Soncen
05-19-2006, 05:51 AM
Stick fighting was also called Eskrima
In Cebuano dialect stick fighting was called “BINUNALAY”, but we also adopted the word eskrima or escrima as the other Cebuano dialect and the word was taken from the Spanish word esgrima, which in the French language was called escrime, which meant to be in English as Fencing for the sword fighting art. Our stick fighting art was attributed to the bladed weapon fighting or bolo wielding. This fighting art was commonly applied in a warfare against the enemy in contrast to the sword fighting in the medieval time that in the 15th century was proven to be more sophisticated when Lapu-lapu a Cebuano expert in bolo wielding defeated Magellan a Spanish conqueror who was also an expert in sword fighting in the battle of Mactan in April 27, 1521. The reason why Cebuano adopted the word Eskrima or sometimes spelled as Escrima as the second terminology in Cebuano dialect is because stick fighting was an inherent brand of fighting from a bolo fight handling where, in the fight engagement, there is contact of two weapons from both fighters, which also be found the same thing to happen in the swords fighting. But the style was too different from the other as we observed in the Olympic game of fencing, we only noticed one thing in common on the two fighting arts and it was the contact of the two objects from the protagonists. Another thing to note is that the English word of our Eskrima was Stick fighting while English word for Spanish Esgrima or the French dialect Escrime was fencing or swords fighting.
Lorenzo Saavedra was an Arnis fighter who was expert in Bolo fight brandishing and stick fight handling that he learns from different Instructors when he joined the secret revolutionary movement that fight against the Spanish authorities in the Philippines particularly in Cebu. He was then very young at the age of about sixteen or seventeen, but at the age of twenty he was already an expert in stick fighting, as it was a stick as their usual tool to conceal their activities in the practice of bolo fight brandishing. He was captured and put in jail for about thirty years and while in the prison cell, he continued to practice the art using only some kitchen utensils to enhance his craft through frequent sparring with his co-prisoner who became his friend a Frenchman who was also an expert in sword fighting. When he was freed from prison, he taught the art of stick fighting to his two nephews Teodoro and Federico Saavedra and there were others who also trained with him. In 1920 Lorenzo Saavedra established the “Club Lantay” the organization of Stick fighters (Ekrimadores) together with his two nephews and the Canete’s. The training was taught one-on-one and while others are waiting for their turn in training, they ordered them to observe the mechanics while sitting on the bamboo bench that are mounted around the training venue. The bamboo bench was called in the Cebuano dialect as “LANTAY” hence the club was so named, but the Americans who governs on that period in the Philippines did not understand, so Lorenzo change the name into the Labangon Fencing Club.
Because the fencing or sword fighting was more popular to the Americans and they understand it easily because stick fighting as they see it had a contact on two objects from both fighters, the same thing they know about sword fighting. So they must be thinking the word FENCING CLUB was suitably more fitting than that of the CLUB LANTAY, which meant only as sitting on the bamboo bench doing nothing but only watching and waiting for their turn in the training. This is the exact story on account of Anciong Bacon that I heard and re-heard and has been circulated here in Cebu ever since way before I started training with Teofilo V. Roma in 1987. Anciong was the son of Lorenzo’s close family friend and he himself was very close to Anciong treating him to be his youngest son while the other whom he treated also to be his own children were his two nephews Doring and Pedring who was born in the mid-1870’s, Anciong did not mentioned about Lorenzo’s wife and children but others only speculated that he remains unmarried until his death. It was in 1929 that Lorenzo who was then at the age of 77 teach Anciong of the art of Arnis fighting who was then at the age of only seventeen years old. Anciong has still had a vivid memory of his teacher whom he said he had a special training with him because he was the smallest and the youngest among the group and had more conversation with him than that of the other members.
It is there that he learns values that motivates him to acquire his own principles though lack of formal education, he values life above all but do not let others to oppress him and he has all this story told to my teacher Teofilo V. Roma. There were articles in some International Magazines that do not coincide with this story and I expect any reactions in the coming days. I am only appealing to all to be open and just examine the story whether or not there is truth in it. May God bless all our endeavors and us!!!
