Welcome to Filipino Fighting Secrets Live Blog!
Welcome to the Filipino Fighting Secrets Blog! All the content on this site is derived from original posts of Filipino Martial Arts Master Mustafa Gatdula. Master Gatdula is the owner and head instructor of the Typhoon Philippine School of Martial Arts. Also known as “thekuntawman“, he is well-versed in many martial arts disciplines and styles, and possesses a wealth of knowledge and insight. While often controversial with his opinions, many listeners and readers tend to close their ears to his ideas and wisdom. We created this blog to give our beloved teacher a platform to air his views and share his ideas of the practice, the teaching, and the application of the martial arts. Please check with us weekly, as we will post a combination of edited postings as well as original writings from one of the most interesting and outspoken of the modern-day warriors! If you’d like to know what our purpose is, please see here, and we’ll tell you all about it.
We feature articles about training, philosophy, fighting strategy, and video review. In our “Observation and Insights”, you can read commentary about a variety of topics concerning the martial arts. There are two new sections that we are adding to our blog: A video review section (look under “categories“, to your right) and books you can order from Master Gatdula. There is a ton of good, useful information (we have 5 books coming) that you won’t find anywhere, and they expound in greater detail much of what is contained in the articles we present.
For those interested in learning to become an FMA teacher, Master Gatdula is offering the only residential FMA Instructor Candidate program in Northern America. This is a full-time program to train future teachers in the Filipino arts of Kuntaw and Eskrima. For more information, please visit our Train Full-Time page.
Please visit the “Offerings” page (click the link, or to your right) and check back periodically for updates!
Thank you for visiting!
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Thoughts from you post in the the digest. Good thoughts- I am amazed how close you are to my own thoughts. I strongly believe in pushing my students and everyone gets tested at levels. I can say that my students are good. I even take my students to non-FMA events and compete. Because we compete in others we had to adopt belts- I see them as levels of knowledge- I just watched two of my orange belts beat out green belts from other schools.- Yes I competed too, in the black belt division for weapons and forms, I took 1st place and Grand champion. I agree with you, get out and push your self and your school.
Marc
Marc Lawrence - July 8, 2009 at 8:06 am
Love what you write. I ve been training privately for over 4 years now and its nice to see that there are some people on the same page of teaching and training in FMA and other styles… . I am working on being able to teach my art but i am not wanting to water any of it down to make a buck. it is a big honor to learn from my teacher and from what he learned from his teachers. I feel so much of martial arts is dying out with many martial arts masters and legends who have lead the way in many styles. who will keep the fire going before its to late. Keep true to the Art my Brother in arms…..
Jeremy Mathiesen - August 12, 2009 at 9:57 pm
thank you! im glad you enjoy the articles i am trying to put out good information for FMA teachers and students.
thekuntawman - August 13, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Greetings to Master Gatdula, I remember our meeting a long while ago, and the tremendous skill of Master, warm regards, Greg
P. Greg Alland - August 15, 2009 at 12:44 am
I’m very interested in FMA…. I train in Arnis. There are a few good schools where I am. I don’t believe any FMA should be watered down to suit other nationalities. I’m Australian and I really want to learn a proper style of Arnis/Eskrima/Kali not one thats been changed to suit America or Australia etc.
Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying anything against any style of FMA. I love FMA and I don’t want it to become lost because people change it to suit other countries methods of teaching, training. For example…. I have been told that Modern Arnis was developed by Remy Presas to suit American society… less of the knife work and more on stick because American society frowns on the knife as a weapon. Correct me if that is incorrect.
I will keep reading your blog and posting.
Thank you.
Kevin - August 15, 2009 at 4:52 am
thank you for your comments, i think what GM presas did was make it easy to learn and easy to certify in. it was good to get people to know about filipino martial arts, but what it did bad was water down the art, and make people lose respect for arnis as a combative art.
i recently heard another master say, that the art will change, according to the needs and desires of the people in the country where the art lives. this kind of cultural affect on the arts is good, and can show the world how adapting are our arts. the only problem is when the art lost its effectiveness and respect for those that do the art. so, where one country, the people need the art for defense, and another one, they need the art for killing, and another, they need the art to exericse the people, that is okay, this is how arts evolve, even when it evolved into the culture of another country.
thank you for the comments, and keep them coming please!
thekuntawman - August 15, 2009 at 11:20 am
Don’t get me wrong GM Presas is a great man and deserves respect for what he did. I understand that an art must adapt but it must not lose its roots.
