DBMA DVD: "The Bolo Game"

[Crafty Dog]

Woof All:

We will be releasing the long secret "DBMA Vid-lesson: The Bolo Game" as a DVD.

One reason is that amongst the material taught is a variation of the Kalimba Dodger and I had promised Manong Kalimba not to share what he had share with me until after his passing. Now that he has passed, I am free to help the Art survive and reproduce.

Walk as a warrior for all our days,
Guro Crafty

[gagimilo]

Hey, sounds like a good news! However, I wonder if in this one the rule "if you see it taught, you see it fought" still applies?

[Crafty Dog]

I would have thought by now our credibility in this regard was rather well established ;-) but since you ask, yes it does! The DVD closes out with a fine fight showing application at speed and in super slo-mo with commentary.

[gagimilo]

Ahhh, so all those proven goodies are still there! After all, why change the already winning formula, right?
Very nice sir, I really like the fact that DB produced videos have set the bar that high, in regards of MA video field, because for the money that people are charging their stuff, it only makes sense to offer the quality you do.

[selfcritical]

I'm a bit confused by the name. Is it still an impact-weapon game that's derived from Kalimba's bolo material, or is it a DBMA lond edged weapon strategy?

[Crafty Dog]

Perceptive of you. Let me see if I can explain.

The Kalimba game is used as part of setting up Bolo Game.

[Crafty Dog]

Night Owl and I finished the edit today and I should have the final master in my hands next week-- along with the promo clip. My wife has begun to work on the boxcover.

Self-critical:

I just re-read my answer to your question and feel I may have been too laconic so please allow me to try again.

The "Bolo Game" refers to a striking motion called "the bolo punch" made famous by Filipino boxer and world champion Flash Elorde. My superficial understanding is that the bolo punch did have its origins in a sugar cane harvesting motion done with a bolo knife/machete.

The DBMA Kalimba Game is named in homage to Manong Kalimba and a particular motion I learned from him for staff fighting. That said, in DBMA we also use this motion in single stick, sabre grip knife, and empty hand (including in our Kali Tudo (tm) subsystem.)

[selfcritical]

That makes sense. Leslie and a few other PTK instructors over the weekend had been talking up Kalimba's staff and double-stick prowess, so more fuel to my curiosity there.

[Sisco T.]

again this is some ''secrets" that i thought guro marc wouldn't release for the public. this is kinda like the dos triques material guro has released. i havent fought recently at any gatherings, but in sparring i use the bolo game techniques all the time. it blends well with a good krabi game, sets up complimentary hand strikes, kicks, clinch, takedowns(if thats what you like to do), and power strikes with your stick. this is really good material for training, sparring, and fighting.

Francisco

[Crafty Dog]

Francisco (a.k.a. Frankfurter Dog) is right-- and he probably has more personal time with me working this material than anyone else.

The Bolo Game was originally was originally shot as an "DBMA Instructor Only Vid-Lesson". Given the very small volume of sales attendant to such a limited size "market", we kept the production budget down by shooting outside in back of "Boxing Works"-- so there is some street noise as part of the audio track.

In addition to the aforementioned reason of not releasing it to the public because of the appearance of material that I had promised Manong Kalimba that I would not release until after his death, is the fact that this is IMHO some really bitchin'g material-- as the line from a TV western of my youth went "No brag, just fact"-- and I have wanted to keep it within the DBMA tribe to keep an advantage for us.

So what has changed?

1) As I have spent more years in the Art, I begin to understand more about what it takes to ensure the survival and transmission of the Art's understandings and techniques. It is in this light that I worry that the number of carriers of this material is too small to ensure its survival.

2) I have developed other additional advantages for the DBMA tribe ;-)

The Adventure continues!
Guro Crafty

[Crafty Dog]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9sqbviL3h4

[Crafty Dog]

A Howl of Greeting to All:

The Bolo Game was originally was originally shot as an "DBMA Instructor
Only
Vid-Lesson". Given the very small volume of sales attendant to such a
limited size "market", we kept the production budget down by shooting
outside in back of "Boxing Works"-- so there is some street noise as part
of
the audio track.

Why have we kept this material "closed door" for all these years?

