Outside Comfort Zone & Inside Personal War Zone in Seconds... by Master Ron Saturno

Today I am going to cross some very set and determined lines, regarding the study of martial arts. I am going to write about letting yourself go. I am not talking about having several more drinks or letting your panties fall quickly to the floor: I am talking about letting yourself go in a martial way. Some people balk at martial artists for their freely using the term: martial artist. They say that what we do as martial artists has little to do with war.

Well, if someone attacks me, it may be "just" a battle between two pugilists, but to me although it may be a small war, a war it is: So I freely call myself a martial artist.

You call it what you may, but anyone who firmly states that they wish to harm me and than acts upon their stated purpose is an enemy: And you can't have a war without an enemy. We may be one man armies, but a war it is going to be.

We will never be able to compute the countless hours so many men and women have devoted to achieving martial prowess. They choose a martial system, or several systems and many become devoted to their system's, teacher's, fellow student's, schools and way of life. Some will willingly die for their system, teacher and fellow student's. There may be other ways to achieve martial prowess, but as far as they are concerned: There is no other way than their way. Other martial practitioner's are much more ecclectic and Bohemian in their search for martial prowess. They will shop, steal, borrow and accept and adapt parts of other system's teaching regimens and formats. Fighting to the death over who has the best system is the furthest thing from their mind. They started martial arts in order to survive being attacked: Willingly putting themselves in harms way, in their mind is foolish and they do have a very valid point.

People who want rank and the structured way to achieve rank and martial knowledge, tend to fall on the traditional side of the fence. People who care little for rank and prefer broad based skill knowledge and effective and realistic combative street applications, tend to fall on the other side of the fence. They seldom meet upon middle ground. Both groups are martial artists, but both groups are usually as far apart on agreeing upon all things martial, as Republicans and Democrats. It's a free country...kind of anyway nowdays: So you picks 'yer poisen, belly up to the bar and start slingin' 'em down,"Your chosen brand of martial way spirits of course". Both ways of doing things are great.

Some people have certain mentalities and are driven to choices by their very make-up. They many times couldn't help but choose certain ways to do things: They can't hope to do things in any other way. So wasting time trying to be what you are not and doing things that you just don't want to do is self-defeating.

Figure out who you are martially and do it quickly: Time is a wastin'. In the end both groups seek the same path and even in the same way, as much as they would forever argue the point. Neither member's of either group seldom achieve martial prowess without countless hours perfecting their craft. However much we downplay set structure or non-structured practice of the martial arts: The big winner's will always be the men and women who simply buckle down and suit up and play regularly. Both types of practitioner's will start seeing patterns within movements. Both groups will start seeing similarities between themselves and other practitioner's. It has always amazed me that we don't have a Universal Martial Arts Society.

 Show me upper level practitioner's of most systems displaying their respective art's and wether they are hard or soft sytem practitioner's, they look alike. The harder get softer and the softer get harder. When upper level martial practitioner's stop trying to do things against their nature and start following the dictates of the physical underpinnings of the Universe: The are not only a whole lot smarter, but a whole lot faster, deadlier, than they ever hope to be following a set script, or trying not to follow a set script.

 In the end: The very best martial artists simply follow the voice that has always been whispering in their ears. That voice to me is the very voice of God. Please don't contact me pointing out my need for medication. God does talk to us. When we really start listening to our bodies (stop hearing )and it's relationship to its surroundings....and when we calm our minds and learn to achieve absolute focus: Strange and wonderful things happen. We start becoming one with he moment. We will start doing the appropriate move at the appropriate time. Trying "not" to do the movement in a certain way as well as trying to do a movement witin the guidelines of a particular system, is self-defeating. When we reach this level we will have transcended our system or non-particular style.

We can never be thankful enough for the teacher's or system's along the way who helped us achieve liberation from mental and physical bondage. Am I advocating the throwing down of my beloved Serrada Escrima? Hell no. I am advocating the one thing that I will willingly seperate myself from my art for: The love of God. The highest level martial practitioner's usually practise oneness with the infinate. Do you love Allah? The Buddha? Yahweh? The first 40 some odd letter's of the Old Testament? I will not judge you, because there is only one God and his true name is beyond our knowledge. Feeling God in your movements and depending upon him in a time of need is not only very deep, but the highest expression of martial ability. Putting yourself in the hand's of God when the time of need comes is priceless and exceedingly great. The great ones greet their possible death with calmness and resignation. They watch their opponent with sadness and absolute focus. They are one with themselves, their opponent, the moment and with the almighty: What comes comes. In the word's of my Bahala na Escrima Brother's: Bahala na.

The Origins of Eskrima By: Dr. Ned R. Nepangue

The Origins of Eskrima By: Dr. Ned R. Nepangue 

We can only make a guess as to the origin of Eskrima/Arnis/Estocada since there are no conclusive written records available in the archives to assist us in our research (that is, if we are really serious about this).

Earlier writings did mention in passing something regarding pre-Hispanic martial arts in the islands.

But we should remember this, that the earliest Europeans who visited the islands did not know the native languages, were not familiar about the native culture at the time, were ethnocentrists, and were in the Orient primarily to look for spices and not to do research on martial arts.

Nobody can really say what kind of martial art these early travelers saw (if that was truly a martial art) when they first came that summer.

We cannot even say that it was Kali they saw, since they were not familiar about martial arts (like Don F. Draeger, Robert W. Smith, or Mark V. Wiley).

Let us also take note that during those times, there was no unified form of government and people were not hooked in the Internet.

People in the archipelago then (and this is still true until today) speak many languages, thus what was true in the island of Panay then, was not necessarily true in the nearby islands of Cebu or Samar.

Forcing ourselves to believe that Eskrima/Arnis/Estocada is something pre-Hispanic even without enough proof to support the theory is not advisable.

We only have the following objective facts to help us prove or disprove the current theory of the origin of the eskrima or arnis.

Fact 1

No written records available, which describes what this allegedly pre-Hispanic martial art of Kali really was and there is no evidence to prove that Eskrima/Arnis/Estocada martial arts are related to the art of Kali.

Earlier writings mentioned how good those early natives were in hand-to-hand combat.

These early European adventurers were maybe accurate in their appraisals since they were soldiers/fighters themselves and knew what was good form and what was not.

But still the same, these available literatures do not give us details as to what Kali really was.

So Kali can be everything, it can be stone throwing, wild boar hunting, yo-yo playing, etc.

Fact 2

Research found out that the natives in the islands before the Europeans came used shields and spears, weapons that are no longer visible in the majority of the contemporary Eskrima/Arnis/Estocada schools.

If it is true that Kali is the martial art practice by the ancient warriors in the islands then it must have included the use of the tameng or shield and the bangkaw or spear.

Since the art of Eskrima/Arnis is derived from Kali as some suggested, then it must have these weapons included in the curriculum.

Tameng is still useful even in the modern times; in fact, riot police are still using this contraption to control angry crowds.

Spears, on the other hand, are still found in many other martial arts.

Fact 3

The claims that historical personalities like Lapu-Lapu, Tupas, and others were really into Kali or Eskrima remained unproven.

Some so-called authorities of Filipino martial arts (FMA) always associate names like that of Lapu-Lapu to Eskrima, as if they were around already in 1500s.

The funny fact is they could not even provide name(s) of who's who in the latter years (in the 1600s, 1700, 1800s) to strengthen their claims.

How one could claim he is the great-great grandson of the great Mr. So-And-So if he does not even know who his biological father is?

Fact 4

All Eskrima/Arnis styles share more common traits than differences.

The Filipino stick fighting in many ways is really different compared to other stick fighting systems in the region.

The Eskrima styles as practiced by many Ilocanos in the far north of the archipelago are basically familiar to the styles found in the south, in the Visayas.

There maybe differences in some expressions but generally speaking they are the same.

