that the knowledge is not misused or exploited in any way. To date, we have had no

students that have breached this agreement.

The aims of the trust are as follows: •

To promote, advance, and enhance the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi;

•

To promote, advance, and enhance traditional Māori fighting and healing arts;

•

To instill high standards of physical fitness, well-being, and a positive attitude towards life;

•

To validate and promote traditional Māori knowledge;

•

To promote traditional Māori fighting arts and traditional training methods as a sport indigenous to New Zealand;

•

To teach all ages, genders, and cultures the philosophies and values of Te Whare Aitu;

•

To create a positive learning environment for individuals and their whanau (extended family) through sharing the teachings of Te Whare Aitu-a-Henga traditional weaponry, te reo Māori (Māori language), and tikanga Māori (Māori culture).

Our future aims and goals are: •

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To re-introduce traditional Māori art back into the world

of light; •

To formalize specialized learning modules for use in the fields of education, health, social work, and mental wellness;

•

To become self-sufficient and sustainable as a charitable organization.

We currently deliver the following specialist programs: •

Māori sports and Māori martial arts

•

Traditional waananga (school) education

•

Mental well-being

•

Family healing and wellness groups

•

Indigenous training

•

Indigenous sensory modulation systems

•

Strategic family therapy

tling against COVID-19 with Māori health providers. Many of the traditional fighting art methodologies explained in this article have assisted in forming the Māori strategies used in the response to COVID-19 to ensure people are protected, educated, and safe.

We are currently developing a new way of delivering mental wellness services for minimizing stress and enhancing wellness by using traditional knowledge and strengths.

psychotherapy

Currently we have active schools throughout New Zealand and Australia, and deliver, via Zoom, weekly waananga classes but prefer face-to-face training training at the source: in the ocean, on thebeach, in the forest, or on the marae/courtyard.

For the past 18 months, I have also been in the frontlines bat-

Te Waitere Jason Paahi @ paahij

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THE

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

Mukatder Gül, Ph.D

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

· Mukatder Gül, Ph.D | 211

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TECHNICAL DATA & FEATURES

The six-and-a-half-point long pole form is the fifth form in the Wing Chun curriculum and the first weapon form.

The following are the Wing Chun forms in order: 1. Siu Lim Tao (“the little idea”) 2. Cham Kiu (“the bridging arms / searching the bridge”) 3. Biu Jee (“the stinging fingers”) 4. Muk Jan Chong (“the wooden dummy”) 5. Look Dim Boon Quan (“the long pole”) 6. Bart Cham Dao (“the double-knife”)

Depending on the version, the Wing Chun pole is approximately 270-330 cm (8-10 ft) long. The tip of the conical staff is about 2.5- 3 cm (1-1.2 in) in diameter, whereas the handle diameter is about 3.5-4 cm (1.3-1.6 in). The pole is made of wood and has a corresponding weight of about 3 kg (6.5 lb).

The conical form provides power and mass concentration on one point, similarly to a billiard cue.

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· Mukatder Gül, Ph.D | 213

Why Six-and-a-Half?

The name, six-and-a-half, refers to the techniques of the form; there are six-and-a-half techniques to be carried out with the long pole. You could, of course, say seven, but the original name is, in essence, very “Chinese”, and culturally rooted.

The Wing Chun long pole training is split into three sections or phases of exercise, as is generally the case in Wing Chun: 1. Practicing the form itself.

2. The practice of isolated techniques.

3. Partner exercises.

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It should be noted that section two is usually practiced before the first section(!).

The Wing Chun long pole form reflects everything that Wing Chun is known for: Simplicity—only techniques

six-and-a-half

Effectiveness—achieve a lot with just a few movements Explosiveness—a strong, uncomplicated, and extremely dangerous weapon

History The very first known records concerning the Wing Chun system are the records of the legendary Red Junk/Boat Opera Company.

There are many stories and legends regarding the genesis of the Wing Chun system before the “Red Junk,” but first written records and remarks are from the period between late 1800s and early 1900s.

Also, the Wing Chun long pole is mentioned for the first time in these records and plays an important role therein, which makes sense because of the circumstances, since the junks were moved and steered with long poles on the shallow water.

Other sources and legends report that the long pole form descended from the use of a spear as a cheap alternative for it, as the spearhead was too expensive an item for the generally poor population. There are also those who claim that the form comes from the Shaolin monks since they were thought not allowed to use bladed weaponry.

There exist quite a few of these conflicting narratives and theories. These, however, concern more the other Chinese long stick shapes and kung fu systems. As such, the Wing Chun long pole

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form is special and the weapon differs in length and texture from the common ones used by other systems. In consequence, the version of the long pole used on the junks is, in dimensions and shape, closer to the Wing Chun long pole than to the staves of these other systems. There are, of course, other cultures where long poles and staves are used in a similar way to that of Wing Chun.

Weapon for the Elderly & Women Training with the long pole is very strenuous and power-consuming, especially in the beginning. How-

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ever, once learned, it is relatively easy for an older man or a woman to use this weapon effectively. For example, if a rider comes riding through a narrow alley, he can be pushed from the horse with relatively little force from the side (this is also an important Wing Chun principle of “using the weak side”).

Another example of use: a trained swordsman fights against an older gentleman, or a woman, who does not know how to handle a sword.

The chances to win this fight using a sword is close to zero. However, with a long pole, he or she can keep the experienced swordsman

at a distance with relatively little effort, and will be able to stop him from closing the distance.

The Red Junk Opera Company The Red Junk Opera Company popularized Cantonese opera by traveling the Pearl River Estuary in the Guangzhou region in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It was common at the time that the actors also engaged in martial arts, as the work at the opera was physically demanding, making physical fitness and body control very important qualities. In our particu-

lar case, the Red Junk Opera was a place of reunification for the founders and developers of Wing Chun and their successors.

Short & Quick Historical Summary The Chinese emperor forbade the practice of martial arts, after which the masters were pursued, hunted, and imprisoned or killed.

These masters sought refuge in the Shaolin Monastery. During this time, they developed Wing Chun kung fu (which is fast and easy to learn for anyone, regardless of strength, physique, and so on). The monastery was burned

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down, and the masters fled in different directions. Ng Mui taught Yim Wing Chun, who passed the system on to her husband, who, in turn, was hired onto the Red Junk Opera Company. There were also other masters who were members of the Red Junk at the same time period. Why, then, the Red Junk Opera Company?

1. Because the actors of the opera mostly wore heavy make-up, a wanted person could easily camouflage and hide.

2. The opera troupe was constantly traveling, so the wanted person did not need to stay in one place for too long, and thus the risk of being discovered was lower.

3. On the junk, the workers were sailors, cooks, and so on. The work on ships was tough. Kung fu fighters were used to hard work and had special skills such as dealing with the long poles used to maneuver the boats with.

Whether this congregation of masters was a coincidence or planned is not known. The fact is that the boats proved to be ideal for the system to be completed and improved on.

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Was the Wing Chun Long Pole Form Just an Add-On? There are different interpretations regarding the Wing Chun weapon forms. There are also different pole forms that are taught and trained.

Some say, for example, that the long pole form had originally nothing to do with Wing Chun, and was just added on to the system.

For some lineages, I can support this statement, because I find that the forms taught within them have nothing to do with Wing Chun. In my opinion, this separation does not lead back to the time of the Red Junk, but to modern times. Indeed, there are some Wing Chun lineages that practice a long pole form that has been taken from other kung fu systems.

Why did this happen? It was because they did not learn the original and true Wing Chun long pole form. But it should be known that there is a long pole form in the Wing Chun system, so it should be gotten from where it is “complete.” I notice the same problem with the second weapon form, the double-knife (Bart Cham Dao).

This, anyway, is my theory regarding the matter, due to the fact that what I see has nothing to do with what I learned and could see from my Sifu.

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Some important points: If you have been training the Wing Chun long pole form, you will soon realize how strongly it is connected to Wing Chun. The Wing Chun long pole form connects all techniques, concepts, and principles, and improves all knowledge from the first four forms of the system.

The pole form trains your stance and serves your structure due to its length and weight. The stance is particularly important. That is the first thing that is taught in the first form, Siu Lim Tao (“the little idea”). It also improves your striking techniques, which is also an important part of the first form.

It improves your understanding of the centerline theory, which again is an important principle of the first form. It uses the principles of the second form (Cham Kiu)—for example: angle work, positioning, and fighting or defending against multiple attackers. It trains your explosive power, which is the core concept of the third form (Biu Gee).

Based on these examples, we can refute the theory that the long pole form was added to the system only for it to have a weapon form. Likewise, practitioners should worry if their long pole form makes them feel that the principles of the sys-

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tem are not implemented and promoted, or the form lacks the reference to the empty-hand techniques.

Simple But Not Easy to Learn Learning the Wing Chun long pole form is neither easy nor comparable to long pole forms from other systems. Although the form itself only consists of six-and-a-half techniques, beginners will not be able to perform it.

In the beginning, you have the feeling that the long pole drains all your energy. After only a short practice, you are completely exhausted. Only when you have completed the exercises to stand correctly, keep your structure, and strengthen yourself, and you are able to work longer than just a few minutes with the long pole, can you start with the actual form.

Now, the form itself is about control, precision, and explosive power. The thrust with the Wing Chun long pole is (through the Cronus and the use of the Wing Chun explosive force) like a shot from the rifle. As is usual in Wing Chun, forward movement is as important as movement backward. No movement is wasted or meaningless.

The length, the weight, and the acceleration of the weapon forc-

es you to stand properly, control your movements, and act economically. An exaggerated movement can lead to loss of control or loss of balance and, thus, to losing the fight or even your life. These are the challenges inherent in learning the Wing Chun pole.

Once you have mastered the long pole, you will be able to keep several attackers at bay and take them out of action early and efficiently.

It actually does not matter if your attacker or attackers are armed or not.

long pole is enormously important, even indispensable, for developing our empty-hand techniques and self-defense skills. The long pole enhances our attributes and makes us stronger. Training with the pole also greatly improves and strengthens our understanding of the principles and concepts of the Wing Chun system as a whole.

The Wing Chun long pole is the optimal long-distance weapon.

With the simplest and smallest of movements, you are able to cover 360 degrees.

In the third phase, you will learn how to use the long pole techniques against attacks with various weapons such as the long pole, spear, sword, saber, double sword, and so on. Thus, the student also learns the peculiarities and pros and cons of various popular traditional weapons.

Is the Long Pole Still Up to Date?

Of course, it is not that common today that we walk around with long poles, and we generally do not use them for self-defense.

Nevertheless, training with the

Mukatder Gül, Ph.D @ sifuguel

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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

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is better known as an empty-handed martial art which is quite popular in foreign countries. Not many know that in pencak silat, there is also knowledge that is steeped in armed techniques, including Ulin Limbuhan. Some time ago, a seminar and workshop on stick martial arts was held in Bandung, which consisted of arnis/kali/eskrima from the Philippines and Ulin Limbuhan from Indonesia. In the seminar, which was attended by more than 100 participants, both the similarities and the differences between arnis and Ulin Limbuhan martial arts could be seen.

And at that time, many people just found out that in Indonesia there is a martial art that uses sticks. After the seminar, there was a group of participants who immediately asked to open the Ulin Limbuhan practice for the public. Since then, Ulin Limbuhan has been taught to the general public. In fact, the material for Ulin Limbuhan has been planned to be studied at level 9 at the Paksi Line Pencak Silat Inheritance Institute, which I founded in 1997. However, considering that none of the Garis Paksi members

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have yet reached level nine, Ulin Limbuhan has not been taught.

Since many requests to study Ulin Limbuhan come from outside, and from within the Paksi itself, I have issued the following policy: The “Ulin Limbuhan / Stick Martial Arts” training community was formed for the members of the Paksi line. Here, all the techniques of Ulin Limbuhan are taught, starting from the Cimande Discarding Kick, the Swordsmanship Kick, the Limbuhan Way, and various other complete techniques. Attributes of the practice include using complete pencak silat uniforms as usual.

A training community called “Limbuhan Stick Fighting Art” was formed for the general public. What is taught here is more focused on practical martial arts.

The trainees do not use pencak silat clothing but a T-shirt, training pants, and shoes. With the intention to introduce the original Indonesian stick martial art, I started, in 2012, teaching the knowledge that I have stored for more than 20 years to the general public.

TECHNIQUES AND STAGES OF ULIN LIMBUHAN EXERCISE

Ulin Limbuhan can be divided into several types of techniques, namely:

1. Basic, which consists of techniques: a. Salir, the basic technique for smoothing the coordination of limbuhan movements.

Between the technique is: 1) Arrange 2) Cubet 3) Golang 4) Paksi Muih b. Sabetan, the attack and defence technique of limbuhan.

Among the techniques are: 1) Post Attitude (1-5) 2) Eight Sabetan (1-8) 3) Salicure Sabetan (1-21)

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TECHNIQUES AND STAGES (CONTINUED) 2. Steps, namely stepping technique and stepping pattern.

Among the techniques are: a. Guard b. Eight interpreters c. Morning d. Pancer Soja e. Pancer Serong f. Soja back and forth g. Back and forth 3. Rantean, which is a series of movements of various types of attack and defence techniques. This chain can be used as an Ibing Penca with music to accompany the Kendang Penca.

Among the techniques are: a. Pathway 1-3 b. Ella c. Sleep Curling d. Guard Slug e. Tagogan sling f. Samberan g. Piceunan h. Balungbang

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4. Pairs, namely paired exercises using a pair of limbs with predetermined movements.

Among the techniques are: a. Timpah Sabeulah (1-4) b. Overwrite Twice (1-4) c. Kelid (1-4) d. Paksi Muih (1-8) e. Kubetan (1-12) 5. Welcome, which is a pair exercise in the form of an application to deal with various attacks, using one or a pair of wasters.

Among the techniques are: a. Welcome to Dalapan Sabetan b. Welcome Salicure Sabetan 6. Palagan, namely free combat training using one or a pair of limbs.

Conclusion and Closing From the brief description above, it can be concluded that Ulin Limbuhan is an old science, contemporaneous with the emergence of the Cimande martial arts school. However, I must honestly say that I was the one who did the selection, sorting, and preparation of techniques so that it became a complete and independent stick martial arts system.

Roedy Wiranatakusumah @ roedy.wiranatakusumah

Gending Raspuzi @ gending.raspuzi

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YIQUAN LONG STAFF ENERGY Scott Meredith

THERE ARE AN INFINITE number of ways to strengthen and develop your internal energy power, just as there are an infinite number of ways to bulk up your physical muscles. One interesting group of energy methods uses tools or weapons for training awareness, intensity, and control of internal energy. This article describes a set of long staff drills used for this purpose.

I have practiced and taught traditional xingyiquan for decades. I have also briefly but intensely explored many related martial arts, including a modern descendant of xingyiquan called yiquan (意拳),

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which is well-known in Japan under the alternative name, taikiken (太氣拳). The core concepts and practices of both the Chinese and Japanese versions of this modern martial art come from the same source and are largely similar. Yet, long staff drills tend to receive less attention in both yiquan and taikiken.

I have trained yiquan intensively in Beijing under the tutelage of one of the most senior Chinese masters of the art, Yao Chengguang (姚成 光). Master Yao is a superb fighter, and a martial arts genius, comparable in combative power to Bruce Lee. The training program is very

rigorous, including a vast curriculum of special stances, arm and body movement drills, kicks and leg work, push hands, heavy-bag striking, cotton-ball striking, sparring, and much more. For twelve hours a day, seven days a week, for several strenuous months in Beijing, I trained under Master Yao’s

personal guidance, together with his small group of dedicated young students. It was a fascinating experience, but this art is huge and it takes a lifetime to even begin to explore. Here, I can only present one limited and specialized aspect of the program—the long staff drills.

A typical xingyiquan staff training drill, which involves a fast 360-degree full-body spin, ending with a low drop to dragon-step (龍步) and an instantaneous shoot-out of the full length of the staff to barely touch a high, pre-designated tree-leaf target. In xingyiquan, the energy vector originates from the grounded rear leg and lower body (arrow).

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Background Yiquan is historically derived from xingyiquan, which I have trained in and taught for many years. Traditional xingyiquan includes a full set of long staff training drills, for both internal energy and battlefield applications.

The physical and energetic power line of Xingyi staff techniques originates from the rear foot, and runs straight through the dantian, along the single unified vector of the arrow in the photo. This is a typical xingyiquan drill for laser precision in energetic projection, the kind of training which produced my teacher’s incredible fly-flattening ability mentioned in my book, Radical Xingyi Energetics (JXE).

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The yiquan long staff work is different, and not as well known.

In this article, I will describe the physical and energetic dynamics of yiquan staff training for internal energy. For this training, it is best to use a Chinese-style pole, tapered at one end, of length six to eight feet.

This is only the briefest introduction and smallest sample of the richness of these methods. For immersion in the full depths of yiquan fundamentals, you should arrange for intensive training at one of the several excellent yiquan academies in China.

YIQUAN LONG STAFF TECHNIQUES Feet In the most basic drill set, there are three different striking techniques and they all begin with the same lower body “rear” position, and all move to the same lower body “forward” position. In the starting (rear) position, your rear foot has 70 percent of your weight. Your front foot has 30 percent of your weight, and your front heel is raised a bit off the floor, not flat on the floor.

