Fighting and danger in the streets of Manila

[yentao]

Well I just want to hear experiences in the street.

Luckily there are only few robbery I encounter and never been victimized but I seen it in action. In this country there is always a chance you get to fight people. Rich or poor, fat or thin, foreigners, squaters, and gangsters. The thing here always is scaring one another most of the time. Through weapons, influences, and groups.

And many fight in groups especially if there is a revenge from a recent quarrel. Any of you encountered the following? The knowledge of an arnisador is crucial in defending oneself along these streets.

Luckily there are only few arnisadors that bully people around so most that I encounter are just tough ass people without knowledge in the art who just want to feel like kings in the town. Most tough people are the squaters. They feel that they are the ones getting oppress. Rich people are the most influence and mostly knows martial arts. Foreigners usually feel like Filipinos are not good at fighting and that are coward which they are totally wrong especially if there is an icepick pointing in the neck. Gangsters are a tough crowd some are a mix of different social status of people some are into fraternity. Fraternity people in the philippines are the most difficult crowd to deal but only few among them looks for trouble which is usually led to frat war.

Here in Manila most common weapon you will found in the streets are icepicks. A very difficult weapon to deal with. I consider this weapon even more hard to deal with knives. Why? Because you can use a wood to stuck a knife but an icepick you can't it will slipped to you.

Gunfights are not so common but if you got a gun point at you, you have done something really wrong. Most guns related incidents are usually due to just pointing and scaring and usually not intended by the suspect to use. However best defense is a gun.

[sherwinc]

Well I just want to hear experiences in the street.

Luckily there are only few robbery I encounter and never been victimized but I seen it in action. In this country there is always a chance you get to fight people. Rich or poor, fat or thin, foreigners, squaters, and gangsters. The thing here always is scaring one another most of the time. Through weapons, influences, and groups.

And many fight in groups especially if there is a revenge from a recent quarrel. Any of you encountered the following? The knowledge of an arnisador is crucial in defending oneself along these streets.

Luckily there are only few arnisadors that bully people around so most that I encounter are just tough ass people without knowledge in the art who just want to feel like kings in the town. Most tough people are the squaters. They feel that they are the ones getting oppress. Rich people are the most influence and mostly knows martial arts. Foreigners usually feel like Filipinos are not good at fighting and that are coward which they are totally wrong especially if there is an icepick pointing in the neck. Gangsters are a tough crowd some are a mix of different social status of people some are into fraternity. Fraternity people in the philippines are the most difficult crowd to deal but only few among them looks for trouble which is usually led to frat war.

Here in Manila most common weapon you will found in the streets are icepicks. A very difficult weapon to deal with. I consider this weapon even more hard to deal with knives. Why? Because you can use a wood to stuck a knife but an icepick you can't it will slipped to you.

Gunfights are not so common but if you got a gun point at you, you have done something really wrong. Most guns related incidents are usually due to just pointing and scaring and usually not intended by the suspect to use. However best defense is a gun.

truely kungfu will not work against stupids in the streets of Manila.......

Note:

In Manila:
if they loose (street gangs) - no one will cry
but if you loose - plenty of your relatives will cry, cause your life has a big value......

[krys]

Well I just want to hear experiences in the street.

It happened to me twice in Manila, but it may not be wise to talk about it .

One foreigner I know was mugged close to the Watterfront hotel in Makati, he wore clothes with japanese kanji and the thugs thought he knew mas and got nervous, when he pulled his walled too fast they stabbed him 3 times in the belly.

Gunfights are not so common but if you got a gun point at you, you have done something really wrong. Most guns related incidents are usually due to just pointing and scaring and usually not intended by the suspect to use. However best defense is a gun.

Not so sure....... If somebody draws a gun in the Philippines chances are he will use it if he gets nervous or feels insulted. Knives are usually secondary weapons for the really bad guys, if somebody wants to talk serious business he will either take a gun or a bolo-barong... sometimes a grenade but this is rare in Manila.

There was once a robbery in a Mall (can't remember which), a jewelry store got robbed and when security guards arrived the robbers threw grenades in the crowd to slow them down...


In the province it is really worse....

Most tough people are the squaters. They feel that they are the ones getting oppress. Rich people are the most influence and mostly knows martial arts.

Tribal filipinos (a.o. muslims) are among the toughest peoples I ever met and many of them know mas.... I doubt many rich peoples are really good at mas, those I know aren't interested: the very rich don't need, they hire goons, bodyguards or corrupt police officials-military ... Maybe some rich chinese...

