WORLD SERRADA ESCRIMA FEDERATION & DEFENSIVE COMBAT INITIATIVES

WSEF/Defensive Combat Initiatives Backyard Training Featuring Gurus Mike Schwarz, Lance & Casey Wahls

2011-10-19T09:05:00.001-05:00

Training utilizing defenses against the primary & secondary hands.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

The Endless Journey by Grandmaster Anthony Davis

2011-10-06T03:58:00.000-05:00

Supreme Grand Master Angel Cabales Exclusive Interview

(l-t0-r) SGM Angel Cabales & Grand Master *D*

Grandmaster *D* has over {30} + years of actual training in the field of martial arts. The combat arts that he has studied includes Kajukenbo, Chinese Kempo, Thai Boxing, Tai Chi Chuan, Western Boxing, Kali and the fine art of *Serrada Escrima* as personally taught to him by the late
*Supreme Grand Master Guru Angel O. Cabales*.

GM *D* Always Looks to be in tip top shape

Regardless of your skill level, style, experience or previous training in the pugilistic weapon or “empty-hand” arts…Grandmaster *D* thoughtfully, and thoroughly guides, and personally teaches you this “beginner to expert” stick-knife and empty-hand training program. The time worn notion that all students must train for 3, 6 or even 10 yrs. is a misnomer, and, is a thing of the past.

By extracting the essence of Serrada Escrima and combining it with his over {30}+ years of martial arts expertise…You are presented with an “eclectic” modern day style that will give you the decisive edge in the absolute art of streetwise combat. With Grandmaster *D* “It’s all about superior quality of service”.
Serrada Escrima is not only based upon technique, but also, on theories, and concepts that were developed and refined throughout many years by SGM Angel Cabales himself.

SGM Angel Cabales learned the rudimentary foundation of the Filipino art of escrima from his mentor, 'Dequerdas' SGM Felicisimo Dizon.

GM *D* began studying Serrada Escrima in 1984 in Stockton, California. With several years of genuine combat experience already underneath his belt, GM *D* knew that after having witnessed SGM Angel Cabales in actual combat action he was indeed a genuine weapons master.

(l-to-r) The Late Great Prof. Gilbert Tenio teams up with SGM Angel Cabales at GM *D*s 1984, *Classic Cabales Serrada System of Escrima Seminar* in San Francisco, Ca.
SGM Angel Cabales once said to GM *D* that his intentions were not to inflict upon him his particular style of martial arts; but rather to demonstrate & to teach him some effective tactics that he could use to make his 'own' style of martial arts even more applicable & even more effective.
SGM Angel Cabales also said to GM *D*, "Any student whose primary focus is to be a carbon copy of his teacher is doing themselves a great disservice. No one can be exactly like the teacher and still retain their own personal identity."
In essence, the 'Cabales Serrada System of Escrima' was designed as a method of personal self-discovery & for self-transformation of the soul. In this hands-on learning system, SGM Cabales called the highest level of martial arts attainment " presence of mind " or "spontaneous intelligent reaction". Around 1986-87, GM *D* arranged & introduced GM Gura Graciela Casillas to SGM Angel Cabales where she began her transformative stages of training within the field of Cabales Serrada Escrima

Around 1986-87, GM *D* arranged & introduced GM Gura Graciela Casillas to SGM Angel Cabales where she began her transformative stages of training within the field of Cabales Serrada Escrima
"When a person is seriously engaged in close-quarter combat, there is no time for thinking, feeling, choosing or judging what is occurring from moment-to-moment", SGM Angel Cabales

Here's how SGM Angel Cabales put it:

On June 3, 1990, GM *D* traveled to SGM Angel Cabales' home in order to conduct a very special interview on him. Although GM *D* had spoken to SGM Cabales many times about his style of fighting, he was always reluctant to ask him about his death matches. SGM Angel Cabales told GM *D* that escrima death matches were an integral part of the ancient warrior code & traditions of the Philippines.
" To willfully test one's skills in an actual match to the death is the ultimate test of true fighting skill and indomitable courage". SGM Angel Cabales

SGM Angel Cabales added, " Whenever you are engaged in mortal combat you must forget about all of the antics of your opponent. One must not worry about things like how big or strong or how great your opponent's reputation or image is. One must remain calm & cool, but as alert as possible and strike the enemy down with certainty, accuracy, and with overwhelming pinpointed, and strategic execution of overriding power."

SGM Angel Cabales insisted that in order to survive in any life or death encounter, you must bypass all negative and positive conflictualities. Any type of conflictuality constricts the natural flow or " presence of mind of a person."

Freezing in the midst of a life or death encounter can be very fatal. It is only in a natural state of mind that one can effectively defend himself against myriad of attacks.

SGM Angel Cabales taught GM *D* that obtaining high levels of rank or degrees should never be the primary focus of a martial arts aspirant. Instead, a practitioner should focus upon the fundamentals & upon the metaphysical ingredients that lie behind all external formulas for combat fighting.

According to SGM Angel Cabales, no level of rank could ever equate with the raw courage and skill that is latent within the hearts, bodies,

and the minds of every human being. A real warrior works from a position of practicality, and begins the process of becoming a master craftsman by using whatever personality & circumstances he/she is in at the time.

To SGM Angel Cabales, befriending and assisting a person with the elevation of their mind was his greatest and highest achievement award within his lifetime. The 'Cabales Serrada System of Escrima' was designed for thinkers, and for all those who are seeking a supreme martial arts type of lifestyle.

The art of Serrada Escrima as developed by SGM Angel Cabales entails many aspects of the art of combat.

"In order to make my art of Serrada Escrima serve the present time, we only have to assemble or reassemble my art into its fullest dimensions scientifically, and then my students have to bring to life my art of Serrada Escrima, and then make it there own." SGM Angel Cabales

Supreme Grand Master Guru Angel O. Cabales

{1917-1991}

SGM Angel Cabales stated that his style of fighting could not fail him in any combative encounter. In SGM Angel Cabales' mind his art could never fail him because he always thought in a completely positivist way when it came to close-quarter-combat-fighting. SGM Angel Cabales was not afraid to engage in actual hand-to-hand or weapon-to-weapon encounters.
The Serrada System of Escrima as taught by SGM Angel Cabales was very people oriented. SGM Cabales was not only the first escrimador master to open a commercial escrima academy in America, but also! like the legendary Bruce Lee; he was amongst one of the first Filipino masters to teach outside of his race.

A good example of this are the top three African American master graduate students that Cabales personally taught escrima to; Professor Sultan Uddin, Master Guru Jerry Preciado, and Grand Master *D*.

(l-to-r) GM Jim Mather, SGM Angel Cabales,Grand Master *D* & Professor *Sultan Uddin*

(l-to-r) Co-Founder of 'Angel's Disciples' Serrada Escrima Master/ Jerry Preciado & Grand Master *D*

Finally, Angel Cabales believed in the eternal goodness of man.

Even when the usurers were closing in on him, he still had faith in his;

'Serrada System of Escrima'. After more than {27} years of practicing and promoting the Serrada Escrima System of martial arts worldwide; GM *D* still continues to discover hidden clues & further meaning that has unearthed some of the deepest secrets of the

"Angel Cabales Serrada System of Escrima".
It's these energy-releasing secrets that continue to propel GM *D*

upon an " Endless Journey " of self-discovery & further development within the area of close quarter combat.

In an interview in early 1990, just prior to SGM Angel Cabales' death,

GM *D* asked the 'Supreme Grand Master' who he felt his top Serrada Escrima student(s) were; In a proud voice he said;
"All of my students are top students"

Welcome Dr. Licesio Prieto Blanco

2011-09-17T02:25:00.000-05:00

It’s with great pleasure that I can introduce the latest distinguished member of the World Serrada Escrima Federation.

Dr. Licesio Prieto has distinguished himself with 29 years in martial arts practice. He has distinguished himself by training under Frank Joshep-GGM Gaylord in the system of Kajukenbo. He trained in Kajukenbo & Kenpo dating back to 1988 by Frak Joshep & in 2009 by GGM Gaylord.

Dr. Licesio Prieto holds a 6th Degree Black Belt in Kenp Karate & 5th Degree Black Belt in Kajukenbo. Dr. Licesio Prieto is a member of the KAA-OKO-ICKKF & Loan Tao Kajukenbo Ohana..
Dr. Licesio Prieto further has distinguished himself by becoming a certified Instructor in the Filipino Martial Arts & Jeet Kune Do by Sifu Larry Hartsell & Dr. Joaquim Almeria.

Guru Dan Inosanto & Dr. Licesio Prieto

Dr. Licesio Prieto has also been honored in earning the rank of Black Belt in the Doce Pares Escrima System by SGM Dionisio Canete. SGM Dionisio Canete also honored Dr. Prieto by being asked to be the Director for Spain of the WEKAF.

Dr. Prieto also holds the rank of Arjan in Thai boxing & a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Karate Kyokushinkai. He practices several other arts in Shotokan & Full Contact Wing Chun. Dr. Prieto is also presently studying the Bahala Na System under GM Tony Somera.

Dr. Licesio Prieto & GM Tony Somera

Dr. Prieto is presently taking part in the WSEF distant learning process under SM Guru Michael Schwarz.

The WSEF continues to grow the legacy of GGM Angel Cabales & the System of Serrada Escrima world wide.

Everyone please welcome the latest lifetime member of the World Serrada Escrima Federation.

FMA Martial Arts Grand Master Richard S. Bustillo Receives WSEF Grand Masters AwardPosted by Grandmaster Guru

2011-09-13T20:47:00.003-05:00

FIL/AM Pioneer Martial Artist Grand Master Richard S. Bustillo Receives:

'World Serrada Escrima Federation'

*Honorary Grand Masters Award*

Jeet Kune Do/Doce Pares/ Grand Master

Richard S. Bustillo (top) receives

*WSEF Honorary Grand Masters Award*

Grand Master Richard S. Bustillo was recently awarded a

"World Serrada Escrima Federation"

*Honorary Grand Masters Degree*

************************************************

According to the WSEF co-founder GM *D*, Richard S. Bustillo is considered to be one of his early archetypes & mentors in the field of Filipino Martial Arts. GM Richard S. Bustillo first stimulated GM *D*s keen interest in FMA as far back as 1980, in Ohio when the two first officially met at a "Jeet Kune Do/Kali" seminar in which GM *D* sponsored & hosted.

Stated GM Richard S. Bustillo about the award given to him:

************************************************************************

"Thank you very much for the Honor. In Hawaiian we say "Mahalo Nui Loa".

Pls stay in touch GM *D*

"Continue Teaching & Be Like Water".

Aloha, Richard S. Bustillo

*************************************************************

Assisting GM Bustillo at this particular first of it's kind workshop in the Mid-West, was the legendary Guro Dan Inosanto. At one point in time both GM Bustillo & Guro Dan Inosanto trained under the legendary 'King of Kung Fu' Bruce Lee.

In addition to both martial arts stars training from Bruce Lee, they both also studied the art of Serrada Escrima under the notorious 'stick/knife fighter' 'Supreme Grand Master Angel Cabales.

SGM Angel Cabales is considered to be the "Father of Escrima in America".

Early 1970's/ GM Richard S. Bustillo at far right front row;

studied the 'Cabales Serrada System of Escrima' directly from *Supreme Grand Master Angel Cabales*

*************************************************************

Kneeling from GM Bustillo's right is Guro Dan Inosanto,
GM Dentoy Revillar, SGM Angel Cabales, GM Jimmy Tacosa,

& the late GM Mike Inay.

Additionally! WSEF Co-Founder GM Leo T. Fong & the late Maha Guro Ted Lucaylucay are standing in the right side back row.

****************************************************************

Presenting this very special WSEF Honorary Grand Masters Award was another American martial arts pioneer: Professor Ron Lew. Prof. Lew is an internal Gung Fu Master in his own right & he also holds a 6th. Degree rank status within the 'Doce Pares System of Eskrima' under *Supreme Grand Master* Cocoy Canete of the Philippines.

Professor Ron Lew

Professor Ron Lew was born in Nov.2, 1944, San Francisco, California. He is Third Generation Chinese American, and equally proud of being of the one-hundred seventy first generation of twentieth clan generation from Kwangtung southern China. He was raised and still lives in San Jose, California.

Professor Ron Lew is an active and dedicated Martial Artist. In addition to his Eighth Degree Black Belt in Kajukenbo Fi Kuen under GM Ted Sotelo, he is a Master Sixth Degree Black Belt in Doce Pares Eskrima under Great Grand Master Cacoy Canete, an Elite Black Belt in Latigo y Daga and a Senior Advisor to Wun Hop Kuen Do.

*********************************************************************************************

The 'World Serrada Escrima Federation' sincerely thanks & humbly salutes both Grand Master Richard S. Bustillo & especially Professor Ron Lew for assisting in passing along at his recent 'Doce Pares FMA' event this very special recognition award.

.WORLD SERRADA ESCRIMA FEDERATION & DEFENSIVE COMBAT INITIATIVES Biography of Michael Schwarz WSEF Senior Master Guru

2011-08-23T22:24:00.002-05:00

(l-t0-r) Grand Master *D* & Protege Senior Master Guru Mike Schwarz

Master Guru *D/C Serrada System of Escrima* & Author of

"The Fundamentals of WSEF System of Serrada Escrima Module 1

Michael Schwarz is a Master Instructor in the D/Cabales Serrada System of Escrima. He prefers though to be addressed by the less formal, and more commonplace term, "Guro".

Guro Schwarz was born on the 21st September 1961 in East St. Louis, Illinois right on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, more commonly known as the gateway to the great American west. Adopted shortly after his birth, his adoptive parents brought him up in the small farming town of New Baden, Illinois exposing him to sports like little league baseball and other activities common to many American children.
His father, who as a young man played minor league baseball, exposed young Mike very early to the combat arts. Himself a Golden Gloves boxer, he was determined to provide young Mike with the tools needed to defend himself. Over the years, those early lessons from the age of 10 fueled his drive to seek out and learn from the very best and also those not so well known in the combat arts fields.

Like many of his generation, Master Guru Schwarz became a fan of Bruce Lee, and marveled at all the things he did with such explosive power. Prior to his movie career, Bruce Lee was on the small screen entrancing millions in his role as Kato, trustworthy aide to the Green Hornet, in an action series of the same name. Weekly, his ability to defend himself with his hands and feet pushed thousands like Mike, to pursue the previously unknown world of eastern martial arts. Following television, Bruce Lee made the successful leap to the big screen capturing the hearts of millions world wide and setting in place, a permanent interest in eastern arts that continues today long after his passing.

THE LEGENDARY BRUCE LEE

Because American culture in the 1960's was less violent than it is today, Mike like many others faced resistance from his mother when he expressed a desire to learn to defend himself. Finally after years of control, he rebelled at the age of 15 and began his study of the martial arts that continues to this day.
Breaking free of the chains of parental control, a now teenaged Mike looked at his available training options and settled on a combination of Tae Kwon Do/Hapkido/Judo. He began his studies in the system under the late 7th degree black belt Master Chang He Yhoon in the nearby city of Belleville, Illinois in 1977. As Master Guru Schwarz describes it, the school rolled all three disciplines into one and for a while, all three were taught at once. As traditional as Korean schools can be he recalls such events as running in the winter snow barefoot for 10 minutes, lifting two people at once for throwing strength, and performing contusion blows, kicks and blocks repeatedly.
Today of course, it would be considered cruel to subject children to this type of training and it's likely some adults would be unable to cope. Putting his heart and soul into training, he managed to earn his 1st Degree Black Belt just two years later in 1979. A change in priorities would slow down his progress as he earned his 2nd Degree belt in the later part of the 1980's and his 3rd Degree in 1992. However, while Guro Schwarz does not currently train in the system, he is a lifetime member of the Midwest Martial Arts Association.
After spending some months assisting Master Yhoon in his school by teaching Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido, Master Guru Schwarz ventured out on his own. To keep his hand in the arts, he taught in community centers and any place where one could hold a class. Branching out into organizing and leading self-defense seminars, he began to broaden his knowledge base by exploring Goju Ryu Naha Te and Aikijutsu and studied these formats for 2 years.

In 1985, Master Guru Schwarz discovered the California Martial Arts Academy (CMAA), which was located in St Louis, Missouri and where he began his on-going 21-year journey into the Filipino Martial Arts. Like many schools across America, CMAA hosted seminars by the noted Masters Dan Inosanto and the late Ted LucayLucay among others, where students could get an introduction to different martial systems for their curiosity or as a launching off point for training.

Guro Schwarz with the late Ted LucayLucay

Unfortunately for Master Guru Schwarz, his journey was short lived as he experienced the FMA for just five months. Why? Did he grow bored with the precision, the constant foot and hand drills, the repetition? No, life took a different route and training would wait.
In 1985, Mr. Schwarz became Seaman Schwarz as he began a tour of service with the United States Navy. After boot camp and advanced technical training, Master Guru Schwarz traveled both nationally and internationally while working in the communications field. Not surprisingly, he continued his martial training, as it can be readily found in and around most military installations worldwide. While in the Navy, he was exposed to Burmese Bando and continued in his study of Tae Kwon Do where he received his 2nd Dan Black Belt. Continuing to develop his love of teaching, PG Schwarz also taught in his off duty time exposing other service members to the martial arts.
Serving honorably, he had left the Navy and resettled in Illinois. After some time to himself to decide the path he wished to follow, his spark for the Filipino Martial Arts was again re-lit and he decided to seek out an instructor. After some soul searching, he came upon yet another Master of Cabales Escrima, Pangulong Guro Charles Cadell. For just shy of a decade, he was involved with Master Cadell and his style of instruction. Master Guru Schwarz always gives credit to Master Cadell for giving him a well-rounded understanding of Cabales Serrada Escrima that serves him well today.

Master Cadell not only exposed him to the techniques of Cabales Serrada, but also provided him with an education based upon his own personal experiences and direct teachings, about the man behind the system himself, Supreme Grand Master Angel Cabales. During his time under Master Cadell, Master Guru Schwarz was awarded his basic instructor ship in 1995, and continued to train with Master Cadell until 1997.

WSEF Master Guru Mike Schwarz 1st. person in front-row/ & 4th. person from left front-row is Master Guru Chuck Cadell

Master Cadell has and continues to be a leading trainer of law enforcement and corrections personnel within the state of Illinois as he also works for the state Department of Corrections. Due to the demands of his career, he currently teaches only a small select group of individuals who are ranked under him. While with Master Cadell, Guro Schwarz and others assisted in the development and use of the techniques that are now trained to Illinois law enforcement personnel.

It's safe to say that the blunt weapon and empty hand techniques currently used within the Illinois Department Of Corrections were tried and tested in those training sessions so very long ago.
We look forward to the day when Master Cadell once again has the time to share his experiences and training in Cabales Serrada Escrima, as career demands have most unfortunately kept him off the training and seminar circuit. Recognized in most circles as the last individual personally awarded his Master certificate in Serrada Escrima directly by Supreme Grand Master Angel Cables, his place in martial arts history is secure, as are his distinctive accomplishments.
During the time following his break from Master Cadell, Guru Schwarz stayed busy perfecting his skills by teaching private lessons and doing seminars for local church groups. All the while he was doing this, he kept looking at what was available locally, regionally and nationally. Like all of those with a passion in their heart to be the best that they can be, he kept on searching for a way to move up to the next level in his personal martial training journey.
In 2003, he began to look towards affiliating himself with one of the remaining masters of SGM Angel Cabales. With Master Cadell as the only master within close proximity and no longer available, Master Guru Schwarz started researching who best could lead him on his path to fulfillment. Clearly, any of SGM Angel Cabales' Master graduates could teach, but Master Guru Schwarz was looking for the connection on a person-to-person level. After speaking with Grand Master *D*, he decided to become an affiliate lifetime member; and instructor in the D/Cabales System of Serrada Escrima in 2004. Not only is GM *D* his primary instructor, he's also a mentor schooling Master Guru Schwarz in the intricate details of managing a system, and most importantly, he's a valued friend.
Growing an organization of course is not easy and between the two of them, Grand Master *D* covers the western half of the United States, while Master Guru Schwarz has the eastern half as split by the US Rocky Mountain Range. To help build a unity with all those interested in the D/Cabales System of Serrada Escrima, Guro Schwarz hosts and maintains a discussion group at: http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/WSEFflow/
To spread the word so to speak, he also maintains his own website at www.defensivecombat.com where he has posted basic information on the D/Cabales System of Serrada Escrima for the curious. Not surprisingly, he receives inquiries from those who study the Filipino Martial Arts both beginner-to-expert, as well as those who do not, and are either curious or wish to supplement the arts that they already study.
Guro Schwarz has by his own account, influenced literally hundreds of students over his long martial career while teaching Tae Kwon Do and down to the five that he’s currently instructing in D/Cabales Serrada Escrima, to include two who wish to become instructors in their own right.
The statement that "Knowledge Means Power" is clearly evident in the Martial Arts World as well as in life, something Master Guru Schwarz is dedicated to showing to all who entrust him. Anxious to get back into the seminar circuit, he has appeared at the "Fight Back Self Defense School" providing the students of Sensei Joe Finchen exposure to the Filipino Martial Arts.

Master Guro Schwarz with GM Darren Tibon/CO-

Founder of Stockton, California' *Angels Disciples*

Since his association with GM *D* began, it's been a whirlwind of activity for Master Guru Schwarz along with GM *D* in trying to get the WSEF up and running. As with any organization, things have to be planned and decisions made. One of the first things they wanted to do, monumental in itself, was to establish the WSEF as a premiere Filipino martial arts organization. They also wanted the WSEF to be open to all who wish to preserve, regardless of system or style, the legacy and teachings of the late Supreme Grand Master Angel Cabales.
To launch the WSEF in a matter befitting of their aims, they planned and held a recent seminar and banquet that honored the life, legacy and teachings of SGM Angel Cabales. Held in Sacramento, California the event drew martial artists from across California, and beyond.
It truly was an honor for those present to have the oldest son of SGM Angel Cabales, GM Vincent Cabales Sr., & his son Master Guru Vincent Cabales Jr. as well as SGM Angel Cabales' widow Marytess Cabales her two children Marygel Cabales & Angel Cabales' youngest son Guru Gelmar Cabales, share in the celebration of their father's life and martial arts accomplishments.

(l-to-r) Master Carlito Bonjoc, Guru Patagmac, GM Vincent Cabales Sr., Master Vincent Cabales Jr., Gura MaryGel Cabales, GM Darren Tibon, Master Guru GelMar Cabales Master Guru Chez Tibon & Master Gura Mrs. Tibon

(front center)Grand Master *D*

Not only did Master Guru Schwarz receive his (2nd level masters instructor ship) in the "D/Cabales System of Serrada Escrima" at this event, held in March 2006, but he was also able to meet some of the people who have been closely aligned with the "Cabales Serrada System of Escrima" itself.
Three people among the many there that left a lasting impression, and their mark were PG's Carlito Bonjoc, Grand Master Darren Tibon, and WSEF Honorary Master Guru Jeff Finder. Each has their own story to tell about their special relationship with SGM Angel Cabales, and how he has helped shaped their own contributions to the Cabales legacy, and to their own personal achievements as well.
For the future, the sky's the limit, both literally and figuratively as far as the "World Serrada Escrima Federation" is concerned. Both GM *D* and Master Guru Schwarz intend to make it their life's mission to preserve the "Cabales Serrada System of Escrima" just as SGM Angel Cabales would have wished.

For that, they have our deepest respects and gratitude for not sitting back and doing nothing. As they say, actions speak louder than words!