Kevin - August 16, 2009 at 3:03 am
Welcome to WordPress..another nice addition to the MA blogs here. Keep up the good work.
tgace - August 15, 2009 at 6:11 am
I am interested in learning about your style of martial arts?
Naghman Chak - September 2, 2009 at 3:04 am
hi
please see my website at http://www.typhoonma.com if you would like to learn. thank you!
thekuntawman - September 10, 2009 at 5:31 am
Very good blog. In particular I find your stance on Sinawali agreeable. I have found a lot of guys who have practised patterned stick on stick on stick drills are not able to switch out of these striking patterns when fighting. Their timing of counters seems to be concentrated totally on the opponents stick rather then breaking inside or outside and attacking the flesh.
For me broken rythym stop hitting to either the hand, elbow, head is preferred.
Look forward to reading more.
Alan McFarlane - October 26, 2009 at 7:41 am
I am a 4th degree blackbelt master instructor in Tae Kwon Do and Tang Soo Do. I have been involved in the martial arts for over 35 years now. I have been training in FMA for almost 4 years now and I am very interested in the history and fighting techniques of the art. I am now teaching at Master Joe Corley’s American Karate School in Marietta, Georgia.
Anything you can share I come with an open mind and open heart to learn.
Thanks so much,
Always a student of the martial arts,
Eldrige Holloway
Eldrige Holloway - October 26, 2009 at 7:43 am
A refreshing breeze blows away the hot, stale air of the training hall!
Richard Kollmar - October 26, 2009 at 7:48 am
Greetings,
Looking foward to exploring and reading
Salamat
John Fontanilla - October 26, 2009 at 7:58 am
I also am a Northern California instructor who does not want his students engaging in padded FMA engagements. I stress realistic applications. I am a Full Instructor in Jeet Kune Do/Kali – Inosanto lineage. I am interested in hearing your views about combat and training. Respectfully, Sifu/Guro Oliver.
Sifu/Guro John G. Oliver - October 26, 2009 at 7:59 am
i have been following your posts for nearly a decade. i love your insights into the martial arts because you bring a level of realism and practicality rarely seen. i’m also glad to see that you and your students are bringing your posts from the many forums to one place. your students must feel fortunate to have access to this knowledge.
Curtis Thorne - October 31, 2009 at 8:15 am
Guro Gatdula
I am attempting to save every article on your blog, because I appreciate your wisdom and knowledge. I would just like to give you kudos. The forum posts do you no justice because you run into haters and those with less experience in the art who argue points they know little about. There are many FMAers out here who see your points and look forward to each and every post, and I anxiously await your book. Thank you for sharing with us “puti” round-eyes!
Alt
Alton Williams - December 3, 2009 at 1:16 pm
this is a very good blog. lots of wisdom for senseis of the art and students also. i look forword to every new article you write, thank you.
Nam
Nam Ly - December 9, 2009 at 11:20 am
Glad I found the site. I have over 20 years of martial arts training, mostly Japanese and Korean styles, but some FMA/IMA stuff too. Your philosophy is very close to what I believe, and its nice to see a pure, authentic master giving up good information like what I’ve read so far. Please keep up the good work!
Donovan Rawlins - January 12, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Very nice site maurice
clyde coger - January 25, 2010 at 7:46 am
Nice Site.
JC
http://alegacylife.squarespace.com/
legacymartialartsstudio - January 26, 2010 at 8:22 pm
I had the pleasure of meeting about a year and half ago. I really enjoyed the chance to watch a class one Saturday and felt connected really connected. I’m currently deep into Aikido training but, still think about training with you someday. Till then I’ll be reading your blog with enthusiasm and interest.
Thank You.
Patrick - January 28, 2010 at 5:28 pm