Readers Comments

March 16, 2007

Mabuhay!
Great website!
My name is Cristian (The Sandman), I'm a instructor from The Netherlands.
I am trying to inform everybody about this beautiful martial art.
Thanks and enjoy!

Mabuhay & vriendelijke groeten,

Cristian van de Sande
Fight Club Sandman
www.fightclubsandman.nl
www.eskrima.pagina.nl
www.jeetkunedo.pagina.nl

Greetings Jay,

It is great to still see my grandmaster being recognized in the FMA
circles. Just for the record, I just wanted to put out that his real
first name was "Eustaquio," but of course everyone called him "Snookie."
Btw, he is a Jr., so his actual name was Eustaquio 'Snookie' Sanchez II,
as is written on his cemetary plaque.

I commend you for doing something like this. I wish I was a better
resource. I met the old tatas and manongs who knew tons of masters here
in Hawaii, but I've forgotten sooo many of their names . . champions
during the era when it was still territorial Hawai`i. Of course, you
have some good noted ones, but I remember others, even Snookie and his
compadres talked about, who were well known here in Hawai`i, unfortunately
lost in the annals of history somewhere.

Salamat,
Erwin Legaspi

15 June 2006
From: "John Chow"
Subject: re FMA Museum

Hello Jay,

I enjoyed your recent stories in the Inayan eskrima digest, and today, I went over to your FMA Museum (as you advised in the digest) and I also enjoyed it. You are turning into a great writer!

Tony Diego asked me to attend the FMA Festival 2006 in Manila July 22, but I am unable to make it due to a work project I have just committed to (I was retrenched from Oracle and now, I have to scrap short odd jobs to make a living - including teaching a bit of martial arts for exercises). Therefore, I regret I do not have the pleasure to meet with you for coffee.

However, Tony Diego might be giving a demo and a session at the festival. Please feel free to introduce yourself and have a chat with him. My other teacher - Romy Macapagal - is quite close to Tony Diego, and I am sure would be easily contactable through Tony Diego. He is very knowleadgeable in the history, background and theory of Tatang Ilustrisimo's art.

Please feel welcome to browse my website - http://www.yellowbamboohk.com

Warmest regards,
John Chow
Kalis Ilustrisimo Orihinal Repeticion,
Australian Branch.

From: Louie Velasquez
To: Jay de Leon
Subject: Anting Anting / Hilot Article
13 Jun 2006

I find your article about Province healers most interesting. For well over 15 years I suffered from
lower back pains associated to pinched nerves to disk damage. I went to see what my wife called a mananbayan (I think that is how you say it) just south of Surigao. With tobacco smoke, orasayon, eating rice with water and a piece of paper she had written on and attached to my back, I have not had to take pain killers from that day forward. For 3 months I spent on the island trying to reason out what she had done but gave up coming to a analytical reasoning process. It was my wife who finally told be to accept this on faith. I don't know about anting anting, but know that there is something or someone out there with some force to change the things we cannot see.

I love your website: it is long overdue.
God Bless you and Keep up the great teachings and work you do in the martial arts.
You are doing the filipino martial arts justice and helping perpetuate the art.

Respectfully,
Art Camacho

April 6, 2006
Hi Jay,

Great site! The only change I would make is to put your lists in
alphabetical order. In my case you have me listed before my teacher in
the top 200 instructors list.
Alphabetical order would avoid all kinds of problems.

Regards,
Tuhon Bill McGrath

BTW if you happen or have an urge to visit Canada for a holiday, hunting or
for whatever reason I would be very pleased to have you as my guest. We are
having a Gathering on July 1 and 2nd this year.

Regards,
Arsenio (Sonny) Padilla
Kali Ilustrisimo