Filipino Martial Arts News Article and History

[Kungfoolss]

Steeped in Filipino history, warrior tactics find modern application

July 10, 2003


http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Jul/07102003/images/fea_kali.jpg
RoseAnn Glade, middle, and Michael Enriquez receive instruction from Louis S. "Zuki" Gadduang at his studio in West Valley City. Gadduang teaches the Villabrille-Largusa system of Kali, a form of martial arts from the Philippines. "You're not just kicking and punching. You are building your character," he said.
By Leezel Tanglao
The Salt Lake Tribune

Salt Lake Police officer Jared Wihongi has a special weapon when it comes to apprehending suspects. It is not his training from the police academy, but his expertise in a martial art once deemed so dangerous that the Spaniards banned it for 400 years. Wihongi is one of many to discover a modern use for the ancient warrior arts of the Philippines. More commonly known as Kali, Arnis, and Escrima, the Filipino martial arts have a long history of secrecy and evolution. Wihongi constantly uses techniques from Kali on the job.

"The Filipino martial arts are some of the best suited martial arts for police officers. I have utilized techniques frequently on the job. More than anything though, I think the confidence that I have gained from training in Kali has been my biggest protection. People you deal with on the street can feel whether you are confident, afraid or overcompensating for a lack of confidence. Seasoned criminals will exploit your weaknesses," he said. Used by Filipino warriors for centuries to defend themselves from foreign enemies, the warrior arts are a time-honored and cherished tradition of the culture. Before Spain's colonial rule over the Philippines, indigenous people have been practicing and perfecting sword-fighting. It was not until the death of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan at the hands of the sword-wielding Filipino warrior Lapu-Lapu that the world got its first glimpse of this deadly art. As a result, the Spaniards banned the practice of the earliest form of the ancient art, Kali, from the entire archipelago for 400 years. Any written records of the origin were destroyed. But the art survived as Filipinos continued to practice Kali in secret.

The majority of the world remained in the dark about Kali until World War II, when the empire of Japan occupied the Philippine Islands. Filipinos trained American and Filipino soldiers to use the sword-fighting techniques against the Japanese. Like most martial arts, there is no single system to represent the entire art form. The Filipino warrior arts are commonly categorized into three areas. With a focus on blades, Kali is an ancient word used in Mindanao and the southern islands of the Philippines. An emphasis on stick-fighting, Arnis is a Spanish term often translated as "hardness of the hand," and is found in the northern island of Luzon. Escrima is a Spanish term for fencing or sword-fighting, particular to the central islands or the Visayas, and its focus is on stick and dagger training. From those categories come more divisions; variations arise as grandmasters perfect their own styles. There are more than 100 systems in practice. Unlike other traditional Asian martial arts, most Kali systems begin training with weapons such as knives, swords and bamboo sticks. By mastering the use of weaponry, students becomes better prepared to fight with open-hands methods. Most practitioners start with bamboo sticks in place of real sharp-edge swords. As students become more proficient, they usually advance to swords and knives.

In the Salt Lake area, there are several guros or teachers of Kali, each teaching a different system. Although it sounds violent, guros emphasize that Kali is not a defensive martial art. From the Kali perspective, when one attacks another, the person attacking is on the offense. Wihongi is a guro for the Dekiti-Tirsia-Sirada Kali, a system that uses a strong striking foundation and footwork development. He tells his students the importance of not attacking unless necessary. "When someone is attacked for whatever reason, it is usually with a blade or similar weapon. The Filipino martial arts were not developed with self-defense in mind, but rather as offensive arts of war. These principles are extremely effective when applied to self-defense, or as we say in Kali 'counteroffense.' The best defense is a good offense," he said. Despite the differences among the systems, the common thread is using the mind along with the body. Louis S. "Zuki" Gadduang of West Valley City is a guro for the Villabrille-Largusa system, which emphasizes the mind-body connection. "The body can't function without the mind. You're not just kicking and punching. You are building your character," he said. Katie Kormanik, a sophomore at Skyline High School who has been studying under Gadduang for a year, says she has gained self-confidence. "I've learned to focus not only in Kali but with other things. It has taught me patience and discipline," she said.

In other parts of the country, the same principles are taught. Arnold Noche of Los Angeles, a guro for the Lameco Eskrima system, teaches his students elements beyond the physical. "What separates Lameco Eskrima from all other contemporary systems is its emphasis on the totality of the human being -- the mind, the body and the spirit -- not just the physical elements alone. Attention, intention, visualization and complete focus are the integral components of Lameco Eskrima," he said. After work, Celina Taganas-Duffy drives two hours in rush-hour traffic to a small studio in the outskirts of downtown Los Angeles. For several hours she practices Lameco Eskrima. Taganas-Duffy uses the warrior arts to protect herself. "The primary reason I took Kali was for self-defense. The lessons I have learned thus far have taught me some applicable traditional techniques and systems, but I have learned so much more," she said.

Today the Filipino warrior arts are being practiced by more non-Filipinos than Filipinos themselves. The reasons behind this vary, but many guros explain that the Spaniards' ban sent many to practice this ancient fighting style in secret. Noche believes the secrecy surrounding Kali contributes to the anonymity of the Filipino martial arts. Sent to the Philippines for his mission by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Wihongi, a New Zealand native, became fascinated with the warrior arts. "Living in the Philippines at first was like being in another world. But after two years I came home loving the culture, the people, the language and considered myself a Filipino at heart," he said. Gadduang says the warrior arts were not meant to be a commercialized medium as other martial arts have become. "The warrior arts are not meant for beating people up. It goes deeper than that," he said. "Parents have to understand that I'm not here to discipline their kids. I teach because I want my students to learn not only about the art itself but about who they are and the culture. No one forces them to be here. They are here because they want to be here."

Reynaldo S. Galang of New Jersey, a master teacher for the sparring-based Bakbakan Kali, hopes to see the warrior arts rise above obscurity. "The world has barely scratched the surface of what the Philippine martial arts has to offer. The first to recognize its true value are the true warriors of the world, the soldiers. Ultimately, as the knowledge and awareness of the art grows, I see the warrior arts of the Philippines taking its rightful place among the established martial arts of the world," said Galang. Today, Kali is finding modern usage from the military to self-defense. Galang's organization, Bakbakan International, now trains the U.S. Special Forces stationed in the Philippines. Taganas-Duffy has gained more than self-defense. "Kali has also contributed to and enhanced other facets of my life," she said. "The artform has taught me patience, humility, discipline, focus, balance and commitment: intangible qualities that I would have never imagined I would gain from studying Kali. Most of all, it has given me a deeper understanding of my Filipino heritage. Understanding the strengths of our culture has tapped into a warrior spirit that hopefully will carry and guide me through unchartered paths."

ltanglao@sltrib.com

http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Jul/07102003/thursday/73948.asp

[Pandinha]

Nice article KFS!


==================
"When we go to the ground, you are in my world. The ground is the ocean, I am the shark, and most people don't even know how to swim." RCJ Machado

[Freddy]

Pretty good article!