Fact 5

Practically all Eskrima systems/styles are practiced only in the Christianized groups (or those who are under the direct influence of the Spanish conquistadors for 333 years), and that no known Eskrima system/style is found among those peoples in the hinterlands of Luzon, among the Lumad and the Muslims in Mindanao.

The Spanish colonized the islands for 333 years, but they were not able to convert the entire population to the Christian faith.

There were many ethnic groups left who were not directly controlled and influenced by them.

Many of these groups are slowly assimilated still retain many of their pre-Hispanic practices.

But if the theory is true that Eskrima and the like is something originally pre-Hispanic, then at least one of these many tribal groups could show us sampling of a functional Eskrima-like stick fighting art, but there is none.

Fact 6

A link between Kali and Silat styles is yet to be proven, both are really different in form and substance.

Many creative Eskrimadors want to have this "Moro motif" integrated to their styles.

In actuality, Eskrima/Arnis has nothing to do with the Muslim groups in the south who have their own very beautiful and lethal martial art of Silat.

Many people foolishly attempted to establish link between the two, but until now they could not provide us enough evidence.

In books and articles on Eskrima, they always include stories about juramentado just to add dramatic effect, but in reality all of these, has nothing to do with Eskrima/Arnis.

Some insist that some of these Muslim tribes do practice some form of Kali art. But if we inquire what tribe is that, they could not readily give answer.

Some say it is in Sulu, but if we ask further which part of Sulu? Again there is no clear answer.

Since the 70s, when this claim first appeared, and until now nobody can really give the correct answer.

Why?

Well, the truth of the matter is, there is no Kali in the Moroland.

Just a pure fantasy.

Is it possible to invent stories and fool the martial arts community?

You bet!

If you are familiar with the story of the Neolithic they reportedly found in Mindanao called Tasaday, you will easily understand how/why.

In Eskrima/Arnis, emphasis is on weaponry first then unarmed fighting later, but in Silat they have the weapons training only later.

Fact 7

About 65% of technical terms used in all Eskrima/Arnis/Estocada styles developed and propagated by many linguistically diverse ethnic groups are of Spanish origin.

The Spanish language was never totally adapted by the Filipinos unlike those in other former colonies of the North and South America.

This was because the colonial authorities in the Philippines did not encourage the natives to learn the language.

For three centuries, only the elite and the educated could speak and write the Spanish language.

A strange fact is, a great percentage of technical terms used in Eskrima/Arnis/Estocada (and even the supposedly pre-Hispanic Kali styles) are in Spanish, the language most Filipinos then (and now) did not speak.

This is also the language used by the authorities who outlawed the practice and propagation of this native martial art.

If the practitioners at that time were forced to practice in hiding, then why did they not use their own respective languages and dialects instead of using Spanish?

Fact 8

The connection between Kali and Indonesian martial art of Tjakalele is not yet proven.

Tjakalele is practically just a war dance originated in the Mollucas.

It uses spears and shields, the weapons, which are not found in 99% of Kali schools.

Words like Kali and Tjakalele may sound familiar and related but this not proves anything that both are actually related.

Fact 9

The suggestion that Kali is the root word of some words found in different Filipino languages and dialects is not based on linguistics, in fact a study on this claim is yet to be made.

Important pre-Hispanic household words like diwata, Bathala, datu, ulipon are still understood by many and this same is also true with words associated with the warriors, like bangkaw, baraw, tameng.

So what is supposed to be the ancient name for the Filipino martial art? Kali?

If it is Kali then, why don't we find this word in dictionaries of the different Filipino languages and dialects?

In fact, this particular word was just "re-introduced" years ago.

Kali is never a traditional name for the native martial art.

If one goes to a secluded place in Cebu, for example, and ask those Eskrima old-timers there if they know what is Kali, the will probably say they don't know. And these people are supposed to know better.

Fact 10

The earliest technical description about Eskrima/Arnis was available only lately.

The very first known book available in public was Placido Yambao's book in 1957.

Fact 11

Many modalities in Eskrima/Arnis/Estocada techniques like espada y daga are also found in European fencing arts.

Fact 12

The once Spanish colony of Venezuela in far away South America also have their own form of stick fighting.

The Garrote Larense stick fighting art of Venezuela reminds one of Eskrima.

There must be a connection between these two martial arts somewhere and further research is needed.

Fact 13

It is baseless to say that Eskrima and Arnis are just phases of the natural evolution of Kali; that is, Kali being the original form, Eskrima and Arnis the modern and diluted equivalents.

Kali that we can see today doesn't differ from Eskrima/Arnis.

Some say that Kali is on blades while Eskrima/Arnis more on sticks implying that Kali is more combative, realistic and original form while Eskrima/Arnis as sanitized intended for sports.

But in places where the word Kali is not the traditional term used, the Eskrima/Arnis also included the practice of the bladed weapons.

In fact, many of those who categorize their styles as Kali were actually derived from Eskrima/Arnis styles.

Fact 14

There is no lack of good blacksmiths and is not the reason why many Eskrima/Arnis fighters use sticks now instead of real blades.

Many good Eskrimadors are not found in areas known for their machete-making skills.

Many panday or sword smiths do not know Eskrima and it is never mentioned in the Philippine history that Philippines were running out of bolos.

Fact 15

That the theory proposed is actually not corroborated in the works of the experts of the Philippine history, anthropology and sociology.

Intertribal war was a reality especially before the islands became a colony of Spain.

When there is war, there are warriors, weapons, and military arts.

If Kali was a military art, then history books in high school and college must mention it.

I do not remember reading a word Kali in our history books when I was still in high school and college, instead in our world history I read words like samurai, katana, etc.

Books of anthropology must also provide details about it.

It is not mentioned, not because historians are not interested, it is simply because there is no sufficient information about it.

So, basing on the aforementioned facts, we can only offer logical comments as to the possible origin of the contemporary Filipino martial arts (a bigger portion of which is the Eskrima/Arnis/Estocada/Kali).

It is basically a product of Filipino creativity and no doubt whatsoever, it is very Filipino.

The bulk of its repertoire was developed during Spanish colonial times, and plausibly it got its inspiration from European fencing concepts and practices.

It was greatly developed and refined (and the evolution still continues) only here in the islands of the Philippines