Both knees are well bent. You will transition with the strike from this rear-loaded 70-30 weight distribution into a more centered 50-50 distribution, which I will call the forward position. From the rear position, you simply straighten both

legs and move forward. This moves your body forward and distributes your weight as 50-50 on both feet.

It is an unusual stance in martial arts, particular to yiquan. You will basically end standing straight up, but your front heel remains slightly elevated off the floor. In all the techniques, you will move from the starting/rear position to the end/ front position and then return, on each rep.

The center-weighted forward stance is unusual, but it is one of the fundamentals across all yiquan striking techniques, not only in long staff.

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Grips

Master Yao Chengguang demonstrates to the author the forward 50-50 stance for a punching technique in Beijing.

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The hand positions are the same for the three techniques. You support the end of the staff against the heel of the palm in the center of the rear hand. Then you wrap three fingers and your thumb around the staff. Finally, your index finger extends straight and close along the top edge of the staff. With every technique, you begin with the rear hand back, close to your hip. You then extend the staff with clockwise rotation, while maintaining the same grip.

You rotate back counterclockwise as you return.

Rear hand grip with clockwise rotation on extension and counterclockwise rotation on retraction, for the right hand (reverse rotation directions when practicing the other side).

The forward hand grip is also invariant for every technique. You extend your thumb straight alongside the staff. Leave the top of the staff open and uncovered by your fingers, in a half-open grip.

As you extend the staff into any technique, you will rotate the grip clockwise until you have turned your hand over, then rotate counterclockwise in the return phase back to the starting position (reverse for practicing the other side).

In all techniques, the forward arm straightens completely at the farthest extension of the move.

The key thing is to grip softly. A tense or hard grip will kill your energy. Kendo masters grip the shinai softly, and for this drill you should do the same, using no more strength than necessary to hold the staff in position. Imagine that the staff is a living thing that you do not want to crush or drop.

Forward hand grip and rotation with clockwise rotation on extension and counterclockwise rotation on retraction, for left hand (reverse rotation directions when practicing the other side).

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Motion There are four axes of movement in these techniques. The primary three directions are: back and forth; left and right; and up and down (the staff rotation using the forearm and wrist adds a fourth).

These primary directions correlate to the three techniques: crushing, splitting, and crossing (these are names I have derived from xingyiquan, not the official terms of the yiquan curriculum).

In mechanical terms, you can see that these techniques are developing power along all possible vectors. This is the omni-dimensional power (混元力 or 全面力) of yiquan. The forces can be visualized as a sphere with major power dimensions specified. Beginning with the three major vectors, the student eventually learns to project force to and from any point on the surface of the sphere in which he is centered.

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The basic dimensions of omni-directional power (混元力). All dimensions are present in every technique. For left-foot forward, reverse.

•

Crush (left-foot forward) begins in position rear/up/left, is extended to front/down/right, and returns to rear/up/left. For right-foot-forward practice, reverse the left-right dimension.

•

Split (left-foot forward) begins in position up/rear/left, is extended to down/front/right, and returns to up/rear/left. For right-foot-forward practice, reverse left-right dimension.

•

Cross (left-foot forward) begins in position left/up/rear, is extended to right/down/front, and returns to left/up/rear. For right-foot-forward practice, reverse left-right dimension.

The major vector for crush is rear-front.

The major vector for split is up-down.

The major vector for cross is left-right (right-left when practicing the other side).

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The techniques are summarized in the table below: Technique

Major Dimension

Minor Dimension

Minor Dimension

Crush (崩)

rear/front

up/down

left/right

Split (劈) Cross (衡)

up/down left/right

left/right rear/front

rear/front up/down

The position before the slash (/) is the start and finish position, and the aspect after it is the extended position. The table directions are based on a left-foot-forward beginning stance. For right-foot-forward practice, the left-right dimension is reversed to right-left.

Your speed of movement should be slow and deliberate. Feel the alternating activation and relaxation of each nerve cell and muscle fiber as you extend and retract the staff. You should move slowly enough that you do not fall into a crude rhythm of breath, such as extension on exhale and retraction on inhale. This work is slower and more subtle than that—breathe freely and naturally.

Purpose Your practice of these yiquan staff drills should be followed by a few minutes of standing quietly upright, stilling your mind, relaxing yourself physically, and experiencing the internal energy throughout your body that has been triggered.

Over time, this quiet standing will become more and more powerful and pleasant. In daily life, you will feel that your hands are lighter and stronger, more sensitive in feeling and more precise in action.

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Beyond those obvious benefits lies the really deep internal power ( 內勁). Yiquan is a descendant of xingyiquan. The traditional xingyiquan energies of 明勁, 暗勁, and 化勁—as defined and taught by Guo Yunshen (郭雲深), the teacher of yiquan’s founder, Wang Xiangzhai (王薌齋)—are tangible realities. With practice, they will begin to pulse and reverberate throughout your body, and you can learn to feel, strengthen, and use them. For

example, practitioners of Chenstyle tai chi will find that the intensity of spiral energy (纏絲勁) in their arms is greatly enhanced by the grounded, multi-dimensional extension and rotation in these yiquan drills.

The yiquan staff drills are one of many thousands of interesting methods that can be used as exploratory probes. However, you must keep in mind that this article is merely cherry-picking one extremely narrow slice of the vast discipline of yiquan. If you are interested in pursuing the art fully, you will need to enroll in a professional training program, and hopefully you will experience its great benefits and devote your life to developing its fundamental skills.

This article is like a wine-tasting session, giving you only a sip from the barrel.

In the present time, it is fashionable to re-define the powers of the internal martial arts using socalled realistic physiological terms such as fascia tissue, nerves, blood, glands, muscles, and bones, or else in mechanical terms such as alignment, posture, and structure. But in fact, internal power is just as real as those material things—but it is not those things.

other, is simply one instrument for immersing ourselves in this universal internal experience, which is not limited to any one style or method. The great historical xingyiquan master, Che Yizhai (車毅齋), has written that there is a power that transcends all styles.

Unification with that essence is always the ultimate goal, regardless of the method or teacher: 所以練拳學者自虛無而起自虛無 而還也到此時形意也八卦也太極 也諸形皆無萬象皆空混混淪淪一 氣渾然 “Martial art starts from emptiness and returns to emptiness. When you understand this, the notions of xingyi, bagua, or taiji all melt into vast waves and vibrations, a unified resonance where there is no more “taiji” or “xingyi” or “bagua”. The power of the boxing arts does not lie in the postures, but only in the spirit and energy being fully rounded and without gaps.”

– Che Yizhai (車毅齋)

Any style, whether yiquan or any

Scott Meredith

@ scott.meredith.393

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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

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Japan. Japanese people call them yaoyorozu no kami. The literal translation of this is “eight million gods.” Japanese people find gods everywhere and in everything, and it is common for them to worship many, if not all, of them. We do not have enough time and space to write about all the stories and history regarding Japanese gods, so I will focus on some important ones that have a connection to Katori Shinto ryu and provide a brief history of them.

Of these many gods, some are considered gods of martial arts, such as Marishiten, Takemikazuchi no kami, and Futsunushi no kami. Two of these are closely related to Katori Shinto ryu: Marishiten and Futsunushi no kami. Marishiten was believed to protect the samurai in the Japanese medieval era. This is why many samurai worshipped Marishiten. The other god that is closely related to Katori Shinto ryu is Futsunushi no kami. The name, Katori Shinto ryu, came from Katori Shrine, which is located in the Katori region of Japan. It is said that the Katori Shrine was built more than 2,600 years ago (643 BC). Futsunushi no kami is a god of this Katori Shrine and has been worshipped by people, particularly by samurai all over Japan because he is a god of the martial arts. He is

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also a god who helped conquer and govern Japan in Japanese mythology. This is why he is considered to be a god for all of Japan.

Now that we know two of the main gods who are connected to Katori Shinto ryu, let me elaborate in more detail. Katori Shinto ryu’s full name is Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto ryu. Tenshinsho is another name for Futsunushi no kami, and den means “from” or “hand down” in this sense. That is, Katori Shinto ryu was handed down from Futsunushi no kami to Izasa Choisai Ienao. Izasa Choisai Ienao was a servant to a lord of his region (current Tako-machi in Chiba prefecture). He was a well-known samurai and had never been defeated by any opponent. After he turned 60, he decided to give up everything and to train in the Katori Shrine for 1,000 days. One day, Katori no kami (another name for Futsunushi no kami) came to him and gave him a scroll of Katori Shinto ryu.

Moreover, according to one scroll, Marishiten taught Futsunushi no kami Omote no tachi—which is the first of four kata (forms) students learn upon joining Katori Shinto ryu—before conquering and governing Japan. For this reason, even in modern days, we still carry on norito (Japanese religious chanting) of Marishiten, and worship

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those two gods in Katori Shinto ryu. From the days of Izasa Choisai Ienao, numerous samurai have learned Katori Shinto ryu and relied on it to survive. Now that we know the brief history of Katori Shinto ryu, let us move on to more details of the school.

Japanese martial arts have evolved on battlefields and samurai relied on them to survive. On the battlefield, it is common to use multiple

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weapons depending on the situation, as each weapon offers some advantages and disadvantages. It was thus vitally important to know both the advantages and disadvantages of each weapon in order for them to increase one’s chances of survival. This is the reason why Shinto ryu practitioners still train in multiple weapons, even though the main weapon of Shinto ryu is the katana. Although it has been

said that some arts, such as kusarigama, have been lost over the years, they still practice kenjutsu (katana), iai (sword drawing), bo (staff), naginata (Japanese halberd), ryoto (two swords), kodachi (short sword), and yari (spear), as well as jujutsu (non-weapon physical combat) today.

On the battlefield, barring some weapons that can attack opponents from afar, such as bows and arrows, yari and naginata offer samurai the longest range of attack.

For this reason, samurai usually started fighting with longer weapons such as the yari or naginata.

However, it is not uncommon for the weapons to break during the fight. When a yari and naginata break during the fight, a samurai was forced to use the rest of the weapon’s heft sans its blade as a bo. This is the reason why all the samurai, including higher-ranking samurai, needed to know how to fight with the bo, even though it is considered a weapon for lower-ranking samurai. Once the bo is broken, they use the katana as the next weapon. When the katana is broken, they use the kodachi.

When the kodachi is broken, they use jujutsu, or unarmed physical combat. There is no place for any complaints to exist. They had to fight with what they got at that

exact moment, no matter how difficult the situation was. As you can see, they started fighting using the longest weapons, and ended with bare hands; that is, the fight evolves from the longest to the shortest weapon range. Now that we know some of the basic reasons why Shinto ryu practitioners have been learning all these weapons, let us take a look at how they practice them, and in what order.

When a person joins Shinto ryu, they first learn kenjutsu (katana).

There are multiple different kenjutsu techniques based on different situations in Shinto ryu, but the very first one that students learn is called Omote no tachi.

Since the main weapon of Shinto ryu is the katana, and practitioners start learning the art starting from katana techniques prior to moving on to learn other weapons, it is necessary for us to know how they learn the techniques, and how they move on to learn other weapons, in order for us to fully understand the reason and system of learning other longer weapons such as the yari, naginata, or bo.

Omote no tachi are the techniques for when a samurai wears armor.

We take a lower stance than in other kenjutsu techniques and movements in the system. One of

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the characteristics of Omote no tachi is that the movement is big and strong, like a lion. The other characteristic of Omote no tachi is its length. Omote no tachi is significantly longer in length compared to other styles of kenjutsu. This aspect of having an extra-long kata is one of the essences of Shinto ryu.

This is especially true for all the basic kata including those for the bo and naginata. One of the main reasons for this is to build cardiovascular strength, as there are multiple opponents on the battlefield, and we do not know when the fight will end. In order for a samurai to be prepared for the long and strenuous fight, they needed to build good cardiovascular strength.

I would also like to introduce one of the interesting educational characteristics of Shinto ryu and Japanese martial arts overall. Since the techniques are used on the battlefield, it goes without saying that keeping the techniques hidden and secret is crucial in order for a samurai to survive in the battle. Once the techniques are known, it creates potential harm and makes their user that much more vulnerable to the opponents. For this reason, all the kata are made to hide the actual techniques. It is particularly true in Shinto ryu kata. When someone outside of the school watches them

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secretly, and perhaps tries to steal the techniques, all they could observe is practitioners hitting katana against katana multiple times.

However, in the hidden techniques called kuzushi, we do not hit katana against other katana, and we always aim for counterattacks. For example, when it looks like one is blocking the opponent’s attack, it is actually taking a counter, and cutting the opponent rather than blocking. These hidden techniques are apparent in not only katana techniques, but also all the other weapons such as the naginata and bo as well. It is also important to know that kuzushi was not taught to every student. Students need first to reach a certain level to be taught these hidden techniques.

As you can see, keeping the techniques hidden was crucial in Shinto ryu. For this reason, Shinto ryu has a rather unique way that students must join the school, so that they can differentiate who are the actual members of Katori Shinto ryu. Upon joining, all students must submit their blood oath. The blood oath was one of the forms in order to make any document official back in the days. It is like a signature in modern days, and was widely used in many different occasions in ancient Japan. Although the concept of a blood oath was

not unique, the way they used it was. Upon joining, students must cut above the first joint of their left ring finger with a small katana (tanto), and use their right thumb to stamp their fingerprint to complete the blood oath. When someone outside of the school came to seek training, they asked them whether they had submitted the blood oath or not, and how they completed it. If they answered incorrectly, they were not permitted to stay and learn.

Before moving on to the longer weapons, I would also like to further discuss how we learn each technique. This is true for all the weapons. We learn all the movements and techniques through kata, which is a set form and collection of many movements.

Teachers show students the movements, and students mimic each movement as precisely as they possibly can. When students learn a new kata, they continue and repeat that same kata over and over

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until the new kata becomes a part of them. In the Japanese language, the word “to learn” is manabu.

Manabu is derived from the word, manebu, which means “to mimic.”

That is, we learn through mimicking and imitating the movements of our teachers through our bodies, rather than learning through words. In other words, we value body learning rather than brain learning. Instead of learning things through a textbook, samurai learn things through their body and make the learning part of their body. It is like learning how to ride a bicycle by actually practicing, instead of learning how to ride a bicycle by reading the instructions of how to ride it. Once you can ride a bicycle, it is impossible for you to genuinely fall on purpose. You

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can fake it, but you cannot genuinely fall from the bicycle. Your body refuses it. Likewise, samurai learn all the techniques and carve that into their subconscious self. It takes more time to learn, but once you get it, it stays with you forever.

Furthermore, only through body learning can we attain and learn the precise control of timing and space, which were invisible to the students before. Through training, things that were invisible before begin, at some point, to become visible. No one knows when it happens, and it depends on each practitioner, but it will eventually happen, sooner or later. Moreover, by repeating the set form even after mastering its sequence, we can finally start polishing the internal movements, flows of energy,

and eliminating any unnecessary movements. This concept of body learning is one of the cores of Japanese martial arts education.

Now that we know the principles of learning the system, let us move on to the topic of longer weapons, and start with the bo. As I mentioned previously, a bo is typically a weapon for lower-ranking samurai. However, higher-ranking samurai also knew how to use it, just in case their yari or naginata was broken during the battle.

They simply used the staves of the yari and naginata as a bo. Students start learning bo techniques about two years after joining the school, after they master the basic maneuvers of the katana. In Shinto ryu, we start learning bo techniques with bo against katana.

This bo-against-katana technique is called Omote no bo. We have six distinct kata of bo against katana.

Once they have learned Omote no bo, they then move on to bo against bo which is called Chudan no bo. We also have six distinct bo-againstbo kata. They are considered more advanced than bo against katana, because of the range and the use of the bo. The length of a bo is about six feet (182 cm). The unique characteristic of our use of the bo is its pulling movement. In order for us to maximize the striking range of the bo, we hold either end of it.

After striking the opponent, using one side of the bo, we quickly pull it back, and hold the other end of it in order to prepare for the next attack or block. We call this movement kogu. When students

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start learning the bo, they first need to master this pulling movement in order to move smoothly and effortlessly. Otherwise, they cannot catch up with the speed of the katana, even though they have some advantage in terms of reach.

For many other martial arts, such as karate, this pulling movement does not exist, and they typically hold the middle third of the bo to maneuver the weapon. It is not an argument of which is better or worse, but it is simply the different use of the same weapon.

Furthermore, in Shinto ryu, the strikes of the bo usually start from the upper position (right next to the face) no matter what the intended aim of the strike is, be it head, torso, or legs. This not only hides where they are going to strike, but also confuses the opponent. There

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are, of course, some exceptions depending on the situations, but students are taught to pull the bo up at the basic level. Teachers advise students to practice pulling up the bo over and over again, and when they can do it naturally, they are also building enough muscular strength in their lats to use the bo sufficiently well.

As for kata in kenjutsu, Omote no bo has many more techniques than it appears due to the hidden techniques of kuzushi. While it looks like we are blocking the attack of a katana, we are actually taking counterattacks to the opponent’s head and wrists. Since the bo has an advantage in the reach of a strike, students need to be careful not to injure their partners while they are training. This is a difficult yet interesting part of the training

of Shinto ryu; while we are moving to do one motion, we also have to have the intention of the other kuzushi movement hidden inside of the external movement. In Shinto ryu, we have been told that “if we have time to block, cut.”