For more information regarding training products, training DVD's,

Books, private instructions, Masters of Excellence Program, upcoming film productions, Serrada Escrima demonstrations.

seminars, special guest appearances, etc.

contact: wsefmai@yahoo.com

New "BLADES OF DEATH" DVD

2011-07-26T00:47:00.000-05:00

BLADES OF DEATH

Featuring:

The Art of Serrada Escrima
Blades of Death is the essence of the
Serrada System of Escrima.
Featured in this new DVD are some of the finest self-defense knife tactics that have ever been taught & displayed to the general public. In today's world setting
of urban warfare it is essential that each & every person be as fully prepared as possible in case of aggressive physical attack by an assailant(s).
This training DVD will show the viewer several easy, quick & fast knife counters that can easily be applied & learned.

To order this new & fascinating training DVD email: wsefmai@yahoo.com

THE MASTERS OF EXCELLENCE TRAINING PROGRAM

2011-07-25T00:16:00.001-05:00

Serrada Escrima is a specialized system of combat by which when thoroughly learned, practiced, and executed will bring upon almost super natural end results when it comes to combat efficiency.

In 1984, GM *D* began an intensive study of the art of the 'Cabales Serrada System of Escrima'. Prior to his private studies with the notorious SGM Angel Cabales, GM *D* had already possessed (12) years of martial arts combat experience. Additionally, GM *D* had already run a couple of commercial martial arts school's from 1971-to-1984, and with this background & keen experience he brought to the table another perspective & avenue by which Serrada Escrima would ultimately become a legendary art along with its Fil/Am founder, Angel Cabales.

The art of Serrada Escrima was never designed to be a sport, but for serious engagement in possible life & death encounters. SGM Angel Cabales himself had engaged in numerous life & death encounters, and this is why he knew about the true application, and the true effectiveness of his specialized system of knife & stick fighting.

(1984) SGM Angel Cabales becomes the Honorary Grand Master for GM *D*s FMA School
Because the inner aspects & intricacies of Serrada Escrima are on a highly advanced level, only those who are advanced in rank and have a sincere burning desire are eligible to participate in GM *D*s "Masters of Excellence Training Programs".

If you are a serious minded dedicated martial artists or layman in the arts, and you would like to receive specialized & close up private lessons from any of the 'World Serrada Escrima Federation' Master Graduate Guru's; then

Please feel free to send your inquiry to this site.
The WSEF's favorite motto is:
"What you learn today, You can use today".

SERRADA - The Art & Style of GM Angel Cabales

2011-06-15T21:00:00.002-05:00

*Supreme Grand Master Guru* Angel Cabales & GM *D*

On March 3, 1991, the legendary *Supreme Grand Master* Guru Angel Cabales passed away. One week prior to this happening, SGM Angel Cabales was to conduct a series of international 'Serrada Escrima' workshops that had been well planned out & orchestrated by way of Grand Master *D*. It was SGM Angel Cabales' and GM *D*s master brainchild plan to plant the seeds of the 'Cabales Serrada System of Escrima' into new fertile soil in various parts of Europe. Given SGM Angel Cabales' personal permission, and more importantly his blessings too, GM *D* flew to Germany on a shoe-string budget, and once there, he did indeed plant the seeds of the "Cabales Serrada System of Escrima" all across Europe.

(L-to-R) *Supreme Grand Master* Angel Cabales & Grand Master *D*

Today! in various countries all across Europe, the "Cabales Serrada System of Escrima" can be found being taught in countless martial arts schools.

In commemoration of 'Supreme Grand Master' Guru Angel Cabales' passing; one of his classic articles has been revised & reprinted.

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STICKS OF DEATH 'The Art & Philosophy of Serrada Escrima"

There have been many notable martial artists throughout history, but few have reached the plateau of greatness that comes with the title of "Supreme Grand Master". The late Filipino pioneer, and founding father of 'Serrada Escrima' was one of these rare individuals.

While the mysteries of Filipino 'Stick/Knife' fighting were still shrouded in secrecy in the remote South Pacific archipelagos, Angel Cabales immigrated east to the United States of America in 1939. Here! he introduced his unique brand of self-defense, and became known as the "Father of Escrima in America". From then onward, scores of other martial arts celebrities began seeking SGM Angel Cabales out in order to study the secrets of his art form in a more close-up fashion.

Within the past several decades, countless martial artists worldwide have had the opportunity to train, and to discover the skills, wisdom, and the 'close-range' stick/knife fighting strategies of 'Serrada Escrima'.

{CDC} GALT TRAINING ACADEMY FOR CALIFORNIA CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS

Around 1984, GM *D* was approached in San Francisco, Ca. by CDC Retired Captain Ray Novencido at the late Kung Fu Star *GM Brendan Lai's Martial Arts Supply Shop*. GM *D* was at the shop to pick up more rattan sticks for his Bay Area Kali/Escrima group. Capt. Novencido happened to over hear GM *D* & GM Brendan Lai discussing the up & coming art of Escrima. Captain Novencido entered the conversation stating that he was a Correctional Officer stationed at San Quentin.

Additionally! Capt. Novencido stated that he was also the official weapons instructor at San Quentin, and at other state & government facilities in California. Capt. Novencido went on to expresse that he didn't really feel that the art

At this point, GM *D* invited Capt. Novencido to one of his Kali/Escrima classes. Present at the pre-arranged class were apprentice instructors Kavi Jones, Rob Castro, Malcolm Boutwell, Tony & Donald Dozier, Anna Marie, and several other students as well. Capt. Novencido observed the class intently! However one could still see the skepticism upon Capt. Novencido's face. of Escrima was all that effective.

Suddenly GM *D* called Capt. Novencido out on the floor."Throw your best weapons strike at me, and strike at me as hard as you can". A cynical twinkle developed in the Captains eye's as he asked "Are you sure"..."Yea go Ahead & do your thing" stated GM *D*.

With his 'tonfa' in hand, Capt. Novencido swung his weapon with all of his might at GM *D*s waistline. GM *D* simply helped to pass the 'tonfa' strike through his body, and then he unleashed a vicious downward strike with his rattan stick right on top of Capt. Novencido's right hand.

Instant pain developed all over Capt. Novencido's face, as his (tonfa) weapon flew in one direction, and his right hand flew in the other direction. From this point forward GM *D* in concert with Captain Novencido, and GM Angel Cabales introduced & established the first Serrada Escrima programs within the 'California Department of Corrections'.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In 1966, in Stockton, California Angel Cabales in conjunction with his best friend Max Sarmiento, officially opened the doors to the 'Cabales Serrada Escrima Academy' to the general public. From then onward, scores of other martial arts celebrities began seeking SGM Angel Cabales out in order to study the secrets of his art form in a more close-up fashion.

Guru Dan Inosanto, a close friend, and former student of the 'Cabales Serrada Escrima Academy'/instructor of the legendary Bruce Lee, was persuaded by one of his first teachers "American Kenpo Karate" founder 'Great Grand Professor' Ed Parker, to take a profound interest in the area of Filipino martial arts.

Inosanto's interest in his native cultural martial arts methods, ultimately led him to one of Escrima's most deadliest exponents in the field of 'Stick & Knife fighting'..*Supreme Grand Master* Angel Cabales. Other top-notch master's that sought out SGM Angel Cabales' personalized tutelage are, Maha Gura Graciela Casillas, Maha Guru Ted Lucaylucay, and Grand Professor Leo T. Fong.

Guru Dan Inosanto & 'Fan' 1983

(L-to-R) GM Jaime Tacosa, Maha Gura Graciela Casillas, GM Cliff Stewart, SGM Angel Cabales,

Grand Prof. Wally Jay (center) GM *D*/1987

SGM Angel Cabales was one of the first Filipino martial arts masters to teach 'Escrima' outside of his own race. Cabales believed that anyone had the right to learn how to effectively defend themselves in times of danger. One of SGM Cabales' special joys was working with young people. Though old in years, Cabales was very young at heart. The times that SGM Angel Cabales appeared to be the happiest, was when he was able to educate someone else that was already a skilled martial artist about the underlying fundamental principles that had formulated the basis for his art. Often people walked away amazed at what this small (120) lbs.

Filipino man could do with a stick, knife or with his bare hands.

(5th. from Right) is Grand Master Richard Bustillo/ GM *D* is 3rd. from the Left

GM Richard S. Bustillo is one of the foremost "Kali/Jeet Kune Do/Escrimador's" worldwide. In the early 1970's, GM Bustillo along with his senior instructor Guro Dan Inosanto, began intently studying the art of "Cabales Serrada Escrima" directly from SGM Angel Cabales.

Ultimately! after receiving there "Advanced Serrada Escrima Degree's" from SGM Angel Cabales, they both went on to become famous within their own respective rights within the world of Filipino martial arts.

Present at many of Inosanto's & Bustillo's private classes held in Stockton, California, with SGM Angel Cabales, was the legendary Grand Professor LeoT. Fong.

In 2007, in Southern, Germany, GM Richard S. Bustillo presented GM *D* with an authentic 'Jeet Kune Do' gold medal on behalf of promoting himself along with Guro Dan Inosanto, stemming back to 1980. GM Bustillo gave GM *D* exclusive credit for being the first martial arts promoter to host a "Jeet Kune Do/Kali" seminar in the mid-west.

(L-to-R) SGM Angel Cabales & GM *D*

A merchant marine, a body guard, a special police officer in Manila, to the fishing camps of Alaska, SGM Angel Cabales spent the greater portion of his life perfecting his art form in some of the meanest streets, and seaports in the world.

(l-to-r) World Serrada Escrima Federation Co-Founder/ Grand Professor Leo T. Fong-

GM *D* (center) Shakes Hands With the late Maha Guru Ted Lucaylucay

Wounded Warrior Project Benefit - FMA Brotherhood Midwest Gathering

2011-05-26T15:24:00.000-05:00

FMA Brotherhood Midwest Gathering Seminar Group

The 1st annual FMA Brotherhood Midwest Gathering started off with a BANG. The Cadell Demo Team put on a clinic of rhythm, timing & precision with true style. Their firey performance got all participants excited & ready to begin the 2 day seminar immediately following the Demo Team's performance.

The first seminar was led by MyFMA.Net's own John Malmo. Mr. Malmo presented several presentations of systems within Kombatan. Mr. Malmo provided instruction in 2 stick systems & 2 empty hand systems/method of Kombatan.

Saturday afternoon the participants were presented with a seminar by Mr. Brian "Buzz" Smith on the methods of Maharlika Kuntaw. Mr. Smith began by presenting technique utilizing the method of the Filipino short staff. Mr. Smith was very estute in his descriptions & differences of the methods of fishermen, merchants & farmers. Mr. Smith went into some detail describing how each of these tradesmen became proficient in their methods & the differences of their hand positioning of each.

After a few throrough lessons on the short staff, Mr. Smith continued by educating us further in the empty hand translations of the same technique. Because the seminar participants were able to grasp the technique so well, Mr. Smith continued with joint manipulation to finish the 1st day of seminars.

We closed for the day & then retired to my home for a great Midwest BBQ buffett. Fantastic stories were shared with memories & laughter to keep us reminiscent till next year.

Sunday began the 2nd day of the 2 day seminar. Mr. Wes Bennett presented fantastic technique from the Lucaylucay Kali system. Mr. Bennett was flawless with demonstration & explanation of the technique. Also to close Mr. Bennett presented unique technique, which he seldom shares in a seminar environment.

The afternoon session began with Mr. Chuck Cadell presenting a Classical Cabales Serrada Escrima presentation. Mr. Cadell worked technique with single stick, empty hand translations, empty hand with lock flow, then finished with lock & block/espada y daga. Mr. Cadell gave a excellent workshop o the Serrada Escrima System.

The finale was presented by Mr. Mike Casto. Mr. Casto provided a workshop in Silat. Mr. Casto presented empty hand technique progression of power & balance disruption.
The event was held to benefit "The Wounded Warrior Project". On behalf of the WSEF & all of the instructors, we thank all who participated & donated to the cause. A special thanks to Mr. David Daiber & KiDo Karat Inc. for providing the facility for the event.
We will begin making plans for the next event. Stay tuned, we will continue reaching for the best & brightest to present for future events. Thanks again everyone!!!

Instructors of Seminars for the event:

Wes Bennett, Chuck Cadell, Brian "Buzz" Smith, John Malmo & Mike Casto

Recognition from Phillippines for GM D

2011-03-07T01:32:00.000-06:00

Dear Grandmaster "D",
Thank you for your kind words and remarks. Coming from you whom we consider as among the legends in the field of kali/escrima, I am most honored. I have browsed through your videos and photos and I would say with all sincerity that you are among the more privilege few people in this world who have personally trained with the masters in the art of kali/escrima. That is an honor uniquely bestowed to you, that even us Filipinos did not have the opportunity and the occasion to benefit. Many have desired to train with the great masters but were not given the privilege to do so. I have also read through your blogs as well and I hold you in highest respect for your principles.
In my humble profession as the Chief for Legislation in the Senate Committee on Games, Amusement and Sports, in the Senate of the Republic of the Philippines, I had the unique privilege of drafting a bill which mandated "Arnis" to be the National Sports in the country. Said bill was passed into law and is now institutionalized in our country. This probably is my humble contribution to the propagation of the art of arnis/escrima/kali throughout the world.
I am really honored to have received a mesage from you Sir. Keep the fire burning!!!
With my highest respect,
Jessie R. Rocales

BILL POETT"S "POETRY IN MOTION"

2011-03-06T00:05:00.000-06:00

BILL POETT'S "POETRY IN MOTION"
Posted by GM Tasi Alo

Former "Bill Poett's Conejo Valley Karate Academy" in Newbury Park, California; at one time served as a southern California divisional headquarters on behalf of the "World Serrada Escrima Federation". During this period in time! Master Bill Poett represented one of the most financially successful martial arts instructors in southern, California.

(L-to-R) GM *D* & Master Escrima Protege Guru: Bill Poett

An original Roger Lacombe & Pat Johnson “Graduate Black Belt Instructor” under Chuck Norris' "Tang Soo Do Federation" Master Guru Poett went on to train from other highly esteemed Master's & Grand Master's such as: GM Stephen K. Hayes & GM *D*. Master Bill Poett tested for his "Davis/Cabales

Serrada System of Escrima Masters Degree" in front of the legendary GM Cecil Peoples.

(L-to-R) Stephen K. Hayes, GM *D* & Bill Poett

The following news-article was published in 1995 in "KARATE INTERNATIONAL Magazine"

Recently in Southern California a unique and spectacular promotional examination was witnessed by over one hundred and fifty people. The onlookers were amazed as they watched William de la Guerra Poett a 3rd. degree black belt in "Tang Soo Do" and dean of the 'Conejo Valley Karate Academy' located in Newbury Park, take a grueling and taxing thirty minute long advanced escrima examination. According to all those who attended the affair, the examination was not only hair raising, but was entertaining as well. During the course of the examination Poett was attacked with everything except the kitchen sink.

Sticks, bats, and real blades were just some of the various weapons that he had to successfully defend himself against in order to acquire his advanced diploma in the "Cabales Serrada System of Escrima". GM *D* who administered the test to Poett is himself a private graduate student and protege of the late Grandmaster Angel Cabales. Cabales also known as the "Father of Escrima in America" was the first escrima master to open an official escrima academy in the United States in 1966.

Many of Grandmaster Cabales' early graduate students include such esteemed names as Dan Inosanto, Richard Bustillo, Leo T. Fong, Dentoy Revillar, Mike Inay, Jimmy Tacosa, Rene Latosa, Ted Lucaylucay, and Graciela Casillas. Also, on hand at this special event was the legendary Cecil Peoples, one of America's early martial arts pioneers. Peoples had this to say about the escrima exam given to William Poett "This was one of the most impressive, stunning, fascinating, enlightening test that I've ever seen".

At the conclusion of the breathtaking examination, William Poett was officially awarded his 'Advanced Escrima Diploma' by GM *D*, and had this to say "As an experienced martial artist I can honestly say that this was one of the most realistic test that I've ever taken, and thanks to GM *D* I can now represent a small part of the "Cabales Legacy".
When it comes to elevating others to 'par excellence' in the field of fitness, health, and martial arts; "World Serrada Escrima Federation's" Honorary Grand Master Guru" Bill Poett's name ranks high up with the top ten most successful martial artists, and fitness motivators worldwide. By far, Bill Poett is one of the finest master graduate martial artists that has ever come through the "World Serrada Escrima Federation's" 'Master's Escrima Program' with top of the line honors. Always a supreme leader in all that he pursues, Bill Poett is definitely a renaissance man in the field of ultimate living. As a former private student of GM *D*, Bill Poett has continued his inner growth, and his endless journey in other areas of life.

Today! Bill Poett is working tirelessly in the field of self empowerment. His debut book titled: "ABC's of PEAK PERFORMERS" demonstrates the inner genius, and the 'peak mastery' that he has not only obtained, but his biggest gift of all, is that he is sharing this personal gift with other very well deserving peoples as well.

(L-to-R) GM *D* &'WSEF' Master Guru Bill Poett

1st Annual FMA & Malay Arts Brotherhood Midwest Event Schedule

2011-02-02T00:23:00.005-06:00

ACCEPTING PAYMENT THROUGH PAYPAL TO ADMIN@DEFENSIVECOMBAT.COM

Filipino Martial Arts Brotherhood Midwest Gathering

2010-12-26T12:01:00.001-06:00

Release of the GM "D" & the WSEF Banquet of the Masters

2010-11-09T14:30:00.001-06:00

'Banquet of the Masters' is a spectacular video-film production,

that promises to deliver historical impact, and unique glimpses

into some of the most monumental minds within the world

of martial arts. Such names include the famous Professor

Wally Jay, the creator & the founder of "Small Circle Jujitsu",

"DeCuerdas Eskrima" Grand Master/Professor Gilbert Tenio,

"Shorin Ryu Karate" Soke Sid Campbell, martial arts & film star-

Grand Master LeoT. Fong, Professor/Grandmaster

William Q.C. Chun Sr. & his son William Q.C. Chun Jr.,

Grand Master Ron Marchini, "Kajukenbo" Professor Emilio

Bautista, "Ninjitsu/DeCuerdas" Professor Ron Van Donk,

"Wu Shing Tai Chi Chuan" Grand/Professor John K. Wong,

and many more others. Also! included in the DVD is actual-

step-by-step & how-to-information taught directly by Grand/Professor Gilbert Tenio, Professor Wally Jay, & lastly by the man nicknamed "Grease Lightening" 'Serrada Escrima'

extraordinaire , Grand Master *D*. Grand Master *D* is the

co-founder & the presiding 'Grand Master' of the

"World Serrada Escrima Federation" an organization

dedicated to the continuous perpetuation of the legacy of-

the late "Supreme Grand Master" Angel Cabales. Angel Cabales-

is known as the "Father of Escrima in America". Cabales also founded
the first official Filipino martial arts school in Stockton, California, in 1966.

Cost ($29.99) plus ($2.75) for shipping & handling
DVD Purchased through PayPal at:
wsefmai@yahoo.com

Welcome to Guru Zach Jenkins

2010-08-07T17:15:00.002-05:00

It gives the “World Serrada Escrima Federation” extreme pleasure to announce that Guru Zach Jenkins has now become an (Honorary Member) within the ‘WSEF’. In the eyes of the ‘WSEF’, Brother Jenkins truly does exemplify the pristine essence of a true & dedicated martial artist/writer. Many of you have already experienced, and have participated in Brother/Guru Jenkins’ many topics & artful discussions on ‘MyFMA.net’. Now that Brother Zach Jenkins has become a ‘WSEF Honorary Member’ you can now expect many more new & exciting martial arts topics from this prolific writer. Additionally! Brother Jenkins brings to the table many long years of experience & expertise in the field of close-quarter combat; and if the ‘WSEF’ has its wishes fulfilled! Brother Guru Zack Jenkins will soon be conducting masterful seminars in your area. So stay tuned & let’s all give Brother Guru Zach Jenkins a warm welcome into the “World Serrada Escrima Federation” Brother/Sisterhood.

“Congratulations Brother Jenkins”

In True Brotherhood,

GM “D”/President

World Serrada Escrima Federation

Future of WSEF System of Serrada Escrima

2010-07-22T03:28:00.000-05:00

It is incumbant upon we who teach to keep our system alive. Our system is a living system and a living art. It lives in our blood & in the blood of each of our students. It therefore becomes our responsibility to seek not only the best in ourselves but to seek out the best within our students.

It is in our students that we find further life for our art. Therefore in each student that is my pleasure to teach I seek the next Guro of the System of Serrada Escrima.

We can never assume that each student we teach will have the same desire to continue our traditions & to allow our system to live on in their hearts, minds & daily lives. However, with our guidance as instructors we can promote the system of Serrada Escrima that we hold close to us. With this guidance we may also be fortunate to find a select few, who will through our example want to also allow our system to live within them & who will share the desire to teach others.

At this time I'd like to present to you 3 of my students who have shown this desire & who have advanced to the level of Black Belt 1st Degree/Basic Level Instructor. I'd like everyone to join me in congratulating the latest Guros of the WSEF System of Serrada Escrima: Guro Lance Wahls, Guro Casey Wahls & Guro Sean Wahls.

Guro Lance Wahls & SM Guro Mike Schwarz

Guro Casey Wahls & SM Guro Mike Schwarz

Guro Sean Wahls & SM Guro Mike Schwarz

"I AM THE GREATEST"

2010-07-08T23:05:00.014-05:00

“I AM THE GREATEST”

The Incomparable Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali takes out the ‘Bear’ Sonny Liston

Charismatic, outspoken and nicknamed "The Greatest," heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali was the dominant heavyweight fighter of the 1960s and 1970s. A fighter of exceptional speed, cunning and flair, Muhammad Ali won the world heavyweight title on three separate occasions over a span of fifteen years. He was born Cassius Clay, and under that name he won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. After claiming his first title victory by defeating Sonny Liston in 1964, Clay joined the Black Nation of Islam, and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. Adhering to his Islamic faith, Muhammad Ali refused to serve in the U.S. military during the war in Vietnam; his world title was revoked and he was sentenced to (5) years in prison for draft evasion. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the conviction in 1971.

He had a long-running rivalry with former world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, whom he fought three times. Muhammad Ali lost the first match in 1971, but won rematches in 1974 & 1975. Ali also defeated George Foreman in the famous 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" held in Kinshasa, Zaire, Africa. Muhammad Ali retired from boxing in 1981, but since retiring he has remained one of the world's most famous athletes & ambassadors of peace.

In his retirement! Muhammad Ali has suffered from “Parkinson's Disease”, a motor-skills illness which has slowed his movements, and left him mostly unable to speak in public. In 1996 he was selected to light the ceremonial flame at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, bringing him again into the public eye. Additionally, Muhammad Ali was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990... He won his three titles by defeating Sonny Liston in (1964), George Foreman in (1974) and Leon Spinks in (1978). Muhammad Ali's managers sometimes referred to him as (GOAT) or the;
“Greatest of All Times”

‘Muhammad Ali’s influence upon Bruce Lee’

It is a well known established fact that Muhammad Ali had a tremendous amount of influence upon the legendary Bruce Lee’s combative fighting style known as “Jeet Kune Do”. In the book titled: “The Making of ENTER THE DRAGON” on page 148; Bruce Lee makes reference to Muhammad Ali. The following is an excerpt taken from the book.

Another time Yeung, aka (Bolo) went to see Bruce at Golden Harvest Studios. Bruce was screening a Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) documentary. Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. Bruce set up a wide full-length mirror to reflect Ali’s image from the screen. Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with Ali. Bruce’s right hand followed Ali’s right hand, Ali’s left foot followed Bruce’s left foot. Bruce was fighting in Ali’s shoes.” Everybody says I must fight Ali some day” Bruce said “I’m studying every move he makes. I’m getting to know how he thinks and moves.” Bruce knew he could never win a fight against Ali “Look at my hand” he said “that’s a little Chinese hand. He’d kill me.”

