From: eskrima-digest-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com To: eskrima-digest@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Subject: Inayan_Eskrima/FMA-Digest V8 #337 Reply-To: eskrima@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Errors-To: eskrima-digest-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Precedence: Inayan_Eskrima/FMA-Digest Sat, 28 July 2001 Vol 08 : Num 337 In this issue: eskrima: Stick Fencing of the Canary Islands eskrima: Re: Inayan_Eskrima/FMA-Digest V8 #336 eskrima: Training in San Francisco BOUNCE eskrima: Admin request eskrima: Jeet Kune Do Experience review eskrima: Re: The Way to San Jose Re: eskrima: Re: The Way to San Jose eskrima: . ========================================================================== Eskrima-Digest, serving the Internet since June 1994. 1300 members strong! Copyright 1994-2001: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource The premier internet discussion forum devoted to Filipino Martial Arts. Provided in memory of Mangisursuro Michael G. Inay (1944-2000), Founder of the Inayan System of Eskrima. Replying to this message will NOT unsubscribe you. To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe eskrima-digest" (no quotes) in the body (top line, left justified) of a "plain text" e-mail addressed to majordomo@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com. To send e-mail to this list use eskrima@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com See the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) FAQ and the online search engine for back issues of the Eskrima-Digest at http://www.MartialArtsResource.com Mabuhay ang eskrima! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "C. Herrman" Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2001 23:11:19 -0700 Subject: eskrima: Stick Fencing of the Canary Islands Hello, Following is a portion of an article on "Stick Fencing of the Canary Islands" I have on file. The remainder of the article discusses the different family styles. Unfortunately I didn't save the original URL. It's a relatively long post - scroll if you're not interested. Cheers, Chris H. - --- >JUEGO DEL PALO - Stick Fencing of the Canary Islands Journal of Western Martial Art Copyright 2000 Tony Wolf >Introduction and general history Juego del Palo ("stick play") is practiced as a folk art, sport and self-defense system on the Canary Islands, a mountainous island chain off the coast of Morocco. It features a wide variety of Estilos (styles), which are usually named after the families which have preserved and perpetuated specific teaching systems, and also many distinct juegos (games) featuring different rules, strategies and techniques. Juego del Palo may be described as a form of stick fencing between two jugadores (players) which is characterized by the spontaneous interplay of attacking techniques (ataques) and defense techniques known as atajan. No protective equipment is worn in traditional Juego del Palo, safety being maintained through the skilled control of attacks, which are indicated (marcan) rather than being made with full force upon the opponentÕs body. The various combat games and self defense methods that can be subsumed under the title Palo Canario (Canarian Stick) are traditionally attributed to having originated in the martial arts of the Guanches (aboriginal Canarians). The Guanches are understood to have been descended from Saharan nomads, who sailed from Northwest Africa and settled on the Canarian archipelago at some point during the first millennium BC. Notably, the Guanches are remembered today both as master shepherds and as skilled warriors, who mounted a remarkably effective defense against successive waves of Spanish colonialists during the 1400s. Many traditional folk sports of the Canary Islands are traced back to the recreational activities of the Guanches. The first record of stick combat among the Guanches is to be found in the Spanish Bethencouriana Chronicles, written in 1402. This document makes reference to the Bimbaches Ð inhabitants of the island of El Hierro Ð and their skill in fighting with long spears, or lances, "made without the use of iron". Two further historical references illustrate the nature of early Juego del Palo. In 1478, Antonio Cedeno wrote Ð "... on the day of the wedding the women went into the house and there were feasts and games and a contest of sparring with short sticks, coloured with the sap of the dragon tree." A Spanish engineer named Leonardo Torriani wrote a history of the Canary Islands in 1590, and included a valuable record of early Juego del Palo, accompanied by an illustration of two Guanche warriors performing a type of ritual combat with short staves in a small arena. Torriani wrote "When two Canarians went to duel, they went to a special place established for this purpose. It was a small enclosure with a level, raised stone platform at each end. Firstly they each stood upon a platform, armed with three of the smooth throwing stones they call tahuas, and also with the stick called magodo or amodeghe. Then they dodged the stones as they were thrown, skillfully twisting their bodies without moving their feet. Next, they stepped down and fenced with the staves, each one trying to gain advantage over the other, as is our custom also." There are also many records of recreational contests of Juego del Palo at fiestas (celebrations), such as weddings and the religious Festival of Benesmen. AJUPAL, a Juego del Palo association with a strong academic focus, is presently undertaking research into Basque, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Egyptian and African stick fighting styles, to determine whether these arts may have influenced the development of modern Juego del Palo. >Los Palos (the sticks) The Canarian palo (stick) is associated with three interrelated functions Ð self defense, animal herding, and traveling across difficult terrain. The latter function has developed into the spectacular folk sport of Salto del Pastor, "the Shepherd's Leap", which features a form of pole-vaulting down rocky precipices and across ravines. The weapons of Juego del Palo may be fashioned from the wood of the sabina, paloblanco, macanero, tarajal, eucalyptus, acevino or bitter almendiero trees, but is usually made from membrillero wood, which is known for its lightness and strength. The diameter of the wood also varies according to type. The various types of palo are defined by length. There are three traditionally recognized lengths. 