I would like to add the fascinating insight of this saying. In Japanese martial arts, we have a saying, “Under the cutting edge, there is hell. Step in, and you will see heaven.” When students learn kuzushi physically, and embed kuzushi into their subconscious, their perspectives start to shift. When they learn how to block against any attack, the only thing they can see is the danger of an attack. However, when they learn kuzushi, and embed that into their subconscious, the only thing they could see is the weak points or openings of the

same attack. That is, while they could only see potential danger in the beginning, they can eventually start seeing opportunities to win from the same attack that is coming toward them. Here, I would like to introduce one other Japanese term, kiki. Kiki means danger and consists of two characters. The first ki means “danger” and the second ki means “opportunity.” That is, when we have danger, we also have an opportunity. By practicing Katori Shinto ryu, we develop the ability to see opportunities under severe risks and potential danger.

As you can see, Shinto ryu’s kata teaches us without words to see the positive instead of the negative. It teaches us to see the light in the darkness. It teaches us to convert risk into success.

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After students successfully learn the use of the bo, they move on to practice the naginata. Naginata is a weapon that was widely used in the Kamakura era. The length of Katori Shinto ryu naginata is a little more than eight feet (251 cm to be exact). This length of naginata is more for the samurai in the Kamakura era, and not for the modern-day naginata, which is about seven feet long. The naginata has a cutting blade on one end to cut, and also an iron cover on the other end for striking at opponents.

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Thus, in Katori Shinto ryu, we use both ends of the naginata to attack. Moreover, because of its length and weight, we hold the middle of the naginata to have better control of it. Historically, the naginata was used in one-on-one combat during the Kamakura era.

However, since the weapon is long, and it needs more momentum and circular motion, it was not as suitable for a group fight, since there is the potential danger of harming the allies around you.

Students practice the naginata against katana, just like they did bo against katana. We have four kata for naginata in Katori Shinto ryu.

For an outsider, some of the movements of naginata look strange and even unnecessary. One of the strangest movements might be the one where we spin during the kata, which is called Yamameguri (“going through a mountain”)—the spinning movement that completely shows our back to the opponents.

Although it might appear unnecessary, this movement also has kuzushi. I would like to introduce the hidden meaning of this: as we turn our back to the opponent, we are showing our weak spot to them—in this case our neck—to lure the opponent and make them initiate an attack. When they come in for this bait to cut the neck, we block with the opposite end of the naginata, and use the blade to cut their torso. It goes without saying that students who just learned naginata do not even have a slightest clue about what they are doing.

However, as they practice, they begin to see the meaning of it.

It seems that the naginata has more movements than the bo or kenjutsu, which also appear unfamiliar and rather strange to outsiders, or to the new students.

However, learning these seeming-

ly unimportant and unnecessary movements cultivates a very important human character, which is trust. It is a trend nowadays that people do not do things unless they see the benefit of it. However, this does not apply in martial arts.

Students are expected to do things as instructed by their teachers, even though they cannot see any benefits. Questioning their teacher’s teachings is frowned upon, or even forbidden in Japanese martial arts. We just need to trust our teachers, and just need to do as we are instructed to over and over again. The benefit will come to us eventually. This is the mentality of students of the samurai and Japanese martial arts. This is especially important in the modern days that we live in. Everything is rather instant, and people tend to chase instant pleasure rather than delayed gratification. With this tendency, people will become more and more selfish, and lose the virtue of self-sacrifice. Self-sacrifice is another very important teaching of Katori Shinto ryu and samurai culture overall. We are taught to live with a code of honor. Especially, the concepts of jin and gi are two of the most important principles. Jin is compassion, or having a caring feeling toward others. Gi is justice, and the spirit of self-sac-

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Bojutsu

rifice. I would like to share one of the teachings of Katori Shinto ryu. There is a saying, “We, that is sheep.” Let me elaborate this point since this might not make sense to many people. When we write the character of gi in Japanese, it consists of two characters: “sheep” and “self.” Back in the days, the sheep was an animal that was used as a sacrifice to provide the benefits to others. For the samurai, and Katori Shinto ryu practitioners, justice means sacrificing ourselves to benefit others. However, we need to keep in mind that we do not nec-

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essarily give up our lives to benefit others in daily life. If we have to give up our actual life, it would be too extreme. Sacrificing ourselves to benefit others means to do the things that are not necessary for you to do, in order to provide the benefits to others. For example, when you are on an airplane, and find that the restroom is not clean, you clean the restroom so that the next person who uses the restroom can feel better. It is clearly not your job to clean the restroom, since you are a customer; yet, you voluntarily do it for oth-

ers. The list of things you can do to sacrifice yourself for others is infinite. A samurai always acts with this code of honor no matter how small or big the sacrifice is, and so do Katori Shinto ryu practitioners.

This aspect is very important for our modern society as well—to be a person with compassion and to do things for others.

Now that we know some basic characteristics of the naginata, let us move on to the yari. The yari is a Japanese spear. The length of the yari that we use in Katori Shinto ryu is a little less than 10 feet (288

cm to be exact). Needless to say, we can see many different lengths of yari throughout history, and it can sometimes exceed way over 15 feet.

The long yari was especially useful to fight against opponents who were on horses. There are six different kata for the yari. Students will learn the yari after completing all the other weapons, such as the naginata, bo, kenjutsu, ryoto, and kodachi. It usually takes 10 years for students to start learning how to use the yari.

The attacks with the yari in Katori Shinto ryu are usually stabbing

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with its blade, and we aim for the eyes, throat, shoulders, belly button, thighs, and knees depending on the situation. However, we are also taught that we can use the yari to strike opponents using its staff or the other end when it comes to close combat in a real battlefield.

The yari is especially useful and beneficial for battle during the night. While a katana or naginata makes a louder wind-cutting noise when we cut, the yari only makes a minimal sound. Hence, it is very difficult for opponents to tell the timing of a yari attack when it is difficult to see in the dark, and when they have to rely more on their ears. In Katori Shinto ryu, students practice yari against katana during practice like with the naginata or bo.

One of the unique characteristics of how we use the yari in Katori Shinto ryu is to stab the opponent with Kirimomi (creating a spiral momentum). Kirimomi is rotating the yari as much as possible and creating a spiral motion to increase the strength of piercing through the opponent. Creating a spiral momentum is the same concept as with bullets fired from rifled guns and other firearms.

In addition, after each thrust, we take the yari to a lower position in

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order for us to minimize its vulnerability. One of the advantages of long weapons such as the yari, naginata, and bo is to be able to attack opponents farther away than with a katana. Still, when there are advantages, there are also disadvantages. The main disadvantage of longer weapons is their use at short distances. In order for people to understand this concept, I must first explain how a katana can win against a yari, or any other longer weapon in this regard. In Katori Shinto ryu, there is kuzushi of a katana technique called Hashikakaru (“building the bridge in between”).

As you have seen, we practice longer weapons against the katana in Shinto ryu. As opponents use longer weapons, it becomes more difficult for us to fight against them with the katana, since the range of the attack is shorter. Hashikakaru is a technique to kill the distance immediately, and go into the shorter distance to have more advantage for the katana. We block any attacks with longer weapons with the katana, and immediately run close to the opponent. This technique is not apparent until the kata of yari, but we can see a glimpse of Hashikakaru in the kata from bo and naginata as well. Now that we know the concept of Hashikakaru, let me explain one way

Naginatajutsu

Sojutsu

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to prevent this attack with a katana when we use the yari. As you can imagine now, when an opponent succeeds in killing the distance and comes close to us, it becomes very difficult for the long weapon to fight. This is especially true for the longest weapon, the yari. For this reason, after the attack, we always take the yari to a lower position to eliminate the weakness, and to make it harder for the opponents to kill the distance. Moreover, just in case they try to come closer to attack us, even after we take a lower position, we use the same technique we use for the bo—i.e., pulling (kogu). When the opponent tries to kill the distance between us and run toward us, we run back as well, and pull our yari at the same time to block any attacks with the katana. During practice, we do not show the thrust after the block, but we are always finishing with the yari in the position from where we can thrust at the opponent.

This is another hidden technique of the yari.

These form the basic knowledge and characteristics of longer weapons such as the bo, naginata, and yari. Now, I would like to add a lit-

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tle more skill that makes it easier for us to maneuver all of these long weapons. Since the weapons are longer than the katana, we need to have more muscular strength to control them, and we also need to have more stamina. In order for us to have better control, with less physical effort, we always put either hand—left or right—on our pelvis or head to stabilize the weapon. Needless to say, there are times that neither one of our hands is attached to our body when we use the weapons, but in that case, the handles or lengths of the weapon are attached to our body for better stabilization. In this way, we can control longer weapons better and, at the same time, increase accuracy, execute attacks with more power, and preserve our stamina in battle.

Just like putting one hand on our pelvis is required to have better control in all of the long weapons, there is one more thing that is extremely important throughout any weapon system in Katori Shinto ryu. This aspect is not really physical, but more spiritual. On the battlefield, or in an actual fight, it is 99 percent spiritual and 1 percent

physical. That means that even if you have outstanding techniques, if you do not have the gut to execute the technique, it is meaningless. Even if you have the sharpest katana in your hands, if you do not have the determination to cut the opponent, it is the same as if you had the dullest katana, or did not have a katana at all. Moreover, it is a very scary thing when someone is literally trying to kill you with a katana, naginata, yari, or any other weapon. Thus, it is required from all of the samurai to somehow overcome fear on the battlefield.

Now, how did they achieve it? How did they overcome the fear and fought bravely?

In order for us to understand this very important aspect of Japanese martial arts, I would like to dig a little deeper. The samurai were not stupid. They were in fact intellectually very smart. Here, we need to know that our brain is not programmed to be happy. Our brain is programmed to survive. That is why smart people tend to see more negative aspects in things in order to survive. This is the reason why, when we are walking on the mountain at night or go into a cave, we

are worried that something like a bear or mountain lion might come and attack us, even though the chances that they are there and will start attacking us are very low.

This is called the spotlight effect.

We tend, in life, to see negative things more strongly than positive things for reasons of survival.

However, if a samurai keeps seeing only negative things, their ability to fight decreases. It is not acceptable for them to keep seeing the negative aspects. At the same time, it is not acceptable for samurai to be fearless. Some people might get to thinking that being fearless is good on a battlefield, but in fact, being fearless and being courageous are two completely different things.

Please allow me to elaborate. Being fearless means that you have nothing to fear. You fail to see any negative aspects, and you cannot prepare for any unexpected attacks or ambushes. You might even cause more harm than good. Being fearless is like taking a selfie right on the edge of the Grand Canyon, or walking on the edge of the top of the Empire State Building—it is meaningless. Being courageous,

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however, is the complete opposite.

People often overlook the fact that we need to have fear in order for us to have courage. Courage is the will power to overcome all fear.

That is, courageous people see potential danger and negativity, but they overcome it with their courage. They execute things even if it is scary. Hence, samurai need to be courageous instead of fearless.

The question is: how can we achieve this mental state? How can we be more courageous? These are the questions many of us need to tackle even in modern days. Let us keep these questions for now, and let us ask more questions that people might have for purposes of learning Katori Shinto ryu, an ancient samurai martial art in modern times. Some people may wonder if there are any benefits to practicing weapons such as the naginata or yari because we do not use any of those weapons in our daily lives. In addition to that, Katori Shinto ryu does not even offer or hold any competitions. Furthermore, Katori Shinto ryu even prohibits students from participating in fights. For these reasons, it is very understandable that many people develop such questions, because what they are saying makes sense in a way. I can absolutely see their point. And now it is time for

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me to answer the pending questions above: How can we be more courageous? How can we achieve it?

As is explained above, the real fight is 99 percent spiritual and only 1 percent technical. That is, all the techniques you learned through all the training are almost meaningless if you cannot learn the spiritual aspect of being courageous. Katori Shinto ryu achieves this by making a big kiai. Kiai is a spiritual yell that is a distinct feature of Japanese martial arts. This is even more true in Katori Shinto ryu. As we attack, cut, strike, or perform any other attack—you name it—in Katori Shinto ryu, we make a big kiai. Some may wonder why it helps, so let me elaborate a little. For example, when you go into a haunted mansion in a theme park, you can see that many people are screaming. This is for them to reduce their fear; by screaming, people can reduce their fear tremendously. The samurai used this aspect and used the kiai to reduce the fear that they felt on the battlefield. But please note that a samurai used the loud voice or yell to overcome their fear, but they were not screaming out of fear. Kiai also has another purpose: it is to intimidate the opponent and give a shock to their physical system. We

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as humans tend to stop when we hear some extremely loud noises all of a sudden, especially when it is unexpected. It is just like: you stop walking when you hear the sound of a big car crash across the street.

The samurai used this human reaction strategically to intimidate their opponents. As you can see kiai is one way to overcome fear and be more courageous instantaneously.

However, voicing a kiai when they attack does not really support being courageous when one is wholly under an ambush. Therefore, we usually do not shout kiai when we block in Katori Shinto ryu. Now, I would like to explain one more aspect of how to get to the state of being calm and collected during a battle. In order for us to be calm and collected, we need to be confident. When you are confident, you are more courageous. When you are confident, you are not scared.

When you are confident, you can get more things done. Then, we just need to be confident. It is definitely easier said than done. We all know we should be confident, but many of us fail. However, samurai somehow managed to be confident and Katori Shinto ryu training offers people the means of becoming more confident without them even realizing it. This is another aspect

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of cultivating spiritual strength.

This is true especially when we use longer weapons.

How can an ancient form of weapon training make people more confident, particularly when it does not even offer sparring or tournament competitions? There is no winning or losing during the training, either. The answer is simple: Katori Shinto ryu uses physical movement to gain access to the subconscious. Many people fail to change because they only try to change with their conscious self. In order for anyone to truly change who they are, they need to change their subconscious. This is very hard to do, and that is why it is called sub-conscious. The reason why Katori Shinto ryu training can achieve a change in the subconscious self is because it uses the physical movement to change the spiritual aspects. It is said that people can control their emotions by motion. Now, let us imagine a person with low confidence. How do they speak? How do they walk?

What kind of posture do they hold? When you imagine a person with low confidence, they tend to speak quietly, walk with smaller steps, and have bad posture. On the other hand, when you imagine a person with high confidence, they speak louder, walk with big-

ger steps, and have good posture.

In Katori Shinto ryu, we take big steps (about twice as big as shoulder width), make a big kiai, and maintain good posture to have better control of the weapons and produce more force. By doing so, practitioners of Katori Shinto ryu cannot be anything but confident, because their physical body becomes the same as that of a confident person. Furthermore, when we use any type of weapon, both our shoulders have to be low. We cannot raise our shoulders to maneuver the weapons. It is simply impossible. By dropping both of our shoulders in the most stressful situation, such as during an opponent’s attack, we train our bodies not to get stressed out. As you can see, through practicing Katori Shinto ryu, people can achieve a strong mental state of being cool, calm, and collected. Needless to say, there are many more physical aspects that contribute to practitioners’ well-being throughout the training, and all of them can impact our subconscious self. This is why Katori Shinto ryu can achieve the mental strength of a samurai who is ready for an actual fight.

its training system. We have also discussed how the training of Katori Shinto ryu can improve each practitioner as a person, and can make their daily life better. Although people might think that it is old-fashioned, and that there is not much to gain from it, the actual benefit that they can get from the training is undeniable. This article is not a full explanation of the training, or of Katori Shinto ryu itself, and people cannot learn everything just by reading it. But I hope that people can get a glimpse of the merits of training in this beautiful ancient art just as the samurai from hundreds of years ago did.

In this article, we have covered a brief history of Katori Shinto ryu, some of the weapons that its practitioners use to train with, and

Riichi Kitano @ riichikitanous

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THE ONE AND THE MANY:

HAWAIIAN TOBOSA SYSTEM Michael Mulconery

“As one thinks, so does one become. You can do anything if you follow through. You should always have confidence in your abilities. No matter how strong you may be, you cannot break barriers with strength alone.

Strength alone is not Kali.”

-Grandmaster Raymond Tobosa

Danlan sa Kasag—The Way of the Crab

THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT ONE thing and many things. The many-things are the history, foundation, and substance of the onething. For no one-thing stands alone, and every-thing comes from something else. The “one-thing,” which is two-things, because they are inseparable, is the journey of the Tobosa brothers and their founding of the Tobosa School of Arnis-Kali-Escrima. Raymond Tobosa, whom we called Batikan and Teofisto (Toby) Tobosa, whom we called Manoy, founded their discipline after many years of study and

selection of systems of combat, which seemed to them to work together well.

The Tobosa School of Filipino Fencing, as it was called early on, can also be known as Estilo Casag, Estilong ang Kasag, or Danlan sa Kasag. These terms—Crab Style, Swimming Crab Style, and Way of the Crab—are simply shortened into Casag. It is a Filipino/Hawaiian system that was developed, or we could say, “knit together,” by Raymond and Toby Tobosa in Hawaii, over a number of years.

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Raymond Tobosa “Batikan” & Toby Tobosa “Manoy”

Its roots stretch back to 1930 when Raymond Tobosa was six years old.

