Welcome to THE BALISONG JOURNAL An online journal of Southeast Asian Martial Arts, Culture and Spirituality from Guro Jeff Davidson and Detroit Kali-Silat. We will focus on Filipino Kali, Batangas Knife, and Silat Melayu (especially Silat Kuntau Tekpi) - along with Yoruba (West African) fighting and healing arts- and other interesting diversions along the way.
Handmade Bowie from my student Panday
Doug Marcaida
Kuya Doug Marcaida is not as high-profile as a lot of other people in the FMA world, but he’s really a big deal around here. Our paths first crossed about 7 years ago in the Pekiti-Tirsia universe, when my students and I were in search of like-minded practitioners under Grand Tuhon Gaje to practice, refine, and grow in the material we were given by the Great Man. When we “found” Kuya Doug, something clicked.
Tuhon Gaje gave his blessing for Kuya Doug, myself, and Ka Jay Saludo to form The Brotherhood of the Blade - dedicated to mutual support and refinement of the Filipino Martial Arts and related disciplines.
There has been tremendous positive growth and development for us over the past few years, and much of it can be sourced directly back to Kuya Doug. Here are some examples:
DETROIT-to-TEXAS-to-MALAYSIA
It was through Kuya Doug’s introduction that I met the legendary FMA/Silat teacher Cigku Omar Hakim of Austin, Texas. Eventually I was invited by Cikgu Omar to attend a special training camp in Texas where I (along with 3 other people) became one of the first candidate instructors of the Malaysian martial art of Silat Kuntau Tekpi.
That experience opened the door to some important and highly valued friendships with notable Silat Melayu practitioners in Malaysia such as Mohd Nadzrin Wahab of Silat Cekak Hanafi (who became my mentor and younger brother at the same time), Ustaz Saiful Muhammad of Silat Telapak Nusantara, and Guru ‘Lan Tekpi’ of Silat Kuntau Tekpi Malaysia .
Another important relationship that grew from the Tekpi training camp is our friendship with two patently amazing martial artists: Ricky Rillera and Robert Slomkowski - see earlier posts. Thankfully, our friendship has endured over the years, and we were able to meet up again in Texas last year in San Antonio for an awesome weekend of sharing and training. BTW, Ricky Rillera and Kuya Doug happen to be old training partners.
DETROIT-to-SASKATCHEWAN-to-BATANGAS
It was through Kuya Doug that we met Ka Jay Saludo, leader of the Saskatchewan Pekiti-Tirsia group and co-founding member of The Brotherhood of the Blade. We became fast friends. During a training seminar in Rochester, New York that Kuya Doug was hosting, I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with Manong Leon Saludo (Jay’s father) who was kind enough to give me a spontaneous demonstration of the Batangas knife style he’s practiced since his teen years. In retrospect, I’m really glad he was using a rubber knife because 20 years of my martial arts career would have been brought to an abrupt bloody conclusion at his first counter.
I’ve discussed the differences between Pekiti-Tirsia knife training and Batangas knife training elsewhere on this blog. After a period of me requesting (begging) Manong Leon to teach me his method, he finally and graciously agreed, and we now pass this fearsome style to carefully selected members of our student body.
DETROIT-to-ROCHESTER-to-TORONTO
We were again in Rochester some years back for a seminar hosted by Kuya Doug featuring the incomparable Tuhon Leo T. Gaje. It was one of the largest seminar groups I had ever seen. As I recall, Tuhon Gaje’s flight from Korea was delayed, and Doug stepped right up to the plate to teach the first day on his own. Meanwhile in an adjacent area, my students and I were treated to a special training session led by Ama Guro Jun De Leon of Toronto. We couldn't know that this experience would shape our Kali quest for years to come.
That was our first exposure to the “KDL Methodology”, and even though we had a really hard time with it, everyone saw the value. We needed more. Over the next few years we trained with Ama Guro Jun every chance we got, and with his guidance, and hours upon hours of grueling practice – and we got better. The Maestro graciously allowed us to join the KDL family two years ago, and we continue to take advantage of every opportunity to study this world-class system under this world-class Master.
INTO THE FUTURE
So you see, all the influences that make up our practice: Pekiti-Tirsia, Kali De Leon, Batangas Knife, and Silat Kuntau Tekpi – in one way or another have been undeniably inspired by the great Kuya Doug Marcaida. Like a true brother and friend, he’s always looking out for us; always pushing us to become better; always pushing us to grow and develop.
Thanks Kuya - it's been a fantastic journey so far. We’re all looking forward to even greater things to come!
