Date: Sun, 03 Nov 2002 03:01:49 -0800 From: eskrima-request@martialartsresource.net Subject: Eskrima digest, Vol 9 #381 - 3 msgs X-Mailer: Mailman v2.0.13.cisto1 MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net Errors-To: eskrima-admin@martialartsresource.net X-BeenThere: eskrima@martialartsresource.net X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.13.cisto1 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net X-Reply-To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net X-Subscribed-Address: fma@martialartsresource.com List-Id: Inayan Eskrima / FMA discussion forum, the premier FMA forum on the Internet. List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Unsubscribe: , List-Help: Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: Send Eskrima mailing list submissions to eskrima@martialartsresource.net To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://martialartsresource.net/mailman/listinfo/eskrima or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to eskrima-request@martialartsresource.net You can reach the person managing the list at eskrima-admin@martialartsresource.net When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Eskrima digest..." <<-------- The Inayan/Eskrima/Kali/Arnis/FMA mailing list -------->> Serving the Internet since June 1994. Copyright 1994-2002: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource The Internet's premier discussion forum devoted to Filipino Martial Arts. Provided in memory of Mangisursuro Michael G. Inay (1944-2000). http://InayanEskrima.com/index.cfm See the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) FAQ and the online search engine for back issues of the Eskrima/FMA list at http://MartialArtsResource.com Mabuhay ang eskrima! Today's Topics: 1. Traveling and training (Ray Terry) 2. Seminar Notice: Full Contact Stick Fighting (Washington, DC area) (DAVID FULTON) --__--__-- Message: 1 From: Ray Terry To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net (Eskrima) Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2002 18:57:18 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Eskrima] Traveling and training Reply-To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net Karol K. asked me to forward this to the list. A great write-up! Ray Terry rterry@idiom.com =========================================================== Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2002 17:19:17 -0800 (PST) Training Quests Overseas. Earlier this year in a quest to study and experience different martial arts, healing arts, and spiritual disciplines I left the United States for Nepal, India and South East Asia. It's now been over six months and the time is soon coming to head back to the United States. I would like to share some of these things with others here on the digest. Not that my experiences are that unique but, I would love to hear stories from other people who have done similar things. It would be nice to have a network here on the newsletter to help like-minded people out on their trips. There were a lot of hit and miss experiences for me while traveling and doing research. Some made me wonder what in god's name I was doing in these places but often looking back those are the times I won't forget! In the end it all adds to the experience in one way or another. Now at the end this journey I find that there was probably a lot of information accessible from people here on the digest would have helped me if I would have known about it before. I think there are a lot of us who have these ideas of different places in other countries were one can still find old school training or different teachings. At least I did and have to admit that I still do. Half of the experience is getting there and the people you meet in the process. I have been training 18 years and waited until I was 36 to do this. I wish I would have done it 15 years ago. What makes it even worse is now that I've started I probably won't want to stop for another five years. Of course not having a wife or family makes it easier. If you're a martial artist and want to go study arts in other countries I say do it. You won't regret the experience and you will find that the brotherhood of martial arts has a tendency to transcend the different cultures and borders as well. May 2002 : Nepal You will see Kukris everywhere in the country, in every market and as ornaments on the front of every bus or truck as well. You will also see a lot of cows in the road, it's safer to be a cow in the road than a person! At least the punishment for hitting a person with a vehicle is less than hitting a cow. A lot of the policemen and security personnel there carry small sticks approximately 24 inches long resembling knotty tree branches. When I inquired about their training and usage of the stick arts they looked at me blankly or either grinned from ear to ear and proceeded to demonstrate in a joking manner on one of there friends. There was not to much serious information gathered here to say the least. In an