Sonny Umpad's Eskrima provides insight on Maestro Santiago “Sonny” Umpad's life, philosophy, and teaching methods, as well as the structural underpinnings of his system. Born with the soul of a warrior, the intellect of a scholar, and a zealot's devotion to his art, Maestro Santiago "Sonny" Umpad forged an enduring contribution to the rich and colorful history of Filipino martial culture. In 1976, after immigrating to the United States, Sonny founded the school of Visayan Style Corto Kadena & Larga Mano Eskrima—rooted in his training in the Philippines and tested by a hard and dangerous life on the streets, Sonny's system was above all else practical. As Sonny's reputation as a talented fighter became well-known, he began to cross-train with masters of other martial arts, including Jesse Glover (Bruce Lee's first student) and Wally Jay (founder of Small Circle Jujitsu). One of the most innovative and visionary exponents of the Filipino arts, Sonny pioneered the concept of "mixed martial arts" long before the term was in use. Instructor George Yore has assembled the writings of six of Sonny's students (including Wade Williams, 2012 nominee for the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame) to create a biographic homage to this remarkable martial artist; basic techniques and applications are also demonstrated, accompanied by 130 step-by-step photos. Practitioners of Filipino martial arts—as well as mixed martial artists and security specialists—will find valuable instruction in techniques and applications, while the thousands of people touched by Sonny's teachings will gain a new understanding of this notoriously reclusive master's life—and how his experiences informed the development of his system.
Sonny Umpad's Eskrima provides insight on Maestro Santiago “Sonny” Umpad's life, philosophy, and teaching methods, as well as the structural underpinnings of his system. Born with the soul of a warrior, the intellect of a scholar, and a zealot's devotion to his art, Maestro Santiago "Sonny" Umpad forged an enduring contribution to the rich and colorful history of Filipino martial culture. In 1976, after immigrating to the United States, Sonny founded the school of Visayan Style Corto Kadena & Larga Mano Eskrima—rooted in his training in the Philippines and tested by a hard and dangerous life on the streets, Sonny's system was above all else practical. As Sonny's reputation as a talented fighter became well-known, he began to cross-train with masters of other martial arts, including Jesse Glover (Bruce Lee's first student) and Wally Jay (founder of Small Circle Jujitsu). One of the most innovative and visionary exponents of the Filipino arts, Sonny pioneered the concept of "mixed martial arts" long before the term was in use. Instructor George Yore has assembled the writings of six of Sonny's students (including Wade Williams, 2012 nominee for the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame) to create a biographic homage to this remarkable martial artist; basic techniques and applications are also demonstrated, accompanied by 130 step-by-step photos. Practitioners of Filipino martial arts—as well as mixed martial artists and security specialists—will find valuable instruction in techniques and applications, while the thousands of people touched by Sonny's teachings will gain a new understanding of this notoriously reclusive master's life—and how his experiences informed the development of his system.
This a compendium of the world's greatest council of Grandmasters. These Grandmasters both past and present represent an amazing history of the martial arts. It contains their bios told as they want it heard and seen along with pictures past and present of these Grandmasters. The WHFSC World Head of Family Sokeship Council brings together Grandmasters and Sokes from every style of martial arts to a yearly meeting, with an awards dinner, Hall of Fame and seminars sessions given by the Grandmasters themselves. Included in the book are some of the upcoming masters in the martial arts.
This book is about some the many Masters and Grandmasters of the FMA: Filipino Martial Arts. Some are well known others are relatively obscure, some are famous, others are known only by their skill but they all have in common their love for the Filipino Martial Arts and their connection through training, friendship, heritage or lineage with GM Bram Frank. Some are the heroes of the Philippines and the spirit of Arnis like the late Professor Remy Presas, part of American martial art history with the FMA and JKD like Guro Dan Inosanto or like GM Bram Frank a faithful practitioner and instructor of the arts. Their stories are told in pictures and with a bio of who they are and what they've done! Regardless of gender these people give their lives, souls and energy to the Filipino Martial Arts. This is the first in a series of volumes of these wonderful people! This is the first book written by a non Filipino with a forward by a Filipino President: President Benigno Aquino III. Mabuhay
Filipino Martial Arts illustrates the basic strikes, blocks, counters, and disarms of the Serrada Escrima fighting system. A highly effective, well-rounded warrior art, Serrada Escrima uses basic stick-fighting movements that are equally applicable in both unarmed and knife fighting. Profusely illustrated, this martial arts manual describes not only the techniques but also the history and philosophy of the Filipino martial arts and their relevance in the fighting and mixed martial arts world today. Filipino Martial Arts: Cabales Serrada Escrima is an essential addition to any martial arts library.
Follow the path of the Filipino knife fighter and the blinding blur of the deadly balisong in motion--its whirlwind lethality--can be yours. Three experts, having combined their knowledge of the balisong, martial arts and self-defense, show you the basics of techniques perfected in the Philippines over the course of 400: concealing, drawing, flipping and gripping the balisong; checking and rolling; and the four main phases of training.
This anthology is filled with content specifically selected for readers who have a strong interest in women’s participation in the Asian martial traditions. In addition to combative theory and practice, topics include aspects of theatrical performance, music, dance, gender studies, and insights for embodying philosophical elements into daily life. The twelve chapters that were written by noted authorities will certainly educate and inspire. These focus on the martial traditions of Japan, China, India, Korea, Indonesia, and the Philippines. All of the historical and cultural details add much to the scholarly perspectives on these Asian arts. At the same time they add to the appreciation of how and why martial elements are infused in artistic performances, such as theater, music, and dance. Throughout can be seen the unifying thread of the womans’ role which will increase our appreciation of the feminine presence in Asian martial traditions.