1 - The Palo Chico or short stick, also known as the palo boyero (cowherd's stick), palo camellero (camelherd's stick), sorinque, garrote, porra, porruno, tolete and macana) is of a length reaching from the ground to the jugador's (player's) hand, comparable to the length of a European walking stick. The palo chico typically tapers from outwards from grip to point. It is short enough to be hidden behind the player's leg or back in self defense situations, and to be easily manipulated with one hand. At present palo chico is seldom practiced, but there are numerous oral and documentary records of its use as a weapon in sparring games and in battle. Most teachers of traditional PaloMedio (medium stick) styles can demonstrate juegos de tecnicas (technical games) which are suited to the dimensions of the palo chico. 2 - The Palo Medio (medium stick Ð also known as the vara and latita) is of a length so as to reach from the ground to approximately the level of the player's heart. It generally tapers from the trozo (grip) to the punta (point). This is the most common length of stick used in Juego del Palo, and has the widest variety of traditional styles dedicated to it. Palo Mediano styles includes los Estilos Deniz, Morales, Verga and Acosta (all on the island of Tenerife), Quintero (El Hierro), Vidal (La Palma), and Conejero (Lanzarote). 3 - The Palo Grande (great stick, also known as the garrote, lata, astia or lanza) is any staff of a length greater than the player's height, and may reach up to four meters in length. The diameter of the palo grande is generally uniform, rather than tapering as do palo medio or palo chico sticks. Palo Grande styles include Juego del Garrote, practiced on Gran Canaria, and Juego de la Lata, practiced on Fuerteventura. >Renaissance The present resurgence of interest in Juego del Palo started during the early 1970's on the island of Tenerife, due largely to the efforts and inspiration of Maestro Tomas Deniz (1899 Ð 1983). Maestro Deniz founded numerous escuelas (schools) of the art on several islands, and became the headmaster of the Universitario del Palo Canario. In the mid 1980s another organization, the Asociacion de Juego del Palo (AJUPAL) began attempts to regulate the practice, encompassing the majority of jugadores across the Archipelago. AJUPAL tried to adapt the art to modern social and cultural conditions, without losing the essence of the traditional schools. At present, Juego del Palo is legally organized by two associations, registered as sporting federations in 1997; the Federacion Canaria del Juego del Palo and the Federacion Canaria del Lucha del Garrote. The latter society emphasizes sporting applications, and has staged official competitions and tournaments. Because of a perception that the traditional cultural elements of Juego del Palo were in danger of extinction, a group of traditional practitioners and academics re-founded AJUPAL in 1996. - --- ------------------------------ From: ken jo Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 00:20:12 -0700 (PDT) Subject: eskrima: Re: Inayan_Eskrima/FMA-Digest V8 #336 My heartfelt thanks to all who answered my queries on panyo, buntot page, latigo, etc. Next query: regarding the 'yoyo' and the "tambak toyok" (?) - filipino version of the nunchaku, how does this fit in in the history of the FMA? Are these weapons of Filipino origin or did the Pinoys adapt to these weapons? Thanks. Kali! Kenjo __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ From: "Christopher Nelson" Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 03:09:27 -0500 Subject: eskrima: Training in San Francisco Greetings everyone, I'll be in San Francisco next week. Any suggestions on places to train? Thanks, Chris Nelson _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 8:01:52 PDT Subject: BOUNCE eskrima: Admin request Forwarded message: Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 00:37:21 -0700 From: Rick Lindquist Subject: Sircam sucks, Kali rocks Guess who just had an infected e-mail (Sircam) come visit. Norton successfully picked it up this go around. It came in on the same EMS (Emergency Medical Services) list that I have been on for 2 years but will now unsubscribe from until that list administrator is able to fix things (bless you, Ray). Some people have too much free time... Now, regarding Kali. I haven't read too much on this list regarding Mark Wiley's book "Filipino Fighting Arts." I will be real out front here and state that I know there are people around who have had "disagreements" with Mr. Wiley, for very real reasons, in the past. I know that those disagreements have been based on valid issues. Having said that, I will feed a big wide #1, here comes (don't hit my hand TOO hard): I like the book. Why? 1)It presents a wide range of Filipino systems in an overall favorable light ( I haven't finished it yet). 