I wondered if anyone ever bothered to work out the specialities of the different FMA-Styles. I've trained some FMA-Styles now, went to a lot of seminars and saw even more video tapes and there are only so many ways to use a stick or a knife, but I found that most styles focus on different aspects of the FMA. For example it's always an eye-opener to see Balintawak-People like Bobby Taboada doing Corto. Or train the Pekiti Tirsia of Leo T. Gaje to be reminded that FMA should be 'all blade'. Or to feel Latosa Empty Hands (demonstrated by German Bernd Schubert you dont even know how you got into the corner of the room that fast). Now I really like these varieties of the FMA - it makes the FMA special. But since I'm limited to seminars and training in my area I would like to ask you to write down what makes your FMA-style different from the others
We start with a basic Modern Arnis package. 12 strikes, disarms, blocks, sinawali drills and other drills. We concentrate a hell-of-alot on footwork and body mechanics. My teacher also does lots of kung-fu, so we get alot of the "Keep good form". Which is okay, its just not what I would concentrate on. We get toasted in sparring alot because its going to take years to pull off simple applications becuase its making something simple awfully complex....but in the long run, we're gonna have really good balance, power and rooting. We also add lots of kicks to the basics...which I take from talking to others as being an addition genrally not practiced. They're simple ones, nothing flashy. And I've convinced him that knees and elbows are really good tools. We also work alot on the different distances. (long, stick\kick, short\knife\punch, clinch....) I also do Bjj so I tend to stay in close ranges and work for getting the opponent to the ground or working standing submissions, locks or throws. I use the sticks\weapon as an entery tool...everyone else in my class uses it as a distancing tool to keep an opponent away. I like to fight in...not too bright I guess, but I love seeing the nervous look on peoples faces when they hit me two or three times a wonder why their stick isn't working as I grab and maul them...... My next step in training is ground work with sticks and knives. Good luck with it all.
kali de leon solo baston; doble baston; spada y daga; doble daga; spada; spada y spada; empty hands; grappling; weapons grappling. all of those in largo, medio, and corto. that is what we specialise in.
Hmm..ya but almost every FMA-Style does solo/double baston, daga, espada y daga and empty hands and all styles I know train different distances. I'm looking for the differences - what makes your style special, why did you chose it, how does it differ from other FMA-Styles? (Like the Kung Fu influences Killbot mentioned.. or other stuff.)
That would be the impression of fma from people who've done most of their training outside of the PHilippines. Because of the high frequency of seminars and workshops by different styles, there has been a lot of cross-polination of techniques from style to style. (Actually,most people owe most of their empty hands and knife techniques to something they learned from Dan Inosanto or Leo Gaje, they just don't want to give them credit. Instead they'll cite some long dead ancestor.) So most of the overseas styels do have all of the elements mentioned above. If you come to the PHilippines, you'll find that most of the systems don't have that comprehensive a curriculum. Instead, they'll be really good at a few elements and not have other at all. Or they'll use foreign martial arts as a fill in for what they don't have. The empty hands of many systems here look exactly like shotokan karate or southern Chinese boxing. There aren't many seminars or workshops here and they tend not to be well attended. Teachers discourage their students from examining other systems and are even less willing to learn new techniques from other teachers. I don't think that Kali deLeon is all that different from other fma systems in terms of techniques but rather in terms of training methodology and, as well, its emphasis on aestheric qualities. KDL focuses on basics and a few essential training principles. An advanced KDL student will use the same basic techniques as a beginning student, he just does it better. He will be better able to demonstrate KDL's essential principles of laging una (always first, no hesitation); ticbang (followup, multiple strikes); and agos (ability to flow). Unlike most styles, -- where practitioners of that "style" are distinguishable by the way they move, in KDL our senior students all look different because of their differernt body types, proclivities and natural attributes. The other aspect that KDL really does emphasize are aesthetic qualities. It is a system based mostly in a foreign land trying to promote fma to both non-Filipinos and the much more difficult to reach hyphenated-Filipino community. If you want to attract people to what you do, make what you do attractive. Simply being able to fight isn't enough. From a technical level, KDL originally had its strength as a largo mano system. Over the years, thanks to influnces Guro Jun freely and happily attributes to Dan Inosanto, Leo Gaje, Manning Recto, and others, the medio and corto range have been so developed that we can't say that KDL is purely a largo system. That strength depends on which ever senior student you happen to be watching. HOpe this was more in line to what you were asking.
