From: eskrima-digest-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com To: eskrima-digest@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Subject: Inayan_Eskrima/FMA-Digest V8 #449 Reply-To: eskrima@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Errors-To: eskrima-digest-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Precedence: Inayan_Eskrima/FMA-Digest Wed, 10 Oct 2001 Vol 08 : Num 449 In this issue: eskrima: Re: Sacramento - The Gathering eskrima: Re: Tuan/Tuhon eskrima: Abu Sayyaf and Bin laden eskrima: Modern Arnis developments eskrima: memorial service eskrima: Kuntao article eskrima: . ========================================================================== Eskrima-Digest, serving the Internet since June 1994. 1200 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). 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://MartialArtsResource.com Mabuhay ang eskrima! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: FGS & KVF Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2001 16:45:09 -0700 Subject: eskrima: Re: Sacramento - The Gathering Recently, there was a weekend long event that brought MA from all over the US and Canada and from all sorts of different styles. It was an amazing event. It is held annually and was in San diego last year, and Chicago next year. It is hosted usually by Honshi Bruce Jutnik, a Kosho Ryu and arnis practictioner. In these times of MA conflicts and "mine is better than yours", it was refreshing to meet and learn from people who were there to empty their cups and give back as well. I learned a lot and was excited all over again about MA. Each art had at least one instructor at that event that taught a few principles to the eager participants. No one was badmouthing any style or person. At the end of the weekend, it was obvious that the concepts taught were applicable to all MA, not just one. We are all the same with different slants. And it was quite helpful having new slants to old concepts. If you have a chance to go, it is an event worth attending! Spunky ------------------------------ From: "S. H. WEE" Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2001 08:48:05 +0800 Subject: eskrima: Re: Tuan/Tuhon "Tuan" is a Malay word which literally means "Sir/Lord", and is used to show respect when addressing elders or seniors (not just martial artists), due to the different in dialect, the Philipinos pronounce it with a strong "H" sound as in "Tuhon". Both is alright as far as you do not misspell it into "Tuhan". The only person qualified for the "Tuhan" title is non other than Allah Himself. :-) S. H. Wee shinhoe@pc.jaring.my > << From: Joe Marszalek > Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2001 07:58:43 -0700 (PDT) > Subject: eskrima: Re: Tuhon > > Yesterday I was watching the Paul De Thouars Bukti > Negara video from 1991 that features Burt Richardson. > At the beginning of the Guro Dan interview the title > shows him as Guro Tuan Dan Inosanto. I assume "Tuan" > is an Inodnesian term pronounced the same way we say "Tuhon". > > Joe Marszalek ------------------------------ From: "Pentjakker" Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 22:07:53 -0400 Subject: eskrima: Abu Sayyaf and Bin laden A widening war against terrorism brings together the military interests of the U.S. and Philippines. More at http://www.feer.com/2001/0110_11/p024region.html ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2001 19:47:10 PDT Subject: eskrima: Modern Arnis developments Forwarded message: Ray ==================================================== Followers of the Late GM Remy Presas, Extreme tragedy often forges great destinies. Remy's passing left a horrendous void in the world of martial arts that seemingly could never be filled. Until now. The children of Grand Master Remy Amador Presas have decided to pick up their canes and carry on his tradition, as only Remy's own bloodline could do. When Remy left the Philippines many years ago, his children stayed behind to carry on his legacy. Years later, he took them to the US, where they found stable jobs and provided for their families. Now, in the midst of this tragedy, they are determined to follow his footsteps in the martial arts world. Remy had a lovely memorial and final burial services in the Philippines. At the Memorial, the Philippine government appointed Remy's children as his true heirs in the art of ModernArnis. Out of respect for Remy, I gave his children my support. In doing so, I donated my website: www.ModernArnis.com to their new organization: Modern Arnis Remy P Presas International Organization (MARPPIO). MARPPIO has the blessing of the Philippine government and consists of: Rosemary Presas (Remy's 1st wife, known as the "Mother of Modern Arnis", who was behind him in his ascent and struggle to propagate Modern Arnis in the Philippine sports world), Remy P Presas Jr., PhD, Mary Ann Presas, Demetrio Presas, Mary Jane Presas-Seletaria, Maria Presas-Butler, Roland Dantes, Remy's original Filipino students, and myself. The website will be up soon. Please take a look and meet the Next Generation of Modern Arnis on-line. We welcome you to join this top-notch, no politics organization. All IMAF members will receive a one-year free membership in MARPPIO. ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2001 19:49:11 PDT Subject: eskrima: memorial service Forwarded message: A very special Memorial Service hosted by Michael T. Bates and his lovely wife, Karen, drew over seventy of the Professor's closest students and friends to Wayne, Pennsylvania on Saturday, October 6, 2001. This event was presented as a celebration in honor of Professor Remy A. Presas, the man, the legend, and the mentor, our beloved friend and teacher. The official ceremony began at 2:00 p.m. at the Wyndham Valley Forge in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Guests arrived bringing mementos and many stories of their time spent with the Professor. At 3:00 p.m. these guests, the Professor's close friends, were invited to share some of their memories with the group. Michael T. Bates, host and Master of Ceremonies told countless comical stories about his adventures with the Professor. Michael, who spent possibly more time with the Professor than anyone, relayed the Professor's wishes for his great art to continue to survive and grow under the active leadership of Grandmaster Jeffrey Delaney. He urged the group to honor those wishes, personally committing to do everything possible to carry out them out. Grandmaster Jeffrey Delaney, successor to Professor Presas, and only ranking representative named in the 'Professor's leadership plan' present, gave an emotional speech that gripped the crowd. Delaney, who has been charged as the Ambassador for the Professor and given incredible responsibilities with regards to running the camps, seminars and administering the Professor's official web-site, www.professorpresas.com , accepted the challenges of his position in honor of the Professor, the man he loved and respected. He vowed to keep the spirit of the Professor alive in the IMAF and to operate, as the Professor did, on the premise of "inclusion", appreciation for others, sharing and mutual respect. Many students and friends, including but not limited to: Grandmaster Max Pallen, one of the Professor's first US students in 1974 and Master Jose Bueno, also an early student from California, Joe Briedenstein, Doug Pierre, Dr. Chas Terry, Chad Dulin, Lisa McManus, Dawud Mohammad, Larry Rocha, Roland Rivera, Deno Cane, James Taylor, Janet Aalfs, Dennis Tosten, Brett Salafia and Rick Robinson gave heartfelt speeches in honor of the Professor. Most of these people traveled great distances and made incredible sacrifices to be present to celebrate the life of Remy Presas. The guests enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Wyndham, exchanging personal anecdotes about the Professor. Each person present told of the profound effects the Professor has had on their lives. They marveled at the realization that one man could have such a tremendous, positive and powerful effect on so many people. The entire evening was packed with emotions. On August 28, 2001, Professor Presas died after a long battle with brain cancer. He died peacefully leaving his heirs many gifts. These gifts were not tangible gifts, but gifts of the heart. On Saturday, October 6th in Wayne, Pennsylvania, through the efforts of Grandmaster Jeffrey Delaney and Michael T. Bates, these heirs to Modern Arnis shared those gifts and celebrated the life of Professor Presas. At the end of the evening the circle of friends, the Professor's circle, joined hands and together they affirmed the future of Modern Arnis. ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2001 20:43:35 PDT Subject: eskrima: Kuntao article See www.rdg.ac.uk/~lws98phd/the-art.htm for the complete article + footnotes. WHAT IS KUNTAO MATJAN? The term 'Kuntao' is a generic term used in much of Southeast Asia to designate martial arts of Chinese origin, the term deriving from the Fujian Chinese (Hokkienese) words for 'fist' (kun) and way or method (tao), although the term is often mistranslated. Kuntao is one of a number of martial arts styles found in Indonesia and Malaysia, coastal Thailand and the Western Philippines, including pukulan, silat, and pencak (these latter two generally being treated together as 'Pencak-Silat in contemporary parlance).. However, the term Kuntao is not really equivalent to saying 'Kung Fu' or 'Wu Shu' (Chinese terms for martial arts) for in many cases Kuntao arts from Southeast Asia have diverged from their Chinese origins far enough to be considered distinct arts in their own rights. The relationship between Kuntao and the indigenous Indo-Malay martial arts found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the western Philippines is far from clear. One scholar, Bruce A. Haines asserted of Kuntao, Silat and Pukulan that the terms 'refer to variations of the same Indonesian style that have developed in different geographical areas of the Indonesian archipelago'1 while Donn F. Draeger stressed the distinction between Kuntao and Silat, remarking vaguely that 'Kun-tao [sic] may have influenced pencak-silat and bersilat ... [p]erhaps the reverse is also true....'2. Draeger has also noted the existence of Kuntao systems which, with an eye towards integration into Indonesian society, redesignated themselves as forms of Silat.3 Indeed, there is even an assortment of primarily Indonesian and Malay silat arts which carry the designation 'kuntao' indicating a combination of indigenous and Chinese traits, such as Kuntao Jawa, Kuntao Melaka, and the Bugis forms of 'Silat Kuntao'. The degree of overlap between Silat and various Kuntao systems varies from system to system, and the Kuntao taught at the Flying Dragon Institute is an art in which a core derived from Kung-Fu has been seamlessly fused with techniques and methods drawn from pukulan Jawa and silat Jawa tengah (central Javanese silat) to produce a unique art in its own right. According to the oral history of the Kuntao system taught by the Flying Dragon Insitute Faulhaber studied under two different gurus. One was a one-eyed peranakan Chinese master of Kuntao Macan (Javanese, pron. 'matjan'; lit. 'tiger-style Kuntao') in Semarang, North-Central Java. The peranakan Chinese are an ethnic subgroup who, although ethnically Chinese, have become integrated into Indonesian life and culture, often having Malay or Javanese as a first language, and taking Indonesian names (as opposed to totok Chinese who are more traditional). They are also often referred to as Babah Chinese. Paatje Faulhaber studied with his Indonesian-Chinese teacher every day after school, reportedly even playing truant occasionally to put in extra time with his teacher and fellow Kuntao students. He also studied pukulan under a dukun, or traditional spiritualist and healer. Anthropologist Clifford Geertz describes a dukun variously as 'curer, sorcerer and ceremonial specialist'4, a practitioner of the animist magical tradition known guna-guna (in Malay parlance bomoh-bomoh). The old Babah master made him promise never to teach the art publicly for money, a vow Faulhaber kept until his death in 1974. Likewise, the Dukun also swore him to secrecy. However, in the late 1950s he recreated the traditional Indonesian outdoor or gelanggang training environment in the forest of Renkum and began to teach his select group of five students. Paatje Kudding training in Holland, near Bennekom with Max Bax, Overvecht with Theo Verschuur and in Zevenaar with Lammerts van Buren. Paatje Faulhaber's Kuntao Macan system is characterised by a smooth, almost seemless integration of Chinese and Indonesian martial arts elements. To his students, Faulhaber stressed that his Kuntao had been modified chiefly on two grounds: firstly, it had been adapted to the typical Indonesian body-structure, and secondly the information within the arthad been sorted and organised according to what might be best described as Indonesian methodology. For example, while the system employs low, strong stances from Kung-Fu, the actual footwork employed has the sinuous, springing quality of Silat. Similarly, the hand techniques are close-range, infighting methods typical of the Southern Chinese forms of Kung-Fu, although the actual fighting techniques are organised and interpreted in terms of generic, flowing permainan (playing movements) which look like (and in some cases are drawn from) certain kinds of traditional Indonesian dance. Power is generated through a loose-limbed whipping action, and the system slips readily from aggressive infighting to evasive circular actions and back again. Paatje Kudding performing a series of movements which display both Indonesian and Chinese influences, respectively an 's-h' or 's-step' typical of Javanese and Sundanese tiger or pamacan systems, an arm-wrapping headlock frequently seen in Javanese, Sundanese and peninsular Malay systems, and a scissors-hands or gunting action reminiscent of Hokkienese kung-fu. Pemain Kuntao (Kuntao players) begin their training learning stances (kuda-kuda - lit. 