Master Ron Saturno Gives Back to the Veteran Community

My honey worked Saturday morning and there was someone who needed to be trained. It was a perfect opportunity to ask a former soldier to meet me for training. The necessary connections were made and at around 09:30 hours on Saturday morning we met and began training. The trainee was a former member of several U.S. Army Airborne units. He was wounded in time of battle and generally worn down by repeated jumps. I began his training with classical Serrada Outside number 1. He was asked to begin practicing the movement set and meet up with me again on Wednesday of this week. He is now forced retired and was referred to me by Master Michael Schwartz of the Wounded Warrior Project. I'll train this man for free and hope that I can find ways to work around his disabilities and allow him to be able to fully make an account of himself in a time of need. I hope to give back to my country, my teacher and my system of martial arts. I showed him a variety of fixed position combat techniques that require little movement and that are quite capable of being used for self defense. I seldom show these techniques in public, because they appear non-nonsensical to the untrained eye and would only make me available for public derision. I showed him Mano Viejo techniques that are based upon right-eye manipulation and the drawing and pushing of an opponent by breath control and mental focus. We are talking about pamako and tagabalag, or the freezing of a person and the art of invisibility. Freezing and the art of invisibility are ancient Filipino martial techniques that are shrouded in time and seldom seen by most modern practitioner's of Filipino martial Arts. I am a baby in these techniques and I am stumbling along the path of learning. I have nobody to train me any further. I froze my student a few times, drew him too me effortlessly, controlled him by mental focus, breathing and relaxation. Whatever else that I do and how I do it, is beyond me. I have no idea where all of this leads, but my hope and desire is that it just gets better. I will say that pamako and tagabalog are nothing what I thought they would be. It is about a clear mind and not having a desire to harm someone, it is about no desire. If they do not attempt to harm you, than without their commitment, the techniques won't work. They will harm themselves by their own devices. It is about a cleansed mind with a blank slate of any intent. You simply allow something to happen. You cannot have any desire to harm, maim, break, dislocate, nor destroy. You simply open yourself up and let the energy which permeates all things, do what needs to be done. I honestly believe that using such energy for harm would be harmful to the person attempting to use it in a wrong way. That's it. I suppose that you could use the techniques in a wrong way, but I wouldn't know how to do this. I have found "a" way and will simply follow along to wherever it wishes to take me. This is why I really don't show much in public. I feel myself keying up and worry about harming my student in public, because of forcing the techniques, remember, it works "for me" when I simply let everything happen. When my student and I are alone we both can relax and just flow. I don't need to show particular techniques, or worry about displaying my art in a gracious fashion to the public, because I represent Angel Cabales. Angel Cabales exposed me to these things many years ago when he showed something to me when Jimmy Tacosa was visiting. He asked me to block a technique and I repeatedly attempted to block his hit and he just wasn't there and the next thing I knew he had placed his weapon on my shoulder and I had no idea how he had accomplished this. He had frozen me and had also disappeared. I quit Escrima that day, because I knew that I would have been effortlessly killed by him and I also knew that I would have to discover what he did on my own. Hell, if you don't know what was done to you, "How the hell was I going to able to figure it out alone". Can I eventually teach these techniques to another human being? I don't know, but hopefully I can. Apparently, you have to humble yourself before you can be able to use the techniques that I speak of. The manipulation of energies could be immense. You can lock someone's skeleton and cause great harm with minimum effort. Once, when training wit Bob Stewart and Anthony Lo Presti I grabbed a hold of Anthony and we both felt a great deal of energy. I knew that had I continued my throwing technique: I felt tat I could have thrown Anthony 20 feet away without effort. I had focused my mind upon his wrists and when I started moving, it was as if he was being tugged by a hugely powerful machine. I wish that I had full control of these techniques. It's like reading the old accounts of past martial artists. A wounded warrior in possession of these abilities would have little problem, in defending themselves. Even if I can't Master these techniques, or not be able to teach this to a wounded warrior: I will do my best to do so. I can only hope that he stays with me and becomes an accomplished warrior, it is a fond hope.

True Martial Ability ... by GM Ron Saturno

Manong Angel, "You are teaching me outside number one. I first step out to my left after he strikes to the left side of my neck or head and then I must swing my right foot back behind me to re-align my body. Why?" He could have said because "he" said so, but instead smiled and calmly answered my question. Manong Angel answered my question very simply, as he answered most Escrima related questions. He had an innate ability for answering (we felt) complicated questions very simply and that many of us (his students) found very perplexing. Answering my questions very simply was a blessing, because at times I was truly a dumb-ass. I found mystery in the very fiber of Serrada Escrima. Serrada was a deadly art form from a far off Archepalego. Small brown men with fabulous fighting abilities was fascinating. His art had mystical beginnings and hidden origins, yet Manong Angel's answers were never mysterious at all, but were simple, direct, always pushed effectiveness and were usually deadly answers to deadly questions. He always answered simply, but I have grown to discover that taking complex information and being able to distill the information down into simple answers, truly requires thorough knowledge of a subject matter. If you can't answer something very simply: You probably don't really understand the question, or the subject matter. This is where I developed my saying that, "Simple movements practiced over time become deadly". Utter simplicity in my martial arts was something that took years for me to understand and that I have yet to even begin achieving. Simple and direct beats complicated most of the time. Perfect basics are unbelievably hard to perfect and even harder to overcome. To me, a well thought out martial art has to be inherently fast by design, must be easy to apply, must have redundant movements, should not require great physical strength or speed and these are stringent requirements. Asking these things of any martial art is quite a request. Many arts propose that their arts posses these qualities, but unless the individual practitioner of an art fully understands a system's underpinnings and can display their art effectively: Their claims are just words. I didn't know of these things decades ago, nor even cared to know of such things. I just wanted to hit someone, before someone could hit me back. I needed to believe that Serrada Escrima possessed mystical powers and was unbeatable against any opponent. We live and we learn. What the years of practicing my art have done for me is to slowly bring me to the conclusion that "any" art form only provides a theoretical frame work to start from and that if we remain within the given arts basic guidelines, the art form can and will many times get us home safely, if the art is well thought out. Yet, at some point in any martial artist's growth: He must start releasing shackles and the restraints of his parent art and venture forth alone and at times, very lonely. He has to make himself the martial art and not have the art form make him. Any art form is just a guideline. In order for "you" to perfect your self: You must become the guide and "you" must perfect yourself. What someone said or did to help you perfect your self, how ever much appreciated, will never be truly understood by you, until "you" can fully decipher the true meanings of the words and movements given to you and this can only be done when "you" make the effort to do so. In the end,"You may not be seeking to pit your knowledge against your Master's", or seek to develop a new and more improved art and I do see where this may happen. I am talking about fully understanding the underpinnings of your chosen art form by empowering your self. When we can do this...when we can fully decipher a system's movements, theories, applications and taboo's, then and only then do we fully understand our chosen art's. If we can learn to understand the physics of movement, human physiology, human anatomy, psychology, strategy, timing, etc., of man: Than we can move within the guidelines of our system's, or choose to go outside the guidelines at will if needed, because we are "not" limited by anything or anyone, we will understand what few seek and even fewer achieve: True martial ability.

100 mph Down I - 5 With SGM Angel Cabales in the Driver's Seat .... by GM Ron Saturno

Angel Cabales had a small light blue Buick, which he loved to drive fast. On this night he had been drinking a little and he, myself and Bobby Johnson were speeding down I-5 towards San Jose, Ca., to a GM Max Pallen event as fast as the little Buick could go. I knew my teacher's reflexes were superb, but never really knew how well he could use his superb reflexes to travel in between traffic so smoothly, so fast, so efficiently, in and out and around traffic without hitting something. We were rocketing down the freeway and after about 15 minutes out of Stockton with our speedometer pegged: I had snuck my hands under the seat and had retrieved the seat belt mechanisms and had quietly snapped everything together. Bobby saw me latching my seat belt together and laughed at me. He thought that he was on a theme park ride and was giggling like a little kid. He was sitting shotgun and I was in the back seat scared shitless. Angel Cabales was my Master and I would'nt ever dare say a word about his driving, but the thought starting crossing my mind that if I got home all in one piece: I'd be lucky. While he was driving, he started talking about many things, including family, travels and eventually Escrima. Both Bobby and I asked a few pointed questions, which he answered quickly and frankly. There were at least 20 much more important questions that I should have asked him that night. I now will never have the chance to ask him the many questions that I should have asked but didn't, but this is just true proof of my humanity. We always seem to hardly ever truly be in sync with another human being. We ask our women to really stay, when they are really leaving. We ask to keep our jobs when we are really heading out of the door. We do and say things that should have never have been said and done. We hit when we should have stayed our hands and feet and walk away when we should have gave our hardest blows. When we should have done or said something to or for others, we don't. We wait, we hesitate. We usually seem to do and say things at the worst of times and places, or not at all. We are indeed human.
I remember Bobby asking him about what it was like to challenge another man to a fight. Bobby felt that it was exiting and manly to fight, but never started fights on his own. Bobby didn't start fights, nor did he even want to fight at all. But, I did see him on several ocassions square up with much larger men and against more than one large man on an ocassion outside of a club in San Jose, Ca. In fact, in the San Jose incident, he squared up with two rather large bouncers with police flashlights. The bouncers were wrong in how they were treating Bobby. Eventually, the two bouncers actually backed down from him, because of his fearless attitude and matter of fact way of dealing with them. Bobby was a skinny Black kid from South Stockton, who didn't have an "off-switch". He didn't give a fuck and would roll on the ground with anyone, any place, any where and any size. Luckily, his Momma had instilled a lot of 'Ol Southern Baptist in him and the luck was in the favor of anyone fucking with him. Bobby had 11 brother's and sister's and fighting and standing up for yourself was just a way of life. Fighting was like breathing, it was just something that we had to do and he loved Angel Cabales for his ability to stand up for himself. When Manong Angel started telling a few stories: I just sat back against the cushions in the back seat, started relaxing and really started to enjoy the ride. Little did I ever guess that I would some day write parts of the ride down.
Angel Cabales said that he was never so alive as when he fought. What this meant is up to speculation, but he obviously felt the effects of adrenaline dumps, just like any one else. Did he become addicted to the rush? Was he like an old soldier who immediately comes alive at the first report of a weapon? Do Martial Arts' Master's get addicted to adrenaline? I can't personally imagine men of Angel Cabales's martial ability being addicted to fighting: Always looking to re-recieve the shots of adrenaline that they may actually need to feel fully alive. This is a scary thought and may in my mind go a long way to answer the whole issue of challenges. Putting everything on the line, must be a rush from hell. What higher stakes gambling can there be than betting your own life? Yes, winning a fight against another opponent gets you adulation and respect and this can and does have a lot of meaning to a Master of the Martial Arts, but only really feeling alive when fighting may have much more meaning....personally.
Angel Cabales said that everything slowed down for him before he fought. He felt like he was floating, like he was on a cloud. Like he had drank really good coconut wine and lots of it. When the blows started getting exchanged, he would see blows going by him, but they wouldn't hit him for some reason. He said that the hit that he would give that started the end of the fight wasn't ever felt by him, or that he ever really knew that it was "the" hit, because he never stopped hitting and only when the person fell or started cringing in real pain did he know that the fight was over. This is why he said that he always told us to keep "working". We would never really know when the fight was over, until it was over and to keep hitting until it really was. He said that he had seen men hit before by other men that should have fallen down, but were too stupid or pumped-up to fall down. He said that we should "never" depend upon one hit to end a fight. He than said that all of a sudden after a fight that he would find himself back in reality and everything was back to normal. He would re-join the real world.
Some of things he told us that night would only cause pain and strife within the FMA community, if I were to write them down. There is a lot of back-biting and double dealing within the FMA community. Some men won't pay up and it took a lot for Angel Cabales to allow this. Maybe, some day I'll write a little about these things, but not today. What I did want to share was a little bit about a ride taken by us going down I-5 going over a 100 mph.

