Date: Sun, 03 Feb 2008 02:48:21 +0100 From: eskrima-request@martialartsresource.net Subject: Eskrima digest, Vol 15 #29 - 2 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 List-Unsubscribe: , List-Id: Eskrima-FMA discussion forum, the premier FMA forum on the Internet. List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.63 (2004-01-11) on plus11.host4u.net X-Spam-Status: No, hits=0.3 required=5.0 tests=NO_REAL_NAME autolearn=no version=2.63 X-Spam-Level: Status: O 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 Sudlud-Inayan Eskrima/Kali/Arnis/FMA mailing list ---->> Serving the Internet since June 1994. Copyright 1994-2008: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource The Internet's premier discussion forum devoted to Filipino Martial Arts. 2500 members. Provided in memory of Mangisursuro Michael G. Inay (1944-2000). See the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) FAQ and the online search engine for back issues of the Eskrima/FMA digest at http://MartialArtsResource.com Mabuhay ang eskrima! Today's Topics: 1. Bad people trying to learn FMA (loki) (Hironaka) 2. What and Whom to teach-- additional thoughts and questions (Marc Denny) --__--__-- Message: 1 From: "Hironaka" To: Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2008 19:33:01 -0800 Subject: [Eskrima] Bad people trying to learn FMA (loki) Reply-To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net "You know what? I do. I really truly believe it. You can't let it go unchallenged? Why is that? It's only an opinion, it happens to be mine so I like it. However it's certainly not a challenge. Why do I personally study? I love the martial arts, and see them as a means of personal self improvement. If I was only concerned with hurting people, I would not bother learning martial arts. As far as Guro Dan Inosanto goes I'd tend to trust his opinion. But it would still be a theory till proven otherwise." I think you may have inferred some sort of malice in my comments. I assure you this is not the case. To challenge a statement in the context of a debate is merely to offer an opposing point of view. I agree everybody is entitled to an opinion. If this is yours, that's good enough for me. My only question is what is your opinion based on? Not to get into a mine is bigger than yours contest, but here is how I have arrived at my opinion. I have spent the last 14 years working in law enforcement. I have on occasion encountered criminals who were determined not to let me arrest them. Some were armed, some were not. I will admit my opinion is based on purely anecdotal evidence. Joe Hironaka "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." George Orwell --__--__-- Message: 2 From: "Marc Denny" To: Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2008 07:39:04 -0800 Subject: [Eskrima] What and Whom to teach-- additional thoughts and questions Reply-To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net Woof All: Sorry to return late to this thread, but we have been involved with a surge of interest due to the Nat Geo documentary on us. Here are some points which call out to me. Working from memory here in recreating the discussion: 1) The thread started with mention of a Filipino teacher teaching FMA in Jordan. Working from memory, he had been working in Saudi Arabia, and then did some travel. The question was presented about whether/to whom to teach. Someone called this racist. I trust most on this list on familiar with the dynamic wherein many Filipinos go abroad to work. A goodly number go to the middle east, including Saudi Arabia. IIRC it was Tuhon McGrath who posted here about the virtual slavery in which some of the Filipina house servants are held there and I over the years I have seen various articles of a similar vein. But I digress , , , Of the various comments and tangents that followed, I missed any of them addressing what seems to me to be a key point. Yes, martial arts can be a manner of cultural exchange and making human connection, but the FMA are particularly at risk for being put to use for nefarious purposes. This includes in evading security procedures that seek to prevent terrorist attack by Islamic Fascists and others. (Indeed, just this morning I read a report of Islamo Fascists capturing a class on an Israeli kibbutz with knives. Fortunately the teachers were both armed and good shots and killed the fcukers.) In that a goodly percentage of the population of Jordan favors or is sympathetic to Islamic Fascism, it seems to me to be quite reasonable to me to wonder about the wisdom of teaching there and conversely it seems glib, disingenuous, politically correct, or clueless to call this raising the question racist. As I looked at the URL with fotos of the teacher and his travels, the impression given is that his teachings were stick focused. If this is the case, I suppose there is no problem-- the direct concerns arise with knife , , , 2) Several posts discussed how to decide what to teach and to whom to teach it. This is good. Perhaps the most important thing is that each teacher simply confront the question within himself. 3) One point that I would like to see addressed more is the matter of the dramatically increasing ready accessibility of this knowledge. For example, what one can find on youtube boggles the mind. Just yesterday I saw a clip posted by an instructor of a reputable system wherein he showed great skill in killing combinations on an unarmed man with the knife. What particularly caught my attention was that he also showed covert draws and ambush initiations. What is the point of putting this out there?!? What is the motivation of posting these things on the internet? It seems not even to be financial-- as best as I can tell, the instructor in question is local, so the idea that he thinks to drum up business seems of limited relevance. Why is he doing this? Any ideas anyone? And regardless of why he is doing this, what are the implications for the teachers who seek to follow a path that thinks caution should be exercised? If one follows the traditional ways, does one simply become irrelevant? In a world wherein anyone can get a gun, or do prison sewing maching with a knife, what is the point of secrecy? I have some thoughts on these things, but am not fully satisfied with them and would be glad of conversation , , , The Adventure continues , , , CD --__--__-- _______________________________________________ Eskrima mailing list Eskrima@martialartsresource.net http://martialartsresource.net/mailman/listinfo/eskrima Subscribe or Unsubscribe: http://eskrima-fma.net Old digest issues @ ftp://ftp.martialartsresource.com/pub/eskrima Copyright 1994-2008: Ray Terry, MartialArtsResource.com, Sudlud.com Standard disclaimers apply. Remember September 11. End of Eskrima Digest