Monday, March 31, 2008

Dagang Kidlat's Basic Curriculum

The basic curriculum taught at my martial art center is the same curriculum taught to me by my masters, GM Ben Lema and Master Ronald Ramirez, according to the instructions given to me by them. These are following basic teachings:

1. Brief History of Arnis De Mano, LSAI and its Founder.

2. Courtesy.

3. Dos Manos (1-2).

4. The 12 Fighting Methods.

5. 22 Club Assault Disarm (Combat Judo).

6. First 10 Stick to Stick Disarm.

7. Bigay Tama (Basic Sparing Drills).

8. Espada y Daga Bigay Tama Drills.

(Note: To those who wish to learn the Intermediate and the Advance curriculum of the art please contact at my e-mail: dagangkidlat@aim.com)

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Legend of the Bastonero of Panay


"There is more truth to legends than to history; history tells only of the past, but legends tell of the past, present, and future........." (anonymous)

"A long time ago ,in the island of Panay, there was once a legendary master bastonero, whose skills surpassed many warriors, was considered the fastest and strongest of all masters that even if you throw a lump of rice grains towards him, while moving his baston in a very fast manner, not even one grain could land on any part of his body....... "

When I was a seminarian (1st postulant) at the Our Lady of Lourdes, Lipa Seminary, 1998, my Professor in Cathechism, Fr. Ceasar Acuin, once told me that myths and legends are exagerations of the truth. One must look at the deeper and important meaning of the story and not at the legend itself. Ancient story tellers would focus more on the moral of the story or the meaning of the symbols related in the story. In the story of the Legendary Bastonero of Panay, it is telling the listener a warning never to fight against a bastonero (arnisadores). There is no known record that any person could actually accomplish these type of incredible feat of physical prowess. Let us look at the symbols, for example, the "lump of rice grains" symbolizes "life." In Panay, rice is a very precious commodity. So why would someone throw a lump of rice grains against the "Master" and not grains of sand?! That means the story is telling to the listener that if you fight against an arnisadores it is tantamount to throwing once life like the lump of rice grains. It is a losing battle, which will only result in death. My teachers in the martial arts would always warn me to be careful with my skills. Never go beyond the moral boundaries. Greater powers must be always be tempered with great wisdom.

Our ancestor knew and believe in the power in myths and legends. For them, they are age-old stories of journeys in search of truth and meaning. It is "the" experience of meaning. It reveals what all humans have in common. We, the modern man, have forgotten this simple truth for we no longer need of them; the stories of myths and legends. Famous author Joseph Campbell, who wrote "The Hero With The Thousands Faces," said, "When the story (legend) is in your mind then you its relevance to something happening in your own life. It gives you perspective on what's happening to you."

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Antes Quebrar Que Doblar


In the small of village called Avila, in the country called Spain, there is an old saying which many of the people upheld and that is "antes quebrar , que doblar." Its english translation means " to suffer rather than to yeild, to die rather than give up." Since I first heard of this saying I included it in my logo as the main tenet and battle cry of my school. It speaks clearly the very spirit of the Filipino warrior that dwells within every arnisadores. This is the very spirit that I wish to impart to every member of the Dagang Kidlat Martial Art Center. It is this very spirit which drives me in my journey to attain the very goal that my master, Sir Ronald Ramirez, and the late GM Ben Lema has attain; to become one with my art.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

The Symbol of the Rat: Origin and Meaning

"I am the self proclaimed acquisitor.
I am a link yet I function as a complete unit.
I aim at encompassing heights and strike my target sure and steady.
Life is one joyous journey for me.
Each search must end with a new quest.
I am progress, exploration, and insight.
I am the womb of activity.
I am the rat."

Many of my students have asked me why I chose the "rat" as the symbol or power totem of my martial art school? Since the rat is one of the most unassuming of all animals its quite a surprise that I would choose it to represent my art. The answer is quite simple. One of the many reasons why I chose it is first because I was born in the year 1972; Year of the Water Rat. A old chinese legend once said that when Buddha was about to die he summoned all the animals to come to him. Since the rat is not as fast and powerful as the other animals he used his cunning and intelligence to beat them to the race to reach Buddha. He accomplished it riding the backs of the different animals and used their heads as leverage to jump from one animal to the next until he finally reached Buddha who then rewarded him for his ingenuity by giving him the gift of immortality. This is the reason why the rats are very hard to get rid of. The Rat has a very strong survival instinct much the same as our ancestors of old; when they fought against the many invaders of our land, the Philippines, using arnis de mano as one of our many defenses. I wish open the eyes of my students how powerful the system of arnis de mano is that won our freedom many times over. I also stress to my students that true power lies not in great strength nor great speed but the greatness of the mind.

A friend of mine, by the name of Mel, a drawing artist and an arnisadores, draw the logo of my school. I told him to draw the "rat" as my logo because I wish to choose an animal that has not been used by the many martial art schools in the Philippines and abroad. I wished to be unique and not be like the others who have chosen the more common animals as their totem of power like the tiger, crane, dragon...etc. The word "daga", here in the Philippines, has two meanings. In my native language, "daga" means the rat. But in spanish, the word "daga" means dagger. The dagger are part of the weapons that I teach in my system. In fact, Traditional Lightning Arnis is famous in the use of the espada y daga.

Whether or not many people would agree with my choice does not matter. What matters is once journey in the realm of the martial arts; his personal development, whether physical or within himself.