These particular photos reflect the similarities between Bruce Lee & Muhammad Ali’s fighting styles.

When we reflect upon the Bruce Lee action packed films such as “CHINESE CONNECTION” “FIST OF FURY” “ENTER THE DRAGON” “WAY OF THE DRAGON” & “GAME OF DEATH” it becomes very apparent that Bruce Lee adopted Muhammad Ali’s fighting concept of “Float like a butterfly & sting like a bee, your hands can’t hit what your eyes can’t see”… into his fight scenes.

In the film “WAY OF THE DRAGON” Bruce Lee finds out very quickly that he is having a very hard time defeating mega Karate “Super Star” Chuck Norris because he is attempting to combat him in a classical manner… After receiving a few hard knocks from Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee finally switches up his classical style of fighting into a non-classical style of fighting & very swiftly defeats Chuck Norris with a barrage multiple punches, kicks & fancy Muhammad Ali footwork.

Although Bruce Lee has been highly credited & acknowledged for formulating an eclectic method of combat known formally as “Jeet Kune Do”, Muhammad Ali stands out alone as the primary essential source & model that Bruce Lee proudly based much his fighting theories & strategies upon. In conclusion of this first part series on the man who has been formally acclaimed as the “Greatest fighter of all times” it must be mentioned that all of the famous personalities that have gone on to become “Great” in their own rights, have all had “Great” mentors & archetypes along the way. Bruce Lee is no exception to the rule. If Bruce Lee were alive today, surely he would continue to give “Great” credit to Muhammad Ali for inspiring him in his up rise into fame, stardom & fortune.

“Thank You Muhammad Ali for inspiring us all in the pursuit for Excellence in all that we do”

Greatest Regards Grandmaster “D”/President

WORLD SERRADA ESCRIMA FEDERATION

SPAGHETTI ... WSEF/GIVING OLD CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

2010-06-18T03:02:00.001-05:00

After intensively reviewing a particular ‘ESKABO DAAN’ videotape; I was at first very impressed with the particular escrima tactics that ‘FMA’ instructor Mr. Robert Castro demonstrated. Until it dawned upon me that just about every single tactic that Castro demonstrated came straight out of the ‘Davis/Cabales Serrada System of Escrima’ as was taught to him personally by my Dad GM “D” way back in the early 80’s. The first stick take away technique demonstrated by Mr. Castro was one of our first required tactics that we had to perfect in my Dad’s old system of Kali & Escrima. Of course! At that time, I was just a little whipper-snapper running around getting in between my Dad’s escrima classes as he taught his personal students in our living room, & in our garage, in which Rob Castro was one of those private students.

(L-to-R) Soke Sid Campbell, GM “D” Kneeling at left,

GM Rob Castro in back row 5th. Person.

I remember one day as a child, when my Dad side kicked Rob Castro so fast & so hard that he almost went through our living room window. If my Dad’s top assistant instructor Master Guru Kavi Jones hadn’t caught Mr. Castro, he certainly would have gone straight through the window, & fell two stories down on the outside sidewalk.

GM “D”s famous sidekick WSEF/

Honorary GM Guru Kavi Jones

As my Dad use to take my sister & I with him down to Stockton, California, in order for him to workout privately with the legendary GGM Angel Cabales; I had many opportunities to observe, and to watch many of my Dad, & Angel Cabales’ Escrima classes. I can distinctively recall one day in particular when GGM Angel Cabales talked to my Dad about different systems of Escrima that he considered to be “Spaghetti without the meatballs”. Angel told my Dad that there were many hybrid systems that used his system of escrima as a solid foundation stone in order to construct, & to accentuate their own systems of escrima or kali, etc. Angel called those systems ‘Spaghetti’ because the authors of these various styles of escrima down played his system underneath their own, although it was the ‘Cabales Serrada System of Escrima’ that gave these styles or hybrid arts their exclusive “firepower”.

GGM A. Cabales, Mary Gel Cabales, La Reina Davis, Master Guru Anthone Davis, GM ‘D’.

Although ‘Eskabo Daan’ is said to be a distinctive unique system of Escrima, when I look at it from my viewpoint & perspective, it just resembles my Dad & GGM Angel Cabales’ systems of escrima regurgitated into another form. In my personal opinion! ‘Eskabo Daan’ is nothing more than what GGM Angel Cabales said long ago “Spaghetti” with a few meatballs in it. Lastly! If not for these few meat balls shared with Robert Castro in the early years of his escrima training under my Dad, there would be no such thing as “Eskabo Daan” today. My father assisted in helping Robert Castro in creating his personal system of escrima in an unbiased fashion.

1985/ GM “D” at left, & former private graduate student GM Rob Castro at right.

This photo was shot by photo journalist Geri Gilbert for ‘Official Karate Magazine’

“Please do not misconstrue my intentions as to why I am sharing this personal story; I am just giving credit where credit has long been due; this is something that GGM Angel Cabales, & my Dad always did for each & everyone of their students respectively”.

Humblest Regards!

Anthone Davis Jr./ 3rd. Deg. Master Guru

World Serrada Escrima Federation/MAI

Guro Nate Defensor Seminar in Marion, Illinois

2010-04-30T01:55:00.000-05:00

Guro Wes Bennett hosted a Seminar with Guro Nate Defensor in Marion, Illinois on April 24th & 25th. The event was a smashing success in many respects.

Guro Nate Defensor & Guro James

This event brought several old aquaintances & a few old friends together in a harmonious exposition of phenominal talent as demonstrated by Guro Nate Defensor.

Guro Defensor put on a great exposition of stick fighting & stick grappling that provided even the seasoned FMA stylist with great new technique to add to the tool box.

It was my distinct pleasure to be a part of such an event. Gracious as I've always known Guro Wes Bennett to be, he has not changed a bit.

Even more a pleasure was spending the time on the floor with my primary influence in Cabales Serrada Escrima, Pangulong Guro Chuck Cadell. Although Guro Chuck and I often visit over the phone, it is a rare occasion that we are on the floor crossing sticks.

This event was particulary momentous for me as I had the privilige of acknowledging 3 of the most influential FMA stylists in the Midwest Region & in Illinois particularly.

Guro Nate Defensor, Guro Wes Bennett, Guro Mike Schwarz & GM Chuck Cadell

As the Midwest Director/Administrator of the WSEF it was my distince pleasure to present lifetime achievement awards to both Guro Nate Defensor & Guro Wes Bennett for their efforts in the past decades as well as their present efforts to promote the FMA systems.

Additionally, a great honor for me was to present my influence of many years in the system of Cabales Serrada Escrima, Pangulong Guro Chuck Cadell with a WSEF "Honorary Grand Master's Certificate in his system of Tanikala de Serrada Escrima".

Guro Nate Defensor, Guro Wes Bennett, Guro Mike Schwarz & GM Chuck Cadell

Please acknowledge and applaud with me the many years of dedication all 3 of these fine gentlemen have provided for all within the FMA.

Guro Nate Defensor, Guro Wes Bennett & GM Chuck Cadell

2010-04-29T19:53:00.002-05:00

WSEF Focus

2010-03-26T22:28:00.000-05:00

The "World Serrada Escrima Federation" was founded upon the premise, and the principles of giving recognition to all of those who have been profoundly instrumental within the field of martial arts. Make no mistake about it; the "World Serrada Escrima Federation" is definitely one of FMA's most powerful leaders when it comes to giving much deserved recognition, and much deserved credit where credit is due; as well as unbiased acknowledgement to all of the many past & present Professor's, Grandmaster's, Master's, Sifu's and Guru's, whom are all an integral part of the sacred "Cadena de Mano" tradition. How is it possible for anyone to overlook the instrumental players that aided in one' own success, and in one' own accomplishments. It takes a unified team effort to build champions on any level of endeavor. We do not always get to pick and choose who we want to train with, or whom we want learn from. Sometimes situations and circumstances do not always afford us the luxury of learning martial arts in the fashion that we would most prefer. But in whatever fashion; or various different ways we were inspired to take upon the journey of acquiring our sacred skills; we should always respect, and acknowledge the people, and the ways in which we learned these skills. Remember! "God makes it rain upon the good & the bad". Within the perspective of the "World Serrada Escrima Federation" we do not get to pick & choose who we want to recognize as the most prolific figures within the arena of martial arts. This is because we understand that all of the various players whether they were, or are minor, or are major players; are all a part of the "Holy Web" of martial artists. Is it really possible to separate the yin-from-the-yang? As the late GGM/Professor Gilbert Tenio once said "No one has a monopoly on Filipino martial arts". Therefore! based upon this premise, the "World Serrada Escrima Federation" will always continue to perpetuate other's true martial arts experiences, exercise profound understanding, exercise genuine brotherhood/sisterhood, and will always extend to other's a neutral platform by which everyone is welcome as long as they come in peace, and in "LOVE".

“CONGRATULATION BROTHER BILAL ERBATON UPON YOUR PROMOTION TO: 2ND. DEG. MASTER

Highest Regards to All,

Grandmaster "D"/President

World Serrada Escrima Federation/Germany

Serrada Gathering at Legacy Tournament in Stockton , CA

2010-03-12T13:32:00.000-06:00

GM Darren Tibon (Angel's

Disciples-Serrada), GM Tasi Alo (GKT- WSEF) and Sensei Roger

Gehring (GKT) giving the WSEF Honorary Grand Master to GM Darren Tibon at the Legacy Tournament in Stockton,CA this was awarded to Darren Tibon for all he has done for GGM Angel

Cabales , his family and Serrada Escrima, I consider he and WSEF GM Davis as the main stays of

Cabales Serrada Eskrima motivating us all to unite as Serrada brothers

to Honor the Legacy of GGM Angel Cabales/Serrada Escrima !

Add a caption

GM Darren Tibon (Angel's Disciples-Serrada), GM Tasi Alo (GKT- WSEF) and Sensei Roger Gehring (GKT) giving the WSEF Honorary Grand Master to GM Darren Tibon at the Legacy Tournament in Stockton,CA this was awarded to Darren Tibon for all he has done for GGM Angel Cabales , his family and Serrada Escrima, I consider he and WSEF GM Davis as the main stays of Cabales Serrada Eskrima motivating us all to unite as Serrada brothers to Honor the Legacy of GGM Angel Cabales/Serrada Escrima !

An Interview with Pangulong Guro Charles "Chuck" Cadell III

2009-12-28T00:26:00.002-06:00

On a cool, Midwest March afternoon, I drove from my home to a place I had been familiar with for many years. I was going to meet an old friend, mentor & my primary guiding force in the Filipino Martial Arts, Pangulong Guro Chuck Cadell III.

While driving along, I reminisced, found that my pickup truck had almost driven itself as if on ‘auto pilot’ from my memories. Finally, I arrived to that familiar place of warm memories & hard hours of training with my contemporaries.

As I came to the double glass doors of my teacher’s home, I was greeted warmly & as not a year had passed since Pangulong Guro Chuck & I had last seen each other. As we came to rest in the den of his home, we settled in for the business of the interview.

MS: So, tell me a bit about what originally attracted you to the martial arts?

CC: I was a kid growing up in Hawaii, at the age of 5 or 6 years old, my uncle Dougie, used to practice his katas, breaking boards & stuff. I was pretty fascinated, but he would never let me watch. He would have his buddies over practice kumite, their basic excercises & stuff. The houses on some of the pineapple plantations used to have houses that were up on stilts & what I would do is get underneath the house & crawl up from one end to the other just to lie there & watch Dougie & his friends work out.

I remember one day when I was practicing my kicks, at that time he saw me & he gave me a good lecture regarding what karate was all about. His (Dougie’s) instructor was Joe Black who was an instructor under Adriano Emperado & in the Joe Polamo schools. This was pretty rough training in those days. Especially, if they found that you were from another system or another school, they would inspect your hands to see if you were able to endure their training, then you were accepted.

But that as a whole was my exposure to Asian martial arts.

MS: So would you consider that an introduction via kajukenbo or the Emperado system?

CC: I didn’t find out about the name of the style till many years later. You see my uncle Dougie was a LEO & worked quite a bit undercover & so we started to talk about the system, the lineage under Joe Black, & things started to click regarding association at that time.

So after that I remember I kept on asking my mom & dad if I could go to karate classes. They said I was too young.

Well, I remember when we moved from Hawaii to the E. St. Louis, Illinois area, I suppose we were the talk of the block because our skin pigmentation was not ‘white’ & we were pretty dark, & the folks didn’t understand my nationality or things of that nature.

So growing up as a kid I got beat up a bit & one particular time I got beat up pretty bad, came home crying & my dad being a boxer in high school & in the marines he taught me how to box in with a ‘street boxing method’, so that’s initially how I learned how to protect myself. But I still had not lost interest in the Asian martial arts.

I was a freshman in high school about that time, my mom & dad had discussed with me that they were going to start saving for insurance so that I could drive a car. They told me that if I get good grades so on & so forth that they would help me to start to drive.

So I started to think to myself, I might get the insurance to drive the car, but knowing my dad I might never get to drive the car. So I sat down & spoke to my mom. I said “mom, you know, you guys are going to spend the money for me to have insurance on the car, but knowing dad, I’ll never get to drive the car.” But since you’re willing can I take that same money & put it towards another interest? She said, “I don’t see why not,” so she went & told dad about our discussion.

My dad came into the room and asked “ok, what is it you want?” I told them, I’ve been expressing interest in joining an Asian martial arts school, there’s one right down the street & it’s the one I want to join. The classes were taught initially by an old guy by the name of Chuck Calle’, he was teaching the Shorin ryu method, but then he got phased out because, Rowan Caterik who learned under Funekise , the Shorin ryu unorthodoxed method & it was a very hard style, which was oriented to the street. This is what drew me to the style.

So at that point I’d studied with him from 1968 – 1971. That was my 1^st actual exposure to actual martial arts lessons. The type of fighting that we did, required us to wear the old Kobudo outfits, it was full contact with no point fighting involved. I went to college & that’s when I began to compete in the point tournament circuit. When I began tournament fighting, I didn’t know you had to pull your punches to the head, but the good thing was that you could hit hard to the body. I had to retrain/program myself for tournament fighting.

MS: So the tournament fighting game was a big part of your life at that point?

MS: With a glimmer in his eyes Chuck began to reminisce about all the fighters he knew back in the ‘70s, & ‘80s. He remembered Joe Lewis, Skipper Mullins, the Fox Glenn Keeney, Superfoot Bill Wallace at that time was called ‘Fast Billy’, Fred Wren, Chuck Norris & Al Dacoscos.

Funny story about Al Dacoscos, because my mom used to babysit him as a kid; when I asked if he recognized her name, they reflected on how they knew each other’s family back in Hawaii.

MS: Can you tell me how you feel the tournaments have changed through the years & if the you feel that they are as ‘professionally’ represented as they were back in the day?

CC: Things have definitely changed. In the ‘70s & ‘80s, there was more of a ‘professional’ atmosphere & spirit surrounding the tournaments. Back in the day you knew when you got hit, you felt it. These days when a point is declared, the guy is raising his hand in the air whooping & dancing. Definitely not the way a fight was treated when you could actually hit someone with force sparring in a tournament. A fighter would hit hard, he would break in, and then he would take the opponent to the ground for a finish, that’s when the referee would step in & break it up.

With a smile Chuck referred to some of the 1^st tournaments he competed in & how he had not realized that you were supposed to pull your punches.

1980’s Sensei Chuck Cadell & kid’s Shorin ryu class

MS: So what took you from the hard hitting tournament setting, & moved you toward the weapons based systems of the Filipino Martial Arts?

CC: It was after a Southern Illinois tournament spectacular that I felt that there was something missing; that I was missing something. I had competed in ‘full contact tournaments’ & ‘semi contact tournaments’, but still there was something missing.

There was a guy by the name of Bruce Albach who was a tournament promoter from Maplewood, Missouri; he asked about my nationality, where I was from, ancestry to some degree and of course I told him about my Hawaiian ancestry. Bruce asked if I would be at his next tournament. I of course expressed how I felt something missing, either spiritually or in some other aspect. He then told me I should plan on coming because Guro Dan Inosanto would be in town. While in college I’d considered moving to California to study with his group. Then with Bruce Lee’s untimely death, nobody had heard from Guro Dan.

Now, I was more interested in the Jun Fan & the Jeet Kune Do principles more than anything because I’d used the principles in my tournament strategies; so I wanted to see more regarding the street orientation of the same.

So during his visit I went to several of the formats that were being held. He was holding about a 40 hour workout. The formats were 8 hours/day, for 2 or 3 weeks. There was so much, I just soaked it up, but I preferred the Filipino Martial Arts. I never realized the internal connection I had to the Filipino Martial Arts, but later Raymond Tabosa told me about my grandfather being a great eskrimador, but he chose not to teach it. At any rate,

I’ll come back to that.

Dan Inosanto was always so enthusiastic about propagating the Filipino Martial Arts. Guro Dan’s knowledge of being able to taking the movements & show how it could relate to everyday life situations.

Although I feel and felt that seminars are great, at that time I had an unquenchable thirst & seminars no longer quenched the thirst. So I asked Danny, ‘you have so much knowledge, where are all these guys that you trained with & how can I find them?’

MS: Did Guro Danny give you the information to find the guys he trained with?

CC: Yes, here was Danny just an encyclopedia of knowledge & so humble, he told me that I could start in Hawaii. Being Hawaiian, I explained that I went back to Hawaii each summer for 2 – 3 months.

MS: Did Guro Danny tell you who to seek out and start with?

CC: He did. He told me that the teacher I needed to seek was a guy by the name of Raymond Tabosa. He told me Batikan Raymond Tabosa of the Vilabrille system would be the man to start with.

Raymond Tabosa with a fellow associate

MS: So when you returned to Hawaii did you seek out Raymond Tabosa & was he difficult to find?

CC: Actually he was very difficult to find. Once I had returned, one day I borrowed my sister’s car & traveled out Hwy 1. I saw this big sign along side of the road that said Filipino Martial Arts training camp. It was in a really odd place, in between the highway & the pineapple fields.

No fancy studio, the area had planks & outdoor workout facilities. When I pulled up a guy came out & introduced himself as Steve Solero. After a bit of kidding about my Midwest accent, I asked him what style he taught.

Guro Solero told me that he taught the “Moro Style”. I then of course I told him that I was looking for Raymond Tabosa & would like to train with him.

With a sigh & a nod Guro Solero said ‘ah, I see, well you come train with me for awhile & then we’ll see about Raymond Tabosa.”

MS: So did you train with Guro Solero.

CC: Well basically I said to myself, “well here I am, I had no idea that I was being put to the test at all.”

It was in the hot sun, and if you’re not aware, you’ve got these pineapple bugs, near the pineapple fields, they just irritate the hell out of you. You know you’re sweating & they just get all over you.

It was backyard training. They stuck me right in the back corner & there is a pit bull chained up, barking all the time behind me while I was training. I kept one eye on the pit bull just to make sure it didn’t get loose enough to get to me.

From that standpoint I can see that they were testing me to see how serious I was about learning their art.

The training was very interesting, they had golf club tubes filled with foam, so that we could practice double stick sparring. Many a day I’d come home with bruises all over my arms & body.

They had sort of a dome made from 6 long rattan poles that were joined at the center at the top, then they had a few rattan poles that went around in a horizontal position, inside of this “dome” is where we’d practice our body mechanics. The cage was a circumference of about 9 feet. You had to climb into the cage, there would be 2 guys in the cage & you sparred. Then you’d turn back to back & then 4 or 5 other practitioners, they would feed different angles of attack so that you’d have to make the proper adjustments, learn calibration & of course learn what it felt like to get poked as if stabbed. You & your partner, back to back would have to be able to read each other’s sensitivity in order to stay out of harms way. They would use rattan & the blunt end of the rattan to thrust & stab. That was around the 3^rd week of training. During the 3^rd week we began “plank” training. We’d have to do our drills while balancing ourselves on the foot wide planks.

About this time I really became tempted to say, “Ok, I’ve only got a couple of weeks left, I’d really like to meet this guy Raymond Tabosa.” But I’d thought the better of it and decided not to push the issue. It was a good thing. He called him up, he said, “yeah, I spoke to Mr. Tabosa, I told him about you.” I made it clear that I still wanted to continue training there, but the instructor said yeah, it’s alright, and you’ll know when he’s here.

I continue training, about the end of the 3^rd week, here came this older man with the cane, his alohai shirt (his silkie, the shirt was made of silk), had his sunglasses on, & his baseball cap, & he was with another guy, short & stocky; they stayed & watched.

So I’m thinking to myself, hmm, guess this was a guest instructor, so I’m working out doing stick drills, feeling good even with the dog barking, so these 2 gentlemen sit down to watch me.

They go over to Guro Steve Somero & basically tell him they wanted to talk to me. So I’m called over during our break, & the older man extends him hand saying “hello, I’m Raymond Tabosa.”

He looked at me kinda strange, with my curly perm, & says “you from the island’s here”. I explained after having a good laugh about my choice of hairstyle, saying “Ah, you da 1^st Filipino with da curly hair,” as he was laughing aloud. I stated I come here every summer & that my mother is from Hawaii, that even though I was born here we moved when I was about 6 yrs old, & that I had family there. Mr. Tabosa said, “Ah, you have family here, I know a lot of people.” I said yes. He then asked what the family name is. I said “Juanita Naton”. Mr. Tabosa said “Naton, I knew a Naton, Marcos Naton,” I said yes that’s my grandfather. Then he just kinda stood there holding his cane, he turned, talked to the guy who was with him, Wayne Casillias, then he looked back at me & a little tear came out of his eye. He motioned and said “you come here; I’ll meat you tomorrow at 6 am. You know your grandfather was a strong escrimador too you know. He also teaches the Filipino dancing & he was a great Sipat practioners. Sipat is the game that combines volley ball & soccer.

So right from there it was Raymond Tabosa that opened up the doors as far as meeting the unknown & unheralded martial artists.

MS: The length of the stick was that 24, 26, or 28 inches?

CC: It was pretty interesting, it was about 28 inches. Because w had gripping exercises we had to do so that we could adjust the stick length to work from close quarters. So that if you got rushed you adjusted the grip with the torque of your body in order to be prepare for all combat confrontations.

MS: How long did you work with Raymond Tabosa?

CC: About several summers. It was really amazing, you know the “old manong” were so willing to share with you, once you passed their screening process of course.

Of course I’d have to wake at 5am because the manong would be ready to train by 6am of course.

I’d say to Mr. Tabosa, don’t worry I’ll meet you, & Mr. Tabosa would say, “no, no, no, I’ll pick you up. I’d offer to pay for gas, again, no, no, no. So he’d pick me up & he’d take me to Zippy’s restaurant, which is like a McDonald’s or Burger King here in the states. We’d go & there’d be several of the older men there, Snooky Sanchez, Mr. Pedoy, & a few other gentlemen. So I’d offer to buy breakfast for everyone & of course no, no, no, they wouldn’t hear of it.

So I’m feeling kind of uncomfortable off the bat.

We sat drank coffee & started talking together. Then I was asked why I wanted to learn the Filipino Martial Arts, and I said because I wanted to learn about my culture & truly had no idea that our culture even had a martial arts system associated with it.

So as we talked I was told, ok we’ll start off with this; so one of the gentlemen would get up one at a time & demonstrate their technique of their system

I truly wish I had a video camera at the time because of the unique content, character & emotion that would be displayed by the manong as they’d demonstrate their systems for me.

Snooky Sanchez then talked about how the stick would help develop the proper body mechanics & assist with positioning. He was developing his own system at that point, he referred to it as the “star system.” He would talk to me about triangulation & the geometrics of the art. These things were way above my head at that point, coming from the tournament style of fighting that I had been exposed to in the past. But these guys were talking about proximity, positioning, & calibrations. I was so amazed with the sum of knowledge that they shared. We talked for about 3, 4 or 5 hours.