[yentao]

Many rich people hire good trainers. They also get to train with guns. Some train through wargames like paintballs. Most goony rich people are sons of poiliticians or a politician itself. When they encounter a tough "kanto boy" the following day they send with them goons. The use of martial arts in the streets? Anything can be effective when you fight in the streets.... What comes to mind comes... I don't know what happens to Mindanao, but I heard its harsh there and messy. Justice system in the country sucks. Money is still rules.

[yentao]

truely kungfu will not work against stupids in the streets of Manila.......

Note:

In Manila:
if they loose (street gangs) - no one will cry
but if you loose - plenty of your relatives will cry, cause your life has a big value......

Just don't be "maangas" actually you kill someone in a barangay far from yours the chance of you getting caught by cops are thin but getting killed by those who live there is thick. Tough luck.

Any Ma's you learn, if you are slow you're dead. Man, just pick up a piece of cemented rock then you got your self a weapon.

I always bring tear gas or knives when I go out of my house. You'll get a fight anywhere even just by driving.

Jujitsu is getting famous around here lately. Deftac is a primary school to study of it here.

[Beginner]

I grew up in Manila & you could say I've seen a fairly good amount of "situations" there. I live in a town where the rich, middle class and the poor live together in the same area. A better way of showing this would be the street set-up. Our street (most of us middle class families) would be beside a street that is "ghetto" where squatters (poverty-sticken) and very poor people live. Another street would have very rich families & then at the end of the street, by the shore (I live in a fishing town), squatters are living in shanties.

The amount & type of violence you see would depend on the place where you live (w/c is the case in most countries). Where I live, it is not uncommon to hear men dying because of gun shoot outs. One of the reason for the fight: one guy got cut off driving, the other cut him off back, they got pissed, etc., etc. There was one incident where, a father & son had this fight w/ someone out in the streets, again, about "road rules". They threatened each other. The man said to wait for him & he'll get his gun & his buddies. It sounds stupid but the father & son actually waited there by the side of the road & when the man came back, shoot out, & both the father & son died.

Bolo or knife incidents. When gangwars erupt, you'd see 30 or 40 men (mostly squatters, although, there could still be some just stupid middle class guys) fighting each other w/ sputniks (dart slingshots), ice picks, knives, bolos, pipes, chains & rice sacks. The rice sacks are used as shields from knife attacks. There were also juramentados (men going berzerk over a bunch of issues, or they could be just plain drunk). A man would be hacking his bolo on anyone who tries to block his way. There was even one time, during high school, when I got off the jeepney (like a jeep bus) & saw these two men (barely 10 ft. from me) fighting; one has a bolo, the other, a leather belt. Because I was so used to it by then, I just walked away like they weren't there (I already kind'a sense if people fighting out in the streets would bother me or not). But then when another jeepney stopped over, my then 12 yr. old brother stepped off, & my cool was gone. I had to grab him & we ran away (funny how when you know it’s possible a love one can get hurt, everything changes). Another incident was two men stabbing each other just a few ft. from me while I was waiting for the bus late at night. I had to walk away & warn two women going to the “bus stop” to stay away from there. Oh & it would be very interesting to know as well, that a lot those guys don’t even know “formal” martial arts. They just know how to hurt & kill people.

There were tons more. I didn’t even touch base on robbers, snatchers, family feuds, etc. I’ve been to a lot of “situations” myself. Some of them I got the upper hand, some of them I was the one who ran away from it. You could imagine how cowardly I felt back then every time I ran away from a fight I knew I could never win.

Although, there are still a lot of places in Manila (the Philippines for that matter) that things like these don’t even happen. Case in point, my wife, before we got married, never understood why I had to carry a gun. She personally never saw any kind of violence. Only petty arguments of her brother or father w/ other drivers on the streets. Of course, everything changed when she witnessed a mere 12-year old kid trying to rob a tricycle filled w/ containers of fish from the pier while actually running on the road. We were in a car following the tricycle in traffic. When the traffic started moving, the kid w/ a blade came out of nowhere, ran after the tricycle & cut off the ropes tying one of the coolers filled w/ fish. The container fell on the ground, we stopped & started shouting to the driver that he was being robbed while the kid was trying to pull away the possibly 50lb. cooler. The driver stopped & saw it & the kid let go of the cooler & disappeared into the shanties. (The roadside was full of squatter shanties). We didn’t drive off until the peddler got his container back on the tricycle & rode off w/ us following.

[krys]

Many rich people hire good trainers.

Yes that's true, but are they really good themselves? One I know is a scion of a very (in)famous familly, he learned Tang So Do but he is a bakla....

I don't know what happens to Mindanao, but I heard its harsh there and messy. Justice system in the country sucks. Money is still rules.

Oh yes it's really harsh and bloody, I was in southern Mindanao for a while, got some action and lived really crazy things.... met some former tad-tads (chop-chop) .... really charming peoples, they told me they used to keep some of the prehispanic traditions alive. Ever heard of Roberto Manero?

Some areas in Mindanao are really dangerous: war, intertribal conflicts, lots of drugs, private armies working for politicians-big businesses, death squads, kidnap for ransom groups often linked to the police-military, blood thirsty crazy sects, rebels, common bandits, cattle rustlers and all kinds of desesparate peoples...
Mindoro is also really bad at the moment.... there is a huge assassination campaign against tribal peoples-political opponents going on right now and peoples disapear or are salvaged regularly. But rich ore deposits are supposed to be located in the island.....

Manila is a kindergarten compared to those places.

[Beginner]

Oh yes it's really harsh and bloody, I was in southern Mindanao for a while, got some action and lived really crazy things.... met some former tad-tads (chop-chop) .... really charming peoples, they told me they used to keep some of the prehispanic traditions alive. Ever heard of Roberto Manero?

Some areas in Mindanao are really dangerous: war, intertribal conflicts, lots of drugs, private armies working for politicians-big businesses, death squads, kidnap for ransom groups often linked to the police-military, blood thirsty crazy sects, rebels, common bandits, cattle rustlers and all kinds of desesparate peoples...
Mindoro is also really bad at the moment.... there is a huge assassination campaign against tribal peoples-political opponents going on right now and peoples disapear or are salvaged regularly. But rich ore deposits are supposed to be located in the island.....

Manila is a kindergarten compared to those places.

I’m not too sure about Manila being kindergarten. Not the whole of Mindanao is as bad as everyone sees it on the news. I’ve been to Mindanao a number of times & I never experienced anything bad really. Mindanao is such a huge region & it is not uncommon for most people (even Filipinos) to associate Mindanao as the worst area in the country. Places known to be bad areas are more likely those that are presently having problems w/ rebels. In which case, Luzon has problems of as well in certain areas. If rebel-related violence is being pointed out, then I’ll have to say areas in Bicol (a province in Luzon) was just as bad before the turn of the century. The Cordillera region is also worth looking into.

Politically influenced killings, kidnap for ransom groups, drugs, & crimes linked to the police & the military are also way too common in Manila. There was even a streak of bus & building rebel bombings all throughout Manila at one point in time. It is just fortunate that the General Headquarters of the Philippine National Police & the Armed Forces are both based in Manila & so the rebel threats do not escalate too much. There is Manero, but Manila also had Don Pepe Oyson. And being that the GHQ of the Police & AFP is in Manila, well... crimes related to the police & military... you go figure.

However, the fact that parts of Mindanao are experiencing war between the government & the rebels makes those parts dangerous places. In which case, it cannot be compared to Manila, as there is no war in the area. Manila is comparable to a city like that of Cagayan de Oro City, one of the major cities in Mindanao. Cagayan de Oro City’s crime rate cannot compare to that of Manila. Manila, being the capital of the country, is the area of interest by citizens all over the archipelago. As such, Manila becomes crowded with different people from different provinces of different beliefs. To give an idea of the violence experienced by people in Manila; there is not one night watching the news would you not hear at the least 3 people found killed in different parts of Manila. To put this into perspective further, the reports in the news are only the ones that reporters were able to cover. In fact the three deaths I’ve mentioned previously were never shown on tv the night after it happened – or the week for that matter.

Fact of the matter is that the whole country is presently becoming politically unstable & economy is getting worse. (It just crossed my mind, our country's state has been like this since the start of the Spanish era) There are good areas & bad areas. I may have lived in an area that is violent but my wife lived in a very peaceful one. Cagayan de Oro City is such a beautiful city & I'd want to go back there to visit my friends. But just drive farther south to the areas of Sultan Kudarat, etc., you wouldn't even want to catch a glimpse of the rebel movement.

