Martial Arts Of The World - Webs

though it stings and is useful for punishing restrained persons, the whip is
not adequate for combat. Heavier and more flexible than the whip, the
chain (la cadena) requires the right timing for adequate striking. The
stingray tail is usually about a yard long or more. After sun drying, the
stingray tail gets hard and leathery and has sharp spiky edges that tear. The
stingray tail is considered suitable for crowd control.
The projectile weapons (inihagis ng armas) in category nine cover
slingshot (tirador), throwing knives (kutsilyong panghagis), darts (palasong),
blowgun (buguhan), archery (pana), and firearms (putok). The Filipino
martial arts do have prescribed ways to use these weapons. For example,
in Doce Pares Eskrima, single-edged knives are thrown by the blade,
while double-edged knives are thrown by the handle.
Category ten includes not only the bow and arrow, but also firearms
for modern times. Archery is the martial art of the Negritos, but those reclusive
tribes stay in the mountains. In cities, firearms are more suitable, especially
in civil wars. The restrictive Philippine laws on gun ownership can be
circumvented by ingenuity. Hence, revolvers are handmade by “blacksmiths”
to chamber 5.56 mm NATO bullets that Filipino soldiers carry in
M16 Armalites. Ammunition is not available for pistols and revolvers (except
.38 caliber), so soldiers are bribed with cigarettes for carbine bullets.
The distance weapons (agwat armas) in category eleven include spear
(bangkaw) and staff (tungkod, sibat) fighting techniques. Bangkaw means
the pointed mast of an outrigger boat (bangka). The masts of the longboats
are used as spears after landing. In the pre-Spanish period, Malay villages
called barangays were settled by longboat people.
In category twelve, Dos Manos (Spanish; two hands) refers to twohanded
stick and sword methods. Tapado is a long-stick fighting method
using a 44-inch stick. In San Miguel Eskrima, a 50-inch stick simulates
samurai swords or Spanish sabers. Also, two-handed techniques can be executed
with a panabas (also lantip or tabas), which is a farm tool with a
short blade and a long handle for cutting sugarcane. The kampilan is a single-edged
long sword from Mindanao that is suitable for Dos Manos
moves. Single-edged Kampilans differ from the medieval European longswords
(the hand-and-a-half Bastard swords), which are double-edged.
Not many styles, methods, or systems cover these twelve categories.
Some have only a few, and others focus on alternative techniques, emphasizing
other skills. For example, the skill category can instead include healing
arts and metaphysics. Healing arts and metaphysics are a “higher understanding”
of the Filipino martial traditions. Healing arts are linked to
the FMA, but are not integrated with training methods as they are in the
Chinese martial arts. The former include massage or chiropractic (hilot,
kiropraktika), herbalism, and faith healing. Hence, Rosita M. Lim is a
Philippines 431