Centered in Drill & Real Life by GM Ron Saturno

MySpace son-in-law was camping yesterday and it being a lazy Sunday, there was no one to work out with, so I sat down and pondered a few things and wrote them down. I thought a lot about the central position, its dangers and advantages. My definition of the central position is your being stuck between the left and the right hands and feet of an opponent. Angel Cabales was no fool, his instance upon our heavily emphasizing espada y daga training in our Serrada was not just because it was something to do, but something to perfect. His admonitions about facing an opponent blows as an example, was purely for survival value, but many times it is misunderstood. Facing blows was to help you survive an on-slought of swift and powerful blows. The admonition to face blows was to help you deal with getting caught in the central position and to get you out of that situation quickly.
If a person were to throw a machete blow over and toward the left side of my neck and I were to step inside and toward the blow and than performed an inside block: I do expose myself to his left hand and if the blow travels thru may be coming back from the other side and may find me with my feet and body out of position to deal with the new blow. If the opponent has a dagger in his hand, or decides to grab me: I am temporarily in real danger. I have willingly put myself into the central position. I may have put myself in this situation due to combat never allowing us to reply to attacks with textbook precision. We live in the real world, where attacks are sometimes met any way that we can deal with them. How can we turn this situation into our advantage? Angel Cabales felt that perfecting lock and block was a tailor made answer to this type of situation. First of all: The opponent's blade may be moving faster than our bodies can hope to move out of the way of the next blow in many instances. We have real issues and problems soon coming our way. Angel Cabales's answer was than "not" to "move" the body into a new position, by attempting to completely relocate it, but to use economical foot work to spin the body, or "twist" the body to meet the new blow and remaining in the same spot. Twisting our bodies is much faster than relocating it to a new position. We have to re-set our weight to take steps and every time we lift our feet leave ourselves vulnerable to attacks. It also takes precious time to re-locate our bodies, but twisting our bodies can be done via our heals or toes and this spinning can be done very quickly. We do leave ourselves in the central position when just spinning our bodies, but may be able to end the fight because we are hoping to get out of the central position as quickly as possible and if we do so, are in a much better position to end the fight. Facing all four corner's of an opponent, is simply dangerous.
I mentioned turning a bad situation into a good one. Using the right overhand machete strike to my left side of neck example: We stepped inside and are now facing the opponent's right side. I mentioned that he went thru and is than coming around with a strike to the right side of your neck or body, but "you" are still facing his right. You are weak on your right side. The safest way out is to "move" the body out of the way, if you can't immediately hit him. But, I mentioned that the body may be too slow to move to avoid the incoming blow, but it can be done, if we block or strike "while" moving the body and we do it in "one" direction, while doing so. If we step the body out of the way, we would need to step in the situationally dictated direction and block "while" stepping and all in one continuous motion and without hesitation and without any stops along the way. The general rule is that one of your steps to move your body equals one or more of your opponent's blows. This is a little understood rule by beginner's. If you just step without hitting or blocking and your opponent "is" continuously hitting, sooner or later he will get a hit in. But if we "hit" in conjunction with our stepping movements, we are continuously attempting to punish our opponent for trying to hit us. We step with purpose, hit with purpose, evade with purpose, spin with purpose. All in all, if we hit while steppng along with moving our bodies and understand angulation the next blow we throw may end the fight because of the superior position we put ourselves in, by going outside. Yes, going out side is safe. We should always be trying to move ourselves to a better neighborhood and that is usually outside of where we currently are. Remember we stepped out to get a superior angle on our opponent. If we just stepped out to avoid blows, we are hoping for luck to save us. Stepping out with purpose "makes" our luck. We don't have to stand around waiting for luck, when can make it for ourselves.
We can also simply sweep hit the other side in-coming blow using the example above. Sweep hit? Yes. The inside block we started with, is itself a sweep-hit to his right side. Any thing he could throw at us from his right side can normally be hit with a sweep-hit and the left side as well. Sweep hit means coming from the top down with your weapon and simply dropping the weapon "along" his side and just going down with the blow and it works for both sides. OK? He threw a blow to your left neck right? You struck his blow with a sweep-hit and he then comes around with a blow to your right side. You "don't" know if he will hit you high, medium, or low to your right side. All you know is that he's coming around now towards "your" other side, by starting your blade high and dropping it all the way down on his left side you can "catch" any blow he may throw, even feints, fakes-outs, abanico's etc. By starting your strike high and going low and facing the angle, there is no blow coming from that side that you can't block, if you time the hit correctly and strike hard. This is how you stop multiple hits, If you do have to block, pass another hit etc., you hit on the next blow. That is your focus, always make him pay for attempting to harm you. If you want his respect, hit him. If he's too fast and you want to slow him down, hit him. Is he big? Hit him. Did he bring friends? Hit him and then them. Is he talking shit with a weapon in his hand? Hit him, If no one is looking and you believe his threats are real towards you and members of your family, hit him. I do not condone violence, but hitting someone has a way of ending hostilities in your favor. I "am" talking about self defense. Anyone with a weapon in their hand and offering violence clearly meets the definition of a self defense situation.
I know that a lot of this is complicated to understand. But, what I wrote is very simple and direct. We want to treat multiple blows as one, quick blows as slow, powerful blows as weak and this normally can't be done without proper foot work and distancing. In the end: If you are in get out. If you are out, stay there. Developing a general feel for the situation really helps. Feeling out opponent's is a wonderful ability. In the end, quickly becoming a general and controlling the playing field, dictating the tempo and limiting your opponent's options may dictate the outcome of a fight. Make him or her fight your fight.
This one was hard to write. Many people practice to prolong fights. Either through frequent drills, sparring etc., and I myself love drilling. But, ending the fight within three blows should be "the" primary focus of training. It is said that you respond in real life how you've trained. If you train to prolong a fight you may respond this way when the bad times come. I once stood outside of a bar in San Francisco and watched my friend who could definitely kick my ass on most days, get his ass kicked by a much less skillful opponent. He blocked several punches and then stepped in with a reverse punch and "pulled it", because that is how he trained! The guy hit him with a relatively slow hook and knocked him down on his ass. Out came my little black book that I write important things down in, "Note: In real life you respond to a fight how you practice." There are a lot of guys making money teaching drills and I know many and like many of these very qualified men. I just wish the drills were pushed into usable techniques. I guess that we should go home and learn to use drills in real life situations, but many don't. They hope to use complicated drill techniques against simple blows. Good Luck.

