# Way of the Ancient Healer



## blackdiamondcobra (Nov 3, 2010)

I was having some indepth conversations with Virgil Mayor Apostol who has been traveling through the Philippines doing some good research and solid work in the field.

He has a new book coming out in December entitled: Way of the Healer: Sacred Teachings from the Philippine Ancestral Traditions. 

I believe all those who practice filipino Martial arts will be interested in this and will open up some further doors to what is available especially in the healing traditions there.

I think our support of this type of research is positive and leads to more people undertaking this type of work and exposing more and more ancient traditions. I know myself how hard it has been to sustain my field trips and research missions and its only through support of each project i undertake that generates the next.

Check out his site at:

http://www.rumsua.org

Virgil has much to share so I am hoping also in the future to bring him into this forum so we can discuss some great topics.


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## 5masterserrada (Nov 3, 2010)

I would love to see more people teaching the healing part of the FMA. I will look for the book. I have recently introduced healing into my teaching as well as the application of striking vital points. My teachers teacher (Dizon), was in fact a healer, as well as other notable FMA greats. It is interesting that many FMA practitioners have little knowledge of the healing aspects of FMA and are somewhat reluctant to learn. It is my hope that myself and others can soon change this sad fact. Thanx for the info on this upcoming book,hope it comes out soon.


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## blackdiamondcobra (Nov 3, 2010)

It is set for release in december.

Healing and maintaince is an important part of training and should be understood and taught alongside the fighting.


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## geezer (Nov 5, 2010)

Sounds like a fascinating book... one I'll definitely look for. I just caught my first glimpse of the healing side of the FMA last weekend at a seminar conducted with Serrada Master Ron Saturno... and then I find him posting here. Too cool.


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## VASI (Nov 5, 2010)

This looks very interesting and i wanna check it out.  
i want to train in the phillippines.


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## 5masterserrada (Nov 8, 2010)

Many of the very best fighters of the Phillipines of the last century came to America. Many who remained in the Phillipines like the very great Tatang Illustrisimo tried to come to the States, but unfortunately did not make it. There are great teachers and fighters who made it to America and many have superb students. I would never claim that the totality of great teachers are only in America, nor would I say that they are all in the Phillipines. I have only said that just because the Pinoy was born and raised in America does not mean that the blood is now weaker. Also, I have trained many Blacks, Whites, Native Americans who would give anybody pure hell to deride their fighting ability just because of the color of their skin. I would love to go to the Phillipines and learn everything I could about Escrima. But I must tell you that my training at the hands of Angel Cabales was truly superb. He was truly a magnificent human being and fighter. He had Anting. I saw it and I felt it and he used it on me. How Filipino can you get. His teacher (Dizon) had third level Anting. Manong Angel had only first level, but it was truly eerie to have him to it to you. Many American Escrimadors do not believe it, but it is very real.It is unfortunate that many discount the many full contact matches in Hawaii and the boxing and regular practice with live blades. How hard can you get.I just get upset when someone wants to go to the Phillipines to get good training.  There is great training available here. If someone wants to go to the Phillipines, it really is their business. Re-think some of you please though...we have really good teachers in the States, find them and use them. You might be suprised if you look hard enough for good instruction...at the great Instructors you will find.


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## VASI (Nov 9, 2010)

Thanks for the sermon but i aint in the US 
 i like traveling to different places and i am close to there. 
So why not do it there.


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## Ron Kosakowski (Nov 12, 2010)

blackdiamondcobra said:


> I was having some indepth conversations with Virgil Mayor Apostol who has been traveling through the Philippines doing some good research and solid work in the field.
> 
> He has a new book coming out in December entitled: Way of the Healer: Sacred Teachings from the Philippine Ancestral Traditions.
> 
> ...


This is good news. There is not much information about Hilot out there at all. I do not know why that is. I have seen various types of Hilot in my travels there. I have been learning what I can about it. The healing arts of ancient times has my attention. The old and the new go well together. I personally feel modern doctors should look into it. Better health through chemistry is not always the way to go.


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## blackdiamondcobra (Nov 12, 2010)

Hi Ron
I agree with you.  I was healed late one night by a hilot master in Bacalod when my back suddenly went out. Never had a back problem in my whole life and never had another incident since. I was practically crippled and this old master really put me back together and got me moving in no time. I visited many other masters and each had their own fascinating history and abilities. I think Virgil has put together a tremendously interesting and well researched book that has been a long time coming.


