Thanks for info in Savate and french boxing, I thought they are the same. This is very interesting. Savate is like a street fight and not a sport but french boxing is. Not lately, I didnt heard anymore in Zamboanga city Challenges but I think in Basilan, Sulu and tawi-Tawi, this is still a practice. In my colleges days I saw many and most of the time I'm with my master but they always lose and sometimes they just talk and talk, that is what i hate most :woo: My brother in Sulu said, our guru was challenge by his student's student and it was a silat practicioner, he just didnt move (the Challenger) I dont know what happen. Its just amazing, eventhough my guru is sick, you are out of you mind to challenge him. Did you know, my guru and I fought, I was lucky he didnt caught me (Twice in fact in my colleges days and after). I thought this is it, i will have a broken knee and arms but I escape his attack, he was very very happy because he didnt caught. He said I learned a lot and he smile at me and this is serious fight and I thought he was just joking but not.
Is there a lot of catching in galak sipiring? There is a lot in our silat, it may be common to southern filipino systems. I never fought with my guru... but we've done kind sparing like exercises together, I was supposed to keep on attacking what happened is that the locked me wherever I moved, my movements became all useless because he felt what I was doing and moved in such a way that all I couldn't move anymore. I was like paralysed, he didn't have to strike but just to position himself....
Galak Sipring has catching too, most of the time striking ( to the ribs cage ,arms and knees) its up to you what to follow next. I can see what you said about the lock, it like they have anticipate every move you make but unfortunately I like striking first then use locks. In galak sipring you will not give you opponent a chance to counter attack you, you should knock him in first move, then that it. My master thought me in galak sipring always forward, if am correct just like wing chun. I thought my students drills, in order they will get the proper execution and it will be like instinct to them. It fun when you have master the drills, at the moment all I teach them is pure Galak sipring. Krys, how many student has Guru Yasser have in your class? Is it similar to your other silat styles you know, like indonesian or Malaysian?
Actually the catchs often come after our attacks and depends on the opponent reactions.....if the first attack hits fine follow and finish, if not the opponent will be drawn into a wirlwind he won't be able to escape until he is caught...after he is caught it is often hit-break-and throw... Our class is not like the other indonesian-malaysian silat classes I've seen before, it is very informal, there is seni in our system but we prefer to spend time studiying combat and some of the internal aspects. I've seen different system of silat but this one is very unusual...the movements feel more natural and practical, very smart in a pinoy way... We are only four brothers...once a week we all train together but when I am in the Philippines I also train 5-6 days a week alone with guro. How about your galak sipiring class? I have no idea how a typical filipino kuntao class looks like...
I have 5 students, they have no martial arts backround and they are physically not in shape. First, I teach them exercises that is related to galak sipring, then forms. Forms are very important and they will learn how to properly execute the techniques and there will get use to the galak sipring styles. After forms, the drills, then I teach them techniques. I can be really strictly and something we laugh together remember this kids is 10 to 12 years of age. I meet them ones a week, always saturday 2 to 5 pm, thats the only time I have. Its just like any practice in martial arts. When I am alone, I train everyday , I rest only on friday and saturday is when I teach. When I am with my guru, the first thing we do is have a light exercise (strechings), then we start practicing techniques and apply it to practical uses. Always after training, our master will call one by one then we execute our forms thought our masters. Sometimes, we spar, really spar and its very dangerous, our guru always warn us to be careful. Its always painful when he teach but Im use to it, now he is semi retired when he teach to others,we have to see first who is this people who wants to learn from our guru because most of the time people are opportunist and I hate it. If ever you see my guru ,Guru Haron Ladja, you wont believe he is a master.
We go through a light warm up, stretching, practice striking and footwork, drills and then forms.This is followed by working on application of the forms. Sometimes guro also asks us to spare to see how we perform... Do your forms look like silat forms or are they very different? Are they long with animal like movements? I understand what you are saying about opportunists, there are many peoples around who want to spy on us and this is a real problem, we often have to change place to train or stop training when we see some. I also like to screen guro from peoples I feel being opportunists...you often can spot them when they come and only want to learn some parts of the system to complement their own... There are also those who claim they want to document your art or film it and then make videos or books about it they are going to sell... This already happened with arnis, one filipino american once came to Manila in order to learn with Gm B.Lema. He was supposed to train for one month but came only a few times to his appointments...when he returned to his country he made the tape "secrets of lightning arnis "and claimed he was 10 th Dan.
Galak Sipring forms is a little bit different from silat forms and a bit closer to animal forms. The knees is lower but not touching the ground and with an X or cross legs that why if you are first timer it is a little bit painful. That is what I hate, people just come to be visit guru then they said they are the student of his, eventhough they practice with him only days. Some older students of his have the nerve to correct us eventhough they are not active anymore in martial arts and Guru Haron didnt teach them all the techniques during there time( I dont know why?). When I was there in Manila , we practice at UP diliman, strange most of the time around 10pm because most of my brothers have work and they are busy. This days, they said they practice at Quezon Memorial Circle sometimes in the morning (Saturday) or night time. Do you think and feel silat is a very effective martial arts or superior to other martial arts? ( I dont mean about the person performing the arts, it may vary because of the training).