"Do what thou wilt is the whole of the Law"

[Samuel Browning]

Oh well, back to Filipino martial arts history. The following is the majority of chapter 27 of Mark V. Wiley's book, "Filipino Martial Culture" (Charles E. Tuttle Company, Rutland Vermont, 1996), pp. 309-313, 317, 330, 341-344.

Chapter 27 contains his conclusions and is a good summary of his book. Dibble cautions me that Wiley is a Serrada practitioner who takes too much at face value. I find it interesting that Wiley does not discuss in detail Remy Presas's Modern Arnis though he mentions Presas in passing on six pages of his book and the "about the author" paragraphs on page 375 says that he holds an instructor rank in modern arnis. I suspect that Wiley and Presas probably had a negative parting of the ways.

Regardless of what one thinks of Modern Arnis such an omission is detrimental because the two largest sourses of Filipino Martial Arts in America (by number of participants) appear to decend from either Presas or Dan Inosanto who has transmitted his interpretation of the Filipino martial arts through the Jeet Kune Do network of practitioners. Even with such possible flaws Wiley's account of the Filipino martial arts is much better than previously circulated English language sources so I do not hesitate in reproducing a large section of this book for comment, placing my own antagonistic comments within [brackets].

My own opinion is that Wiley is spectacularly successful at demolishing the story that all Filipino Martial Arts descend from a unified art such as kali. His three part classification of presumabily all Filipino martial arts as 'ancient', 'classical', and 'modern' is frought with problems and contradictions, even though he does make an important effort in the direction of creating a classification system for the Filipino arts.However, because he attempts to write like a Ph.D in Anthropology (Piled higher and deeper) his book suffers from lots of excess verbage and overtly flowerly prose, while typing this up I kept screaming to myself 'Wiley, will you just get to the point!'. I did not edit his verbage out however because such chopping would have interupted the flow of his argument. (also because phrost promised me a prize for contributing Bullshido's longest post:)

pp. 309-313

"Classification of Filipino Martial Arts

A common misconception with respect to Filipino martial arts is that there is only one indigenous martial art in the Philippines (i.e., kali). Many contemporary instructors and writers assert that the respective terms for the martial arts of kali, eskrima and arnis (among a shopping list of others) are synonymous and represent one single martial arts form. (This problem is confounded by the fact that instructors of the various arts tend to change the names of their systems from arnis to kali to eskrima, for example, whenever a specific term becomes more popular than another.) Others [Ed note: there is a footnote to Inosanto] claim that the latter two arts are but mere 'phases' of kali, the so-called 'mother art' of the Philippines. Contrary to common beliefs, this is simply not the case. [paragraph 1]

Since Indonesian pencak-silat and Malaysian langka-silat predate Filipino kali as martial arts in the Philippines, one naturally concludes that kali cannot be the 'mother art' of the Philippines as so many writers suggest. Are we to assume that the hypothesis classifying eskrima and arnis as 'phases' of kali holds water just because they evolved from the latter art? If so, would it not follow, then, that the art of kali is but a 'phase' of silat, its precursor? If this classification is to be used then it would also follow that silat is at once the 'mother art' and only 'complete' martial art in the philippines. Such a contention is at once naive and absurd. [2]

This classification theory is further refuted when one considers the vast number of indigenous grappling arts that survive to this day among various indigenous tribal and ethnic groups in the Philippines. Tribes such as the Ifugao, Samal, Igorot, Ibanag, Manobo, Dumagat, and Marano practice grappling arts known respectively as bultong, silaga, dama, garong, buteng, purgos, and kapulubod. Various ethnic groups such as the Tagalog, Ilokano, Cebuano, Bicolano, Pampanga, and Pangasinan, practise grappling arts known as gabbo, layung, lampugan, pantok, balsakan, and dumog respectively. [Ed note: Dumog has been adopted/studied by Paul Vunuk and some of the people in his JKD organization] Any attempt to categorize these indigenous grappling arts as one and the same based on their shared unarmed grappling characteristic would do much to deny the Filipino his inherited right of autonomous tribal/ethnic expression. [Ed note, a poorly worded sentence, Wiley could have gotten at this point in a better way] In addition, these grappling arts were practiced in the Philippines prior [to] the spread of the Indonesian and Malaysian silat systems. Therefore, they cannot be a 'phase' of kali-an art grounded in the techniques of silat and structured around the use of bladed weapons. [3]

The theory of a single indigenous Filipino martial art is further disproved in its apparent dismissal of the practice of martial arts transplanted and maintained in whole from other Asian countries. (e.g., the practice of Chinese kun-tao and Indonesian and Malaysian silat systems by the Samai and Tausug tribes of the Southern Philippines). Furthermore, the contemporary empty-hand systems of sikaran, yaw-yan, sagasa, and hagibis, for example, belong to neither the weapons-based system classifications of kali, eskrima, or arnis, nor are they related to kun-tao or silat. It is not possible, then, for these arts to be classified as a 'phase' of kali. [4]

With regard to the term kali as being the name of a pre-Hispanic Filipino martial art, it is not. There is no historical, anthropological, or literary evidence to support the contention that an art by this name existed during or prior to the sixteenth century. In fact, there is a great deal of speculation as to the original meaning and use of the term in the Philippines. Placido Yambao, for example, equates the shortened term kali as having derived from martial arts terms in various dialects such as pagkalikali (Ibanag), kalirongan (Pangasinan) and kaliradman (Visayan). Remy presas posits that the term derives from the Indonesian martial art of tjakalele. Some claim that the term derives from the black and bloody Hindu goddess Kali, consort of the Hindu god Siva. Others associate the term kali as deriving from the name of the kalis sword, and reverse spelling of silat (or silak). Still others equate the term with an abbreviation of Kalimantan (North Borneo) the island from which the ten datus fled, eventually establishing the Bothoan on Panay. However a study of vaarious historical, anthropological, literary and 'popular' sources indicates that the term, as used to identify a martial art, did not exist prior to the twentieth century. [5]

A study of the popular martial arts magazines finds the term originally associated with the matial arts group of the late grandmaster, Floro Villabrille. In fact, the current grandmaster of the system Ben Largusa, states that the term kali is an acronym derived from the Visayan word roots ka, from kamut (hands) and li, from lihok (movement). Moreover, kali was not the name of Villabrille's system prior to relocating to Hawaii as evidenced by his rank certificate which states that he is a grandmaster of escrima. Again, even within its intended context the term kali is neither used or mentioned. [6]

The term in fact became popular through the extensive writings on Filipino martial arts by Dan Inosanto. [Ed note: Most famously with his book 'The Filipino Martial Arts' (Los Angeles, CA, Know Now, 1977, 1980)] It is Inosanto who has had perhaps the greatest influence on the public's perception of what constitutes the Filipino arts and the history associated with them. To his credit, Inosanto has successfully established the existence of the Filipino fighting systems along side the more popular martial arts of Korea, China, and Japan. [7]

However, it is his misunderstanding of the arts, due no doubt from the lack of scholarly material on the subject, which has also mislead the public. [No doubt? how does Wiley know this? Has he ever asked Inosanto directly about this issue?] In presenting the arts, like others before him, Inosanto chose to be over simplistic aand lump all of the Filipino martial arts under one category (i.e. kali). While it is indeed this simplicity that allowed the public to construct an understanding of the Filipino martial arts, it has also led to a great deal of confusion when attempting to reconstruct the origins and characteristics of the various systems, and hence try to classify them. <img src=icon_smile_8ball.gif border=0 align=middle>

