Filipino Arts

[tshadowchaser]

Do you think the Filipino Arts are growing in popularity in the U.S. and Canada, or do you feel that many systems/schools are just takeing a few basic techniques and passing there school off as teaching the art. Maybe thats really two questions.
Shadow

 

[LabanB]

1) Don't know - I'm UK based

2) I've seen a great increase in the number of FMA/JKD schools even just in the North East of the UK over the last five years.
I think that the FMA are the latest "in" thing and we'll see a cooling off in a couple of years, where the dedicated will continue to practice, perhaps not the FMA as a main system but certainly as their weapons system.

And yes, most of the schools have people who have done a few seminars, trained for a few months, and are now the "FMA instructor" for that school - I AM thinking of one multistyle school locally - but also it seems that more and more people are teaching sticks under the guise of the FMA when they should be saying that the teach weapons generically.

Bill Lowery

 

[gravity]

Hey,

I'm in Australia and have noticed recently several schools claiming to teach FMA. I guess its fashionable, the same thing happened with BJJ, schools appeared almost overnight. Now practically all schools 'teach' BJJ or FMA as well as their base art. I'm not sure how authentic these schools are, its just an observation.

 

[tshadowchaser]

This trend of teaching whats is popular is what I think hurts many small schools. Trying to stay competitive with the chain school down the road and trying to stay within the concepts of what you where taught with you own art can be a problem for some people. We all want students and many of us want to teach the way we were taught but when JOE BLOW down the road teaches BJJ< KALI< JUDO< COMBAT TAI CHI< etc. it sometimes is hard not to say that " oh and here is some of the XYZ that I had not shown you befor."
Many people looking for a school only look at the flash or look to see whats being taught that resembles what they saw in some Magizine. Sadly.
I know of an instructor that never had taught weapons until a FMA school opened up in the next town. Now He teaches sticks, knives, sword,etc. No, he really seems to have no knowledge of what he is doing but he fakes it well.
Shadow:asian:

 

[arnisador]

Due to the server crash we lost a great thread about the FMA being taught as a complete art! That sucks--there was lots of great discussion there. Unfortunately the incremental backups were lost and only the weekly backups were available.

-Arnisador
-MT Admin-

 

[Cthulhu]

Goofy idea:

Maybe a boardmember is an IE user and doesn't regularly flush their temporary Internet files. Heh.

Cthulhu

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by Cthulhu
Maybe a boardmember is an IE user and doesn't regularly flush their temporary Internet files.

Hey, that would be cool!

 

[ace]

eVEN IF SOME SCHOOLS ARE ONLY USEING
BASIC TECHNIQUES.

 

[arnisandyz]

Supply and demand. I just hope it doesn't see the same fate as Krav Maga or BJJ. This is just my personal experience, but since its popularity (movies, tv, news) people have been wanting to learn it, so McDojos are learning (from seminars or where ever) to teach it, wether they have the desire to or not.

I already see an increase in the film industry not only using FMA but giving FMA credit. You'll hear stars like Lucy Lue Mat Damon, and others say they train so many months in FMA to prepare for the role...its becoming mainstream. You then have lay people watching thier Action movies and say "thats cool, I want to learn that", where do they go from there? They go to the dojo next to the supermarket and ask them if they teach it.
:soapbox:

 

[Mickey]

Yo arnisandyz,

Good comments and I agree.

I think the Mc Dojo will have a different flavor for teh FMA being served up. It will have the flavor of the base art being taught at the McDojo.

Example of this:

I was at my Doctor's and he mentioned that his son's instructor brought in the regional Master Instructor to demonstrate and teach some weapons. The weapon the Master concentrated on were the Arnis Sticks. He was really impressed and could not wait until the Local Instructor would start to teach the Arnis Sticks at his son's school.

OH BTW, his Son's GrandMaster will be in town soon and he cannot wait until he can meet the best Martial Artist in The World. The best of the BEst of the Grand Masters.

I just smiled and nodded my head.

Mick