my mom got me into sikaran at age 10. quit after 2 yrs. during highschool, yawyan held a demo at my school, i got interested but they closed the gym after a few months so i haven't had the chance to join them. for 6 months during college at UST, i've had modern arnis from GM Ernesto Presas. now that i'm working, i just woke up one day remembering the so called "sayaw ng kamatayan" (i forgot the art's real name). searched the net if there's any info then correcting myself that it's called yaw-yan. searched for a school and contact person for 3 weeks then i ended up in pasay.
i've been lucky for the most part. i defined what i needed in my arsenal, and looked for an appropriate style or methodology to fill that need. it is highly fortuitus that i ended up learning what i needed from great people: toto limaco for yawyan, ka mar perez for mongoose, the big nasty for upakan and tondo freestyle, psycholisi for olistrisimo, the mumbakki for dumog and boltong (as well as other stuff), and the diego "big island tsunami" vega for the ultimate kali (KDL!).
I decided to stay with my silat Gm because we quickly connected and I felt very lucky to have the opportunity to learn a rare familly style. I hadn't met filipino muslims before and also wanted to know more about their culture. My interest in fmas lies mostly in the systems practiced by filipino minorities (muslims, mountain tribes), those arts quickly disapear and I hope to be able to preserve as much as I can.
i've trained/still training in: Cabales Serrada (Matt E. from Darren Tibon's Angel's Disciples) Sayoc Kali (Guro Ricardo Kayanan) Floro Fighting Systems (Ray Floro & Michael Jen) Combat Eskrima Orehenal (From a wondering Tausug Master) Kalis Ilustrisimo (the Principles from the same wondering Tausug Master and Mang Romy Macapagal) my brother studied eskrima serrada with Master Sultan Uddin (Kimble Joyce) in the early 90s and i was interested then, but time, money and school was in the way... as my career was finally stable, i began to look for good FMA... it started with the Angel Disciples and learned great basics... i also started to look more into the knife aspect and joined with Guro Ricardo Kayanan in Sayoc Kali and learned a lot in the one year i was in it... then I attended Ray Floro's Seminar last year and have sporadically trained with his rep Michael Jen when i can... great stuff that is very practical for me... then, as the fates saw it, i was very interested in the sword applications of KI and in our training group, a very very good Tausug Master dropped by and he taught me KI principles for a year... and i've just met Mang Romy Macapagal and he showed how KI works and the subtle things that differs it from other FMA arts... great stuff that all works for me and i still continue with other MAs and incorporate them into myself... like the concepts from S.T.A.B., Senshido (Shredder), and REDZONE... much more arts to study!... hope all is well and best to you all, SoE thanks, SoE
Hello Everyone, I really didn't set out to learn any specific style, but while I was training in the late 70's in Karate I was at someone's home and they showed my Weapons and Fighting arts of the Indonesian Archepelago(Draeger) and I was hooked! I started searching for anyone who had a background in FMA or Silat (mostly FMA) and started practicing Modern Arnis, Doce Pares and Pekiti Tirsia Kali, later it led me to work in AMOK! (Prof. Sotis) Art of Combat (R. Severe), Dekiti Tirsia, Lameco, Floro Fighting System, Kalis Ilustrisimo, Atienza Kali, and what I work with most, Sayoc Kali. It is great that all arts are so available today! As well as all the current video/DVD's, books, websites and various seminars. Continuous learning and improvement (willing to be a student at all times) is the way! Gumagalang Guro Steve L. www.Bujinkandojo.net
Son Of Escrima, My name is Jaison Colour and i have just recently joined Martial Arts Planet. I inquired in a previous discussion about the Tausug Kuntaw/Silat arts. A few people have tried to help me out, but I have come to a dead end in my search to learn more. You mention that one of your teachers is a Tausug master, did you get to learn Kuntaw/Silat? I would appreciate any help you can offer me in my search.