It was at this age that his father, Maximo, a Filipino immigrant from the Visayan region of the Philippines, began teaching him the rudiments of Filipino martial arts. He taught him a straightforward style called Cinco Tiro, meaning “five hits” or “five shots.” It was a larga mano (“large hand”), more commonly known as “long-range” style of fencing. It used two basic ways of responding to five strikes and angles of attack. When Raymond turned nine, his father began to teach him methods of empty-hand combat.

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From this early beginning, Raymond Tobosa, followed by younger brother Toby, was infused with a passion for martial arts knowledge.

He sought it out, as an artisan who searches for exquisite threads to form an interwoven tapestry. By the mid-1950s, the image of the tapestry began to take shape. So, this project is a brief look at the one-particular-thing, the tapestry of Estilo Casag, and the many-particular-things, the interwoven threads of an art form and system.

From its family beginnings through their father, Maximo Tobosa (18961948), Casag evolved eclectically

within the Hawaiian archipelago and stretched out to the mainland and beyond. The “family” today is predominantly made up of Tobosa’s “adoptees”—those who trained directly under them, bloodline family such as grandson Chaston Tobosa, who calls me his uncle, and others whom we have adopted.

The adoptees, as legitimate family members, make up the wider family, or ohana, of the Tobosa system. It is not like many families who suffer conflict between them and break apart, but it is “ohana” in the Hawaiian spirit of the word.

All of Hawaii, in a particular sense, is like this. When the connection of love, honor, and loyalty is made, one becomes kānaka māori kōhanga, roughly translated as “people of the nest.” It is a distinction which identifies members of a unique community, no matter where the world may have scattered them.

Tobosa arnis-kali-escrima, the Casag system, takes the “ohana” approach.

As noted, the many-particular-things of this article are those things which make up the Casag tapestry. Its many-colored threads and fabrics are sewn together to tell a story. It is not unlike any other story; it is just our story.

From as early as ancient Egypt, tapestries were weaved to serve multiple purposes, not the least of which was as a record of historical events, including the stories of families and individuals. For no tapestry is weaved of only one color, but of multiple colors. Like all families, as they grow, their story grows. As the embroidery of an unfinished tapestry increases, it becomes more than it once was.

Over time, the foundations of the past, the structure of the present, and a vision of the future, all become part of a family’s history. So, we must always look back and give homage to our roots—the first designs in the tapestry.

Casag, as an art form, is very much like Hawaiian culture. Formulated out of the melting pot of immigrant warriors, the Tobosas developed their own approach. In doing so, they preserved many voices that might otherwise have faded into oblivion. It is, in a real sense, an “ohana” of systems brought together by destiny, on a small group of islands in the Pacific. This is the origin and foundation of the Casag system of systems. As with all martial arts systems, Casag cannot be separated from the personalities of its history and the elements which give it a life of its own.

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Five Important Elements Understanding the elements of something helps us to see how its substance is held together. Casag, and really all martial art forms, consists of at least five elements in my evaluation.

These are purpose, system(s), systematics, art, and way. While these concepts flow together in the same background, as though one environment, they are also individual elements in that environment.

These are like the threads I have mentioned and serve to help explain the sort of tapestry involved in a well-rounded martial art.

Purpose: In philosophical terms, all things have a purpose. This notion of purpose is called teleology. The reason for something is also the goal of that thing. It is what it is, and the design itself is purposeful.

Its unique teleology includes an explanation of why it exists, and how it functions. Things, ideas, and methods are all intertwined with their unique purposes. The reason for a physical thing is evident by its design.

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Ideas are non-physical; they are designed within the mind. Unless they are only in one’s mental life, they enter into the physical realm to obtain fruition. The purposes behind ideas are a bit more complex and less obvious than physical things. If ideas are not just part of one’s mental life, they must be articulated to others, so that others can see the “goal” and participate in the means to achieve it.

Methods for achieving a goal vary and are process-oriented. Yet each part of the process is goal-oriented. This achieves that: once we have that, then we do this, etc. If the method is effective then the processes flow as one thing, almost indistinguishable from another.

All things, ideas, and methods possess particular attributes and rationales.

While some folks might not like the notion of everything having a purpose, they are only arguing for some other design. Even if they hold to chaos as being the “way” things are, they realize that chaos

is the “order” of things. In my estimation, purpose undergirds reality and anytime we ignore a thing’s purpose, we run into problems.

Even if we have not discerned everything involved with the purpose, it is ignorant to presume there is none. Better to search for it than to deny it.

As in all things, martial-craft is purposeful. It is the craft-of-war, the trade-of-combat, it is the study of effectively injuring, maiming, and killing an aggressor. It exists because we live in a world of fighting and wars. People want what other people have, and will take it if they are permitted. The purpose of martial-craft, then, is to cure aggression. The ideas and methods for halting aggression produce the arts which accomplish that goal.

Systems: There are a number of definitions for the concept of a system. An internet search reveals that there are 112,000,000 hits for the term system. Out of the many descriptions, I found three that seem to match up with what

I hope to convey. From the Free Dictionary and Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a system is: (1) a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network; (2) a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized framework or method; (3) a regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole.

Each of these definitions has a common theme, being: multiple elements, organized to work together in harmony. From my experience, and it is certainly true of Casag, no martial art stands alone. Even though every system has its own set of genres, the methods work together. So, there is a blade method, an impact method, the mixing of the methods, and so forth.

Systematics: A concept related to system is the principle of systematics. If multiple things are employed to work together in harmony, then something must also bind them together to accomplish a unique

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purpose. Technically, a systematic methodology involves the uniting of principles (systems) into a curriculum. A systematic curriculum involves a progressive hierarchy of knowledge and skills. Now, that is a mouthful.

More simply stated: a systematic approach is a step-by-step method.

We must crawl before we walk, and walk before we run. Knowledge and skills are built upon each other in a hierarchy. We are brought to the level of our ability through the construction of skills and knowledge. Each morsel of knowledge and achievement of skill becomes the foundation for the next. Each serves a “unique purpose” toward a higher unique purpose.

The systematics of a martial system, and of course one’s own tenacity, are what make a student into a disciple and then, into a master. It makes a master into a disciple and into a student again. It may seem like a cliché, but every enthusiast delights in the fact that the circle

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always comes back around to the beginning. Everything is the same as it was, but at the same time, it is not the same. It is like the Zen Kōan: “Before enlightenment, I chopped wood and carried water.

After enlightenment, I chopped wood and carried water.”

Art: I believe that if we appreciate beauty, we will see the art in all things. There are at least 734 million occurrences of the word art to be found in an internet search.

Now, that does not mean much of anything, but it is interesting.

While definitions of art vary as widely as do the genre to which it is applied, I believe there is an appropriate way to think about art in martial-craft.

Certainly, there are martial arts, which are more about beauty than combat, and others that are mostly about combat, with no esthetic values. Yet, an art form that is both esthetic and lethal seems to me to be the best way to think of a “true to purpose” martial art. It is an art

form which is best expressed in the depths of seriousness—at the moment of its engagement. Yet, when the struggle for life and death is not happening, it does not sit dormant but moves continuously in preparation for that moment.

I am convinced that martial art, as a means of combative reliance, is an art form like no other. It is created out of necessity and serves its artist and the objectives of its design. Its artistic beauty is perhaps best seen in its contrasting elements. Though it is rough and rigid, it is also supple and flexible.

It is internal and it is external. It is obvious, and yet, opaque and furtive. It does not stand alone but as a collection of fluid tactics, that lives at the heart of strategy. It is purposeful and pragmatic, and its beauty is seen in the survivability of its practitioners.

The great swordsman Miyamoto Musashi touched on such thoughts in his Book of Five Rings; he said: “If we look at the world, we see arts

for sale. Men use equipment to sell their own selves. As if with the nut and the flower, the nut has become less than the flower. In this kind of Way of strategy, both those teaching and those learning the way are concerned with coloring and showing off their technique, trying to hasten the bloom of the flower. They speak of ‘This Dojo’ and ‘That Dojo.’ They are looking for profit. Someone once said, ‘Immature strategy is the cause of grief.’ That was a true saying.”

Way: It may seem redundant to include a principle called way when systems, systematics, purpose, and art are all about ways, in a manner of speaking. But when I speak of a way in this context, I am thinking about the personalities of individuals and families, which distinguish themselves by their approaches to something. This is similar to when we recognize a unique quality, and say something like, “It’s his way,” “That’s just the way they do it in these parts,” or perhaps, “You have

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your way and I have mine,” and so on. So, whatever it may be, a way of talking, a way of thinking, a way of training, and so on, it is how something is done by one or more people, that is a bit different from other people.

All of this is to say that the Tobosas were purposeful, in their own way, as they developed Casag and its precursor system, KAJI. Like so many others in Hawaii from the early 1900s to about 1970, they were immersed in multiple martial arts systems. They were determined to systematically blend together many, to create one unique art form. While this is not an unusual idea today, not all environments are as naturally conducive to such a development as was theirs. Today, such blending is in vogue; then and there, it was as natural as the combined cultures around them.

Their goal was to weave together relevant methods. They reasoned that many-things can become onething together. What is brought

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together in a common framework, like reeds bound together, becomes something new and stronger than when solitary. They were not in competition with other approaches but simply desired to bring together the threads of their own experiences and training. What they developed could not be separated from their personalities, nor those of their teachers. One of their concerns was that what they might form could be of value to others.

They believed that if it could benefit others, then it was worth pursuing.

Before starting this article, I looked in my den at the myriad of swords and impact weapons on every wall.

I do not just enjoy them as showpieces; I train with every one of them. Each has its own unique set of attributes. Each is unique in beauty and construction, with features that give them a sort of personality. Yet, at the core, bladed weapons are designed to cut and thrust and impact weapons are

meant to wallop and break bones.

Even though I have seen walloping weapons cut and cutting weapons wallop, they are simply doing what we make them do. So, the point is, we used our weapons’ attributes with their best results in mind, but they will always share some qualities, which we can put to our use.

This is how I see the Casag system: when the blade is used as a blade, it thrusts and cuts best; when the baston is used as a baston, it wallops and breaks best. Whether slashing, thrusting, or walloping, the job gets done. If I have no weapon, I will not know it, until the battle is over. Though it sounds a bit esoteric, this is simply the mindset that martial artists share. One may not win the battle, but fighting as though he were dead, he will never be concerned with losing.

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Foundations There are multiple stories of Grandmasters, systems, and practitioners that have emerged from the mountains, forests, and fields of the Philippines. Such stories, however, must include those who migrated to America and other locations. They brought with them both their experiences, cultural influences, and of course, their martial-craft. It is very popular today to travel to the Philippines in pursuit of “authentic” FMA knowledge and training. That is not a bad thing, but some have been convinced or fooled into believing that, “If one’s knowledge was not obtained in the Philippines, then they have not received authentic knowledge, and their training is surely inferior.”

While a location will often give us a unique perspective—I love Hawaii—and maybe even inspire us, it cannot impart the sort of knowledge that the above statement implies. The transmission of training knowledge is from person to person. It is “authentic” knowledge if the transmitter has authentic knowledge to impart. The fact is, where goes the man, so goes his land, his knowledge, his abilities, and his art. He is a book of stories and illustrations. The truth is: he is an encyclopedia to be respect-

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Master Toby and Grandmaster Raymond Tobosa (Oahu, 1968).

fully studied. As a teacher, he will open up to his students like a book.

They can then respectfully read his story and make it part of their own.

Those to whom he lends his book, see his land, learn his ways, and know his story at length. The idea that a place of origin holds, perhaps, some mystical quality of

hidden knowledge, is, in a certain sense, an illusion. It is, at the least, an immature view of what constitutes genuine knowledge. I would rather sit around a campfire with people from different regions, hearing about their views and experiences and learning their ways, than pursue “better” knowledge elsewhere. The sharing and melding together of ways brings about the familiarity of wisdom that founds a brotherhood like no other.

In a certain sense, it is impossible to get clarity regarding Estilo Casag without having at least some understanding of its founders, Grandmaster “Batikan” Raymond and Master Toby (whom we called Manoy, our elder in the art). While Raymond is the main personality I am highlighting, Toby was there for most of it. He was Raymond’s brother, and my teacher as well as Batikan. Batikan made sure that his brother was involved, and a part of everything from the start.

When Batikan died, Manoy led us.

In the Casag system, Batikan is a title received as the highest achievable rank. I am uncertain of its linguistic origins other than to say that it appears to be a Cebuano term used to mean “chieftain” or maybe “revelator.” The closest

interpretation of the term Batikan seems to be the term Vatican. The Latin roots of Vatican, other than Vatican City where the Pope lives, indicate that it is connected to the concept of possessing “foresight,” or the gift of “revelation” in some context.

In Casag, the title is received at the Hangin, or “Wind” rank. It is in fact a headmaster position over a main school or schools. Like all of the Casag ranking levels, it has a mission assigned to it. The mission, or task at this level, is to be a “revelator,” or revealer of the true things. Simply put, one is to be an archetype of the truth. They are to uncover or reveal the deeper significance of the art to its practitioners. Although there may be more than one person at this level, they lead in harmony with each other. If the winds are of different temperatures, they simply become a whirlwind and move together.

At any rate, the title Batikan is unique. It became so synonymous with Grandmaster Raymond, that it became his name, or rather, his nickname of sorts. In fact, no one, including Grandmaster Toby, wanted to use the title of Batikan after his death. So, the title was, in a sense, retired. As far as our ohana is concerned, it belongs only to GM

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Raymond. Therefore, today, the title Pangulo Maestro, meaning “executive master” or “headmaster,” seems to best suit this position.

Interestingly, the title Batikan is used by our good friends in the Derobio system. We are uncertain as to whether the title originated with Grandmaster Braulio Pedoy or Grandmaster Tobosa. We have no doubt, however, that there is a connection, seeing that they were best of friends.

As noted, the Tobosa system comes from Hawaii. It emerged out of a melting pot of personalities, minds, experiences, and lands, all flowing together in the sugarcane and pineapple fields of the Hawaiian archipelago. Like the vegetable and fruit fields of California, the agricultural farms of Hawaii were a superior location to find talented martial artists. While there are many splendid places in the world, there is unique beauty and splendor to be found in a garden, where plants from all over have become rooted and are thriving.

The Hawaii of the early to mid20th century was just such a growing garden. People came from many places to set down their roots and share their heritage in the community. Like beautiful plants, people will bloom where they are planted.

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They must join with the soil and be a part of it, while still being the kind of plant they are. This is how roots work. What was foreign becomes native, and yet it retains its identity. So, people—craftsmen, teachers, warriors—have a heart for their two homes, which have now become one. They bring with them their ways, skills, and abilities, and also adapt themselves to their new surroundings. They may have left their first home to walk in new fields, but they are no less than what they were when they were in the fields of their homeland. In fact, they are more.

Batikan Raymond was a humble and quiet man. He was an authentic person and a father figure. He possessed capabilities far beyond what was known of him publicly because he did not seek public approval. Yet, he was certainly not unknown in the world and sub-culture of the martial arts.

He has been written about, quoted, and mentioned in numerous books and articles. When enthusiasts discovered that Hawaii was a storehouse of some of the greatest FMA practitioners alive, Batikan became a sort of ambassador to them. Be that as it may, he was still a bit of an enigma to people. This was no doubt because he was not focused on becoming popular. He

simply wanted to show how truly effective these arts are. He saw them as a way and means of preservation for individuals and their communities.

The Tobosas were not interested in showing off, but rather in helping people see how escrima could help them. They always encouraged people to consider what they could achieve by having the right perspective and developing the right skills. They had a serious passion for their art form and were not attempting to profit from it. They pursued it in their private lives and with their own resources. Many of us can relate to this. Raymond was a head-foreman over ware-

house operations at Pearl Harbor.

Among various jobs, GM Villabrille also worked at Pearl Harbor before moving to Kuai to work in the sugarcane and pineapple fields. Master Toby held a GS-18 position in the Federal Aviation Administration, which caused him to move around a lot. I, now retired, started as an educator, but became an insurance fraud analyst/special investigator. This is not to say that making a living from teaching martial arts is somehow ignoble. It certainly is not, but in my estimation, making a living and commercializing an art form for profit are different things.

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The ohana approach is different; it is a matter of personal relationships such as a healthy family might have. Batikan loved and protected his ohana. He felt the gravity of teaching an art form that could be misused. If a person was sincere, had an upright and peaceful spirit, and was brotherly at heart, Batikan was ready to adopt them into his family and home. If adopted, they must exercise their potential by developing themselves in the virtues of the tahana (home of training).

Though there are many important virtues, eight are addressed at the outset.

These are: knowledge, honor, loyalty, respectfulness, faithfulness, humility, wisdom, and ability. These are both virtues and matters of study for the development of integrity. They are in harmony with a warrior-class outlook. If one becomes a family leader—a Guro/ Gura, Maestro/Maestra, and certainly, a Pangulo Maestro/Maestra—they are responsible for maintaining the peace and health of the family. So, when someone is adopted, who, it turns out, will injure or cause strife in the ohana, they

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are summarily let go. The thought is this: there is a public-self, and a private-self; the self you show others to give a good impression, and the private or real self, which may be corrupt. The health of the ohana requires that these “selves” be the same. While others may be fooled for a time, a person cannot suppress their true-self for long.

Batikan’s view was that war arts are a necessary and serious craft in a dangerous and broken world.