unfortunate situation I saw a local policeman using a stick on an unfortunate street urchin and it was more like unorthodox flogging then anything else. This brought forth the reality that there is a big difference between practicing the stick arts and just being on the receiving end of someone with a stick when you aren't even allowed to defend yourself. While in Kathmandu you can find various forms of internal arts there, Chi-Kung, Tai-Chi, and different Kung-Fu styles. Tae Kwon Do has made its way to a lot of places there as well. There is a well known Vipassna / insight meditation center there and dozens of smaller schools teaching different meditation courses. Of course thousands go to Nepal seeking some kind of spiritual experience or profound teaching. This being the case there are those claiming to be teachers who are just trying to get money any way they can but there are also many legitimate ones as well. If you are in the market for Kukris they are a dime a dozen and come in a variety of sizes in the markets there. The original towns were the Gurkha soldier were said to be founded is off the main highway between Katmandu and Pokhara. Take the green line bus instead of public transportation and don't sit in the front unless you want to see some of the craziest drivers coming straight at you on high and narrow mountain passes. Also try and ignore all the vehicles you see which have already veered off the roads and crashed into the canyons below. I wasn't able to find much information in the small towns in regards to Gurkhas or there training but that doesn't mean that it isn't there somewhere. Language barriers can be a problem. In Pokhara there is a small museum there dedicated to the Gurkhas. In some of the local bars you will find those who claim to have been involved in the outfit or know someone who have been but that's as far as I got. I think is kind of like the 'I use to be a SEAL or know somebody who was' thing here in the states. I was there in May when the state dept. warned against it due to the Maosist uprising they were having. It seemed pretty safe as long as you watch yourself and use some common sense. There is a heavily armed military presence in the towns and throughout the country side though. I traveled throughout the Annapurna range, which I would highly recommend. There are a few ancient Tibetan Monasteries and the monks are very cordial. I was fortunate to run into a few other martial artists along the way but very few knew much about the Filipino arts and were quite enthused about them when we exchanged techniques. Being a Filipino martial arts enthusiast I packed my stick bag in my backpack for my six-month journey and was able to spend quite a few evenings on some of the rooftops in the villages training with different people. I had a great time doing some cross training with other people I met there from around the world. Even if you can't find training there, there is nothing like working out solo in the magnificent and wide-open spaces of the Himalayas. You usually wind up spending about 6-8 hours a day on the trail, which leaves a lot of time to stop off to do what ever your heart desires. Some people say to get a porter or a guide for the various treks but if you get a good map, plan ahead and use a lot some common sense you should be fine. Watch the food, altitude sickness and bring plenty of water purification tabs. Of course a good training partner would be a great asset. June 2002 : India I crossed over to India via bus from Nepal. If you choose this route don't expect comfort! You may be on a self proclaimed private bus but will soon find yourself stopping at every village on the road. Your traveling companions will also vary from people to goats, chickens and dogs. It helps to laugh a lot. Immediately after crossing the border you notice all the police and constables are not armed with firearms but with three to four foot rattan sticks called lahtis. I was warned that they do not hesitate to use them either. Public transportation in India via bus or train can be as physical as a mixed martial arts competition and can involve running, climbing, trapping, grappling and a variety of close range strikes. This is in no way an exaggeration. An Indian train ride is an adventure in itself and not for the faint of heart. I headed up north to Rishikesh via Deli for Yoga / Meditation studies and to search out an instructor in what I had heard described as Indian stick fighting. The Indian teacher once I found him was also a teacher of classical Indian dance and Yoga as well. I found his teaching to be mostly staff work as opposed to the short stick work that we use in the Filipino arts. They also have techniques where they use two five foot staffs in each hand at the same time. There is much twirling involved and after some practice they light the ends of both sticks with fire. I was told this was for various reasons such as to detour elephants in ancient combat, to signal troops as well as some martial applications. Most