Wilson R. Ceniza
Teovel Balintawak Self-defense Club
Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines
In Cebuano dialect stick fighting was called “BINUNALAY”, but we also adopted the word eskrima or escrima as the other Cebuano dialect and the word was taken from the Spanish word esgrima, which in the French language was called escrime, which meant to be in English as Fencing for the sword fighting art. Our stick fighting art was attributed to the bladed weapon fighting or bolo wielding. This fighting art was commonly applied in a warfare against the enemy in contrast to the sword fighting in the medieval time that in the 15th century was proven to be more sophisticated when Lapu-lapu a Cebuano expert in bolo wielding defeated Magellan a Spanish conqueror who was also an expert in sword fighting in the battle of Mactan in April 27, 1521. The reason why Cebuano adopted the word Eskrima or sometimes spelled as Escrima as the second terminology in Cebuano dialect is because stick fighting was an inherent brand of fighting from a bolo fight handling where, in the fight engagement, there is contact of two weapons from both fighters, which also be found the same thing to happen in the swords fighting. But the style was too different from the other as we observed in the Olympic game of fencing, we only noticed one thing in common on the two fighting arts and it was the contact of the two objects from the protagonists. Another thing to note is that the English word of our Eskrima was Stick fighting while English word for Spanish Esgrima or the French dialect Escrime was fencing or swords fighting.
Lorenzo Saavedra was an Arnis fighter who was expert in Bolo fight brandishing and stick fight handling that he learns from different Instructors when he joined the secret revolutionary movement that fight against the Spanish authorities in the Philippines particularly in Cebu. He was then very young at the age of about sixteen or seventeen, but at the age of twenty he was already an expert in stick fighting, as it was a stick as their usual tool to conceal their activities in the practice of bolo fight brandishing. He was captured and put in jail for about thirty years and while in the prison cell, he continued to practice the art using only some kitchen utensils to enhance his craft through frequent sparring with his co-prisoner who became his friend a Frenchman who was also an expert in sword fighting. When he was freed from prison, he taught the art of stick fighting to his two nephews Teodoro and Federico Saavedra and there were others who also trained with him. In 1920 Lorenzo Saavedra established the “Club Lantay” the organization of Stick fighters (Ekrimadores) together with his two nephews and the Canete’s. The training was taught one-on-one and while others are waiting for their turn in training, they ordered them to observe the mechanics while sitting on the bamboo bench that are mounted around the training venue. The bamboo bench was called in the Cebuano dialect as “LANTAY” hence the club was so named, but the Americans who governs on that period in the Philippines did not understand, so Lorenzo change the name into the Labangon Fencing Club.
Because the fencing or sword fighting was more popular to the Americans and they understand it easily because stick fighting as they see it had a contact on two objects from both fighters, the same thing they know about sword fighting. So they must be thinking the word FENCING CLUB was suitably more fitting than that of the CLUB LANTAY, which meant only as sitting on the bamboo bench doing nothing but only watching and waiting for their turn in the training. This is the exact story on account of Anciong Bacon that I heard and re-heard and has been circulated here in Cebu ever since way before I started training with Teofilo V. Roma in 1987. Anciong was the son of Lorenzo’s close family friend and he himself was very close to Anciong treating him to be his youngest son while the other whom he treated also to be his own children were his two nephews Doring and Pedring who was born in the mid-1870’s, Anciong did not mentioned about Lorenzo’s wife and children but others only speculated that he remains unmarried until his death. It was in 1929 that Lorenzo who was then at the age of 77 teach Anciong of the art of Arnis fighting who was then at the age of only seventeen years old. Anciong has still had a vivid memory of his teacher whom he said he had a special training with him because he was the smallest and the youngest among the group and had more conversation with him than that of the other members.
It is there that he learns values that motivates him to acquire his own principles though lack of formal education, he values life above all but do not let others to oppress him and he has all this story told to my teacher Teofilo V. Roma. There were articles in some International Magazines that do not coincide with this story and I expect any reactions in the coming days. I am only appealing to all to be open and just examine the story whether or not there is truth in it. May God bless all our endeavors and us!!!
Wilson R. Ceniza
Teovel Balintawak Self-defense Club
Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines