Dance and FMA?

Discussion in 'Filipino Martial Arts' started by stvo131, Sep 27, 2013.

  1. stvo131

    stvo131 New Member

    Hey guys, I just got back from my FMA club practice, when I had a realization. We practice in a repurposed dance studio, complete with mirrors and everything. 2 years ago I tried getting into dance, but found it not to be my thing. I did learn some choreo and mainly did "pop and lock" etc.

    Anyway, my realization, or I guess " :O " light-bulb moment occurred when I started relating dance to martial arts, specifically form-learning and, if you are in Karate, "katas." Even in partner drills the idea is to use our bodies and our partner's bodies against them, not to "muscle" our way in but to "flow" and use momentum to our advantage, just like in bboying, ball room dancing, bachata, etc.

    So my question that got me thinking was, do really good dancers have an easier time picking up forms and/or martial arts concepts in general? I'm not talking about myself, I danced for 3 months and then realized it just wasn't my thing. But anyway, yeah. Practicing in a dance studio and having flashbacks to learning choreo really got me thinking. What do you guys think?

    (this has probably been thought of or discussed before, and I'm using google and am already finding dance-martial arts correlations, like capoeira, but I thought I'd post anyway. Nothing like a good discussion~)
     
  2. onpoint

    onpoint Valued Member

    Like Bruce Lee, most FMA masters are very good dancers--then again most Filipinos love to dance,

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yatQvZaN5c"]Grandfathers Speak - Sony Umpad - Promo Clip - YouTube[/ame]

    I don't know if it's the latin blood, the tropical climate, pre-Magellan, pre-Islam, pre-Hindu, pre-Malay, but Filipinos dance, because of it, it's in FMA. I'm of the opinion that MA schools and dance studios make a perfect pair--if you're gonna open an MA school, get together with dancers.
     
  3. shootodog

    shootodog restless native

    During the ban, we hid techniques and movements in the dances. Manlalatik and tinikling being two off the top of my head.
     
  4. stvo131

    stvo131 New Member

    Thanks all. This is all very interesting for me. But ha...yeah, but we don't use mats. so when we do dumog...on the hardwood floor yeah. ...

    yeah T_T
     
  5. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    As has been said, there's a strong connection between dance and martial arts. FMA in particular. Even this tall, lanky white kid (me) took a crack at tininkling under the (bemused) supervision of my Filipino teachers.

    We also trained to drums frequently. Rhythm, flow, timing, etc. All assets in both practices. There's a common sense connection (i.e., the same physical attributes making someone good at both) and a cultural connection (i.e., as shooto mentioned, the practice of concealing training within cultural dances whilst under occupation by foreign forces).

    Funny (to me) story: When I was getting married, my wife and I took one dance class beforehand, just so as not to look like complete idiots when we did the traditional first dance. The teacher looked at me and said "what have you done?" I said "nothing." (I NEVER dance.) She said "well, you've done something." I said "martial arts, I guess."

    Mistake. Turns out that the "scheduling expert" (read: salesman) was a wushu guy. So he tried to make the idea of a long-term contract appealing to me by explaining that dance is a lot like martial arts (yeahhh), except that you don't hit your partner.

    ...

    Lemme jot that down, sir. "Don't hit my wife to be. Got it. Thanks. Moron."

    Never went back. Still don't dance. But apparently wouldn't be hopeless at it if I did.
     
  6. stvo131

    stvo131 New Member

    this is hilarious. i laughed too loud and woke my roomate up. woops. :D
     
  7. Citom

    Citom Witless Wonder

    Also the "sakuting" and the "singkil"..

    Sakuting:
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIL5XuLXIu0"]Sakuting[/ame]

    Singkil:
    Note the dancer wielding a kris and a kalasag (shield)
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R_EWyqu_ck"]Singkil[/ame]
     
  8. shootodog

    shootodog restless native

    also the tinikling is a great drill to develop footwork to fight in the rice paddies.
     
  9. Citom

    Citom Witless Wonder


    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nisbR3D5vQ"]Classic Tinikling[/ame]
     
  10. ryan4nayr

    ryan4nayr New Member

    Pandanggo sa ilaw

    Music and warriors are intertwined in odd ways. The old-school bugle corps, fife and drums by marching bands, gentlemen knights learning dance, ancient samurai writing and playing emo lyrics... like I said odd.

    If you ever watch some Asian raver with glowsticks, you might notice a variation of sinawali emerge :)

    Since everybody is posting videos, I found this video of GM Rob Castro of Eskabo Daan specifically mention the pandanggo sa ilaw (at 05:29 onwards) [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SssVaViRYlI"]eskabo daan on Filipino Journal pt 2 - YouTube[/ame]

    TL,DR: I think building agility and coordination helps ALL physical activities like dancing and martial arts.
     

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