An Interview with:Sensei Dr. Hironori Higuchi, Dr. Amante P. Marinas, Sr., Mr. Michael D. Janich, and Dave Sustak

Informative Issue No. 164 2015

Blowgun as a Means of Sport & Martial Training

How to Make a Blowgun or Sumpit with Darts

Philippine Sport Blowgun Association (PhiSBA)

Sumpit: The Filipino Blowgun The Blow Gun - An Interview with: Dr. Hironori Higuchi Dr. Amante P. Marinas, Sr. Mr. Michael D. Janich Dave Sustak The Blowgun as a Means of Sport & Martial Training My Introduction to the Blowgun Blowgun, Martial Arts and Gender Stereotypes Passing on the Art of the Blowgun Blowgun as an Extracurricular Study to Martial Arts Possible Use as Respiratory Therapy Target Practice: Making it Fun Future of the Sumpit/Fukiya/Sarbacane Blast from the Past: Philippine Sport Blowgun Association (PhiSBA) How to Make a Blowgun or Sumpit with Darts

Each issue features practitioners of martial arts and other internal arts, other features include historical, theo-retical and technical articles; reflections, Filipino martial arts, healing arts, the culture of the Philippines and other related subjects. The authors, publisher and owner of this online magazine are not responsible for any injury, which may result from the instructions contained in this online magazine. Before embarking on any of the physical activates described in the magazine, the reader should consult his or her physician for advice regarding their individual suitability for per-forming such activity. The ideas and opinions expressed in the FMA Informative online magazine are those of the authors or instruc-tors being interviewed and are not necessarily the views of the publisher, editor or owner of the FMA Informative. The articles are the property of the author’s that wrote them and cannot be used without the permission of the author. The FMA Informative is for the promulgation and promotion of the Filipino martial arts and the Culture of the Philippines. NO issue can be printed and Sold for Monies, without the express permission of the Owner and Publisher of the FMA Informative.

Perry Gil S. Mallari - Fight Times Editor of the Manila Times on January 26, 2015 published a article called Sumpit: The Filipino Blowgun. This reminded the FMA Informative of the articles on the Blowgun that it had seen published in the FMAdigest. Contacting Dave Sustak who permitted the FMAdigest to put his article “The Blow Gun - An Interview with Sensei Dr. Hironori Higuchi, Dr. Amante P. Marinas, Sr., and Mr. Michael D. Janich.” The FMA Informa-tive got permission to reprint the article with some highlights on changes that have happened since the article was published in the FMAdigest in 2005. Dave Sustak then recommend that Restita DeJesus might be interested in contributing to this issue. The FMA Informative contacted Ms DeJesus and she was happy to contribute and she wrote some very interesting information on the blowgun. From how she got involved and became very sufficient in the use of the blowgun and continuing with her thoughts to round out her article. Ms Dejesus owns and operates a martial arts school out of Seattle, Washington. The Philippine Sport Blowgun Association (PhiSBA) was becoming a solid part of the blowgun commu-nity in 2003, but through the years has disappeared. But the FMA Informative thought to republish the FMAdi-gest article on them as a Blast from the Past. Finally The FMA Informative was talking to Marc Lawrence a good friend and a contributor in the past to the FMA Informative and of course he was happy to write a little something on his knowledge of making a blowgun with darts.

Sumpit: The Filipino Blowgun By Perry Gil S. Mallari - Fight Times Editor Manila Times - January 24, 2015

The Filipino word for blowgun is sumpit or sumpitan. Used by the natives for both hunting and warfare, the blowgun is among the Philippine weapons described in details by Antonio Pigafetta, the chronicler of Ferdinand Magellan. “Those people of Polaoan [Pala-wan] go naked as do the others: almost all of them cultivate their fields.They have blowpipes with thick wooden arrows more than one palmo long, with harpoon points, and other tipped with fishbones, and poisoned with an herb; while others are tipped with points of bamboo like harpoon and are poi-soned. At the end of the arrow they attach a little piece of softwood, instead of feathers. At the end of their blowpipes they fasten a bit of iron like a spearhead; and when they have shot all their arrows they fight with that (Pigafetta’s Account 1521 Part 2, 1898, the Shaping of Philippine History Vol. 2 no. 17, October 1998).”The spearhead attached to the blowpipe is obviously for close range fighting in the same manner that modern soldiers would use the bayonet when they have shot all their ammunitions. This type of blowgun, exactly as Pigafetta described nearly five centuries ago, still exists in Sabah, Malaysia today. I mentioned this because Sabah was once part of Mindanao and even to this day, there is an unsettled issue between the Philip-pines and Malaysia regarding the ownership of the island.Another document on pre-colonial Philippines that depicts the lethal

