Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 02:48:21 +0200 From: eskrima-request@martialartsresource.net Subject: Eskrima digest, Vol 15 #246 - 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 List-Unsubscribe: , List-Id: Eskrima-FMA discussion forum, the premier FMA forum on the Internet. 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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. The Filipino Blade as Seen Through the Eyes of a Spaniard (Perry Gil Mallari) 2. Re: The Filipino Blade as Seen Through the Eyes of a Spaniard (Tom Howanic) --__--__-- Message: 1 Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:00:28 -0700 (PDT) From: Perry Gil Mallari To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net Subject: [Eskrima] The Filipino Blade as Seen Through the Eyes of a Spaniard Reply-To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net The Filipino Blade as Seen Through the Eyes of a Spaniard By Perry Gil S. Mallari   The origin of arnis, escrima and kali, collectively known as the Filipino martial arts (FMA) has been the subject of debate among FMA practitioners, teachers, documentarians, scholars and writers for the last two decades. The plethora of views, speculations and theories that came out within this period was roughly divided into two categories: those espousing that the FMA are indigenous and those that believe that FMA are, in actuality, foreign in origin. I tend to gravitate towards the former. My personal stand on the matter is that though the FMA may have been substantially influenced by Spanish fencing, a prototype of fighting art was already in existence in the islands long before the coming of the Spaniards. My position was anchored on two reasons – the first is my belief that fighting is innate to man and any culture in the world, no matter how primitive for the purpose of survival will surely develop its own method of self preservation. The second reason is that there are indeed historical records that validate the existence of an organized pre-Spanish Filipino system of warfare like the chronicles of Antonio Pigafetta (1491-1534). Pigafetta wrote an eyewitness account of the death of Ferdinand Magellan in the hands of Lapu-Lapu and his army of natives in the Battle of Mactan on April 17, 1521. The notes of Antonio de Morga Sánchez Garay (1559-1636), compiled in his book Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, is another document that offer a glimpse of the original Filipino war arts as seen through the eyes of a Spaniard. Morga was sent to Manila in 1593 to assume the post of lieutenant governor of the Philippines, the second most powerful position in the colony, after the governor-general. A part of Morga’s book documenting the native weapons of the islands states: "The weapons of these people are, in some provinces, bows and arrows. But those generally use throughout the islands are moderate-sized spears with well-made points; and certain shields of light wood, with their arm holes fastened on the inside. These cover from top to toe, and are called carasas (kalasag). At the waist they carry a dagger four fingers in breadth, the blade pointed, and a third vara in length (about 11 inches), the hilt is of gold or ivory. The pommel is open and has two cross bars or projections, without any other guard. They are called bararaos (balaraw). They have two cutting edges, and are kept in wooden scabbards, of those of buffalo horn, admirably wrought. With these they strike with the point but more generally with the edge. When they go in pursuit of their opponents, they show great dexterity in seizing his hair with one hand, while the other they cut off his head with one stroke of the bararao and carry it away. They afterwards keep the head suspended in their houses, where they may be seen; and of these they make a display, in order to be considered as valiant, and avengers of their enemies and of the injuries committed by them. . . " Based on Morga’s observations, it is safe to surmise that the Philippines already has an archetype fighting system prior to the coming of Spain that pretty much covered the whole spectrum of the combat continuum from projectile range (the use of spears and bow and arrows) to hand-to-hand range (the use of daggers). It is also evident that the natives of the islands during that period were already employing the universal slash (taga) and thrust (saksak) structure of knife fighting in their use of the balarao as described in the following words of Morga: "With these they strike with the point but more generally with the edge." The deftness of these early Filipinos in handling the knife and the quality of their blades were also notable: "they show great dexterity in seizing his hair with one hand, while the other they cut off his head with one stroke of the bararao and carry it away." Any knife person who has tested his blade on an animal carcass such that of a swine or cow knows the degree of skill and the steel temper needed to cut cleanly with one stroke through flesh and bone. Another thing I want to point out is the noticeable use of the natives of precious materials such as ivory and gold on the construction of their fighting knives. In praise of the aesthetics of the balaraw, Morga described it as "admirably wrought." To me, such level of artistry in the production of knives is an indication of a sophisticated blade culture. Morga came to the Philippines 72 years after the death of Magellan in Mactan and some may argue that what he saw may not be pure, unadulterated native fighting arts because the Spaniards was in the country long enough for the influences of Spanish fencing to seep into the original war arts of the territory. I may categorically agree with this premise but then again going back to Morga’s account of the native war arts of the islands during the period, I will say that they are very tribal in character. Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas is a credible source of information regarding the early years of Spain in the Philippines. It will prove an interesting read to FMA historians because it contains a brief but very valuable part dealing with the indigenous war arts of the early Filipinos. Hopefully, similar works will be discovered in the future that will shed light to the origin of the FMA.   (This article article was originally published in the Rapid Journal)   --__--__-- Message: 2 From: "Tom Howanic" To: Subject: Re: [Eskrima] The Filipino Blade as Seen Through the Eyes of a Spaniard Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:49:00 -0500 Reply-To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net Well written. Good points. tom --__--__-- _______________________________________________ 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