Speak Softly But Carry A Big Stick or Big Pipe or Big Knife by GM Ron Saturno

Master Ron Saturno
Master Saturno you've been showing me  Largo, "Could you please show me Serrada now".  I then showed him some more Serrada based movements.  After a few more movements he gets the same puzzled look on his face that he had earlier and I then stopped and asked  him, "What's the matter?". You are still showing me Largo Mano movements Master Saturno, "I came to you to learn Serrada". I then answered him, "We will stop for the day and get back together another day"
. The next student in line to take lessons  who had been sitting upon a park bench said,  "Do you get  offended when student's ask too many questions Master Ron?". He was looking at the back of the prior student walking to his car. "No, I answered". That student came to me to learn Serrada. When I showed him movements and he constantly interrupted me to teach him Serrada, it was simply time for him to find another Serrada teacher, a better and more knowledgeable Serrada teacher. Never having taken "one" Serrada lesson, "How could he possibly know what Serrada was all about". He would fit better with a lot of other Serrada teachers, the fit wasn't good between us. I then asked the next student, "What is Serrada?". He answered me, "I think that Serrada is a close in fighting system". You would be correct I answered, "Is there more I ask?". He then said, "That is what I am here for Master, to learn more about the Serrada System". How could the last student learn more from me, if he already knew more about Serrada than I did
. The next student than said, " Did I answer the questions correctly?". Of course I said and than said," There are no right or wrong answers in combat. If you walk away than your answers were correct, if you don't than you answered your given situation incorrectly".  Walking into battle with a can-do attitude and a no-nonsense frame of mind with firm and practiced skills can go a long way to insure survival: Add in a little luck and you have a better than not chance of going home in one piece and not a body bag. I chose Serrada Escrima to get me home when times get bad, other's chose other systems and that's OK with me. But a man can go a long way with Serrada Escrima and I take my system as far as it can take me. It is better than most, but no system is the best. On any given day any body is as good as any one else. Luck, God and unforeseen circumstances can all have a part in survival. Nobody can rule out  life's ability to cluster fuck you  in an other wise peachy situation that "was" otherwise going  in your favor. FUBAR lives
.       For many years I've mastered the Kamakazi Serrada entries that we are so well known for. But, forgive me for learning  Largo at the same time. How can a man be expected to really understand the advantages of in close fighting without learning the disadvantages. How can a man learn Largo  Mano without learning the disadvantages of his preferred fighting weapon and range? That is why I usually use the 28' Escrima stick, it is a good balance between a short and a long stick. But, I can very  comfortably use a 36" stick and can go up to a 42" stick and can also go down to an 18" stick. I can use a long stick up close as well as come into fighting range against a longer stick with a short one. I want to be able to get busy with whatever is  with-in my reach. This is the reality of a thinking Master. We many times don't get a chance to pick  and choose our weapons, we have to do what we can do with what we have available.
A true Escrimador should feel comfortable with whatever weapon a given situation has  presented him. The age old arguement of what is a superior fighting length weapon means little to me. I can do Largo Mano and short inside fighting with a very short weapon. I can put the sticks down and use my hands and feet. Angel Cabales preferred a shorter weapon, it does not  mean that he couldn't beat your ass with any other size weapon. When I hear Serrada people and others speak about the advantages of the short weapon, it's OK with me. If I someone is going to  hurt me, "I just want  something to hit back with". A bat? Just peachy. A meat cleavor, butcher knife, golf club, OK with me. I'd really prefer  to just have something to hit you back with and this is the thinking that propels my Escrima thinking. Practicing with a prefered weapon of a given weight, length and material is OK. But, it seems to me that practicing with a variety of weapons of different sizes, weights and lengths adds a lot of survival value. All of this is kind of backing up the system of Serrada.
Serrada is "not" a close range fighting system anyway, it is usually a medium range system, that some became confused about because of the name Serrada. Many think that Serrada means "close". It really means "closed". Serrada means closed, because we close the door after every movement. Angel Cabales called it the locked position. This means closed and ready for the next movement. We fight medium range because this distance  Isn't  so close that we can't react to an attack and not too far that we can't take advantage of a given opportunity, which may come about in the fluidity of combat. Manong Angel usually didn't  include low line kicking, elbows, knees, eye jabs, etc. during normal practice, but this doesn't mean that many Serrada practitioners can't effectively perform close range hand and feet combatives. Many of Angel Cabales Master's and advanced student's  also hold ranking in martial systems other than Escrima: Karate, Gung Fu, Judo are some of the systems that students of Angel Cabales talk about from time to time. Many of Angel's students' have also cross-trained in a variety of other systems.
Many forget that Max Sarmiento, an early student  of Angel Cabales was also a knife hand Master. A lot of the early students were very lucky to have been exposed to Max Sarmiento. We can see Max today in various forms of Cadena-de -mano. I truly consider Max Sarmiento as one of the very best hand practitioner's that I've ever witnessed. Well, as you can see I am bored senseless. It's a mild 82F in Stockton, but the constant heat takes a toll on you. Hope all is well out there in Martial Arts land. Hope that anyone reading this has a little better understanding of what I do and the system of Serrada Escrima.

Master Teacher: An Expository Essay In Leadership .... By GM Jerome Barber

         It is my belief that a Master Teacher is someone who knows, understands and is very dedicated to the art and science of teaching.  A Master Teacher goes well beyond simply presenting information or training regimes to his/her students. Transmitting information or transferring knowledge is an important and necessary activity that must  happen with every new generation whether it is in a formal educational setting, an apprenticeship program, a job training program or martial arts academy.  There are some subtle yet significant differences between a trainer, a coach and a teacher.  The main difference is that a teacher educates his/her students for both the current moment and a future time which neither can fully anticipate or predict.  Trainers and coaches are usually concerned with preparing their people for the immediate short term successes of the times, here and now, without any real concerns about the long term future.  The Master Teacher educates his/her students by giving them both the physical and intellectual tools that they will need to make their own informed decisions about what directions to take in life.

            The life lessons that a Master Teacher provides to his/her students are not always obvious nor immediately understood by the students.  These lessons are realized and utilized later in life and in ways that neither the student nor the Master Teacher could have fully anticipated in advance.  One of the most important components of these life lessons centers on making the students independent from the tyranny of conformity and seeking the lowest common denominator as an acceptable standard of social existence.

            Those students who have learned to think for themselves, ask critical questions and research the possibilities and alternatives for themselves.  They will usually find alternatives to the standardized, generally accepted societal answers that give so much comfort to those people who are willing to accept the opinions of the so-called ‘experts’.  Those simplistic, canned, oft-recited statements that serve as the correct answers to our social and political problems are actually mental, social, intellectual and emotional blindness.  This type of socio-emotional blindness allows the emotionally insecure to escape taking responsibility for their own behaviors and ideas. 

We can see it so clearly in the martial arts when students cite the opinions of their instructors as hard and fast facts, beyond any need for questioning.  We can see it in instructors who refuse to get involved in calling into question the moral or ethical shortcomings of other instructors, because they do not want to get involved!  They were the people, who as students, followed the party-line and faithfully quoted their own instructors, word for word, idea after idea, until they were given their black belts.  We can see it in so-called martial artists who will jump from system to system and instructor to instructor until they find someone who promote them based on how much money they were willing to pay for those promotions.

