The
line “Be water, my friend” has been an iconic, if not the most famous Martial
Arts line that stuck into the minds of Martial Artists. This Bruce Lee one
liner packs a mirage of meanings, owing to the man being a Philosophy Major.
Aside from talking about combat, the line also talks a lot about being able to
adapt in life. Hence, it is not wrong to say that the life of a people in their
environment can also influence the kind of martial arts that they possess. In
this article, I shall try to reflect on the fluid characteristic of the
Filipino Martial Arts and how does this fluidity reflect the life of the people
who use and have created it.
The
Philippines is primarily a country of coastlines. It is located in the center
of great water bodies one of which is the Pacific which is home to storms.
Since this is the situation of the Philippines, its people have learned to
adapt to changes and have learned to survive the greatest of typhoons. It is
safe to say that though the resilience of Filipinos can be likened to the earth
or to wood, I say that it is more likely of water. “Water can flow, or it can
crash” said Bruce Lee. Water is mutable, adaptable, humble. The Filipinos, with
its 333 years under the Spanish, almost 30 years under the American and more
then 3 years under Japanese imperialism, have learned to survive by adapting as
water have adapted to containers. Filipinos also have a hospitable quality. The
culture of hospitality among Filipinos is legendary. Moreover, Filipinos have
also been great sailors, as attested by Fransisco Ignacio Alcina (1660s), a
Jesuit priest-ethnographer who have described the Visayan Islands thoroughly.
This affinity to water is also manifest in the inclination of the Filipinos on
traveling to faraway lands, as evidenced by the statistics that Filipinos can
be found almost everywhere on the globe, if not as Overseas Filipino Workers –
as tourists who love to travel, adapt, and flow. These traits are only some of
the “fluid” characteristics of the Filipinos.
Although
I admit that these reflections are far from conclusive, and is very much
unsupported by data, I would like to imagine because I have felt and
experienced this as a Filipino. Our perception of our world is based on the
reality that we see. This is my reality that is why I proceed to imagine it
this way.
In
imagining that the core element of a “Filipino” (Filipino-ness talks about a
certain nation, the Philippines, but let us also think that the Philippines,
being the most unpredictable country that it is, like water, is home to
hundreds of indigenous peoples, all adjusting and negotiating with one another
to continue existing) I always imagine a “flow”. The water inside of us, the
flowing water, is like the river running through rocks – the river allows the
rocks to stand in its way, to counter its flow, but in turn, it engulfs it, it
overturns it. In fact, I would imagine the Filipino Martial Artists to be a
raging water flow, able to overturn rocks and stones and break trees on its
way.
Many
techniques in Filipino Martial Arts are like water receiving attacks and
hitting the weak points of the enemy, so much like water which unexpectedly
uproots stones and breaking wood blocking its way. These techniques are also
circular like the drills which is almost the core in the practice of FMA. So
fluid are these techniques that sometimes I hate that it resembles Tai Chi
Chuan, only deadlier. But most of all, the characteristic of the flow is in the
quick reaction and the quick adaptation tactics of the Filipino Martial Arts.
Many
months ago, I watched the videos of GM Tatang Ilustrisimo and GM Remy Presas.
Their techniques do not stand still – it’s always dynamic. They adapt to the
situation. This is opposed to almost all standardized eastern style oriented
Martial Arts wherein the gospel of a technique for a technique is almost
strictly followed. GM Presas demonstration of trappings and lockings and weapon
handlings is one of the best representations of flow – exhibiting the idea that
a fighter should not stand still or stop when a technique is executed. He or
she must be constantly moving, like rainwater moving to little streams moving
out to the rivers. One must also adapt with what is “fed” to you. There is no
single standard technique. GM Ilustrisimo is a god in this field. His moves are
simple, yet, every time he steps, it is premeditated, in a sense that when you
strike him, he already knows your second and third strikes and is able to ward
of or to counter you right away. In a sense, his sense, or 6th sense
ability is what is water, it is fluid, it is like an ever-flowing thing which
knows the edges of a basin even before it touches its skin. It is also like the
sea, which uproots you if you try to fight it. It is a storm surge – you
wouldn’t know that you have been struck if you keep on looking at the wind. The
only way out of it is to learn how to dance with your opponent, that’s why
stepping is also one of the most important skills. One which is manifest and
can be trained by practicing the ‘sayaw’ or ‘carenza’ – a shadow practice almost
like a dance which is like practicing your ‘flow’.
With all this, we can say that
flow is the characteristic of Filipino Martial Arts and culture but it is not
conclusive to say that this trait is ‘owned’ by FMA only. As the famous
Philosopher of Martial Arts once said – I don’t believe in styles because
unless human beings grow four arms and six legs, we will have a different
fighting style – it is only fitting to think that humans, with its infinite
capacity to learn, can share truths or similar truths even if they come from
different parts of the globe. The ‘flow’ is not a property unique to FMA, it is
only that, with the life of the Filipinos, being in constant tug of war with
the winds and waters in this ever-dangerous part of the globe, has not been an
easy ride but Filipinos have learned to dance with it, like dancing with fire,
or waves, or dancing with swords. Because sometimes, there’s no harm in dancing
– it may even save your life.
K.A.Cinco
K.A.Cinco
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