You Must Make The Art Yourself by Dr. Jerome Barber

As I read through all of the posts on traveling to the Philippines and perhaps being anointed a “legitimate” FMA master or grandmaster, I was reminded of something that I learned from my first SE Asian martial arts instructors, Sifu Don Zanghi and GM Remy Presas, “Make the art for yourself.”  I can’t recall a seminar that I attended with Professor that he didn’t tell everyone present that “You must make the art for yourself.”  Professor Presas was talking about Modern Arnis, his own martial art creation, not some abstract, otherworldly fantasy. 

From 1982 when I first began working with Sifu Zanghi, through the “Dorie Miller Club” in Buffalo and before I joined the “Fighting Back Institute”, that highly directive phrase was stated and re-stated time and time again.  I first heard it from Sifu Zanghi, but he always cited and referenced Professor as the originator of the statement.  By the time I met and began training with Professor in 1983, ‘make it for yourself’ was part of my training mantra.  The orthodox training regime was to learn the techniques, mechanics, footwork and guiding principles of the art and then configure everything to fit your own bodily strengths, weaknesses and idiosyncrasies.

Professor never spoke about ‘the necessity’ of going to the Philippines to acquire any sort of refinement or fine tuning within the art. That is not to say that he would discourage people traveling to his homeland, far from it.  He was very proud of his homeland, his culture and history.  We have numerous private discussions about the Philippines and he was very adamant that I should learn about the Negrito (Mayang, Aeta) people, who  are the original inhabitants of the Philippines.  Those conversations came about because of my usage of a wooden training bolo, the “Negrito Bolo” from his home island.  I had already begun the process of ‘making it for myself’ when I adapted the “Negrito Bolo” into my training regime.  I was exploring and gaining an understanding about the differences between the use of a blunt instrument and a long blade.  I was ‘making the art for myself’ because neither Professor nor Sifu Zanghi, were actively teaching bolo usage as part of Modern Arnis.  My explorations were at first fueled by my conversations with WWII vets, who had fought in the Philippines, their stories about the Filipino Scouts as well as my reading of Professor’s 1974 book on Modern Arnis in which he mentions in his preface that the real weapon of arnis is the long blade.    

I’m a strong advocate of Professors dictum of ‘making it for yourself’.  His commitment to the idea of ‘making it for yourself’ was very clearly stated in his 1983 book on Modern Arnis, when he wrote that “The method should suit the person and not the other way around.  This is known simply as using the “flow”.”  If I can apply the concepts, principles and techniques of Modern arnis as taught to me by Sifu Zanghi and Professor Presas, then adapt those same concepts, principles and techniques to suit my own body, then where is the need for me to go to the Philippines in order to become more proficient in the art?  My going to the Philippines would be for the cultural value, meeting some of his older students, my seniors in the art, and having the experiences that ensued from my travels.  

I’m not one bit opposed to going to the Philippines.  I simply reject the notion that I or anyone else NEEDS to go there if they wish to be viewed as an authentic master of the FMA.  I’ve found some dynamite FMA instructor’s right here in the USA and Canada.  Among those whom I’ve met and trained with several times are Sifu Don Zanghi, Professor Remy Presas, GM Tom Bolden, Ama Guro Billy Bryant,  Maha Guru Roberto Torres, GM Bobby Taboada, Sifu Dan Donzella, GM Sultan Uddin, GP Abon Baet, GM Eddie Lastra, GM Jun de Leon and GM Crispulo Atillo.  All of these men have given me solid, practical information and I’m grateful to all of them for their insights and advice.

I haven’t forgotten the ‘make it for yourself’ principle as taught to me by Sifu Zanghi and Professor Presas.  Nor have I fallen away from another principle that Professor advocated when he talked about “the art within your art.”  Professor emphasized the idea that Modern Arnis helps martial artists discover new things about their own style and use arnis to supplement their own mother-art.  But that is an entirely separate post and this one is already long enough.

Sincerely,

Jerome Barber, Ed. D.

GM, Datu & Principal Teacher,                                                           Independent Escrima-Kenpo-Arnis Associates

Defensive Combat Initiatives Angle 2 Demo

Excerpts From the Legacy of Grandmaster Angel Cabales By Anthony Davis with Leo T. Fong

Excerpts From the Legacy of Grandmaster Angel Cabales

By Anthony Davis with Leo T. Fong

Serrada Escrima, strikes, blocks, and counters, the Legacy of Grandmaster Angel Cabales, no doubt is long overdue. Since the Grandmsater's death in the early 90's, there has not been a lot of information on Grandmaster Angel Cabales, and his Serrada System of Escrima.