I practice sometimes in the memorial, but never tried during nightine....I'm gonna live 10" away from UP, not far away from Tandang Sora. Silat is highly effective. Another very effective one is russian martial arts, but it is like silat in many aspects..... There are many kinds of silat but real silat is a diying art, the best masters don't usually promote their art and prefer to keep it in a close circle...If the students don't teach or the master doesn't find worthy students the systems disapears...A lot of knowledge has already been lost in Basilan according to guro. What is often seen is just commercial silat, dancing or karate-tkd like training, also practicing techniques that only works with dead peoples . What makes me angry is when I see those peoples going 6 weeks to Indonesia/Malaysia and return claiming they are masters and making up fake stories about silat.... Many will talk mumbo jumbo to impress their students and take their money away... My brothers and I will take steps to prevent this happens to our art.
We do little or no warm up. There is a fundamental idea that you won't have a lot of warning before things get bad. You certainly won't have time to run and stretch, so the movement we do can all be done "cold" and in street clothes. There's no way to get the skills without putting in the time. The opportunists may learn a few techniques, but they won't have the skill or understanding to make it work or put it together. And if they don't have the training methods that go with the techniques they might not even get that.
Warming up reduces chances of injury if you get hit/caught.... If it happens during a fight so be it, but there is little purpose to see this happen during training. We don't do much because the place we train is quite hot.... Preparing the mind and body is at least as important as learning techniques...there are exercises that can not be used directly in combat but will greatly improve your skills.
You got it right krys, even here people are forgeting about silat, they think silat is just a joke and I feel like they think silat is just for muslim. That is not true silat or kuntao is for everybody. My brothers house is just near UP thats why they practice there. They are planning to make a practice area in Katipunan (blueridges subd.) hoping this will happen. Yours Guru is right there, people in those area are not interested anymore in martial arts, most of the guru is dying or to hardheaded to teach people that is worthy, if they can't find a muslim that is willing they wont teach to anyone like non muslim they wound rather die. Can you believe that, then all those secret martial arts will die. I wont do that , that is why I am teaching those kids that is willing learn and dedicated. To answer Tellner, in fight warm up is needed, only if you are challenge but in streetfight that is different. You have to react in second and focus on your enemy. In training, warm up and exercises is important for conditioning, your body should be ready at any cost. The opportunist will never get the real techniques.......never......
If Someone Was Looking For An Authentic Moro Martial Art, Where Can He Find A Good Teacher In Manila? If Someone Was Looking To Interview A Master In Order To Project The Arts And Preserve The Heritage, Who Can He Talk To?
.[/QUOTE] Yes it is good to teach the youth, they don't have prejudices and it teaches them discipline and proper values...Nowadays too many of them loose their time practicing martial arts with video games instead of doing it for real :bang: Like you would know
This I s Brian Smith to the website you refered to. Maharlika Kuntaw as it is being taught today by GM Carlito Lanada and the main frame Kuntaw Ng Pilipinas IS Korean/Japanese style- What I am teaching is as close as I can come to what I originally learned in the Philippines in 1970. Unfortunately , GM Lanada aloso has fallen into the mindset that foreign is better- tthat is why the art had been changed in 1974-5. I am trying to be as politically correct with my teachings.
In manila, I dont know any teachers there but here in the southern philippines I know some and they are really good, about interview the master that is alittle difficult, most of the master are dead, sick and have thrown there martial arts because of poverty. Red, you can come to jolo, sulu just contact guru halman your friend, our guru is with him.................
I have been trying to get in touch with Halman but the contact number has been changed. Maybe you can send me his number or address thru my private number. Thanks. When you come to Manila. let's meet.
ok, will meet but I dont know yet Im a little bit busy with my work probably this october. send me your cellphone number by private message, Ill text you. I heard you are good in your martial arts and you are dedicated martial artist....Have you fought with southern phil. style of silat? Just want to know??
Hello tauhid, Am I good? You bet I am. I am very good at avoiding the really strong fighters. Hahaha. Have I fought a Southern stylist? Thank goodness, I haven't. I wouldn't want to fight any of the guys from the South, thank you. I have sparred with a few and also other pesilat. I once sparred a Silat Cekak stylist who claimed he won a silver medal in Kuala Lumpur. I wouldnit have known cause I am not a sports pesilat. I am not familiar with the personalities in sports silat. I bowled him over twice. He claimed I cheated. He was playing according to some rules I wasn't made aware of. Me? I thought what I was doing was legitimate traditional Silat moves. Maybe that proves that I am no good in sports silat.
Hello Red!! Sport Silat or pesilat is different in traditional silat, there are no rules in real fight. I can never imagine I will do sport silat, if that happen then I will be kick out in the sport silat competition...... By the way, Guru Halman text me last night, somebody challenge them in a fight tonigh April 5, Tasbi Aullah (the group) has made the challenge. Amazing I wish I was there in Sulu. I will post what happen... Tauhid_87
I hope to meet you and the others this year. We have a lot of stories to tell. Unless more guys join us, we'll end up as old men and women telling legends while the younger generation play virtual fights on the computer.