Then everyone else would go their own way. Mr. Tabosa would take me then to a Filipino restaurant and eat. I’d offer to pay but it was never accepted. All summer it was like that.

That as a whole was my 1^st lesson from Tabosa, “You serve your student.”

MS: So this was a complete 180 degrees from what you were used to previously.

CC: Yes, in the more traditional martial arts, back in that day, you put on a code of arms for the instructors. But with these old manong it was quite the opposite. That’s just the way they were.

MS: You indicated that you had spent several summers training in Hawaii. Was that primarily with Tabosa at that time?

CC: When Tabosa and I would get together it was primarily research into the Vilabrille System. It would be more like a conceptual thing. As far as training we would talk principals. With Mr. Tabosa it was more informative.

MS: In regards to the blade training, did Mr. Tabosa introduce you to the methods of cutting, slicing & blade movement?

CC: This too is very interesting, because again his instruction was more about micro adjustments, & how to position the blade.

During my time at Western Illinois University, I was a proponent & student of European fencing. A lot of opinion is that fencing is one dimensional, but that is only the sport aspect. In further research & study one can see the adaptations made due to length & type of blade, the type of positioning & adjustments made within the FMA as well as European fencing with street applications.

MS: So after your training each summer & particularly after several summers with Mr. Tabosa & the other instructors, after returning to the Midwest, were you able to or did you incorporate the skills learned with your Shuri te/Shorin ryu training?

CC: I kept the arts totally separate, as a matter of fact, after training in the FMA, I never went back to training in the Asian arts.

Now that’s not to downplay the training in the Asian arts, it was just a stepping stone for me. I took the philosophy which I was taught learning the Asian arts was never wasted, it was the foundation for me to move on & forward. Later I came back to some of the kata that I’d studied before, while examining the translations within the FMA & saw the valid similarities in some technique of the FMA & Asian martial arts. There is valid training technique within the Asian martial arts.

MS: What brought you to Cabales Serrada Escrima?

CC: Again my friend Bruce Albach, we worked together in a club in St. Louis, Mo., had shown me all the counters, but he referred me further to Nate Defensor, who was in instructor under Angel Cabales. He was also an instructor under Dan Inosanto & Leo Gaje. Guro Nate Defensor was also the Sergeant at Arms for Raymond Tabosa.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that Hawaii being the melting pot that it is, the stepping stone to the mainland & mecca of martial arts.

Going back to what I said, you see Raymond Tabosa was the liason for those inquiring about the FMA, that was the strong impression that I was given. If you wanted to meet any of the other FMA manong, Raymond Tabosa would be the guy who would screen you.

Guro Nate Defensor

At any rate, I attended seminar with Guro Nate Defensor in which he covered a lot of material from, Pekiti Tirsia, Silat & Cabales Serrada Escrima. After the 1^st day I asked Guro Nate Defensor about Serrada Escrima. Since he & I had conversation earlier regarding Hawaii & Raymond Tabosa, Guro Defensor told me we’d cover that tomorrow.

Guro Defensor approached it from the cinco teros perspective.

When GM Angel Cabales used to teach a seminar he’d always give the 1^st 3 angles of attack & the 3 counters for them. Then he used to say, “Now you should be pretty good escrimador.” I never understood that, I always kinda thought always best to know all 12, but I kinda understood what he was saying.

But Guro Defensor again concentrated on the cinco teros, angle 1 outside deflection, angle 2 outside standard, angle 3 cross block, angle 4 punch (drop) block & angle 5 abanico deflections.

Guro Defensor showed how to make the adjustments when the opponent close & when you would close on the opponent. Then he showed the “lock & block drill” I thought to myself “yeah now there is some good training to do here” (as Chuck laughed out loud with a huge smile of the fond memory).

We had spent quite a bit of time together here in St. Louis during seminars. I didn’t commit to being an instructor for him at that time. I had not yet decided which direction I was going to go within the FMA at that time. He had shown me Pekiti Tirsia 64 angles of attack, the seguidas of San Miguel, & Cadena from different systems, so we spent a lot of time together. He (Guro Defensor) is a really enjoyable guy.

Then I had to make a decision, which is where Serrada Escrima came into play. My good friend Bruce Albach & I heard about Jamie Tacosa teaching seminars in Chicago, So after reading about Jamie Tacosa, we had decided mutually to go up to Chicago each weekend to study with Jamie Tacosa. He was teaching at the Degerberg Acadamy at the time.

MS: So that time frame was 1985, 1986, or was it a bit earlier that?

CC: That was probably 1984.

MS: At that time were you exposed to Jay D’mato & the California Martial Arts Academy of St. Louis?

CC: Ah, yes, actually, my friend Bruce & I both worked there. The CMAA was a school which was ahead of it’s time. That was an organization that combined teaching of Muay Thai, FMA, Aikido, and Wing Chun & Kajukenbo.

MS: Was this prior to the time that Guro Nate Defensor would come teach seminars?

CC: Guro Defensor would come to St. Louis at a couple of locations, one being the CMAA, another being Tracy Smother’s Acadamy also at St. Louis University of St. Louis, Missouri.

Guro Larry Hartsell & Guru Ted Lucay Lucay would also come in for seminars. I met both of these gentlemen with the aid of Guro Wes Bennett of West Frankfort, Illinois.

But back to Guro Defensor, I credit him with the primary introduction of Cabales Serrada Escrima to me. Then later on my friend Bruce Albach & I would travel to Chicago to train with Jamie Tacosa.

Pangulong Guro Jamie Tacosa (left) & Pangulong Guro Chuck Cadell (right)

MS: Was Guro Jamie Tacosa influential to your understanding of Cabales Serrada Escrima?

CC: Of Course, Guro Tacosa furthered our development from the basics which Guro Defensor had introduced to us.

Bruce Albach & I continued to train, train, train, & drive to Chicago to every weekend to further our training with Guro Tacosa. At one point Bruce ceased the training, due to accepting a job in Kansas City and recently getting married. During our training we brought Serrada Escrima to St. Louis under Guro Tacosa. We established some seminars in the St. Louis area. Guro Tacosa saw the dedication I had in the art of Serrada Escrima. We went to dinner one evening & then discussed the future. My training accelerated, I became Guro Tacosa’s representative in Southern Illinois/St. Louis area. Along with a gentleman in Chicago & another instructor on the West Coast, we began networking & building the network for TSE (Tacosa Serrada Escrima).

Pangulong Guro Chuck Cadell (left) & Pangulong Guro Jamie Tacosa (right)

MS: After a relationship with Guro Tacosa & the assisting in building TSE, at some point you moved beyond that & moved on to CSE with GM Angel Cabales.

What made that move a necessity for you to move from TSE to Cabales Serrada Escrima System?

CC: Well, I was with Guro Tacosa for about 7 years, training hard and I really got very good training, and grateful for that experience. It was a combination of several factors. My personal goal of completing and refining my skills with GM Angel Cabales, fulfilling my personal vision of perpetuating Serrada Eskrima, personal obligations in my life, and mainly my separation from the affiliation with CMAA Martial Arts Academy in St. Louis under Tacosa Serrada Eskrima (TSE).

As I said we (TSE) were branching out through CMAA St. Louis, and other academies in Granite City, Alton, and other areas of the Metro area. My separation from the CMAA satellite location became a pivotal point for me to later make the decision to leave TSE entirely.

About that time a few of the CMAA instructors were leaving due to personality conflicts & some deeper issues with management at the Academy. The owner of CMAA Martial Academy wanted to promote his Personal Defense Method to be the main system taught at the Academy, by existing staff instructors. Therefore, remove the existing Martial curriculums from the academy. After the decision was made, I decided it was time for me to move on. It was not my personal preference and interest to perpetuate such a method. There was some negative talking surfacing about “what one instructor said verses what another instructor said, and what management said.” Instead of analyzing the objections and putting one system or what one instructor stated against another, the atmosphere worsened. Discussions about the “behind the back” objections never surfaced. I felt discussions of the matters were important, and hopefully of great value. It never happened so after the departure, I decided to never be in that position ever again.

So at that point rather than teaching at CMAA, I started teaching out of my house, I got together with some of my old friends from my tournament days, & we would facilitate the seminars from that perspective. We would hold seminars in Granite City, Alton, Saint Louis University, & Washington University of St. Louis, Missouri. At that point we had a very good core network for the TSE body within the St. Louis metro area.

MS: In traditional FMA it’s said that there is really no designated levels of progression. Was that also the case within TSE?

CC: Yes there were levels of progression within TSE. The levels that Guro Tacosa used were similar to the progressions I utilize today. For gauging purposes within my methodology of teaching, I gained permission from GM Angel to add a level of progression.

GM Angel utilized 2 levels of progression; he utilized basic & advanced. Now I believe they utilize a different ranking methodology.

During my time with Guro Tacosa there were approximately 3 levels & he was still finalizing further development.

MS: So you would say during your time with Guro Tacosa, you and he worked closely to progress TSE?

CC: Sure, of course we did. I was one of his promoters. Primarily I promoted seminars throughout the bistate (Southern Illinois & Missouri) area. There was so much potential within the St. Louis area. How to get the FMA out there & make it popular was what we worked at consistently. Guro Tacosa would stay at my house months at a time. I’d get my training in and we’d work on promoting TSE. Later I would understand the differences between the instructional platforms of CSE and TSE.

You see I was able to meet GM Angel Cabales in 1985 at Guro Fred Degerberg’s Academy in Chicago, Illinois. I was one of the few at that time that got to be invited after the seminas to spend time with GM Angel and train privately. He’d watch my counters & my empty hand technique. GM Angel would give his critique & so I’d noticed, well there is somewhat of a difference here between Guro Tacosa & GM Angel’s observation and way of doing techniques.

I’d ask Guro Tacosa why we don’t do the C-hand progressions. He would say that he favored the GM Max Sarmiento method of parrying hands. Guro Tacosa also incorporated the Largo Mano influence of Guro Leo Giron within the TSE progressions.

GM Angel had the Largo Mano principles in CSE; however they were much different than the way presented within TSE. So I’m seeing a conflict of information. At that time it was never presented to me that TSE was merely Guro Tacosa’s interpretation & that Manong Cabales methods were different in structure. So that raised my eyebrows a bit at that point in time with Guro Tacosa.

MS: So do you feel, much like you had a void during your tournament days & felt you had to go to Hawaii to train; do you feel that these “discrepancies” created another void for you which partially caused you to seek out GM Angel Cabales on your own?

CC: To some degree yes, however, that’s not to take away from the effectiveness of training within the TSE Structure. It’s just when I’m teaching Serrada Escrima, I teach the structure of GM Angel Cabales and not Guro Tacosa. But, hey that’s why you have CSE & TSE set apart with their own methodologies.

I was granted permission by GM Angel Cabales to show my lineage under him as a Pangulong Guro of his art of Serrada Escrima, hence the logo of Cadell/Cabales Serrada Eskrima. The Stick Counters, Hand to Hand Responses, Training Drills, and Defensive Strategies have not changed as was taught to me by GM Angel Cabales, but my method of instruction has.

I am firm believer that an Instructor has to be a facilitator of innovative instructional techniques and up-to-date knowledge of enhancing individual performance. By utilizing an integrated instructional/training program that blends speed, strength, timing, core stability, and mental perseverance, the instructor helps the practitioner’s performance of the systems counters faster, stronger, powerful, and spontaneous.

MS: So, again, at what point did you feel you had to go directly to the source, being GM Angel Cabales?

CC: After being with Guro Tacosa for 7 years there was a lot of discussion as far as how the movement of the system of TSE was going to take place, one being re-establishing affiliation with CMAA.

I had already separated myself from CMAA. We were working getting certain accelerated programs in place so that TSE could have additional representation in the Metro East (Southwestern Illinois/East St. Louis area). Guro Tacosa had assigned me the task of teaching Jay D’mato of CMAA, and guiding him through the accelerated program for TSE. This was something that I really did not want to do, but I did it as a favor to Guro Tacosa. I really did not like the idea, Jay & I had disagreements on certain things, other instructors left as well, & I really didn’t want to go back. So I did it for Guro Tacosa, things got set up as far as teaching. That became a resource for Guro Tacosa to forward TSE. Additionally, I finished preparing 6 of my students to be certified as Basic Instructors under TSE. Additionally the instructor award ceremony was to be held at CMAA, so that did not sit well with me at all.

I believe at that point Guro Tacosa was somewhat frustrated with my observations of matters concerning his direction, as you can imagine since Guro Tacosa was staying with me at the time. The topic was always center stage at the time, just like being with family; you have things of that nature that cause conflict.

I just couldn’t get away from it. I could not get it out of my head. I told my fiancé’, now my wife, this was going to be my last time. I was going to announce it at the testing. So we had the testing at CMAA and after the testing I announced my resignation. I was very professional, I thanked everyone for everything that they’ve done & thanked the new instructors, including Jay D’mato for his hospitality.

Well that got Guro Tacosa very, very mad. I guess he wanted me to tell him privately. He just didn’t get the picture at the time how strongly I felt. I expressed to him that I didn’t like what was going on at that time. So rather than tell him in private & have others questioning why Guro Chuck left, I resigned publicly, direct & professionally.

So when I get home, I’d gotten a phone call from Guro Tacosa chewing me out & making his disdain known on my answering machine. I returned the call. I told Guro Tacosa that this was not the time or the proper way to say things the way he had on my answering machine; because I won’t back down, but out of respect I told him to think about the things he was saying. He did & at that point Guro Tacosa and I went our separate ways.

I’m thankful for all of the training I’d received & thankful that I was a part of getting the TSE movement on a forward & continuing track.

I was continuing to be in contact with GM Angel Cabales throughout my time with Guro Tacosa.

You know Mike, it’s a small world, because within a short time GM Angel Cabales had given me a call & said, “You no longer with Jimmy (Guro Jimmy Tacosa)?”

I told GM Angel Cabales, “I think I’m just going to give it all up”. Because I know the politics will start getting ugly very soon. Even while I was with TSE I was also working toward an instructorship in CSE under GM Angel Cabales.

The way it worked at that time, is once you made it through basic & advanced level, then your instructor could refer you to GM Angel Cabales either for further training or completion of your masters certification. During the times when I’d seen GM Angel Cabales in Chicago, he would put me through the next progressions of training.

But as I said GM Angel Cabales called and told me, “You, come train and stay with me for awhile.”

PG Sultan Uddin (left), GM Angel Cabales (center) & PG Chuck Cadell (right)

So on two separate occasions I went to California and spent time with GM Angel Cabales to further & finish my training. That’s when I met Vincent Cabales, Darren Tibon & many others of GM Cabales’ instructor graduates.

I had a very good base, but there were things that GM Cabales had helped me work on such as empty hands, picking, reversals, and sticky stick.

MS: Now, did he teach you at his residence or at the back of Gung Li’s restaurant where his school was at that time?

CC: He would teach me at his home, behind closed doors. He would teach me right in the middle of his living room of his apartment. Fortunately, my training sessions, conversations of his biography, opinions, and other concerns were videotaped as was my sessions with the heir to the Serrada System, his son Vincent Cabales.

PG Chuck Cadell(left cntr), GM Angel Cabales (center), future GM Vincent Cabales (right cntr)

The 1^st visit I’d made, from the airport, I’d ride a bus down into Stockton, Ca. It’s funny the timing when I’d saw him at 1^st, sitting on the bench, what I saw, is what I’ll call “a pensive Angel”. What I mean is very contemplative, but it was like he knew he didn’t have much time. His health was failing, and I believe he was contemplating what the future held for his family and the legacy of his art, Serrada Eskrima.

So at any rate he was waiting for me at the Greyhound bus stop, and one could notice there was that certain aura about him. Just like the first time I was introduced to him and shook his hand I knew then GM Angel Cabales was genuine, very kind, respectful, and proud.

So we got into the car & the first thing that I’d noticed was his numerous pair of sunglasses above the visor; and of course his Mickey Mouse hat.

We talked for a bit, he then apologized for Guro Jimmy Tacosa’s actions, for his decisions, etc.

I explained that it was not a problem, we do things according to what we believe in and choose to stand for; it was just a situation where Guro Tacosa and I have differing visions perpetuating Cabales Serrada Eskrima, therefore we went separate ways.

I stated that my method of separation from Guro Tacosa might not have been the best, however, the students that I’d trained would not have any question as to what transpired or affected by hearsay

My mother use to say “Out of bad situations, good things will happen.” I have always believed in her wisdom. Always stay positive and motivated. In this situation, I am also perpetuating GM Angel Cabales art.

To prevent any further turmoil the Washington University Serrada Eskrima Club now was under the Cadell/Cabales Serrada Eskrima Banner; permission from GM Angel Cabales.

GM Angel Cabales was proud of that, because he used to say “Good, you’re the 1^st to have Serrada Escrima in a college setting.”

The Washington University Serrada Eskrima Club in St. Louis, Mo was spearheaded, by the assistance of Mike Elma and Jim Pavelec. They were students of Washington Univ.

and were under my instruction and promoted to CSE Basic Instructors by me. The CSE Club hosted private and group Serrada Eskrima sessions, Self-Defense workshops, and FMA Seminars. Thanks to Wes Bennet, Guro Ted Lucaylucay was a frequent guest instructor. Our Classes were large and hundreds were introduced to the Serrada Eskrima and FMA during our 4 year term.

Guro Chuck Cadell (left), Guro Ted Lucaylucay (center), & Guro Wes Bennet

MS: What year was this? Was this 1990 or 1991?

CC: This would have to have been 1990 because my last series with GM Angel Cabales was in Mid-January thru February1991; prior to his death in March of 1991.

MS: So the little ones, his children Gelmar & Mari Gel around as well.

CC: Oh yes, they were there at the apartment with Mrs. Cabales.

GM Angel Cabales (left), Gelmar Cabales (center), & PG Chuck Cadell (right)

MS: Were you aware of any turmoil going on at that time, regarding personal family issues resulting from GM Angel Cabales’ 1^st marriage, Vincent Sr. & his then existing family.

CC: No that topic was not brought out at all; his wife at the time was very, very nice & hospitable to me. GM Angel Cabales had his way and that was/is the way of the culture.

GM Angel Cabales (left) & PG Chuck Cadell (right) working on knife disarms

MS: Did you perceive any difference in the footwork that was taught to you by Guro Tacosa in comparison to the way GM Angel Cabales presented for instance rapido stepping?

CC: As far as fundamental Replacement footwork, there was no difference. On the other hand GM Angel Cabales stressed the importance of balance when employing quick staccato like footwork, body transitions, managing and controlling distance, and when using triangulating entries.

When observing the basic Serrada Counters performed properly, one will see the how the footwork manages distance to be effective while on the offense or defense. GM Angel Cabales stressed the importance of quick, smooth footwork to adapt to the changes in distance to disrupt your opponent’s strategy, dominate the opponent to initiate an offensive tactic, or implement evasive measures to counter-attack. In essence, coordinated footwork, timing and gauging distance is essential.

MS: After receiving the status of Pangulong Guro (Master Instructor), how did you adapt your teaching methods comparatively from the methodology that Guro Jimmy Tacosa presented to you & the way in which GM Angel Cabales taught the material? How did you make the adaptation in the way you taught others including myself?

CC: First of all, I had to find my own path in developing myself to be an effective instructor. I’m always seeking to improve my teaching abilities and adjusting my methodologies whether it is with CSE, or my personal system of Tanikala De Mano or C-TACT (Core – Tactical Advantage Concepts and Training for LEO and Corrections). So my instructional platforms are continually evolving. This is simply because I’m striving to be a better trainer through my students and experiences.

Punong Guro Chuck Cadell

To reach perfection is good, but to continue to strive for perfection should be the constant goal. To take a template and continue to improve to reach the desired state is the way that I’ve approached the “final” destination, if you will for my teaching.

Pangulong Guro Chuck Cadell & his demonstration team 1992

MS: One of the many important lessons I’d learned from you was to learn from your students.

CC: One of the things I pass on to prospective trainers I certify within the Illinois Dept of Corrections, whether its martial arts, firearms training, SWAT, control & restraint tactics, Special Operations Response Teams, CTACT, I ensure they are cognizant that becoming a trainer is just the beginning of their journey. The ultimate challenge will be what they have learned from their experiences in the field and from their students, so they as instructors may present it in an instructional platform.

Isang Mundo Isang Tribo Academy of Serrada Escrima & Tanikala De Mano Instructors

MS: Did you find that in your development of your CTACT system that the CSE system alone or combined with your previous FMA & Asian martial arts training gave you the best edge in developing CTACT?

CC: What I can say is that I’ve been one of the privileged to apply what I’ve learned from my FMA training in tactical situations. I’ve been able to learn from mistakes and from victories within the correctional system on a personal level as a Correctional Sergeant and trainer. Not too many individuals can say that.

Defensive Tactics Instructor for IDOC PG Chuck Cadell & Comander Joseph Durham

For example: Principles that I’ve learned from Serrada Escrima and other Filipino martial arts, were beneficial for me when applied to cell extractions, fugitive apprehension, and various tactical response operations.

The totality of circumstances establishes each situation unique.

I call it a blessing that I’d had the training I did from all of my instructors because I’ve been able to adapt and apply what I’d learned in a very dangerous environment and share that knowledge to my peers.

Looking in hindsight, I see how everything from all of the systems I studied interrelates with each other. I was fortunate and privileged to have trained under Guro Ted Lucaylucay and understand, that the important component of any martial art is the person and his/her analysis and understanding of core components of motion, technique, performance, conditioning and strategy to develop and create their personal interpretation and style.

The Core Components of Serrada Eskrima and Tanikala de Mano (My personal method of Self Defense) is the nucleus of C-T.A.C.T. for Law Enforcement and Corrections.

The Trainees are introduced to Phase I - Resort to Force, Reasonable Force, and Psychological Preparation, Angles of Attacks, Baton Training, etc.

Phase II - Consists of Core Conditioning, Principles of Distance and Positioning, Pressure Points, Joint Manipulations, and Empty Hand Defensive Tactics/Control, etc.

Phase III – Consists of Ground Tactics, Weapon Retention, Tactical Knife Defense, etc.

As you see the Training Modules of C- T.A.C.T. is comprehensive and is certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board.

Defensive Tactics Instructor for IDOC PG Chuck Cadell & Comander Joseph Durham

How the Filipino Martial Arts of Serrada Eskrima and Tanikala de Mano is implemented within CTACT, or how the training methods of FMA can complement an existing Control Tactic program is a subject for another article.

MS: So with the advent of MMA, do you feel that Serrada Escrima as a medium range to closed quarter system creates a gap or a bridge to the grappling range?

CC: Well, I would feel the Serrada Escrima system to be a bridge. But what vehicle of tactics would you be referring to?

MS: My primary reference would be as a bouncer in a bar, with someone coming after me with “an armed action”; in other words coming at me with a weapon in hand. At that point, with others crowded around I would have to utilize my Serrada Escrima training to take control of the person intending to do me harm without harming those surrounding us.

CC: It really depends upon the level of training the individual receives and their understanding of Serrada defensive tactics and situational evaluation. Does the individual understand the proper use of distance and position, proximity, relative position, tactical communication to diffuse subject’s action?

The Hand to Hand training method of Serrada Eskrima is developed and translated from the Serrada stick counters. The core elements of movement within the stick counters prepares the individual to respond with offensive, defensive, disarming, and locking maneuvers for the respective ranges. Now keep in mind the individual’s ability to modify his responses to fit the situation is imperative. The Instructor’s guidance during“Specialized Training Drills” should promote adaptability and spontaneity.

GM Angel Cabales (left) introducing standup grappling to PG Chuck Cadell

So at this point we have another variable to consider, ground tactics. Is Serrada Escrima suitable for it?