Any attempt at classifying the Filipino maartial arts based on the names which practitioners have aascribed to them, is necessarily confounded by the interchangeability of many Filipino terms. The inherent problem with trying to distingush between the plethora of names which are ascribed to the Filipino martial arts, is that without an understanding of what the terms connotes it may appear that all of the different terms refer to the same art. [9]

After closely analyzing the 'systems' of the contemporary masters, and as a result of having an intimate understanding of the arts through eighteen years of participant observation, I was able to construct the following organization of the terms into specific categories relating to Filipino martial arts in general. From this analysis, I have determined that there are four caategories into which all of the terms fall, thus enabling an understanding of what, specifically, they refer to. First, there are over twenty-five generic terms that refer to 'the Filipino art of weaponry,' (e.g., eskrima, kabaroan, pananandata). Second, there are over thirty-five 'styles' of Filipino fighting techniques, (i.e., abaniko, doblete, lastiko). Third, there are eight categories by which the masters name their arts (e.g., after the province where they are from, after the names of culture-heros, after their art's predominant fighting range). And fourth, there are over seventy 'systems' of Filipino martial arts, (e.g., Binas dynamic arnis, kali Ilustrisimo, Giron arnis/escrima). (For detailed lists of these four categories see Appendixes 1 through 3). [10]

It is therefore easy to see why people assume that the terms kali, eskrima, and arnis represent a single art form. They are all terms which generically refer to the Filipino art of weaponry, regardless of martial 'system.' This does not mean, however, that all of the 'systems' of Filipino weaponry are the same: they are not. Next, we must distinguish between a martial arts 'style' and 'system'. The term style refers to methods or characteristics of fighting movements, such as the abaniko or 'fanning' style. Within each 'style' is found a number of fighting 'techniques,' or arranged sequences of offensive and defensive movements in response to general or specific attacks. So within the various 'styles' of fighting are the 'techniques' which comprise the Filipino martial arts. A 'system,' then, is made up of 'techniques' from a variety of 'styles,' which are intimately connected and taught in a progressive manner. And finally, the name that a master ascribes to his 'system' is chosen from one of eight categories. [11]

To exemplify this, while demonstrating his 'system' a master might say it is called the abaniko 'style' of pananandata. From this, the public might assume that his 'system' is called pananandata abaniko. However, this may not be so. As a result of all these terms coming into play when referring to a Filipino martial art (e.g., the system's name; the name of its fighting 'styles' and their respective 'techniques'), it is easy to see how a general misunderstanding towards their respective identities has evolved. [12]

What is clear, then, is that the only terms that are interchangeable are those which refer to the 'Filipino art of weaponry' in a general sense. With this in mind, the terms kali, eskrima, arnis, kabaroan, and pananandata, for example are the same insofar as they refer to the Filipino art of weaponry in a global sense (much as the term bujutsu refers to the Japanese martial arts in general and not to the specific systems of karate, judo, or kyudo in particular). The distinction between what constitutes a general term for Filipino arts of weaponry, stylistic fighting techniques, and names of specific systems, then should now be clear. [13]

With the apparent confusion over the terminology of Filipino martial arts resolved, a general classification of the Filipino martial arts 'systems' can be constructed. As indicated by the results of this study, it is clear that the martial arts of the contemporary Filipino masters tend to fall into three classifications: 'ancient,' 'classical,' and 'modern.' [Ed note: Dear Reader, whenever you see the words 'it is clear' in any text watch out for sweeping generalizations, or at worst an avoidence of inconvenant information allowing items to be shoved into a particular model or formula, for example which catagories does each previously mentioned Filipino grappling art fit into?] The martial arts found in twentieth century Philippines are a culmination of an evolutionary process which includes influences from Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Europe, the United States, and Japan. It is therefore impossible to define the 'classical' systems of eskrima or the 'modern' systems of arnis, for example, as a 'phase' of any art which did not evolve during their respective time-periods. [14]

The following are definitions of the 'ancient,' 'classical,' and 'modern' systems, visually illustrated with technique photographs....Please note that this tripartite classification system is a general way of categorizing the Filipino martial arts, and is by no means the only way. In addition, many of the Filipino martial arts fall into more then one classification because they are composite systems (i.e., made up of several Filipino arts). [Editor is disgruntled: you mean we have these three big inclusive catagories and we still have overlap, perhaps this classification system is seriously flawed, or needs a fourth catch-all category] With this in mind, the martial arts of the eighteen masters presented in Part Four are categorized here by the classification they most effectively fit into. Since fighting techniques are artifacts of a time and place, and the proceeding systems are more than not contemporary 'creations' (i.e., founded, developed, or refined during the twentieth century), they are not classified by the date they were 'founded,' but by their technical fighting characteristics. Therefore, if a martial art was founded twenty years ago, for example, but its techniques are characteristic of the 'ancient' systems, it is classified as such [by Wiley]. [15]

The 'Ancient' Systems

'Ancient' Filipino martial arts were practiced prior to the arrival of the Spanish in 1521. Generally speaking, the 'ancient' arts (often referred to as kali), are structured around the use of Indonesian and Malaysian swords (i.e., kris, barong, kampilan), the use of indigenous projectile weapons (i.e., sumpit, pana), the use of flexible weapons (i.e., kadena, panyo), with footwork patterns structured around elaborate geometric shapes. Preserved in the unconquered Muslim areas of the southern Philippines, these arts did not undergo the same evolutionary process as did eskrima and arnis. Therefore, the 'ancient' art of kali could not have possibly maintained eskrima or arnis in its curricular phases--Spain, the United States, and Japan had not, as of the height of this art's popularity in the archipelago (prehistory to A.D. 1521), dominated the Philippines. The following are examples of techniques found in three 'ancient' systems of kali Ilustrisimo, lameco eskrima, and Tobosa kali/escrima." [Why not just say ancient techniques in a modern system?] [16]

page 317

"The 'Classical' Systems

'Classical' Filipino martial arts evolved during a three-century ban on the 'ancient' martial arts (1565-1898). Many of these systems, therefore, encompasses elements of European swordplay which the preserved 'ancient' arts do not. Initially, the art of eskrima, for example, were practiced with long and short sticks-as even the brandishing of the general utility bolo was prohibited. Since Western fencing became a favorite past time among mestizos (Filipinos of Spanish descent) sticks were later replaced by European-style edged weapons such as the estoc. The footwork patterns of the 'classical' weapons systems tend to be structured around a triangle set between two parallel lines. Moreover, while the classical systems generally have an elaborate repertoire of hand-to-weapon defenses they have only marginal techniques of hand to hand fighting. The following are exaamples of techniques found in eight 'classical' systems of arnis Escorpizo, Binas dynamic arnis, Cabales serrada escrima, Giron arnis/escrima, lightning scientific arnis, pananandata Marinas, and Rigonan-Estalilla kabaroan." [17]

