Those Responsible for the Spread of Filipino Martial Arts in the U.S.
by Jay de Leon

Originally Published in WorldBlackBelt Magazine, 2004

     It is probably safe to say that, at this point in martial arts history—the dawn of the twenty first century, that Filipino Martial Arts has taken its place as a major style in the United States. While it may not be as popular or as well-known as the other Oriental martial arts, such as kung-fu, karate or jiu-jitsu, its effectiveness combined with its ability to be integrated with other styles, has made it popular with knowledgeable martial artists.
     Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) is a weapons-based system originally from the Philippines, usually known as arnis, kali or eskrima. While it is a popular subject of debate as to the distinction between the three styles, knowledgeable FMA grandmasters and historians grudgingly agree that the three terms basically refer to the same art. In the Philippines, the art is also known by other indigenous terms, but by and large, FMA in the United States is known by either of the three terms.
     Lately, the choice of term by a Founder has been politicized. For example, practitioners that downplay Spanish influence or avoid Spanish terms will therefore eschew the term eskrima , from the Spanish word “esgrima” meaning fencing. Especially in the US, the term “kali” is favored because it connotes a “mother earth” style whence it sprang from. Users of the word “arnis” want to show their connection with their homeland style, roots and teachers.
     Below are the top ten I feel most responsible for the spread of Filipino Martial Arts in the United States. In no particular order, only three are individuals, three are groups with finite, identifiable members, and the rest are groups, members of which are open for your nomination. Their influence and contribution range from international and legendary, to limited and local, but taken together, they have been responsible for whatever popularity Filipino Martial Arts now enjoy in the U.S.

Professor Remy Amador Presas

     Prof. Presas is known as the Founding Father of Modern Arnis, both in the Philippines and the U.S. An extremely engaging and charismatic figure, Remy started giving private classes and seminars in southern California when he first came to the U.S. in the early 70’s, eventually developing scores of Modern Arnis masters as he crisscrossed the whole of the United States, as well as Canada and Europe. Although widely criticized after his recent death for the loose structure and eventual succession turmoil of his organization, Remy’s legacy to the world of martial arts is undeniable and far-reaching. He will be remembered by the hundreds of thousands who, in just one class or seminar whether in Manila or Ohio or Stockholm, learned to love him, his humor, his humanity, and his art.

Dan Inosanto

     While Inosanto’s worldwide fame is due mostly to his direct connection with Bruce Lee, he stands on his own merit in his own development of FMA and interpretation of jeet kune do (JKD). Probably one of the most revered living instructors today, Guro Dan remains a humble man, an eternal student, an indefatigable teacher and a professor emeritus of martial arts. True to the spirit of JKD, he is both student and master of the major martial arts styles—kenpo, arnis, silat, Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and others. It is probably because of this fact, that he is a citizen of the martial arts world, that Inosanto is not without his detractors, mostly the so-called purists for JKD and some Filipino Martial Arts.

Bruce Lee

     On a very basic level, we can say all martial arts hung on to Bruce Lee’s coattails as he blasted his art, screen persona and personal charisma onto the silver screen as well as the martials arts landscape. But his contribution to FMA was more subtle and constructive than that. His style (or philosophy) of jeet kune do (JKD) espoused completeness of fighting ability, including the use of weapons. Partly because of this philosophy, partly because of Dan Inosanto’s influence, most of a JKD school’s curriculum would include FMA. And who of us, after watching a Bruce Lee movie, was not tempted to swing a nunchaku, double sticks or a staff (bo)?

Representatives from established RP schools

Grandmaster Ciriaco “Cacoy” Canete

     Eventually, most of the established FMA schools in the Philippines (RP) had instructors setting up satellite schools in the U.S. Foremost among these were Pekiti-Tirsia (Leo Gaje/BillMcGrath)), Doce Pares (Cacoy and Diony Canete), Lightning Scientific Arnis (the late GM Elmer Ybanez), and Kombatan (GM Ernesto Presas, brother of Remy).
      This group of grandmasters as well the next group set the initial tone for FMA instruction in the U.S.& While the majority of them were past their fighting prime, they were all battle-hardened and technically competent, steeped in Filipino tradition, quick to accept or issue a challenge, and in general sought to keep a middle ground between teaching a no-nonsense style and surviving financially.

Founders of FMA Styles in U.S.

Grandmaster Ramiro Estalilla

     This is the other elite group of guros in the U.S. These are mostly transplanted Filipinos skilled and articulate enough to set up their own FMA styles and schools in the U.S. Most of them retained their allegiances to their homeland style, acknowledged their former guros but mostly operated as independent guros in the U.S.
     This group would include late grandmasters like Angel Cabales, Floro Villabrille, Edgar Sulite, Leo Giron, Florendo Visitacion and Lucky LucayLucay, and living grandmasters like Bobby Taboada, Mat Marinas, Ramiro Estallila, Bo and Chris Sayoc, Max Pallen and Gat Puno Abon Garimot Baet.