MS: I know and believe of course that it is.

CC: Sure, it most certainly is. This is where the individual really has to understand body mechanics of how to apply and respond with tactics from a standing position and on the ground.

MS: Do you have an opinion as to why more FMA or Indonesian stylists don’t enter into the MMA arena? A great deal of the fighters concentrates on Muay Thai, BJJ and traditional grappling arts. Why do you feel that they don’t turn to the FMA or Indonesian styles for alternative grappling methods?

CC: Well the MMA arena is not for everybody, plain and simple. It is a demanding sport. They have my respect. Some FMA / Indonesian Stylist may have differing lifestyles, occupations, responsibilities, that are priorities and demanding. There are many answers.

Now to answer the latter part of the question, the Filipino Martial Arts or Indonesian Martial Arts is not for everybody as well. I believe these arts do have something to offer MMA in the area of enhancing, and complementing their skills and performance through selective, specialized training derived from FMA / Indonesian Martial Arts.

Just like my students, and fellow FMA, and martial artist in general, we train for different reasons. For me to survive in my line of work it is essential. We train hard for Street reality and for Critical Incidents.

In my opinion, the Serrada Escrima and other FMA systems is similar to MMA in some respects. The Filipino and Indonesian Martial Arts have been around a long time, shrouded in secrecy for the sole purpose of self-defense in conflicting times. These unique martial arts didn’t surface to the public until the middle 1960’s.

Consider this, what defines MMA? The Mixed Martial Arts Instructors must provide instructional platforms to meet various combative ranges that the participants will encounter. Therefore the participants must have a solid foundation of boxing, kicking, and grappling skills.

In my opinion the Filipino and Indonesian Martial Arts in particular Serrada Escrima provides empty-hand and weaponry skills in all combative ranges. The weaponry training are the tools to develop one’s full potential in all aspects of self-defense, sport, and life through an integrated training program based on battled-tested and cutting edge training methods.

MS: Do you ever foresee the possibility of bringing the FMA into the realm of MMA? By that I mean actually bringing the stick into the ring. Not necessarily being able to utilize on the extreme level like the “dog brothers”, but somewhere in between.

CC: That’s tough, it could happen, but it’d be tough. We would first discuss about the appeal of the sport to the general public. The public appeal of such an endeavor depends on how the image of the sport represents itself. Currently the Mixed Martial Arts competitions are being accepted as an extreme sport of martial skills and conditioning. These events, such as the UFC, are prepared and presented in a manner that is appropriate for the respective audience.

For example the “Ultimate Fighter Series” focuses on how the trainers of each team provide a strict training regiment to better promote the extreme sport and its fighters. The TV audience gets the information from the Trainers and the drama and suspense from the fighters themselves. Now the “Ultimate Fighter Series” in itself demonstrate exceptional media skills, promoting to preserve the fascination and proliferation of Mixed Martial Arts as an extreme sport. In my opinion this why the UFC is successful and most likely will surpass the sport of Boxing and other martial art competitions.

Now you add the Baton into the Mix Martial Art Arena and now the sport must redefine itself. Now safety of the fighters becomes a critical issue. Will this increase the appeal of the sport?

MS: Why? If the baton were a padded baton wouldn’t that alleviate the need for head gear?

CC: (with a laugh) No, no, because our culture would still see and look at the baton as a weapon. The safety of such a sport should never be questioned.

MS: So you believe the difficulty is a cultural one and how it’s perceived?

CC: Yes, definitely how it’s perceived culturally, by the general public. I would love to see it. But the stigma of a “club” in the hand of a fighter would just be too much.

That’s why in law enforcement we always call it a Tactical Baton, it’s a Control Instrument within most “Use of Force Behavior Response Models” and not to be referred to as a club or a stick.

So I’m basically looking at it from a Public Relation and Legal Issue standpoint. So with that in mind would you really want to call it “Mixed Martial Arts Stick Fighting”?

MS: Very true, probably not.

CC: It would be how you market it. It’s still going to be tough to do.

MS: With your experiences within the Illinois Dept. of Corrections, training fellow Correctional Officers, and LEO, how has that influenced your teaching methodology within Cadell/Cabales Serrada Eskrima as well as how has that influenced your development of C.T.A.C.T.

CC: From a vantage point 16 years of working within Department of Corrections as a Maximum Security Correctional Sergeant, a member of the Statewide Tactical Response Team (TRT), and DOC Agency Trainer I have met and dealt with all kinds of personalities of front line officers, administrators, and trainers. In addition violent individuals, who are behind bars, on parole, and during critical/tactical incidents. Based on my experiences, as well as the experiences of my peers, in the previous mentioned areas, I felt it necessary to re-evaluate classic Defensive Tactics programs that are offered at various Law Enforcement/Correction Agencies.

During my early years of observation of several agencies, I became aware of regulated departmental opposition to change and new training methods, lack of efficient follow-up training/Instructor re-certification, defensive tactics philosophy, and the attitude “While at the academy this is the only time, in your career, you will be training in defensive tactics.”

So, in the opinion of most Law-enforcement/Corrections trainers I have conversed with is, “what we have is administrative concerns such as roster management conflicts, fiscal budgetary justification / accountability, and the lack of awareness for the need of a progressive approach to updating and combining reality based training methods for annual in-service training for our officers.”

As the years passes by, departmental administrators are addressing the need for change, but budgetary and time training still are of concern.

Whether I’m instructing DOC cadets/In-service Staff, Law Enforcement Officers, Special Ops Units, and even the public sector several factors come in to play. From my experience as an Instructor Trainer in whatever instructional platform I have to offer, meeting the needs of specialized training/ reality based training is a necessity.

Let us say you are a member of a Tactical Unit and you and the unit, rely on classroom lectures on tactics to replace physical reality based training due to time and budgetary constraints. How can the Unit achieve optimal performance and meet its objectives during a critical incident? Or even worse the tactical member who plays catch up by listening to what was covered in the numerous practice sessions he/she has missed due to lame excuses. How can such a person be an asset to the team’s fluid, tactical, performance.

With that said the foundation of my instructional platform in Core-Tactical Advantage Concepts/Training (C.T.A.C.T.) are derived from my tactical experiences and selected core principles of Serrada Eskrima and various FMA in general. C.T.A.C.T. provides a training curriculum for non-existing defensive tactics program or updating existing programs for proactive agencies.

In contrast to instructing rote methods or techniques not adaptable to unexpected changes, C.T.A.C.T. Defensive Tactics Instructional Platforms enhances the officer’s ability to respond with fluid and spontaneous options, and the tactical skills to provide tactical variations in an officer-survival situation.

It is my belief technique is important. It is the product of a given motion. When the training is inflexible by emphasizing of what I call a set of “dead pattern” of techniques, then it becomes an injustice to the officer or practitioner of a self-defense program. Emphasis should be placed on the training of combative principles such as tactical positioning, distance, timing, and economy of action. The principles mentioned will enhance their defenses responses.

Proficiency of Tactical Positioning enhances the participant’s relative positioning for adversary control, angle of attacks, and environmental training. The Principle of Distance introduces the participant what defensive tools (unarmed and armed) are effective for the appropriate range, and the importance of tactical footwork to control boundaries between the officer and adversary. The Principle of Timing which trains the officer in the areas of cadence, fluid transitional response training, and the flow of the assault.

Now when I offer private sessions for individuals at my personal school and outside the private sector, they can learn my personal method Tanikala de Mano, “C.T.A.C.T.” or they can learn Serrada Eskrima. But whatever they choose, they have to prove to me they want to learn, within a 3 month probationary program. Some people will say, “That’s no way to run a business”. I’m not running a commercial school that my livelihood is dependent upon & I never really have. The prospective student must go thru the orientation program; they are going to prove to themselves if they really want to be involved in the programs I offer.

My personal goal is to instruct participants to complete a given program and who desire to be quality trainers. If you’ve got the qualifications, fine here are the prerequisites. A 3-Month Probationary Program, complete each level of training of the given program and have the flexibility to work around my time schedule. Of course the certified instructors in my program are available. My primary occupation is priority and demanding. I’m sorry but that’s just the way it must be. I inform all new students of this. Once they pass the prerequisites within 3 months, then we begin very serious training of the programs offered. If the students just has the desire to be just a practitioner of the arts, that’s fine. If they have a desire to be a certified instructor of Isang Mundo Isang Tribo Martial Arts Academy, that’s fine also.

This is the way I look at it, don’t waste your time and waste my time if you are not sincere and dedicated. If you don’t have the right attitude and the right character, there are other people waiting in line to fill the spot and prove their desire to learn.

So what the new students have to do is they have to go through an Orientation Phase which consists of a conditioning program. The first half hour consist of core training, medicine ball training, and functional training as it relates to the self-defense program of their choice. The next half hour consists of mobility/stability training. The final half hour consists of Single and Double Baton Familiarization and Core Baton Manipulations (CBM) and review of training session. After 3 months of being proficient then they move onto the next phase. The choice of being a student of Cadell/Cabales Serrada Eskrima, Tanikala De Mano, C.T.A.C.T. or a Personalized Self-Defense Program.

During their entire training the student is responsible for taking notes of their training sessions. Because the last ten minutes of their training are taking notes on what they’ve learned and assessing their own performance establishing their next goal. Their note taking provides a personal resource in developing lesson plans if they desire to be a certified instructor in one of the training programs offered.

After the practitioner phase of any of the programs offered, Instructor Certification is available. The Instructor Certification is not mandatory. The Instructor Program guides the individual in developing effective presentation, communication, organizational and evaluative skills to produce a positive learning atmosphere.

The students training journal reinforces what they’ve learned. When I see the dedication of a student that makes me more dedicated to teach and reciprocate. When I see that person putting the effort into it, then it’s worth the while for me to teach them. Hopefully this type of attitude carries over if and when the student becomes an instructor in any occupational field.

MS: (with a laugh) I still have my notes by the way from all the years I trained with you.

CC: But it’s how they appreciate it now, you understand:

MS: Of course. I lived the initial part of that, as you began to make those changes. So of course I understand.

MS: Have you ever had anyone that you’ve promoted an instructor in any system that has not necessarily lived up to your expectations or that has not followed through the way you felt that they should have?

CC: Yes.

MS: What precipitated that, do you think? Do you think it was a lack of confidence it themselves or what they had learned?

CC: Definitely it was not a lack of confidence. On the question of was it something they had learned? The answer is no.

It was an issue of weak character. Anyone can say they have integrity, but action is the real indicator of character. Here was an individual who was talented, achieved a certain level of success; he was an instructor of a prominent, local martial art academy.

This individual undermined the owners of that studio who offered him a job, and deceived the students who were learning the FMA curriculum offered. The facts were evident, the instructor when approached was unapologetic for his actions. He is no longer associated with our organization and a representative/instructor of the arts we perpetuate.

Lesson learned. How a person deals with the situations of life tells you numerous things about their character. In the face of adversity or crisis, the individual must choose one of two paths: Character or compromise.

What I have learned from my other mentors specifically Batikan Raymond Tobosa and Grandmaster Braulio Pedoy, we must question ourselves “What roles do I play in the game of life?” What are my roles? What will make me successful in the areas of mental, physical, and spiritual development? What role do I fill with my students and how I can fulfill this role more successfully?

Sounds simple right? Unfortunately, we fail to look inward, into our values for deeper purpose and direction. The process of self-improvement should be ongoing. During the last video-taped interview, weeks before his passing away, Grandmaster Pedoy shared with me his outlook on life. My interpretations from his guidance is; training in Eskrima/Kali develops core values necessary for physical, mental, and spiritual transformation. During this transformation he or she encounters that life isn’t about discovering oneself, but about creating oneself for a higher purpose, to assist and advance others to higher levels and well-being.

MS: Do you feel that your system C.T.A.C.T. developed in spite of tactics like Defendo, or PPCT or more to compliment such systems so that there can be a congruence and understanding between systems.

CC: At one time, prior to my career in Corrections, I enrolled and completed the certification of the PPCT program in the late 80’s, under Mike Dunn of the St. Louis Police Department. I believe the curriculum structure of the program is an excellent model for those agencies in need to develop a Defensive Tactic curriculum. With that said the content of such a program must fit the needs of that Department or specialized training. I believe various Defensive Tactics programs, including C.T.A.C.T., serves as a proactive approach to complementing existing programs or formulating a program fulfilling the needs in specialized training. In addition such programs must compliment existing policy and procedures on the subject of Use of Force and Legal Issues. Therefore Defensive Tactic curriculums must have the flexibility to modify and meet policy and procedures or the reciprocal must exist.

My training and conversations with GM Angel Cabales, Batikan Raymond Tobosa, and Guro Ted Lucaylucay on the topic of a Defensive Tactics program for Law Enforcement and Security became the nucleus for my development of C.T.A.C.T.

Their guidance proved to be similar. In essence the curriculum must be simplistic in structure, promote core movements for reality based training, and specialty training that enhances fluidity of movement within respective combative ranges, giving the officer both tactical advantage and effective officer survival skills.

I created CTACT (Core Tactical Advantage Concepts and Training) using principals and methods from various FMA systems I’d been exposed to and the experiences I have encountered as a Tactical Response Team member. The specialized performance drills of Serrada Eskrima and various FMA systems proved to be effective when developing optimal tactical performance. Now there are different levels of Specialized Training.

So I put together specified training modules to the test with 1300 security/non-security personnel at a maximum security facility, during their annual in-service training. Some of the staff received classical self-defense training outside the facility, but never received control tactics training during previous in-service training. The evaluations were positive and the condensed training well received. The Core of the training is the development of movement natural to one’s physical structure relying on developed spontaneity, reflexes, and physical attributes.

MS: So where do you see yourself, CTACT, and Cadell/Cabales Serrada Escrima in 5 or 10 years down the road?

CC: Well, God willing, enjoy a healthy retirement from the Department with my wife Lynn. She says “I’ll be retired from the Department but never from training in and instructing the Filipino Martial Arts.” I have to agree, there is some truth to that for she continues to train every chance she gets for the fitness and conditioning.

I’m committed to developing a network of quality and effective instructors in the FMA and Defensive Tactics in both the private and public sectors, as well as serving as a consultant for Law Enforcement, Corrections, and Military communities. Developing training manuals for the Department has proved to be asset; so hopefully with constant refinement in my writing and photography skills I can apply those skills toward contributing articles and instructional media. I’ll just take it one day at a time. It will be my way of giving back to my instructors, and students whom I have absorbed invaluable love, knowledge, and training.

As GM Cabales was driving me back to the bus station, after graduation day, he told me “I don’t have much longer to live you know”. I’d say ah, knock it off manong, what are you talking about? He’d say, “You know, we need to talk”. So we’d drove around Stockton on the way to my destination, he’d talk about certain things very touching and personal. GM Cabales wanted the conversation video-taped and shared with my students.

But as I said, I’d told him at that time I’d be taking a sabbatical of about 10 years. He’d say, “Why?”

I told him “I’ve seen what politics can do, especially after one passes on. Yes, I could probably voice my opinion on particular issues, but the main thing is I wanted to be trained by you to perpetuate your art. I’m going to do my best to perpetuate CSE. So while everyone else might be arguing on whatever; I’ll continue training and teaching behind the scenes.

Each one of the Master Instructors, Advanced Instructors, and practitioners of Serrada Eskrima under his guidance was given a wealth of information by GM Angel Cabales. What information or how much information, is yet to be totally disclosed. I know what I received from not only GM Cabales, but also from the other influential FMA Masters. I encourage everyone to cherish those experiences as if it were the Book of Knowledge. Use it to review, reflect and renew.

What I seen was a very gracious and eloquent man. He was a very helpful man and one that was always there for you and always served his students well.

I know he’s been dumped on by others, but that’s another chapter. But instead of arguing about who’s who and what’s what, everyone should be grateful that they had some time with him and perpetuate the knowledge that he empowered you with.

Everyone may never agree on certain things, but why add more fuel to the fire?

So I will never choose to involve myself in the politics….

I’d like to thank my friend, my mentor, Pangulong Guro Chuck Cadell for his gracious hospitality.

Special Note: Sergeant Chuck Cadell was awarded the “1998 Correctional Officer of the Year for the State of Illinois”. That same year The Special Operation Response Team (S.O.R.T.) presented to him the “Award of Excellence”.

In 1999 Sergeant Cadell received national recognition as “The Best of the Best” by the American Correctional Association for his achievements, dedication, and contribution

I promise that I’ll be back for more at a later date.

Pangulong Guro Chuck Cadell ... My Friend & Mentor

2009-12-28T00:22:00.002-06:00

Pangulong Guro Charles “Chuck” Cadell III is a friend, mentor & has been a guiding force for many years in the methods of the FMA. These are a few reasons why I wrote about my teacher & my friend.

After many years of searching prior to enlisting in the USN, I found the FMA through seminar presentations of Dan Inosanto, Paul Vunak, Ted Lucaylucay & Jamie Tacosa.

I had found a local school in St. Louis, Mo. that held the seminars of interest & it was there that I discovered the field of martial arts study I’d decided to dedicate the rest of my life learning, teaching & promoting. My time with the FMA was too short in 1985 because of my enlistment & time thereafter in the Persian Gulf. But I knew where my martial heart lay.

Serving honorably, I had left the Navy and resettled in Illinois. After some time to myself to decide the path I wished to follow, my spark for the Filipino Martial Arts was again re-lit and I decided to seek out an instructor. After some soul searching, I came upon a Master of Cabales Serrada Escrima, Pangulong Guro Charles Cadell. For just shy of a decade, I was involved with Master Cadell and his style of instruction. I always give credit to Master Cadell for giving me a well-rounded understanding of Cabales Serrada that serves me well today. Master Cadell not only exposed me to the techniques of Cabales Serrada, but also provided me with an education based upon his own personal experiences and direct teachings, about the man behind the system himself Grand Master Angel Cabales. During my time under Master Cadell, I was awarded my basic instructorship in 1995 and continued to train with Master Cadell until 1997.

Master Cadell has and continues to be a leading trainer of law enforcement and corrections personnel within the state of Illinois as he also works for the state Department of Corrections. Due to the demands of his career, he currently teaches only a small select group of individuals who are ranked under him. While with Master Cadell, I and others assisted in the infancy the development and use of the techniques that are now trained to Illinois law enforcement personnel. I look forward to the day when Master Cadell once again has the time to share his experiences and training in Cabales Serrada, as career demands have most unfortunately kept him off the training and seminar circuit. Recognized in most circles as the last individual personally awarded his Master certificate in Serrada escrima by Angel Cables, his place in martial history is secure as are his accomplishments.

Saludo

Master Guro Mike Schwarz

WSEF System of Serrada Escrima

My Brother, My Teacher ... Training with CSE Master Chuck Cadell

2009-12-28T00:16:00.004-06:00

My Brother, My Teacher

Training with Cabales Serrada Eskrima Master Chuck Cadell

A formidable practitioner and training partner, Master Chuck Cadell is most impressive in front of a class. Over the years he has employed a concept central to Cabales Serrada Eskrima – “economy of motion” – to continually revise his training and teaching methodologies. And those of us who have trained with him have reaped the benefits of his remarkable skills and insights (that he credits to GrandMaster Angel Cabales and scores of others).

Chuck demands a lot from his students, but has always taught us how to work hard the way all great teachers do – by example. A passionate proponent of physical fitness, Chuck practices what he preaches. Every class – from beginning to advanced – begins with stretching and strength training led by Chuck…even on days when he has already worked out on his own, taught a few privates, and worked a demanding shift with his colleagues at the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The first time I saw Chuck he was teaching a children’s martial arts class at a local health club. I was 31 years old, with no martial arts experience, and thought: “If he has enough patience to teach those kids, maybe he has enough patience to teach me, too.” Twenty years later I still enjoy the privilege of being Chuck’s student, and witness to his extraordinary journey as a Martial Arts Instructor and human being – and am honored to count him among my closest friends. I’ll never be able to repay my brother Chuck Cadell for his generosity and friendship over the years, but I’ll continue to try in the only way that really matters: by training hard and perpetuating the Filipino Martial Arts for as long as I can.

Saludo,

Jim “Jimbo” Klenn

Intermediate Level 5^th Degree Instructor

Cabales Serrada Eskrima

Guro Chuck Cadell - A Mission Driven Legacy

2009-12-28T00:15:00.001-06:00

Guro Chuck Cadell – A Mission Driven Legacy

Having trained under Pangulong Guro Chuck Cadell in the arts of Cabales Serrada Eskrima, and various Kali influences for the past 18 years, I have learned as much through his examples of character and dedication as techniques and combative principles. Despite Guro Cadell’s vast repertoire of FMA background, he has always maintained a distinct regard for the preservation of GM Angel Cabales’ teaching methods. In this day and age when the vast majority of martial arts schools and instructors seize techniques and teaching methods as their own, Chuck carries the honor and dedication to give credit where due. In the words of GM Cabales as echoed through Chuck’s teaching, “It’s got to be.”

Another very distinguishing attribute of training with Guro Cadell is his unyielding desire to pursue professional development and opportunities related to the combative arts. I have witnessed over the years as he has adapted his teaching methodology to the needs of vastly different groups. From highly skilled martial artists to young children, to women’s self defense or with tactical teams in the Illinois Department of Corrections, Chuck has proven his ability time and again to build the connections that lead to creative growth within his teaching structure. Knowing that Guro Cadell is always developing and sharpening his training methods to apply in dynamic environments, he sets the example for the rest of us.

Ultimately, I must pay my respects to Guro Cadell for showing me a path to a lifelong pursuit of personal development within the Filipino Martial Arts. No matter the challenge, his teaching always brings me back to the center – the basics that are at the heart of all advanced learning. Chuck uses his life experiences to bring a wide range of feedback and advice throughout the various stages in his students’ lives. While always a consummate professional, he has served me and countless other students as an instructor, mentor, and friend. The strength of this bond serves as a cornerstone that continuously brings us back to train as a group. We share our techniques, progress within our principles, and then branch out into the world to apply and adapt. Then we regroup and return to the foundation of our progression – Guro Chuck Cadell and Cabales Serrada Eskrima.

With Respect and Gratitude,

Erol Weber

Intermediate Instructor

Interview with the Author of Fundamentals of WSEF Serrada Escrima - Guro Michael Schwarz Of World Serrada Escrim Federation by Rick Kirkham

2009-04-27T00:34:00.005-05:00

Interview with the Author of Fundamentals of WSEF Serrada Escrima - Guro Michael Schwarz Of World Serrada Escrim Federation by Rick Kirkham
In this interview martial arts expert and author Guro Michael Schwarz shares with us information about the deady Serrada Escrima proven bladed martial arts system. His picture driven and well described step by step book gives even the novice an opportunity to learn some of this devastating art of self-defense and combat....
R: Aloha Guro Schwarz Thank you for taking the time to grant me this interview. I know from conversations we've had what a busy schedule you have promoting both the martial arts and your martial arts and self-defense products and services. May I call you Mike sir? M: Of course R: Can you tell my readers how you first became involved in martial arts? M: My father was an old school boxer/golden gloves I believe. Although he had long given up his training due to family & professional obligations, he often encouraged my athletic pursuits, whatever they were.
It was shortly after I'd seen my 1st Bruce Lee movie of course, that I had initial interest in what martial arts was all about. But truthfully, it was the 1st Billy Jack movie that really peaked my desire. I bugged the heck out of my mother & father till finally we found a TKD/Hapkido school in a near by town. Now you have to realize that I grew up in a very rural part of Southwestern Illinois & the nearest "big town" was 30 minutes away. By today's standard it is not far, but in 1974 - 1979 it was quite far. Although my father did not see the value in a "foreign combat art", my mother finally got him to concede, and the real "love of my life" was discovered. R: Have you trained in more than one martial art? M: My initial training as I indicated was in Moo Du Kwan Tae Kwon Do/ Hapkido/Judo. After 10 years within TKD/Hapkido, I pursued Goju Ryu Naha Te, Aikijitsu & then I came upon the arts which I have dedicated the past 25 yrs to in Filipino Martial Arts; 19 yrs of which have been dedicated to Cabales Serrada Escrima & it's propagation. R: How long have you been training now? M: Let's see I started training the fall of 1976, so 33 yrs. R: Have you been in any situations where you've had to use your martial arts skills?
M: Yes I have had to utilize my skills on several occasions. As a former bouncer in drinking establishments, I've had to utilize my mental capacity & training as well as my physical ability. There have been instances outside of that work environment as well when it has been necessary to utilize my skill. R: What is escrima? M: Escrima means skirmish. Serrada Escrima means a closing skirmish. It is a mediam range to close quarter range blade based art of Filipino origins. R: You belong to the Word Serrada Escrima Federation. Does this mean there's different styles of escrima? M: There are not only different systems/styles of escrima but also other segments or movements within particular systems/styles of escrima. These segments/organizations or movements are often dependent upon how the founder of the organization was authorized to represent that particular system of escrima or arnis for that matter. R: You recently authored Fundamentals of WSEF Serrada Escrima. What prompted you to write this book? M: I have been given a gift by my instructors with in Cabales Serrada Escrima, but we have all been given this gift by GGM Angel Cabales by his creation of this system. It is in recognition of this gift & my desire to promote & propagate the system that has driven me to write this & additional manuals, as well as produce instructional curriculum dvds.

