Check out this slick promotional video for Datu Dieter Knuttel's Modern Arnis organization, the DAV.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Ernesto Presas Jr.
I just wanted to post this video as Ernesto Presas Jr of Kombatan shows some incredible skill. One can tell that this fella is VERY good and the sinawali at the beginning of the video is just insane!! Enjoy!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Another One Passes
GM Federico Lazo passed away recently. While I never met the man, I have heard many good things about him. As the link below will show, he was part of a pivotal moment in the history of Modern Arnis and was a friend and associate of Professor Remy Presas.
GM Federico Lazo
Rest in peace, GM Lazo.
GM Federico Lazo
Rest in peace, GM Lazo.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Class Schedule for February
Just firmed this up. It is as follows:
(1) Tuesday Feb. 2, room 4
(2) Thursday, Feb 4, room 4
(3) Tuesday, Feb 9, room 2
(4) Thursday, Feb 11, room 4
(5) Tuesday, Feb 16, room 2
(6) Thursday, Feb 18, room 4
(7) Tuesday, Feb 23, room 2
(8) Thursday, Feb 25, room 4
Classes are at the usual time: Children's from 7:00pm to 7:30pm and adults from 7:30pm to 9:00pm.
Please contact me if you have any questions!
(1) Tuesday Feb. 2, room 4
(2) Thursday, Feb 4, room 4
(3) Tuesday, Feb 9, room 2
(4) Thursday, Feb 11, room 4
(5) Tuesday, Feb 16, room 2
(6) Thursday, Feb 18, room 4
(7) Tuesday, Feb 23, room 2
(8) Thursday, Feb 25, room 4
Classes are at the usual time: Children's from 7:00pm to 7:30pm and adults from 7:30pm to 9:00pm.
Please contact me if you have any questions!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Let's Have a Conversation
As may be evident, I have been blogging my thoughts on various martial arts related topics but those are only my thoughts....thoughts that 6 billion people haven't heard about. So perhaps it's time for me to hear your thoughts on a number of martial arts/self defense/personal safety issues.
So, I will start with one: what was/is the primary reason for your interest (not necessarily practice...interest) in self defense or martial arts?
I'd love to hear your responses, if anyone is out there reading this blog. :-)
So, I will start with one: what was/is the primary reason for your interest (not necessarily practice...interest) in self defense or martial arts?
I'd love to hear your responses, if anyone is out there reading this blog. :-)
Monday, January 18, 2010
Self Improvement
One of the biggest reasons that I got into the martial arts, aside from self defense, is for self improvement. Filipino martial arts, and in particular, Modern Arnis has been wonderful for me in this regard.
Early in my martial arts studies, I had a desire to study weapons, thinking that it would be cool to move from empty hand self defense to using self defense tools. Like many, I thought of weapons in a very narrow way. So when I got into Modern Arnis, my initial thinking was that it was great to learn how to use a stick and “stick fighting.” Many years later, I have come to realize that Modern Arnis and Filipino Martial arts in general is much more than just about “stickfighting.” Ultimately, it’s about what the stick teaches you. The stick has, for me, evolved from being a weapon to being a tool for self improvement and personal development.
The stick teaches you angles of motion. It teaches you reaction speed, It enhances your hand speed. At the intermediate and advanced levels, it teaches you counters for counters, trapping, baiting and joint locking. However, the stick goes beyond the physical. It also teaches you to link different ideas and concepts. This was one of the greatest gifts that Professor Presas gave to his students. The stick also gives you real live feedback in your training, especially when you engage in tapi tapi with a training partner. Its give you a way to measure your progress compared to a year ago. How does your tapi tapi look compared to a year ago?
And yes, while tapi tapi involves training with a partner, the real benchmark is not how you compare with others but how much progress you have made over time. Your strengths will be on display but so will your weaknesses. Are you going to spend time working on your strengths or on your weaknesses? For example, are you willing to put in time to work on left hand techniques?
Yes, there is a place for competition. But, in the area of self improvement the real competition is within yourself. Do you get angry when somebody “looks better” than you or bests you in tapi tapi play? Or do you take those observations as a chance to grow and become better? If you look better than somebody or beat them, do you then become complacent? Anger. Complacency. Arrogance. Do you execute techniques the same way every time? Or are you willing to put techniques into different contexts? You can think of other aspects of the human condition but they are all essentially battles within ourselves. This is where self improvement comes into play.
Self defense and self improvement. Those are the reasons that I practice martial arts and particularly Filipino Martial Arts.
Early in my martial arts studies, I had a desire to study weapons, thinking that it would be cool to move from empty hand self defense to using self defense tools. Like many, I thought of weapons in a very narrow way. So when I got into Modern Arnis, my initial thinking was that it was great to learn how to use a stick and “stick fighting.” Many years later, I have come to realize that Modern Arnis and Filipino Martial arts in general is much more than just about “stickfighting.” Ultimately, it’s about what the stick teaches you. The stick has, for me, evolved from being a weapon to being a tool for self improvement and personal development.
The stick teaches you angles of motion. It teaches you reaction speed, It enhances your hand speed. At the intermediate and advanced levels, it teaches you counters for counters, trapping, baiting and joint locking. However, the stick goes beyond the physical. It also teaches you to link different ideas and concepts. This was one of the greatest gifts that Professor Presas gave to his students. The stick also gives you real live feedback in your training, especially when you engage in tapi tapi with a training partner. Its give you a way to measure your progress compared to a year ago. How does your tapi tapi look compared to a year ago?
