What is Filipino Martial arts to you?

[lionleo]

yes..it's a suburb..here's a web page you can see..

kalikilatl.tripod.com

take care.

[Ferdie]

Filipino Martial Arts to me is what it is today: A progressive, highly adapting & continuously evolving system of fighting & self-defense. There are numerous books out there outlining, if not explaining in detail, the lineage & authenticity of the different systems in existence. Fact of the matter is there is as much history in the FMA as there are islands in the Philippine archipelago. Our Nation’s history confirms this. It was so easy for the Spaniards to rule the Philippines because of geography alone – divide the people into islands & conquer each of one of them. There were so many differences in each island’s culture back then (as it is today) that it was easy to turn one against another. Further, being a natural entry point to Asia, merchants did business in our ports & as such, cultures of different nations have influenced ours in the process. The richness of our culture was brought about by the different cultures influencing ours in different ways during the passing centuries. And what with the martial arts? Go figure.

[kruzada]

We are still divided

It was so easy for the Spaniards to rule the Philippines because of geography alone – divide the people into islands & conquer each of one of them. There were so many differences in each island’s culture back then (as it is today) that it was easy to turn one against another.

Well said. You rarely hear Filipino martial artists talk about the divide and conquer tactics which were so successfully employed by the Spaniards when they colonized our archipelago, and fewer yet realize, or choose to admit, that the effects of their tampering are still very much evident in modern day Filipino culture and especially in the FMA community in the P.I.

It is a popular theory that the Spaniards banned the practice of the Filipino Martial Arts, but some historians believe that Spanish Friars actually encouraged its practice, and contributed to its organization. This is evident from the prevelant usage of Spanish terminology in the FMA that does not have any relevance to Spanish fencing.

They did so because it encouraged competition between Filipinos, and thus served their goal to keep the Filipino people from unifying. Also through the matches that ensued from the practice of the FMA, many of the most skilled fighters were either mamed in the process, or were killed. This obviously was in their best interest because it would widen the division between the Filipino martial artists of that era into an insurmountable chasm.

This endless cycle of hatred and derision still continues to this very day, fueled by pride and perpetuated by the "My style is better than your style" attitude that is so common in both the FMA and MA in general.

[bodhisattva]

"Divide and Conquer" exists to this very day, that is certain.



Today the world is divided by: Nation, Race, Gender, Religion, Occupation, Social Class, Education, Sexuality...



We are divided so many times.

[kruzada]

Sad but true, and yet so many FMA practitioners feel that there is "no need" to address spirituality or ethics within their own groups.

[Tant01]

PI MA is to me a very frightening secret. I would rather forget what I know than give it to my kids or anyone else today. Who is worthy?

PI MAs are like bullets, some are streamlined and designed for competition others have a hard core that can pierce armor.

[Black Grass]

...

It is a popular theory that the Spaniards banned the practice of the Filipino Martial Arts, but some historians believe that Spanish Friars actually encouraged its practice, and contributed to its organization. This is evident from the prevelant usage of Spanish terminology in the FMA that does not have any relevance to Spanish fencing.

Intresting take on why there is so much Spanish in FMA, although I would have to disagree. I have thought about why there is so much spanish terminology and what I think its simply a case of lingistics and etymology.

As with all languages the language Filipino's use has evloved. Even today it is including more english in favour of Filipino or Spanish. Most Tagalogs today can not understand high Tagalog and would be hard pressed to understand the tagalog of 100 yrs ago. Give Benard Shaw to most americans and they would have a hard time understang it, give Sheakspear and they wouldn't have a clue!

I always thought the word 'guro' is a good example, outside the FMA I don't think it is used, even the english word titser (teacher) has replaced mestro.
In some cases spanish ( and now english) words are just simplier to use. Another example is numbers, twelve or doce is much simplier than labing dalawa. Looking at FMA terminology aldabis or ocho-ocho is simplier than salok saboy. No one calls it Panantukan or Suntukan its boksing (boxing).

Since I am not a lingust, this is just speculation on my part.

Vince
aka Black Grass

[kruzada]

Interesting points. However you should to take into consideration the fact that many native FMA teachers did not teach in a structured manner, let alone have names for every technique that they taught. Many of the manongs taught in a "you do this, then you do that" manner, and if you failed to understand what they were teaching, or couldn't remember it without the aid of "terminology" then you were simply out of luck.

Some still teach this way because they do not teach large groups, but prefer to teach a few students who are either relatives, or close friends of the family. Even much of the Pilipino terminology that most westerners are familiar with are not universal among practitioners in the P.I., many (not all) of these terms were contrived by FMA teachers seeking to further structurize their own curriculums while imparting some knowledge of our indigenous language.

Our FMA history is a very sketchy subject at best, because there is so little documentation from the original sources. Which is why we have so many arguments such as the ever so popular "Is Kali the mother art of the FMA, or even a truly indigenous term at all?"

What I have posted was not a personal revelation on my part, but was based on discussions that I have had with a friend who has much more knowledge of Filipino history than I do, or most FMA instructors for that matter. Maybe I can convince him to join our discussion.

Thanks for the reply.

[Tant01]

Interesting points. However you should to take into consideration the fact that many native FMA teachers did not teach in a structured manner, let alone have names for every technique that they taught. Many of the manongs taught in a "you do this, then you do that" manner, and if you failed to understand what they were teaching, or couldn't remember it without the aid of "terminology" then you .....

Indeed! The term that I was most often told when I asked for a technique name was "Thing-to do" followed by a demonstration "You do like this..." some things (to do) are very hard to forget when learned this way.