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## Ron Kosakowski (Nov 12, 2010)

blackdiamondcobra said:


> Hi Ron
> I agree with you. I was healed late one night by a hilot master in Bacalod when my back suddenly went out. Never had a back problem in my whole life and never had another incident since. I was practically crippled and this old master really put me back together and got me moving in no time. I visited many other masters and each had their own fascinating history and abilities. I think Virgil has put together a tremendously interesting and well researched book that has been a long time coming.


My girl is a healer also doing all types of massage from Thai to Rain Drop therapy amoung many other areas. I thought of bringing one of the Hilot guys here and have her learn it and have seminars for the people she knows. I am still debating on it. There probably would be no money to be made but knowledge would be definately enhanced for her, and for me. I have been learning these areas of healing for a lot of years myself.


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## blackdiamondcobra (Nov 12, 2010)

Thats wonderful. Its woven into the systems, a muay thai trainer must know thai massage because its integral to getting his fighter ready and doing the final massage before the fight. We learned as part of our training in thailand but people seem to neglect that aspect as if it doesnt exist. Its beautifully woven into the systems in india. I love going there to train because the teacher gives you both sides of everything you do from yoga to martial arts to ayurvedic, its deep and wonderful.  My first teacher was a chinese doctor when i was a kid and he really taught us how to take care of ourselves and i still use many of his recipes, chi gung training and give them to my students.

I've been all over the world training and the healing aspect with the old masters were never left out or forgotten but I guess people pick and choose what they want and leave out the rest and generally that aspect goes first.

Hilot and the aligned healing methods in the Philippines is a wonderful topic and hopefully with Virgil's book and future projects that sector will open up and create more interest.

Let us know if you do any of the hilot workshops or trainings.  I hope people will support your efforts.

Thanks for your insights, Ron. I appreciate hearing them.


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## lhommedieu (Nov 14, 2010)

I just put the book on my amazon.com "wish list."  Looking forward to it.

Forum members interested in Hilot may also want to consider Healing by Hand:  Manual Medicine and Bonesetting in Global Perspective, by Kathryn S. Oths and Servando Z.Hinojosa.  

From the publisher:




> Healing by Hand presents the first cross-cultural perspective on manual  medicine studies--the practice of body therapists that is routinely  overlooked by medical practitioners and social scientists. The authors  describe how manual medicine is one of the primary providers of  _traditional_ medicine. It takes numerous forms across the world's  communities, and represents beliefs and practices about healing,  physical and psychological states, and the relation between culture and  health. This volume is a valuable resource for manual practitioners of  western medicine, including massage therapists, physical therapists,  chiropractors, and osteopaths, as well as those with traditional  training. It is especially recommended for courses such as medical  anthropology, health and human culture, technology and the developing  world, sociology of health, international health, and health care  systems.



Ron - if you do choose to give a Hilot seminar at your school, I would be interested in attending.

Best,

Steve Lamade


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## Ron Kosakowski (Nov 15, 2010)

lhommedieu said:


> I just put the book on my amazon.com "wish list." Looking forward to it.
> 
> Forum members interested in Hilot may also want to consider Healing by Hand: Manual Medicine and Bonesetting in Global Perspective, by Kathryn S. Oths and Servando Z.Hinojosa.
> 
> ...


You guys really got me going here. I have been afraid to hold something like this in fear that I would be embarressed in not getting to much interest in it. I am planning on going back there but I am not sure when. In this economy, I hate to be away from the school for the usual amount of time I like to spend in the Philippines. The past couple of years, I seem to have to push the school a little more to get students in and keep the retention rate up. 

I know a seminar on Hilot is valuable for the spiritual side of FMA's...definately there is a balance there. I want to learn more myself. I am going to look into this. It certainly would be different. I will keep in touch here. I pop in when I can and I will announce it when I get this together. Its exciting just thinking about it


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## Ron Kosakowski (Nov 15, 2010)

blackdiamondcobra said:


> Thats wonderful. Its woven into the systems, a muay thai trainer must know thai massage because its integral to getting his fighter ready and doing the final massage before the fight. We learned as part of our training in thailand but people seem to neglect that aspect as if it doesnt exist. Its beautifully woven into the systems in india. I love going there to train because the teacher gives you both sides of everything you do from yoga to martial arts to ayurvedic, its deep and wonderful. My first teacher was a chinese doctor when i was a kid and he really taught us how to take care of ourselves and i still use many of his recipes, chi gung training and give them to my students.
> 
> I've been all over the world training and the healing aspect with the old masters were never left out or forgotten but I guess people pick and choose what they want and leave out the rest and generally that aspect goes first.
> 
> ...