quality of the blowgun is the Box-er Codex. The following excerpt from the translation by Carlos Quirino and Mauro Garcia pub-lished in The Philippine Journal of Science Vol.87, reads, “In some of these islands they use some blow-guns like those in Spain which they kill birds, and with which they shoot some very small arrows with very sharp iron points through the hole of the blow-gun, and the iron ends of these arrows are full of poison or herb. If they draw blood in the wound they make, [the victim] dies although [the wound] be small.”It is the poison that made the darts shot through the blowpipe deadly. The pre-colonial Filipinos were experts in concocting a diverse variety of poisons and blowgun projectiles commonly smeared by the sap of the upas tree (scientific name: Antiaris toxicaria). The la-tex of this plant was scientifically found to contain an extremely tox-ic cardiac glycoside, a component capable of increasing the force of contraction of the muscles of the heart.The potency of this poison as well as the accuracy of the blowgun was described in the book The Former Philippines Thru Foreign Eyes By Fedor Jagor, Tomas de Comyn, Chas. Wilkes and Rudolf Virchow (1916), the authors wrote, “Among their other weapons is the sumpit, a hollow tube, through which they blow poisoned arrows. The latter are of various kinds, and those used in war are dipped in the sap of what the natives term the ‘apo.’ The effect of this poison is

almost instantaneous, and destroys life in four or five minutes. Those who have seen a wound given accidentally, describe the changes that the poison occasions as plainly perceptible in its progress. Before using the arrow, its poisoned point is dipped in lime-juice to quicken it. The range of the sumpit is from fifty to sixty yards. “The material and manner of con-struction of the Filipino blowgun was mentioned by H. Wilfrid Walker, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in his book Wanderings Among South Sea Savages And in Borneo and the Philippines (London Witherby & Co. 1909). A portion of Walker’s book reads, “Many of the Filipi-nos are very good shots with their blowpipes, and Vic possessed one. It was about nine feet in length, and possessed a sight made of a lump of wax at one end. Like the bows of the Negritos, it was made out of the trunk of a very beauti-ful fan-palm [Livistona sp.]. Two pieces of the palm-wood are hol-lowed out and then stuck together in a wonderfully clever fashion, so that the joins barely show. Vic was fairly good with it when shooting

at birds a short distance away. His ammunition consisted of round clay pellets, which he fashioned to the right size by help of a hole in a small tin plate, which he always carried with him.”The blowgun is among the easiest weapons to construct. Years back when I took deep interest in the weapon, I made a blowgun out of metal curtain rod and sharpened

common nails (heads removed) as projectiles. For my darts’ fletching, I used cigarette filters with the pa-per peeled off. It’s a perfect choice because it’s fluffy enough to create pressure in the blowpipe as air is blown into it, and attached to the dart it displays good aerodynam-ics. Without smearing poison on the darts, the only instance when you can inflict serious damage

with a blowgun is when you shoot somebody in the eyes with it.To the best of my knowledge, the only Filipino martial arts style today that employs the systemat-ic use of the blowgun is the Pa-nanandata system of Grandmaster Amante Mariñas. Mariñas is the author of Blowgun Techniques, a definitive book on all aspects of this unique ancient weapon.

The Blow Gun - An Interview with:Sensei Dr. Hironori Higuchi, Dr. Amante P. Marinas, Sr., Mr. Michael D. Janich, and Dave Sustak

Provided By: Dave Sustak, Co-Founder, National Sport Blowgun Association

Sensei Dr. Hironori Higuchi Chairman of the International Sport Fukiyado Association, of Nagaoka, Japan

Dr. Amante P. Marinas, Sr. Author of “Pananandata: Guide to Sports Blowguns”

Mr. Michael D. Janich Author of “Blowguns: The Breath of Death”

When one thinks of a Triumvirate - the leading heads of the Roman Empire - a ruling power that spanned gen-erations comes to mind. When one thinks about blowguns - three names come to mind - Higuchi, Marinas, and Janich. Because of their achievements in promoting the sport of blow gunning, worldwide, these three names are synonymous with the discipline. One often wonders how these three individuals, from diverse backgrounds, came to the forefront of this often-maligned activity. What do they think about blow gunning as a sport? What is their vision for the future of blow gunning?