             Master Teachers are the bane of every dictatorial minded person and their emotionally weak true believers in public as well as private life.  We can find those dictatorial personalities in every area of human activity including the martial arts. The Master Teachers are there as well and they offer a viable alternative to this conformist malady.

            Teaching is both an art and a science.  It is a learnable craft and there are formal institutions established for the express purpose training people in the art and science of teaching.  In the USA, we have teacher education colleges as well as teacher education programs in some larger colleges and universities.  There is no such equivalent in the martial arts systems as they are taught in the USA.  In fact most current martial arts instructors in the USA have never had a formal instructional training program made available to them.  For most martial arts school owners-operators they opened their schools with little to no formal training in the art of teaching.  They are engaged in on-the-job-training with their paying customers as their students.  It is very difficult for these instructors – owners – operators to move beyond being someone who coaches or instructs martial art students to the status of Master Teacher.  Set all the titles aside and simply look at what these coach-instructors are actually doing.  They are providing guidance and instruction in acquisition of physical movements and skills.  Punching, kicking, rolling, tumbling, grappling and weapons manipulations are physical skills or exercises for the body.  Beyond the cultural courtesies of bowing, training barefooted, learning some words and expressions, counting in another language, what life lessons are being taught by most martial arts coaches/instructors? 

This does not mean that all these coach-instructors are not skilled teaching professionals.  A good number of them are accomplished trainers with students who have earned many awards and lots of well-deserved accolades.  The problem is that these coach-instructors are focused almost exclusively on the development of physical skills in their students.

            Most of the coach-instructors teach what they were taught and in the very same manner in which they were taught.  They do not know how to develop a curriculum or lesson plan.  The do not have instructional alternatives for their students – they use a “one size fits all” approach and if a student is not successful within the confines of their program it is the student’s fault – the student is ‘defective’, has a ‘flaw’, lacks ‘heart’ or is not motivated for success within ‘our championship black belt dojo program’.  Coach- instructors are primarily technicians who are focused on physical skills development.  They are not well versed in character development nor have they mastered the critical principles of teaching and learning beyond the physical realm.

            Coach-instructors are generally at the center of attention while their student- trainees are interchangeable, disposable and continually replaced.  After all is said and done, the “magic” of success resides with the coach-instructor, not the student-trainee who went on the floor and performed in the competition with student-trainees of other coach-instructors.  The student-trainees will come and go while the coach-instructor will remain in place over a long period of time.  In the end it is all about the coach-instructor and what they were able to accomplish with their student-trainees in competitions.  Within the martial arts world there are a large number of coach-instructors who establish the training regimes and schemes that their student-trainees followed in the quest for championship medals and recognition.  We have to recognize and appreciate that it is the coach-instructors who have pushed their student-trainees through the physical training programs that focused on winning at the tournaments.  Their teaching methods were centered on providing the correct mechanical and technical skills development needed to win medals, but they did not intentionally work on helping their student-trainees to understand how those skills could be blended into other aspects of lives in society.

            Master Teachers are skilled people help their students to move beyond the mechanical and physical skills development.  They use the lessons taught in the present to prepare their students for future situations both inside and outside of the martial arts.  Master Teachers understand that they are involved in a ‘performance art’ which can be improved on and further perfected through practice and experience.  They are inclined to critically evaluate their own performances as teachers just as they will evaluate the accomplishments of their students.  Master Teachers demonstrate the importance of continual learning and the lifelong pursuit of knowledge through their active behavior on a daily basis.  They lead by example while clearly demonstrating to their students that they know, understand and live the maxim:

                  “Proper prior preparation prevents piss poor performances.” 

            Master Teachers place their emphasis on the intellectual, emotional, and physical development of their students.  They are not seeking the limelight; they do not need to be viewed as legends in their own time.  They understand that success is only possible if one has also failed from time to time and learned from those experiences.  As with coach- instructors, the students of Master Teachers come and go over time, the major difference is that Master Teachers encourage their students to learn the lessons well, and then move on, continuing to learn as they grow.  The Master Teacher is an educator, even if they are not working in a formal educational institution.  They bring out the very best in their students and prepare them for life in the future. 

            As a student I had the benefit of learning from and being under the guidance of a number of people whom I consider to be Master Teachers.  They were people who in some cases I sought out and in other cases I was assigned to them by some means without any input from myself.  I want to acknowledge and thank, Mrs. Whetstone, Mr. Harry Whitesides, Dr. Harry Randles, Dr. Sidney Willhelm, Sifu Don Zanghi, GM Tom Bolden, Ama Guro Billy Bryant, Gat Puno Abundio Baet, PG Eddie Lastra and MG Roberto Torres.

            Master teachers are leaders.  They lead by example and inspire others to accept the challenges of studying, learning and teaching.  They were teaching role models who presented learning as a lifelong pursuit and sharing as an ethereal gift to those who are able to accept it.  They are educators in mind and spirit who share a common bond even when they have never met or talk with one another because the gift of knowledge that they gave lives on through their students as well as their student’s students.

            No one can legitimately claim to be a Master Teacher.  It is not a title that one can confer on himself or herself.  The title is earned over time and comes from the accomplishments of your students as seen and understood by people totally outside of your sphere of influence.  A number of people have tried to claim the title, but they never accepted the responsibilities that always come with the designation, Master Teacher.  We all know a true Master Teacher when we meet him/her.  They never have to tell anyone that they are Master Teachers and they will not use that title to describe themselves.

Jerome Barber, Ed. D.,  
Grand Master and  Principal Teacher, 
Independent Escrima-Kenpo -Arnis Associates, 
Hamburg, New York.
 April 12, 2013

"How Fast Was Dizon" ... By GM Ron Saturno

Another excellent piece from Master Ron Saturno!!

