My Stick is Bigger Than Yours: Escrima Debut
Posted by mavy on Friday Sep 10, 2010 Under Competition, Competition Training, Escrima
My two Escrima Teachers!! Diana and Ermar (www.eadocepares.com)
Last year, BBC graced us with a show called “Last Woman Standing” where they chose 5 women to go around the world and try out indigenous sports and compete with the locals (and of course each other) to win the title of “Last Woman Standing”. Of course, as a woman who has an exceptional apetite for “un-womanly” things, I was glued to the TV like tongue in ice. But what surprised and delighted me even further is their episode on Kali Stick Fighting.
First of all, it’s a Filipino Martial Art. It’s not my first time to know about this as we’ve had uber-basic lessons of it for a term back in High School. Other than that, I’ve heard about it from my suitor at that time (who was a cadet in the Philippine Military Academy >.<) who boasted of his family’s connection to the sport from his great, great grandparents. In short, it is stick fighting. According to eadocepares, “Escrima, also known as Arnis or Kali (depending of which dialect or part of the Philippines you are in) is an indigenous Filipino Martial Art which utilises weapons such as sticks (single/double), knife/daggers, swords, spears and ‘mano-mano’ (hand to hand combat). Another interesting twist was given by Discovery Channel where they said, “Before the Spanish conquest of the Philippines during the 16th century, escrima was taught as a recreational activity together with reading, writing, religion and Sanskrit. During Spanish rule, it was suppressed and driven underground and only re-surfaced in dances and plays ironically performed to entertain the Spaniards.”
As I trawl through the web looking for videos of Escrima, there are a lot of really strange comments about the sport. “How come white people actively spread and teach the sport instead of Filipinos themselves?” or “Why do Filipinos use sticks instead of swords?”. The first one still bugs me as I couldn’t find a decent answer to it (or even a pretty good comeback) but the last one sorta pissed me off. Actually, although the sport uses “sticks” all the time, it is actually used in place of a sword. The movements and the techniques of Escrima are all about “the blade” – the main ‘weapon of choice’ when in come to real life fighting.
Scary ass looking Filipino Swords (courtesy of Philippine Museum)
All that aside, during my first 2 hours under the wing of Diana Fauner and Ermar Alexander, I am continually falling in love with the sport. It is complimentary to my semi-retirement in Taekwondo (waiting for an injury to heal) as it strengthens my upper body and not putting too much pressure of my injured knee. And also, it’s cool….!!!!
Need I say more?
PS: I signed up for an Escrima tournament in November (on my birthday in fact!) and I’d be documenting my journey here. I will win – but if I don’t, I’ll just kick her in the hea……
September 11th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
wow its great post..
September 12th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Great read and most informative.
Unfortunate that it took half a century before the Philippine government made it into the national sport. This might finally encourage other Flips to take it up.
It is good that many non-filipinos are learning and teaching the martial art. At times, it takes someone from the outside to show you the treasure that you possess. Now it’s time for people from Doce Pares in London and other Guros to show the second and third generation British-Filipinos the parts of their culture, they can be proud of.
September 12th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
I love the post!!
Eskrima is a complete system which fools alot of people who thinks it
is just about the sticks… Grappling(Dumog), Throwing(Labay), Deadly Knife fighting, Disarming, Locks, Superfast Mano-y-Mano techniques, all of these plays a big role in the system.
From my perspective, and im sure there are many others, the reason why us Filipinos do not actively spread the sport is because most of us do not have the time like many others to dedicate on such (or sometimes any) activities, Filipinos in other countries are more focused in spending their time to earn money to support their families or loved ones back home in the Philippines as life for those who are not fortunate enough back home is a real struggle. The main important thing is that other races knows, respects and recognizes that this sport is our own, the Filipinos,
and one of the most deadly martial arts in the World. Hell Yeah!!..
Ok Mavy, lets go gear up and kick some as$ in November!!
wooohoooo!!
KyD
“you touch my sticks, i break your head!”
September 12th, 2010 at 9:06 pm
well said Kyd!! Ya, let’s kick some ass!!!
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