of the techniques I observed were mostly long range and very acrobatic and flashy in nature. With my background being mostly Filipino, Indonesian, and Chinese internal martial arts I found it rather conflicting to my fighting style but still enjoyable to practice for something different. The ashrams there wind up drawing people from all over the planet and I was fortunate enough to meet up with a few other martial artists and was able to cross train with in the early morning hours on the roof of the yoga hall. Being on the rooftops of an ancient city on the banks of the Ganges river with monkeys running everywhere and religious music and chanting echoing over the city definitely adds to the ambiance of early morning workouts. Most of the native population be it beggar or holy man traveling throughout the countryside has a stick of some sorts. This is used for a variety of things from striking attacking monkeys to actually defending against other humans at times. The monkeys can be pretty aggressive when it comes to food but are obviously well experienced when it comes to being on the receiving end of a stick, for once you raise your stick and look in there direction they are prone to head for the trees in a hasty retreat. The police don't carry much in the way of firearms but are always armed with their three to four foot lahtis. I wasn't able to find out too much information in regards to how they used these though. I was told by some of the locals that they are primarily used in a striking fashion as one would use an axe and that you don't want to be on the receiving end of one. I have seen a video offered in the Cold Steel catalog which is supposed to demonstrate the use of these sticks and I will probably pick this up once I arrive stateside. One thing I found amusing was that when I would be hiking or trekking I would usually carry a regular Arnis stick with about five nodes or so on it and the locals were always trying to barter with me to get it. They had never seen that type of stick before up in Northern India. When leaving Nepal I didn't think I was going to get out with my Kamagong sticks as the Police at the airport checking the luggage wanted to keep them for themselves! I found through some networking that there is a unique martial arts system, which is excusive to the religion of Sikhism and is taught in Armistar in Northern India and some of the neighboring smaller villages. I had planned to go overland to Dharmsala in Northern India to do some studying in Tibetan Buddhism and thought to add a stop to observe this art and perhaps get some training as well. This was in June earlier this year though, and the state dept as well as everyone back home was going full force to get all Americans out of India much less have them travel along the border of Pakistan towards Kashmir. After about a week of debating I wound up heading back south to Delhi via the insanity of Indian public transportation. Of course looking back now nothing happened and I wish I would have made this journey. In India I did wander upon a local Karate school there and was even fortunate enough to see a demonstration of sorts. It was traditional Japanese Karate and the locals are more than enthusiastic when it comes to observing such events. I was told by some villagers in India that they do have local wrestling matches if you look around enough. Language barriers can be a problem there though when it comes to trying to find different things. You also have to watch the possibility of various scams there. You would not want to get into a strange motorized rickshaw and find yourself in a deserted area to discover that you surviving a half dozen desperate thieves was the martial arts event of the evening. There are numerous schools of Kalaripayit in southern India if one should choose to go down there. I did some research and contacted some schools down there before leaving the states. I found that if they can be found via the Internet that they usually have some kind of commercial program to offer. After being in the country I am sure that if someone was diligent enough and had the time and resources that they could probably find some authentic Kalripayit training in Southern India. I have recently even seen some information regarding that art here on the Eskrima Digest. Northern Thailand : July-Sept 2002 Of course this country offers Thai Boxing and Krabi Krabong. A large amount of my time was spent in the Northern Thailand area of Chiang Mai. Thailand itself is an incredibly beautiful place and the people are wonderful and constantly smiling. It is also really easy traveling after leaving India. Thai boxing is every where in Thailand of course but one of the best places I found in Chiang Mai was Lana Muay Thai which is actually run by a Westerner. Lots of foreigners train there and stay for extended periods of time as well. You can also find Thai boxing, Karate, Wrestling, Tae Kwon Do, and basic weight rooms at most of the sports complexes there. All of this can be had for a