Filipino/Moro Martial Arts question...

[kai]

Hello Vinny,

I've also noticed different, mainly Visayan, fighting arts claiming to know, in addition to their native daggers, sticks, bolos, etc., how to use a weapon such as the Kampilan or barong.

Well, IMVHO the key word here seems to be "claiming (to know)" - AFAIK it's quite often 2nd/n-th generation practitioners enthusiastically embracing well-known Moro weaponery rather than the widely-respected style founders and their direct long-time students...

In my experience, a garab is a completely different animal than, say, a barung. And from what little I've been able to glean, these 2 blades are employed very differently. There are enough sleek folks around and I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of just about anything they might pick up! However, there's still a fundamental difference between making something work and studying a traditional "tool" of any good MA system...

BTW, I still have to see any antique kerambit from the Philippines. Obviously, there are also "fashion" influences in MA circles...

Regards,
Kai

[KuKulzA28]

A garab and a barong are SO different, I agree. However, its interesting you should mention these as I have never seen/watched anyone "native user" fight with either one. Pinutis, other pointed bolos, sansibars, and ginuntings seem more popular in the general arnis/eskrima/kali you see...
But do you see tenegre? Talibong? Sanduko? Bonafacio bolo? Kris? Barong? Kampilan? Pira? Nope... at least I haven't
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Originally Posted by kai

Well, IMVHO the key word here seems to be "claiming (to know)" - AFAIK it's quite often 2nd/n-th generation practitioners enthusiastically embracing well-known Moro weaponery rather than the widely-respected style founders and their direct long-time students...

Interesting that they would turn around an embrace the Moro's (long-time enemies') weapons. I guess it is because the Moro are a sort of symbol of resistance. But I feel like the Moro's success had more to do with a more unified resistance as opposed to the myriad of tribal groups and small territories of most everyone else. A talibong or a pinuti doesn't look inferior to a kris or barong in my eyes - just different. Cebuano's, who have fought Moros for many many years, cannot have been significantly martially inferior to them... and with that in mind, they probably weren't that much inferior to the Spaniards militarily.
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Ah and of course, martial arts has all sorts of fashions... tactical fashion, super-traditionalist fashion, scientific fashion, no-combat-all-health fashion, meditative-philosophical fashion, moro-fashion, Butterfly-sword-fashion, Mixed-martial-arts-fashion, etc.etc. fads are funny things, but very harmful sometimes

[Maurice]

Maybe you will find the answer overhere!

http://www.silat.tv/

Kind regards,
Maurice

[David]

AFAIK silat is specifically in reference to various Indonesian martial arts, not the Philippines. Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) that deal with weapons are generally described as Eskrima,Kali and Arnis de Máno. I believe Kali is the one specific to the Moro.

[Maurice]

Originally Posted by David

AFAIK silat is specifically in reference to various Indonesian martial arts, not the Philippines. Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) that deal with weapons are generally described as Eskrima,Kali and Arnis de Máno. I believe Kali is the one specific to the Moro.

Yes, But on the link I posted earlier also Kali practitioners can be found. Not only silat styles!