Dave Sustak Co-Founder, National Sport Blowgun Association

less disciplined standpoint, than it would be as a form of the Martial Arts. Do you believe this is the cor-rect approach to take in the United States? Why or why not? Higuchi: I love the Martial Arts … all forms of the Martial Arts are actually sports. However, usually only young men get involved in the Martial Arts. I changed the name of the International organiza-tion name from the “International Sport Blowgun Association” to the “International Fukiyado Associa-tion”, by request of the JSFA, so as not to have a conflict in regis-tered terms/ the term “Fukiyado” refers to the sport in a Martial Arts sense, and new participation has declined. Japanese blowguns with the film cone darts are not danger-ous at all. It is a very safe sport. I recommend the sport for all ages, and both sexes. If you promote the sport as a Martial Art, the proj-ect will fail. There is a negative connotation to grouping the sport solely as a Martial Art, because the blowgun becomes thought of more as a weapon (although it really is, but only if the projectiles used are those capable of causing injury. The film cone darts used in Japan are very safe). There are other more powerful and accurate weap-ons that belong grouped within the Martial Arts category, but I believe that the blowgun really doesn’t fit that definition. Marinas: If it is to become accept-ed, it has to be treated as a martial arts discipline. And as such, in all shooting competitions, all compet-itors must be required to wear uni-forms with patches to identify their school/club affiliation. If shooters wear all kinds of informal get ups, blowgun shooting will not progress beyond the club level.

Janich: I think this approach is very appropriate for the American market, as long as the competition offers enough challenge and vari-ation to maintain shooter interest. Because we are so fortunate, we sometimes tend to get bored easily. By keeping the competition chal-lenging and exciting, like some of the high-end archery competition currently in vogue, I’m confident that we can get blow gunning to flourish as a sport here. Sustak: The NSBA was dis-solved in 2006, a revision of the American SBA came in for a few months, and it also dissolved in that year. The US Sport Blowgun Association took over and is still in place today. In order for the sport to gain the respect that it de-serves, and be considered serious-ly, there needs to be more structure than there is today in 2015. The current US national organization opposes this, and does not prop-erly promote that sport – so it has fallen out of favor, and is only fol-lowed by a small group of individ-uals spread out over the country, with no true central organization to pull the sport together. If this could be changed, then this sport, with proper marketing and public-ity, could take off nationally in the U.S., as well as internationally. Question: Can you offer any ex-amples of training tips and tech-nique for a beginner in the sport? What cross-training activities would be best to compliment the training needed for the sport (e.g.: swimming, jogging, weight-lifting. etc.)? Higuchi: Blow gunning really doesn’t require any cross-training activities. Mr. Morikuni Matsu-moto (holder of the World Record at both 8 and 10 meters), doesn’t

cross-train in any other sport. I am old (68) and a small stature indi-vidual, and I have scored in the “gold” level. Some strong people often quit blow gunning because they hold barrel and blow too hard, thus their darts improperly arc, and don’t hit where they are aiming for. They get frustrated, because they are “over-blowing”. The technique needed for target blow gunning is control, not power. Force can be delivered to the dart without hyper-ventilating. Marinas: Breathing exercises must be done before any shooting starts. It will improve the public’s perception of the blowgun. It will then be seen as a discipline and not just shooting a needle-like dart. If you are right-handed, place the barrel over the V” of your right hand. This way, you can use the index finger as a pointer. If you are right-handed, you do not point at things with your left hand. You must record all your shots and score them according to a certain set of standards such as the ones used by the IFA, JSFA, NSBA or the ones I have in Pananandata Guide to Sport Blowguns. If in doubt as to what point to give a shot, be generous to yourself. Have a regular shooting schedule and plan how many times you are going to shoot. If you shoot out-doors, do not curse bad weather. Do something else. If you shoot outdoors, take time to watch the birds, the bees and the butterflies - even the bugs. It will help you relax. Know the weather fore-cast for your area. The forecast will give you wind velocity. Any sport that will develop a stronger pair of lungs such as swimming, jogging, skipping rope. Are good cross-training activities? Janich: The ultimate training ac-