Someone sent me this photo, saying it was the perfect representation of our Martial Arts practice. I agree. BTW, that is a live cobra (I hope he used a zoom lens).
This is how I really learned the Art of Kali. Of course, I did not study with the great Patato Valdes shown here – but those who know how to watch and listen to this can learn so much about our martial art.
As profound as this is, it is grade-school compared to some of the guys I know in West Africa. The bata players from Oyo not only play their hearts out, they play yours out as well.
That’s Kali.
Tuhon grapples my student Mike in the Philippines
I’ve been getting a lot of email questions regarding my post about dumog. The majority of these inquiries come from people who are familiar with Tuhon Gaje’s dumog or jujutsu (Japanese and Brazilian) and are wondering how and what we’re applying from Silat Kuntau Tekpi. I’ll share some thoughts here.
DUMOG and JUJUTSU
Unless you’re just rolling around for fun with a game partner, I don’t think there is much from Tuhon’s dumog that can be applied in a jujutsu-style grappling match. My student Panday knows a lot more about these things than I do, so if I am mistaken I hope he’ll correct me. It seems to me that the BJJ or JJJ is more concerned with jockeying for and establishing some kind of “position” and then going for the submission hold or choke. Whereas, dumog should begin with Pangamut (striking techniques) and then the opponent’s weight is loaded onto a joint -such as the shoulder, elbow, knee, or often the neck – before his weight and yours comes crashing down on that joint, against the hard ground.
The closest thing we do to anything that would remotely resemble Japanese Jujutsu is Cambod, which involves grappling against the opponent’s limbs. However, unlike jujutsu, instead of locking-stepping-throwing in a circle (like koto gaeshi) Cambod more involves wrapping the limb and using it to “collapse” the opponent’s body into your follow-up strike. That’s the best explanation I can give without a video, and we won’t be posting any videos. The bottom line is that I think you can play pretty hard with Jujutsu and both guys can still be friends at the end of the day. The more you resist against dumog or cambod, someone is going to be injured.
JUJUTSU and SILAT KUNTAU TEKPI
My SKT teacher Omar Hakim as well as my friends in
DUMOG and SILAT KUNTAU TEKPI
If you are lucky enough to study Silat Kuntau Tekpi and have people of different sizes and body types to train with, you may eventually discover what I’m talking about in the above paragraph. Then, you’ll know how it feels to lock an opponent from his center so that he can’t move or step out. Then, if you know enough buahs, you’ll be able to do this regardless of whether you are in front of him, side to side, behind him, etc. There’s a relatively simple “trick” to learning this principle (which upon second thought I’ve just deleted from this article…sorry!). Once you understand this, you should be able to accomplish this same thing in your dumog applications. The result will be that your dumog locks and throws will be more efficient and explosive, and you will reduce your “counter-ability” to a huge extent.
Well, there you have bit from my perspective. For those of you that wanted to know if/how you can apply dumog and Silat Kuntau Tekpi in your next cage fight or grappling contest – sorry. I don’t even want to know how to train that.
Typical: Tuhon kills me while Bassam films from a safe distance
Mbah Sartono
I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the memory of a most honored elder as we near the anniversary of his passing, Mbah Sulieman Sartono. I was blessed to meet him in
Mbah Sartono was wise, kind, and soft-spoken, with sincere Javanese nobility. He was a man of keen perception, with the ability to fathom secrets beyond our physical world. He was well known as an expert in the traditional Javanese spiritual disciplines. Even now, so many years later I often find myself listening to the recordings I made of his melodious voice reciting prayers, stories, and history in old Javanese.
I made a promise to his family that I would always remember this great man - and indeed – his memory inspires me until today.
Even if it seems certain that you will lose, retaliate. Neither wisdom nor technique has a place in this. A real man does not think of victory or defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death. By doing this, you will awaken from your dreams.
There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed though you still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything.
A warrior should be careful in all things and should dislike to be the least bit worsted. Above all, if he is not careful in his choice of words he may say things like, "I'm a coward." or "At that time, I'd probably run." or "How frightening," or "How painful." These are words that should not be said even in jest, on a whim, or when talking in one's sleep. If a person with understanding hears such things, he will see to the bottom of the speaker's heart. This is something that should be carefully thought about beforehand.
In the words of the ancients, one should make his decisions within the space of seven breaths. Lord Takanobu said, "If discrimination is long, it will spoil." Lord Naoshige said, "When matters are done leisurely, seven out of ten will turn out badly. A warrior is a person who does things quickly."
