# An inspiring Filipino and a pair of sneakers



## Jenna (Aug 24, 2006)

Jose Rizal..

Hiya 

Please bear with me a second while I wind myself up to this.. See I have a thing bout shoes and specially sneakers and most specially bout my collection of Nike Air Force 1s  Yeah I know.. my life is so plainly lacking elsewhere.. and but I just fell in love with a pair I saw and so had to get them.. they are limited eds and marked Jose Rizal / Philippines depending on where you get them.. anyways.. I had not heard of Joze Rizal in my ignorance.. he is however one of the most amazing, clever and inspirational characters I have ever read of. Absolutely a Filipino national hero and certainly revolutionary of thought and without doubt revolutionary by heart and deed also.. Jose Rizal was a prodigy from he was no age and became one of the greatest most influential characters in 19th and early 20th century Filipino society and even still today his influence in the Philippines and far beyond I think is widely and greatly felt.. I cannot believe I had never heard of him..

I got reading his Noli Me Tangere ..literally.. Touch me Not.. and which is a pun on what he referred to as a social cancer which could not bear to be touched.. and which is a novel and not a factual account per se.. and I could not even recommend this enough to anyone interested in colonial period preceding the Phillipine revolution that took place just a few years after the novel was published.. and the writing of which even precipitated death threats on Rizal himself..

And so anyways I just wanted to share that is all.. Please do not get all shouty with me I know he is not a martial artist in the strict terms of this here site though could be argued that there are myriad forms of martial artists .. he was certainly a powerful engine for freedom from tyranny and but I just posted here in case anyone is interested as me in reading a little of Filipino history.. a truly inspirational character and all started from a cute pair of sneaks.. Im sure a lot of you know all this already but please have a little read at the biog of Jose Rizal if like me you did not know of him previously and maybe you would get a little inspiration also or be encouraged to look a little deeper or read some of his writing for yourself.. thank you..

http://www.joserizal.ph/bg01.html <<< Jose Rizal biography
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/6737 <<< a link to Project Gutenberg where you could download Noli for free

I hope this is useful to maybe someone..
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna


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## MRE (Aug 26, 2006)

Thanks for sharing the info on Jose Rizal.  I never knew of him before reading your posts.  However, based on the bio, this guy was amazing.  Never mind all of his talents and his ability to inspire others, any one who can master 22 languages is outstanding.

Never mind that he wasn't a "martial artist in the strict terms of the site", his accomplishments and moral stance are inspirational to any group.  I am going to look up some of his works after I finish off my post.


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## Jenna (Aug 27, 2006)

MRE said:
			
		

> Thanks for sharing the info on Jose Rizal. I never knew of him before reading your posts. However, based on the bio, this guy was amazing. Never mind all of his talents and his ability to inspire others, any one who can master 22 languages is outstanding.
> 
> Never mind that he wasn't a "martial artist in the strict terms of the site", his accomplishments and moral stance are inspirational to any group. I am going to look up some of his works after I finish off my post.


Hey Ed  glad this was of some interest to you! Hey youre not even an FMA guy, ha! all the better! I must admit I was completely ignorant of this wonderful Philippine gentleman.. 

I wish you success in your martial art 

Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna


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## taong tahimik (Aug 27, 2006)

A quick note about Rizal and his seakers - in this case slippers.

When he dropped his slipper by accident into the sea his friend tried to retrieve it. Rizal said don't bother and dropped his other slipper on purpose. "Why did you do that?" his friend said. Rizal replied "If a poor fisherman finds my slipper, there's no use for it, but if he finds a pair, he can obviously use them."


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## Arkhana (Aug 13, 2007)

*About Jose Rizal:* Rizal was a very skilled man. He was able to learn the alphabet at the age of three. As a boy he took avid interest in reading and literature because the family's extensive library provided him with the necessary incentives. He loved to read books while his mother listened. He took up Medicine (in order to cure his mother of Cataract), Surveying, Agriculture, Law & Philosophy.  He was a  painter,  a sculptor, and a writer. He is a man of many words. Able to speak 21 languages with great ease. 

But here is something you should know. Rizal also mastered Fencing. And another form of martial arts known as Arnis. (Filipino Martial Art) A Martial Art utilizing 2 Rattan Sticks as a form of weapon and self defense.


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## Bumblebee (Aug 13, 2007)

...but I did know that.  It's part of my culture.  He also decided to face the firing squad when he was being executed because he felt that he was being shot in the back he was betraying his country.  After his death the Filipino people decided to take up arms and fight for their freedom.  He was also known to be quite the ladies' man.


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## Salagubang (Aug 13, 2007)

...hes a good shooter too


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## JBrainard (Aug 14, 2007)

I'm a noob to the world of FMA, and as such I've never heard of this man. Thanks to the OP for such wonderful info...
Peace.


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## Bumblebee (Aug 14, 2007)

I'm Filipino, so it's part of my culture.  Whenever I visit Orani, Bataan, where my dad grew up, I see a statue of Jose Rizal in the center of town.  He's also on the Filipino Peso.  My dad often talks about him.  My personal favorite Filipino revolutionary is Gregorio del Pilar who held off a full Texas Regiment with 60 men so that then General and soon to be first President of the Philippines, Emilio Aguinaldo can escape and continue the revolution, all at the age of 24.


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## arnisador (Aug 14, 2007)

These stories are great!


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