page 330

"The 'Modern' Systems

'Modern' Filipino martial arts evolved as a result of Philippine independence from Spain, and subsequent culture contact with the United States and Japan (1898 to the present). These 'modern' martial arts generally feature the inclusion of hand-to-hand defensive techniques largely incorporated from any combination of Okinawan, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese sources. Moreover, they tend to lack sophisticated footwork with training essentially centered around modern sport competition. [Ed: I wish Wiley would explain what he considers to be sophisticated footwork as verses unsophisticated footwork] The following are examples of techniques found in seven 'modern' systems of arnis Lanada, Balintawak arnis cuentada, hagibis, kuntaw lima-lima, sagasa, sikaran, Tendencia arnis, and Vee arnis jitsu." [18]

pages 341-344

The Book's Conclusion

"One may suspect that every martial art which has survived the plague of time is effective in combat. This is not necessarily so. A number of maartial arts, Filipino and otherwise, have maintained their status through tradition although their techniques have become largely antiquated. [Example please] A number of other systems are contemporary creations and have yet to be 'proven' in an actual confrontation. Thus, many martial arts are more theoretical than practical. [19]

The contemporary masters of the Filipino martial arts unanimously assert that their respective systems are the most effective in the world. In addition, many claim to be undefeated in 'death-matches' which, of course, leads one to believe that they never fought one another in such contests. It is not possible that every master possesses the most effective techniques. If this were the case then a form of martial Darwinism would have taken place, leaving only the most effective martial art to exist in contemporary society. [20]

What we find in the Philippines and the United States, rather, is quite a diverse strata of Filipino martial arts. Each of these systems and their subsequent styles are certainly more effective in certain areas than others. Thus, many martial arts flourish, each effective in their own right. These systems, moreover, are better suited to certain individuals than to others based on their general movement characteristics. To this end, the different personalities of these masters have contributed greatly to the diversity of Filipino martial arts. The prevalence of so many ethnic groups in the Philippines further adds to the uniqueness of its martial arts masters and the diversity, structure, and characteristic of their martial arts systems. Thus, there appears to be no simple blending, no unified art, no unified philosophy, but the [Wiley's] three classifications of 'ancient,' 'classical,' and 'modern.' Given these observations, it is now appeopriate to examine the ethos of Filipino martial culture in relation to that of other Asian countries. [21]

Ethos of Filipino Martial Culture

As the martial arts in the Phillippines have moved from 'ancient' to 'classical' to 'modern,' its practitioners have attempted to emulate what they perceive as 'higher' forms of martial culture (e.g., the adoption of training uniforms, colored belt ranking, and structured group classes)[from Japan]. This emulation began as a result of martial-culture contact with Spain. However, while the martial cultures of these countries have become more passive through time, the Filipinos have apparently been unable to shed their warrior ethos. This id evidenced in the continuation of legal 'death-matches' until 1945, and their existence in private today-an event compounded by Filipino culture itself. [Ed: Can anyone out there provide the name and date of one Filipino martial arts master who died in a formal death match since 1945?] One does not find this kind of combative ethos present in India, China, or Japan. [a debatable point, these counties have a combined population of over two billion people, that's a lot of room for an ethos to take root among a particular sub-population]. And while the Filipinos have attempted to emulate the evolution of martial arts as it is understood in these three countries, they have thus far been unsuccessful in doing so. However, unlike India, China, or Japan, the Filipino has been able to maintain the martial rigor of true fighting disciplines. [22]

Essentially it is postulated that the Filipinos have been unsuccessful in emulating 'higher' martial arts forms as a result of the prevalent intensity of their warrior ethic. Whatever the impinging factor in Filipino culture -- perhaps the self-concept of inferiority from being invaded and colonized by so many countries, or constant warring factions between islands-it is similar to Japan's pre-Tokugawa period. During Japan's seventeenth century Tokugawa period (1603-1868) the bakufu (military government) organized the various warrior factions into a single unit. This has not taken place in the Philippines. As a result, there is still no single martial arts organization, political faction, ethnic or social integration. In essence, it can be said that the Philippines is faced with having no essential original national character. [Filipino readers please jump all over this statement by Wiley if you disagree, I personally don't know if it is true or not.][23]

In contemporary Indian society, martial arts have become so diluted that they are virtually found only expressed in dance forms. Even the classic writings by Draeger and Smith merely focuses on its sport oriented wrestling traditions. Phillip Zarrilli is the first Westerner to 'rediscover' the existance of the ancient Indian martial art of kalarippayattu. But even his analysis of the combat form is in terms of physical fighting techniques as dance movements, and as an internal alchemy used to improve one's health-not to fight off warring factions or other martial arts practitioners. Therefore, not only has India's martial culture become diluted but it is virtually extinct. [24]

On the contrary, China has maintained its martial culture as a national treasure. This was done as a political vehicle to project the essence of their culture to the world. In the past twenty to thirty years since the Cultural Revolution members of China's politburo have investigated their martial traditions. This was effected by insisting (against the will of the masters) that practitioners demonstrate in public and allow video taping of their skills. This permitted the Chinese government to make a catalog of its broad martial culture. As a result, the Chinese government took archaic forms of combat and diluted them into a single, unified martial arts form known as wu shu. Wu shu combines elements of martial arts, dance and opera with gymnastic overtones, into the formation of a single expression of Chinese culture. [Jackie Chan?] Thus, as wu shu, Chinese martial culture is at once more accessible and more easily comprehended by the outside world. One finds little effort made on behalf of the Philippine government in an attempt to preserve their martial culture. [25]

Historically, the classical martial arts of Japan were relatively unknown even to Japanese citizens. To this day the Japanese have been cited [according to Wiley by Donn Draeger and Robert Smith in their book Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts, but I couldn't find such a statement myself in Draeger and Smith's work] as having very little knowledge of their true martial heritage. In fact, the samurai tradition disappeared over 300 years ago. [not at the time of the Maiji Restoration in 1868?] Draeger and Smith note that the bujutsu (martial arts) forms have been superseded by the budo (martial way) forms have been superseded by the budo (martial way) forms. Furthermore, even though specific fighting techniques of the bujutsu tradition were practiced in a clandestine fashion in Japan today, the actual intensity of felling a need to kill somebody in a 'death-match' as part of a routine test of skills is not found. While this warrior ethos was present in Japan during medieval times it clearly does not exist in contemporary Japanese society. [26]

Indian, Chinese, and Japanese cultures are able to maintain a consistency of information concerning their martial disciplines through the existance of 'preserved' textual writings. The Filipinos have no such body of literature. What is found, rather, rather are a number of writings which have paraphrased common sources which, themselves, are largely inaccurate. Perhaps due to to a heightened sense of cultural value placed on scholarship in other Asian countries their martial arts are viewed in a more favorable light. Conversely, as a result of invasion and constant repression of their indigenous beliefs, a general lack of literacy, and a general poor third-world image, Filipinos at large tend to look with disfavor upon their own cultural (and martial) heritage. [I have no way of knowing whether this last sentance is true.][27]

