Passing of the masters????!!??! [Archive]

Waltyr

02-09-2006, 12:08 AM

Very true, very true. I will say that the P.T. players are still alive and well (thankfully!!) and alot of good and knowledgeable masters and grandmasters in many others systems as well (some of which I've probably never even heard of!).
Along with this, I guess this thread will allow me to touch on another topic which I initially wanted to bring up but had forgot and I went off on a tangent.
To my knowledge, the FMA are structured a bit differently than other martial arts from other countries (for a variety of reasons), however I'm am unaware if the FMA focuses on or has a healing aspect to it. I know that when I first got into the martial arts, (chinese gung-fu) there was a combat aspect and along with the healing aspect (qigong, standing meditation, a variety of breathing techniques, chi circulation, etc...) Not only did one learn to defend oneself from others, but also to heal oneself and keep the body youthful and functioning at a level that was considered 'healthy and balanced'.
I've heard stories (and I don't know if this is true or not but it will make a good example) that the samurai's of japan were not only excellent swordsman, but also very good at bone-setting techniques as well. I mean, what warrior would be more valued than a swordsman how could not only hold his own, but also be able to help and heal his comrades (who weren't as fortunate in battle) after a conflict was over?
Now I know there is Hilot, which I believe is a type of filipino theraputic massage, but thats all I'm aware of as far as a healing art within the FMA.
I'd be curious to hear what types of healing aspects there are in the FMA community or does anyone incorporate any special type of yoga, qigong, meditation, static postures, or any other type of technique for healing and recovery along with one's normal regime of stick/blade work?

W.v.

Guro Dave Gould

04-12-2008, 08:20 PM

Waltyr,

Hello sir, I hope that all is well with you and that you are keeping challenged by your daily training. Interesting question indeed so please bear with me as I comment rather lengthy on the subject matter at hand.

Most here know that since 1992 Punong Guro Edgar G. Sulite has been my instructor, my mentor and one of my best friends. In addittion to that Master Ted Lucay-Lucay was one of my earliest influences in the Pilipino Warrior arts and a very dear friend as well.

As a matter of fact in January 1996 I had all but convinced Teddy to travel to the Philippines with me and train with Tuhon Jerson "Nene" Tortal and Tuhon Leo T. Gaje Jr. of Kali Pekiti-Tirsia in Bacolod City, Visayas. Although Teddy had never been to the Philippines he eagerly wanted to take advantage of this opportunity and further connect with his heritage and culture, but understandably he was more concerned with his health. After recently experiencing heart palpatations, numbness in his left arm and blacking-out during a seminar while in the rest room he decided against making the trip, but asked if I would pick-up some items there for him. I agreed and went to train with the two Tuhons of Pekiti-Tirsia in Negros Occidental.

Weeks later on my return I gave Teddy a call and he was eager to hear of the trip, so we got together for dinner and I regaled him with details of my recent experiences in the Philippines and presented him with the items that he requested that I acquire for him, as well as a few ginuntings and pinutis that I picked-up for him as gifts. We had a great time and after dinner he told me that he would call me in a few days to discuss a few things that had been on his mind recently, we embraced and went our separate ways.

A few days later I got an early phone call from my Lameco Eskrima brother Felix Valencia, a few minutes later Punong Guro Sulite called and shortly after a few more calls came in all telling me about the passing of Ted Lucay-Lucay. Then Beverly the sister of Teddy called in tears telling me that she had only hours earlier found Teddy in his room collapsed on the floor with his hand stretched out for the door... He was dead and she was hysterical as to be expected.

A few days after the funeral while at Punong Guro Sulite`s house, he and I were discussing what had happened to Teddy. This is also around the same time that a few weeks before when Edgar was diagnosed with an enlarged heart and he was concerned that he would share Teddy`s fate. He was more concerned with the prospect of leaving his wife and kids alone and possibly wanting, more-so than his own fate of what was to become of him. I was in shock in just losing a dear friend and the prospect of losing another. Punong Guro Sulite told me that he was diagnosed and that his condition was inoperable. Basically the left side of his heart was twice the size of the right side and when his heart was made to beat fast it would compress against the chest cavity and he would become dizzy. The doctors told him that if it grew larger eventually it would be too large to beat in such a confined space and that he would experience heart failure.

Punong Guro Sulite was optimistic and felt that if he tried meditation again that he could reverse the condition at best or at least relinquish his condition from advancing. Only the family and Punong Guro Sulite`s closest students were made aware of his condition and we would often discuss any changes made to his condition and we all agreed to watch out for him. Felisa wanted to keep him on a non-pilipino diet eating healthier but Edgar loved to eat and rich Pilipino food was his passion. He loved his food.

Bong Hebia, Larry Hartsell, Dan Inosanto, Mang Leo Revilles and myself would try and keep Edgar from getting excited or physically exhausting himself during private training or while conducting seminars. In February 1997 When Edgar and I flew to Germany to conduct Lameco Eskrima seminars there I thought that he was doing much better as he seemed to be in great spirits through out the trip and I even discussed this great observation with Larry Hartsell at his house three days before Edgar left to the Philippines to train during early April 1997.

Then very early on April 11, 1997 just a year almost to the date of Ted Lucay-lucay passing I received another phone call from Felix Valencia and my worst fear was confirmed; Edgar Sulite had collapsed in the philippines and was comatose. While the rest of us were twisting in the wind for news so to speak Felisa was on a flight to the Philippines to be beside her husband and the next few weeks were absolute torture for all of us in the Lameco family. Then we got the call that Edgar had passed. A very sad day indeed! one that I can not seem to get passed.

Edgar Sulite suffered as a child of high blood pressure which is what lead to his enlarged heart condition as well as a very rich diet of Pilipino food. I remember Edgar telling me a story of when he was training Hsing-I in the Philippines, his sifu would constantly come to Edgar and tell him that he would have to relax, that he was thinking too much and that Hsing-I was not about being aggressive and Edgar would look at him and say "this is my relaxed"... his sifu would shake his head and ask him what he had been doing earlier in the day to be so wound up and Edgar would respond by saying that he had been training and sparring Eskrima all day.

Edgar understood that there was a need to better balance his soft and hard sides in order to maintain harmony. He would say that if all that we did was eskrima all day,every day that we would remain unbalanced because only hard would surface. He knew that if he wound himself up during training Eskrima that he would have to settle himself down afterwords with meditation or something similar. He practiced both Hsing-I and Chang style Tai-Chi to serve this purpose.

Ted Lucay-Lucay as well loved Pilipino food and faced the same fate. Even though Teddy passed at the young age of 50 and Edgar passed at the young age of 39, many Masters of the Philippines live long into their 80`s, 90`s and in some cases their 100`s. Diet, exercise, meditation and environment make a world of difference but genetics add to the dilima on a much wider scale than what is considered by most.

Although it is hard to think about these young warriors dieing at such tender ages we should not concentrate so much on how they died but rather how they lived. Both Teddy and Edgars years were short in terms of time but what they accomplished in such a short existance on this planet is astounding and how profoundly they touched numerous lives around the world with their kindness and selfless actions is to be celebrated. They were both great men and both will be dearly missed by many for years to come. Each may cease to live and breathe in physical form but neither are dead as long as we remember them and continue to reflect on thier memories and daily celebrate their achievements in life.

Train well, ciao.

Guro Dave Gould.