A few years ago I some how got pulled into a talk down situation between myself and another Master in the back yard of a party.
Beer and whiskey was freely flowing and I had consumed more than my share of fire water. There was great food, great company and a whole lot of fellow Escrimadors attending this party.
At least six Masters were attending the party and everyone else were mostly graduate students of any number of schools. There were more knives and other weapons than I would wish to count. Some Escrimadors carry multiple knives.
Several sworn police officers were also in attendance.
I was carrying a Model 42 Balisong that was given to me as a gift by a student who was also attending the party with me. In California, carrying the ventenueve type of knife is a felony. The model 42 is a good combination of high grade stainless steel and titanium.
This model is no longer made, but it is a seriously beautiful and functional knife.
It is a cherished gift that I very much appreciated.
The Master that I was having words with was simply drunk. He was well trained by a very famous Master and quite truthfully he was someone that I really didn't care to match up with on that night. I just went out for a good time. I was over full of great Filipino food. I was drunk.
I had a knife that would get me an automatic felony and there were police officers at the party. It was all in my favor to try and make the best of the situation and calm everything down.
When things got more heated the man loudly stated," That you aren't a great Master!" OK. This is probably true. I just couldn't gut a man for saying something that is most likely true. But, he just wasn't making my life easy at the party. He kept coming forward and slowly towards me while he was talking. At some point I had squatted down with my right leg slightly forward and had my knife open and behind my right knee. This was done very smoothly and imperceptably, or so I thought.
The late Master Bobby Antuna quickly walked up and started talking to the Master. Bobby was a gentleman and truly gifted Escrimador that has sadly passed away. Time then began slowing down while Bobby was speaking and I knew that I was feeling the effects of psychometria. I had unknowingly entered into the mind state of do or die.
God Bless Bobby that he was able to create a new energy and everything calmed down. If I had seen a weapon I would have immediately gave my best effort to have stopped the man from killing me. As I look back on this situation, there were a lot of things that could have been done much differently and I have put my new way of thinking in place. I could still be in prison or dead, because of my muddled thinking that night.
I later became friends with the Master and it would have been a very sad thing that either of us would have harmed the other that night. I actually learned to really like the Master, his system and his teacher.
There is no doubt that the Master was more than capable of handling himself that night.
As I am writing this I am finishing the last chapter in my book. The last chapter in my book will not only be about how to handle a very bad situation, but will also be about how to avoid one. Sizing a situation up that could lead to a life and death will be what my last chapter will be about. Stopping something before it happens and having your awareness working to your best advantage at all times will be my Chapter 13. "Any one can die", will be the title of my last chapter. If even Jesus didn't make it out alive, this alone should make a lot of us ponder about our mortality. Well, back to work my friends.
By the way I can only hope that my book is well received. I just want to leave my take on the bladed art of Serrada escrima. God Bless
Beer and whiskey was freely flowing and I had consumed more than my share of fire water. There was great food, great company and a whole lot of fellow Escrimadors attending this party.
At least six Masters were attending the party and everyone else were mostly graduate students of any number of schools. There were more knives and other weapons than I would wish to count. Some Escrimadors carry multiple knives.
Several sworn police officers were also in attendance.
I was carrying a Model 42 Balisong that was given to me as a gift by a student who was also attending the party with me. In California, carrying the ventenueve type of knife is a felony. The model 42 is a good combination of high grade stainless steel and titanium.
This model is no longer made, but it is a seriously beautiful and functional knife.
It is a cherished gift that I very much appreciated.
The Master that I was having words with was simply drunk. He was well trained by a very famous Master and quite truthfully he was someone that I really didn't care to match up with on that night. I just went out for a good time. I was over full of great Filipino food. I was drunk.
I had a knife that would get me an automatic felony and there were police officers at the party. It was all in my favor to try and make the best of the situation and calm everything down.
When things got more heated the man loudly stated," That you aren't a great Master!" OK. This is probably true. I just couldn't gut a man for saying something that is most likely true. But, he just wasn't making my life easy at the party. He kept coming forward and slowly towards me while he was talking. At some point I had squatted down with my right leg slightly forward and had my knife open and behind my right knee. This was done very smoothly and imperceptably, or so I thought.
The late Master Bobby Antuna quickly walked up and started talking to the Master. Bobby was a gentleman and truly gifted Escrimador that has sadly passed away. Time then began slowing down while Bobby was speaking and I knew that I was feeling the effects of psychometria. I had unknowingly entered into the mind state of do or die.
God Bless Bobby that he was able to create a new energy and everything calmed down. If I had seen a weapon I would have immediately gave my best effort to have stopped the man from killing me. As I look back on this situation, there were a lot of things that could have been done much differently and I have put my new way of thinking in place. I could still be in prison or dead, because of my muddled thinking that night.
I later became friends with the Master and it would have been a very sad thing that either of us would have harmed the other that night. I actually learned to really like the Master, his system and his teacher.
There is no doubt that the Master was more than capable of handling himself that night.
As I am writing this I am finishing the last chapter in my book. The last chapter in my book will not only be about how to handle a very bad situation, but will also be about how to avoid one. Sizing a situation up that could lead to a life and death will be what my last chapter will be about. Stopping something before it happens and having your awareness working to your best advantage at all times will be my Chapter 13. "Any one can die", will be the title of my last chapter. If even Jesus didn't make it out alive, this alone should make a lot of us ponder about our mortality. Well, back to work my friends.
By the way I can only hope that my book is well received. I just want to leave my take on the bladed art of Serrada escrima. God Bless