As a young man during the attack on Pearl Harbor, he knew the harsh realities of life and had come through many firsthand conflicts.

So, he surrounded his ohana with moralistic barriers to help them govern their behavior. He never proposed a tangential approach to conflict resolution, but rather, a straightforward tenacity. This is similar to the approach of the sword master Miyamoto Musashi.

He knew the seriousness of life and death struggles, and that while we do what must be done, we do only what must be done. Batikan believed that, after the conflict was over, we had to go forward, bearing no malice in thought, word, or deed.

The Melding and Formation of a Way Perhaps contrary to popular belief, it is not a modern phenomenon for seekers of martial knowledge and skills to study multiple methods, styles, and approaches to combat; it is consistent with a warrior mindset. Such pursuit is fueled by a deep desire to perfect one’s aptitudes and prowess in effective self-defense. While some become obsessed with gaining deadly skills and are ever-eager to test their craft, others will seek to master soldierly wisdom for the moment of true conflict.

Put another way, one personality will hunt for occasions to express his violent abilities, while another sharpens and enlarges his skills while striving to avoid conflict.

His passion for justice is serious, and he knows his abilities gravely threaten an opponent who might test him. He practices restraint in his responses. It is in this latter vein—the possession of powerful yet restrained abilities—that Raymond Tobosa sought multiple martial disciplines. Having been

exposed to his father’s iskrima1 (escrima) training since his early childhood, his natural inclinations were stimulated.

During his youth, his family lived and worked in the sugarcane fields of Waipahu near Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu. As noted above, he recalled seeing and doing the Cinco Tiro as young as six years old. Then, at as young as nine years old, he began learning various bare-hand and weapons skills.

Among the various skills taught to him by his father, he learned tactical and stylistic methods, angles of attack and defense, distancing for maximum effectiveness, and how to generate power in his strikes. As he grew, he also learned numerous striking methods or styles and how to effectively disarm an opponent.

Anyone who knew and trained under Batikan experienced his graceful moves, his elusive parries, his counters, and his extremely fast and accurate strikes. When a weapon was not at hand, he trained 1 Iskrima is thought to be a Cebuano spelling for escrima, a.k.a. eskrima.

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with makeshift weapons, such as a rolled-up newspaper or magazine.

He taught this to us, saying that this was a quick method of obtaining a commonly available self-defense tool. He also said that being aware of what is useful in our environment was an important skill to develop. He encouraged us to always carry a sturdy pen with us.

Had the tactical pens of today been available, he would have suggested those.

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When he was young and out in the fields working, he said that they would use the center portion of a banana plant cut to 28 inches. This fibrous stalk, known as the aerial true stem, is found within the trunk or pseudo-stem. It is made of tightly packed leaf sheaths. The stem and stalk are fleshy, but also quite sturdy. It provided an efficient on-the-spot training tool, which could deliver a sufficient impact, but not one that was too damaging.

Like so many Filipinos, Batikan’s father migrated to Hawaii in search of a better life. Although Batikan did not recollect the exact town, he recalled that his father was from Mindanao. At an unknown age, Maximo learned escrima from his uncle and, at some point, ventured off with him in pursuit of knowledge and skills to be found in differing styles of escrima. Their travels took them throughout the villages and mountain areas of Mindanao (also known as Moro Island). They further traveled throughout the Negros Island regions, specifically in Kasadpang Negros province, or Negros Occidental (the northwestern half of Negros Island), and the Negros Oriental region, comprised of the southeastern half of the island. Due to the pursuits of Maximo Tobosa, it was therefore from this area of the Visayas and Moro lands, that the foundation of Tobosa kali-escrima was born.

Growing up in the sugar plantation camps was by no means a soft life.

Everyone worked hard and enjoyed their free time to the fullest. Sugarcane was big business in Hawaii.

The plantations had been in full production since the 1840s and the lure of immigrants to work these plantations was strong. Historical

records show that from the early 1850s through the late 1880s, approximately 50,000 Chinese came to Hawaii in search of work. Then, from the mid-1880s to the mid1920s, upwards of 200,000 Japanese arrived. From the early 1900s to the 1930s, over 7,000 Koreans and approximately 113,000 Filipinos arrived. Although approximately 50 percent of these ethnic groups returned home due to the difficulties plantation owners had in supporting such populations and other factors, the melting pot that is Hawaii today had been established.

It was in this multicultural environment that Raymond Tobosa and his family lived, worked, and learned. From a martial artist’s standpoint, it was a dream come true. Warrior immigrants coming to Hawaii provided a smorgasbord of systems, skills, and experiences like no other location. The expertise in empty-hand and weapons combat, to be found just “down the way,” had incalculable value for the Tobosas and other martial arts enthusiasts. In a very real sense, the pursuit of martial arts know-how in Hawaii could not help but produce a diversified, multi-styled, and multi-skilled practitioner.

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Raymond Tobosa certainly took advantage of the opportunities that surrounded him. As he expanded the knowledge obtained from his father and great-uncle, he first ventured into boxing. This was of course Western boxing, as he never spoke of the idea of Filipino boxing. Boxing was a popular pastime in the sugarcane camps.

Raymond was taught boxing under the guidance of Esabello Cuba, who at the time was the boxing champion of the sugar plantation camps. He taught Raymond offensive and defensive punching, parries, and blocks. It was during this time that he learned how to execute a powerful strike, and to slip to the side and under punches to return counterstrikes.

During World War II, he began training in judo under Sensei Richard Takamoto, who had trained under his father-in-law, Professor Seishiro Okazaki (1890-1951). Okazaki was the leading proponent of Kodokan judo in Hawaii at the time and the founder of Danzan ryu jujutsu. Okazaki’s system incorporated aspects of Okinawan karate, Chinese kung fu, Hawaiian lua, Filipino knife-fighting/escrima, boxing, and wrestling. These char-

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acteristics made his methods very unconventional for the time and certainly influenced Raymond’s thinking about combining combat technologies, which later resulted in the development of KAJI Kumi, his precursor to Casag. Raymond also became proficient in yawara no kata (judo/jujutsu tactics and methods), nage no kata (free practice forms of throwing an opponent), and oku no kata (takedowns with locks, armbars, and chokes).

While still in Waipahu, Raymond’s next-door neighbor was Fred Lara, later to become Grandmaster Fred Lara. Fred trained directly under Grandmaster William Kwai Sun Chow, who was a student of Grandmaster James Mitose of Kosho ryu kempo. As friends and neighbors, Fred shared his knowledge of kempo and Raymond shared his knowledge of judo/jujutsu, and no doubt, boxing, escrima, and other skills.

The precepts of Chinese kempo served to inform Raymond’s decision to use a K to begin his first compilation of martial art styles known by the acronym K.A.J.I., or simply KAJI. His friend, Master Mas Oyama, also had some influence on the system.

At some point during or prior to 1958, when the formation of KAJI Kumi took place, Raymond had included aikido as part of his overall curriculum. His aikido training was with Robert Kuniyoshi Sensei.

Kuniyoshi’s aikido was influenced

by Master Koichi Tohei, Ki No Ken Kyukai’s founder, and later, organizer and head of Shin-Shin Toitsu aikido. Raymond also learned the

combative aspects of tai chi and baguazhang. His primary interest in these was in knowing how the mental, physical, and mechanical aspects of their combat systems could serve to inform his overall knowledge to enhance his newly forming system.

In tai chi, he trained under Sifu Tin Chan Lee, who was the old-

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est tai chi practitioner in Hawaii at the time. He noted that Master Lee gave him insight as to how one could build up and use internal energy rather than losing energy during movement, as do some martial arts. Master Lee taught him the art of proper breathing, which included a method for expanding or intensifying one’s breath to maintain energy. These principles later emerged in the KAJI curriculum in the form of breathing drills known as A-ten, B-ten, and C-ten.

These methods were also integrated into a student’s overall training, and their principles are taught in varied ways in Estilo Casag.

To be clear, regarding KAJI Kumi, the K represents karate, specifically Chinese kempo. The A represents aikido. The J represented judo and jujutsu. The I represents iskrima, again, the Cebuano spelling of the word escrima. Kumi is a Japanese word meaning “group” or “family”—in other words, the “KAJI family.” So, although I am not specifically writing here about KAJI, I have mentioned that it was the public precursor to Estilo Casag.

Although it was a fully systematized art form, I call it a precursor for a couple of reasons. First, any discussion of Tobosa’s Casag system of arnis-kali-escrima is in-

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adequate without the recognition of Tobosa’s KAJI Kumi. Before the Tobosas brought their Casag system into the public eye, students of KAJI enjoyed a long relationship with the art of iskrima within their KAJI training. While it has become vogue to incorporate Filipino martial arts into existing combat systems, KAJI always had such training at its core.

Though KAJI is no longer practiced as it was, much, if not all, of the philosophical foundations of KAJI can be seen today in Casag.

For those like myself, who transitioned through KAJI to Casag, there is a very clear blending and application of concepts and combative principles from KAJI that is woven into Casag, making it something more than it might have been without it.

Second, KAJI, in a certain sense, served as a vessel for the early journey of Estilo Casag. While Batikan chose 1972-73 to begin the transition from KAJI to Casag and introduce it to the public, it had not been his initial plan. He had discussed the notion with the old masters as far back as 1968. However, they did not support the idea, because they felt that the general public was not ready for it. Although Raymond believed it was a good idea and had

already embedded the principles of Casag into KAJI, he honored their apprehensions and waited for the right time.

So, while KAJI would eventually diminish in importance, the germination of Casag had been ongoing for some time. When, in those early years, we would show some aspect of Filipino martial arts to the public during a demonstration or in competition, it was an eye-opener. Many martial artists had never heard of or seen this in martial arts circles of the day. People wanted to know more about it than we felt authorized to provide.

In a real sense, the KAJI system provided the garden and cultivation in which Casag would one day blossom. In 1973 Batikan made the move to introduce Kinasag, or simply “Casag,” to the public as a complete system of self-defense.

The Filipino martial arts were starting to become known to the public and were rapidly gaining recognition as something unique.

While Raymond was not completely “old-school” as it were, he greatly respected his teachers and old-school etiquette. There was a certain way to impart knowledge, which he strove to honor. Much of the history of Batikan’s teachers is shrouded in mystery. How much

they shared about themselves, over meals, under the moon and stars, or by the fire at night, is uncertain.

However, to the best of my knowledge, the Tobosas were the only ones they would let film them.

What was not filmed involved volumes of knowledge.

I do not know how many Filipino practitioners Batikan met throughout the years and on various islands. Some were more open and more skilled than others. Of the many he encountered, he said that five masters stood out as being the most skilled and experienced. They were of high ability, and willing to share their stories

Batikan Tobosa with Grandmaster Floro Villabrille (circa 1969).

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and their knowledge with him and Toby. Though with some there were language barriers and hesitations to overcome, Batikan and Manoy won them over with their genuine “aloha spirit.” They were kindred spirits, respectful, humble, and truly open. They had an authentic character that put people at ease.

Batikan with Bonifacio Lonzaga (late 60s or early 70s).

In 1967 on the island of Kauai, Raymond and Toby met up with Grandmaster Floro Villabrille. How their introduction and close connection to Villabrille was established is unknown. It may have been through

At table, right to left: Raymond Tobosa, Floro Villabrille, Braulio Pedoy, and Eustaqio “Snooky” Sanchez.

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the shipyards at Pearl Harbor or even through their cousin, Ben Largusa. GM Largusa, as many know, was one of the inheritors of the Villabrille method. Of course, introductions might also have been the other way around. Since many of the escrimadors that Batikan was associated with were, in a sense, right in his backyard, it is difficult to know how he established his relationships with them, except to say that he sought them out and was welcomed in. I believe that these masters knew one another, and it was their friendships that brought the Tobosas into various inner circles. Being the friend of a friend is the best way to make new friends.

As noted above, while the Tobosas met and trained with various teachers, five of them became confidants and shared their knowledge and wisdom. Batikan would often describe their unique methods and personal characteristics during our training and discussions. It always seemed, however, that there was more to the story than what he related. He said that, of these five masters, Grandmaster Floro Villabrille’s capacity to communicate his thoughts, methods, and concepts was the highest, and consequently, the most influential. While Batikan spoke some Ce-

buano, Tagalog, and Spanish, his foremost language was English.

Of the teachers he encountered, Villabrille, he explained, was the one most knowledgeable of the English language, and was able to communicate his methods to him with the most clarity.

The Tobosas studied with Grandmaster Floro on the island of Kauai from 1967 on. They said that Villabrille referred to the style, which made up the core of his approach, as Winakle-Paspas, meaning to “push away quickly.” They described Villabrille’s methods as being the most intriguing and flamboyant of any of the styles they had seen. By flamboyant, they meant “beautifully effective.”

They especially appreciated his double-baston methods, called doble-kara. They said that this combat method was something to behold. The term doble-kara, derived from Spanish, means “double-face,” “double-sided,” or “on both-sides.” Consequently, the Casag methods of doble-kara were influenced considerably, yet not completely, by Villabrille’s approach. Certainly, many of Villabrille’s methods are deeply ingrained within Casag. It is part of the weft and woof of our tapestry.

He would often come to Oahu to oversee the progress of the Tobosa students.

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First public announcement flyer for the Tobosa school.

First page of the Fellowship Statement: United Filipino Martial Arts Association of Hawaii, Honolulu, 1980.

Four Other Influential Teachers The other four individuals of the top five are Grandmasters Feliciano Magsanide, Atanacio Acosta, Bonifacio Lonzaga, and Tolesfero Subingsubing. While much could have been written about his interaction and friendship with these men, Batikan only wrote brief summaries of their individual views and stylistic methods. They told us about their character, abilities, and how their various systems influenced Casag.

Batikan related that Feliciano Magsanide (1900-1983), who trained many full-contact escrima fighters for the civic auditorium fights of the 1930s and 1940s, taught “Estilo Barabara.” Barabara is a Cebuano term for staff, but it is also translated as “backing up—blocking or clogging up,” as in something that stops the flow of something else. It primarily uses a 42” baston/staff, but also a 36” cane is used. It has qualities applicable to the use of a spear, and many of the principles can be applied to longer-impact weapons such as a 60” or 72” staff/ spear. The 42” baston can be wielded with one hand but is also used with two hands when appropriate.

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Among various tactics and combat strategies, Atanacio Acosta showed them a different set of Cinco Tiros (five strikes) than the numerada (numbering system) they had learned from their father. Casag uses a V-pattern. The Roman numeral for “five” (V) is a good way to remember this. At each point of the V and on the underline is a numbered strike. Acosta, however, used an X-pattern for his first five strikes. He collectively called his methods Estilo Winakli, a Cebuano term representing “push-away style.” I am uncertain as to whether or not there is a relationship between Acosta’s Winakli method and Villabrille’s Winakle-Paspas, but I suspect there was.

Batikan noted that Acosta’s method could be employed from either an inside position or an outside position. “Inside” represents a face-to-face approach where the opponent can employ his right or left weapons directly, while “outside” represents a defense that moves to the side of the opponent to eliminate or suppress the threat of the opponent’s other weapons.

Acosta’s definitive on-guard posi-

Batikan with Atanacio Acosta.

Batikan with Feliciano Magsanide.

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to the opponent’s body. Lonzaga also incorporated a stepping-back or dodging method in response to an attack; he would then follow up with a swift and deadly thrust. His rhythm and timing were of a master swordsman.

Toby with Bonifacio Lonzaga.

tion for employing his method was to maintain his baston or sword in a vertical position in front of his chest, facilitating side-to-side movement.

Grandmaster Bonifacio Lonzaga was master of Estilo Hinaplos. Hinaplos, or simply haplos, means “to slide off, come off, come away, or detach” (due to a strong force). His distinctive method of doble-kara included skillfully twirling two bastons as he made passive sliding parries that morphed into cuts or jams against an opponent’s offensive movements. As these sliding defenses were employed, he would slide behind a strike to efficiently and deceptively deliver various cuts, thrusts, and strikes

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Grandmaster Tolesfero Subingsubing came to Oahu from Cebu. He was an aficionado of a moro-moro style he called Estilong Lúpad, or “fly style.” With a smile, he explained to the Tobosas that it was also known as Estilong Sinayop,

the “wrong-way style.” The term sinayop is derived from the Cebuano sayop nga paagi, which means “wrong way,” or perhaps “doing it the wrong way.” When some practitioners of other systems once observed Subingsubing’s methods, their opinion was that he was doing the opposite of what should work. So, they assigned it the pejorative label of Estilong sayop nga paagi, the “wrong-way style.” It seems, however, that he was not the least bit offended by their label.

Right or wrong, his methods were nothing to be taken lightly. They proved to be highly effective, especially against multiple attackers.

Although calling it the “wrongway” system was meant to be humorous, or even slanderous, Tolesfero proved that his wrong way worked as well, if not better than the “right way.” The Tobosas noted that he was highly proficient at connecting with a cut to the wrist, followed by a disemboweling stroke. They added that they saw great value in observing and learn-

ing his unorthodox methods. In their opinion, he was quite a dangerous man, whose methods could be emulated.

