| I'm of Filipino heritage and I never really knew (for lack | | | | me even more was the weapons training. |
| of better words) how "cool" the Filipino martial arts | | | | Movies like "The Bourne Identity" and "Taken", you're |
| were until I started seeing some of it in the movies. If | | | | able to see some effective ways of subduing an |
| anyone has ever seen Bruce Lee movies, you'd only | | | | attacker with little effort on your behalf. Plus, it looked |
| imagine how cool it would have been to fight like him. | | | | fairly flashy and mesmerizing on screen. It seemed like |
| Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of being the | | | | not only would you get attacked with a punch, but hello |
| offensive-type person and just making fights with | | | | and lookout for a kick to the shins; and when they go |
| anyone. I was definitely more interested in the way he | | | | down, maybe an attack somewhere else. It's just a |
| defended himself. Someone would throw a punch and | | | | bombardment of attacks! |
| he would somehow block them with one arm and hit | | | | A movie like "The Hunted" was all about the Filipino art |
| them with another one simultaneously! It was great. So, | | | | of the blade, or kali. So skillful did the actors look, as |
| it wasn't until I started looking around for a qualified, | | | | they were professionally taught and supervised by |
| certified, Jeet Kune Do school where I could learn that | | | | students and masters of the art. If you're a student of |
| style. I joined a local martial arts school and started to | | | | the art, you'll see the philosophies and teachings of the |
| learn Jeet Kune Do. Little to my knowledge did I find | | | | Filipino martial arts weaved into the way Del Toro and |
| out they were teaching the Filipino arts of escrima, | | | | Jones were attacking each other. It was great stuff..... |
| arnis, and kali there as well. | | | | In closing, learning about the Filipino martial arts has |
| The Filipino arts are very similar to what you see in | | | | been a wonderful addition in my life. I'm technically |
| Bruce Lee movies. There are "trapping" movements | | | | learning Lameco Escrima and Kali by way of |
| where Bruce Lee was certainly able to parry an | | | | instruction through Professor Leonard Trigg and Dan |
| attack and simultaneously counter it. But what interests | | | | Inosanto (Bruce Lee's right hand man). |