It is a positive attitude toward martial culture which has led other Asian countries to further develop and refine their martial arts. This can be seen in the standardization of rank and its corresponding colored belt designationsm the opening of formal martial arts schools for public instruction, and recommended reading of indigenous philosophical works. These elements have further heightened the Indian, Chinese, and Japanese understanding of the warrior worldview which at once involves an intimate synthesis of Eastern philosophy and religion. In the Philippines, however, there is no unifed or generally accepted martial arts ranking structure or formal schools of instruction. There is also no major or singular indigenous religious tradition or philosophical ideology that embodies ancient and contmporary Filipino beliefs. What is found, rather, are various syncretic forms of endemic animistic beliefs, Islam, and Catholicism. [28]

Moreover, in the Philippines the individual personal beliefs of an instructor may in fact have no direct relationship, correlation, or extension of a particular system or of the teacher his system is supposedly based upon. Conversely, in countries like India, China, and Japan one finds the imparting of knowledge of an art to generally embrase an entire system of physical skills, philosophy, and in some cases supernatural practices and healing traditions. [So the Filipino arts due to their lack of 'evolution' have less Bullshido?] In these countries the whole of a system is transmitted from teacher to student--the student molding himself to the art--through established ritualistic practices. This is not the case in the Philippines where the individual is often looked upon as greater than the art, as evidenced by the vast number of systems named after contemporary masters. Such ideographic belief patterns and practices are precisely why there is so much disunity among the various ethnic groups in the Philippinees aand why the central and northern regions were successfully colonized by way of the 'divide and conquer' strategy employed by the Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century. [29]

The Philippine Archipelago is a melting pot of peoples and cultures. While the evolution of Filipino martial arts may be interpreted by some in terms of ideas assimilated from its Asian neighbors, to do so solely in such terms is naive. As Harding suggests: 'When acted upon by external forces a culture will, if neecessary, undergo specific changes only to the extent of and with the effect of preserving unchanged its fundamental structure and character.' There is presently [1996] no single martial arts organization, political faction, ethnic or social integration in the Philippines. However, it is precisely the Filipino's ability to absorb other cultural traditions without being absorbed that has crafted their martial arts into something essentially and uniquely Filipino. [30]

It can therefore be concluded that while three classifications of Filipino martial arts exists today (i.e., 'ancient,' 'classical,' and 'modern'), their contemporary practitioners appear to be moving toward completely embracing the 'modern' form. The intent of these practitioners to follow the patterns which have unfolded in India, China, and Japan to promote commodified, government sanctioned martial 'arts' and sports is apparent in the results of this study. While many of the contemporary masters embody the ethos of the 'ancient' Filipino warrior (e.g., the primary use of bladed weapons as opposed to sticks, the possession of amulets and prayers for divine protection in combat, and belief that participation in a 'death-match' is the only true indicator of one's skill), the practitioners of the modern systems do not. Threfore, it remains to be seen if the social and political factors in the post modern Philippines will continue to maintain a hold on any evolution of a cohesive unified martial arts ideology which complements its Asian neighbors." [31]

Done :)



Edited by - on July 31 2003 01:57:18

Edited by - on July 31 2003 11:35:18

Edited by - on July 31 2003 16:42:11

[Pandinha]

Good shit Samuel.

For once, I kinda agree with Akuma.

He's still a little shit.



==================
"When we go to the ground, you are in my world. The ground is the ocean, I am the shark, and most people don't even know how to swim." RCJ Machado

[Samuel Browning]

As a history buff I have always been interested in the sources and methods behind the actual research. In his book 'Filipino Martial Culture' (Charles E. Tuttle Company, Rutland Vermont, 1996). Mark V. Wiley provides a very good bibliographic essay on researching the history of the Filipino martial arts. I promise this will be shorter than my previous Wiley post :), As always my comments in the original author's text are set off by [brackets].

pages 21 to 24

Chapter One "Background Investigation

Information on Filipino martial culture is at once insufficient, largely inaccurate, and virtually unavailable to the uninitiated. While the better known martial arts of China, Japan, and Korea are described in a wealth of published materials, there is simply nothing comparable on the Filipino arts. Furthermore, many books on the subject appear to have received insufficient media coverage, are of relative poor production quality, and consequently go out of print rather quickly. Of those that have remained in print, many contain inadequate and often inaccurate historical data. [paragraph 1]

Over the years I have had the opportunity to associate with many Filipino masters. In general, these men lack any appreciation of the value or purpose of documenting their life-histories or technical fighting concepts. As such, much of the documentation on the martial arts of the Philippines has been recorded only after being passed down through oral traditions. Although oral traditions do suffice in the absence or paucity of written documentation, they often lead to the formation of legends. [2]

Regrettably, this oral dissemination of knowledge has resulted in a number of authors unknowingly perpetuating false information, as these stories are often taken at face value. Much of the information I found on Filipino martial culture was poorly researched. It has also been particularly interesting to discover two or more works boldly plagiarizing a given book--only to find later that their common source is inaccurate. [I wish Wiley would name names here] The most reliable source material on the history and traditions of the Philippines can be found in anthropology, archaeology, and sociology texts and dissertations. The scholar has spent years unraveling the mysteries of traditional peoples, while the average martial artist spends most, if not all, of his time perfecting the physical components of the arts with little or no attention paid to the academic, philosophical, and spiritual dimensions. When 'research' is attempted by the typical martial artist it is, sadly, often confined to perusing the popular martial arts magazines and books rather than scholarly sources. [3]

Review of Literature

In attempting to define the ethos of Filipino martial culture several types of references were consulted: archaeological works dealing with Philippine prehistory; historical texts dealing with Filipino repression, rebellion, and warfare; anthropological writings offering cultural perspectives on spiritual/religious ideology and material culture; literature dealing with folk performance, festivity, and celebration; and books presenting information on Filipino martial arts proper in a system-descriptive sense. [4]

In all, 175 books were used as source material for this work. Rather than present a critical review of each of these works, I have put together a bibiographic essay outlining specific trends in the documentation of Filipino martial culture in general. In the process of compiling this information I have identified less than a half-dozen sources from which all other material has been derived. [Here Wiley should have listed each work by name but does not do so]. [5]

In establishing the existence of a prehistoric martial culture in the Philippines the popular writers on Filipino martial arts (Draeger and Smith, Inosanto, Marinas, and R.Presas) subscribe to the Beyer wave migration theory. Beyer's text 'Philippine and East Asian Archeology, and its relation to the origin of the Pacific Islands Population', offered an orderly classification of indigenous Philippine natives into groups related to various migratory waves. The classification of each wave was based on artifacts and customs found in given Philippine island regions that were also common to those of other Asian countries. Such classifications offered these writers the opportunity to structure a theory concerning the prehistoric existence of Filipino martial-culture contact with Indonesia, Malaysia, and China. However, in 'Barangay: Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture and Society', Scott aasserts that: 'Since Beyer's day, forty years of additional research have cast doubt on this synthesis...It is probably safe to say that no anthropologist accepts the Beyer wave migration theory today.' [6]