Hence, I included it as one aspect of Pananandata, the system that I founded. (2015 update: in 2010, Dr. Marias published a follow-up: “Blowgun Techniques: The Definitive Guide to Modern and Traditional Blowgun Techniques” Published 2010 by Tut-tle Publishing. North Claredon, VT)

Question: Mr. Janich, what influ-enced your decision to write the book, “Blowguns: The Breath of Death”, and why was that selected as the title? Janich: After developing an interest in blowguns, I started to do some research to learn more about them. Unfortunately, most of what was written consisted of isolated articles or single chapters in books. There was no one book devoted to the topic of blowguns and I thought there should be. Once I had the background knowl-edge to do the job properly, I gave it a shot. As for the title, that was my idea. Curiously, it remains one of the few Paladin Press books to have ever been published under its original working title. Question: Mr. Sustak, what influ-enced your decision to write your series of blowgun books?Sustak: Reading the books of Dr. Higuchi, Dr. Marinas, and Mr. Janich were my inspiration. As an avid researcher, I realized that there was so much more that needed to be addressed as you approach this ancient weapon as a modern sporting tool. There needed to be a quick introductory book for someone who flirts with the idea of target shooting with a blowgun in the “For Dummies” style, as well as a very serious textbook for those who want to, as I have done, become a world class competitive shooter. Now, I am in

the process of publishing using the modern blowgun as a true Martial Art weapon and finally, will have a book out on using the blowgun for survival – hunting and fishing.Question: Dr. Higuchi, have you considered having your publica-tion, “Fukiya Health Method” reprinted, and translated into English? Higuchi: The publication, “Fukiya Health Method” is more of a pam-phlet, than a book. In retrospect, I do find many passages that I’d like to make changes to … some mistakes in the description. Other areas addressed include topics on: windsurfing, riding a unicycle, mountain climbing, camping, and so forth. At that time when I wrote the pamphlet, I couldn’t find any data about the blowgun at all. That is why I decided to publish it. Question: Dr. Higuchi, how did you first become involved with Dr. Amante P. Marinas, Sr.? Higuchi: I found the book “Pa-nanandata: a Guide to the Sport Blowgun” published by United Cutlery. After reading it, I contact-ed Dr. Marinas. Question: Dr. Marinas, how did you first become involved with Sensei Dr. Hironori Higuchi of the International Sport Fukiya Associ-ation (IFA)? Marinas: I saw his website and emailed him. I was really surprised when he responded. Question: The National Sport Blowgun Association (NSBA) was founded in the United States to promote the sport of competition target blowgun shooting. They position the sport as being between “pub darts” and archery. The sport is approached from a more relaxed,

Question: How did you first be-come involved with blowgunning? Higuchi: Since I was a child, I had played with the blowgun as a toy. It is a very popular children’s toy in Japan. Marinas: The zarbatana (ancient Philippine blowgun) had always been a weapon that used poison darts. Poison is as serious as you can get. Since I have been in the martial arts for many years, it was only natural for me to make a seri-ous study of the blowgun. Janich: When I was about 13, my martial arts instructor brought a Jivaro blowgun into class and demonstrated it for us. Once I saw the tremendous power and accuracy possible with a blowgun, I was hooked. I bought my first one within a week and have been hooked ever since. Sustak: I was first introduced to the modern blowgun in the Spring of 2003. I was immediately drawn to this ancient weapon, and began extensive research on it. I found many references to its uses for hunting, some using poisons such as curare and dart-frog poisons, and some not. I found references to the modern blow-gun (or rather, I should say, to modern barrel and dart materials) used as sporting equipment, much as the bow and arrow have evolved.

Question: Dr. Higuchi, what in-fluenced your decision to write the book, “Fukiya Health Method”? Higuchi: I found that the breath-ing technique used to properly shoot the blowgun is same as one’s abdominal respiration, which is a traditional health method. Question: Dr. Marinas, what was your influence for “Pananandata: Guide to Sport Blowguns”? Marinas: I consider the blow-gun as a very effective weapon.

