# Moment of enlightenment!!



## Rocky (Jan 25, 2003)

I posted this a month or so ago on another list, just thought I would get others to reflect on their own experience!!


Post as follows: I call this a moment of enlightenment if you stay in the martial arts long
enough and play hard enough you will eventually have one or more they are
usually quite painful and stay with you the rest of your life.My first came
in a street fight, when I was about 17 I was cocky and self absorbed 
(nothing like the humble man I am today).  ;-) any ways I was dancing around this guy like I was Ali, I knew he couldn't hit
me he started the fight so I figured I would make him look the fool by
slapping him at will and slip anything he thru at me. Well it was dark he
thru a week swing to the midsection that I ignored and bamm he had a
Linoleum Knife that in his hand. So I ended up paying the
price for my foolishness.

  The second and  most eye opening moment of enlightenment came at the end
of a stick from GM Rene Latosa. Back in 1986 or 87 I was teaching at a
summer camp with Tom Bisio and GM Rene Latosa. For those of you who have
never had the pleasure of playing with GM Latosa I highly recommended it.
When we met he said sooo you're the one Remy has taught to fight with Balintawak, what has
he taught you? I said well its a cross between Moncol's Balintawak and
Maranga's Balintawak. But that since 1982 I have been concentrating
primarily on Anciongs original Balintawak under GM Teddy Buot Well anyways
he asked me if I wanted to play a little bit so I said yea sure. Well his
very first strike was this monster shot right to my head it crashed right
thru my counter and damn near split my head like a water mellon. He just
kinda smiled I was a little dazed but I didn't stop. All I could here was Gm
Buot saying Rocky what's the matter with you, always play as if it were for
real!!! So on the next exchange I went into the proper mode, good strong and
fast body mechanics and I even tried to pull a little Cuentada on him (
baiting or planning 2 or 3 moves a head ) my striking and timing were fairly
good. Now I was still out matched at that time, I mean Gm Latosa was a legit
Master with much more experience. But when all was said and done. We sat
down and he told me, you know Rocky this Balitawak you do is impressive, not
to many people can stand up to my strikes, & after the first one I thought
you would quite. I purposely gave you that first shot to see how you would
react and to teach you that when you play you always play as if it was for
real, even when you are using controlled strikes. I told him that GM Buot
has been preaching this to me for years now and that I screwed up on the
first hit. He told me that GM Buot ( even though he didn't know him ) was a
hell of an instructor and obviously a skilled Eskrimador. As soon as I got
back in town I went to GM Buot and told him the story, and smiled, I know he
has used this story on many occasions with other students. It was one of the
best and  most important moments in my 30 years of martial arts.

 GM Latosa probably doesn't even remember it I haven't seen him since. But
if anyone knows him you can tell him that his brief 2 or 3 minutes of play
was one of the best lessons I have ever had and I am truly indebted to him.

 Anyone else have any moments of enlightenment they care to share?


Rocky


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## Shinobi (Jan 26, 2003)

I had one, not really MA related. I was a ruffian when I was younger and liked to scuffle, mainly cause I had no Self-Confidence and noone Believed in me. Anyways I started lifting weights and training at the Gym alot, and the biggest guy in the Gym took me under his wing and believed in me. After a few months, and after i'd witnessed what I could do, i'd started to like myself


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## Polaristo (Jan 29, 2003)

I too have several of those. Here is one: We were sparring on Kali with my Sifu (Jon Rister) and boy I felt sooo good and was thinking gee this is easy. Suddenly I noticed that I couldn't do anything. Hits were coming from everywhere and I felt so desperate and helpless. Then the beating was over and I almost cried because my ego had been crashed so bad. And I looked to him tears on my eyes. All he said was 'your ego got on your way I had to crash it so you can grow'. I left home still thinking that maybe it's better that I don't go back. Well I went back to next class and suddenly noticed that how little I still knew and felt very humble. Same time Sifu Rister was watching my training and suddenly he exclaimed to one of his students' Now Risto began to learn!' Only few months later I did pass the instructor's test :asian: 

And yes I'll remember that forever


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