Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) offers much more than meets the eye.
FMA is a very versatile, highly effective system which anyone can learn.
Within FMA lies a rich cultural history.
Believe it or not FMA also has therapeutic qualities.
With that said let us take a closer look into the world of FMA and what it has to offer.
Kali, Panantukan (Dirty Boxing), Arnis and Dumog (wrestling) just to name a few show just how versatile FMA is.
FMA is a weapons based mixed martial art which has been proven effective countless time.
The use of weapons is taught first because of the mentality of fighting smarter not harder.
Most people believe that FMA is only done with sticks.
That couldn't be farther from the truth.
Everything in FMA can be done with any item in hand or simply empty handed.
Empty handed or equipped with anything from a pen to a sword practitioners can apply locks, disarms and takedowns.
More and more people are learning FMA because of its versatility.
People of all ages and race from around the world have taken a liking to FMA and how easily it can be learned and applied.
It is rather popular in Europe, possibly more popular than in the Philippines itself.
A rich cultural history can be found within FMA.
In many instances the culture of the Philippines is because of FMA.
Many of the folk dances were created in a way to preserve and hide the martial techniques from Spanish occupiers.
Each region of the Philippines is home to similar yet different fighting arts.
There are as many systems as there are islands in the Philippines.
The interesting thing to see is how much those various arts from various regions have taken from previous visitors or invaders.
When looking at the southern parts of the Philippines you can clearly see a heavy Indonesian influence.
Up north you can see the Spanish influence on the FMA.
FMA will look like Kung Fu, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai and even Silat because of the influence those cultures have had on the Filipinos.
Within those many different styles of FMA include the history of its origins and what made it what it is today.
Each system has a vast cultural history which is too much to describe in this brief article about FMA.
Like many things in this world which can prove addicting and therapeutic the same runs true with FMA, perhaps even more so.
FMA like many other martial arts has many physical benefits just by virtue of the physical exertion encompassed in martial arts.
FMA being so rich in culture makes it a rather unique martial art.
It started off as one system from one group of people but evolved over time to take the best of everything it came across creating a unique blend of many cultures.
Practitioners find it relaxing and therapeutic to be a part of the Filipino martial culture.
Many non-Filipino practitioners state that the Filipino culture and way do doing things is what they fell in love with.
Many say they love the laid back nature of the Filipino culture.
Many more say they feel at home and get a sense of belonging with in the FMA community.
All in all new and old comers to the FMA world love how family oriented the FMA world is.
That feeling of family sets the tone and creates an atmosphere which fosters an ideal learning environment.
That is one of the many cultural traditions within FMA, to teach those near and dear to you whom you call family.
Another cultural tradition which Filipinos are well known for is feeding people.
Ever wonder about the benefits of feeding someone? As Grandmaster Robert Castro of Eskabo Daan says: " If you come to class hungry you won't be able to learn.
Your mind will do nothing but be focused on feeding your stomach.
You must train with food in your stomach so that the mind can absorb what is being taught.
That is why I always have food for my students.
" While practicing FMA in a nurturing environment practitioners begin to learn about themselves and actually become better people because of the art.
Self-improvement is a positive by product of being in the type of environment which FMA offers.
It truly is amazing what you can learn about yourself by simply working out and hanging out in the right environment.
On the surface FMA may just be another martial art.
When you dig deeper and become more involved with FMA you quickly learn how important is really can be.
The cultural importance cannot be measured because it is a long standing tradition in many families and it is what many people long for.
The lucky ones grow up in the tradition as passed down within the family.
The" new" lucky ones get the chance to fill a void in which the FMA can fill by giving a sense of culture, identity and belonging.
The physical benefits along with the new found culture equal the therapeutic nature of the FMA.
That therapeutic nature brings peace of mind.