“Secrets” of the Filipino Fighting Arts
Words from a Modern-Day Warrior

The path to mastery in the martial arts is much like attempting to reach the summit of a great mountain. One could make it alone, though it would take 10 times as long to accomplish, and the chance of failure is great. On the other hand, a mountain has many peaks and for the novice, he may reach small peaks thinking that the one conquered is the highest. However, the reality is that they all seem to be the highest–although you never know when there is a higher point. If you attempt this trip and fail, you could end up like many ignorant climbers and end up traveling up and down slopes and never even come close to the ascent. You may be starting in the wrong place and be hundreds–possibly thousands–of miles from the most direct path to the top. It is best to consult a guide… a map to show you the way. For a man to take himself to the top of a mountain is not only foolish, it is a journey that if one takes alone, can lead to a waste of an entire lifetime. I have known men who have studied the art their whole life, and can’t defeat some of my beginners.

The movies and stories of how others made this trip have fooled many people to a fallacy called “make your own path”. This is a poor excuse for refusing to follow the ones with more knowledge, and is the calling card of not the commercial dojo teacher, but the commercial dojo student. The guy with a checkbook and zero dedication. The one who will not work too hard or will not hang around if his path is too slow, too strenuous, or unlike the one in the movie “Ong Bak”. We now have 13 year olds who wield power with their parents’ wallets to pick and choose schools if the program is not entertaining enough, or not handing out belts fast enough. Because of this, dojos are combining gymnastics and cartoons in order to recruit and retain preadolescent students. They are adding patches and lightning bolts to costumes (don’t dare call them gis) to make them more attractive to visitors and karate tournament judges. Even adult martial arts students are commandeering the path of schools by searching out the next hybrid martial arts style that boasts of MMA/military/LEO/Israeli connections. Its so bad, McDojos are offering certfication programs from ”be an MMA fighter, or just look like one” to “add $$$ to your bottom line with MMA”. See for yourself!

The seminar industry is basically throwing certificates at existing teachers to get new affiliated guros and sifus and senseis who will gladly host the Grandmaster for seminars. And some of these guys are swearing by their new arts, thinking that they are equal to the ones who took the journey the right way. Students no longer need to pick a teacher and stick with him, because there is just as much respect for the guys who make up their own arts and create their own paths by taking a little Muay Thai, a little BJJ, and a little FMA to come up with their own personal fighting style. In 15 years, these guys will start calling themselves “master”, and in 25 years, they will all be “Grandmasters”, and in 35 years, they will be “Great Grandmasters”.

But there is more to the arts besides good PR and long resumes. As always, we start with skill. At some point, kids, you will have to excel at what you do. Way above the rest of your peers, if you want to be a true master of the art. We’ve got far too many mediocre guys calling themselves “masters”, and far too many people accepting it just because the guy is nice, popular or has a few gray hairs. If you want people to remember who you are for generations after you’ve left the earth… and name-drop you and their art, you must stand out.

Think of all the kung fu styles out there. All the Karate systems. All the Jujitsu systems. There are easily a thousand systems in the last 100 years. Can you name 10 great masters? Funakoshi, Uyeshiba, Miyagi, Wong Fei Hung, Oyama, Gracie, Yip Man, Kano… who else?

Yeah, it’s hard. Unless you happen to have studied one of the styles, or read a lot of magazines, it is difficult to name 10. Now, how many of these men were really known for their awesome fighting skill? Maybe 3 or 4 will come to mind right away. I can guarantee you that Mas Oyama is among them, huh? Wanna know why?

Because not many of these masters were really widely known for their fighting skill. Very few were. Most simply promoted a lot of people, got written about in magazines and books, or somebody made a movie about them. It’s worse today. Due to the widespread use of advanced PR and media, there is a very small emphasis on developing unbeatable skill in the martial arts. People are using excuses like “martial arts is not for fighting” and “train for self-improvement, not for selfish reasons (like wanting to have superior skills?)” to avoid having answer if one is a dominant fighter or not. 100 years ago, a reputation that reached for several counties and provinces far was satisfactory for the martial artist. He only wanted to take on and defeat all comers. But today, he wants to be famous, and damned near every Eskrimador is a world-champion, or “undefeated in 100 death matches”.

Don’t rely on third-party authors to forge your reputation; let your hands do the talking.

But on the way there, make sure you have the right person to show you the ropes and lead you to superior firepower. You don’t need a good manager or web developer, you need a trainer and a guide. This climb is arduous and steep. It is dangerous for some of you. It will lead to many bumps and bruises, even some broken bones. It may not be very lucrative. And it’s not for everyone. Yet the road to martial arts mastery is one that any man can tackle if he keeps the flame of desire lit, coupled with the right person to show him how it’s done. Don’t listen to the naysayers who say that the peak does not exist, or that it’s too high. They are the people for whom those lies are true:  mastery doesn’t exist for them, because they will never take the journey. Therefore, they will never be one. Find yourself a true master of the art to follow, and you will acquire skills you never fathom you’d ever possess. It will take a lifetime of effort and dedication, but the peak is there, waiting for you.

Thank you for visiting my blog.