An epic journey across the Philippines from Manila to Cebu and Negros to explore Filipino Martial Arts and in particular, the art of Arnis or Escrima. Our guides on this epic journey are datu Tim Hartman, a senior student of grandmaster Remy Presas and Balintawak grandmaster Bobby Taboada.
In Fighting Sticks of Arnis we meet many grandmasters who are students of the founder of Modern Arnis, Professor Remy Presas. "I started in Modern Arnis" says grandmaster Rodel Dagooc. "Grandmaster Remy Presas was my godfather. Without him, Arnis would have become a dying art." For martial arts practitioners visiting the Philippines, Luneta Park is the first and last stop. Modern Arnis Grandmaster Rodel Dagooc begins his first class in Luneta with empty hand drills. It is his skill in stick fighting however that cemented his reputation... earning him the nickname "Smoking Sticks". Our movie begins with grandmaster Rodel as he takes us through his typical lesson in Luneta park. Later in the week we travel to his home town of Batangas to the Arnis Village which he is building. Here he takes us through the many steps needed to make the 'smoking sticks' which he and his students use in Arnis.
One style that Remy Presas mastered is Balintawak, a dynamic single stick style from Cebu. Many of todays best known Escrima masters grew up on the streets of Cebu in the southern Philippines. Like Bobby Taboada, grandmaster Nick Elizar grew up learning boxing and Karate until he was introduced to Balintawak. Today he teaches at his 'Nickelsticks' club with his son Neil. At his Cebu Nickelsticks school, grandmaster 'Nick' Elizar explains: "The aim of Balintawak is to disarm your opponent. This means using counter to counter because we assume our opponent is smarter than us." Elizar says "Striking is easy. We teach you to defend and react very fast."
Arnis, like all traditional martial arts requires hard work and sacrifice. Grandmaster Bobby Taboada talks about his early years of Arnis training: "I learned to accept the pain. That's the reality of training in the Philippines... are you ready to accept the pain." As we travel from martial arts schools to training camps, we spend time with more than twelve grandmasters of Arnis or Escrima. Grandmaster Bram Frank introduces us to the Bolo or Filipino long knife... a weapon he has mastered since his first Bolo class with grandmaster Remy Presas. In Fighting Sticks of Arnis secrets are told and technique are shared as our film explores the many different teaching methods and the multitude of styles of Arnis.
|