Myths in Martial Arts

[Sun_Helmet]

I don't have the magazine in front of me, but it may have been a recent IKF which lists the top ten common myths in Martial Arts.

One of them was that the Spanish never prohibited the Filipinos from carrying weapons.

I don't know where they got this from, but Spanish records contradict this.

Here is a list of weapon bans repeatedly issued by the Spanish government upon the Filipinos. They were called superior bandos.

December 29, 1763
February 9, 1764
August 3, 1765
January 19, 1771
February 1778
February 1783
October 1812
June 11, 1829

In detail is the Proclamation of 21, May 1844 issued in Cavite during the Tulisanes raids, which banned Filipinos and mestizos from carrying all kinds of weapons. Arms licenses was granted only to persons duly authorized by the provincial Spanish governor. The law applied to the use of guns, spears, swords and long daggers. However, no special permit was necessary for the use of spears measuring 5 varas with bamboo shafts utilized for hunting animals. Same applied to BLUNTED Bolos and pick axes. Penalty for carrying arms without a license was 6 months heavy labor.
Cavite Before the Revolution, page 92 Medina.

Being caught by the Spanish authorities carrying weapons can also lead them to suspect you as being a Tulisanes. In places like Imus, Cavite Spanish authorities under the supervision of friars would decapitate a Tulisanes and publicly display their heads in a cage at Imus plaza. Their bodies were also quartered prior to the beheading.

Some Tulisanes evaded prosecution by leaving Cavite and heading to the southern regions like Negros or to Basilan Island. One Tulisanes named Pedro Cuevas became a Datu (Datu Kalun) of the Yakans in Basilan.

By the 19th century, Cavite's disatisfaction with the repressive Spanish authorities had transformed the tulisan activity (once deemed as fearsome night time raiders) into a more focused form of peasant movement. In the end it would culminate into the Katipunan movement which spawned the Filipino Revolution of 1896.

--Rafael Kayanan--


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[ryanhall]

Another myth is that it was the Filipino martial arts and the resistances that made use of them that resulted in the Spanish departure from the Phillipines. Spain had plenty of socio-economic and governmental problems at home. Its internal issues were the true reason for the Spanish exodus. Revolts and native resistance in the islands were annoyances, but they were not the primary problems, despite what many martial arts practitioners would have us believe.

[Sun_Helmet]

Revolution

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[Sun_Helmet]

Revolution

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I agree, I wouldn't say they were the ***only*** factor however, the revolution was a VERY significant factor. Spain was losing soldiers daily and by the time of Dewey's arrival, the Spanish forces were being "routed".

The people of Spain considered the crown's actions an embarassment as their 28,000 troops were being "routed by the revolutionaries". The troops were fully armed. When the last huge Spanish fort of Intramuros fell, it still contained 20,000 rounds of ammunition when inventoried .

The Spanish governor-general in October 1897 reported 8,000 casualties since the previous May, and told Madrid that the Revolution could no longer be suppressed because Spain, he said, was not fighting an army, but a united people. Spain as empire was done. That is still 8000 soldiers with guns falling to people who did not possess them. With that many casualties in one small region, the word "annoyance" becomes subjective.

Losing a key element in their maritime trade route factored into those internal problems, especially their economic demise. Internal issues began when the concept of Conquesta was introduced, it would take time, but the fall of Spain began from there. Historian Lane Poole stated the height of Spain was right after the exodus of the Moors.

In addition, I do not view the resistance as a factor in the Spanish exodus even a myth propagated by many FMAs instructors at all. Instead, the revolutionary is illustrated to show the strength of the unarmed (firearms) Filipino people united. Their use of bladed and impact weapons were still a crucial element in the revolution and that is what many instructors focus on.

Without the blade, there would be no revolution. That is the focus of their instruction. That is certainly a documented fact.

A revolution without firearms succeeded with the blood sacrifice and the blade culture of the people.

If you read the almost moment by moment accounts of Katipunan members collected in books, Spanish troops fell under the attacks of blade and impact weapons. Any firearm that was used by the Filipinos were taken from their Spanish enemy. That's been documented.

Spain falling from within it's own corrupted shell does not discount that the Filipino blade still opposed the Spanish gun. Not one or two guns but thousands upon thousands.

We cannot invalidate the contributions of the revolutionaries and say their hard won battles were not primary in the departure of Spain. That is like stating that the guns of the New World colonialists were not a primary factor in the defeat of the British.

Think of Washington and troops charging the redcoats with only cutlass at hand.

Had the Filipinos not revolted by force and dwindled the forces of Spain; forcing Spain to surrender fort by fort, or if the blade weilding Filipinos had been defeated and succumbed to the Spanish.. then Spain as an empire would have been an entirely different one than what existed at that period of time. It would also have been strong enough to withstand their other enemies.

As in any fight, many factors lead to a defeat. All of them are primary to the balance of the war.

--Rafael--
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