By Rozanne Taucher
STANTON...Welcome to the "4th Annual Open Full Contact Stick Fighting
Championship" on Saturday, December 8th, at Red Scorpion Martial
Arts, 10700 Flower Street, Stanton, 90680. Doors open at 8:00 a.m.
Admission is $10.00. Call: (323) 350-8500.
Nuking the martial arts scene across the planet is Filipino Stick
Fighting, the ancient and deadly martial arts from the Philippines.
We see it in movies and video games, and in some parts of the world,
militaries integrate it into their armies. Now you can see this
ferocious fighting art at the Pakamut International
Association's "4th Annual Open Full Contact Stick Fighting
Championship," featuring their main event, "Best of the Best" and
this year's new division, "Masters' Challenge."
According to Long Beach's PIA Founder and President, (and descendant
of Chief Lapu-Lapu), Master Felix Roiles expects his event will draw
master fighters from coast to coast.
This once hidden martial arts evolved from the thousands of tribes
that first inhabited the island nation arriving from the Sunda
landmass and the Malay Archipelago 30,000 years ago. With over 7,000
islands making up the Philippines, multiple tribes developed. To
compete for survival, both men and women were taught to fight to
protect themselves against attacks from other villages and from
outside invaders.
There were 3 big waves of foreigners that contributed to the Filipino
Martial Arts of today. The first wave was in the 2nd Century when
South China Sea traders introduced their combative style to the
islanders, followed by Arab missionaries in the 14th Century, and
ending in the 16th Century with the Spaniards.
Best known for aiding in the resistance of the Spanish invasion,
Filipino Stick Fighting was used to kill Ferdinand Magellan and most
of his Spanish crew during "The Battle Of Mactan" in 1521, when
Filipino resisters led by Chief Lapu-Lapu, used bamboo spears and
daggers against the well armed Spaniards.
Under heavy armament, Spain invaded the Philippines again in 1565,
gaining control over the archipelago. Upon colonizing the people,
King Philip II outlawed martial arts, introduced Catholicism, and
brought political unification to the islands (which he named after
himself).
For over 300 years, Filipinos continued their martial arts practice
in secret, disguising patterns and techniques as dance steps used in
ceremonial rituals or pretending to practice Spanish fencing,
ultimately influencing angles of attack, in addition to, sword and
dagger combinations.
Eventually, 100 different fighting styles emerged, culminating in a
grouping of three complete fighting systems; generally
called "Escrima, Arnis, and Kali." (Broadly known as, "Kali".)
Utilizing all combat ranges, Filipino Stick Fighting is known for its
lethal single stick, double stick, and, stick and dagger techniques.
Although the ban on martial arts was lifted in the Philippines in
1898 when the United States defeated Spain in the Spanish-American
War, Filipino Stick Fighting remained secluded from outsiders until
the 1960's when Grand Master Angel Cabales broke tradition and openly
brought Escrima to the United States; later becoming known as, "The
Father Of Escrima In America." Other major contributors to bringing
Kali, its culture, history, and heritage to the United States (and
elsewhere) include: Richard Bustillo (IMB Academy - Torrance); Cacoy
Canete; Dionisio Canete; Regino Ellustrisimo; Leo Gaje; Leo Giron;
Mike Inay; Dan Inosanto (Inosanto Academy - Marina del Rey); John
LaCoste; Ben Largusa; Percival Pableo; Remy Presas; Edgar Sulite;
Teofilo Velez,Floro Villabrille and Braulio T. Pedoy, who opened his
school in Hawaii in 1961.