FMA Informative Newspaper Vol3 No.5
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Vol 3 No 5 - 2014 Newspaper Propagating the Filipino Martial Arts and the Culture of the Philippines The Real Secrets to Rizal the Budoka? Success in Modern Arnis This was originally published in the FMAdigest. This short article is written to offer an alternative perspective on By Jerome Barber, Ed. D. Rizal’s alleged Japanese martial art background. Article By Ned Racaza Nepangue control of his fine muscles to perform in- How to tell if your Fenc- Dr. José Protacio Mercado Rizal y tricate moves. He was also good in pistol ing is a Martial Art or a Alonzo Realonda or José Rizal (1861-1896) shooting, so very likely had also a well- Combat Sport for short; is the Philippine National Hero. developed focus. Of course he was well- Article Almost everybody, ages above 8 years old in coordinated and fast because of his Western the Islands, knows him. He is almost ubiqui- fencing and arnis (?) background. He could About ... tous - he is in the matchboxes and in many easily understand the Principle of Flexibility Future Events a public place in the Philippines. Abroad, in because he knew physics and as a medical Past Events Japan, there’s a Rizal Marker, at the Hibiya person he was familiar with the human anat- Health & Safety Park, Tokyo and a Rizal Mini Park in Itoh City, omy and physiology. He had also a superior Discovering FMA Shizuoka Prefecture. He is even believed to intelligence to translate abstract ideas to the Tid-Bits be a sort of a divine incarnation by some lo- more physical. cal mystical cults. He had no problem about the Bud- He was ex- dhist or Shinto underpinning in most Japa- ceptionally multi- nese martial arts because of his exposure in talented man, comparative philosophy and religion. And a polymath, a the fact that he was into Freemasonry – he polyglot. He was was more open-minded than his many well traveled. Catholic contemporaries. And compared to With his limited Nihongo , his Filipino con- he was capable of saying “Hai!” And with temporaries (like a beautiful Japanese girlfriend, he had Bonifacio, Mabini enough inspiration to learn the language. et al) he was rich No macho man ever wants to look and act (that is why we awkward in front of his girl; that we have to José Protacio Rizal can hardly read understand. about him apply- If he had earlier mastered the man- ing for a job and working from 8 to 5, here nerism of bowing to every sentient being he and abroad). met in the street, kept his body straight (but It is said that Rizal was also into athlet- not necessarily stiff) and maybe assumed a ics, and some also claim, he was into martial little bit bowlegged gait – he could be mis- arts. Some even exaggerate, claiming that taken for a full-bloodied Nihonjin . Rizal was an expert in judo. This means he He could easily look like the locals, thanks to was not purely cerebral after all. his Chinese ancestry. Rizal’s paternal great- It is not clear though if he was into great-grandfather christened Do- judo or jujutsu , this is be- mingo Lam-co (b. 1662), was a pure Chinese cause for many people who are not familiar belonging to the Chua clan of the with the Japanese martial arts – these two Fujian province in Mainland China. His pa- systems are basically one and the same. ternal side of the family tree is dotted with It is quite possible though, that Rizal many people described as either “Chinese” did learn easily the basics of judo or jujutsu, or “mestizo Chinese.” (Following a patrilineal since he had natural talents. His physical lineage, he could have been officially known body was still young; he was then 28 years as José Protacio Chua y Alonzo Realonda.) old when he traveled to Japan. With a mind His maternal great-grandmother like a sponge, he had no problem memoriz- Regina Ochoa, was described as a “Spanish- www.fmapulse.com ing the techniques either. Chinese mestiza”. This, four feet and eleven inches tall Last but not the least; he was a brave Visit the FMA Informative Group gentleman had the physical flexibility, in and confident man. He dared challenge on Facebook fact, he was also into gymnastics. He had the Spaniard named Wenceslao E. Retana Click Here 2 FMA Informative Vol3 No5 2014 Vol3 No5 2014 FMA Informative 3 (who years later became an right away. Why? Well, be- history. The meeting of these anybody (even the illiterates) otoshi to a six-footer Conceptual Modern Arnis admirer and Rizal’s first Euro- cause he was there in town, Too little time for Rizal two great men must have could easily comprehend. Guardia Civil. History tells us, By Bram Frank