# If You Had to Pick.........



## Brian R. VanCise (Jan 11, 2008)

If you had to pick one thing you could do without in the FMA's what would it be?


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## arnisador (Jan 11, 2008)

Anyos. Ugh!


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## tshadowchaser (Jan 11, 2008)

politics


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## Doc_Jude (Jan 11, 2008)

Balisong stuff. I'm just not into it.


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## rompida (Jan 11, 2008)

Politics and shameless self-promotion.


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## tellner (Jan 11, 2008)

Two things:

Self importance
Karate with a stick taught as FMA


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## Brian R. VanCise (Jan 12, 2008)

Excellent post so far.  I can honestly say that I agree with everything each of you has said so far.


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## MJS (Jan 12, 2008)

Politics and the need for people to feel that they are the rightful 'heir' to the art.


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## tellner (Jan 12, 2008)

Smoking and salty, greasy food. We've lost more FMA masters to heart and lung disease than I care to think about.


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## Doc_Jude (Jan 12, 2008)

tellner said:


> Smoking and salty, greasy food. We've lost more FMA masters to heart and lung disease than I care to think about.



If we're going to stretch things that far...

Is there anything "within" a particular Filipino fighting style's techniques, principles, or overall curriculum that you would prefer wasn't there, or that you could do without?


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## Rich Parsons (Jan 12, 2008)

Brian R. VanCise said:


> If you had to pick one thing you could do without in the FMA's what would it be?




People who train in other arts and then train in FMA for a week or a couple seminars and then begin to teach the art. 

People who go to non FMA organizations for recognition and rank when they have seniors in the art including a living Founder or GM to accomplish the task.

People who are not really associated with FMA that insist to continue to get involved. 

People who associated with FMA but deny it and still stir the pot.

Arrogance of the students of students that think that training in a certain art will make them better or make them easy to beat.

People who do not respect the a non-pinoy for his skill set. I am not talking about titles or stripes or color of a belt. 


People who do not understand that there are exceptions to every rule.  


The Anyo's or the patterns or the strings of techniques that are so long the seem to be forms of another name. 

People who insult others but will not tell them why they insult.

People who try to persuade that a certain art is not good based upon a limited exposure. 

More later


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## Datu Tim Hartman (Jan 12, 2008)

Racial discrimination.


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## Cruentus (Jan 13, 2008)

Tim Hartman said:


> Racial discrimination.



Oh snap... I hadn't even thought of that one off the top of my head. That's a good one...


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## Black Grass (Jan 14, 2008)

Datu Tim Hartman!

Just kidding actually its Pekiti Tirsia! ( again joking)

Its the all the false claims and stories! De cuardes caves, blind princesses and styles taught people through dreams and spirits.

Vince


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## Cruentus (Jan 14, 2008)

Black Grass said:


> Datu Tim Hartman!
> 
> Just kidding actually its Pekiti Tirsia! ( again joking)
> 
> ...



heh. I don't mind the stories because to me they are like pilipino mythology, which is cool. I just mind the people who will believe the stories unconditionally because someone who could wield a stick or bolo well told the story...


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## JBrainard (Jan 14, 2008)

To be honest, double stick. I take Arnis for self defense, but how often am I going to get into a self defense situation with a ~3' long blunt object in each hand? However, stick and knife or double knife is a different story...


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## Rich Parsons (Jan 14, 2008)

JBrainard said:


> To be honest, double stick. I take Arnis for self defense, but how often am I going to get into a self defense situation with a ~3' long blunt object in each hand? However, stick and knife or double knife is a different story...


 

While I see your point, I point out to my students that once they get used to the two big sticks in their hands, then those knives seem a lot easier to not get tied up.    But for direct modern application I agree with you.


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## geezer (Jan 15, 2008)

Tim Hartman said:


> Racial discrimination.


 
Datu Tim--could you elaborate a bit? What kind of racism have you seen or experienced in the FMA's?


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## Rich Parsons (Jan 15, 2008)

geezer said:


> Datu Tim--could you elaborate a bit? What kind of racism have you seen or experienced in the FMA's?



I am not Tim, but I will explain some of the experiences I have had.

I have had some Filipino's get mad at me for studying an FMA.

I have some Filipino's and some Filipina's call me a liar for studying a FMA. Or they insist that the art if the Filipinos is Judo or Karate while denying that any traditional system has any value as only Thugs or killers would train in it. 

The Filipino's that want everyone to use common terms, but I have not found any two Islands using the same dialect and can have different pronunciations or different words for the same meaning. They will get mad at the non-Filipino's and try to tell them how to say it, but when they are corrected by a Filipino they just get quiet or leave. 


If a Filipino picks up a stick or a knife and they are better than anyone who is non-Filipino no matter how good they might be. 

Filipino's asking to train from the Filipino head of the system, but when the head of the system tell them to train with you, they walk away mad, for having to learn from a non-Filipino.


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## geezer (Jan 18, 2008)

Rich Parsons said:


> I am not Tim, but I will explain some of the experiences I have had.
> 
> I have had some Filipino's get mad at me for studying an FMA.
> 
> ...


 
Boy, that puts a whole new twist on Kipling's famous line about, "White man's burden"! Fortunately, we don't see that attitude much with the guys I train with. The instructor is Mexican-American, his assistant is a very experienced Filipino-American, our top fighter the instructor's White step-son, and the rest of us are whatever...


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## Rich Parsons (Jan 18, 2008)

geezer said:


> Boy, that puts a whole new twist on Kipling's famous line about, "White man's burden"! Fortunately, we don't see that attitude much with the guys I train with. The instructor is Mexican-American, his assistant is a very experienced Filipino-American, our top fighter the instructor's White step-son, and the rest of us are whatever...


 
Please understand it is not ever Filipino. 

I have trained with two Filipino GM's myself who were/are great people when it comes to accepting others.


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