tivity is always the actual practice of the task. As such, constant, reg-ular practice is the key to getting good. I like to vary my practice to focus on specific aspects of my shooting game. Sometimes I’ll shoot at short ranges (15-20 feet) but using very small targets (as-pirin or Tums tablets) to develop accuracy. Other times, I’ll shoot for maximum distance or deepest penetration to develop lungpower. Supplemental breathing exercises from the martial arts or yoga also help a lot. Sustak: Cross training, as with any other sport, helps to develop over-all performance. Whatever one selects to do in addition will help improve one’s concentration and over-all well being.Question: Have you considered writing a second book about the sport, and if so, can you share some of the topics that you may cover? Higuchi: Publishing a book is very expensive in Japan. Booksellers would most likely not display this type of book as they would a best seller in Romance or Biography, so the sales would be low. I just don’t think it would be popular reading here Marinas: My 2nd book is almost finished. I have added (a) sections on how to make darts and blow-guns (2) more statistical informa-tion on shooting the blowgun (3) a more detailed discussion on aim-ing the blowgun (4) the blowguns from Ecuador (5) more physics. Janich: I would very much like to revise my original work to include

some of the things I’ve learned since I wrote it. Specifically, I’d like to address things like ad-vanced dart design; comparison of bore diameters as they relate to power and velocity, and the utility (or lack thereof) of blowgun gad-gets and attachments. Sustak: I already have two books published on blowgun target shooting, ane is an introduction to the sport for those who just want to try it out, the other is a training manual in textbook format suitable for either instructor use, or directly by the student. I have two more in the works, expecting to be ready this year (2015). The Martial Art and Hunting/Fishing with blow-guns.Question: Do you have any other comments in closing? Higuchi: I wish that participants in USA would research what type of darts are better for competition blowguns, the wire shaft VS film cone. We believe that the film cone is superior for this purpose. The Japanese don’t believe you use mouth-pieced barrels; it’s just not done here - different tech-nique. Americans should know that blowguns are not an effective hunting weapon, they are too underpowered for both penetration and range, and they are only good for sport target shooting. The IFA doesn’t have specific member-ship requirements, or charge any annual fees. Any national sport blowgun organization is welcome to join us. I send out an e-mail newsletter to the membership, keeping them aware of format) on

my web site. Anybody who sends me the correct answers, and a sam-ple handmade dart, can be an IFA instructor, with no charge. Marinas: Practice! Janich: Stay safe! Sustak: In the dozen years that I have been involved with compe-tition blowgun target shooting, I have seen the sport internationally grow, peaking about 2006. Today it is very big in Japan, where it was privatized, but has fallen again out of favor in other countries, due to a lack of national organization, and in part due to an insistence by sev-eral rather vocal individuals to not have a standardization of equip-ment and regulations. The perfect score for blowgun target shooting is 210 points. The current World record was set at 208 (non-stan-dard equipment used), 2nd is 206 points. I am still ranked 3rd inter-nationally, having shot 202 points multiple times. We have seen in the past, even Archery was banned from the Olympic Games for 40 years, because of a similar problem. I have acted as the liaison to the International Olympic Commit-tee for the International Fukiyado Association since 2005, and I have been a major advocate of standard-ization of the sport from then, to this day. Dr. Higuchi is the main individual who promotes this sport internationally, but his efforts to gain interest by relaxing regula-tion to attract people to the sport, have, in my opinion, been less than effective.

About the Participants of this Article

Dr. Hironori Higuchi“The Sport Blowgun Health Method”Authored by Dr. Hironori Higuchi, co-Chairman of the International Fuki-yado Association (IFA) and Dr. Yasumoto Hayashi. Published as part of a medical pamphlet December 15, 1995 by Bunbunshobo Co. Tokyo, Japan.

The techniques used stem from the relaxation and focus control as in Yoga, Zen meditation, and more recently, Lamaze and the pyschoprophylaxis (PPP) techniques for pre-operative and child birthing. Claimed benefits include: de-crease of stress, better digestion, increased lung capacity (due in part to better

utilization of normally “dead air” pockets), abdominal muscle and organ strengthening (due to the super-oxy-genation of the blood and “massage” of the organs from the use of the diaphragm in deep breathing), stimula-tion of the autonomic nervous system, and increased focus due to directed concentration.

