Obscure Martial Arts of Interest

**Permalost** · Posted On: 7/07/2011 10:41am

I'm kinda interested in learning about destreza, a Spanish fencing style. I've noticed some of the names for things are similar to the ones in escrima, and the long Spanish occupation of the Philippines affected their arts too, in part because of the fencing they brought. Would be interesting to see what the Spanish were bringing to the table when they mingled.

**Rivington** · Posted On: 7/07/2011 10:55am

Originally Posted by atomicpoet

Yagh Gures
Turkish oil wrestling. Yes, that's right. Oil wrestling.

It's not that obscure. It's the national sport.

**atomicpoet** · Posted On: 7/07/2011 12:13pm

Originally Posted by Permalost

I'm kinda interested in learning about destreza, a Spanish fencing style. I've noticed some of the names for things are similar to the ones in escrima, and the long Spanish occupation of the Philippines affected their arts too, in part because of the fencing they brought. Would be interesting to see what the Spanish were bringing to the table when they mingled.

Me too. Spain and Portugal are teeming with fencing and stick fighting arts.

**Permalost** · Posted On: 7/07/2011 12:58pm

**Gezere** · Posted On: 7/07/2011 2:05pm

Got to see Turkish Oil wrestling first hand when I was still overseas after it was constantly brought up here. I have to give it it's props. They learn to wrestle without the oil first then learn to pull of moves when the only real grip is the leather pants.

**ChenPengFi** · Posted On: 7/07/2011 2:31pm

I attended a Silat class that was pretty interesting.
I haven't seen anything online quite like what they were doing.
It looked a lot like Escrima mixed with different stand-ups and escapes from a grounded position while the attacker is standing/stomping/kicking.
The escapes and stand-ups seemed like they would be a nice compliment to the ones i've learned in BJJ and wrestling, but they had more of a focus on going back to a free movement.

**Res Judicata** · Posted On: 7/07/2011 5:56pm

Originally Posted by Gezere

Got to see Turkish Oil wrestling first hand when I was still overseas after it was constantly brought up here. I have to give it it's props. They learn to wrestle without the oil first then learn to pull of moves when the only real grip is the leather pants.

Good athleticism but, god damn, that's gay.

**Larus marinus** · Posted On: 7/07/2011 8:49pm

Originally Posted by Tranquil Suit

If I recall correctly, the idea of the oil is that you can't be grabbed anywhere... except for your anus. Hooking the anus (with your thumb or fingers or fist) in Yagh Gures is about as standard as pulling guard in BJJ.

Pause, no homo.

Also - Zulu stickfighting. The r3al - not the Brinnjutsu component, I mean.

**Permalost** · Posted On: 7/07/2011 11:57pm

Youtube has a good deal of Zulu stickfighting videos. This one's a pretty good technical one:

**DdlR** · Posted On: 7/08/2011 1:50am

Quick observations:

* forget Stav unless you're especially interested in a 1980s ninjutsu-meets-"rune stances" art with softcore Norse Pagan overtones
* (reconstructed) Destreza is quite widely practiced in the WMA community. IMO it's highly likely that 19th century Spanish military fencing had a much greater influence on modern FMA than did the aristicratic fencing of the Renaissance period
* Zulu stickfighting is the bomb but is hella hard on the legs