very small fee. Basically look for a stadium with lots of students walking around and just start walking from gym to gym. Doing this you never know who or what you will run into in regards to training. Chiang Mai University is said to have a pretty good Judo club as well. Outside the moat area towards the main city you will find a gentleman that teaches Tibetan Kung-Fu, Tai Chi and Chi Kung. There is Tai Chi through out the city every morning but most of what is being taught is not the complete forms but various postures taken from Tai-Chi and Chi Kung. Thai boxing matches are held regularly every Friday night in the city arena and are usually four to five hours in length. Watching the Thais betting frenzy at ringside is every much a spectator sport as the combatants in the ring. Being a stick fighting practitioner I was hoping to find some Krabi Krabong in the area but was told most of these schools are towards the south. Maybe next time, I tell myself. The Philippines : Cebu City, Oct-Nov 2002 I arrived in Cebu in late September and was very fortunate to be adopted into a local family which has saved me immense time as far as getting around and becoming situated. Thanks Ken 'Kanding' McDonough. During my first week here GM Dianisio Canete held a tournament and I was fortunate enough to be able to attend. It was great to see a tournament dedicated entirely to the FMA and observe the different clubs competing. The Discovery Channel was there so hopefully the Filipino martial arts will get some of the exposure it deserves. Most of my training time here has been spent at GrandMaster Ciraico 'Cacoy' Canete's gym which is right outside his front door. The quality of the practitioners here to spar with has been great and Grandmaster Canete still spars daily at 83 years old. His style of Eskrima/Eskrido is pretty diverse with a lot of emphasis being placed on sparring as well as locking and throwing. I found all the practioners here highly skilled and more than happy to train with other people. If you aren't training in this country you can always eat as that and gambling seems to be two of the favorite past-times here. Most of the people I have encountered have been really receptive to training with foreigners and think it's great that we come over here to train in their arts. There are a lot of choices as far as martial arts training over here, Yaw Yan, Eskrima, Judo, Aikido, etc. That is just in Cebu which leaves the rest of the Philippines open to a plethora of training opportunities. With the country being so vast and diverse there is really no predicting what kinds of training you might find and where. I know I'm basically just touching the tip of an ice-berg on this trip. As I mentioned I think that there is an endless amount to be learned and found out here on the road it all depends on your time and resources. Keep a smile on your face and an open mind and most people will be more than happy to train with you. If you have ever wanted to do it just do it! You won't regret the experience. K. Krauser --__--__-- Message: 2 Date: Sat, 2 Nov 2002 05:36:28 -0800 (PST) From: DAVID FULTON To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net Subject: [Eskrima] Seminar Notice: Full Contact Stick Fighting (Washington, DC area) Reply-To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net The Full Contact Martial Arts Association will be sponsoring a 1 day seminar featuring Dr. David Wink. Dr. Wink studied Pekiti-tirsia under Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje and Pentjak Silat under Suyardi "Eddie" Jafri in the early 80's. Dr. Wink has taken what he learned from Gaje and Jafri, combined it with other fighting arts that he has learned and tested it in over 20 years of full-contact fighting to produce the fighting system that he currently teaches. The fighting system that Dr. Wink includes practical and efficient methods for fighting with, or without, weapons. Previous seminars focussed on the cultivation of skills required for success in full contact fighting. The current seminar will build upon the previous seminars by focusing on teaching the participants how to apply the skills that they have acquired. Strategy, fighting against a weapon of superior power or range, and other advanced topics will be covered. Although this seminar is geared towards a more experienced practitioner/fighter, people of all skill levels will benefit. Date: November 9, 2002 (Saturday) Time: 10:00 AM until 4:30 PM Location: Frederick, Maryland (north of Washington, DC & west of Baltimore, MD) Cost: $40.00 What to Bring: A pair of rattan sticks, training knife and eye protection. --__--__-- _______________________________________________ Eskrima mailing list Eskrima@martialartsresource.net http://martialartsresource.net/mailman/listinfo/eskrima http://eskrima-fma.net Old digest issues are available via ftp://ftp.martialartsresource.com. Copyright 1994-2002: Ray Terry and http://MartialArtsResource.com Standard disclaimers apply. Remember 9-11! End of Eskrima Digest