One reason is that one of the "games" shown in "The Bolo Game" used to set
up a Bolo Game attack is one we call "the Kalimba" in homage to the man
from
whom I learned it. When GT Gaje introduced me to Manong Kalimba in
Bacolod
in 1997 one of the conditions of the training was that I not publicly share
the material until after his death. GT Gaje informed me a couple of years
ago that Manong Kalimba had passed and thus this reason was no longer in
play.

So why did we continue to keep the material "closed door"? The second
reason is IMHO some really stellar material-- as the line from a TV western
of my youth went "No brag, just fact"-- and I have wanted to keep it within
the DBMA tribe to keep an advantage for us.

So what has changed?

I had only one glorious day with Manong Kalimba. As we sat during a break
eating coconuts, I offered to produce a DVD of him (actually back then it
would have been a video). He declined. When I asked him why, he said he
would not want anyone using his techniques against him or figuring out ways
to counter them.

Here in America and elsewhere in the west people tend to have no idea just
how seriously secrecy is part of the culture of the Filipino Martial Arts.
In the "look at me!" culture of youtube and the vast anonymity in which
modern man so often lives, these ideas may seem quaint or deranged, but as
time goes by I begin to appreciate just how extraordinary it has been of
Top
Dog to show what he personally does in our "Real Contract Stickfighting"
series of so many years ago (1993 if I remember correctly) and to have
remained the Top Dog with so many people studying him for all these years
since then. As I have pursued my life in martial arts, I begin to
appreciate the risks I have taken by having allowed people to see a portion
of what I do-- for unlike Top Dog my way has been one not of physical
dominance, but of craftiness.

That said, as I have spent more years in the Art, I begin to understand
more
about what it takes to ensure the survival and transmission of the Art's
understandings and techniques. I see how much is being lost. The Art has
given so much to me that I have an increasing sense of having to do what I
can to contribute to its survival.

It is in this light that I worry that the current number of carriers of The
Bolo Game is too small to ensure its survival and so I now let it out. In
return, (in addition to the cost of the DVD) I ask that people respect the
work I have put into developing this distinctive body material and act in a
way that the benefit accrues to me: in other words, no copying, pirating,
ripping, teaching it in seminars or DVDs, etc. Please tell me if you see
someone doing any of this. With my blessings, use if for yourself, in your
school-- and please say where you got it.

Although the Bolo Game is a development of mine, it builds upon a Krabi
Krabong based structure that in DBMA we call "The Salty Game" because it
was
brought to us by Salty Dog-- a key addition being the understanding of how
to make the uppercut a high percentage move in the adrenal state. This
structure was then blended with the Kali triangles of the DBMA footwork
matrix and the Trident Game and certain other DBMA understandings. This
DVD
is perhaps the most nutritionally dense one I have ever put out.

What of the advantage held by the DBMA folks that now will be diluted?
Well, first of all, buying the DVD is one thing-- training it with me is
another. Furthermore, just as I developed the Bolo Game, I have developed
other additional advantages for the DBMA tribe. After all, I am the Crafty
Dog. It is what I do

The Adventure continues!
Guro Crafty

[Crafty Dog]

Due to my wife (our VP in charge of reality-- I am in charge of everything else) coming down with a nasty sinus-ear infection over the holidays, things got knocked off schedule.

The box cover is now DONE and we have the master in hand. They should be sent to the dupe house by Saturday morning.

What kind of shape the dupe house is in after the holidays? We haven't a clue :-)

My SWAG on actual deliver? Two weeks.

As always, we NEVER charge UNTIL the product has been SHIPPED.

[JRC]

Fantastic! Excited to get my copy. :)

Jed

*Edit* Hope your wife gets over the sinus infection - my wife and kids had the same thing over the holidays.

[JRC]

Guro Crafty,

Have there been any updates on the estimated release date of The Bolo Game?

Thanks!

Jed

[Crafty Dog]

Ugh.

A clusterfcuk due to , , , too complicated to be worth the telling. Cindy has been holding off sending Bolo to the dupe house so as to be able to send DLO 3 at the same time in order to get lower costs for us and DLO 3 got stalled a week while Night Owl was on a movie , , , blah blah blah.

I just got back in from three days at the SHOT Show (good times) and hope to have an update from Cindy and Night Owl tomorrow.