When your mind is going hither and thither, discrimination will never be brought to a conclusion. With an intense, fresh and undelaying spirit, one will make his judgments within the space of seven breaths. It is a matter of being determined and having the spirit to break right through to the other side.
No matter what it is, there is nothing that cannot be done. If one manifests the determination, he can move heaven and earth as he pleases. But because man is pluckless, he cannot set his mind to it. Moving heaven and earth without
putting forth effort is simply a matter of concentration.
Until the age of forty it is best to gather strength. It is appropriate to have settled down by the age of fifty.
When on the battlefield, if you try not to let others take the lead and have the sole intention of breaking into the enemy lines, then you will not fall behind others, your mind will become fierce, and you will manifest martial valor. This fact has been passed down by the elders. Furthermore, if you are slain in battle, you should be resolved to have your corpse facing the enemy.
Until one reaches the age of forty it is better to put off wisdom and discrimination and excel in vitality. According to the person and the rank, though a person has passed the age of forty, if he has no vitality, he will pet no response from others.
When one has made a decision to kill a person, even if it will be very difficult to succeed by advancing straight ahead, it will not do to think about going at it in a long roundabout way.
The resolution of the men of former times was deep. Those between the ages of thirteen and sixty went to the front lines. For this reason men of advanced years hid their age.
Yamamoto Kichizaemon was ordered by his father Jin'-emon to cut down a dog at the age of five, and at the age of fifteen he was made to execute a criminal. Everyone, by the time they were fourteen or fifteen, was ordered to do a beheading without fail. When Lord Katsushige was young, he was ordered by Lord Naoshige to practice killing with a sword. It is said that at that time he was made to cut down more than ten men successively.
A long time ago this practice was followed, especially in the upper classes, but today even the children of the lower classes perform no executions, and this is extreme negligence. To say that one can do without this sort of thing, or that there is no merit in killing a condemned man, or that it is a crime, or that it is defiling, is to make excuses. In short, can it not be thought that because a person's martial valor is weak, his attitude is only that of trimming his nails and being attractive?
If one investigates into the spirit of a man who finds these things disagreeable, one sees that this person gives himself over to cleverness and excuse making not to kill because he feels unnerved. But Naoshige made it his orders exactly because this is something that must be done.
Last year I went to the Kase Execution Grounds to try my hand at beheading, and I found it to be an extremely good feeling. To think that it is unnerving is a symptom of cowardice.
By waiting to get the agreement of others, a matter like taking revenge will never be brought to a conclusion. One should have the resolution to go alone and even to be cut down. A person who speaks vehemently about taking revenge but does nothing about it is a hypocrite. Clever people, by using their mouths alone, are taking care of their reputations for a later date. But a real stalwart is a man who will go out secretly, saying nothing, and die. It is not necessary to achieve one's aim; one is a stalwart in being cut down. Such a person will most likely achieve his purpose.
If you cut a face lengthwise, urinate on it, and trample on it with straw sandals, it is said that the skin will come off. This was heard by the priest Gyojaku when he was in Kyoto. It is information to be treasured.
A helmet is usually thought to be very heavy, but when one is attacking a castle or something similar, and arrows, bullets, large rocks, great pieces of wood and the like are corning down, it will not seem the least bit so.
"Swordsmanship is the art used at the border between life and death. It is easy to throw away your life and proceed toward death, but it is difficult not to make life and death two. The man who does not make life and death two should be easily able to act with complete freedom"
"Nowadays, people are shallow and their resolution is not in earnest. They dislike the strenuous and love the easy from the time they are young. When they see something vaguely clever, they want to learn it right away; but if taught in the manner of the old ways, they think it's not worth learning. Nowadays, the way is revealed by the instructor, the deepest principles are taught even to beginners, the end result is set right out front, and the student is led along by the hand.
"Even with methods like these, students become bored and many of them quit. In this way, talking about principles takes the high seat, the men of old are considered inadequate, mastery becomes watered down.
"
How could anyone in the world be so stupid? A man will learn some skill, and after making doubly sure he's got it down, will use it over and over again in vain, never understanding that the skill has now become his enemy, and that he is inviting disaster.
He [the martial artist] must perceive any situation with total concentration, and act as a mirror spontaneously reflects what passes in front of it. He can harbour no thoughts of prepared action, for they will only come between himself and the external circumstances. In the same way, any premeditated action will not truly reflect or respond to the reality of the situation.
“When you use strength to control your pull of the bowstring, you run counter to the character of the bow, you and the bow are in opposition and become two. When your spirit does not pass back and forth between you and the bow, you will actually obstruct the strength of the bow, and strip away its force. Thus you will be unable to send the arrow far or to penetrate the target with force. . .Everyday human affairs are just like this. If your intention is not true and you conduct yourself incorrectly, you will lack diligence in the affairs of your lord and be disloyal, you will dither around with the affairs of your parents and show no filial piety, and not be sincere to your relatives and friends. People will despise you, society will detest you, and you will be unable to cope with things. When your ch'i does not fill your entire body, inwardly you will be prone to sickness and your mind will be hard up; in your affairs you will be preoccupied and anxious, and you will be unable to undertake any noble enterprise. When you obstruct the character of things, you run counter to human nature, distance yourself from matters, and are out of harmony; and when this happens, you end up in conflict. When your spirit is unsettled, you have many doubts and your affairs are unending. When your thoughts are moving, you have no tranquility and make a multitude of mistakes.”
“Man's mind, too, is not without the good. When you follow your own true character and are not a slave to your passions and desires, your spirit will not be troubled, you will be in touch with the phenomena of this world, and practical application will have no obstacles. For this reason, the 'Way of the Great Learning is in making clear your adamantine character,' and in the Doctrine of the Mean it says that 'Complying with your character is called following the Way.' In explaining principle from the top, scholars express its standard. Nevertheless, the mediocrity and confusion of some people are deep, and such people are unable to change the substance of their ch'i and directly return to the spirit of their true character. For this reason, scholars preach about 'the extension of knowledge' and 'making one's will and heart sincere.' They also expound self-examination and being watchful over ourselves when we are alone, and would have us step over the true ground of self-discipline.
“Swordsmanship is also like this. Facing your opponent, you forget about life, forget about death, forget about your opponent, and forget about yourself. Your thoughts do not move and you create no intentions. When you are in a state of No-Mind and leave everything to your natural perceptions, metamorphosis and change will be conducted with absolute freedom, and practical application will have no obstacles. When in the midst of a great number of opponents, you will cut and thrust before and behind, and to the left and right. And even if your body is smashed to bits, our ch'i will be under control and your spirit settled, you will suffer no changes at all, and you will be as correct and peerless as Tzu Lu.
“If you will be like this, how could you fail or be without result? This is the deepest principle of swordsmanship. Nevertheless, it is not a Way you can climb up directly without incurring traveling expenses. If you do not try out your techniques, temper your ch'i, train your mind, or make intense and diligent efforts without fail, you will never reach the Way.”
Philippine Marines Training in Pekiti-Tirsia
“I remember the Sgt. of the Force Recon Marines who was challenged in front of the Al Kidas and Abu Sayap in
In the first entry the swing of the barong was met by a diagonal slash cutting the right hand - and instantly - the barong separated from the hand. With instant reaction, the Force Recon Marine followed with another sweeping slash into the left hand, cutting the left wrist. With great feeling of assurance, the Force Recon Marines followed with a strong sweeping slash, cutting the neck and separating the head from the body.
This was witnessed by both the MILF and the Force Recon Marines.”
"Talk to the Hand"
As I write this, Kuya Doug and Ka Jay are languishing in sunny
But at least they’re not having all the fun. This afternoon’s Silat class featured an unexpected visit from a renowned Malaysian Silat teacher/historian who just happened to literally “pop” in just as the students were arriving. And what a terrific class it was! I was able to sit back, coughing and taking notes while my students fired away question after question – and got some very enlightening teachings directly from the source. I am pretty certain this was the first class that he has taught in
On a related note, we have been studying the venerable Art of Silat Kuntau Tekpi for close to 5 years. The majority of my students have learned at least some parts of SKT and have incorporated this into their Kali training. Nothing wrong there. A select few have actually learned the complete first two levels consisting of 42 buah (“strikeforms”) basic senaman tekpi (tekpi exercises), and pelebat (a training form which teaches fluidity and body mechanics).
Now by popular demand, we will be offering a ‘seminar-series’ dealing with what I consider to be crucial, foundational material in preparation for the serious study of the combative aspects of Silat Melayu – stuff you would probably already know if you had grown up in Malaysia. This material will deal with the theory and application of Petua (Principles of Movement) as relates to breathing, footwork, striking, throwing, locking, and breaking. Anyone can learn a buah, or even copy a technique that they see. However, if you really internalize the principles of movement…if you have the necessary foundation, then application becomes spontaneous and effortless. If you just copy a technique and force it, then you have nothing.
Details will be forthcoming…