Dr. Amante P. Marinas, Sr.“Pananandata: Guide to Sport Blowguns”Authored by Dr. Amante P. Marinas, Sr., co-Chairman of the IFA, and NSBA Meijin (Master), Published 1999 by United Cutlery Corp. Sevierville, TN“Blowgun Techniques: The Definitive Guide to Modern and Traditional Blowgun Techniques” Published 2010 by Tuttle Publishing. North Claredon, VT Dr. Marinas, also an accomplished Martial Artist, holds black-belts in Aikido and Shorin-Ryu. He is a former Professor of Chemical Engineering at Adamson Univer-sity in the Philippines. He is a world-renown expert in hand-to-hand combat, and has also authored several books in this area. From the perspective of a scientist, Dr. Ma-

rinas’ approach covers the ballistics, trajectory, impact force, and factors that will affect one’s aim. Other topics include targets, and keeping track of one’s progress (scoring)

Pananandata Guide to Sport Blowguns is the latest and most comprehensive guide to Blowguns, from the physics to the actual practice. Written by Pananandata Martial Arts master and founder, Mat P. Marinas, who is a former professor of chemical engineering at Adamson University and is a black belt in aikido and shorin ryu. He has authored seven books on the martial arts, is featured in six videotapes, and has written over 100 articles for martial arts magazines. As the world’s most published prac-titioner of the martial arts, he is an expert Blowgun shooter. Mat Marinas takes you through every step of the Pananandata sport blowgun art from the most basic to thoroughly explained expert skills. If your a serious Blowgun shooter this book is a must have. Amazon.com: Click Here

Blowgun Techniques: The Definitive Guide to Modern and Traditional Blowgun TechniquesBlowgun Techniques is a complete introduction to one of the world’s oldest weapons. It provides detailed explanations and instructions on all aspects of the blowgun’s use—from grips and stances, to targets and trajectories, to how to construct your own blowgun. While shooting the blowgun may seem effortless, it actually requires not only power, but also intelligence, focus and good technique. This unique combination—simplicity of design yet complexity of technique—has caused the blowgun to undergo a dramatic rise in popularity in the modern world. This popularity makes Blowgun Techniques a timely guide for hunting enthu-siasts and those interested in archery–style sports competitions.Amazon: Click Here

Michael D. Janich“Blowguns: The Breath of Death” Authored by Michael D. Janich, National Technical Advisor for the National Sport Blow-gun Association (NSBA). Published 1993 by Paladin Press, Boulder, CO. This is the book that re-introduced blowguns to the world. Janich, an accomplished Martial Artist and Master of various forms of hand-to-hand combat, was introduced to the blowgun as a weapon during a Martial Arts class in the early 1980s. “… I had become a believer in the blowgun’s potential as a serious weapon … providing the perfect vehicle for the accurate and silent delivery of a variety of projectiles in a very inexpensive package.” - M. Janich

Blowguns: The Breath of Death The blowgun is a mysterious tool of silent death. Michael Janich reveals the many secrets of its capabilities and uses: how to buy or make your own blowgun and darts (including “special” projectiles), shoot the weapon, devise custom targets and customize, maintain and store your gun. This is the best book on this fascinating and deadly device. Amazon.com: Click Here

Dave Sustak“Blowgunning For Beginners” Authored by Dave Sustak, Co-founder, National Sport Blowgun Association; ShoDai-Soke for the International Fukiyado Association. - Published November, 2007 by CafePress. Louisville, KY“Fukiyado: The Way of the Sport Blowgun” Published November, 2007 by CafePress. Louisville, KYOther blowgun books soon to be published by this author: “Sumpit Silat: The Blowgun Dance” and “Tugawesti: Hunting and Fishing with the Blowgun” 2015 by CafePress. Louisville, KY

David Sustak completed his Ed.M. as a Master Teacher, from Rutgers University in 1977. Since then, Dave has adapted what he has learned in the discipline of technological education, and applied it to other areas. Sustak Sensei is the first American to achieve both, the 7-dan, and to complete the requirements set forth as a certified instructor from the International Fukiyado Association (IFA). In April of 2011, Dr. Hironori Higuchi selected Dave as the ShoDai-Soke of the International Fukiyado Association.

Other non-blowgun related books authored by Dave Sustak:“The Ancient Art of the Sjambok” Published May, 2012 by CafePress Louisville, KY

CafePress: Click Here“Birang Silat: The Handkerchief Dance” Published January, 2013 by CafePress Louisville, KY

CafePress: Click Here

Blowgunning for Beginners - The Basics of how to shoot the blowgunLoading darts, holding the blowgun, stance, aiming, and shooting tech-niques. Storage, accessories, maintenance, as well as blowgun terminology is included. CafePress: Click Here

Fukiyado: The Way of the Sport BlowgunA guide to competition sport blowgun target shooting. Learn the history of the blowgun, the history of the sport, and proven techniques for competitive target shooting from a master of the sport, who is also an internationally certified instructor.