I asked Angel, "How fast was Dizon?" He simply replied, "That man was too much". How do you deal with someone that is really fast was my next question and the answers were not only interesting, but allowed me to see into the mind of a greatly respected and accomplished martial artist. There are many times that I am absolutely amazed at how quick many of the seasoned Filipino Martial Artist's are. Some of the really good Filipino Martial Artist's also have superb timing and very good foot work. It would be a very bad day to come at these men if they can give someone their A-Game. Hell, even their B and C games would put some more White hairs onto some really good martial artist's heads. Angel Cabales had his own way of thinking about a lot of things, but losing a fight wasn't an option, consideration, or even a thought when he decided to come after you. There was only one thought on his mind and that was winning. This conversation was my first real insight into his mindset. He had an inate fighting spirit, balls of steel and natural born killer genetics, he also had mad skills as an Escrimador. If and when it came to fighting, he could step up and get busy quickly and skillfully. This is the best way to deal with a really good opponent. Have a genetic propensity for warfare. Develop an inate fighting spirit as soon as possible and have a fighting skill-set that can be counted upon when needed. Time and good training can allow most of the needed traits to become a part of you, but killer gentetics can't be trained into you, you must be born with it. We can train the mind to compensate for a lack of killer genetics, but most martial arts teachers do not effectively train this into their students, but there are exceptions.
As an Escrimador who has watched men come at one another with and without weapons many thousands of times, you start noticing certain patterns that you could take advantage of, if you know what to look for and how to use this information in your favor. It really does help to know the standard fighting methods of someone that you are engaging in combat with. Watch say a Balintawak player, they play close and are highly effective at what they do. Yes, they do other things in other ways, but watching these players in the park playing together on my last trip to L.A., allowed me to see that they are really good with sticks and getting up close and thwarting an opponent's ability to effectively move. The good players just wouldn't let their partners do much of anything. I wouldn't want to play their game, because they are better at it than I am. The last thing I'd want is to allow them to beat my hands bloody or crack my skull and very quickly I might add. I am using them as an example of a very quick and capable opponent. How could one hope to deal with such opponent's ?
First of all, I am giving all praise and respect to the Balintiwak Escrimador's. I am simply using them as the type of fast hitting, fast reacting opponent that would be very hard to deal with. I am complimenting them, not singleing them out for criticism or who I could defeat. I am brainstorming here and want any of those players to understand my using them is for what-if purposes and because of their highly developed skills. Hope we're understood.
If you are not engaged in direct contact with another Escrimador, it doesn't matter how fast he is, or what set-up he employs to clear the distance between you...he cannot hit you easily or repeatedly without moving his body "properly" into striking range, period. If and when he comes forward, he can come towards you faster than you can back up. If you choose to side-step, which may be your best movement choice, he can quickly re-align to strike you, but "not" quick enough, for you can hit first. We may be talking about fractions of a second. Angel Cabales did not worry about your weapons, he worried about your body position and alignment. The set-up before delivery takes a lot longer than many believe. Some set-ups are longer than others, but it's the body movement which is the most imortant part. They have to move their guns into striking distance. Until they can get their guns into striking range, all of their speed and power mean nothing. If you are standing still and anchored you "can" move your arms quite quickly, but if you have to take the fight to your opponent, you "must" move from the Earth and all telling blows come first from the "legs" are then directed by the waist and lastly transfered through the arms. Like a wave, there is a sequence and it takes time. By reading the legs, we can gain valuable fractions of seconds, which can allow us to almost know what a person is going to do before they do it. The beauty of it all, is that by watching the shoulders/chest area of an opponent, we can accurately guess their intentions and when they are attempting their attack.
Unfortunatly, two men engaging in combat are frequently overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information their minds have to process and we haven't even spoken about fear and adrenaline dump effects. That is why Angel Cabales focused upon ending the fight quickly, by being able to read an opponent's body. I have covered center-line control before and will not cover this topic , but suffice to say that you "can" control most opponent's attempts to strike you, if you understand center-line control. So, if we can effectively read an opponent's body when he chooses to come toward you and if we can control the center we can most likely live to fight another day. This is a large part of what Angel Cabale described as "timing". Many times we practice to continue the fight. We practice long drawn out combatives. We seldom practice to end something quickly. That is why many aspiring Escrimador's have such trouble in sparring matches, their timing is off! They practice for long fights and then enter matches where fights are decided in fractions of a second. They don't train against real power hitting and then are shocked when they attempt a Dog Brother match, where someone is really trying to knock their heads off. I can only hope that my information has cleanly passed onto this computer. It doesn't matter how frightengly they swing their weapons away from you. It doesn't matter how they yell, make sounds and faces: They "have" to bring the fight to you, by bringing their bodies to you. If we can learn to read the chest and detrmine our opponent's intended body movements, we can learn the ability to know what a person is going to do, before they do it. Knowing what an opponent is going to do, is the capstone of an Escrimador's career. When we block blows, we only block what the body took a considerable time to develop. The body is much slower than the hands. So watching the hands is not only dangerous, but ineffective. Many Escrimador's are worried about being hit, they worry about the weapons of their opponent. If they spent more time watching their opponent's bodymovement via watching their chest, they would have a whole lot less to worry about. Deal with the body and what it allows opponent's to do. The body is a lot slower than hands, but no-matter how fast a man is, his body is slower. If we can learn to position our bodies effectively in relation to our opponent, than something cannot be hit what is not there and someone cannot hit you unless you don't see their bodies coming, because the hands only come after the body. This is the second time that I've tried to talk about the importance of watching the body, by watching the chest. Just stand in from of the mirror and start taking steps and moving your weapons. You will start noticing chest and shoulder patterns, that over time can be reliably depended upon to determine if a man is stepping, twisting, bending, which leg is being moved, and arm movements. After many years the ability to read body movements can be counted upon to be reliably used in a life and death situation. Knowing what a man is going to do almost before he does is an ability that every Escrimador needs and should want in his bag of tricks.

Training Partners and Life Long Friends ... By GM Ron Saturno

memiors

Master Ron Saturno

In the 70's the opportunity was presented to me to learn Escrima from an Angel Cabales graduate student, his name was Stanley Wells. Stanley eventually became a Master Graduate of Angel cabales and will always be remembered by me as my first real Instructor in Filipino Martial Arts.  Stanley was a hand man as well as an accomplished weapon man, he could also box and was a coach at the time of the Sweet Science of boxing. We trained through half of the angles of Angel Cableles's training regimen together and at some point Stanley took me to Manong Angel to complete my training. Angel Cabales asked me to perform the Serrada Escrima movements that I knew and patiently watched as I strutted my stuff. I was a bonified bad-ass who couldn't hope not to impress the living legend that was patiently watching me perform his beloved art. I really wanted to impress the well known Esdcrima Master. When I was done and he finally spoke to me, you could imagine the suprise on my face when he quietly said, " We will start over, beginning on the first movement, Outside #1". Talking about my little bubble being burst! I was young and impressionable and his starting me over after months of training kind of...well... did knock my pride down several notches. I thought that I was going to impress Manong Angel, but Manong Angel was a meticulous trainer and insisted on his students having a firm basic platform and could and would make students do movements repeatedly until he felt that they understood the movement before moveing on to another new movement. I saw many students come through Angel Cabales and each and every one was trained the same basics. You would get firm basics from Manong Angel and I can tell the old- timers from those trained by others, there really Isn't much difference in the movements, but I can just tell who Manong Angel trained. It could be the way they move, or how they hold their stick, but if Angel Cabales trained you, you were a lucky man. I was a lucky man.       So one day we looked up and a new student swaggered in. He kind of tilted when he walked, but he had a ready smile and we all knew that he would fit in just fine. No attitude, no bull-shitting or trash talking, he just came to learn Escrima. He had real troubles at times because we just weren't giving him any slack. He fell several times during training, but he never said a word, he just got up and did the movements again and again. We found out after a while that he was born with spinal bifida and that his spine really wasn't well attached and this was why he tilted when he walked and why his balance could be interrupted. I liked the young man and hoped that he would stick with it and he did. We had a lot of fun learning Escrima together and became good stable mates. We had another man who hung in with us and his name is David Mah. The three of us had the opportunity to learn Escrima together and the memories of our training has kept us close and in touch for decades. These two men have broke my knuckles as I have broken theirs. In fact there was a time when none of us could knock on doors because of our pointing finger being swollen and deformed, we knocked with our palms and couldn't help but laugh when we did. We used to stand at a faucet in the school and let the cold water run over our hands to reduce the swelling in our fingers. How in the hell we would laugh while doing this is now beyond me, but it was somehow funny in a masochistic way and the thought never crossed our minds to quit. We were young and dumb and dedicated Serrada men.       The time eventually came that my friend started having troubles with his leg. Circulation was causing real hardships and at one point became life threatening. He survived, but when the problem returned he had the leg amputated. This never slowed the man down. He now has to travel most times in a wheel chair, but teaches from a chair. He comes and goes to events driving a car that he stops with the parking brake because he doesn't have a foot to press on the brakes. He has never stopped teaching and learning Escrima from the very first day of his training. He now travels the country and the globe spreading Escrima and he does this from a wheel chair.       He has never complained within my earshot in over thirty years of friendship. He has never let anything slow him down or prevent him from achieving what he has hoped to achieve. He has never let his condition be an excuse to not becoming one of the very best and most talented martial artists in the world. He patiently trains and unless you notice, which you hardly ever do, he has somehow overcome tremendous obstacles to become a true fighting Master and not just from a wheel chair, but just a fighting Master with the heart of a lion. He has a ready smile and has to be pushed hard to have a bad word to say about anyone. his students rightfully love him and they are loyal and dedicated to him and his martial art.      I really don't know why I wrote this today. Maybe, I am dwelling on my future and the goals that I have set and how difficult some of my goals will be to achieve. Here is the message in a nut shell. When ever I feel sad and down and  think about how hard life can be I think about my friend and how he has never complained and blamed anyone about his problems. He has put his head up and went forward regardless of what was put before him. He is truly one of the most inspiring men that I have ever met and truly consider him one of the most very special people that I have ever met. He has become a well known name in Filipino Martial Arts and is practically synonomous with excellence and well done Escrima. His name is GM Carlito Bonjoc and if you ever have the pleasure to meet him or train with him, make it so. Carlito this was for you my friend, I love you.