Hello Diego_Vega, thanks for your reply - it was very interesting to read. You're right - I had all my FMA-Training in Europe, and you're right, most of the Styles over here have different roots or other influences (other martial arts) and train most weapons/distances. Thats why I started this thread - I'm interested in the roots, that make the difference between the styles. Like you said many Filipino Masters focus on some elements and thats what I want to know more about. For example, I know the roots of Inayan Escrima are the arts of Max Sarmiento (focus on Cadena de Mano - empty hands / knife), Angel Cabales (focus on Serrada Escrima / medio style) and Largo Mano (Leo Giron ?). These are also the roots of Latosa Escrima and Tacosa Escrima. Another example would be Lameco Escrima of Edgar Sulite, who combined his knowledge of Illustrissimo Kali, Pekiti Tirsia, De-Campo 1-2-3 Orihinal and others. So maybe I've to change my question - not only what is the speciality of your style but also where are its roots..
i need to train with you some time- my grappling is weak in largo. seriously, though, this is a very good question. for garimot arnis, i would say that the specialty is in solo baston, in largo. it's also strong in grappling, both on the ground and standing (with or without weapons). almost nothing in medio in the beginning- the emphasis is on controlling the opponent and staying safe, either through grappling/checking/disarming in corto, or footwork and evasion in largo. others are probably more qualified to answer about inosanto kali, but i would say empty hands and medio range. tim
I practice Inayan System of Eskrima, and it is comprised of Sinawali, Dequerdas, Serrada, Largo Mano, Kadena De Mano and Espada Y Daga.
Ah - I didnt mean to say that there's only the elements I wrote down.. just that Mangisursuro Mike Inay learned these elements from different masters.
a description of LSAI from www.martialartsresource.com written By : Bill Cox & Ray Terry Lightning Scientific Arnis Lema Scientific Kali Arnis Benjamin Luna Lema (1919-2003) A system which stresses, both, speed and power in the execution of techniques encompassing solo and doble baston, Espada y Daga and empty hand and foot combinations. The key emphasis being the "blanketing" or "closing off" of an opponent's impending attack either by meeting the strike via a simultaneous hit and counter or any various combinations of disarms which would effectively neutralize any further or secondary followups from the attacker. The style consists of the following: 1. Single Baston/Espada 2. Double Baston/Espada 3. Espada y Daga (Sword and Dagger) 4. Tapado (50 inch two handed stick, also the primary training tool for the Filipino Kampilian Sword) 5. Bangkaw/Sibat (4-5 foot stick) 6. Daga (Knife) 7. Dos Pontas/Olising Maliit (4 inch pocket stick) 8. Pangamot (Empty Hand Techniques which include): a. Sikaran (lowline kicking and base destruction including use of knees and shin) b. Panununtukan (Filipino Boxing, use of the arms for attack including elbows) c. Trancada (use of locks and breaking techniques) d. Dumog (Filipino wrestling/grappling including throws and takedowns) major players : Elmer Ybanez (1953-2004), Felipe Jocano Jr., Nathan Dominguez, Manolo Del Rosario, Joshua Medros, Gerrard Torio, Ramon Bernardo, Herman Licanto, Joey Quiriones, Alex Ortinero, Jon Escudero Quoted from this thread: "Lightning Scientific Arnis is the art of GM Ben Lema. It is a stick and blade oriented art. Known for its powerfull strikes and espada y daga. Gm Ernesto calls it the best espada y daga style he has ever learned and witnessed. Known also for the mix of combat judo. They believe in combinations as the method of fighting. As my observations."
sir, i just copy and pasted contents from www.martialartsresource.com. I didnt want to make unathorized alterations or additions. however, i agree that there are also other well-known worthy masters and guros in the LSAI family like Masters Torrefranca, Labaniego, Vic Sanchez, Romy Valenzuela, Mon Rivera (this guro rocks!), and many others and please forgive me if i unintentionally missed somebody out.
Marquina Arnis/Escrima For me the empty hands component is what sets us apart, we focus on it... a lot of course our first step is our weapon, but there is nothing like the sweet feel of breaking down the human skeltal structure by twistin it in two directions
I trained in Kalintaw in the Philippines with Master Galo D Lalic who lives in the Pampanga region. Although it contains all the elements of weapons such as solo baston etc. it's speciality is definately empty hands fighting which has a very destinctive look to it. This is probably due to the influence of Chinese Kuntao brought to the area by chinese catholics fleeing the cultural revolution in their home land. while studying the anyos i noticed the Kung-fu influence and asked Master Galo about this and he explained that this was the case. Although the Kalintaw system has certainly evolved since its Kuntao influence it is still evident and certainly adds an interesting perspective to the FMA.
Haribon Dumog hi, the best description of this "subsystem" of Punong Guro Dan Rutano's art can be found at http://www.rutanoestokada.com/haribon.htm A realistic grasp on ground fighting, other than the newaza of judo, western wrestling/catch and brazilian jiujitsu. Very rare and worth the search. Gordon
Our mental speciality is training trainers (other eskrimadors) not students. Our physical speciality is moving through the ranges. However .. Our system believes that every person needs to develop THEIR own special style. Each and every student is motivated to search out a style(s) that suits them whether it be from within our style or not. All instructors are required to become proficient in other arts / styles and to incorporate these back into our own art. With enough people doing this all parts of the art are preserved and expanded. Our art is a living , breathing, adaptive art. A Form without form.
Grappling in FMA is good we also have lots of trangkada but we use it i am sure we are only fighting each other. The problem is baka nasa likod ang misis matataga ka sa likod.