Historically, the first text to mention Filipino martial arts is 'Maragtas', believed to have been written in A.D. 1250 by Datu Sumaakwel. Sumakwel was a Bornean Sea Dyak who left his homeland with nine other datus (Muslim chieftains), and founded the Philippines' first Malayan settlement. The accounts documented in 'Maragtas', such as the establishment of the Bothoan school of martial arts and academia, has been referred to by a number of contemporary writers to support their claims about the origin of Filipino martial arts proper. [Wiley footnotes Marinas, 1984; Presas, 1974; Presas, 1988] However, no original text, or even an ancient copy, of 'Maragtas' has been found and such accounts must be considered suspect due to this conspicuous absence. [Francisco, 1980] Scott further notes thaat the oft-cited 'Maragtas is a copyrighted 1907 local history of Panay by Pedro Alcantara Monteclaro, which contains a legend which has carelessly ben considered a pre-Hispanic document. [7]

The first book soley dedicated to the history and practice of Filipino martial arts was written in 1957 by Placido Yambao. The book, Mga Karunungan sa Larung Arnis (Knowledge in the Art of Arnis), was published in Tagalog by the University of Philippines, and remains both the most obscure and most paraphrased text on the subject. Yambao's book is important because it is not only the first major work on Filipino martial arts proper, but it is also the first to classify them as as a single art, distinguuishing the variety of Filipino martial arts by regional dialect alone and not by the technical characteristics of their physical movements. This misrepresentation of the arts, perhaps a result of the paucity of empirical data was the source on which authors such as Canete, [1989] Draeger and Smith, [1980] Haines, [1995] Inosanto, [1980] Marmas, [1984(b)] E. Presas, [1988] and R. Presas, [1974] based their assertion that there is merely one martial art in the Philippines, with mant names ascribed to it. However current research indicates that there are over seventy technically unique Filipino martial arts being practiced today. (For a classification of these arts, see chap 27). <img src=icon_smile_8ball.gif border=0 align=middle>

A number of authors such as Amma, [1982], Campbell et al., [1986] Canete, [1993] Lema, [1989] and Sulite, [1986a] have briefly documented the development of Filipino martial arts from the sixteen-century Western discovery of the Philippines by Ferdinand Magellan. Proof of the existance of Filipino martial arts during this time is found in the events of the battle of Mactan on April 27, 1521. During this battle the native Filipino warriors while under the leadership of Rajah Lapulapu, used their indigenous martial arts to kill Magellan and defeat the Spanishh conquistadors. This battle and the weapons employed by the Philippine natives are fully described in Antonio Pigafeta's 'Magellan's Voyage: A Narrative Account of the First Circumnavigation'. Pigafeta, the official chronicler of Magellan's voyage, is the first writer to document the existance of a fighting art in the Philippines. Since he was unfamilar with the fighting methods of the Visayan warriors, his account merely describes the weapons used and the strategy employed by the natives of Mactan, with no treatment given to the physical characteristics or classification of their martial art(s). [9]

According to Dionisio Canete, [1993] Don Baltazar Gonzales, in his book 'De Los Delitos' (Of the Crimes), describes Lapulapu's martial art, pangamut, as consisting of six sword slashing maneuvers. While in Manila in 1994, however, I interviewed Canete and asked him if I could see Gonzales' text. Canete intimated to me that he had not seen the book since he was a child, it was long out of print, and that no copies were to be found anywhere. The fact that Gonzales' text is missing and that Canete, now fifty-eight years old, [in 1996] hasn't read it since he was a child casts suspicion on this account of the name and characteristics of Lapulapu's sixteenth-century martial art." [10]

The following is an alphabetical bibliography of all the books referred to in this excerpt. I reproduce Wiley's citations as he provided them with one comment.

1) Anima, N. (1982)Filipino martial arts. Quezon City, Philippines: Omar.

2) Beyer, H.O. (1948). Philippine and East Asian archeology and its relation to the origin of the Pacific Islands population. Quezon City, Philippines: National Research Council of the Philippines.

3)Campbell, S., Cagaan, G., & Umpad, S. (1986). Balisong: the lethal art of Filipino knife fighting. Boulder, Co: Paladin Press.

4) Canete,C. (1989). Doce Pares Association: basic eskrima, arnis, pangolisi. Cebu City, Philippines: Doce Pares Association.

5) Canete, D.A. (1993). The Philippines eskrima, kali, arnis. Cebu City, Philippines: Doce Pares Association.

6) Draeger, D.F. & Smith, R.W. (1980 [1969]). Comprehensive Asian fighting arts. Tokyo, Japan: Kodansha.

7) Francisco, J.R. (1980, March). Tracing the origin of the Philippine syllabary. Archipelago, the International Magazine of the Philippines, pp. 11-14.

8) Haines, B. (1995 [1968]). Karate's history and traditions (revised edition). Tokyo, Japan: Charles E. Tuttle.

9) Inosanto, D. (1980 [1977]). The Filipino martial arts. Los Angeles, CA: Know Now.

10) Lema, B.L. (1989). Arnis: Filipino art of self-defense. Metro Manila, Philippines: Integrated publishing.

11) Marinas, A.P. (1984a, April). Orasyones, an arnis man's magic powers. Inside Kung-Fu, pp. 15-18.

12) Marinas, A.P. (1984b). Arnis Lanada, book 1. Burbank, CA: Unique Publications.

13) Monteclaro, P.A. (1943). Maragtas: or history of the Island of Panay from the First inhabitants and the Bornean imigrants, from whom the Visayan decended, to the arrival of the Spaniards. Philippines: Makinaugalingon. [On page 23 Witey says this local history was published in 1907, perhaps 1943 is the date this book was reprinted.]

14) Pigafetta, A. (1969). Magellan's voyage, a narative account of the first Circumnavigation (R.A. Skelton, Trans & Ed.). New Haven, Ct: Yale University Press.

15) Presas, E.A. (1988). Arnis: Presas style and balisong. Manila, Philippines: Author.

16) Presas, R.A. (1974). Modern arnis: Philippine martial art. Manila, Philippines: Modern Arnis.

17) Scott, W.H. (1994) Barangay: sixteenth-century Philippine culture and society. Quezon City, Philippines: Ataneo de Manila University Press.

18) Sulite, E.G. (1986a). The secrets of arnis. San Juan, Philippines: Socorro Books.

19) Yambao, P. (1957). Mga karunungan sa larung arnis [Knowledge in the art of arnis](M. Buenaventura, Ed.). Quezon City, Philippines: University of the Philippines.

[Samuel Browning]

My last Wiley excerpt I promise! In the back of his book as Appendix 4, Wiley lists 70 independant Filipino Martial Arts (p. 348). I'm going to list them here and mention if Wiley describes them as being 'ancient', 'classical', or 'modern' in nature. I will also specify if instead they are grappling arts and I will place such information in my usual [brackets] along with the tribe or ethnic group [e.g.] that orginated the particular grappling art.