'horses') and footwork (langkah-langkah), playing movements (permainan tangan), and roles and breakfalls. From here students procede to learn the system's short, basic forms or jurus and then learn to apply the basic blocks, punches and kicks derived from and combined with the three basic skills. Techniques are taught in specific combinations as solutions against various types of attacks one might have to deal with, and in choreographed series of self-defence exercises (bela diri) as well as grappling and counter-grappling techniques. From here training expands to include short forms which can be performed either solo or with a partner, similar to the buah pukulan of Silat or to the one and three step sparring of Karate, called Jalan Perkakas (lit. 'walking tools'). With a strong grounding in the langkahs, permainan and applications which drive Kuntao, students then proceed to learn the advanced, long choreographed forms called kembang or bunga (lit. 'flower). These are similar the Kata of Karate or Kung-Fu forms, but they are taught much later in the regimen. Also, where more forms in Karate or Kung-Fu have specific modes of execution, be it fast, or slow, or with a particular attitude, each Kuntao bunga has many different ways of being executed depending on whether it is being practiced with an eye to application, to exercising basic movements, or to develop internal power or batin. Students then proceed to sensitivity exercises, similar to the pushing hands of Tai Chi Chuan and the 'sticky legs' of Wing Chun Kung Fu, and thence to slow-sparring, and finally to full-speed sparring of a number of different types. Finally complicated advanced langkah and permainan combinations are taught to control distance and movement relative to one's opponent(s). Kuntao is a highly comprehensive system, bringing together an extensive range of hand techniques with kicks, sweeps, throws and grappling skills. The art also goes beyond unarmed self-defence, to include defences against various weapons, such as knife, baton, pole and firearms, as well as instruction in the use of traditional weapons, including knife, golok (an indigenous heavy-bladed machete), a short-bladed sword or pedang, short-stick (tongkat), mid-length stick similar to the Aikido Jo stick (tombak pendek or tongkat kayu, literally a yardstick), the cabang and siku-siku (weapons similar to the Karate Sai), the staff (toya) and a short stick slightly longer than the hand called a 'girl stick' (tongkat perempuan). This is taught not only for the sake of teaching weapons use and preserving the traditional knowledge of these weapons, but to teach the student to think as a weapon-user, giving them a direct insight into the techniques and thinking of someone who would use a weapon against them. Throughout the applied, combat and self-defence oriented regimen, Pemain Kuntao also pursue the development of internal strength through various breathing exercises and meditation, and traditional massage. The Pemain Kuntao is taught in the peceh not only to know their way around the physical machinery of the subject's body, but to feel in themselves a shadow or reflection of the other's discomfort which will guide them in applying the massage, for as the shadow or reflection alleviates so will the massage recipient's discomfort. At the most advanced levels of the art, internal and external breathing exercises (latihan pernafasan) is combined with spiritual training (kebatinan) in a series of animal mimicry exercises (main binatang) which combine a derivative of the Chinese Taoist 'five animals play' (wu chin so) with Indonesian psychological and spiritual techniques. However, such advanced exercises carry deep, psychological risks. What Clifford Geertz wrote of traditional Malay spiritualist healers or dukun is also true of Pemain Kuntao at this final level, that 'the extraordinary power with which he traffics can destroy him if he is not spiritually strong.'5 As a result, these aspects of the art are only taught to a very few, hand-picked students and after many years of training the rest of the system. ------------------------------ From: Ray Terry Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2001 21:37:30 PDT Subject: eskrima: . ------------------------------ End of Inayan_Eskrima/FMA-Digest V8 #449 **************************************** 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.