Clark Kent
<B>News Bot</B>
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2006
- Messages
- 7,128
- Reaction score
- 6
Is Filipino culture more individualistic... ?
By geezer - 10-12-2008 10:43 AM
Originally Posted at: FMATalk
====================
Looking down the list of FMA style forums, I notice that each style was founded by a master who is alive, or is fairly recently deceased (late 20th Century). This is true of a great many other FMA systems that are not represented in these forums as well. It seems that it is more the rule than the exception for a highly skilled Filipino master to want to express his own interpretation of the FMAs by starting his own system. Of course this happens in other martial arts as well, but less often. Lineage and style and, perhaps, conformity seem more stressed in other Asian traditions, especially the Japanese culture for example.
My own Filipino-American instructor once said something to the effect that, "Nobody with any brains cares who you studied under, it's what you can do that matters." I thought it a bit ironic, since he had been a direct student of some of the most famous names in the FMAs here in the US. But, he didn't talk about that too much. And, like so many others, he taught his own system. I always thought his individualistic point of view was because he was an American of Filipino descent. Now I'm not so sure.
I'll admit that I don't know a great deal about Filipino culture. But what little I've learned through reading and conversations suggests that it is very independent and individualistic... qualities generally admired by Americans. Do you feel this is true? And, does it explain why there are so many "founders" of their own systems rather than followers of ancient sects or "ryu" as with Japanese budo?
Read More...
------------------------------------
FMATalk.com Post Bot - FMA Feed
By geezer - 10-12-2008 10:43 AM
Originally Posted at: FMATalk
====================
Looking down the list of FMA style forums, I notice that each style was founded by a master who is alive, or is fairly recently deceased (late 20th Century). This is true of a great many other FMA systems that are not represented in these forums as well. It seems that it is more the rule than the exception for a highly skilled Filipino master to want to express his own interpretation of the FMAs by starting his own system. Of course this happens in other martial arts as well, but less often. Lineage and style and, perhaps, conformity seem more stressed in other Asian traditions, especially the Japanese culture for example.
My own Filipino-American instructor once said something to the effect that, "Nobody with any brains cares who you studied under, it's what you can do that matters." I thought it a bit ironic, since he had been a direct student of some of the most famous names in the FMAs here in the US. But, he didn't talk about that too much. And, like so many others, he taught his own system. I always thought his individualistic point of view was because he was an American of Filipino descent. Now I'm not so sure.
I'll admit that I don't know a great deal about Filipino culture. But what little I've learned through reading and conversations suggests that it is very independent and individualistic... qualities generally admired by Americans. Do you feel this is true? And, does it explain why there are so many "founders" of their own systems rather than followers of ancient sects or "ryu" as with Japanese budo?
Read More...
------------------------------------
FMATalk.com Post Bot - FMA Feed