pean biographer) to a duel, primarily not to study and been very exciting, to say the Rizal’s brilliant mind, this did not happen. Well, this - he had to see many sub- A seldom seen view of Ar- when the latter had slighted research martial arts like a jects of interest, like the tea least. Kanō, as we all know, his creativity, his artistry, is a good fictional plot for a nis/Modern Arnis the Fili- Rizal by a careless reference modern hoplologist – he was ceremony or chadō , was also a great personality plus his patriotism may have movie. pino fighting art of Professor to his parents. When Rizal was on his way to Europe via the kabuki , sashimi , in the Japanese educational spawned a Filipinized variety We can be tempted to Remy Pesas as seen by 1st exiled in Dapitan (now in the continental United States. system. He was about a year of judo or jujutsu, just like speculate that Rizal plausibly Generation student... More ikebana , geisha , > Bram Frank. Modern Arnis Province of Zamboanga del Rizal, planned to stay in Japan origami etc. And older than Rizal. what they did for the Russian wrote a literature on martial is seen through the perspec- Norte), he also challenged only for a few days, but for a yes, he had to entertain his Judo was just one of sambo (cамбо). He could be arts but unfortunately was tive of the family art of the a Frenchman named Jean reason or another he stayed girlfriend, the old fashion way the many bugei and so inspired of what he wit- embargoed by the Spaniards Bolo and knife,(edged tools) Lardet to a duel. Fortunately, there longer. Besides when budo systems avail- nessed in Japan, that when (since learning the skill on rather than a stick. Some his- (and by the way, most old tory of Modern Arnis in the these two foreigners narrowly he first arrived he could not fashioned ways are time con- able in Tokyo during Rizal’s he went home could have how to throw or to fracture USA is told. escaped a possible death speak any “anime lingo.” In suming). He had almost no visit. There was Tanabe Ma- started to research and devel- bones was something the co- File Download: $40.00 by issuing prompt apology his letter to his Austrian eth- time to practice in the dojo. taemon of the Fusen-Ryu Ju- op our local martial art of es- lonial masters didn’t like the Paperback: $69.00 to this little and seemingly nologist friend, Ferdinand Again let us think about this. jutsu teaching krima or arnis. His ideas could indios to learn). Further information and insignificant indio. Rizal also Blumentritt (1853-1913) he How the Japanese ne-waza . (Tanabe’s help the Katipuneros in their So, was Rizal a martial to Order: Click Here demonstrated a Zen monk- wrote, “The ill-mannered treat the gaijin in students defeated many of bloody campaign against artist? Was a forty-five day- like very calm state of mind children laugh at me because those times, is another point Kanō’s students and many of the Spaniards and later, the visit to Japan, enough? We Knife Tactical Response DVD by Bram Frank in the face of death. It is said I speak in such a strange to consider. Were the dojos, his style’s techniques were Americans. Let us just imag- can use our common sense, Bram Frank, recognized as that few moments before his language.” It was only when especially the traditional adapted later to judo.) Yazo ine then, an embarrassing yet we will never know ex- the father of the methods of execution by a firing squad, he met and started dat- koryū in those years, Eguchi was also around with scenario of a malnourished actly. combat with knife Israelis, is the the Spanish Surgeon-General ing a 23-year old Japanese readily open and friendly to his Kyushin Ryu . Katipunero executing an uki founder of System CSSD / SC, an art tactical combat based on requested to take his pulse - it girlfriend named O Sei Keio foreigners? Were they con- How much was the the Modern Arnis Remy Presas, was normal (meaning it was (Usui Keio?) that he started ducting seminar intensives, martial art tuition fee then? The Real Secrets to Success in Modern Arnis which was the direct student. within the range of 60 to 100 learning enough Japanese so that any expatriate could Was it affordable for Rizal? By Jerome Barber, Ed. D. In this DVD, Bram, practical beats per minute). Rizal’s last working vocabulary. Rizal at least learn the basic ma- Rizal was carefully saving his and direct in his teachings, we unveiled the concepts of the words were Jesus the Christ’s’ may have mastered European neuvers in a short time, say, money; in fact while in To- There are secrets within egades’, ‘black sheep’ and/or tactical response knife.