It is unfortunate that most of the information that is available, is more for exploitation than for authentic information about Grandmaster Cabales, and his art. It is the purpose of this book to present a brief biography of Grandmaster Angel Cabales, and his art known as Serrada Escrima. This book includes interviews prior to his death, and the core of his art which is the Twelve Strikes, Blocks, and Counters. These Twelve techniques may seem basic, and simple, and redundant, but in the hands of a perceptive student, it is the seed to develop, and grow in depth.

Those who have trained with Grandmaster Cabales personally, discovered his simple, yet profound approach.
On the surface his techniques look simple, and basic, but in practice his movements reflect depth, and emotional content. What makes the Cabales system so unique, is the focus on free sparring. Unlike some traditional Kung Fu systems, where the practice of form or kata's is the end in itself. As one advances in the practice, more forms are to be learned.

Form practice is valuable if kept in perspective, and utilized as it is designed to be, just that. However, if it is practiced as a way to prepare for free fighting, then the practitioner will be greatly disillusioned if he has to face off with another combatant who has devoted his time to a contact sport like boxing, or kickboxing, or wrestling.

This same analogy would apply to a practitioner of contact sports who only practiced sparring.
If asked to compete against forms, and kata experts with only a background in free sparring, he would lose. Not only is the Serrada Escrima System a practical system, it is also an adaptable system. In other words, the core of the Twelve techniques, and the shifting footwork, will enhance the proficiency of other arts, especially those arts that are concerned with practical applications to a self-defense situation, or situations.                                                                                                                    
As a former intercollegiate boxing champion in the late 40's, and early 50's, and a practitioner of boxing for over (50) years, along with other martial arts, I have found the Serrada System of Escrima to be an excellent way to help refine what you already have. The system of combat has helped me to develop additional angle's of attacks, and counters. One can increase speed, and spontaneity without sacraficing personal integrity. This is the essence of a great teacher. In the spirit of the legendary Bruce Lee, a teacher is one who is the "finger pointing to the moon". "Those who mistake the finger as the moon, will miss the heavenly glory".

Serrada Escrima is not just about stick fighting, it is also about developing the pyschological, and mental mindset for martial arts expression. The basic drills as designed by Grandmaster Angel Cabales, will lead a practitioner toward self expression, or as Bruce Lee once said, "Your martial arts skill of fighting should be like a voice, and an echo". The test of any system of fighting is based upon that premise.
In his younger days, Grandmaster Angel Cabales engaged in many fights. Some were just contests, others were real life, and death situations. The fact that Cabales won in every situation, is a testimony of the effectiveness of his approach.

Serrada Escrima is not strictly based on techniques alone, but on theories, and concepts that were developed, and refined down through the years by Grandmaster Cabales himself. Having learned the rudimentary foundation of the Filipino arts from Great Grandmaster Felicisimo Dizon, Grandmaster Cabales reshaped the concepts as he grew older, and into maturity. Any student who's primary focus is to be a carbon copy of his, or her teacher, is doing themselves a great disservice. No one can be exactly like the 'Teacher', and still be in top form. When one lets go of personal identity to be like someone else, that person sacrafices proficiency for image.

No one can be an imitation of someone, no matter how great the model is, and still have spiritual, and emotional integrity, much less content. Look at all of the Bruce Lee imitator's, where are they now?.
It is the purpose of this book to share with you, the readers, and practitioners, the direction of a Legacy left by Grandmaster Angel Cabales, as interpreted by two of his former students, Anthony Davis, and Leo Fong. The immortality of a person, or art depends upon those who take responsibility to keep the memories intact, and the art alive by that individuals efforts to further develop what was generously given to him, or her.

In this case, the knowledge gained from Grandmaster Angel Cabales, must be the seed for further growth.
If one takes what is given, and makes no effort to increase, and refine, he or she, is merely prostituting the art. On the other hand, if he or she takes the art given by a teacher, and master, and develops, and commercializes it, and does not give "credit where credit is do", he or she again has become a prostitute.

In closing, the greatest respect one can give to a teacher, is to become a good student, and to take the moral responsibility to share the art with others who are eager to learn. This is the spirit in which we have presented this book.                                                                                                                                                                                                 Leo T. Fong