Among his various training methods, Subingsubing demonstrated a routine of offensive and defensive tactics, while maneuvering back and forth along a 4” x 16’ section of bamboo. He said that this drill taught one balance for moving over uneven terrain. A warrior’s feet must have eyes. He also explained that fighters needed to develop the ability to not blink their eyes for a length of time. He told them that this skill would teach visual focus so that an opponent could not avert one’s attention from an actual strike. In a similar vein, Batikan taught that we must develop our peripheral vision. This was so that our field-of-vision would catch movement coming in from the side and rear angles.

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Other training methods practiced by these men would not have been very popular in today’s “fearfulof-pain” world. One of these ways was to simply deliver a strike to some point on the body, so a person could experience the pain of being hit there. A teacher would hit his pupil, who knew he was going to receive a painful hit; then, he would simply say, “Now defend against that.” Parries, blocks, and moving out of the way became of great importance. At other times, a teacher might command a pupil to hit them however they pleased, at which time he would show various methods of defending against that strike. By doing it this way, a teacher could impart his stylistic methods in a profound, though somewhat painful, way. Batikan said that, while there was not a lot of explanation, the method spoke volumes. He appreciated the fact that, while the discussion is good, pain sears truth into the mind and, of course, the body, too.

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The Tobosas employed many of the basic ideas learned from these masters including varied styles of training. Additionally, the way these men moved naturally revealed their expertise and deep understanding of combat principles.

They certainly taught a multitude of “secrets” as they moved with ease during training. Even the look in their eyes revealed the reality of their focus and combat experience.

This teaching method was reflected in Batikan’s frequent exhortation to us to “move as I move.”

Watching him gracefully connect one movement with another was perhaps the highest level of teaching he could have imparted.

Subingsubing’s posture.

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symbolic

“fight-to-the-death”

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THE WAY OF THE CRAB, BAMBOO, AND OCEAN

The Crab The name Casag signifies the crab.

This creature, as well as other island images, was chosen by the Tobosas for very simple reasons.

Since early childhood, immersed in an island environment, they observed and interacted with their surroundings daily. The movements and attributes of the crab were impressed upon their thinking. Its ability to fight was as effective in water as it was on land.

It used its environment to its advantage. Its weapons were its two strong claws and its legs angled off in all directions. Its maneuverability was swift and sure. It easily achieved new angles of defense and attack as it frequently shifted and adjusted its position.

Not only did the crab’s natural inclinations impress them, but it

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also reminded them a good deal of their tactical training. To move decisively, while using all of the eight directions effectively, would be the Casag approach to combat. Forward and reverse movement with 45, 90, and 180° turns reflected what they learned from the crab.

The strategy, they surmised, was to drive an opponent to angles that

disadvantaged them. By moving in, out, and around to a position in changing ranges, the opponent has difficulty getting their bearings on their target. If they are disoriented, they are weakened. Therefore, the Tobosas determined that the crab imagery would represent the combative qualities of their self-defense system. The crab-like tactics, along with other images of island life, such as the bamboo and the ocean, would serve to represent their martial strategies and philosophies.

The Bamboo For the KAJI art form, they had chosen the imagery of a bamboo plant. This represented the idea of “fluid yielding with a lethal ridged return.” This is the “fluid-solid-fluid” aspect of combat Batikan considered basic in martial theory

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and practice. It was also intended to represent something about our own behavior. He explained to us: “The bamboo cannot be uprooted once it establishes itself in the ground. It will bend with the strongest wind and straightens up after it’s all over. The bamboo stands straight, tall, and true. It is very hard in composition, yet flexible in structure. Split it and it will split down the middle without deviating. Pick up one of the halves and you will find the edges sharp enough to cut. It is hollow between joints, but it can contain something, you can use it to hold water and drink from it.”

Considering these basic concepts and implications, Batikan continued: “We should not go against an adversary’s force but use his strength and speed to work against him. In our everyday life’s problem, find a solution to it, not evade, grumble and run away from it. You cannot run away from your personal problem; it will follow you wherever you go. So, solve it the

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best way you can. Be humble, honest, and true in all your dealings with people. Have a reputation so that people will say that, ‘Your word is as good as gold,’ or ‘Your word is your bond.’ Once you have decided to do something, follow it to the end; otherwise, don’t start on it. Be sharp in all your dealings, but not stepping on toes or taking advantage.”

Returning to the bamboo analogy: “The hollow spaces between the bamboo joints [are] likened to your ability to empty your thoughts to make room for new things to learn.

There are many spaces or rooms in your mind to use for new ventures to fill in. Always have an empty cup before you undertake any new ventures. If you have a half-filled cup, you will learn half only; a threequarters-filled cup—and you will learn one quarter only. Have a filled cup and you might [not] learn something, for your cup runneth over.”

The Ocean Like the crab and the bamboo, the Tobosas believed that they could emulate the inflow and outflow of the tide and the rising and falling of the waves by the force and calm of the winds. These elements impressed upon them the principles of flowing and broken rhythms, of moving-in and drawing-out, striking powerfully and regaining suppleness, plus other dynamics applied in combat. They saw how the ocean’s current moves unseen and how the undertow takes hold of a person to take them into the depths of the waters.

Underlying all of this is an exchange of assets, characterized by five interwoven dynamics.

This they simply called the Five S’s: strength, stamina, skill, speed, and surprise. They proposed that the development of these five attributes was the basis of martial prowess. They stand parallel to the virtues of courage, tenacity, expertise, decisiveness, and tactical-opacity. To master these qualities in combat means that an assailant, to their surprise, will find themselves engulfed in a wave that returns their violence to them.

These are all images of ocean and wave motions that engulf an opponent in the midst of its ebb and flow. They saw that it was important to perceive the rhythm of an opponent, so as to break that rhythm at the right time and neutralize the threat—likewise, to use one’s own rhythm to appear predictable and then to syncopate (modify or shift) in an encounter and deliver a decisive strike.

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Putting It All Together One of their main concerns was that Casag should be a practical, well-balanced combat system.

This has at least three categories: weapon-vs-weapon, hand-vs-hand, and hand-vs-weapon. Casag’s weapon-to-weapon training, or as Batikan referred to it, “Filipino Fencing,” is not less than what we think of as a fencing art, but also more.

But do fencing methods have significance in a non-fencing culture?

Yes, I think so. Casag’s position is that combat methods have a type of “language” that is translatable into “sister languages.”

In other words, my weapon can speak in a long, middle, or short “dialog.” It can speak through a variety of weapon types and at various ranges. A long arc strike becomes a short arc. A slash-through strike is abridged into an “in-out” strike. A straight-in thrust becomes a curved thrust. A hand with a weapon “speaks” somewhat similar to one without a weapon.

There are plenty of letters in this language for one to express themselves.

Additionally, we must be comfortable using abbreviations and slang.

Abbreviations have to do with varying ranges and weapon attributes, i.e., the fast-moving tip of

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the weapon and the slower-moving sections below the tip plus the butt of the weapon. Slang has to do with weapons acquired in an environment, as well as the environment itself. We must be able to speak with meaning in whatever vernacular is needed at the moment.

We are not weaponless when we have no bolo or cane. We are comfortable with what we have and not uneased by a threat. If our weapon is long, we use its best attributes of length. If short, we get a whole lot closer. This sort of reminds me of a scene in a movie called Quigley Down Under. When Matthew Quigley is stripped of his long rifle and given a pistol, his adversary, having heard Quigley saying that he preferred the long rifle to a pistol, presumes that he has the advantage. Yet, as our nemesis draws his pistol, Quigley is many times faster and shoots him dead center. Then he says, “I said I didn’t have much use for one; didn’t say I didn’t know how to use it.”

In this characterization, the language of the long-range methods, weapons, and tactics are immediately interpreted into a medium-range language, then, as it may occur, reinterpreted again into an abbreviated close-range language.

We must be linguists, in a manner of speaking. Switching from language-to-language is certainly possible when we understand the “root language,” no matter what our accent may be. I am speaking this way, to emphasize that Casag tactics, like most FMA art forms, are versatile and able to communicate damaging results at any range.

Additionally, we must recognize that people have diverse mental and physical attributes, which shape their expressions. Each one may master the same program of skills and drills, but like works of art, individual creativity will distinguish one from another. Such forces will, to some degree, shape Casag itself as it lives on into the future. The idea is this: When we make something our own, it will, in turn, make us its own.

To Move like the Crab: Casag Footwork The way of the crab is apparent in the footwork of Casag. It involves stepping forward and back, moving immediately to an angle, then shifting to a new angle—then moving along the new angle, and shifting again. These angle-shifting moves are to put the opponent at a disadvantage for employing or maintaining his attack. The idea is to move to a safety-zone and out of

the danger, or to a cut-zone. After shifting to new angles, the body’s centerline is realigned toward the opponent whether at long, long/ medium, medium, or close-range.

While there are many primary footwork patterns, all share certain qualities, and all flow together in combat. Each uses porma and estokada, forward and backward leaning postures. Each uses nagbalhin or simply balhin, meaning “to shift to one side or the other.”

Each may employ sunoy lakangthe (the rooster step), plus other stepping methods done in both abante (moving forward) and literada, or nagpaluyo in Cebuano, meaning “to back up or go in reverse.”

Distances and Strategies Like all combat strategies, the distance between combatants is of top importance. Casag methods strive to employ the most effective application of resources at various ranges. This is done through understanding the attributes, liabilities, and application of the weapon(s) in use, and the need for varying tactics at fluctuating ranges. The art of distancing involves knowing how to adapt to each range, as well as how to flow back and forth between ranges. There are at least three categories in tactical fluidity: a) fluctuating in distances, b)

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Batikan with GM Floro Villabrille, Oahu.

fluctuating in heights, and c) fluctuating in angles. Another way to characterize this is what we call inout and around. Keep in mind that the weapon’s attributes and effectiveness change as ranges change.

Learning to adjust weapon usage between these ranges is integral to combat.

Cut-Zone / Safety-Zone Thinking A cut-zone is determined by: (a) the proximity of the aggressor, (b) the attributes of the weapons at play, (c) the momentum and movement of the fighters, and (d) the commitment and angle of the weapon’s

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plane-of-cut. We may be cut and we may cut (or strike with baston) in the cut-zone. The safety-zone pertains to: (a) where the aggressor’s bolo/baston is too far away to make contact, and (b) an angle outside of or behind the plane of a cut. These are generally concepts in long and long-medium-range combat. At medium and close range, the zones are mixed together. This is where strikes, thrusts, holds, locks, or suppression moves become the rules of threat management.

Constant defensive and offensive adjustments are done in relation

to these factors. The “fine-tuning” involves the “in-out-and-around” flow concerning the position of the assailant. The obvious best place to be is where the opponent is in your cut-zone, but you are not in his—i.e., in your safety-zone.

Time in a safety-zone may be a millisecond, or we may be able to keep moving into safety-zones often. Getting into a safety-zone is not always possible, but it is a good way to survive.

We carve out, create, or get to a safety-zone by using varied tactics. I have mentioned one, called in-out and around or sa gawas libot. Variations of this are, out-in and around, around—in and out, and around—out and in. These concepts of movement dynamics are also characterized as front-toback or pangunahan sa likod. All of these are tactics for positioning ourselves during the defense to the side and rear of our opponent. These tactics are common to the Winakli—“push-away”—style.

Obtaining a side or rear position to our opponent, we “push” them away for safety, control, destabilization, a long-range strike, or simply to exit the zone. The image of an engulfing wave is seen in this tactic.

Shifting to various angles is done, of course, relative to the aggressor’s position. An important factor in this maneuver is that the defender realigns their body’s centerline toward the opponent as they move around them. This way, the defender’s posture is always in a strong position to counter and adjust further. In this tactical/ strategic approach, the application of long, medium and shortrange tactics blend and fluctuate as part of an overall strategy. It is an “always-moving” approach that makes it difficult for the aggressor to maneuver for the advantage.

Batikan and the author in Reno (1978).

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The constant change of defense and attack dynamics is somewhat like the strategies of guerilla warfare. Hit, move, hit from a new position, move, go close in, move out fast, move low, and re-emerge high, and so on.

The strategy of these tactics requires using stylistic methods at fluctuating distances and shifting angles with various bladed and impact weapons. Pushing, holding/

retaining, and suppressing along with hand strikes, locking, low kicks, leg maneuvers, and other related attacks make one’s strategy an effective and practical approach to being combat-minded.

The Attributes of Fighters and Their Weapon Martial artists, fighters, and warriors have within them a unique drive, one that not all people understand. They are warcraft-mind-

Training with Batikan in the Hinaplos (“Slide”) System (1986).

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ed; and while they think and train seriously for combat, they seldom favor war. They recognize that the world is a vicious place. It is full of violence, both on large and small scales. They see the bullies of the world as a corrosive disease. All would agree that a remedy must be exercised, wherever the disease. Such individuals form that segment of society that is inclined to pursue an antidote to injustice.

They know, perhaps innately, that passivity is not a viable remedy. If it were, they would likely embrace it. However, they know that aggression and domination will not be placated by passivity. Unjust hostilities must be met with justified aggression.

I suggest that people of courage are defenders at heart. If we are them, we are as interested in self-defense as in defending the helpless. Most of us, in time, will have learned how to manage our emotions and our abilities, to focus both physical and mental aptitudes to defeat an aggressor. The Filipino martial arts have a particular intrigue for those of us who are interested in understanding the raw warcraft of weapon-to-weapon, hand-to-hand, and hand-to-weapon combat.

Understanding and gaining proficiency in a variety of weapons are

simply parts of warcraft. Above, I quoted a line from the movie, Quigley Down Under, about knowing how to use a weapon, even if it is not a preferred weapon. Even if I like to use my barong/bolo, I also like and have trained to be proficient with my binagon and laring swords. I like a shorter, fast-maneuvering weapon, but am proficient in using a long heavy weapon also. To quote one of my longdead mentors, “You should not have a favorite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well” (Miyamoto Musashi, 1584-1645).

Like many martial artists, I have been trained in a variety of empty-hand combat arts, which also have their particular weapon traditions. I have also been trained in weapon combat arts, which have their particular empty-hand methods. The weapons have been both impact and bladed, long, short, and in-between. They have been light and fast, round and flat, and slow and heavy. Additionally, I have also received combat firearms training.

While I am not an expert shot by any means, I know how to confidently handle my Glock-17 as well as a semiautomatic rifle. I am more comfortable with a nice baston or bolo in my hands, but when more

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Instructors (2017): CJ Tobosa, Rico Agustin, Michael Mulconery, Lee Manibog, and Donald Mendoza.

distance is required, I do not want to be confused as to what to do.

If it has not been clear yet, the point is familiarizing oneself, even gaining confidence, with a variety of weapon types. This is a training principle that we should consider valuable. For impact and bladed weapons, training with at least three weapon types, and understanding their corresponding attributes, will help facilitate skills for all weapon types. This means short-to-long, light-to-heavy, and slashing/thrusting weapons.

The lengths might look something like this: 6”, 12”, 18”, 24”, 28”, 30”,

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32”, 36”, 42”, 60”, 72”. These sizes may apply to both stick and bladed weapons, but the longer lengths are generally in the bara (staff) and/or bangkaw (spear) categories.

At first, however, it is good to train and become familiar with one or two lengths/weights, and one or two blade attributes, single and double. An impact weapon can act as a surrogate for a bladed weapon, but since there is usually considerable weight and some handling differences, one should also train with a blade. This way, we get to know what a blade requires and gain knowledge of how different the movements become with it.

24” Weapons Early on, while Tobosa KAJI Kumi was the precursor art form (that is, 1958-1973), training was primarily done with a 24” rattan baston, hardwood flat stick, and bolo, usually a common machete. Twenty-four inches, as it turns out, is generally the distance from the base of one’s armpit to the bend of the wrist. This is important for when the weapon moves from an inside position out, as in an inside redondo, or round-strike. There was no upos (stub) or punyo per se.

The hammer fist (maso kumo) and the sun fist (adlaw kumo) served us well at closer ranges. The baston also called an estik or palilyo is assigned blade qualities when distinguishing between bladed and impact moves. With a baston, the knuckles are to be aligned to where the face of the blade would be. Impact methods and blade methods have their own details to be concerned with. Taking a blade away from an assailant is a bit more careful of a situation than taking a stick away.

Some of the original members of the West Coast Escrima Society (1986): Dentoy Revillar, Juan Eliab, Narrie Babao, Gilbert Tenio, Raymond Tobosa, Leo Giron, and Ramiro Estallila.

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Kahoyon-kampilan ug punyal, a.k.a. espada y daga (circa 1967).

28” Weapons In or around 1973 we also began using a 28” rattan or hardwood baston on a regular basis. This length corresponds to the approximate lengths of many prominent Visayan blades. With the baston we might either employ a slight upos/ punyo, or none at all. It depends on distance, weapon balance, and tactics training. At most, the punyo would not exceed four inches, about the average width of the inner palm. Also, the patag-palilyo (flat stick) or kahoyon-kampilan (wooden sword) is used. These are flat hardwood sticks, which provide a powerful alternative to the

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metal sword. These weapons are heavier than the rattan, and so have a bit more “serious” feel in one’s hand. The dagger (punyal) was also in use.

While these are our primary weapon lengths and types, as noted above, Casag embraces a variety of weaponry. To be skilled in adapting to an unusual weapon is as important as being skilled with a familiar one. Pretty much anything becomes a useful implement of self-defense. It is definitely worth thinking about. Remember, too, that a lightweight weapon is fast and can sting an opponent many times; it is a great deterrent. Yet, a

heavy weapon that lands well even once shatters bone and dislocates joints. A long weapon’s potential is hampered at closer range. A short weapon puts us closer to an assailant. A blade might or might not cut, but a thrust often causes damage. If a long blade fails to cut, its impact will still cause damage.