Interesting question. I think that if I was to choose a new style/system to learn, to supplement my knowledge of the FMA, I would make my decision based more on what I am not interested in learning than anything else. So that I wouldn't acquire any bad habits in the course of my training. For instance, I would choose a school that does NOT focus on the sport aspect of the FMA, does not focus on overly complicated maneuvers, and does not endorse ground fighting as a PREFERRED range of combat. Other than that, I am a firm believer that all FMA styles/systems are good, and have their own unique perspective on combat that are worth investing the time and effort to learn. That's the great thing about the FMA, no matter where you train, you are sure to learn something practical. But if I was to supplement my training in the FMA it would be in a style/system that covers Largo/Media/Corto and also includes effective anti-grappling methods.
And how close to that did you come with your current background? (I don't know why that followup question didn't occur to me until just now.)
I'm afraid that if I answered your question directly it would seem a little too much like self-promotion. But I am very content with what I have learned thus far, and believe that what I practice is very comprehensive as far as combat ranges are concerned. However, I plan on expanding my knowledge of the MA in general, and FMA in particular, as long as I am able. IMHO you should always be looking for ways to improve your skills, no matter what level you may think you are at. There is always room for improvement, and no style/system can possibly contain ALL the answers.
Why choose a particular style or club? Character of the instructor (integrity, competence, skill), attitude of classmates/sparmates. I'd travel a long distance just to train with the guys. I have trained in some good styles, but left when i couldn't "connect" with the club.
That was kinda the nature of the original question. Whether people had set out to learn particular styles. And if so, why? So far, style hasn't been the priority, which mirrors my own experiences.
mang romy mac is still teaching? in the states? really? thought he has been inactive for a while now. should kill psycholisi for not telling me.
Specific FMA I knid of fell into Modern Arnis, as a Friend of mine was an instructor and brought me into a class. I was hooked from that day forward. Later GM Remy Presas would talk about Balintawak, and Manong Ted Buot in Michigan USA where I live. We later searched him out and started training in Balintawak with him, becuase he was very highly recomended. Finding a good instructor is the best advice, as previously stated.
Yep. Find a good instructor is probably the best advice ever. I originally asked the question, though, because style would certainly be an issue for a generic search for "gung fu" or "karate." And to a lesser extent, to something like taekwondo (ITF, WTF, moo duk kwan, etc.) But since FMA is also a generic term, I wondered whether others emphasized style the way a CMA person might. Granted, I think FMA has a level of universality that two different styles of gung fu generally don't. Stuart
Hi guys, I had the pleasure with training with some realy top class instructors in FMA. But i must tell you that the instructor that i currently train with has not only opened my eyes but also my mind to a new way of training and applying the FMA. His name is RAYMOND FLORO from Floro Fighting Systems - Kalis Ilustrisimo. Check him out in Google You won't be dissapointed.
I have been looking at Ray Floro's website, he seems to be a very cool guy with a lot of positive energy. His students love him it seems, which is a very good sign. Shame there is only 1 European FFS instructor, and he is in Eastern Europe somewhere... :bang: :bang: :woo:
some say that ffs is ilustrisimo + fencing (i believe floro is a fencer for the oz team). some people vouch for his style, like elvis sinosicf (sp?). my good friend toby swears that it's a great system.
There is a good Illustrisimo guy in London 'Shamin Haque' he is a former Rapid Arnis instructor (one of the first), he's very good. http://www.kalis-ilustrisimo.org/ check him out if you get the chance. best regards Pat
I was very lucky to choose a University where a chap called Anton StJames was teaching FMA (Plymouth). Wasn't really interested in taking up Escrima but I did one class to try it out and was hooked! The only other style I have studied (and not very closely) is Modern Arnis. Have to say much of the stuff in Modern Arnis I have seen hasn't impressed me greatly - but most of it is taken from Remy Presas' video series which isn't really a fair way to judge an Art. I think i was just lucky with my instructor - Anton is a brilliant escrimador and a top guy also.