There has been a lack of reliable academic studies regarding Filipino martial arts (FMA) that have uniquely developed in the Philippine archipelago. This anthology assembles pioneering scholarly materials valuable for any interested in the Filipino combatives, as well as chapters specifically on the practice. Mark Wiley stands out as a leading scholar/practitioner of the Filipino arts. This book contains three chapters by him. In the first, he conducted linguistic and historical research to present the developmental background of the ancient Filipino kali and European fencing systems, thus illuminating the evolution of classical eskrima. In chapter two, Wiley attempts to classify Filipino martial arts and explore the ethos of Filipino martial culture by deriving information directly from the contemporary grandmasters who have maintained an oral transmission of information concerning the evolution and development of their respective martial systems. Part of Wiley’s research also led him to seek out special repositories of artifacts. Museums collections rarely include much on Southeast Asian weapons. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology has nearly 1,000 martial artifacts in storerooms from the Philippines, including swords, knives, spears, shields, helmets, and armor discussed in Wiley’s third chapter. On a practical side, Steven Dowd presents the art of Carlita Lañada who studied martial arts as passed down within his own family in the Philippines. He calls his rendition Kuntaw Lima-Lima, an art whose techniques are reminiscent of Okinawan karate styles, with hints of Chinese gongfu. Presented are the underlying principles, and a sayawan (form) with applications. Majia Soderholm’s chapter is about Visayan Corto Kadena Eskrima and some of its concepts and training methods with regard to free-sparring with swords. It is a Filipino martial system encompassing empty-hand and non-bladed and bladed weapons. Peter Hobart presents a wonderful tribute to Remy Presas, the founder of Modern Arnis. This retrospective is comprised of the stories and memories of many of those who knew him. Topics include Presas’ theory and practice of arnis, such as importance of flow, and memories of his last seminar. The chapter by Ruel Macaraeg dives into the topic of piracy in the Philippines. His study reconstructs the pirates’ martial practices through comparative historical analysis of their weapons, costume, and organization in order to draw conclusions about their relationship to martial cultures in the Philippines and across the region. In the final chapter, Ken Smith discusses a few of his favorite techniques from Modern Arnis. His insights—as well as the information found in the previous chapters—contribute to the academic understanding of Filipino martial traditions as well as the actual practice of kali, escrima, and arnis. We hope you’ll enjoy the reading.
You don't fight bodies you fight minds. In this slender volume, Maija Soderholm of Sonny Umpad's Visayan Style Corto Kadena and Larga Mano system presents the details of one of the most important and least understood aspects of personal combat. How to control the opponent's mind. The Liar, The Cheat, and The Thief explores the drills and the mindset of one of the last modern duelists. As Sun Tzu said "All warfare is deception". On the surface, this is a book about learning to deceive one's opponent in the fighting arts. And it would be a great addition to the canon if that were all it managed to be. Yet, a closer read suggests that this book is pretending to be less than it is to conceal some deeper lessons. We should hardly be surprised by this. Just as Musashi and others have taught us, the sword is a vehicle for understanding other things. In truth, what Ms. Soderholm has provided us is a guide not merely to reading one's opponent, but to writing him. The advantages of that having that ability are limited only by one's imagination, whether the context is the ring, the battlefield, or the boardroom. These are deep waters, and the tools provided are powerful - to be used cautiously and wisely. Rob Crowley, former MAJ, US Army Special Forces My focus, for many years, has been on surviving violent encounters. I don't duel. I don't square off and try to keep things fair. So why am I excited about a book on dueling, using weapons I don't even carry from a culture not my own? Because there are principles underlying all things, and sometimes the principles are easier to see if you force yourself to shift perspective. There are three things that the long blade teaches better than any other medium: distance, timing and deception. Maija Soderholm understands these nuances deeply. I've been waiting for this book for a long time. It will make me better in my totally unrelated field. Rory Miller, author of Meditations on Violence, Facing Violence and ConCom - Conflict Communications: A new paradigm in Conscious Communication After 35 years studying the Filipino martial arts, I thought I knew what 'flow' was until I met Maija; flashing smile hiding the glint of steel. To improve your art, watch, in the videos, how her feet and torso turn in different directions and the hands deliver the attack on a third line. Deception within deception. P.H. (Mac) McRedmond, Deputy Sheriff, Retired and 50 year martial arts student and instructor There are teachers and there are teachers. Rarely do you find the ability to both DO and TEACH at a high level of skill within the same person. I have seen Maija Soderholm's skill in technique and teaching ability firsthand, flowed with her on many occasions and been the recipient of embarrassing lessons in humility. As a 28 year practitioner of the martial arts, that's not an easy thing to bring about. Maija's Art of Deception is the brass ring. There's no holding back, nor is there any mystification - you can't simply let your mind relax, the game is more mental than it is physical and learning to integrate the two has been the stumbling block of many teachers. Maija's art isn't a *system* per se, but the essence of every martial art on the planet; It's a living, evolving manual of motion you can return to for years, and get something new every time. Maija never lets you relax in a drill, she constantly reminds you (sometimes painfully) that higher martial arts demands deeper concentration. No matter what art you train in or from what country, The Art of Deception is applicable across the board in a way few other methods even address. These are the "secrets" that most martial art masters hold close to the vest, and Maija puts them on display for everyone. Bobbe Edmonds, teacher, author, student, curry thief.
Palmer, a long-time friend of Bruce Lee and one of his youngest martial arts students, recounts Lee’s early years, when he would train a multicultural group of local toughs in empty parking lots and backyards around Seattle. Palmer spends a summer with Lee and his family in Hong Kong and provides fascinating insight into Lee’s personality, from his silly sense of humor and love of practical jokes to his uncanny ability to learn from different fighting traditions to hone his skills. Palmer’s stories paint a picture of a fun-loving, intense young man who worked hard to excel at his craft.
