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Schema interviewsLearn Eskrima and maybe you'll be more like Jason Bourne
One of the hits of the summer has been The Bourne Ultimatum starring Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. The fight sequences leave you blinking your eyes with a "daaaamn!"under your breath. All that loose-fist fighting Matt Damon shows off is courtesy of his extensive training in boxing, the use of weapons, and Eskrima.
ESKRIMA? Yeah, it's not exactly one of those martial arts that many have heard of. Eskrima (or Escrima) refers to the Filipino weapons-based (stick and sword) martial arts--the term comes from the Spanish word esgrima "to skirmish or engage in combat". It's also known as Arnis or Arnis de Mano in the Philippines; and Pekiti-Tirsia Kali (Kali) or FMA (Filipino Martial Arts) in the US and Europe.
Eskrimadors fight interchangeably with weapons and empty hands--with strikes, grappling, throwing, and biting thrown in to the mix. Historically when the Spanish colonists arrived in the Philippines, the local tribes hid the art of Eskrima by practicing it in their dancing--much like the history of Capoeira. Later, it was considered taboo to teach Eskrima outside of the Filipino community until the 1960s when trainers of Filippino-descent such as Dan Inosanto (a former pupil of Bruce Lee) began teaching it in California.
MORE ON THE HISTORY OF ESKIRMA (with pics): www.warriorseskrima.com.
Modern masters of Eskrima include:
* Max Sarmiento
* Angel Cabales
* Dan Inosanto
* Leo Gaje
* Mike Inay
* Ernesto Presas
* Remy Presas
* Max Sarmiento
* Jimmy Tacosa
* Jeffrey Elliott
* San Tendencia
* Dentoy Revillar
* Gilbert Tenio
* Leo Giron
* Narrie Babao
* Richard Bustillo.
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Comments
One of the reasons the Bourne series is so cool, is the martial arts! Low-glam but hyper-effective. OK, I admit, I've watched the fight scenes on DVD a million times. There's always a sense of "what was that?" after Bourne pounds his opponent in a blink. Awesome post, Tami!
Posted by: Alden | August 14, 2007 7:20 AM