# What did your Mataw-Guro tell you...



## Juany118 (May 28, 2016)

If anything at all about the historical influences upon the style of Arnis-Kali-Eskrima you are studying?  Geezer inspired me to start this thread.  I think it would be interesting because often with Martial Arts myth and scholarship sometimes match, diverge from one another and even blue lines.  In this thread I would like no holds barred and no offense taken. While the legacies of Colonialism are often dark, when dealing with arts that evolved under Colonial rule we can not ignore Colonialism's impact on that evolution.  Also, with FMA, we can not avoid the impact of religion, so we must thicken our skin even more so if this is to be discussed.


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## geezer (May 29, 2016)

Spanish colonialism, religion and escrima? Here's a random response! Let's see ...the Spanish brought Catholicism to the Philippines, so then we all learned how to deliver a good San Miguel (#1 strike) and beat our opponents like the devil! 

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/d9/6e/26/d96e26f5277bb08d8a6e1e3470591d53.jpg


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## Juany118 (May 29, 2016)

geezer said:


> Spanish colonialism, religion and escrima? Here's a random response! Let's see ...the Spanish brought Catholicism to the Philippines, so then we all learned how to deliver a good San Miguel (#1 strike) and beat our opponents like the devil!
> 
> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/d9/6e/26/d96e26f5277bb08d8a6e1e3470591d53.jpg



Bringing religion  into it is actually interesting.  After certain drills, such as the 6 point dexterity drill we end in what is called a "Mercy" pose.  Now in terms of Islamic (strong in the Southern Philippines) Martial Law one is supposed to offer Mercy to an enemy that you have on the ropes.


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## geezer (May 30, 2016)

Juany118 said:


> Bringing religion  into it is actually interesting.  After certain drills, such as the 6 point dexterity drill we end in what is called a "Mercy" pose.  Now in terms of Islamic (strong in the Southern Philippines) Martial Law one is supposed to offer Mercy to an enemy that you have on the ropes.



Perhaps the best way to look at the influence of religion on any martial art is to consider it's role in the larger context of _culture. _Certainly the distinct cultures of different areas of the Philippines had an important role in shaping FMAs.


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## Juany118 (May 30, 2016)

geezer said:


> Perhaps the best way to look at the influence of religion on any martial art is to consider it's role in the larger context of _culture. _Certainly the distinct cultures of different areas of the Philippines had an important role in shaping FMAs.



Indeed they did.  I only pointed that issue because I started reading about Islam before I took up FMA because I went through a lot of Counter Terrorism training or as I was on specialty units at the time.  I was raised Catholic but I found it kinda cool that the "book" (in this case the Qur'an) was reflected in a martial art I chose to study over 5 years after I read it simply as an intellectual exercise.  I originally studied to be a history teacher so much things amuse me lol.


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