R: I remember consulting with you on this book. I hope I was of some minor help. It's very picture driven. It must have taken you a long time to both write the text and get the pictures just the way you wanted them. M: Indeed it did. Actually you were of great help & thank you very much. It was actually much easier to have the pictures taken, edit & compile them, rather than actually write the text. Writing the text actually required thinking about what I was doing...lol R: Can you give us some details about Fundamentals of WSEF Serrada Escrima? M: The (WSEF) is an international escrima federation that was founded in 2003, by Grandmaster Anthony Davis and Prof. Leo T. Fong for the purposes of preserving the combative, scientific, philosophical, and the spiritual applications of the late Great Grandmaster Angel Cabales. As stated by Prof. Leo T. Fong " Much of Angel Cabales' system of Escrima I have incorporated into my empty-hand system called; "Wei Kuen Do". Additionally, Prof. Fong was one of Bruce Lee's and Angel Cabales' star students and personal friend. Grandmaster Anthony Davis began his studies in the field of martial arts at age 15. In 1984, GM Davis was extended a personal invitation from Great Grandmaster Angel Cabales to privately train under him in Stockton, California. Based upon the personal permission of GGM Angel Cabales, GM Davis has been keenly instrumental in spreading the "Davis/Cabales Serrada System of Escrima" aka "WSEF System of Serrada Escrima worldwide. It is essential to note that the 'Serrada System of Escrima' as taught by Grandmaster Angel Cabales has extensively influenced several top notched Bruce Lee students such as; Leo T. Fong, Dan Inosanto and Richard Bustillo. GGM Angel Cabales is responsible beginning in 1966, for the emergence of Filipino martial arts in America, and also, that he is officially considered to be the "Father of Escrima in America" as well. In 1991, GGM Angel Cabales was named by 'Black Belt Magazine' as "Weapons Instructor of the Year".
R: Mike I understand you've granted me permission give a preview of your book to my readers. I'd like to thank you for that as well as taking your time from your busy schedule to grant me this interview. Download Information by Rick Kirkham Fellow martial artists, self-defense practitioners and martial arts enthusiasts, a FREE sample of this blood and sweat earned picture worth a 1000 words driven book is available simply by becoming a free member of my martial arts health and fitness forum http://newbieservices.com/MAForum/?eskint You may then find your free sample of Fundamentals of WSEF Serrada Escrima by Guro Michael Schwarz in the members only section http://newbieservices.com/MAForum/index.php/board,10.0.html?eskint Want to skip the lite version download and jump right into the FULL-BLOWN version of this instant download printable ebook?! Mike has agreed upon a special price for the ebook of only $19.95! Order and Download NOW!

Tribute to Great Grandmaster Roland Dantes

2009-04-02T23:42:00.005-05:00

WSEF hosts GM Arthur Sikes Comemoration

2008-08-20T01:23:00.006-05:00

THE LEGACY CONTINUES

Bedford, Ohio- Recently a grand martial arts masterful affair took place at the "Martial Arts & Fitness School" in Bedford. The school run by Sifu Richard J. Prather II, in collaboration with special guest star instructor Grandmaster Dee has in the past, and is now hosting several top notched martial arts celebrities. On July 19, 2008, the late great Grandmaster Art Sikes was given top honours , and high acknowledgement on behalf of his many accomplishments in the field of martial arts. Many spectators, along with several of Grandmaster Sikes' master graduate students attended this illustrious affair. Long time Sikes Ohio representative Master Greg Mayo came out to pay his respects, and to be present at this unique gala.
Master Mayo expressed his zeal, and continued committment in continuing the 'Golden Legacy' of his former teacher. From Erie, Pennsylvania came Master Sam Copeland. Copeland trained under Grandmaster Sikes as far back as 1964. Master Copeland was the primary recipient that accepted a gold medal, and an honorary 'Great Grandmaster' certificate on behalf of Grandmaster Sikes. Also on board was Sikes master graduate student; Dexter Ivy. Master Ivy is one of Clevelands finest martial arts instructors. Always ready to serve with humility, Master Ivy assisted in the Gung Fu demonstration portion of the event. Putting a spiritual touch to the Sikes commemoration; was Sikes student Reverend/Master Edmonds. A man of many contrast, Reverend Edmonds represented Grandmaster Sikes in immaculate fashion.
Master Don Wallace, gave a remarkable Gung Fu demonstration, and answered many of the participants questions. Master Wallace was extremely instrumental in helping to bring the Sikes commemoration together. Filipino martial artist Tony Marcial not ony paid his humble respects to Grandmaster Sikes, he "siked' everyone out with his chain reactional stick, knife, and empty hand tactics. Master Marcial is one of the most highly respected, and prolific martial artist worldwide. Last but not least was the ambassador of martial arts, Grandmaster Dee. Grandmaster Dee gave an exceptional speech, and a Filipino stick fighting performance on behalf of Grandmaster Sikes. Grandmaster Dee was the main instrumentator, and the mastermind behind the Grandmaster Sikes commemoration. Says Grandmaster Dee " There are many untold legends in the history of martial arts, but this was one out of many master's stories that had to be honoured, and acknowledged." Currently Grandmaster Dee is offering classes at the 'All Sar Martial Arts & Fitness School'. The school is located at: 40 Northfield Rd. in Bedford. Additionally, you can catch Grandmaster Dee and other top masters at the upcoming "Martial Arts X-treme Exhibition". The exhibition presented by Northern Wind's Master Greg Mayo, will take place on August 30, 2008. For more information contact Master Mayo or Grandmaster Dee at: (216) 645--0906.

WSEF Workshop In Cleveland Ohio

2008-06-07T23:36:00.005-05:00

On April 19th and 20th, 2008, the Prather Kung Fu Academy in Cleveland, Ohio was the scene of the most recent Davis Cabales Serrada Seminar held outside of the system's home base of Sacramento, California. Guest starring Punong Guro Tony Marcial of the Marcial Tirada System, Guro Michael Schwarz with primary appearance of Grand Master Anthony Davis; this local all star event boasted a the valued teachings of these great systems to an eager and most appreciative seminar audience. Academy owner, Sifu Jacob Prather, opened his Kung
Fu school to basic and advanced martial arts practitioners as well as the curious from around Ohio.

The event opened with the illustrious and fascinating stick, knife & empty hand mastery of Punong Guro Tony Marcial. PG Marcial wowed the onlookers with lightening speed. The transition techniques between stick, knife & empty hand was a dazzling display. PG Marcial in his always humble & jovial personality won admiration from all who attended.
After introductions and an overview of the Cabales Serrada Eskrima system as founded by the late Great Grandmaster Angel Cabales, everyone got to work. First up was showing the 12 Angles of Attack as practiced by Cabales Serrada practitioners worldwide. As one could expect, seminar participants started out somewhat overwhelmed by the material covered but as the weekend progressed, they got the hang of things and quick! Besides being shown what the 12 angles represent, participants went through each of the stances, positions and strikes by the numbers.

Hungering for more, the majority of the weekend was spent introducing seminar participants to inside/outside deflections as well as cross block deflections. Working with the first angle of attack due to time constraints, participants learned about the counters to this angle of attack as well as
Preparations for other level attacks. Instruction in the flow picking drill of lock & block was the other major demonstration point to be covered during the fast paced weekend seminar. After introductions and an overview of the Cabales Serrada Eskrima system as founded by the late Great Grandmaster Angel Cabales, everyone got to work. First up was showing the 12 Angles of Attack as practiced by Cabales Serrada practitioners worldwide. As one could expect, seminar participants started out somewhat overwhelmed by the material covered but as the weekend progressed, they got the hang of things and quick! Besides being shown what the 12 angles represent, participants went through each of the stances, positions and strikes by the numbers.

Hungering for more, the majority of the weekend was spent introducing seminar participants to inside/outside deflections as well as cross block deflections. Working with the first angle of attack due to time constraints, participants learned about the counters to this angle of attack as well as
Preparations for other level attacks. Instruction in the flow picking drill of lock & block was the other major demonstration point to be covered during the fast paced weekend seminar

Exhausted but happy, participants left with new appreciation for the teachings of Punong Guro Tony Marical; his style of Marcial Tirada Kali & GGM Cabales and the Davis Cabales system of Serrada Eskrima.

Re: Personal loss for GM Davis & the WSEF

2007-12-31T13:13:00.001-06:00

On December 6, 2007, Harold Davis (GM Davis' father) passed after suffering a long illness.
Born 2/12/31, Davis grew up in Chattanooga, Tenn. He joined the U.S. Airforce in 1950 and served 20 years as a Chef for Commissioned and Non Commissioned officers. Additionally, for his service Davis recieved numerous awards & accommodations for his service of excellence while in the military.
An outstanding soldier, a loyal husband and an above-and -beyond the call a of duty human servant, Harold Davis represented the epitome of a genuine silent soldier.
Please join me by paying respects to GM Davis and his family.
Memorials may be made to : The Davis Family, 613 East Colorado Street, Fairfield, Ca. 94533

Warrior Traditions Interview Part II

2007-10-19T00:42:00.006-05:00

Tue, 25 September 2007
Martial Arts For Real Life Situations- Part Two

Part Two of A Two Part Interview
Dr. Kevin Keough, clinical psychologist and host of Warrior Traditions and North Star Guardians, interviews Punong Guro Mike Schwarz about Serrada Escrima, martial arts and self defense.
In 1979 Mike Schwarz began instructing Tae Kwon Do/Hapkido(Moo Du Kwon) under Master Change Hee Jhoon. It was thru his TKD/Hapkido training that he was able to develop unmatched body conditioning/hardening skills. While in the military he continued training with Moo Du Kwon and obtained his 2nd and eventually 3rd Degree Black Belts.
His initial introduction to the FMA came in 1985. Upon his return from the military in 1991 he continued to study in Serra Escrima. Under Punong Guro Churk Caddell III, he achieved Pansiang Guro status. His empty hand, blade and stick/cane abilities increased under his instruction.
Most recently he obtained the status of Master Instructor level & 2nd degree Master Instructor level in the Davis/Cabales System of Escrima. Additionally, he has been asked to represent Martial Arts International & WSEF (World Serrada Escrima Federation) throughout the midwest and east coast. He represents the ICSDA as a Combat Martial Arts instructor. Recently he was honored by becoming a member of the WMAU Board of Directors and nominated to President of the WCAU (World Combat Arts Union.) Visit Punong Guro Mike Schwarz's website and blog.
Visit Dr. Keough on MySpace
Visit Dr. Keough's Light Therapy website

Warrior Traditions Interview Part I

2007-10-19T00:40:00.002-05:00

Mon, 10 September 2007
Martial Arts For Real Life Situations- An Interview With Punong Guro Mike Schwarz

Dr. Kevin Keough, clinical psychologist and host of Warrior Traditions and North Star Guardians, interviews Punong Guro Mike Schwarz about Serrada Escrima, martial arts and self defense.
In 1979 Mike Schwarz began instructing Tae Kwon Do/Hapkido(Moo Du Kwon) under Master Change Hee Jhoon. It was thru his TKD/Hapkido training that he was able to develop unmatched body conditioning/hardening skills. While in the military he continued training with Moo Du Kwon and obtained his 2nd and eventually 3rd Degree Black Belts.
His initial introduction to the FMA came in 1985. Upon his return from the military in 1991 he continued to study in Serra Escrima. Under Punong Guro Churk Caddell III, he achieved Pansiang Guro status. His empty hand, blade and stick/cane abilities increased under his instruction.
Most recently he obtained the status of Master Instructor level & 2nd degree Master Instructor level in the Davis/Cabales System of Escrima. Additionally, he has been asked to represent Martial Arts International & WSEF (World Serrada Escrima Federation) throughout the midwest and east coast. He represents the ICSDA as a Combat Martial Arts instructor. Recently he was honored by becoming a member of the WMAU Board of Directors and nominated to President of the WCAU (World Combat Arts Union.) Visit his website.

Welcome GM Lee

2007-09-27T17:45:00.002-05:00

The WSEF's Newest Honorary Member
Founder/Honorary GM James D. Lee
One of the most magical and most beautiful things within the world of martial arts is how the different and various styles of martial arts are capable of bringing together the many diversed, but yet similar Master's and Grandmaster teachers together under one common bond. Mutual respect, humility, and lots of hard work seems to be the all-abiding attractive force that creates this unique phenomenon.
One of the primary purposes as to why the "World Serrada Escrima Federation" was founded, is due to the universal similarities and aspects that all martial arts systems share in common with one another. The more diverse that one becomes in the field of martial arts, the more expressive and expansive one' field of reference becomes as well.
Founder and 'Honorary Grandmaster' James D. Lee is a grand example of a person who has not only trained in various styles and forms of martial arts, but he is also a dedicated martial artist who consistantly practices and lives exactly what he preaches.
GM James D. Lee's martial arts career extends as far back to 1968, which is the time period that he first began training from his brother and cousins in the Okinawan system of military combat. With (38) years of martial arts experience behind his black belt's in various fields of self-defense systems, such as 'Kyo Kushin Kai', 'Ninjitsu', 'Hapkido', Ed Parker's 'American Kenpo Karate', 'Goju Karate', 'Kajukenbo', 'Kali/Escrima/Arnis', and 'Vee Jitsu Ryu' as taught by the legendary Professor Florendo Visitacion, GM Lee has been able to go on to formulate, and to establish his own effective method of martial arts known as, "Kuro Shinja Combat Systems" or (Black Snake Systems).
Because of GM James D. Lee's many years of study, competing, and teaching in the illustrious arena of martial arts, the "World Serrada Escrima Federation" as headed by the presiding President & Senior Grandmaster Guru Anthony Davis, is very proud and honoured to accept {GM James D. Lee} as a lifetime member, and as an 'Honorary Grandmaster' within the ranks of the "World Serrada Escrima Federation".
The ''World Serrada Escrima Federation" welcomes our newest member with the 'Greatest of Regards' and with 'Immaculate Honour'.
"Welcome Aboard Brother GM Lee".
Highest Regards!
SGM Guru Anthony Davis/President
WORLD SERRADA ESCRIMA FEDERATION

WSEF Promotions

2007-09-27T15:28:00.002-05:00

SERRADA ESCRIMA/ THE RADIANT LEGACY CONTINUES

Friedrichshafen, Germany- It was a master-plan that planned out masterfully. Recently, in Friedrichshafen, Germany, two of the most prolific figures within the world of Filipino martial arts came together upon international soil in order to further plant the seeds of “Serrada Escrima” and “Jeet Kune Do”.

Both Grandmaster Guru Anthony Davis and Grandmaster Richard S. Bustillo met at the main international headquarters of the “World Serrada Escrima Federation” in the south of Germany. GM Davis the co-founder of the “World Serrada Escrima Federation” and GM Bustillo the chief instructor and president of the “IMB Academy” presented their much respected styles of Filipino martial arts to well over (65) eager seminar participants.

For two-days of non stop intensive action in both the close-quarter systems of “Serrada Escrima” and “Jeet Kune Do” instructor candidates were close-order drilled into some of the

most highly advanced stick/knife/ and empty-hand secrets of these two dynamic and explosive systems of combat martial arts. Kicking off the first series of four of the two-day workshops was the indisputable “Iron Dragon” GM Richard S. Bustillo.

In spite of his (60) plus years; GM Bustillo moved like a man (35) years younger. Still very fast and accurate, GM Bustillo flowed effortlessly from one combat maneuver to the next awing the students continuously with his amazing command of skill and precise contact control. GM Bustillo covered everything in his workshops from the famous Bruce Lee ‘Stop-Kick’ to the amazing signature Bruce Lee ‘One-Inch-Punch’.

Assisting GM Bustillo was his Frankfurt, Germany {IMB Academy} representative, Guru Tobias Ricker. Guru Ricker did a flawless job of interpreting everything in German that was said by GM Bustillo in English. Additionally! Guru Ricker also did an excellent job in translating the fundamental theories behind every technique that GM Bustillo had thoroughly explained and demonstrated.

Next up on deck was the Grandmaster of the “Davis/Cabales Serrada System of Escrima” Anthony Davis. GM Guru Anthony Davis is one of the foremost authorities in the field of Serrada Escrima, and he is one of the primary promoters of the “Angel Cabales Serrada System of Escrima” worldwide. In 1984, GM Davis became a private student of the late GGM Angel Cabales the “Father of Escrima in America”.

Beginning as far back as 1980, GM Davis had begun his studies in the scientific, combative field of Filipino martial arts. Extracting information from some of the best in the FMA circles such as, Guru Dan Inosanto, GM Richard S. Bustillo, Guru Ted Lucaylucay, GM Re ne Latosa, and the late Great Grandmaster Angel Cabales, GM Davis was able to formulate a well rounded hybrid system of Serrada Escrima in which he has coined the “Davis/Cabales Serrada System of Escrima”. In 1980, GM Anthony Davis promoted the very first “Kali/Jeet kune Do” workshops in Cleveland, Ohio, featuring the notorious “dynamic duo” Guru Dan Inosanto, and his main partner, GM Richard S. Bustillo.

GM Richard S. Bustillo told all of the participants at the recent German seminars that “GM Anthony Davis was one of the first persons to promote “Kali” and “Jeet Kune Do” in the early 1980’s”. In order to acknowledge GM Anthony Davis’ many promotions, accomplishments, and contributions within the world martial arts community, GM Bustillo awarded him the prestigious “IMB Academy Gold Medal Award” along with an “IMB” instructors T-shirt.

(L) GM Richard S. Bustillo (C) M/ Bernd Renner & M/P. Eischeid (R) GM A. Davis

As both GM Anthony Davis, and GM Richard S. Bustillo trained at different time periods under the same legendary stick/knife master Angel Cabales, this gave all of the participants at this illustrious gathering a parallel glimpse into the historical past, and into the present ongoing evolution of the art of Serrada Escrima and Jeet Kune Do. Although Filipino martial arts have become widespread all over the world, Germany has become the second largest market place for stick and knife fighting.

In order to secure GM Richard S. Bustillo’s special guest appearance in Germany, the World Serrada Escrima Federation’s president, GM Anthony Davis appointed two of his top German representatives Master Petra Eischeid, and Master Bernd Renner to aid in co-promoting this spectacular event. Master Eischeid in conjunction with Master Renner united as one fist in order to manifest this historical production which resulted into a rare ‘grand-masterful’ affair.

GM Davis stated “It was indeed an immaculate experience to co-star along side of one of the last great (Monongs) a man who was one of the first pioneers that laid down some of the first foundation stones on behalf of Filipino martial arts in America”.

GM Bustillo said “The nice thing about my seminar is seeing an old valued friend like Anthony Davis, and meeting new ones like Sifu Petra Eischeid, and Sifu Bernd Renner, and the students. The seminar may have passed, but the seminar experience and memories are lasting. My very special thanks to Grandmaster Anthony Davis for the hospitality and support in arranging the IMB seminar”. This last set of seminars in Germany represented GM Davis’ 10th. intensive Serrada Escrima workshop within a three month time period.

Simultaneously! as the “Davis/ Bustillo” workshops were taking place in Germany, back in the states the Midwest St. Louis “WSEF” representatives Punong Guru Mike Schwarz, and Master James Perkins, the founder of the “World Martial Arts Union (WMAU) presented a “Davis/Cabales Serrada System of Escrima” workshop in Florida at “Anta’s Fitness and Self-Defense Academy”. Master Anta’s academy is an affiliate and authorized training center for the “World Serrada Escrima Federation”. Additionally! Master Anta is an Apprentice Instructor in the (WSEF).

Just one-week later as a spin off of the “Davis/Bustillo” workshops, the ‘WSEF’ German international representative Master Bernd Renner conducted a ‘Davis/Cabales Serrada System of Escrima’ workshop in Luckau, Germany. As a result of this particular workshop there is now an official ‘WSEF’ representative headquarters in Northern, Germany.

Indeed the golden legacy of the late Great Grandmaster Angel Cabales is definitely being kept alive worldwide by one of Serrada Escrima’s most zealous and most enigmatic ambassador’s within the world triangle of Filipino martial arts, GM Anthony Davis.

For more information regarding the ‘World Serrada Escrima Federation’, products, membership, classes: private and group, seminars, and instructor trainee programs, contact GM Anthony Davis at: anthonyserrada2@yahoo.com

(L) Master James Perkins, (C)
Master Anta; (R) Punong Guru Mike Schwarz

(L) Bernd Renner, GM Richard S. Bustillo, Petra Eischeid, (R) GM Anthony Davis

Serrada Escrima and Self Defense Workshop a Great Success

2007-09-23T19:37:00.001-05:00

Saturday, September 15, Anta's Fitness and Self Defense hosted a WMAU/WSEF Escrima/Self Defense Workshop. Presenting the workshop were Punong Guro Mike Schwarz, Mid West and East Coast director of the World Serrada Escrima Federation (WSEF) and WMAU (World Martial Arts Union) Board of Directors and Master James Perkins founder of the WMAU and Shorinji Goju System.
Guro Mike did an excellent job teaching the Serrada Escrima angles of attack and counters. Two martial Arts instructor attending the event that had taken other Filipino martial arts workshops said that this workshop was the best and most comprehensive workshop that they had attended. Anta's Fitness and Self Defense is an affiliate World Serrada Escrima authorized training center. Master Anta is Apprentice Instructor in the WSEF.
Master Perkins worked with the kids in self defense as Guro Mike drilled the adults in knife vs knife techniques. There after both groups united and Master Perkins demonstrated numerous self defense techniques. Master Anta is on the WMAU Board of Directors and was inducted in 2006 to the WMAU Hall of Fame along side of Serrada Escrima originator Angel Cabales.
Anta has now added the Serrada Escrima curriculum to his Kung Fu classes. Students are now eligible for rank not just in the Chinese art of Kung Fu but also in the Filipino art of Serrada Escrima. Anta's Fitness and Self Defense would like to thank and congratulate Master Perkins and Guro Mike for an awesome seminar.