The Dog Brothers

     Neither dogs nor brothers, the Founders of this muttley group are Eric “Top Dog” Knaus and Marc “Crafty Dog” Denny. Acceptance by the tribal council included the honor of choosing a “Dog” name for yourself. For all their accomplishments, the Dog Brothers will forever be synonymous with full-contact stickfighting. For the genesis of their group, Marc Denny said they always wondered how their training in the U.S. stacked up with the “old style” brutal, realistic training in the Philippines. So was born the Dog Brothers philosophy and organization, with its “Gathering of the Pack” (its annual or sometimes semi-annual full contact fights), its slogan “Higher Consciousness through Harder Contact” and evergrowing lore and myth. The Dog Brothers have generated tremendous interest in FMA walking a tightrope between gladiatorial spectacle, laboratory of FMA techniques, a warrior rite of passage, and true martial arts brotherhood.

Guros teaching out of garages, community centers, parks, etc.

      Not everybody who taught FMA was an icon and did the national circuit. There were hundreds of guros (teachers) teaching independently out of their houses, community centers, parks, etc., anywhere where there was enough elbow room to swing a stick, or a pair of them. Their sphere of influence was probably limited to their town and student participation was limited, but the level of instruction was authentic and first-rate, oftentimes innovative and unique. Most of these instructors were transplanted Filipinos who held full-time jobs and taught FMA as a hobby or passion, or to supplement their income.
      Some well-known FMA grandmasters who taught this way at one time or another include Nes Fernandez, Eddie Lastra, and, of course, the “manongs.”.

The manongs of Stockton

     “Manong” is an Ilokano (a dialect of a Philippine province) term of respect, equivalent to “Uncle.” Among many, Dan Inosanto has acknowledged learning the early core of his arnis from the “manongs” of Stockton, CA. Some of the manongs that Dan Inosanto specifically mention in his book include Juanito “John” LaCoste, Braulio Pedoy, Gilbert Tenio and Max Sarmiento.
     From a historical perspective, the “manongs” of Stockton can almost be symbolic. There were “manongs” in Hawaii, in San Jose, CA, in New York, etc. The “manongs” have come to symbolize the first wave of Filipino immigrants-eskrimadors who brought their FMA skills with them to the U.S., and by necessity, design or happenstance, passed these skills on to the next generation of FMA grandmasters as we know them. These “manongs’ were oftentimes immigrant or blue-collar workers, did not have “dojos” or formal classes, and did not realize the commercial value of their knowledge and therefore did not get much remuneration for it. It is only at this time in history that the FMA community is beginning to realize the extent of their contribution.

The traditional martial arts connection

Mike Inay Founder of Inayan Eskrima

Indigenized FMA schools

     There is a theory in martial arts styles development that postulates that all foreign styles are eventually indigenized. For example, is the current kung-fu being taught now, generations removed from its original kwoon in China and its Chinese sifu’s, still Chinese, or is it now Chinese-American or Americanized?
     As for FMA, there indigenized by utility, and those indigenized by personality.;
     There are some styles or schools that do not teach FMA per se but do incorporate the effective techniques of FMA in their curriculum. Many of these are self-defense schools or “reality-based” styles that utilize FMA as its core style. Examples of these would include James Keating’s Comtech or Hock Hochheim’s Archipelago and Bladed Combatives. It’s a dead giveaway when you go to their training sessions and are required to bring two rattan sticks and a training knife. In fairness to the aforementioned gentlemen, though, both are high-level, certified instructors in their respective FMA styles. Other self-defense schools, like Front Sight (a large gun training institute in the deserts of Pahrump, Nevada, close to Las Vegas) offer generic self –defense courses in impact and bladed weapons combatives. These courses, however, were created and taught by FMA grandmasters.
     And finally, one can say that a style has arrived when it has been indigenized, and Americans can now found their own FMA systems. Because they have added their own techniques into the original body of knowledge, (and also presumably discarded some?), and have obviously injected their own personality and nuances into the new style, a new style has to be born again unto their spirit and baptized a new name. These names need to sound Filipino, and have ranged from the lethal-sounding to the light-hearted. Examples include Blaise Loong’s “Patayin Estilo” (Death Style) to Rocky Pasiwk’s “Cuentada de Mano” to my friend Badger Jones’s “Siling Labuyo Arnis” (er, something like Red Hot Chili Pepper Arnis). Badger explained to me that his arnis is just like the siling labuyo—fiery, deadly, lively and Filipino to the core. Again, to set the record straight, these three gentlemen are expert arnisadors in their own right, among other things.

     And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, the top 10. The idea was to recognize a few people, not to slight any individual. If you feel an individual or a group has been grossly overlooked, please let me know.