If I have one long and one short weapon, I can utilize them together in various ways, or use each one separately, at their most effective ranges.

Estilo Casag: Numerada Tiro / The “Numbered Strikes” of the Casag Style I have heard it said that perhaps 95 percent of all people are right-handed. I suspect it is more around 85 percent, but there is still a high majority of right-handed people in the world. Some cultures shun and try to convert lefties into righties, but I do not think they are quite successful at that. At any rate, most people are

Left to right: Frank Mamalias, Teofisto (Toby) Tobosa, Floro Villabrille, Raymond Tobosa, and Kenneth Villabrille (kneeling) (circa 1967-68).

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Portions of the Hawaii Club (2015).

right-handed. So, it makes sense that most FMA striking sequences begin at the upper right side. It seems to be the most natural and the strongest strike. I have also heard that attacks that have been filmed, and where the aggressor is using a weapon such as a bat, 2x4, hammer, machete, and so on, show that the initial attack comes from the upper right side—down.

The point is that most styles of FMA begin their first strike from a

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high-right-side position, and proceed diagonally down. We learn to deliver it with speed and precision, and also defend against it with multiple defenses. It is generally delivered at a 45°angle, but we know that it might be delivered vertically or horizontally as well.

At any rate, for most of us, it is the #1 strike delivered through the #1 angle. Its basic angle is a 45° plane of descent to its target. Of course, the strike might also be done at

0° to 90° depending on where the load, or starting point, was.

Presumably, all other strikes follow the number-one strike, as noted, in a logical flow sequence. The additional strikes are linked together through their flow patterns. While each flow sequence has options and differences between styles, each strike has a particular angle and zone, plus primary and secondary targets. Learning strike sequences and the potential of each serve as a teaching mechanism. It informs us of the possible results at impact/ cut: the option of targets in the zone and the severity of damage that might be expected. Dealing with multiple angled strikes and various distances informs us of a variety of defensive options. This is true no matter how striking sequences may differ.

In Casag, defense and offense are not two sides of a coin; they are simply the currency used in every engagement. This currency is used to purchase one’s survival. Therefore, of primary concern is the neutralization of an aggressor’s strengths. Their tools of aggression must be broken so that they fail them and they cannot continue. The opponent’s most basic powers are in their hands and their mobility. GM Villabrille spoke of the hands as the fangs of a snake. A broken fang is less able to transfer its poison. Yet, it may still move and cause damage to its prey. But, if its mobility is hampered, disabled, or neutralized, it cannot continue or get away to launch a new attack. If also the head, or as we call it, “the breath” of the snake is taken from it, then it is fully neutralized. No breath, no life.

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CASAG’S NUMERADA: PRIMARY AND SECONDARY STRIKES, ANGLES, AND ZONES (FANG, MOBILITY, BREATH)

The first diagram that follows shows the five points of the fang and the five points of mobility. The taking of the breath is another matter that is partially disclosed in the numerada diagrams that follow.

There are, of course, more than five methods to relieve a snake of its breath. The diagrams show the numerada up to the Veinte y uno tiro—21 strikes. They include the “alternate strikes,” found in Diez, Doce, and Veinte y uno sets. The strikes are studied in several ways: slashing flow, thrusting into, striking flow, and flicking, known as a witik.

Casag strike sequences are divided into five sets for teaching purpos-

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es. These are: set one—Cinco Tiro (five strikes), set two—Diez Tiro (10 strikes), set three—Doce Tiro (12 strikes), set four—Veinte y uno Tiro (21 strikes), and set five—Treinta cinco Tiro (35 strikes). Cinco Tiro is taught first and emphasized the most. Then the progressive sets are taught as a student advances.

The sets all lead to Nabasag-Numero—broken-number strikes. This might also be called Libre sa Agas, meaning “free-to-flow.” Free-toflow, or broken-number striking, is simply all strikes following a natural path. This approach is at the heart of Casag’s numbering sets. It is the weave that surrounds and entangles an enemy.

Five Points of the Fang: Five Points of Mobility Note that the black line in several diagrams below represents the approximate “end-cut point.” This is the approximate location where the blade exits the cutting zone on the opponent to move into a reload position. In most cases, it is the same for the baston as it is for the bolo.

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Strike 1: A downward diagonal slash connecting at the tip of the opponent’s left shoulder, and slashing through the angle, with the endcut location at the level of the opponent’s right hip. This is the blue diamond in the zone. The secondary target points in Zone 1 include: the clavicle (green diamond), base of the neck (orange diamond), and mandible/temple or left cranium (red diamond). The lower zone’s green line is to the elbow.

Strike 2: A downward diagonal slash connecting at the tip of the opponent’s right shoulder, and slashing through the angle, with the end-cut location at the level of the opponent’s left hip. This is the blue diamond in the zone. Secondary target points in Zone 2 include: the clavicle (green diamond), base of the neck (orange diamond), and mandible/temple or right cranium (red diamond). The lower zone’s green line is to the elbow.

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Strike 3: The primary strike with a baston is focused at the opponent’s left hip through to end-cut at the right hip (lower blue line and diamond). Higher in Zone 3 are the ribs (upper blue line and diamond).

With a bolo, the slash is at the left side of the opponent’s stomach through to the right side of the stomach, with an obvious end-cut past the stomach (red line and diamond). Secondary target points in Zone 3 include: the ribs with a baston, left bicep, elbow, and wrist, if found within the zone.

Strike 4: The primary strike with a baston is focused at the opponent’s right hip through to endcut at the left hip (lower blue line and diamond). Higher in Zone 4 are the ribs (upper blue line and diamond). With bolo, the slash is at the right side of the opponent’s stomach through to the left side of the stomach, with an obvious endcut past the stomach (red line and diamond). Secondary target points in Zone 4 include the ribs with a baston, right bicep, elbow, and wrist, if within the zone.

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Strike 5: Primarily, Strike 5 is a thrust (dusdos) or stab (dunggab) to the center of the opponent’s stomach (blue diamond). There is no “end-cut” as such, but the thrust is most effective at a 4-inch depth.

This is typically far enough to connect with vital organs. Also, after the thrust is done, the weapon is drawn back from its target to release any hold the opponent’s body may exert upon it. The green triangle indicates the zone. Secondary angles include the tip of the weapon directed to an ascending or descending angle. Secondary targets in Zone 5 may include the sternum or other internal targets. Delivery of Strike 5 may also involve shifting the angle right or left at 45 degrees of the primary point.

(Strike 5 completes the Cinco Tiro set.)

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Strike 6: This is a high-level straight-in thrust to the opponent’s left subclavian artery (blue diamond). As with the dunggab explanation for Strike 5, there is no end-cut other than depth. By altering the thrust in elevation or angle, the secondary targets in Zone 6 include: the neck cavity (red circle and star), orbital region of the eye, and armpit—a direct line to the lung delivered from a side angle.

Strike 7: This is a high-level straight-in thrust to the opponent’s left subclavian artery (blue diamond). As with the dunggab explanation for Strikes 5 and 6, there is no end-cut other than depth.

By altering the thrust in elevation or angle, the secondary targets in Zone 7 include: the neck cavity (red circle and star), orbital region of the eye, and armpit—a direct line to the lung delivered from a side angle.

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Strike 8: This is a low-level ascending hit/slash, with bolo or baston, to the opponent’s right knee (blue line and diamond) through to the groin or, with bolo, left femoral artery (red diamond). If the left leg is forward, it is a hit/slash to the left knee or the left femoral artery (green line and red diamond). The end-cut occurs at about the level of the opponent’s left hip. Secondary targets include ny target that falls into the zone. Note that the angle can be elevated to take in high targets such as hands and arms.

Strike 9: This is a low-level ascending hit/slash, with bolo or baston, to the opponent’s left knee (blue line and diamond) through to the groin or, with bolo, right femoral artery (red diamond). If the right leg is forward, it is a hit/slash to the right knee or the right femoral artery (green line and red diamond).

The end-cut occurs at about the level of the opponent’s right hip.

Secondary targets include any target that falls into the zone. Note that the angle can be elevated to take in high targets such as hands and arms.

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Strike 10—First Alternate: This is a unique striking maneuver and directional change. It is a strike to the opponent’s forehead, face, or upper chest that is delivered while shifting (sa lakang-balhin— to “step-shift”) approximately 180° (red diamond). It is best described as a tactical stratagem to execute a finishing or warding-off strike while changing directions to address a new threat. It may also facilitate a retreat or a feint to move behind an obstacle, a broken rhythm counter, or be used for distance.

Alternate Strike 10 completes the Diez Tiro set.

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Standard Strike 10: This is a low-level horizontal strike/slash to the right side of the opponent’s right knee, (blue line / red diamond). The intersecting black-angled line may also be an angle for this strike. The end-cut is simply at the point at which the weapon is past both knees. Secondary targets in Zone 10: If both knees are atypically available, the strike/ slash continues through the opponent’s right outer knee to the left inner knee. If only the left knee is extended, the strike goes to the left inner knee and may be elevated or lowered in the case of a bolo or kampilan (green diamond).

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Strike 11: This is a low-level horizontal strike/slash to the left side of the opponent’s right knee (blue line / red diamond). The intersecting black-angled line may also be an angle for this strike. The endcut is simply at the point at which the weapon is passed both knees.

Secondary targets in Zone 11: If both knees are atypically available, the strike/slash continues through the opponent’s left outer knee to the right inner knee. If only the right knee is extended, the strike goes to the right inner knee and may be elevated or lowered in the case of a bolo or kampilan (green diamond).

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Strike 12—Second Alternate: This is a double-thrust to the opponent’s right and left subclavian arteries. Though not necessarily done in unison, this move is done with both hands—daga (dagger) in the left and bolo in the right hand.

The dagger is drawn from one of three positions: front right, front left, or back left. Alternate Strike 12 introduces a change in range and a second shorter weapon. By the time students are ready for the Doce Tiro set, they are also learning considerably more medium to close-range tactics. The end-cut is the same as other thrusting hits.

Secondary targets are the same as in the zone targets of 6 and 7.

Without a daga the left hand may grab, push, or strike the opponent.

Alternate Strike 12 also represents a complex response to a more intricate close-range encounter. It is not simply a double-strike.

This completes the Doce Tiro set in which the Alternate 10 Strike has been dropped, and the flow continues from Standard Strike 10 and 11 to Alternate Strike 12.

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Standard Strike 12: This is a low-level strike or slash to the opponent’s right ankle, (blue line / red diamond). The end-cut is at the point past both ankles. Note that this strike may also be delivered from a descending angle.

Secondary targets in Zone 12: As in Strikes 10 and 11, if both ankles are atypically available, the strike/ slash continues through the opponent’s right outer ankle to the left inner ankle. If the left foot is forward, the strike goes to the left inner ankle and may be altered when using a bolo.

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Strike 13: This is a low-level strike or slash to the opponent’s left ankle (blue line / red diamond). The end-cut is at the point past both ankles. Note that this strike may also be delivered from a descending angle. Secondary targets in Zone 13: As in Strikes 10 and 11, if both ankles are atypically available, the strike/slash continues through the opponent’s left outer ankle to the right inner ankle. If the right foot is forward, the strike goes to the right inner ankle and may be altered when using a bolo.

Strikes 14-17: Strike 14 is a straight downward impact/slash to the opponent’s frontal cranium. It is the first strike of a fast-tactical set of strikes at medium range. This “quad” sequence is an assault on the head and neck. After Strike 14, Strikes 15 and 16 with a baston are delivered in Abaniko fashion, also known as Paypay, to the left and right temple areas of the opponent’s head. With a bolo, these are rapid slashes across the neck.

These are followed by Strike 17, a downward thrust into the opponent’s supra-sternal notch, the V of the neck, at the thyroid sheath.

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Strikes 18 and 19: Dropping straight down from a high position of Strike 17, Strike 18 goes directly to the instep of the opponent’s left foot. Secondary targets in Zone 18: With bolo, the strike may be used to cut whatever is in its downward journey. The toes of the opponent are a good target for this striking tactic. Strike 19 is also a strike to the instep or toes, now only on the opponent’s right side. Secondary targets with a bolo are present at the opponent’s knees and inner thigh during the arc of the move from 18 to 19.

Strike 20: This is an upward thrust from a lower level to impact under the opponent’s chin. Secondary targets in Zone 20: Strike 20 is done as the third move after Strikes 18 and 19. As an ascending and thrusting move, it may impact the opponent at any point of ascension. Possible impact points include the groin, lower abdomen, heart, and so on. The bolo or kampilan find their mark at a depth; the baston will not.

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Strike 21—Third Alternate: This is a reverse upward slash to the opponent’s groin. Similar to Alternate Strike 10, it is done while turning 180 degrees and is a unique striking maneuver and directional change. As a tactical stratagem, it is executed as a finishing or warding-off strike while changing directions to address a new threat. It may also facilitate a retreat or be used as a feint to move behind an obstacle, a broken rhythm counter, or for distancing. It is dropped when following through to the additional numbered strikes to the backside of an opponent.

Alternate Strike 21 completes the Veinte y uno Tiro set.

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Rear targets consist of numbered strikes for when the defender moves behind the aggressor in a tactical approach noted above as pangunahan sa likod, or front-toback. Practitioners are to learn important targets at the back of an opponent. These include: the right and left Achilles’ tendons, left and right lateral collateral ligaments, left and right hip joints, left and right rear shoulder blades, left and right sides of the neck and cerebral cortex, back of the head, and a thrust to the spine at mid-back.

Some Final Comments on Casag’s Numerada Casag’s numerada is set up in training sequences that have a logical striking flow in mind. When the student has a good understanding of the main striking points and the additional points of the zone, he/she will have a sense of the free flow of these strikes. In other words, the striking sequences only need to flow naturally, one into another at various angles.

There is no requirement for a specific numerada. However, having a specific numerada serves as a model for the flow of the strikes. Understanding the main focus point of each angled strike, which also has a probable damage result, is an essential skill. The secondary targets must also be understood as well as possible. The reason is, while perhaps the initial point in the zone might not be lethal, the next target in the zone may be. The point is, details matter. When a strike finds its mark, it is because it was skillfully placed there. Its impact will be successful, rather than useless.

In training, each numbered strike should be isolated from the flow-training drills. This is so that methods of dealing with its angle and dynamic can be studied at various ranges. The strikes must also be understood in double-baston/ bolo as well as baston ug palilyo (long and short stick) and estilo sa taas ug korto (“the style of long and short”—i.e., stick and dagger or sword and dagger).

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More on “Broken-Numbers” These are striking “patterns” that use the connections between various angles. This can be understood by pointing out varying patterns (perhaps from sister systems) of numerada. After a novice understands the value of varying angles, certain drills can be introduced. At first, this involves using “planned” sets of three strikes with corresponding defenses. The basic defenses are sagang sa gawas (defending/attacking to the outside) and a la contra (defending to the inside).

For example, Strike 1 flows well to the start/load position for Strike 8; Strike 8 then flows well up to the start/load position for Strike 1 again. So, the pattern is 1-8-1. This is a downward diagonal slash to the opponent’s left shoulder/neck, then an upward slash to his right knee/leg and another downward to his left shoulder/neck again.

The same can be applied to the other side of the opponent by doing a downward diagonal slash to his right shoulder/neck (Strike 2), then an upward slash to his left knee/leg (Strike 9), and another downward strike to his right shoulder/neck (Strike 2). This is a 2-9-2 pattern.

Other patterns would be along the lines of: 1-2-1, 1-4-3, 1-4-5, 1-8-6, or

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2-1-2, 2-3-8, 2-5-6, and so on. There are a great many combinations in the standard frontal strikes. The defenses can be easily combined with tactics for various ranges to test one’s skills for dealing with multiple strikes, one after the other.

Another method of doing broken-number training is a set of three drills simply called the usapara-usa (“one-for-one”), duha-para-duha (”two-for-two”), and tulo-para-tulo (“three-for-three”).

Beginning with usa-para-usa, the aggressor strikes any one strike of his choice, which the defender defends against. After the defense, the defender then becomes the aggressor and strikes his single strike, which is defended against. Following this pattern, a back-and-forth drill ensues. Duha-para-duha and tulo-para-tulo follow the same pattern: two strikes are defended against and two strikes are delivered back, and the same with three strikes. At long range, the simple rule is that the strikes and defenses must flow naturally and make no adjustments to new or out-of-flow angles.

These drills build into more complex patterns where the defender delivers fast counterstrikes after the initial defense of one, two,

The usa-para-usa (“one-for-one”) drill.

or three strikes. They then begin their strike or strike as the aggressor. These back-and-forth drills provide a good understanding of broken-number flow, angled defenses, and moving rapidly during an assault. Tulo-para-tulo, also called tulo-sumbrada, is generally the easiest of the three drills to start with, seeing that the other two drills move a bit faster.

The initial introduction to these drills is done at long range. As the student becomes more proficient in his craft, the drills become more free-style in their feel. Therefore, medium and close ranges, plus an understanding of fluctuating ranges, come into play. The usapara-usa drills provide the student with some basic understanding of the attributes of weapon length at

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varying ranges, and of when the free-hand can come into play. Understanding the changing dynamics of ranges is highly valuable.

