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Originally Posted by Rafngard
Hello All,
I study Kali/arnis/eskrima and I've long heard that "back in the day" (in this case WWII, + or - a decade or so) eskrimadors fought duels with sticks, but not the rattan we train with, but things that looked more like wooden swords I've seen the word "garotte" used to describe these (or perhaps the more flat sticks, or both). The owner of my gym has one (hopefully he'll let me take pics in the not too distant future) with similar inlay, but it wasn't kamagong (I want to say it was something like bahi) and it was shaped more like a jian. That said, I've only seen it once, and didn't get a good look at it.
So what do people think? Is this a weapon, a training tool, or just "folk art" sold to "those who travel?" Something else entirely?
Any and all opinions welcome.
Thanks,
Leif
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Good day sir,
Great piece of memorabilia there, the art is superb. In my opinion, it's only a display piece, 'folk art' as you may say. I hope you would not mind if I express an opinion that may shatter your perception of FMA and BangsaMoro weapons.
As an instructor of FMA, I fully understand your interest in weapons such as the kris. The latter and other BangsaMoro weapons- Barung, Kampilan, Pira, etc.- have been entrenched via the use of trainers, the concept of 'kali' as an ancient mother art that supposedly utilized such weapons, and other modern-day commercial and cultural influences. I mean, who doesn't want to wield a barung or a kris while doing flashy FMA routines. So many FMA systems claimed proficiency in wielding these. A year or two ago, I used to believe that the BangsaMoro weapons could be effectively and efficiently used by FMA practitioners.
Fast forward to present-day. I have held antique barungs and kampilans. I have tried wielding them with FMA- and failed miserably. I have heard of worse stories- FMA masters injured- blade cuts, wrist fractures- while playing around with the BangsaMoro weapons. I have personally witnessed two FMA masters of well-known traditional lineages pick up century-old barungs with the intent of doing a routine, then, upon sensing the unexpected heaviness and weight distribution of the weapon- put them back down.
The reason for this is that FMA, whose roots lie in Eskrima, a Visayan art, is not really meant for wielding BangsaMoro weapons. It was designed for light, fast, highly agile blades.
The art that was designed for BangsaMoro weapon-wielding falls under the Moro Fighting Arts (MFA) of the people of Mindanao; this includes BangsaMoro Silat and Kuntau (not to be mistaken with pencak silat or kali-silat styles), a secretive and holistic art that is traditionally passed down only to family members or trusted friends. I am currently taking up one of the many styles available under MFA, and its weaponry component (the art usually has an unarmed and weapon components) has allowed me to wield both antique and modern-day BangsaMoro weapons with relative ease. It does not utilize sticks even at the beginning phase; it dives into trainers or live blades because it is a blade-only art.
MFA is not well-known because unlike FMA, it is not mainstream nor commercialized. There are very, very few people teaching it (in the Philippines, I know of only two) due to the secretive and culture-bound traditions of the art. I only know of one person teaching the art outside of the Philippines, and he teaches it only to a very exclusive circle.
Anyway, I hope I didn't come off as too abrasive regarding this matter. Pugay!
ADDENDUM: you can check out 'authentic BangsaMoro Cultural Dances' on YouTube. Some MFA styles are also featured there. The weapon component is demo'd (filed under silat, warrior with a barung).