CafePress: Click Here

“Who says blowguns are only for boys?” The Blowgun as a Means of Sport & Martial Training

By Restita DeJesus

My Introduction to the Blowgun

I was introduced to blow-guns in the early 1970’s by a boy at a birthday party…..he had a small dried branch that was hol-low (where he got it and what tree or bush it came from, I haven’t a clue!), and he was shooting thick-er grass stems at the other kids. We thought it was fun, dodging the stems and taking turns with his makeshift “blowgun”. At the time, I thought it was the greatest upgrade to spitballs there ever was. But my Mom wasn’t so keen on the idea that I should be shooting grass at other kids and made me leave the boys to their play. So, as a 6 year old, I thought blowguns were a toy for boys. Fast forward to the early 1980’s, when a friend let me try her blowgun made from copper tubing and dough pellets for ammo. “Aren’t those for ninja dudes?” I asked. “Who says blow-guns are just for boys?” my friend replied. She showed me how to aim by keeping both eyes open (parallax aim), and after success-fully hitting my first soda can, I recalled that birthday party from years past, and was immediate-ly attracted to the blowgun once again. I got some copper tubing and couplings, made my own, and started sticking dough pellets all throughout my house. My dad thought it was cute.....my Mom, not so much, considering she was the one who had to clean up the pellets. My friend could literally stop a minute hand on a clock with a little dough ball with her blow-gun. I found this type of accuracy

amazing, so I too wanted to learn how to be that accurate. As a Karate stylist at the time, l saw the martial practice in the blowgun instead of just merely the target practice. …I was drawn to the Spartan aspect of the blowgun….no gunpowder, no sights, no arti-ficial apparatus……just you and your ability. Later on down the road, I learned about slingshots, the traditional sling, bullwhips, throwing knives and archery. Being of full Filipino ancestry and hearing stories all throughout my childhood of my great grandfather, Santiago Toledo (on my Father’s side), I sought I to learn Filipino martial arts in the early 1990’s and found that my new Kajukenbo instructor taught Arnis. Through that Kajukenbo school, I met Grandmaster Cacoy Canete and one of his top students, Master Christopher Petrill, and it really sparked my interest in learning about Filipino weapons.

When I asked my parents what they knew about Eskrima or Filipi-no weapons, my Father would de-scribe the movements that he saw the other men of his family prac-tice. My Mom would tell stories of the Negrito tribes, the Bagobo people, and other tribes throughout the Philippines that used spears, clubs and blowgun. The blowgun, or “Sumpitan”, could “bring down a monkey or large coconut tree lizard, depending on the hunter” as my mom would say. I remember how my father once demonstrated how he and his friends would shoot blowguns as youngsters, holding the tube by the mouthpieces as the tribes people did. I also remember when I was a young girl during a visit to the Philippines, my teenage cousin brought down a large palm lizard with a blowgun, finishing it off with his machete. Good meat on the flame grill! School and work took much of my time and I didn’t practice with the blowgun as much. Fast forward many years later….got back into the blowgun in 1998 after seeing one at a friend’s house. I asked if I could try it, and found that I could still hit a target. How-ever it was a new fun experience with real darts. I managed to find a 3 foot blowgun, shooting as much as I could. In 2010 I discov-ered the U.S. Blowgun Associa-tion (USBA), and competed for a Yondan (4th Dan) ranking in the organization in 2011.

Restita DeJesus practices at her studio

Blowgun, Martial Arts and Gender Stereotypes

I was always the “tomboy” sort of the girl in my youth: not afraid to play in the dirt, play with toy trucks, climb trees and of course, do martial arts. I was sometimes teased as a youngster for these things by boys, which was natural as many boys used to think that certain activities were “only for boys”. However I used to get more teasing from Fil-ipino kids, believe it or not. Because of this, I was shy a lot, however still holding confidence. It was sort of tough, being a Filipino girl who didn’t meet the “usual” standards of other girls in my neighbor-hood. “Hello Kitty” school accessories and “Family Affair” lunchboxes just wasn’t my style…. Imagine the teasing I got from kids for having a “Speed Rac-er” lunchbox! During the 1980’s the “Ninja craze” swept the nation, and kids everywhere thought that blow-guns were only a Ninja weapon, and in the opinion of many kids, “only men are ninjas”. Silly notion, isn’t it? But kids will be kids. However, why was it that such things such as martial arts or blowguns were viewed a specifically “male” sports? Even with

skilled women martial artists such as Cynthia Rothrock, Karen Shepherd, and Graciella Casillas, martial arts and its weaponry was still considered by many to be an activity best suited for men….at least in my neck of the woods. Regardless of that, I continued to practice with my homemade blowpipe and researched the blowgun’s use in cultures past and present.