2)The analysis and comparisons seem thoughtful. 3)I have learned something so far about systems that I can't have access to otherwise, so it personally has benefited me. 4) He's out there doing it, propagating what he knows and not making a lot of claims. Maybe there's room for all of us in this tent. I certainly have benefited from a certain amount of tolerance over time (old, slow, fat, fifty, etc). Criticism is often useful, it rubs some of the rough spots off between us, kind of like learning that a theoretic entry doesn't work for squat. How we respond to being hit tells us a lot about ourselves and others. Curious... So, any comments? We need to be able to spread information about our art, I believe. I personally benefit from the dialogue. I'm concerned that the masters' art be continued and think there are probably a lot of ways to do that. Regards, Folks, Rick Lindquist ------------------------------ From: ABurrese@aol.com Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 11:22:08 EDT Subject: eskrima: Jeet Kune Do Experience review The Jeet Kune Do Experience: Understanding Bruce Lee's Ultimate Martial Art by Jerry Beasley, Ed.D. 8 ½ x 11, softcover, photos, 216 pp. ISBN 1-58160-131-X $30.00 Available from Paladin Press, Gunbarrel Tech Center, 7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301; (303)443-7250; Fax (303)442-8741; to order call (800) 466-6868 or online at http://www.paladin-press.com. ($5.00 P&H charge added to orders) When a book is written by a Black Belt magazine Hall of Fame member as well as the recipient of numerous other awards, and is endorsed by such legendary martial art greats such as Dan Inosanto and Joe Lewis, you have high expectations when opening the cover. I was not disappointed. The Jeet Kune Do Experience by Jerry Beasley is an enjoyable and educational book all the way through. This book incorporates material from two of Beasley's earlier works, In Search of the Ultimate Martial Art and The Way of No Way, and is divided into two parts by the same titles. The first part describes Beasley's path to JKD as well as the development of JKD in general. Beasley has a relationship with many of the JKD pioneers as well as the second generation instructors, and his interviews with Dan Inosanto, Larry Hartsell, Joe Lewis, and Tim Tackett are informative and one of the highlights of the first part of the book. The remainder of part one is full of pictures depicting various techniques and more importantly concepts. Illustrating these concepts are those mentioned that were interviewed as well as other notable martial artists. This is not at "how to" book on JKD, and the photos are not meant to "teach" you all of JKD. The photos are there to illustrate some of the principles of JKD that Beasley shares. He shows an interpretation of a few styles to help illustrate the principles such as range, five ways of attack, individual and instructor preference, environment and others. Beasley doesn't give a simple definition of JKD, but points out that defining JKD requires an understanding of the philosophical, the physical, and the social components that characterize the practice. In Part Two of the book, Beasley addresses some of the politics surrounding the growth of JKD. This part incorporates some of the articles Beasley has written for various periodicals throughout the years and also has many concepts being illustrated with photographs, many including Beasley and Joe Lewis doing the illustrations. I especially found the chapter on the JKD Matrix to informative and help my understanding of JKD. The Jeet Kune Do Experience is an informative and enjoyable study based on the principles that compose the conceptual framework of JKD. Beasley has put together a book that will be a source for all those that practice JKD, as well as a source to help those who do not practice this art better understand what JKD is. The principles this book addresses will benefit any martial artist, no matter what style is trained in. Beasley has done an excellent job in defining the concept of JKD and I look forward to more from him in the future. Reviewed by Alain Burrese, July 2001 http://members.aol.com/aburrese/ ------------------------------ From: Jivita@aol.com Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 11:27:32 EDT Subject: eskrima: Re: The Way to San Jose <> LOL. Doubtless. Ray, let's not forget the Doce Pares guys: Rev. Rupert Bisquera , Alfredo Bandalan and Ron Lew. :) Regards. Jim. ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 9:22:15 PDT Subject: Re: eskrima: Re: The Way to San Jose >Inayan Eskrima is doubtless the premier Eskrima style in the San Jose area. >Available instructors are, among others, Jason Inay, Jon Ward, and yours >truly.>> > >LOL. Doubtless. Ray, let's not forget the Doce Pares guys: Rev. Rupert Bisquera >, Alfredo Bandalan and Ron Lew. Yes, I also occasionally train DP with Rupert and Ron when Cacoy is in town and hold rank in same. But I haven't run into Alfredo while working out with Cacoy. Ray Terry raymail@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 9:25:50 PDT Subject: eskrima: . ------------------------------ End of Inayan_Eskrima/FMA-Digest V8 #337 **************************************** To unsubscribe from the eskrima-digest send the command: unsubscribe eskrima-digest -or- unsubscribe eskrima-digest your.old@address in the BODY (top line, left justified) of a "plain text" e-mail addressed to majordomo@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com. Old digest issues are available via ftp://ftp.martialartsresource.com. Copyright 1994-2001: Ray Terry and the Martial Arts Resource Standard disclaimers apply.