Not Your Ordinary Training ..... by GM Ron Saturno

Memiors
Master Ron Saturno
When my wife and I had broken up I was bout 28 years old. I was unemployed and things were getting really tight. My father said one day that someone was looking for help fixing their house in San Jose, Ca. San Jose was about 70 miles from Stockton, where I lived. A lot of people may not know about the unofficial coconut highway. Filipinos will mention to another Filipino that they needed or wanted something and some way and some how the information can cross cities, states and I'll even believe continents. I to mentioned to my Dad that I was broke and didn't have the gas money to get to San Jose. He said, no problem. I'll front the money and loan you my truck, just pay me when she pays you. A few phone conversations later, we set a date for the following week-end and bright and early that Saturday morning I find myself getting a walk thru the home that needed fixing. The ladies name was Carmelita ( name changed and you'll eventually know why). She has a beautiful home and wanted a hot tub built into the floor of her bed room. As I worked the week-end Sunday evening soon came around and she invites me to stay in a spare bedroom, so I could be ready first thing in the morning. I had driven back Saturday night and had returned early Sunday morning. It was a great idea and I said O.K., and stayed. I had carried some sticks along with me just in case there was a chance to get some practice in. About 8 p.m. or so, she came to check on me and without knocking walked in and sat on the bed and watched me. She made a few knowledgeable comments and itbecame clear that she knew what Escrima was. She eventually commented that I seemed to be able to use my stick very well, but then commented further that unless she saw me use my stick in real life it didn't mean anything. It pissed me off, but I needed the money and kept my mouth shut.
The next morning there was a full breakfast waiting for me around 6 a.m. I got started early and was worrying the whole time about the job. She wanted me to install the hot tub into the floor and I was worried about the subfloor and if I would have to do structural work. The plumbing that would go to the area was already somewhat done on Saturday and Sunday. While I was eating I couldn't help but notice that there were a few young ladies walking around the house and that they were very good looking. They must have came into the house that night. They didn't look related , but could have been friends of the owner. She was only about forty herself and still quite a looker, so they may have been running buddies. She mentioned that they had both just came back from Reno, Nevada.
That night she returns to watch me work out after I had stopped working on the project. She mentioned if I knew anything about using a knife? I said that I was O.k. and she then asks me if I had one. I had a decent Balisong and showed it to her. She took the knife from me and starts displaying a series of really crisp moves. She was good. She took the time to show me a few moves and we had a great time together. She asked me if I smoked weed and I told her yes. She went to her room and came back with a bag of weed and some rolling papers. As I sat watching her, she rolled a joint with one hand and it was tight and right. The smell of the weed was hella skunky and I knew that we were both going to get high and we did. I soon discovered that forty year old breasts could be damn good and also discovered that she did a lot of things really well besides working a knife and rolling a joint.
The next day after a long day on the project, she shows me how to use a bottle cap to cut someone with. She showed me how to quickly bend the cap, how to hold it and how to use it effectively. This woman had a lot of strange talents and I was kind of figuring out that she wasn't raised in a convent. I had been overseas in the military and kind of figured out that she had been a working girl, or had been in and around some rough bars in her time. I don't judge how anyone makes a living, bu only how they treat me and she was treating me pretty good. Did you know that you can reliably break a bottle safely for wet work? I do, she showed me this as well. Hell, I was getting a back door educaton and having a hell of a lot of fun. Consorting with a whore and learning how to break bottles, use bottle caps and working a Balisong....my priest wouldn't approve, but I was having a hell of a lot of fun. Then it was another long night of trying to break the springs on the expensive matress in her spare bedroom. Working all day and playing all night was starting to take a toll on me. She was working magic on me. I had been butt hurt and despondent about my break-up. After a few days I noticed that my ex-wife was hardly crossing my mind: I was too busy and too tired from lack of sleep and the demands of a Cougar. But like a good soldier I carried on and performed my many duties.
Like all good things the job eventually ended. She kept me away from the girls and I never knew who they were. She kept me so busy in so many ways that they weren't an issue anyway. I drove by her house a few months ago and realized that she would now be around 80. At forty she was still a looker and I'll bet that she is still beautiful wherever she is, because she was beautiful inside. She didn't know squat about sticks and blades, but gave me an invaluable education about using everyday objects that are within our work environment as make-shift deadly weapons. She may not have been a Ninja, but a Ninja would have got his ass cut-up if he didn't want to pay her his tab. She never let me feel before lesaving that she expected or wanted an occasional phone call, so we parted ways friendly, but not friends. When I teach Escrima at the many seminars that I am involved in, there are times that I want to teach a few of the non-classical things that I've learned alng the way. Escdrima is not just about weapons, but about a state of mind that is focused upon survival. I no longer practice much with a Balisong, California is felony prone, but I do laugh sometimes when I open a bottle of beer and hold the cap in my hand knowing that those around me don't know what that little cap could do to them. At near 60 I realize that I am 20 years older than this woman at the time that we met. As I sit here typing away on my bed, I can almost picture this woman rolling a joint with one hand and laughing and rolling around the bed that we shared, smiling and full of life. Not all of our Escrima education is in the back yard, seminars, or school. The desire to live and fight sometimes comes from the most unexpected place and situations. Knowledge about fighting is where we find it.

More Fong Shui ... Historical Documentation of the WSEF Founders in Escrima Simplified

WSEF Honors Martial Combat Specialist Danny Lane with Honorary Grandmaster Degree in Tang Soo Do

 World Martial Arts Federation President Danny Lane Awarded WSEF Honorary GM

Master Danny Lane, President and founder of the WMAF has 44 years experience in the fields of martial arts, police and military.

He has been personally trained by Chuck Norris for 32 years and is one of America's top Masters. He has been featured in magazines around the world and several motion pictures. He has produced 19 training videos sold worldwide. 

He holds high ranking Black Belts in numerous systems, including Chuck Norris's UFAF Chun Kuk Do, International Federation of Jui-Jitsuans, United States Judo Association, United States Ju-Jitsu Association, Nihon Goshen Aikido, Tae Kwon Do, Tang Soo Do, Moo Duk Kwan and the National and International Police Defensive Tactics Organization.

He has been inducted into 9 Hall of Fames including the World, International, USA, Florida, Action Martial Arts Magazine, Eastern, USA Halls of Fame.

He has been featured in numerous magazines articles world wide and has been labeled as "An American who knows Real Combat" and "A Real American Hero".

 

As a competitor, he has won hundreds of tournament awards including nine National Karate and Tae Kwon Do Championships, the North American Championship, 1994 Masters Sport Jujitsu National Championship and the World PKA Kickboxing title in 1975 and retired undefeated as a world rated professional kick boxer. As an Instructor he has taught more than 40,000 students and turned out over 700 Black Belts worldwide many who have become National and World Champions and successful studio owners.

 Master Lane has traveled the world over teaching his concepts, competing, demonstrating and learning more martial arts skills in Korea, Japan, Thailand, Europe, Russia, England, Mexico, South America, Cuba and Africa, just to name a few. Master Lane is a U.S. Marine Infantryman and an Expert in small arms weapons. He was highly decorated during combat, receiving two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star during the Vietnam War. 

He is also a retired police officer where he served in numerous capacities: patrol officer, S.W.A.T. team member, major crimes detective (homicide, burglary, rape, grand theft, forgeries, etc.), tactical unit leader, and training academy instructor. He is a certified International Police Defensive Tactics Instructor and is an expert in Police and Military Defensive Tactics and still does high profile body guarding assignments.