[Homey]

Yentao, fighting and danger in the streets of Manila

Don't you ever get tired of feeling this way. I don't think you mentioned that your tired of it, it sounds more like this is the way you live and don't care if trouble comes your way. You also make this place sound uncivilized, I mean who the f***k would want to live in a place like this. I wouldn't want to know someone who is known to have killed someone or not afraid of anyone and lives to hurt people. I avoid people like that, I for sure don't want to be rememberd as some assh*** who makes a living being a punk ass that has no respect for nothing.
I know this sounds harsh, but what are you trying to say. That Manila is some bad ass place?

[yentao]

Yentao, fighting and danger in the streets of Manila

Don't you ever get tired of feeling this way. I don't think you mentioned that your tired of it, it sounds more like this is the way you live and don't care if trouble comes your way. You also make this place sound uncivilized, I mean who the f***k would want to live in a place like this. I wouldn't want to know someone who is known to have killed someone or not afraid of anyone and lives to hurt people. I avoid people like that, I for sure don't want to be rememberd as some assh*** who makes a living being a punk ass that has no respect for nothing.
I know this sounds harsh, but what are you trying to say. That Manila is some bad ass place?

All places can be bad it just happened, that I know Manila than places like Moscow and Havanna. When you lived in Manila and live through another country you are wise. Because you know a lot of ways to deal with scams and frauds. Why don't you relax and just read and stop cursing. This thread was just started.

The reason I started this thread is to give knowledge and to help those who are in the Philippines how to avoid danger and how to deal it when it comes. But besides I want to hear experience or stories to produce this kind of knowledge.

[yentao]

Yes that's true, but are they really good themselves? One I know is a scion of a very (in)famous familly, he learned Tang So Do but he is a bakla....



Oh yes it's really harsh and bloody, I was in southern Mindanao for a while, got some action and lived really crazy things.... met some former tad-tads (chop-chop) .... really charming peoples, they told me they used to keep some of the prehispanic traditions alive. Ever heard of Roberto Manero?

Some areas in Mindanao are really dangerous: war, intertribal conflicts, lots of drugs, private armies working for politicians-big businesses, death squads, kidnap for ransom groups often linked to the police-military, blood thirsty crazy sects, rebels, common bandits, cattle rustlers and all kinds of desesparate peoples...
Mindoro is also really bad at the moment.... there is a huge assassination campaign against tribal peoples-political opponents going on right now and peoples disapear or are salvaged regularly. But rich ore deposits are supposed to be located in the island.....

Manila is a kindergarten compared to those places.

Manila is more controlled than south.

These things are the result of bad justice system and life in poor condition. In province you got to kill for land. My friend migrated to Jolo for business opportunities and he told me its really harsh there he has to hire military men to guard his business. Death squad are really plenty in Davao. The reason this groups were established was to scare people of doing crime. It is like martial law there. But I do appreciate vigilance. Better than before where crime is more rampant. Drugs and robbery are everywhere in Davao. But now people are scared. That's how things work here like I said, takutan(scaring).

Do you have any advice on how to deal with this kind of life?

Speaking of tad tad, may I ask you if you know what kind of knife or blade, the mambubuko use? You know that thin curvy blade that can split a buko in two. Man, where can I find such blade? Do you know how it was made?

[yentao]

I’m not too sure about Manila being kindergarten. Not the whole of Mindanao is as bad as everyone sees it on the news. I’ve been to Mindanao a number of times & I never experienced anything bad really. Mindanao is such a huge region & it is not uncommon for most people (even Filipinos) to associate Mindanao as the worst area in the country. Places known to be bad areas are more likely those that are presently having problems w/ rebels. In which case, Luzon has problems of as well in certain areas. If rebel-related violence is being pointed out, then I’ll have to say areas in Bicol (a province in Luzon) was just as bad before the turn of the century. The Cordillera region is also worth looking into.

Politically influenced killings, kidnap for ransom groups, drugs, & crimes linked to the police & the military are also way too common in Manila. There was even a streak of bus & building rebel bombings all throughout Manila at one point in time. It is just fortunate that the General Headquarters of the Philippine National Police & the Armed Forces are both based in Manila & so the rebel threats do not escalate too much. There is Manero, but Manila also had Don Pepe Oyson. And being that the GHQ of the Police & AFP is in Manila, well... crimes related to the police & military... you go figure.

However, the fact that parts of Mindanao are experiencing war between the government & the rebels makes those parts dangerous places. In which case, it cannot be compared to Manila, as there is no war in the area. Manila is comparable to a city like that of Cagayan de Oro City, one of the major cities in Mindanao. Cagayan de Oro City’s crime rate cannot compare to that of Manila. Manila, being the capital of the country, is the area of interest by citizens all over the archipelago. As such, Manila becomes crowded with different people from different provinces of different beliefs. To give an idea of the violence experienced by people in Manila; there is not one night watching the news would you not hear at the least 3 people found killed in different parts of Manila. To put this into perspective further, the reports in the news are only the ones that reporters were able to cover. In fact the three deaths I’ve mentioned previously were never shown on tv the night after it happened – or the week for that matter.

Fact of the matter is that the whole country is presently becoming politically unstable & economy is getting worse. (It just crossed my mind, our country's state has been like this since the start of the Spanish era) There are good areas & bad areas. I may have lived in an area that is violent but my wife lived in a very peaceful one. Cagayan de Oro City is such a beautiful city & I'd want to go back there to visit my friends. But just drive farther south to the areas of Sultan Kudarat, etc., you wouldn't even want to catch a glimpse of the rebel movement.

Well if you look troubles in any places you'll definitely have it. Well actually people who killed enough hides. Most of them become bandits and ambushers.

Hahaha when you get poor and your bankcrupt join the rebels you'll get free food. But really that was one of the solutions now a days. The reason trouble won't stop. This country has a lot of problems. I love Philippines. So do you think if FPJ won in the election things could have change?

Let me also add I think Filipinos should develope Filipino martial arts than others like taekwondo and jujitsu. We have our own here why don't we use it?

[Beginner]

I know this sounds harsh, but what are you trying to say. That Manila is some bad ass place?

I don't think Yentao meant to have this thread give this impression. Thinking about it, Manila is like a place in the twilight zone. I've lived there... we had parties, we went out to go bar hopping, we went everywhere & I experienced a lot of really great things... did a lot of stuff similar to what people do here... I met my wife & got married - just like in a movie. But at the same time, I witnessed & experienced some pretty violent stuff. It's a great place to live in but also scary that I was always up on my toes. It's no different than any metropolis or township here in the States (activity-wise), only there's this tremendous number of violence going on every single day everywhere. I guess a lot us just got used to it. No it's not a badass place. It's a third world country & as any poverty stricken nation, violence is a constant. Ever wondered why a lot of immigrants from third world countries seem to display a sense of calmness here in the US? It's because everything here is just great. You drive a car & can get an apartment. You get a job that to a lot of us you called FOBs consider such good fortune. Odd jobs & we're still very, very happy. It's because it's a whole new different world out there. As for immigrants who end up being ass***** here, well, that's another story. Bottom line, what you consider uncivilized here is very much normal in a lot of places – not only in the Philippines. Heck, I’d pick the Philippines over Afghanistan anytime!

[Homey]

Hey Yentao and beginner good feed back.

[Beginner]

Well if you look troubles in any places you'll definitely have it. Well actually people who killed enough hides. Most of them become bandits and ambushers.

Hahaha when you get poor and your bankcrupt join the rebels you'll get free food. But really that was one of the solutions now a days. The reason trouble won't stop. This country has a lot of problems. I love Philippines. So do you think if FPJ won in the election things could have change?

Let me also add I think Filipinos should develope Filipino martial arts than others like taekwondo and jujitsu. We have our own here why don't we use it?

Yup that's what a lot of people actually did. They got tired of the system & moved into the mountains w/ the rebels.

FPJ won?! I don't want to talk politics here but that'll be REALLY scary!

You know, I'm in fact guilty of the same decision by a lot of martial artists in the Phil. I picked Karate over Arnis when I was there. I only took up Kali here in the US! But I guess part of the reason is that the government itself never really took the issue seriously. I know they did try to put arnis as part of the curriculum in schools at one point but the way it was taught back then was negating its practicality. It was just not what you would see schools here in the States do. And it is a known fact that a lot of the really good grandmasters teach privately & in their own schools – not in the country’s school system. And being that Karate, TKD & Judo schools were more aggressive in marketing back there, arnis never had the chance to prove itself. Again, it went back to government support.

Hi, Homey! Thanks, & I understand your skepticism. Reading all these stuff & you do get a sense that we're trying to make it sound like it's some gangsta place. But like I said, it's a way of life. I wouldn't be surprised if you met another Filipino here in the US who'd say it's not really that violent there. But ask that same Filipino how many violent stuff they see on the news every single night & you'd be surprised w/ their answer.