Another interesting fact. The first commercial Filipino martial arts school in the United States was probably an eskrima academy in Stockton, California that was opened by Angel Cabales, Max Sarmiento, and Dentoy Revillar in 1966. (page 61)

Of the seventy systems listed below, twelve involve grappling, (12/70 or 17%)(page 309) three are classified as ancient systems (3/70 or 4%) (page 313) eight are described as classical systems (8/70 or 11%) (page 317) and seven are listed as modern systems (7/70 or 10%)(page 330) Wiley doesn't bother to classify the remaining 40 systems or 57% of the total arts he mentions. Since he has or held instructor rank in modern arnis (p. 375) I'm suprised he didn't even bother to classify that particular art. Perhaps Wiley classified all 70 of the arts into his three categories in his scholarly article "The classification and ethos of Filipino martial traditions", Journal of Asian Martial Arts, 5 (3), 10-29. But I'm shocked that he didn't provide this information in his book. I take this as evidence that Wiley's classification system has real problems when he doesn't fit over half of the Filipino arts into his own classification matrix.

Wiley's Listed Systems of Filipino Martial Arts

01) abaniko de sunkite
02) arnis Escorpizo (classical)
03) arnis Fernandez
04) arnis Lanada (modern)
05) Balintawak arnis
06) Balinrawak arnis cuentada (modern)
07) Balinrawak super cuentada
08) balsakan [grappling, Pampanga e.g.]
09) Batangueno serrada
10) Bayson style
11) Bicolano arnis
12) Binas dynamic arnis (classical)
13) bultong [grappling,Ifugao tribe]
14) buno
15) Cabales serrada escrima (classical)
16) cadena de mano
17) cinco tero arnis
18) dama [grappling, Igorot tribe]
19) de campo uno-dos-tres orihinal
20) de cuerdas escrima
21) de pluma arnis
22) derobio eskrima
23) doblete rapillon
24) dumog [grappling, Pangasinan e.g.]
25) escrido
26) gabbo [grappling,Tagalog eg]
27) garong [grappling,Ibang tribe]
28) Giron arnis/escrima (classical)
29) hagibis (modern)
30) hinaplos arnis
31) indangan eskrima
32) kali Ilustrisimo (ancient)
33) kuntaw lima-lima (modern)
34) kupulubod [grappling, Maranao tribe]
35) La Costa kali
36) lameco eskrima (ancient)
37) lampugan [grappling, Cebuano e.g.]
38) lapunti arnis de abaniko
39) Largusa/Villabrille kali
40) Lastra arnis
41) layung [grappling, Ilokano e.g.]
42) lightning scientific arnis (classical)
43) Mena arnis
44) modern arnis
45) modern mano-mano
46) moderno largos
47) pananandata Marinas (classical)
48) panantukan
49) pangamut
50) pantok [grappling, Bicolano eg]
51) pekiti tirsia kali
52) purgos [grappling, Dumagat tribe]
53) Rigonan-Estalilla kabaroan (classical)
54) Rizal arnis
55) sagasa (modern)
56) Sayoc kali
57) siete pares arnis
58) sikaran (modern)
59) silaga [grappling, Samal tribe]
60) sinayoup kali
61) Sulite style
62) sunkite arnis
63) talahib
64) tapado
65) Tendencia arnis-hilot (modern)
66) Tobosa kali/escrima (ancient)
67) tulisan
68) Vee arnis
69) Vee arnis jitsu (modern)
70) yaw-yan

Note: on page 309 of his book Wiley mentions a buteng grappling art practiced by the Manobo tribe but this art is not included in his appendix four listing the known Filipino martial arts. Either this art is extinct or a mistake was made and there really are 71 independant Filipino martial arts.

[Samuel Browning]

One of the re-occuring problems in the martial arts are statements concerning what a particular art was, or looked like, hundreds of years ago when the author has absolutely no historical evidence to support such a claim beyond the oral claims of his own teacher. "That's right Grasshopper, Master what's his nuts told me that our sugar plum fist style came from the Shaolin temple in the 1500s. What do you mean how would he know? He's old, Chinese, and wears a black sash!" With this in mind it is very interesting to read an eyewitness account of the battle between Magellan and the residents of the island of Mactan in the Philippines in 1521 that shows the weapons that these islanders were using at this time.

For those historically challenged, Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer in the pay of the Spanish who attempted the first sucessful, known, circumnavigation of the globe. (Ferdinand didn't make it back, but one of his ships did). Along for the journey was one Antonio Pigafetta, who was born in what is now Italy, in territory controlled by the city state of Venice. Magellan had arrived in the Philippines in March of 1521 and hadd promply converted several chiefs to Catholicism. One of these chiefs, convinced Magellan to conquer next door Mactan island for him as a sign of friendship. The military operation that resulted was poorly planned, and resulted in Magellan's death. Mactan is an island located between Cebu and Leyte islands in the Philippines. It is just off the present day locattion of Cebu City.

The following account is from Charles E. Nowell Ed, Magellan's Voyage Around the World: Three Contemporary Accounts (Northwestern University Press, Evanston Ill, 1962), pp. 168-173. Nowell used a 1906 translation of Pigafetta's work done by the American scholar James Alexander Robertson. The manuscript of 'Primo viaggio intorno al Mondo' that Robertson used, was obtained from the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan and may have been in Italian. (Nowell is unclear on this point) It should be noted that there are other translations of Pigafetta's work from his journal which were published. Some like Paula Spurlin Paige's, The Voyage of Magellan: The Journal of Antonio Pigafetta (Prentice-Hall, Inc, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1969) (translated from French) are substantially different in content, however the translation I will be providing has been accepted by several other historians, and very well may be authoritative.

"On Friday, April twenty-six, Zula, a chief of the island of Matan, sent one of his sons to present two goats to thee captain-general, [Magellan] and to say that he would send him all that he had promised, but that he had not been able to send it to him because of the other chief Cilapulapu, who refused to obey the king of Spagnia. [Spain] He requested the captain to send him only one boatload of men on the next night, so that they might help him fight against the other chief. The captain-general decided to go thither with three boatloads. We begged him repeatedly not to go, but he, like a good shepard, refused to abandon his flock.'

[Ed: some historical sources have claimed that Magellan was acting on behalf of Rajah Humabon, the chief of Cebu, while other less reliable sources like myself have speculated that he was just attempting to impress Jodie Foster.]

"At midnight, sixty men of us set out armed with corsets and helmets, together with the Christian king, the prince, some of the chief['s] men, and twenty or thirty balanguais. We reached Matan [Mactan] three hours before dawn. The captain did not wish to fight then, but sent a message to the natives by the Moro to the effect that if they would obey the king of Spagnia, recognize the Christian king as their sovereign, and pay us our tribute, he would be their friend; but that if they wished otherwise, they should wait to see how our lances wounded. They replied that if we had lances they had lances of bamboo and stakes hardened with fire. (They asked us) not to proceed to attack them at once, but to wait until morning, [Pigafetta speculates] They said that in order to induce us to go search for them; for they had dug certain pitholes between the houses in order that we might fall into them. [Magellan gave up the element of surprise trying to force a capitulation and may have delayed his attack until dawn because he preferred to conduct operations during the day. It seems ridiculous that he would want his opposition to assemble a larger force against him.]

