Bahala Na Escrima in East Coast?

[therenegademonk]

Hey guys. I've been dying to learn Giron Arnis Escrima aka Bahala Na Escrima for quite some time now, particularly in it's use of largo mano Bolo knife methods. Unfortunately, I'm on the East coast (New Jersey) and it appears that there are no Bahala Na Escrima schools anywhere.

Would anyone know if this changes? I'm a die-hard practitioner of Filipino blade techniques and I always love to widen my knowledge of Filipino blade methods.

Thanks,
Mike

[MasterKaliSilat]

Arnis, Kali, Eskrima, as the Filipino used to call it.

Having spent some time in the Philippines during the early years I began to understand that the culture was the same everywhere only the methods of practice were different, different preferences, different a little bit this way, or a little bit that way. Everyone has the right reason, these arts and sciences are all the same. What you need is one that share, and as you test many different methods, its the practice that makes the art come out in you.

I remember Suryadi Jafri, once said, "Who you remember, that what you remember, though the basic all alike, you different." and he would continue, "We all alike, have any two eyes, hair, cut the skin and you bleed, he laughed, "easy to cut you, you want to see?" I always replied, "no sir!" This giant of a man shared the secrets of Kali Silat, as did our Filipino friends, and those that gave in sharing all grew. It was GM Canete, that because of the sharing he inspired allowed us all to grow, throughout the world.

Those that didn't remained behind, so according to my first Indonesian teacher, take the alphabet, create the word, the movement, "strive to learn one technique, it becomes a thousand variations, the best protection is attacktion", Suryadi Jafri. And that's what these Filipino Warriors did throughout history, practice before work, practice after work, sleep. Eat once a day, then fasting, start show then up to how many days, how many gifts you discover. Once it becomes your own, you'll know.

It follows the same principle from basic to advanced. We have a saying in Sina-Tirsia-Wali, "It doesn't matter how bad the technique, it doesn't matter how good the technique, it only matters, "Can I stop you, can you stop me." GM Canete, circa 1977 Cebu. "So many times I meet someone they can't hold their stick, I wonder?" he said to me.

As I think of the practice, it's a little like typing. You start out with practice how to hit each key stroke. 5 levels, 6 on the computer, in Eskrima Kali it's your basic 5 cardinal strikes, in most circles these are the same. First hit the right key, second practice, speed and accuracy, find a sentence with all the letters in the alphabet, then practice typing address and telephone numbers. OK, without hesitation, without thought, create the sentence, the paragraph, the story. In Kali Eskrima, it's stop your opponent. Hmm not so easy when I come at you with a big blade. "There is not such thing as Filipino Stick Fighting." GM Canete, 1986, NYC. It's a bladed skill, we let you use sticks so you don't kill each other. And when they say it's a fighting art is incorrect, it's a finishing skill with the practice of learning how not to be hit. Most of the systems in these Philippine arts give you this practice. Here is the goal for skill of practice, it's to easy to hit, too hard not to be, so practice of all the parries was most important. That's some of the practice during WW2, we have a picture somewhere, email me if you want to see it, and it might be on the site somewhere. www.KaliSilat.org.

In all these arts, it doesn't matter what you do. It doesn't matter what I do. It only matters, can you stop me, or can I stop you. In a real situation most of us won't have a clue, unless you practice with the blade, how can you defend against it? Welcome now the Kali of the Philippines arts and sciences.

Last and best are the words I heard from several teachers during my introduction to Arnis, Kali, Eskrima while in the Philippines. It began with, "Greg, here we have a drill for everything." And I always took the lesson, sometimes I remember to use it.

[thekuntawman]

i would advise that you might consider to travel here to stockton for at least a few weeks if you cannot find a teacher close by. its always good to travel, there grandmaster is here, antonio somera. plus you can visit some of the other masters around this northern california has a lot of good masters to train with.

[JBolton]

Although we don't yet have any Affiliates in New Jersey, Chuck Giangreco is an Affiliate of Giron Arnis Escrima/Bahala Na Martial Arts in New York.

Here is his contact information and website:
Chuck Giangreco
chuckjkd@yahoo.com

http://www.westchestermartialarts.com/

Johnathan Bolton
Houston Martial Arts Academy
(Home of Bahala Na Houston)