Dominican Sword Fighters (the Machete duelers)

[Maching]

Sounds like a movie, but they actually fight each other with swords to prove their point. Much realer than the Filipino arts and Japanese Kendo/Kenjutsu...these guys actually duel with live blades without protective gear. The only reason I can gather that people have not heard of this is martial art is politics and money...they don't want you to know these people are out there. But, they are. What you are training in probably won't prepare you for the this. And if you think it does, try your hand against one of these people. It's not hard to do, just visit the Dominican Republic and start asking about the "Tigueres" and Machete Fights. I am sure they will be more than willing to accommodate you.

 

[Transk53]

Have to admit I have had a "WTF" moment. Looks like local street laws and a scrap to me. Is it called "Ikea Do" or something. Anyway you're point was?

 

[Tez3]

I can imagine why the authorities don't want people to know about them, they are basically criminal gang type fights, not anything to be pleased about. It's not martial arts at all. No one in their right mind would do this, it's all about machismo and criminality.

 

[Maching]

Where did martial arts come from? Especially blade arts? Everything in Filipino martial arts and Japanese sword fighting is watered down. Try those techniques against someone like this. See what happens. But, hey, it doesn't matter right? They aren't from the Philippines, Japan or America. They aren't white or Asian. Yet, you try that Asian or European **** over there in the Dominican and see what happens to you.

 

[Transk53]

Where did martial arts come from? Especially blade arts? Everything in Filipino martial arts and Japanese sword fighting is watered down. Try those techniques against someone like this. See what happens. But, hey, it doesn't matter right? They aren't from the Philippines, Japan or America. They aren't white or Asian. Yet, you try that Asian or European **** over there in the Dominican and see what happens to you.

Coming onto a forum and dissing FMA and Japanese arts is a bit childish, disrespectful and downright silly. Why bother trolling. More to the point, what is the point of this thread? Are you tying to point something out about criminality, because street contests Like those, are probably just silly turf wars. Nothing to do with Martial Talk, or anything really IMHO

 

[elder999]

Coming onto a forum and dissing FMA and Japanese arts is a bit childish, disrespectful and downright silly. Why bother trolling. More to the point, what is the point of this thread? Are you tying to point something out about criminality, because street contests Like those, are probably just silly turf wars. Nothing to do with Martial Talk, or anything really IMHO

I can imagine why the authorities don't want people to know about them, they are basically criminal gang type fights, not anything to be pleased about. It's not martial arts at all. No one in their right mind would do this, it's all about machismo and criminality.

You guys should take a look at what the sword people in this thread had to say about this.....

 

[Transk53]

You guys should take a look at what the sword people in this thread had to say about this.....

Ah right. Did not read that thread. Still though, the language used in the OP seems a little provocative to me. Anyway, the context of my reply was that to me, it looked some local street gang thing. The other thread was an interesting read though.

 

[Langenschwert]

None of the JSA I've done was watered down, I'll tell you that much.

One thing to consider is context. Violence is a social phenomenon and occurs as such, and each martial art is designed to work within that context. I wouldn't use my Judo clinch against a knife attack. I wouldn't even use a lot of my HEMA dagger stuff against a knife attack because a modern folder is shorter than a rondell dagger so the same trapping stuff doesn't work. That doesn't mean the HEMA stuff is watered down. Against a big honking screwdriver, it's perfect.

A street fight in the the favelas isn't a formal duel, and it's not a medieval battlefield, and it's not what happens when someone hits your scabbard with theirs in feudal Japan.

In these videos I see some good solid attacks, and also a lot of posturing. The guy with the wrapped arm wasn't trying to kill his opponent (the lefty), he was trying to make him leave. He had no intention of killing the other guy if he could help it. It was very much in line with historical "rates of fire" where many soldiers would fire over the opponents, being reluctant to shoot another human being. The fire was intended to intimidate, etc. The guy doing the level changes was intending to do damage though. A determined, fearless attacker with a blade is terrifying. Could classical sword systems deal with that? Yes. Does that mean a modern practitioner of them could? Not many. That's not the system, that's the person... a modern, soft desk-jockey who trains casually but who has never been punched in the face or mentally prepared to fight for their life? No, of course not. They might have the physical tools, but not the mental tools. The guy doing the level changes was mentally prepared, or perhaps just crazy. Or both.

 

[Blindside]

Sounds like a movie, but they actually fight each other with swords to prove their point. Much realer than the Filipino arts and Japanese Kendo/Kenjutsu...these guys actually duel with live blades without protective gear. The only reason I can gather that people have not heard of this is martial art is politics and money...they don't want you to know these people are out there. But, they are. What you are training in probably won't prepare you for the this. And if you think it does, try your hand against one of these people. It's not hard to do, just visit the Dominican Republic and start asking about the "Tigueres" and Machete Fights. I am sure they will be more than willing to accommodate you.

So if I don't get into a machete duel with some guy with nothing to lose my martial art isn't "real?" Please, self-defense is about not putting yourself in stupid situations, intentionally getting into a machete duel qualifies. I have heard of it, and watch for it because it shows how people, not all of them trained, attack with a sharp bladed thingy. That informs what I do. There is nothing I have seen on those videos that I haven't seen in PTK, wait, I take that back, in the Haitian machete videos there is some instructor doing spinning-turning-the-back moves, that is new (and looks like a bad idea.)

I'll certainly agree that should something incredibly stupid happens and I actually do get into a real sword duel that I will likely be freaking out. Some experienced machete fighter with 5 duels under his belt will probably have an advantage, adrenaline degrades skills. But I don't see anything in the technique that they are doing that is unique.

the only reason I can gather that people have not heard of this is martial art is politics and money...they don't want you to know these people are out there.

Who is this "they?" The martial arts mafia? Why do you see some sort of organized effort to suppress it?

 

[hoshin1600]

i see no skill in these fights at all. its just gang fighting. lets see these dudes come up to New York or California and see how how long that machete crap lasts against a semi auto fire arm or a drive by. its not skill its not about bravado its the only weapon they could get their hands on. cheep and readily avialible. ill take my japanese sword its longer but for what its worth i do train with a machete. its great one handed technique

 

[Blindside]

i see no skill in these fights at all. its just gang fighting. lets see these dudes come up to New York or California and see how how long that machete crap lasts against a semi auto fire arm or a drive by. its not skill its not about bravado its the only weapon they could get their hands on. cheep and readily avialible. ill take my japanese sword its longer but for what its worth i do train with a machete. its great one handed technique

It would look like (warning all of these are probably NSFW):

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Oh, and Maching, these are both Philippines.

 

[Hyoho]

Maching, I really dont know why you opened another thread on this. In any case all of this is nothing to be proud of is it. A load a guys swinging blades at each other in street regardless of what country they come from has little to do with MA. I guess you could come over here to the Philippines and wave your blade about and see what happens. How is medical treatment there. You wont get much here that for sure!

To be honest the whole silly conversation about 'realism' is not much better than the guys you see on the video.