When morning came forty nine of us leaped into the water up to our thighs, and walked through water for more than two crossbow flights before we could reach the shore. [Ed: one historian I've read claims that a crossbow flight is roughly equal to 100 yards] The boats could not approach nearer because of certain rocks in the water. The other eleven men remained behind to guard the boats. When we reached land, those men had formed in three divisions to the number of more than one thousand five hundred persons. When they saw us, they charged down upon us with exceedingly loud cries, two divisions on our flanks and the other on our front. When the captain saw that he formed us into two divisions, and thus did we begin to fight.

The musketeers and crossbowmen shot from a distance for about a half hour, but uselessly; for the shots only passed through the shields which were made of thin wood and the arms (of the bearers). The captain cried to them, 'Cease firing! cease firing!' but his order was not at all heeded. When the natives saw that we were shooting our muskets to no purpose, crying out they determined to stand firm, but they redoubled their shouts. When our muskets were discharged, the natives would never stand still, but leaped hither and thither, covering themselves with their shields. They shot so many arrows at us and hurled so many bamboo spears (some of them tipped with iron) at the captain-general, besides pointed stakes hardened with fire, stones, and mud, that we could scarcely defend ourselves.

Seeing that, the captain-general sent some men to burn their houses in order to terrify them. When they saw their houses burning they were roused to greater fury. Two of our men were killed near the houses, while we burned twenty or thirty houses. So many of them charged down upon us that they shot the captain through the right leg with a poisoned arrow. On that account he ordered us to retire slowly, but the men took flight, except for six or eight of us who remained with the captain. The natives shot only at our legs, for the latter were bare; [unarmored] and so many were the spears and stones that they hurled at us, that we could offer no resistance. The mortars in the boats could not aid us as they were too far away. So we continued to retire for more than a good crossbow flight from the shore always fighting up to our knees in the water. The natives continued to pursue us, and picking up the same spear four or six times, hurled it at us again and again.

Recognizing the captain, so many turned on him that they knocked his helmet off his head twice, but he always stood firmly like a good knight, together with some others. Thus did we fight for more than one hour, refusing to retire further. An Indian hurled a bamboo spear into the captain's face, but the latter immediately killed him with his lance, which he left in the Indian's body. Then trying to lay hand on his sword, he could draw it out but halfway, because he had been wounded in the arm with a bamboo spear. When the natives saw that, they all hurled themselves on him. One of them wounded him on the left leg with a large cutlass, which resembles a scimitar, only being larger. That caused the captain to fall face downward, when immediately they rushed upon him with iron and bamboo spears and with their cutlasses, until they killed our mirror, our light, our comfort, and our true guide.

When they wounded him, he turned back many times to see whether we were all in the boats. Thereupon, beholding him dead, we, wounded, retreated, as best we could, to the boats, which were already pulling off. The Christian king would have aided us, but the captain charged him before he landed, not to leave his balanghai, but to stay and see how we fought. When the king learned that the captain was dead he wept. Had it not been for the unfortunate captain, not a single one of us would have been saved in the boats, for while he was fighting the others retired to the boats. . . . [105 word tribute to Magellan omitted by SB]

That battle was fought on Saturday, April twenty-seven, 1521. The captain desired to fight on Saturday, because it was the day especially holy to him. Eight of our men were killed with him in that battle, and four Indians, who had become Christians andd who had come afterward to aid us were killed by the mortars on the boats. Of the enemy, only fifteen were killed, while many of us were wounded. In the afternoon the Christian king sent a message with our consent to the people of Matan, to the effect that if they would give us the captain and the other men who had been killed, we would give them as much merchandise as they wished. They answered that they would not give up such a man, as we imagined (they would do), and that they would not give him up for all the riches in the world, but they intended to keep him as a memorial."

[Samuel Browning]

And a few followup facts from Mark V. Wiley's book, "Filipino Martial Culture" (Charles E. Tuttle Company, Rutland Vermont, 1996), p. 40.

Wiley writes that Magellan attacked, and was killed by warriors in the service of Rajah Lapulapu who was the chief of Mactan Island. The weapons that these warriors used included:

kampilan -- long, duel-pointed cutlass (I do not know if these were made of iron)
sibat -- Spears
sinugba sa apoy -- Sticks hardened in fire.
kalasag -- Protective Shields

Based on the translation of Pigafetta's work from French by Paula Paige it is also possible that the Filipinos were also using some sort of dart.

Wiley also uses a different translation of this journal which I have not read. Namely Antonio Pigafetta, 'Magellan's Voyage: A Narrative Account of the First Circumnavigation' (R.A. Skelton, Translated and Edited) (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1969).

Finally Pigafetta uses the term 'Indian' to describe the Filipinos, since this was the West's first contact with the Philippines, I suspect he was using a term popularized by Vasco da Gama who had 'discovered' India for the Portuguse in 1498.

[Freddy]

I thought Magellan was killed directly by Lapu Lapu. In particular was stab to death with a kriss to the ribs.

[GRaMLyTZ]

There was no wriiten statement/history how magellan died , only he died in Lapu Lapu's hands with the used of wooden sticks and kris .

I disagree with the concept about KALI as to the origins of the word for Lapu Lapu is actually a Muslmin and chief of maqctan island but the word did not originate in Mindanao , but by LAPU LAPU's real name instead , KALI PULA . I myself is a Cebuano and I know more about my roots than other people who wrote books about cebu/cebuanos but are not even Cebuanos .

[Toby Christensen]

I thought Hawaiian warriors killed Magellan

[Samuel Browning]

If I may address the statements at issue.

1) I have no idea if Lapu Lapu was there at the battle, and if he killed Magellan himself. Since Antonio Pigafetta, would not been able to recognize Lapu he is useless on this issue. So I can't argue this point one way or another.

2) I am not surprised that there are other versions of Magellan's death, but Pigafella was on the beach with Magellan during much of the fight and is the most reliable western witness to this confrontation. The Filipeano accounts of this battle are of unknown reliability. For example:
Wiley writes "Don Baltazar Gonzales, in his book 'De Los Delitos' (Of the Crimes), describes Lapulapu's martial art, pangamut, as consisting of six sword slashing maneuvers. While in Manila in 1994, however, I interviewed Canete and asked him if I could see Gonzales' text. Canete intimated to me that he had not seen the book since he was a child, it was long out of print, and that no copies were to be found anywhere. The fact that Gonzales' text is missing and that Canete, now fifty-eight years old, [in 1996] hasn't read it since he was a child casts suspicion on this account of the name and characteristics of Lapulapu's sixteenth-century martial art." [10]

If there is any first hand to third hand written account of this battle from the winning side I'd be interested in hearing about it. If the claim that Magellan was killed by a Kriss is oral history passed down from generation to generation then I would have no hesitation in asserting that Antonio Pigafetta's account is more reliable since he is a first person source and oral accounts of events often have little if no relationship to what really happened after they pass through more then several people.

[Samuel Browning]

Originally posted by Angry_Spastic
I thought Hawaiian warriors killed Magellan

I believe you are thinking of James Cook who was killed in the late 1700s after a visit to Hawaii in which he also became involved in the local rivalries.

[Jolly_Roger]

Great articles!
Thanks!

[DANINJA]

Kali is also the name of a hindu god(i think) -is there some possible indian influence?