Upcoming Seminar

2007-08-05T05:01:00.001-05:00

On Saturday, September 15, Anta's Fitness and Self Defense will host a World Martial Arts Union Seminar with Master James Perkins and Punong Guro Mike Schwarz.This is an 8 hour workshop 4 hours of Serrada Escrima and 4 Hours of fighting and self defense strategies.Serrada Escrima is a complete self defense system using numerous weapons and empty hands. Yet, the rattan stick is the main weapon. Serrada Escrima Grand Master Angel Cabales who passed away in 1990 was inducted into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2006 http://www.worldmartialartsunion.us/.The Serrada Escrima Seminar by Punong Guro Schwarz will cover:I. warm up drills & footwork drillsII. introduction of angles of attacksIII. basic deflections for angles of attack introduced in section IIIV. stick disarmsV. empty hand translations for deflections introduced in section IIIVI. empty hand disarmsVII. lock and block drills(stick and knife drills)VIII. basic stick flow drillsMaster James Perkins Street Effectiveness and Quick Knockouts will cover:Strategic Targeting techniques that will drop a man of any size.How to use every inch of your body to develop devastating power.How to wire in these fighting skills quickly and easily.Knowing when to use speed hitting techniques and when to use power (a critical distinction!).How to deal with a boxer.How to instantly disable even the toughest of street criminals.The single most important concept in street fighting (this is where everybody goes wrong!).A single technique (using just one finger) to stop an assailant in his tracks.Why it's not important to be physically gifted or even athletic!Three simple techniques that always work!The surprising reason most Black Belts lose fights!!An amazing technique that will stop ! even a g iant (you'll be impressed with this one).The three biggest mistakes most people make when attacked on the street.7 sure fire ways to drop the jerk now!How to be prepared for a sneak attack.How to deal with a kicker.For more information call Anta's Fitness and Self Defense at 305 599-3649 or e-mail us at fitdef@aol.com.

Biography

2007-06-22T16:35:00.004-05:00

Biography of Michael Schwarz Panginoon Guro Davis/Cabales System of Serrada Escrima

April 2006
Michael Schwarz is a master instructor in the Davis/Cabales System of Serrada Escrima. He prefers though to be addressed by the less formal and more commonplace term, Guro.
Guro Schwarz was born on the 21st September 1961 in East St. Louis, Illinois right on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, more commonly known as the gateway to the great American west. Adopted shortly after his birth, his adoptive parents brought him up in the small farming town of New Baden, Illinois exposing him to sports like little league baseball and other activities common to many American children. His father, who as a young man played minor league baseball, exposed young Mike very early to the combat arts. Himself a Golden Gloves boxer, he was determined to provide young Mike with the tools needed to defend himself. Over the years, those early lessons from the age of 10 fueled his drive to seek out and learn from the very best and also those not so well known in the combat arts fields.
Like many of his generation, Guro Schwarz became a fan of Bruce Lee and marveled at all the things he did with such explosive power. Prior to his movie career, Bruce Lee was on the small screen entrancing millions in his role as Kato, trustworthy aide to the Green Hornet, in an action series of the same name. Weekly, his ability to defend himself with his hands and feet pushed thousands like Mike, to pursue the previously unknown world of eastern martial arts. Following television, Bruce Lee made the successful leap to the big screen capturing the hearts of millions world wide and setting in place, a permanent interest in eastern arts that continues today long after his passing.
Because American culture in the 1960's was less violent than it is today, Mike like many others faced resistance from his mother when he expressed a desire to learn to defend himself. Finally after years of control, he rebelled at the age of 15 and began his study of the martial arts that continues to this day.
Breaking free of the chains of parental control, a now teenaged Mike looked at his available training options and settled on a combination of Tae Kwon Do/Hapkido/Judo. He began his studies in the system under the late 7th degree black belt Master Chang He Yhoon in the nearby city of Belleville, Illinois in 1977. As PG Schwarz describes it, the school rolled all three disciplines into one and for a while, all three were taught at once. As traditional as Korean schools can be he recalls such events as running in the winter snow barefoot for 10 minutes, lifting two people at once for throwing strength, and performing contusion blows, kicks and blocks repeatedly.

Today of course, it would be considered cruel to subject children to this type of training and it's likely some adults would be unable to cope. Putting his heart and soul into training, he managed to earn his 1st Degree Black Belt just two years later in 1979. A change in priorities would slow down his progress as he earned his 2nd Degree belt in the later part of the 1980's and his 3rd Degree in 1992. However, while Guro Schwarz does not currently train in the system, he is a lifetime member of the Midwest Martial Arts Association.
After spending some months assisting Master Yhoon in his school by teaching Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido, PG Schwarz ventured out on his own. To keep his hand in the arts, he taught in community centers and any place where one could hold a class. Branching out into organizing and leading self-defense seminars, he began to broaden his knowledge base by exploring Goju Ryu Naha Te and Aikijutsu and studied these formats for 2 years.

In 1985, Guro Schwarz discovered the California Martial Arts Academy (CMAA), which was located in St Louis, Missouri and where he began his on-going 21-year journey into the Filipino Martial Arts. Like many schools across America, CMAA hosted seminars by the noted Masters Dan Inosanto and the late Ted LucayLucay among others, where students could get an introduction to different martial systems for their curiosity or as a launching off point for training.

Guro Schwarz with the late Ted LucayLucay

Unfortunately for Guro Schwarz, his journey was short lived as he experienced the FMA for just five months. Why? Did he grow bored with the precision, the constant foot and hand drills, the repetition? No, life took a different route and training would wait.

In 1985, Mr. Schwarz became Seaman Schwarz as he began a tour of service with the United States Navy. After boot camp and advanced technical training, Guro Schwarz traveled both nationally and internationally while working in the communications field. Not surprisingly, he continued his martial training, as it can be readily found in and around most military installations worldwide. While in the Navy, he was exposed to Burmese Bando and continued in his study of Tae Kwon Do where he received his 2nd Dan Black Belt. Continuing to develop his love of teaching, PG Schwarz also taught in his off duty time exposing other service members to the martial arts.

Serving honorably, he had left the Navy and resettled in Illinois. After some time to himself to decide the path he wished to follow, his spark for the Filipino Martial Arts was again re-lit and he decided to seek out an instructor. After some soul searching, he came upon yet another Master of Cabales Escrima, Pangulong Guro Charles Cadell. For just shy of a decade, he was involved with Master Cadell and his style of instruction. Guro Schwarz always gives credit to Master Cadell for giving him a well-rounded understanding of Cabales Serrada that serves him well today. Master Cadell not only exposed him to the techniques of Cabales Serrada, but also provided him with an education based upon his own personal experiences and direct teachings, about the man behind the system himself Grand Master Angel Cabales. During his time under Master Cadell, Guro Schwarz was awarded his basic instructorship in 1995 and continued to train with Master Cadell until 1997.

Master Cadell has and continues to be a leading trainer of law enforcement and corrections personnel within the state of Illinois as he also works for the state Department of Corrections. Due to the demands of his career, he currently teaches only a small select group of individuals who are ranked under him. While with Master Cadell, Guro Schwarz and others assisted in the development and use of the techniques that are now trained to Illinois law enforcement personnel. It's safe to say that the blunt weapon and empty hand techniques currently used within the Illinois Department Of Corrections were tried and tested in those training sessions so very long ago. We look forward to the day when Master Cadell once again has the time to share his experiences and training in Cabales Serrada, as career demands have most unfortunately kept him off the training and seminar circuit. Recognized in most circles as the last individual personally awarded his Master certificate in Serrada escrima by Angel Cables, his place in martial history is secure as are his accomplishments.

During the time following his break from Master Cadell, Guro Schwarz stayed busy perfecting his skills by teaching private lessons and doing seminars for local church groups. All the while he was doing this, he kept looking at what was available locally, regionally and nationally. Like all of those with a passion in their heart to be the best that they can be, he kept on searching for a way to move up to the next level in his personal martial training journey.

In 2003, he began to look towards affiliating himself with one of the remaining masters of GM Cabales. With Master Cadell as the only master within close proximity and no longer and started researching who best could lead him on his path to fulfillment. Clearly, any of GM Cabales' masters could teach, but PG Schwarz was looking for the connection on a person-to-person level. After speaking with GM Anthony Davis, he decided to become an affiliate and instructor in the Davis/Cabales System of Serrada Escrima in 2004. Not only is GM Davis his primary instructor, he's also a mentor schooling Guro Schwarz in the intricate details of managing a system and most importantly, he's a valued friend.

Growing an organization of course is not easy and between the two of them, Grand Master Davis covers the western half of the United States, while Guro Schwarz has the eastern half as split by the US Rocky Mountain Range. To help build a unity with all those interested in the Davis/Cabales System of Serrada Escrima, Guro Schwarz hosts and maintains a discussion group at:
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/WSEFflow/
To spread the word so to speak, he also maintains his own website at www.defensivecombat.com where he has posted basic information on the Davis/Cabales system for the curious. Not surprisingly, he receives inquiries from those who study the Filipino Martial Arts both beginner to expert as well as those who do not and are either curious or wish to supplement the arts that they already study.
Guro Schwarz has by his own count, influenced literally hundreds of students over his long martial career while teaching Tae Kwon Do and down to the five that he’s currently instructing in Davis/Cabales Serrada Escrima, to include two who wish to become instructors in their own right.
The statement that "Knowledge Means Power" is clearly evident in the Martial World as well as in life, something Guro Schwarz is dedicated to showing to all who entrust him. Anxious to get back into the seminar circuit, he has appeared at the Fight Back Self Defense School providing the students of Sensei Joe Finchen exposure to the Filipino Martial Arts.

Guro Schwarz with PG Darren Tibon

Guro Schwarz and PG Jeff Finder
Since his association with GM Davis began, it's been a whirlwind of activity for Guro Schwarz along with GM Davis in trying to get the WSEF up and running. As with any organization, things have to be planned and decisions made. One of the first things they wanted to do, monumental in itself, was to establish the WSEF as a premiere Filipino martial arts organization. They also wanted the WSEF to be open to all who wish to preserve, regardless of system or style, the legacy and teachings of the late Grand Master Angel Cabales.

To launch the WSEF in a matter befitting of their aims, they planned and held a recent seminar and banquet that honored the life, legacy and teachings of GM Angel Cabales. Held in Sacramento, California the event drew martial artists from across California and beyond.

The most remarkable and distinguishing honor that anyone could wish for was that GM Vincent Cabales Sr. himself, GM Angel's successor, was able to make it to the event. It truly was an honor for those present to have GM Cabales share in the celebration of his father's life and martial accomplishments. Not only did PG Schwarz receive his 2nd level masters instructorship in the Davis/Cabales System of Serrada Escrima at this event, held in March 2006, but he was able to meet some of the people who have been closely aligned with the Cabales Serrada Escrima system itself. Three people among the many there that left a lasting impression and their mark were PG's Carlito Bonjoc, Darren Tibon and Jeff Finder. Each has their own story to tell about their special relationship with GM Cabales and how that has helped shaped their own contributions to the Cabales legacy and to their own personal achievements as well.

For the future, the sky's the limit, both literally and figuratively as far as the WSEF is concerned. Both GM Davis and Guro Schwarz intend to make it their life's mission to preserve the Cabales System just as GM Angel would have wished. For that, they have our deepest respects and gratitude for not sitting back and doing nothing. As they say, actions speak louder than words!

Excellent Flexible Weapon For Street Readiness

2007-06-22T15:10:00.001-05:00

An old Italian man was tired of his little grandson getting picked on, so he purchased some handkerchiefs, marbles, and a teddy bear. The grandson was instructed by his Grandfather to tie a marble or steel ball bearing into one corner of the handkerchief, and in the far corner a knot to grip onto. A strike with the weapon hand palm up and the ball bearing or marble would be in the left hand, so that the impact of the swinging marble would crash down hard on top of the teddy bear's head. The grandson was instructed to continue practicing that technique everyday, which he did. One day the Grandson bounced the steely on top of the bully's head real hard and then the old Grandfather was accused of teaching his Grandson to hurt other children. The old man said he wasn't going to lie about it, that he taught him some other stuff too so that bullies can get hurt real good, then they won't pick on his Grandson no more because it won't be fun anymore once they realize it is them getting hurt instead of his Grandson. I don't know what the final verdict was, but apparently the technique almost killed the bully.

Found this posted sometime ago. I don't recall who the author was, but definitely valid information for our consideration.

2007-06-22T14:59:00.001-05:00

SERRADA ESCRIMA VISITS MONASTIC ISLAND OF REICHENAU

Reichenau, Germany- Recently Grandmaster Anthony Davis returned from the island of Reichenau located in southern Germany. GM Davis conducted and completed a series of advanced Serrada Escrima workshops on the island, and, he left such a great impression there that he was asked to return again before the year is out. The promoter of the workshops Petra Eischeid, is an Advanced Davis/Cabales Serrada Escrima Apprentice Instructor who is currently privately studying Serrada Escrima under GM Anthony Davis. Additionally, Gura Eischeid is currently working on her 1st Degree Master rank under GM Davis' auspices as well. The island of Reichenau on Lake Constance in Germany preserves the traces of the Benedictine monastery, founded in 724, which exercised remarkable spiritual influence. The churches of Saint Mary and Marcus, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and Saint George, mainly built between the 9th and 11th centuries, provide a panorama of early medieval monastic architecture in central Europe. Their wall paintings bear witness to impressive artistic activity. According to GM Anthony Davis, the training that the students on the island of Reichenau received was precise, well articulated and extremely effective. GM Davis gave the Reichenau workshop participants breakdown information about his own personal martial arts background, along with background history concerning his Serrada Escrima teacher the late Grandmaster Angel Cabales. Students also learned valuable insights about Filipino history, various Filipino cultures, and Serrada Escrima's unique footwork along with Serrada Escrima's shortstick close-quarter combat counterstriking tactics. GM Anthony Davis has been conducting Serrada Escrima workshops in Germany for well over 15 years. Also, GM Davis has worked extensively with Germany's special (Anti-Terrorists Division) known as [GSG9]. Various German criminal departments have found that GM Davis' close-quarter stick and knife combat training is adaptable to their own methods of close-quarter combat training. Stated GM Davis, "The science and the art of the Davis/Cabales Serrada System of Escrima can be adapted into any art form or into any system of martial arts". Indeed many of the participants at the Reichenau workshops came from various different backgrounds and from many diverse professions. Doctors, dancers, martial artists, school teachers and massage therapists all came together in order to synchronize into one harmonious group in order to experience and learn the ancient immaculate art of the Davis/Cabales Serrada System of Escrima.

Interview With GrandMaster Anthony Davis

2007-06-22T14:58:00.002-05:00

GRANDMASTER GURU ANTHONY DAVIS

AN INTERVIEW WITH GRANDMASTER
GURU
ANTHONY DAVIS
by Ronald Ruppin
( Part One )
This interview is reprinted from the book titled: The Legacy of Grandmaster Angel Cabales; Serrada Escrima Explosive Empty Hand Fighting; by Anthony Davis with Leo T. Fong. Additionally, as the book was published in 1999, some of the questions and answers in the interview have been updated for this blog.
Q: Grandmaster Davis, you look rather young to be a Grandmaster, just how long have you been involved in the field of martial arts?
AD: Currently, I am forty-nine years old, and I've been involved in martial arts for over 30 years.
Q: Of the many styles of martial arts you have studied, which style or styles do you prefer the most?
AD: There are three styles of martial arts that have worked well for me after many years of training; these are Tai Chi Chuan, Western Boxing, and Serrada Escrima.
Q: Why do you prefer these three particular styles of martial arts?
AD: One of the first principles that I learned from Tai Chi Chuan is the value of relaxation. By being more relaxed I am able to execute faster strikes. Western Boxing fine-tuned my hand reflexes and footwork. And most importantly Boxing helped to increase my stamina. Serrada Escrima is the bread and butter of my art of fighting. The effectiveness of Serrada Escrima lies within its simplicity of application. Whether or not a person uses weapons or their barehands, Serrada Escrima can be a vital asset to anyone's system of combat.
Q: Who were your instructors of the three styles of martial arts that you just mentioned?
AD: My Tai Chi Chuan teacher was the late Wu Shing Tai Chi Chuan founder and Grandmaster John K.Wong. My boxing coach and current trainer is a former champion boxer from Mexico City by the name of Jesus Lopez Sr. My Serrada Escrima instructor was the late legendary stick and knife fighter Great Grandmaster Angel O. Cabales.
Q: Grandmaster Davis, of all of the teachers that you have trained under, GGM Angel Cabales is by far the most famous of them all, when and where did you first meet him?
AD: I first met GGM Angel Cabales in 1984 in San Francisco, California. I had organized and scheduled a special Filipino martial arts seminar featuring world renowned " Jeet Kune Do/Kali " Guro Dan Inosanto. Due to illness, Mr. Inosanto was unable to attend the seminar. After a considerable amount of panic upon my part, I was able to obtain from GM Rene Latosa the telephone numbers of the late Jiu Jitsu/Escrima Grandmaster Gilbert Tenio, Bahala Na Grandmaster Leo Giron, and GGM Angel Cabales. GGM Angel Cabales was the primary Escrima instructor of three of Bruce Lee's top students, Prof. Leo T. Fong, Guro Dan Inosanto, and GM Richard Bustillo. The late Escrima Master Ted Lucaylucay had also received his Advanced Serrada Escrima certificate from GGM Angel Cabales as well. The seminar took place as planned and it was an overwhelming sucess. Additionally, Grandmaster Gilbert Tenio along with his assistant instructor GM John Eliab co-starred with GGM Angel Cabales at this same event making this affair a unique part of martial arts history.
Q: Besides having been a private student of GGM Angel Cabales, in what other capacities did you work with him?
AD: My special agreement with GGM Angel Cabales centered around me promoting him and his art of Serrada Escrima to the fullest of my capabilities. In return, GGM Angel Cabales agreed to teach me privately as much as he could about his system of Escrima.
Q: Grandmaster Davis, it seems that after GGM Angel Cabales died on March 3, 1991, a lot of old and new faces have surfaced. Also, I have noticed that all of these old and new personalities claim that they are teaching the pure art of GGM Cabales' style of Escrima. How do you feel about some of these people and the claims that they are making and have made?
AD: In my opinion there is no such thing as a pure anything. Even GGM Angel Cabales told me many times that he changed a lot of the information about Escrima that he had learned from his teacher Grand Guru Felicisimo Dizon. GGM Cabales said that he did this because there were numerous combative tactics that Dizon could perform that he could not perform, so in order to compensate for what he could not emulate from the old " Wizard ", GGM Cabales created new innovations that worked well for him. Thus, is why GGM Cabales coined his style of fighting the " Cabales Serrada System of Escrima ". Serrada or (Cerrado) is a Spanish word which means "to close". Escrima is a French word which means "to skirmish".
Q: About four decades have already passed since GGM Angel Cabales opened the first official Filipino martial arts academy in America in 1966, in Stockton, California. Did GGM Angel Cabales ever have any discussions with you concerning any of his first generation students such as; Mangisursuro Mike G. Inay, Grandmaster Dentoy Revillar, Guro Dan Inosanto, GM Rene Latosa, GM Leo Giron, Master Jimmy Tacosa and others?
AD: Yes he did. Basically, GGM Angel Cabales always spoke ninety-five percent positive about all of his former students. Even though some of his old school students had broken away from him and formulated their own Escrima organizations, GGM Cabales never really put any of them down. In my latter years I have come to realize that GGM Cabales had firmly established a personal bond with each and every one of his former students; as he had with me, and he inwardly knew that all of his graduate instructors would continue to represent him in their own individual ways. GGM Angel Cabales always beamed with pride whenever he talked about any of his students. However, whatever disgruntlements GGM Angel Cabales may have had with any of his students, he never voiced them too publicly. GGM Angel Cabales was a genuine gentleman, and a very seasoned fighter as well. If GGM Cabales did have anything to say to you he would confront you face to face if he could. This is what I really admired the most about GGM Angel Cabales, he was not the type of a person that would stab you in the back.
Q: Grandmaster Davis, I understand that you were one of the second persons that introduced GGM Angel Cabales' style of Escrima into various parts of Europe?
AD: This is true. The first Serrada Escrima student to introduce Cabales' Escrima style into Germany was GM Rene Latosa. In 1989, GGM Angel Cabales and I decided that it was about time to take his art of Escrima into the international market. So together we devised a master plan to first re-plant the seeds of his fighting style in Berlin, Germany. As I was born in Augsburg, Germany, I was pretty sure that I could firmly establish his art form there. So in 1990, I flew alone to Berlin, Germany specifically for this purpose. Once in Germany I began the first steps of constructing an international base on behalf of the Cabales Serrada System of Escrima. Once I had settled into Germany, I literally taught Serrada Escrima as a guest instructor at several German and Turkish martial arts academies. None of the schools in Berlin, Germany had ever been exposed to Serrada Escrima before, and it was a laborious and a monumental task establishing Serrada Escrima at many of these schools. I had to literally engage in numerous street battles in order to convince the German and Turkish martial artists that the art and science of Serrada Escrima was no joke and that it really does work. Additionally, I went on to establish Serrada Escrima outlets in Switzerland and in the country of Turkey as well.
Grandmaster Guru Anthony Davis ( Part Two )

( Part Two )

Q: Grandmaster Davis, I understand that you are not only a great and talented martial artist, but, I have also found out that you are an extremely gifted writer as well.
AD: Well to tell you the truth, I have been writing since I was 13 years old. I hand printed my very first book. The name of the book is titled:The Dawn Of Man. The book is a take off story about the famous anthropologist Dr. Leakey, and is about some of the ancient human discoveries of early man that he made in Africa.
Q: Wow! thats amazing that you wrote a book at such a young age. Can you present to the readers of this interview one of your published articles so that we can get an idea about your particular style of writing.
AD: I'd be more than happy to share one of my latest articles that was published in the 'August 2004 edition of Inside Kung Fu Magazine'.