And yes, while tapi tapi involves training with a partner, the real benchmark is not how you compare with others but how much progress you have made over time. Your strengths will be on display but so will your weaknesses. Are you going to spend time working on your strengths or on your weaknesses? For example, are you willing to put in time to work on left hand techniques?
Yes, there is a place for competition. But, in the area of self improvement the real competition is within yourself. Do you get angry when somebody “looks better” than you or bests you in tapi tapi play? Or do you take those observations as a chance to grow and become better? If you look better than somebody or beat them, do you then become complacent? Anger. Complacency. Arrogance. Do you execute techniques the same way every time? Or are you willing to put techniques into different contexts? You can think of other aspects of the human condition but they are all essentially battles within ourselves. This is where self improvement comes into play.
Self defense and self improvement. Those are the reasons that I practice martial arts and particularly Filipino Martial Arts.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Recent Development in the Philippines
Several forums and postings on Facebook have brought attention to the fact that the Philippines recently enacted a law making Arnis the national sport of that country. I received the following press release from Ike Sepulveda a couple of days ago. Note the quote where the Senate Majority leader lamented the fact that Arnis was more popular elsewhere than in the Philipines. I have seen the same lamentation by a number of Pinoy FMA practitioners. Hopefully, this law will bring more attention to this wonderful martial art in its homeland.
PRESS RELEASE
Office of Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri
Please refer to Mavic Trinidad 5526601 loc 5550
December 22, 2009
"ARNIS: RP’s new National Martial Art and Sport"
Arnis, or the martial art using sticks or canes, is now the country's national martial art and sport following the enactment of the law making it the same.
Republic Act No. 9850 was signed by the President on December 11. The law was authored by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, himself an arnis practitioner. It was authored as well in the House of Representatives by Rep. Henry Teves and Rep. George Arnaiz.
Little do people know that Zubiri has been practicing arnis since he was 16 years old, or for almost 24 years now. He was National champion in his weight class in 1988 then becoming World Champion in the sport in 1989 at the 1st Arnis World Championship held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
"The main reason why I sponsored the law is to unify all styles of arnis-kali eskrima under FMA or the Filipino Martial Arts," Zubiri said in reference to his pet measure.
"It saddens me that our own home-grown sport and martial art is more popular abroad than in the Philippines," he lamented, noting how little Filipinos know about the sport.
He likewise expressed disappointment over how arnis practitioners have failed to make a better living for themselves and their families.
"It shocks me even more when the grand masters of the art live so poorly, whereas those foreigners that they train and go abroad to teach live like kings because of the popularity of the art abroad," Zubiri said.
Arnis is an indigenous Filipino martial art and sport characterized by the use of swinging and twirling movements, accompanied by striking, thrusting and parrying techniques for defense and offense. It is usually done with the use of 1 or 2 sticks or any similar implements or with bare hands and feet also used for striking, blocking, locking and grappling, with the use of the same principle as that with the canes.
Arnis is also known as Eskrima, Kali, Garrote in various regional languages. It is also called Pananandata in Tagalog; Pagkalikali in Ibanag; Kabaraon and Kalirongan in Pangasinan; Kaliradman in Bisaya; and Didja in Ilocano.
Under RA 9850, the symbol of arnis will be inscribed in the official seal of the Philippine Sports Commission and by making it as the first sport petition to be played by participating teams on the first day in the annual Palarong Pambansa.
The PSC will be the lead implementor of the law. It shall likewise formulate the necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of the law, along with the Department of Education and the National Commission on Culture and Arts. (end)
PRESS RELEASE
Office of Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri
Please refer to Mavic Trinidad 5526601 loc 5550
December 22, 2009
"ARNIS: RP’s new National Martial Art and Sport"
Arnis, or the martial art using sticks or canes, is now the country's national martial art and sport following the enactment of the law making it the same.
Republic Act No. 9850 was signed by the President on December 11. The law was authored by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, himself an arnis practitioner. It was authored as well in the House of Representatives by Rep. Henry Teves and Rep. George Arnaiz.
Little do people know that Zubiri has been practicing arnis since he was 16 years old, or for almost 24 years now. He was National champion in his weight class in 1988 then becoming World Champion in the sport in 1989 at the 1st Arnis World Championship held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
"The main reason why I sponsored the law is to unify all styles of arnis-kali eskrima under FMA or the Filipino Martial Arts," Zubiri said in reference to his pet measure.
"It saddens me that our own home-grown sport and martial art is more popular abroad than in the Philippines," he lamented, noting how little Filipinos know about the sport.
He likewise expressed disappointment over how arnis practitioners have failed to make a better living for themselves and their families.
"It shocks me even more when the grand masters of the art live so poorly, whereas those foreigners that they train and go abroad to teach live like kings because of the popularity of the art abroad," Zubiri said.
Arnis is an indigenous Filipino martial art and sport characterized by the use of swinging and twirling movements, accompanied by striking, thrusting and parrying techniques for defense and offense. It is usually done with the use of 1 or 2 sticks or any similar implements or with bare hands and feet also used for striking, blocking, locking and grappling, with the use of the same principle as that with the canes.
Arnis is also known as Eskrima, Kali, Garrote in various regional languages. It is also called Pananandata in Tagalog; Pagkalikali in Ibanag; Kabaraon and Kalirongan in Pangasinan; Kaliradman in Bisaya; and Didja in Ilocano.
Under RA 9850, the symbol of arnis will be inscribed in the official seal of the Philippine Sports Commission and by making it as the first sport petition to be played by participating teams on the first day in the annual Palarong Pambansa.
The PSC will be the lead implementor of the law. It shall likewise formulate the necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of the law, along with the Department of Education and the National Commission on Culture and Arts. (end)
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