Kuntao

[kroh]

Are there many systems of Kuntao in the Philipines?

Thank you,
Regards,
Walt

[Buwaya]

Hey Kroh,

Kuntao in the Philippines can also be spelled kuntaw. Note the spelling kuntao-kuntaw, Maranao-Maranaw, Mindanao-Mindanaw, its not uncommon for -ao to be spelled -aw.

Probably the most popular form of Kuntaw in the PI comes from Carlito Lanada, sometimes called Maharlika Kuntaw, sometimes Kuntaw Lima Lima. If a FMA has kuntaw in their curiculum its likely to have come from Maharlika kuntaw.

Second after that would be kuntao practised or taught by chinese or tsinoy's(philippine-chinese) in philippine china towns, Wing Chun, Five Ancestors Fist, seven star praying mantis, ect.

Third would be Chinese kuntao-Arnis hybrids like Lapunti Arnis de Abaniko(Shaolin + Cebauno eskrima) or Tatkuntao(empty hand Balintawak plus Five Ancestors Fist).

Lastly would be Kuntao/kuntaw practiced in Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-tawi by Tausug, Yakan and Sama.

[Sheldon Bedell]

for those that are not fimilar with the term would you explain Kuntaw and what it is

[Buwaya]

Its Southern Chinese.

It just means Chinese martial art. Also used to distinguish arts that come from China but have become Philippine/Malay over the generations(ie, Moro Kuntao), or arts that have elements taken from both Chinese and Philippine arts(ie, Tatkuntao).

Kuntaw is just an alternate spelling consistent with how we spell many things in the Philippines. Could mean the same thing regardless of spelling.


Carlito Lananda's Kuntaw is actually an acronym of two Tagalog words Kunsegrado Hataw, Sacred Strike, and according to the founder has nothing to do with Chinese, Indonesion or Moro kuntao and has more to do with Okinawan Karate.

[kroh]

Thanks for the info Buwaya, That is probably the best and most concise explanation I have heard.

Regards,
Walt

[arnisador]

I've never had a chance to do any kuntao. I've always wondered just how Chinese it would still appear--if, like Karate, you'd see some resemblances but many differences, or if it would still be easily recognizable as kung fu. I imagine the answer varies by system!

[Buwaya]

Arnisador,
Kuntao practiced in Philippine Chinatowns is Kungfu. Many of the practitioners are 1st or 2nd generation Chinese living in the Philippines. The PI has very tight nit(sp?) Chinese communities.

[arnisador]

Ah, OK! I figured it was Chinese arts blended into Filipino arts. So, might there be, in essence, a 'Wing Chun Kuntao' as there is Vietnamese and Malaysian Wing Chun?

[Buwaya]

Not sure what you mean by Vietnamese and Malaysian Wing Chun, but yes there is Wing Chun pracitised in the PI.

[arnisador]

I mean it like this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branches_of_Wing_Chun#Nguy.E1.BB.85n_T.E1.BA.BF-C.C3.B4ng_branch_.28Vietnam_WingChun_.E6.B0.B8.E6. 98.A5.29

This style has been in Vietnam long enough that it's often referred to as the Vietnamese version of the system, even though it's still clearly a form of (Chinese) Wing Chun.

[Buwaya]

Ah, gotcha. Nope, there's really no difference between the kungfu in Philippine Chinatowns and Chinatowns any where else in the world. But since the Penas is so close to Hong Kong, Tawain and Mainland China its not uncommon to find very high level practitioners. You can find Hung gar, Choy li fut, Wu style Taiji, Bagua, I Chaun, Hsing I, others. But if your not Chinese or Tsinoy traditionally you weren't taught.

Where you find hybrids is when Tsinoy's learn arnis(like Johny Chuitien or Joe Go) or arnis practitioners experiment with kungfu.

The only place you find kuntao/kuntaw in the Indonesion-Malaysian sense is down South.

[kroh]

Have any of the more prevalant systems of Kuntao made it over to the United States?

Regards,
Walt

[Buwaya]

Have any of the more prevalant systems of Kuntao made it over to the United States?

Regards,
Walt

Carlito Lanada's Kuntaw can probably be found all over. Google Maharlika kuntaw. Guro Buzz Smith is a name that pops up when you mention Lanada's Kuntaw.

A long time student of Johny Chuiten's, Rene Navarro, is in Massachusetts. He's certified in Lapunti Arnis De Abaniko. He also teaches Mantak Chia's Healing Dao stuff and is an acupuncturist.

In the Balintawak section there's a link to one of GM Go's students who teaches TatKuntao and Gokosha in Canada.

Master Christopher Ricketts is in San Diego and practices Ngo Cho Kun.

Master Mark Wiley is in Philadelphia and practices Ngo Cho Kun.

Guro Hadji Tanadjalan visited and taught briefly in California in the 90's. He learned Kuntaw in Sulu and Tawitawi but is more well known for his silat.

And of course Prof.Visitacion. If his art had been developed in the Philippines it would belong in the hybrid category with arts such Tatkuntao and Lapunti. I understand he left three heirs, each with mastery of what his art looked like at specific time periods in his life. David James and Roberto Torres are two of them. My apologies to whoever the third is for my not remembering.

Given the melting pot that is the United States, I'm sure many FMA practitioners have integrated Indonesian or Malaysian Kuntao/Kuntau into their FMA.

[kroh]

Thank you for all the info...I appreciate you taking the time to do that.

Regards,
Walt

[lhommedieu]

Third would be Chinese kuntao-Arnis hybrids like Lapunti Arnis de Abaniko(Shaolin + Cebauno eskrima) or Tatkuntao(empty hand Balintawak plus Five Ancestors Fist)

Some Indonesian Silat styles could also be classified as hybrids, e.g., Kun Tao Silat de Thouars. I have a friend who was showing a Ba Gua teacher part of a form from his Silat style. He added, "There is some Ba Bua influence in my style - but it's not really Ba Gua." The Ba Gua teacher said, "What are you talking about? - you just did a single palm change."

Best,

Steve Lamade

[kroh]

I wonder if some of the "kuntaw" styles that are being "born" in the US are blending with anything that we have over here currently (Such as any type of gung fu or some of teh kenpo systems we have here). If that is the case could they really call them kuntaw/tau/tao or is there another name they should be using?

Right down the street from me is a guy who trained with Professor V and then branched off and reorginzed the martial art. He now calls it Kuntao Jujitsu and it seems to be a blend of Vee Arnis Jutsu and several other martial arts (Or at least that is what the back of the T-shirt I saw said). Don't know how good it is as my interest is in some of the kuntao that originated in the PI.

Thanks all , I appreciate the info.
Regards,
Walt

[Buwaya]

Some Indonesian Silat styles could also be classified as hybrids, e.g., Kun Tao Silat de Thouars. I have a friend who was showing a Ba Gua teacher part of a form from his Silat style. He added, "There is some Ba Bua influence in my style - but it's not really Ba Gua." The Ba Gua teacher said, "What are you talking about? - you just did a single palm change."

Best,

Steve Lamade
Definetly, I just keep them distinct since this was a thread regarding Pilipino Kuntao/Kuntaw.

[kroh]

Do the systems you know of use form based learning or is it more free form like in some of the other FMA's?

Regards,
Walt