LESSONS FROM ANGEL; " Learning from the great
Angel Cabales involved much more than fighting technique."
by Anthony Davis
This article is dedicated to the memory of the late escrimador Grandmaster Angel Cabales, whose pioneering efforts were responsible for introducing the Filipino art of combat known as Serrada Escrima to the Western world in 1966. Those fortunate enough to have trained with Cabales discovered his simple, but yet profound approach toward close-quarter combat. On the surface the different techniques that Cabales devised and perfected look simple and basic, but in practice his movements reflect depth and emotional content. Not only is the Angel Cabales Serrada System of Escrima a practical, spiritual and scientific system of combat, it is also an adaptable combat system as well. In his younger days, Cabales engaged in many fights, some of which were life-and-death encounters. The fact that Cabales survived his combat skirmishes is a testimony to the effectiveness of his approach.
Serrada Escrima is not only based upon technique, but also, on theories and, concepts that were developed and refined through the years by Cabales himself. Cabales learned the rudimentary foundation of the Filipino art of escrima from his mentor Felicisimo Dizon. I began studying Serrada Escrima in 1984 in Stockton, California. With several years of genuine combat experience under my belt, I knew that after having witnessed Cabales in action he was indeed a genuine weapons master. Cabales said to me that his intentions were not to inflict on me his style of martial arts, but rather to show me things that I could use to make my style of martial arts better. Cabales also said, "Any student whose primary focus is to be a carbon copy of his teacher is doing themselves a great disservice. No one can be exactly like the teacher and still retain their own personal identity." In essence, the Cabales Serrada System of Escrima was designed as a method of self-transformation of the soul. In this hands-on learning system, Cabales called the highest level of attainment " presence of mind " or spontaneous intelligent reaction. When a person is seriously engaged in close-quarter combat, there is no time for thinking, feeling, choosing or judging what is occuring from moment to moment. Here's how Cabales described it:
On June 3, 1990, I traveled to Cabales' home to conduct an interview. Although I had spoken to Cabales many times about his style, I was always reluctant to ask him about his death matches. Cabales told me that escrima death matches were an integral part of the ancient warrior traditions of the Philippines. " To willfully test one's skills in an actual match to the death is the ultimate test of true skill and courage, " he noted. Cabales added, " Whenever you are engaged in mortal combat you must forget about all of the antics of your opponent. One must not worry about things like how big or strong or how great your opponent's reputation is. One must remain calm but as alert as possible and strike the enemy down with accuracy, certainty and power. "
Cabales insisted that to survive in any life or death encounter, you have to bypass all negative and positive conflictualities. Any type of conflictuality constricts the natural flow or " presence of mind." Freezing in the midst of a life or death encounter can be fatal. It is only in a natural state of mind that one can effectively defend himself against myriad of attacks. Cabales taught me that obtaining high levels of rank or degrees should never be the primary focus of a martial arts aspirant. Instead, a practitioner should focus upon the metaphysical ingredients that lie behind all of the external formulas for fighting. According to Angel, no level of rank could ever equate with the raw courage and skill that is latent within the hearts and minds of every human being. A real warrior works from a position of practicality, and begins the process of becoming a master craftsman by using whatever personality he has at the time.
To Angel Cabales, befriending and assisting a person with the elevation of their mind was his greatest and highest achievement award in his life.The Cabales Serrada System of Escrima was designed for thinkers and for all those who are seeking a supreme martial arts lifestyle. The art of escrima as developed by Grandmaster Angel Cabales entails many aspects of the art of combat. " In order to make my art of Serrada Escrima serve the present time, we only have to assemble or reassemble my art into its fullest dimension scientifically, and then my students have to bring to life my art of escrima and then make it there own," Cabales suggested. Angel stated that his style of fighting could not fail him in any combative encounter. In Angel's mind his art could never fail him because he always thought in a positivistic way.
The Serrada System of Escrima as taught by Angel Cabales was very people oriented. Cabales was not only the first escrima master to open an escrima academy in America, he was also amongst one of the first Filipino masters to teach outside of his race. Finally, Angel Cabales believed in the eternal goodness of man. Even when the usurers were closing in on him, he still had faith in the Serrada Escrima system. After more than 21 years of practicing and promoting the Serrada Escrima System of martial arts; I still discover hidden clues that unearth some of the deepest secrets of the Angel Cabales Serrada System of Escrima. It's these energy-releasing secrets that continue to propel me upon an " Endless Journey " of self-discovery.
RP: " Thank you very much for sharing this story with our readership Grandmaster Guru Anthony Davis. The article that you wrote for ' Inside Kung Fu Magazine ' certaintly serves to reveal some of the very intricate insights into the mindset of the late Great Grandmaster Angel Cabales.
AD: You are most welcome!

Grandmaster Guru Anthony Davis ( Part Three )

ANGEL CABALES' LAST PERSONAL INTERVIEW
by Anthony Davis
( Part Three )

Prior to his death in 1991, Grandmaster Guru Anthony Davis conducted this last personal interview with GGM Angel Cabales at his home in Stockton, California. This interview will give to you the reader a more profound glimpse into the mind of Great Grandmaster Angel Cabales.

Anthony Davis: Grandmaster Cabales, how long have you been teaching Escrima in America; as well as in the Philippines?
Angel Cabales: Since 1936, I have taught some of my friends in the Philippines, and in this country, I started teaching Ecrima in 1966. But! unofficially I began teaching in America in 1965 before I opened my first academy.
AD: It appears that you were also one of the first martial arts entrepreneurs of this time period. For one, you held a business license along with a commercial studio as well.
AC: Yea, that's right.
AD: Has Escrima changed that much from the past as far as what you see today?
AC: No! not concerning my style, it's the same.
AD: I know that some styles of Filipino martial arts have different strikes or numbers. How many numbers does your style have?
AC: The serrada style as I teach it has twelve numbers.
AD: The word Serrada means close?
AC: Yes, it means close.
AD: Is Serrada a style that that you learned yourself?
AC: I originally learned Escrima from Felicisimo Dizon of the Philippines.
AD: How many numbers did Dizon know?
AC: Twelve, but he also knew an additional twenty-one numbers.
AD: So, in 1966 you had some pretty famous students didn't you?
AC: Oh yea! just like Dan Inosanto, Richard Bustillo, Mike Inay, Jimmy Tacosa, Leo Fong, and lots of others.
AD: So you definitely did have a lot to do with Dan Inosanto's training and Richard Bustillo's training during those formative years?
AC: Yes I did.
AD: Because Inosanto and Bruce Lee were so close, I can only imagine that Dan Inosanto taught Bruce Lee some of your stick fighting method?
AC: Yes he did, because when Bruce Lee left for Hong Kong, Dan Inosanto and Richard Bustillo were still my students, and at that time Bruce Lee was still living in Los Angeles.
AD: What year was that?
AC: That was in 1970, and 1971.
AD: That was right about the time that Dan Inosanto began to popularize Filipino martial arts?
AC: Right! it was during that time , and since that time when I first opened my academy on 136 East Harding Way, in Stockton, California, until now I'm still teaching.
AD: I've heard people refer to you as the " Father of Escrima " in this country?
AC: This is true, and I feel that I deserve this title because during the 1960's, there were no Filipino's teaching the Filipino martial arts to the public, just me.
AD: And at that time period Escrima was literally unknown, Kung Fu, Karate and Judo were the arts more popular at that time?
AC: Escrima was taught before the 1960's, but not to the general public. It was taught only in workcamps or in the backyards, but never to the general public.
AD: Do you look at Escrima as more of a sport discipline, or more as for self-defense?
AC: See! Escrima is more for protecting your life, and is really for self-defense, but, you can convert it to a sport.
AD: What level of Escrima do you prefer the most?
AC: Well, the combat level, because concerning the word self-defense. Escrima is designed to save your life.
AD: Angel tell me about the actual Escrima matches you had in Stockton.
AC: Right! there are a lot of escrimadors here in Stockton. And many of them tried me, and they never won because their style's only consist of numbers one to three, or five, and my knowledge is from numbers one to twelve.
AD: So you had the upperhand on your opponents?
AC: Oh yea! because their knowledge is different and they did not know all of the targets; and especially the " Largo Mano " guys or long range fighters. I had already tangled with their style in the Philippines. So I was already familiar with their method of fighting.
AD: Angel, as I understand it, your system of Serrada Escrima was once a secret system, even in the Philippines?
AC: Yes! because it was a hidden art, and only certain people could learn it, like family and " close friends." Besides that, I was going to at first teach Serrada Escrima secretly, but a friend of mine Max Sarmiento persuaded me to officially represent the Filipino martial arts in America. It took me a long time before I was convinced to teach Serrada publicly.
AD: So! since that time Serrada has become very popular, and you have attracted some new celebrities such as Graciela Casillas?
AC: Yea! because when other Filipino stylist see the Serrada Escrima style, they don't care about their long stick methods anymore. So, people like Casillas see the effectiveness of the close-range system of Serrada, so they convert.
Note: This rare interview on Great Grandmaster Angel Cabales concludes the first half of his personal story. In ( Part Four ) of this up-close and candid interview on the Great Grandmaster, Angel Cabales will further discuss more about some of his combat secrets; and, he will furhter discuss more about his special connection to well known former Boxing and Kick/Boxing Champion, and Serrada Escrima Advanced Instructor Gura Graciela Casillas. For those who are interested in purchasing the visual and audio production of Great Grandmaster Angel Cabales; contact GM Anthony Davis at: anthonyserrada2@yahoo.com

Grandmaster Guru Anthony Davis ( Part Four )

GRACIELA CASILLAS

" THE INDOMITABLE WARRIOR "

by Anthony Davis

( Part Four )

In ( Part Three ) it was mentioned that Graciela Casillas was one of Great Grandmaster Angel Cabales' Advanced Graduate Instructors. In (Part Four) we will further investigate the inner dynamics that went into play that brought the " Warrior Princess " into contact with the " Grand Old Master."

One of the primary reasons as to why a lot of people become fanatically involved in the study of martial arts is due to the superior level of self-imposed discipline, along with the physical flawlessness of mastery that can be attained by way of practicing martial arts. To witness a highly skilled and advanced martial artist in combative action, " Is to see poetry in motion ". The study and pratice of various forms of martial arts is one of the most effective ways to synchronize the mind, body, and the spirit into one harmonious unit.

When an initiate of martial arts is able to sucessfully combine these three ingredients into one harmonious accord, one will then have reached a superior state of mind in which the Buddhist call " Nirvana " or enlightment. When the state of nirvana has efficiently been messhed into the martial artist' mind, body and soul, the martial arts initiate then becomes " One'd or Yoked to the Supreme Being ".

Graciela Casillas is a prime example of an individual that has obtained this conscious state of mind or ' Nirvana.' A 1989 BLACK BELT HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE: ( WOMAN OF THE YEAR ), Graciela Casillas formally held the,

'WORLD KARATE ASSOCIATION BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE'. Undefeated with a fight record of 30-0, with 14 KO's to her credit, Graciela Casillas personifies the essence of a modern day " Princess Josephina." Additionally, Gura Casillas is the first woman to be promoted directly by GGM Angel Cabales to the 'Advanced Instructors Level' within the ' Cabales Serrada System of Escrima.'

I first met Gura Casillas at a time when she was still known as Graciela Casillas. In 1987 by way of Wing Chun Master William Henderson, I had the distinctive honor of personally meeting one of martial art's most illustrious fighter's of all time. As an experienced martial artist myself, and prior to meeting Gura Casillas, I was already familiar with her notorious fight record.

My primary attraction to Gura Casillas was due to the fact that I was aware that she had been extensively trained by the " Ubiquitous " Guro Dan Inosanto. As I had met Guro Inosanto, and GM Richard Bustillo as far back as 1980 at a " Jeet Kune Do/Kali " seminar in Ohio that I promoted and hosted; I figured that if Gura Casillas had trained in Filipino martial arts under Guro Inosanto's personalized tutelage, then she was definitely upon a blazing trail; as Guro Dan Inosanto himself had privately studied and gained his teacher's credentials directly from GGM Angel Cabales.

Gura Casillas' reputation as a ferocious combatant in the arena of martial arts, and also, in the world of boxing, is what ultimately led me to personally introduce her directly to GGM Angel Cabales. As I was one of GGM Cabales' personal assistants in the mid 1980's, part of my duties on behalf GGM Cabales was to bring him into contact with as many viable martial artists as possible. I guess you can say that I acted as GGM Angel Cabales' scout. I was also very instrumental in recommending other martial arts practitioners to GGM Cabales such as; Master Guru Lee Foster, Advanced Serrada Escrima Instructor Jeff Finder, Wing Chun Master Bill Henderson, Master Guro Cliff Stewart who met GGM Cabales by way of myself and Graciela Casillas. And of course there are other top martial artists whom I personally introduced to GGM Cabales as well, such as; Actor/Kung Fu Master Eric Lee, GM Taky Kubota's protege Master Jim Mather, former Boxing Champion Jesus Lopez Sr., and my 'Wu Shing Tai Chi Chuan' instructor Great Prof. John K. Wong.

GGM Angel Cabales was just as eager to meet Gura Casillas as she was to meet him. GGM Angel Cabales was an avid lover of boxing, and he felt deeply convicted within himself that he could impart to Gura Casillas the " Master Keys " that are the chief ingredients that underlies his style of Serrada Escrima.

Personally, I found Gura Casillas to be extremely meticulous and very studious. Observing Gura Casillas working out under GGM Angel Cabales' auspices was indeed " Poetry in motion ". As meticulous as Gura Casillas was in terms of her study of Serrada Escrima, is just as meticulous as GGM Angel Cabales was in helping her to "fine-tune" her Escrima skills.

On the day that Gura Graciela Casillas received her " Cabales Serrada Escrima Advanced Degree " from GGM Angel Cabales, there were several top notch martial arts dignitaries on hand to witness her graduation such as; Prof. Wally Jay, Cliff Stewart, Jimmy Tacosa, Sultan Uddin, David Mau, William Henderson, and myself. Gura Graciela Casillas' continuous pursuit toward " Supreme Excellence " is truly what qualifies her to be called the " Indomitable Warrior ".

Grandmaster Guru Anthony Davis ( Part Five )

ANGEL CABALES' LAST PERSONAL INTERVIEW
by Anthony Davis
( Part Five )

In (Part Five) titled " Angel Cabales' Last Personal Interview " GM Davis continues, and completes his journalistic interview on the late Great Grandmaster Angel Cabales. In this interview GGM Angel Cabales discusses with Anthony why he feels that his short stick method of Escrima is more superior than the " Largo Mano or long-hand style of Escrima." GGM Angel Cabales contends that no matter how long an escrimadors stick or blade might be, he states that he can still effectively counter them with a blade or stick no longer than 18 inches in length.

Anthony Davis: Grandmaster Angel Cabales, why do you think or feel that the short stick is more effective than the long stick?
Angel Cabales: Because it is short, and when the short stick is used in combat it has more power than the long stick.
AD: it seems like the long stick would have the command of reach in this case?
AC: It has reach but not a lot of power.
AD: So even with a short stick you can counter a long stick effectively?
AC: Even if a person uses a stick one mile long, I can still counter them with a stick eighteen inches long.
AD: This means that the Serrada Escrima system must be highly effective?
AC: Well, see in my style, once again I am very familiar with the long stick tactics.
AD: Even against any type of blade will the Serrada Escrima techniques still work the same way?
AC: All of the Serrada Escrima defensive techniques are the same, nothing changes. For instance, we have at least nine different counters for a number one strike; which is the most basic attack in all styles of fighting. Whether or not your opponent strikes you with a weapon, or even if you have no weapon at all, you will still be able to counter your opponent in the same way.
AD: I've noticed that the Serrada System of Escrima is a very tight style of fighting. It's as if you let or allow your opponent to commit an attack upon you purposely, is this correct?
AC: Well, Serrada Escrima's favorite strategy is that the opponent will hit us first, but once a fight has started, and if the opponent doesn't hit us first, then we hit them.
AD: It appears that most of the people who come to you for training are already experienced in some form of martial arts?
AC: Right! well see the people that are involved in the martial arts, especially the one's who have been involved for many years, are smart enough to figure out which system of martial arts that they prefer the most. They know what they are looking for.
AD: When you have actually engaged in combat like yourself, would you say that you can more readily teach a person what to expect in an actual confrontation?
AC: Yea! thats right.
AD: How do you work on honing a persons reflexes in your system in order to make a person react more quickly to an attack?
AC: Sparring, and a drill that I call " Lock and Block."
AD: You have another technique in your system called " Picking." Exactly what is picking?
AC: Picking is the art of faking a person out so that you can force them to commit an offensive or defensive maneuver in order to counter-attack them more easily.
AD: Are there things that your master teacher Felicisimo Dizon taught you that you do not teach to anyone else?
AC: No, I teach everything I know.
AD: A lot of people would consider that to be an unwise business strategy on your part. Why dont you see it that way?
AC: Because my reason is; is that if I teach everything that I have learned my students will be prepared to face any kind of an attack. " So I teach everything that I know."
AD: Would you say that Serrada Escrima is a complete system of martial arts?
AC: Oh Yea! because all of the other styles can easily be found mixed within Serrada Escrima. So whatever you are looking for you can find it within Serrada Escrima.
AD: So where do you see Serrada Escrima ten years from now?
AC: I see Serrada Escrima expanding all over the world and passed down from generation to generation.
AD: Are there any last words that you would like to leave your readers with before we end this interview?
AC: Yes, I hope people who practice Escrima will not use Escrima as an instrument to oppress anyone, but instead, will use their craftsmanship as a shield for other people's rights.

Inayan De Cuerdes DVD Review

2007-06-22T14:54:00.001-05:00

It is my pleasure to present a second review on the Inayan Brotherhood of Eskrima (IBE) recent DVD production of the Inayan Dequerdas.

Again, this DVD was made in a cooperative effort between Masirib Guros: Emanuel Hart, Steve Klement, & Cory Hanosh, with narration by Datu Dieter Knuttel. Also assisting in the video is senior student Randall Crisp.

Resulting from the previous review and the kind appreciation of the IBE, I was asked to review this additional work. Again, it is my pleasure to have the opportunity to critique this work and to acknowledge the accomplishments of the IBE.

Through a distinct understanding of our similar yet different perspectives of Serrada Eskrima, it is apparent to me that when creating this segment of training curriculum, Suro Inay had a intent of controlled force and use of restraint in mind. As is stated by the IBE, the Inayan Dequerdas is one of the designated training methodologies used, while training law enforcement, correctional and security officers.

A viewer can definitely see the distinct “root”, if you will to Suro Inay’s historical training with GMs Angel Cabales, Max Sarmiento and others. Similar angles of attack are used although they are limited to 8 angles of attack in comparison to Serrada’s 12, the flow is still remarkable.

This is the 2nd “family” of Dequerdes that it has been my great fortune to view. My 1st opportunity to see a “family” of Dequerdes in action was that of GM Gilbert Tenio, on tape just a few days before his untimely passing. There are similarities of course as well as both have their unique manipulations and training format.

With those thoughts in mind, I would like to present my views and thoughts on this fine production.

As I’ve been on record previously, the production and DVD quality is very good. Several camera angles are shown for better understanding of techniques. The lighting was perfect for the demonstrations and the background is not obtrusive, so that it does not take the viewer’s attention away from the techniques offered.

Production quality remained a constant. I have taken as much from the technical filming qualities of the production as I have from observing and working with the techniques.

The instructors demonstrate great understanding of the Inayan Dequerdes techniques.

This DVD is separated into several sections for view; from viewing the DVD as a whole to viewing individual angles and their defenses.

There are several follow up options offered for each defensive counter. Additionally, basic disarms are covered.

An added benefit to this DVD offering is the reflex drills included to provide further proficiency and efficiency in movement.

Again, I must say, viewing and studying the movements on this DVD will enhance anyone’s martial arts experience. However, I do not feel that any previous experience with FMA drills is necessary to retain and work with the valuable information on this DVD.

The instructors have tried to present their material so that it is palatable for almost anyone and with proper practice the techniques can be understood by anyone.

I definitely would recommend this DVD production to anyone interested in a unique martial art. Why? Because this DVD provides knowledge that can assist anyone to learn the basics of Inayan Dequerdes in a efficient manner.

Again, I was pleased to see that there was no wasted space or long winded explanations of technique. The instructors are straight to the point and the narration is a special bonus. The narration is an option I would definitely recommend to those of us who may produce instruction segments or DVDs in the future.

I recommend all other productions that the IBE will be producing.

I hope to work more closely with the IBE in the future and would recommend anyone to seek out their instructional DVDs.

My respects and regards to all.

PG Michael Schwarz

Inayan Kadena De Mano DVD Review

2007-06-22T14:52:00.001-05:00

It is my pleasure to present a review on the Inayan Brotherhood of Eskrima (IBE) recent DVD production of the Kadena De Mano Basics.

This DVD was made in a cooperative effort between Masirib Guros: Emanuel Hart, Steve Klement, & Cory Hanosh, with narration by Datu Dieter Knuttel. Also assisting in the video is senior student Randal Crisp.

In communication with Masirib Klement and Hanosh periodically, I was aware that this as well as other DVD’s were in the making and to be released. As a Punong Guro in the Davis/Cabales System of Serrada Escrima, I had anxiously awaited this production. As I share similar backgrounds with several of my associates in the Serrada Escrima community, I found I do as well with these gentlemen.

Though we have had different paths of learning Serrada Escrima, it is refreshing to know that the spirits of Angel Cabales and Max Sarmiento have shown thru in our collective efforts to propagate Serrada Escrima.

The production and DVD quality is very good. Several camera angles are shown for better understanding of techniques. The lighting was perfect for the demonstrations and the background is not obtrusive, so that it does not take the viewer’s attention away from the techniques offered.

The instructors demonstrated a great understanding of the Kadena De Mano(chain of hands) techniques. Although I am familiar with the basic techniques offered, it was refreshing to see someone else’s understandings and perceptions on these techniques.
There are several offerings of each technique. Offered on this DVD are the basic defenses, grappling and take down maneuvers, as well as disarms. All of these offerings are terrific in their own way.

Viewing and studying the movements on this DVD will enhance anyone’s martial arts experience. However, I do feel that one should have at least a very basic understanding of the angles of attacks offered by Serrada Escrima. That too, is covered on this DVD.
The instructors have tried to present their material so that it is palatable for almost anyone and with proper practice the techniques can be understood by anyone.

I definitely would recommend this DVD production to anyone interested not only in Kadena De Mano, but all martial arts. Why? Because just as Serrada Escrima “flows”, so does Kadena De Mano.

I was pleased to see that there was no wasted space or long winded explanations of technique as I have found on some of our contemporaries offerings. The instructors are straight to the point and the narration is a special bonus. The narration does not detract from the instruction.

If this DVD is any indication, I recommend all other productions that the IBE will be producing.
I am looking forward to viewing the De Cuerdes DVD very soon and would like to offer a critique of this DVD as well.

My respects and regards to all.

PG Michael Schwarz

Davis/Cabales System of Serrada Escrima Seminar

2007-06-22T14:38:00.001-05:00

White Tiger Martial Arts Academy
June 16 & 17, 2006
Presents: Punong Guro Mike Schwarz

Punong Guro Schwarz
Demonstrating of angle 1 outside deflection (initial pass)
On June 16th and 17th, 2006, White Tiger Martial Arts Academy in New Haven, Indiana was the scene of the first Davis Cabales Serrada Seminar held outside of the system's home base of Sacramento, California. Punong Guro Mike Schwarz, teaching under the direction of Grandmaster Anthony Davis, made the trek eastward from his home base near St. Louis, MO. to an eager and most appreciative seminar audience.
Academy owner, Sensei Mark Best 3rd Dan ITF TKD, opened his Tae Kwon Do school to basic and advanced eskrima practitioners as well as the curious from around Indiana. Aikido practitioner and Videographer Sensei Jim McCoy, recorded the event for a future compilation into a CD training series that PG Schwarz plans to release in coming months. Other seminar participants included Tae Kwon Do Sensei Brock Brown, Inayan Eskrima Advanced Practitioner Ron Robertson and other students of the Filipino martial arts Brent Marple, Steve Ames, Jonnie MunLeon, Jason Harbeit and Kirk Bowser.
Due to prior commitments, Inayan Eskrima Guro Kim Satterfield was unable to attend, but he expressed his gratitude to Punong Guro Schwarz afterward that the event was eye opening for all of his students that were able to attend. Guro Satterfield noted the difficulty exposing students to other systems, which allow for growth and comparison to those they actively study, as Filipino Martial Arts styles/schools are limited or difficult to find in many areas. So for his students, this event was indeed an eye opener.
Punong Guro Schwarz demonstrating a possible follow up strike for angle 1 inside deflection
After introductions and an overview of the Cabales Serrada Eskrima system as founded by the late Great Grandmaster Angel Cabales, everyone got to work. First up was showing the 12 Angles of Attack as practiced by Cabales Serrada practitioners worldwide. As one could expect, seminar participants started out somewhat overwhelmed by the material covered but as the weekend progressed, they got the hang of things and quick! Besides being shown what the 12 angles represent, participants went through each of the stances, positions and strikes by the numbers.
Hungering for more, the majority of the weekend was spent introducing seminar participants to inside/outside deflections as well as cross block deflections. Working with the first three angles of attack due to time constraints, participants learned about the counters to each angle of attack as well as lower level attacks. Instruction in the free flow drill of "Sumbrada" was the other major topic to be covered during the fast paced weekend seminar.
Exhausted but happy, participants left with new appreciation for the teachings of Great Grandmaster Cabales and the Davis Cabales system of Serrada Eskrima.
Punong Guro Schwarz instructing participants on the inside deflection of angle 1.
Defensive Combat Initiatives
Punong Guro Michael Schwarz
P.O. Box 413
Highland - 62249
[618] 979-3558
Email
http://www.defensivecombat.com/