# How did you learn about the FMA?



## The Game (May 7, 2006)

I'm curious on how everyone first was introduced to the FMA?  I don't recall seeing much if anything in the phonebooks as I've traveled around.  If it wasn't for these forums, I'd still be in the dark about these arts.


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## Bob Hubbard (May 7, 2006)

One of my earlier clients introduced me to Tim Hartman.  I watched a few classes while visiting him to discuss his websites, took him up on an offer to try them out and shortly there after joined his school.  I've seen a number of different FMA styles over the years, but the ease I picked up on the early techniques stuck with me.


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## Blindside (May 7, 2006)

A fellow kajukenbo student had some experience with Inosanto blend kali and showed me a bit, after that I pursued it on my own with various different instructors.

Lamont


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## Hand Sword (May 7, 2006)

As a very young kid, in BB magazine, from a Dan Inosanto article.


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## Tarot (May 8, 2006)

Through here actually.  I had been looking for a new school for a long time and in one of my posts, Arnisador, mentioned a school close by that I should check out.  I read about the style here and on the Wikipedia page to get some background info because I had never heard of it before.  I did go to see the instructor and that's where I've been since.


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## Phadrus00 (May 8, 2006)

Well it actualy has been a series of happy accidents to a certain degreee..  But some would say that there are no coincidences..

I was first introduced to the FMA by an Instructor who I was reffered to by a mutual friend.  I had just moved to the city and was looking for a Kung-Fu school (I had been sturdying Hung Gar at the time) and he suggested I try dropping in.  The instructor had begun training with Guro Danny Inosanto and was introducing Kali and Silat to his students.  I ended up traiing with him for several years.  

After moving to a new city I was looking for a new place to train and saw an Ad on a local community access channel and dropped into the next scheduled class.  There I met my next Silat Instructor and a training partner.  My training partner (Peter Lee) and I both trained in Silat together and recieved certification to teach Silat.  When our instructor returned to Indonesia we continued running the club.  While we were doing that we both (and get this strainge coincidence) saw an Ad on the local community access channel (clearly a hot bed of martial arts training!) for an Arnis class!  Well we figured that we were the only FMA game in town and had to go and check it out!  *grin*  We introduced ourselves and immediatly found ourself a new group of training associates.  Peter and I both studied under our Arnis instructor and recieved our Black Belts.  I then moved to Boston and treid a few schools before enrolling in Guro Jason's programme which I found out about on.... no not the community access channel (that would be funny though right!  *grin*) through the Yellow Pages...

WHEW!  The moral is....  Let your fingers do the Walking (or Throwing, or Swinging, or Punching...)

Rob


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## HKphooey (May 8, 2006)

My karate instructor introduced it to me.  It is another style taught at our school.


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## Mcura (May 8, 2006)

My school at the time I joined had two other styles sharing training space and costs, and everyone felt free to train with everyone.  At first I was a bit shy, but I kept seeing these guys on the other side of the hanging bags bangin' away with their sticks and knives.  It looked cool.  So at one point, inbetween classes, I wandered over to watch their Inosanto-blend Kali and they asked "Ya wanna play?"

Gosh, that's fun.


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## Selfcritical (May 11, 2006)

Mcura said:
			
		

> My school at the time I joined had two other styles sharing training space and costs, and everyone felt free to train with everyone. At first I was a bit shy, but I kept seeing these guys on the other side of the hanging bags bangin' away with their sticks and knives. It looked cool. So at one point, inbetween classes, I wandered over to watch their Inosanto-blend Kali and they asked "Ya wanna play?"
> 
> Gosh, that's fun.


 

Cute Filipina girl


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## Guro Harold (May 11, 2006)

The first time that I ever saw FMA was through the movie, "Game of Death".

I even bought a pair of eskrima sticks that looked like table legs for $10.00!


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## tshadowchaser (May 11, 2006)

I was at a "karate" tounament and saw Sikaran students thee back in the early 70's. Later i foun out more about he FMA and the different aspects of it


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## Nanalo74 (May 11, 2006)

My uncle Sifu Richard Torres, who was my first instructor, was attending a lot of Dan Inosanto and Paul Vunak seminars in the 80s. 

My interest piqued, I eventually met my current instructor Master Barry Cuda and continued to train with him.

Vic


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## bobbo (May 22, 2006)

As a kid I would get picked on, because I was filipino and there were no other kids who were filipino. So my dad taught my brother and me, even though he told my mom he wouldn't ever fight again. He taught us the traditional system from various weapons to empty hand (including grapping). He even taught us advance techniques that most intructors in America don't know. It has saved my life more than once against multiple attackers. FMA is awesome, it can incorporate other systems and by itself there aren't that many martial arts in America that can compare with it.


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## Marvin (May 22, 2006)

I was in to Bruce Lee and reading about him found out about Dan Inosanto and the "Filipino Martial Arts".  Started training in Modern Arnis with some friends. That was the start


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## Phadrus00 (May 22, 2006)

bobbo said:
			
		

> As a kid I would get picked on, because I was filipino and there were no other kids who were filipino. So my dad taught my brother and me, even though he told my mom he wouldn't ever fight again. He taught us the traditional system from various weapons to empty hand (including grapping). He even taught us advance techniques that most intructors in America don't know. It has saved my life more than once against multiple attackers. FMA is awesome, it can incorporate other systems and by itself there aren't that many martial arts in America that can compare with it.


 
bobbo,

What a great way to be brought into an Art.  Did your Father compete back in the Phillipines or did he fight in less official circles?  Do you and your brother teach now or do you study under someone else?

Rob


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## bobbo (May 22, 2006)

Rob,

No, my brother and I don't publically teach; and as far as I know there is not any one who has the skill or knowledge around where we live who can continue our training. I tried once with an instructor who had went to the phillipines just to learn FMA, but he didn't have the same style or know as much as I did.

Also, my dad did not compete in any circles. There weren't any competitive circles like there are now today. Nor were there any schools around, that taught it in the U.S., when my dad learned. It was passed down from mostly family and some friends, which was passed down from the original Doce Pares Society.

And true to the original style, we haven't dropped anything or changed the core training.


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## Phadrus00 (May 22, 2006)

bobbo,

Well welcome to the community and hopefully we can find you some folks to train and share with.  Whereabouts are you located?

Rob


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## bobbo (May 22, 2006)

oklahoma


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## The Game (May 24, 2006)

Welcome


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## K Williams (May 28, 2006)

The 1989 issue of Combat Knives(published by Guns & Ammo magazine). That started it all. It took 9 years after reading that magazine for me to actually start training in Modern Arnis(I did solo training from reading books).


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## GuruJim1 (May 30, 2006)

In 1975 my first instructor Master Santiago taught an art called Tjimande Chuan Fa in Uniontown, PA. It was a mix of his families Filipino Kuntao and Tjimande that he learned when he went to Indonesia when he was 24 yrs old. I always knew what I first learned was part Filipino. My parents moved to Cleveland, Ohio to look for work. That's where I start my Poekoelan training.

After my Poekoelan teacher moved to another state I began taking Kajukenpo Karate at the Karate Institute of America in Cleveland, Ohio in 1986. After all the years of doing the Malay arts karate wasn't my cup of tea. One day I saw a school open up called the Philippine Institute of Martial Arts still in 1986. Since I what I learned was part Filipino I jumped at the chance to learn the art again. That's where I meet Tony "Nick" Marcial. I trained with Tony for almost 10 years and was his assistant instructor of his present day school when he was on Snow Rd and Chevy Blvd, and the Ridge Rd School. I am very grateful that I was one of Tony's students and able to call him my mentor.


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