There are multiple variables explored in this method of training, and the drills help build the skills needed for meaningful free-style play. These drills, as well as others that follow them, serve to develop a student’s craft of self-defense and ability to respond spontaneously to the threat of harm. This is also where jams, traps, locks, disarms, kicks, and other defensive methods can be considered or discovered.

Casag’s Approach to Combative Ranges Generally, when we think of Filipino martial arts, we think in terms of their varied origins. We think of a variety of regions, peoples, groups, and conflicts with diverse enemies over time. Like all craftsmen, their war art also developed over time. Multiple conflicts serve to produce multiple, yet distinctive, methods and weaponry. So, as they encountered different technologies and different weapons, they adapted their own.

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As disciples of these arts, we can speak meaningfully about weapon features, ranges, and other combat aspects, yet we might not always value the many genres they present us. These are “fencing arts” at the root. But they are not just fencing arts. They are, by design, concerned with warcraft. That makes them a serious matter. Yet, they come with blueprints; outlines that help us understand that combat is a highly diverse activity. We must constantly adapt to the loads and stresses of the moment. No engagement is free of its difficulties.

If we think so, then we have not understood the nature of combat or conflict in general. While any combat—whether with or without weapons—imposes the need to adjust to circumstances moment by moment, we must also learn to impose our conditions and rhythms upon those circumstances.

Below are descriptions of three fencing genres based on ranges of engagement with a long weapon (24-30”). These explanations do not fully reflect what we term as the translation principle, meaning how a tactic is translated into a

related strategy. Rather, these are more concerned with elementary weapon adaptation at three ranges. Most of us recognize that Filipino martial arts are at first cause combat fencing arts. They serve to develop a wonderful group of skill sets, which help us to think combatively and survive in the real world.

Fencing Genre 1: Taas (Long): The engagement between a long-range weapon and a weapon of equal or similar attributes, at long range.

The primary targets of the opponent are the hands, legs, and feet.

For the most part, this is the principle of fang and mobility disruption and destruction. The weapon is moving at its fastest speed because the attribute of its length is being employed to the greatest extent. The tip, 1-4 inches, moves fastest to bust or cut, with only the flesh resisting at the point of contact. This is the most efficient and safest method to dispatch an opponent. Long stances and stepping from the same side that the weapon came from, are used in this method. Defensive styles of sagang sa gawas and al a contra are both employed.

Fencing Genre 2: Taas-Tunga (Long-Medium): Long-rangeweapon vs long-range weapon of equal or similar attributes, at long-medium range. In this range, the weapon is used to reshape the opponent’s weapon in its plane of cut. This reshaping is a deflection done as a push, a draw, an up or down tap, or some other simple disruption of flow; all of these are done in order to deliver a secondary strike. The primary targets of the opponent are similar to the first scenario, but now include more vital targets because our weapon is closer to the opponent’s body.

This deflection or disruption is often part of the closing-in process, but may be used like a wave moving in to impact or cut, then drawing back out to long range to return in once more—only to draw back out again. At long-medium, the weapon is moving in a 1-2 cadence of deflect/strike, push/strike, descend-down/strike-up, and so on.

Generally, 6-12 inches of the weapon is used in this tactic. This method is less efficient and perhaps less safe than the long-range style,

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yet it is highly effective for flowing between ranges. Long stances and stepping from the same side that the weapon came from, are also used at this distance. Sagang sa gawas and al a contra methods are both used at this distance, as well as stylistic methods such as florete bobina, in which the weapon moves like a coil unraveling to deflect and strike again rapidly, the redondo, in which the weapon circles quickly after deflection, or perhaps witik, meaning to flick-in and return again on the same trajectory. All of these are effective tactical responses.

Fencing Genre 3, Tunga (Medium): Long-range weapon vs long-range weapon of equal or similar attributes, at medium or center range.

In medium range, the weapon is used to present direct barriers to the opponent’s weapon flow. This typically, but not always, involves employing secondary suppression checks, locks, or other controlling factors. Additionally, korto daga (short dagger) is used for control or to thrust/cut available targets. The cadence is similar to taas-tunga, in that there is often a 1-2 timing involved in the counter sequence.

The opponent’s weapon is stopped

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dead in its plane of cut or reshaped to suppress it. Typically, the center of the weapon is used most effectively in this range.

A secondary strike is a primary mechanism of damage, or of disarm. The opponent’s more vital targets have become available, and are vulnerable to the second hand or blade in hand. This might also be called taas ug korto—”long and short.” Baston y daga (“stick and dagger”) or espada y daga are other terms for the long and short stylistic methods used here. There is not always a dagger in our other hand.

It may simply be a palilyo (stick) or some other instrument.

These genres, though trained through stages, are in a certain sense never separate from each other. Once the particulars are understood, the fighter learns to move in-out and around (sa gawas libot) and front to back (pangunahan sa likod) using these ranges.

Even if they are locked in a struggle at korto range, they always strive to move to ranges where they can free themselves and employ the power of their weapon. These tactics make up the sayaw (dance) or sayaw sa hari (dance of a warrior).

Conclusion I have spoken quite a bit here about weapons training in the form of fencing genres. Yet I do not want it to seem as though I have ignored the highest skills of Casag and all Filipino martial arts, that being the categories of empty-hand vs blade and impact weapons. While carrying a short-bladed or impact weapon is a smart policy, we know that we, most of the time, have only our natural weapons—our two claws like the crab, and the inclination to move to angles and zones.

Batikan used the term Kalikali-han simply to emphasize that the principles of blade-vs-blade are not too dissimilar to hand-vs-blade, yet require a superior understanding of how the art translates across these genres. The Cebuano terms for this genre vary. It might be called mano-batok-hinagiban, (“hand against weapon”) or mano-batok-tabak (“hand against sword or knife”). Panantukan, meaning “to hit with the hand,” might be used to express empty-hand tactics as well as, simply, empty-vs-emp-

Batikan performing demonstration of Kalikali-han—the “hands of Kali.”

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ty, or haw-ang-batok-haw-ang.

At any rate, in these days of machete-wielding assailants both in the US and abroad, having knowledge of how it “all” works proves, in itself, to be an edge against it.

Take a Knee: Batikan’s Wise Advice When the Tobosas founded their schools, they strove to do more than simply produce a comprehensive approach to warcraft. While they could have focused on the physical over the non-physical and, in fact, separate the two, they knew that this would be akin to the separation of body and soul, a state of death. They understood the danger of power without restraint and the immorality of passivism. They wanted to offer people an understanding of courage, which society seldomly affords. Being men of resolve, they believed that men and women of courage do not need to be aggressors. Those whom they taught were encouraged to be insightful and decisive and to recognize bad behavior when they saw it—that is, in themselves first.

Honest self-examination is the key to self-control.

The principles of Casag are to choose one’s course of action thoughtfully and understand that there is a difference between brawling and fighting for real caus-

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es. Real causes are serious matters involving the right motives. To deal with any circumstance of conflict, both courage and skills are required. Brawling is for unskilled drunkards who lack legitimate motives and are ultimately cowardly in all their ways.

To live carefully, one must learn and exercise careful thinking.

Warcraft is messy business, but it does not need to be unintelligent.

We are not to desire violence, but, if possible, to seek a peaceful solution. Yet amid peaceful desires, we must understand the need for the sword in a world of fighting and wars. When violence befalls the innocent, a violent response may be necessary to resolve the circumstance.

Therefore, we must bear in mind that peace is not the goal of every man; so, peaceful men cannot afford to be pacifists. A man of peace must also be a man of courage, and, in fact, a truly dangerous man to those who would violate the peace. An appropriately ferocious response to violence does not disqualify us as seekers of peace. In fact, it qualifies us, providing we disdain it at the same time.

There are many in the world who want what others have. They do not cherish peace and hate civility.

They want only to take, injure, and destroy. Their guiding principle is self-aggrandizement. Others, however, desire peace and courtesy. So, they train themselves for war, to curb destruction and immorality. They understand that the war arts are a good and necessary discipline. Even more so, they are the arts of peace; this is a virtue and ideology that must be understood.

If we have no love of virtue or purpose for our training, its value to the world will be lost. In this respect, it is moral and just to protect oneself and others, and a greater thing to sacrifice oneself for others. Our training in responsive violence cannot be detached from a moral framework. A moral framework is a hedge we set around us.

This is because we must be honest enough to recognize that we have a natural desire to do exactly what our enemy does. We are prone to punish beyond what an offense has earned. The taste of power is sweet in the moment but bitter in the long run. So, we must strive to do what is right or at least seems to be right at the moment.

rates, “is a life not worth living.”

So, having powerful knowledge, we should help our fellows rather than hinder them. We should practice ferocity and docility simultaneously: doing what must be done—nothing less, nothing more.

A thing of awful beauty, an instrument of both justice and mercy, we must clean and polish our swords, keep them near, be watchful, and live resolutely.

If we should lack a strict moral framing, we may certainly become no different than thugs and tyrants who live unexamined lives. An unexamined life, according to Soc-

Michael Mulconery @ michael.mulconery

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THE "BARABARA" AND BASIC LONG-WEAPON APPROACH

Michael Mulconery

THE CEBUANO TERM, barabara, primarily means “staff ” but interestingly, it is also translated as “backing up—blocking, or clogging up,” as in “something that stops the flow of something else.”

Barabara primarily uses a 42-inch stick or staff, but a 36-inch cane is also used at times. It has qualities applicable to the use of a spear and many of the principles can be applied to longer impact weapons such as a 60-inch or 72-inch staff or spear.

To whatever degree it may have been, Batikan learned the Barabara system from the kali grandmaster, Feliciano Magsanide (19001983). Magsanide worked in the sugarcane fields and had lived in Lahaina Maui, Kauai, and finally on Oahu at Waipahu (Batikan’s hometown). It appears that he later moved to the Kalihi-Palama area of Honolulu, which is about a 19-minute drive from where Batikan then lived in Pearl City.

Batikan related that Grandmaster Magsanide trained many of the full contact escrima fighters for the Honolulu civic auditorium fights

that took place in the 1930s and 1940s. He said that Great-Grandmaster Floro Villabrille was well acquainted with Magsanide’s approach and, in fact, that they were good friends.

Casag (to the best of my estimation) has only bits and pieces of the Barabara system—really only some tactical approaches and practical applications. The reason for this is probably that Batikan did not want the unique qualities of the long-stick methods to become a distractor for the core principles of Casag. Additionally, it may simply be that Batikan died before he was able to demonstrate and articulate much of this system to us. At any rate, I do not interject these methods into training until students are advanced enough to sufficiently understand the application of Casag principles and methods as they apply to multiple types of weapons.

As was his way, much of what Batikan related about people and their approach to training or their particular systems was mostly done during times of “story talk” but

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also in some of his written notes.

To a small degree, he made them observable when it came about that he had to use a walking cane (36 inches or so) to walk with. He had, for a time, the opportunity, so to speak, to demonstrate some very interesting stylistic moves with his cane. He noted to us that he now went everywhere with a weapon.

Therefore, I consider these bits and pieces to reflect more of a “stylistic approach” than an additional system of kali within Casag (as it is not that). Now, I have no doubt that Barabara was practiced as a full system, and may still be found as such somewhere in Hawaii or elsewhere. However, it is my suspicion that the style or system of Barabara died with its founder and last known grandmaster, Feliciano Magsanide.

For the Tobosa kali-escrima/Casag system, like other stylistic approaches we embrace, Barabara is, in a manner of thinking, embedded within our martial culture.

Like many of Batikan’s strategies for Casag, and also in my assessment, Barabara methods served to

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uniquely inform Casag in its approach to longer impact weapons.

But overall, like any other weapon we train with, Casag principles, tactics, and strategies enfold it. It is not unlike what happens when someone immerses themselves or is assimilated into another culture and becomes integrated with it.

I believe that whatever Barabara principles Batikan found to be exceptional, served to inform his thinking and influenced his own approach. These principles were organized by him to fit with the system character, tactics, and strategies of Casag. As a protagonist under Batikan’s leadership, and based on his personal critique of the KAJI long staff, I believe that some of the Barabara qualities served to influence my development of the bo staff forms brought into the eclectic system of KAJI during its later development.

As a side note, and really a matter of speculation, I suspect that the Barabara system may have been a root system for later ones such as Oidos, or Oido de Caburata arnis founded in 1937, and the more re-

cent Tapado arnis founded in the mid 1960s. Both of these systems use stick weapons which are longer than most arnis systems use.

They also appear to use both single- and double-hand positions with various tactics.

Listed below are some of what I would call “classic” hand positions for the use of longer, mostly “impact” weapons of approximately 36-42 inches or more. These positions are essentially intuitive, meaning that a study of the attributes of longer weapons through movement reveals, to the trained mind, just what works or does not work well. However, it is good to note and train with these various hand positions, because effective use of a long weapon involves the fluid transition between these wielding methods.

Basic Hand Positions for a 42-Inch Long Weapon: 1. One hand with the right or left hand dominant: The Cebuano term for this positioning is usa tunol. The weapon is held at the counter-weight position where

the punyo (i.e. the back end of the stick) measures approximately 8 inches, or 2 fist lengths. With the top of the hand at approximately 12 inches from the base, the punya (i.e. the front end of the stick) measures approximately 30 inches.

However, the weapon’s reach varies in accordance with the practitioner’s arm length and stance width. This hand position can be adjusted to make the punya longer, but doing so will change the forward weight of the weapon, thus affecting its maneuverability to some degree. Accordingly, recovery time after impact and weapon reload is less certain. The liability of this method is in the punyo length, which can become entangled in clothing and even caught on the wrist of the wheeling hand to cause a self-disarm.

2. Two hands with the right hand dominant: The Cebuano term for this positioning is duha mitunol.

A two-handed position generally involves “push-pull” dynamics.

For the right-hand-dominant, or right-hand-above position, the right hand is in the top position,

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with the left hand placed at the base of the weapon. There is approximately 4 inches (one fist length) between them. The right hand is the dominant hand in all strikes, and maintains its position. Strikes coming from the left side will lack some strength, because the right hand is pulling. However, thrusts from the left side are stronger and more accurate than those coming from the right. In fact, this static two-handed position has some awkward qualities when delivering the various angles.

3. Two hands with the left hand dominant: The exact same circumstances as described in the “two hands with the right hand dominant” comments apply to the left-hand-dominant position as well.

4. Two hands augmented with the right hand dominant: This is an augmented or amplified method where the right hand grips the weapon at approximately 2 inches above the base, and the left hand is used to augment the right. This is the same method that is used in regular training, particularly when using a heavier weapon such as a heavy hardwood stick, or blade— e.g. a kampilan or barong. This method involves the left hand being positioned behind the right at

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the back of the hand or wrist. For the most part, these positions correspond to our parada hand positions learned in basic training.

When striking from the right side, the left hand pulls as the right hand pushes. This results in a very powerful impact and follow-through.

5. Two hands augmented with the left hand dominant: The exact same circumstances as described in the “two hands augmented with the right hand dominant” comments apply to the left-hand-dominant position as well.

6. Two hands together: There is no separation between the hands. Either the right or left hand holds the dominant position. This is a very powerful method, but it lacks the maneuverability of other methods. It is very much like swinging a baseball bat or sledge hammer.

7. Two hands centered at equal distance: Both hands are at equal distance from the center and ends of the impact weapon. This is not applicable to a bladed weapon, but may be used with spears of various lengths. This might typically be viewed like the rifle-and-bayonet combat methods taught in the military for close-quarters combat. In this method, like others, the hands are either right- or left-hand dominant, and the dominant position

is in constant flux. This method accommodates both hands with a palms-down position. A bothpalms-up position is not a legitimate method.

8. Fluid use of hand grips: As noted in the comments regarding classic hand positions, the truly effective use of a long weapon involves fluid transitioning between these wielding methods.

The flow of combat with shifting hand positions and methods is a quality of mastery over the weapon. One hand becomes two hands very rapidly; an augmented strike shifts immediately to a two-hand grip, and then perhaps back, and so on. Additionally, the weapon may be extended by sliding into a thrust (a spear tactic) and then back to a double-handed grip of one type or another. In close proximity, the punyo is used much like it is with the shorter stick. There are also a variety of locks and traps with the punyo and staff-type maneuvers where the punya of the weapon is used in particular ways to trip the opponent, or to thrust and strike with the weapon held like an oar.

weapon’s attributes and use at various ranges need to be understood.

Sagang sa gawas and al a contra at long-range are always preferred, and they are the main tactical approaches. To move or guard the target by distance, angle, elevation, deflection, barrier, and so on, and to destroy the opponent’s “fangs” and mobility are the primary strategies through the application of proper tactics. Also, bear in mind that our other stylistic methods such as hinaplos, wakil, or ligid-ligid, redondo, witik, and so on, apply very well to the use of the long weapon. Additionally, most of our standard drills, such as strike-cover-strike, the al a contra switches, particular sumbradas, and all the directional training sequences, function very well with the long weapon.

Finally, as for the use of our long weapon in Casag: as with our 2428-inch and shorter weapons, the appropriate adjustments for the

Michael Mulconery @ michael.mulconery

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Stick Arts VOL 1, ISSUE 4

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