That is interesting you are taught this type of massage. My girl (Alison) is not Muay Thai, she has been training in various types of massage and healing for quite a while. 

The Thai massage she does is almost like Chiropractic. She contorts my body into various stretched out positions and hits points and massages points and a release of the joint like a Chiropractor does occurs. Its rather cool. Its like an hour and a half treatment, depending on whats wrong. 

With the way I treated my body when I was younger between fighting and I also used to be a stuntman, I need a girl like this in my life.


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## blackdiamondcobra (Nov 15, 2010)

Hey Ron

Yes, I learned all the different thai massage methods in thailand and I learned with a monk as well and at a hospital outside of the standard courses. I update that almost every year or every other year and got my first certificate in 1992.  Its a very important and integral part of the thai martial arts. I like in addition to that the actual thai yoga which is not massage but a yoga series to maintain health as the forests monks once used.  

When I teach Muay Thai, I teach thai massage and also thai healing massage specific points lets say for a sore shoulder, etc. The Thai Massage for Muay Thai before the fight is a bit different because they use the oil, and they have some gliding strokes and its shortened. But in camp leading up to the fight, they will use the lengthy full thai massage routines.

I use the massage training also an entry point for the student to learn the points of the body.  They do this in india when i was learning marma adi. The massage was the entry in as you learn the points of the body and how they link and work to heal or to harm.

If you have the hilot type of seminars, let me know and I will also put it out on my list to people on the east coast who i think might be interested. I am sure Virgil as well will put out the info as he is helping to spread the healing benefits of filipino arts in the US and abroad.

Hopefully, Virgil will join us on the forum when he has time especially if people have questions once the book comes out.

It makes me happy that people like yourself and others are really embracing the positive aspects of healing and maintaince, its of great importance to each person who practices.


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## 5masterserrada (Nov 16, 2010)

I cannot charge for the Hilot part. So what I do is hide the training within Traditional Chinese Medicine, Japanese, Indian, or even Native American healing modalities. At the same time I show that the knowledge can be used for the disruption of the bodies energies. I teach both healing and squealing at the same time to garner interest and show the different sides of knowledge. Overall, it allows a new if not different perspective on the martial arts. The knowledge of energy disruption was inplace in many of the extent martial arts. Sometimes the knowledge became a mere shadow due to the focus upon non lethal competition. But there are many who still posses the old knowledge but usually pass the information down only to trusted students after years of dedication. It does not leave too much room for people outside the trusted training loop. If anyone cares to share in this knowledge by attending any of my seminars then please contact me. If enough people contact me I would try to coordinate a mutiple state passthrough in order to save money for the participants. I never have asked for much. But I need to cover costs of travel because I am not rich. Please let me know: 5masterserrada@gmail.comMaybe this can finally go somewhere! Ron


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## blackdiamondcobra (Nov 23, 2010)

Just a quick update for those interested, the filipino tattoos book is out and I am getting that as well:

http://www.amazon.com/Filipino-Tattoos-Ancient-Modern-Wilcken/dp/0764336029/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b


The Ancient healing book comes out December 28th:

http://www.amazon.com/Way-Ancient-Healer-Philippine-Traditions/dp/1556439415/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b


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## blackdiamondcobra (Jan 17, 2011)

The book is now available and I just finished reading mine.

Its an excellent book and well worth owning.  I think Virgil did an excellent job in not only researching it but in making it very readable and accessable for all those who are interested in the filipino healing modalities.


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## Chris from CT (Jan 18, 2011)

Ron Kosakowski said:


> I thought of bringing one of the Hilot guys here and have her learn it and have seminars for the people she knows. I am still debating on it. There probably would be no money to be made but knowledge would be definately enhanced for her, and for me. I have been learning these areas of healing for a lot of years myself.



Hey Ron.
I don't know if you're still kicking the idea around, but I would be interested as well.


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