Restita practices in a modified “Tate Hiza” posture

Passing on the Art of the Blowgun

I enjoy teaching people of all ages the way of the blowgun, but my greatest joy is in teaching kids. I believe that if we don’t pass on traditional sports such as blowgun, sling-shot etc, the skills could be lost in the modern world. I’ve observed that kids can learn very quickly, as they do not put as much com-petitiveness into their practice….I’ve found that kids tend to practice more for the pride is improving their skills, not necessarily to compare themselves with others. To make it fun for the kids, we do many different target activities, such as: hitting a rolling soccer ball, “quick draw” shooting (who can put a dart into the blowpipe and hit the target first), “shoot-ing gallery” with different targets at different heights, playing “Horse” (the classic basketball themed game, but with called shots instead of basketball shots), walking target shooting, and much more. We also incorporate a variation of “Hassetsu” (the Kyudo 8 steps of shooting), utilizing Kikou (breathing exercises) and cen-teredness training. Although the kids at my studio like the

idea of ranks within the USBA, they say that they like to shoot for the fun and martial arts aspect of it, not just the rank. Most importantly, the kids learn that shooting things in a controlled manner and shooting things for vandalism are two different things……the kids are urged to respect animals and property, and to never shoot their blowpipes at pets or people just for the fun of it.

Some of the blowgun practitioners at Restita’s Martial Arts Studio

Adults and kids practice together for a fun family atmosphere at Restita’s studio

The Blowgun as an Extracurricular Study to Martial Arts

The blowgun has long been a weapon for ancient peoples, and this “way of the ancients” is what initially attracted me to the blow-gun. As a martial artist who values the old traditions within my styles of practice, I find it appropriate that students of martial arts study the Sumpit (Fukiya, Sarbacane)

target. As with any target sport (shooting, archery, etc), blowgun training fosters enhanced hand-eye coordination, self-discipline, instinctive sense, and whole-body control. Taught in a safe and controlled manner, blowgun target shooting is a great sport for all ages.

for it’s historical and traditional aspects . A sense of “awareness in stillness”, much like that of the practice of Tai Chi, is one of the benefits of the practice. Just as in traditional arts such as Qigong, Kyudo, and Iaido, combining breathing with the task is just as important as hitting or cutting a

Possible Use as Respiratory Therapy

Dr. Hironori Higuchi, Founder of the International Fukiyado Association, offers free Fukiya sessions as a possible experimental therapy for respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD. Additionally, a proposal titled “Virtual Blowgun System for Breathing Movement Exercise”, written by Peichao Yu, Kazuhito Shiratori, and Jun’ichi Hoshino, suggests that a variation of blowgun types of exercises may have positive effects as a therapy for those with breathing disorders. Proposal: Click Here

Although Blowgun practice is as much a martial art, it’s always great to spice up your practice with target games. Here are a few that we’ve played at my studio. “Horse”: Just like the basketball game! Set a rectangu-lar playing area as many meters in length as you and 1 or 2 other

players agree upon, but also add some meters of width on either side of the target. Players line up. The first player announces what shot he is going to make and takes his shot. The “caller” can stand anywhere within the playing area. If he misses, he goes to the end of the

Target Practice: Making it Fun

line. (2nd player then becomes the next “caller”.) If he makes the shot, the next player must make the same shot. If the second player misses, he gets an “H,” and it is the next player’s turn to announce a shot and try to make it. Each time a player fails to make a shot that his predecessor made, he gets another

letter until someone has spelled “horse.” At that point the player is out. The other players continue play until only one player is left. “Quick Draw”: This can be played with only 2 players or with 2 teams. We play with empty water bottles hung in front of a backstop. Two players stand at the same distance shooting line, with two other players acting as referees for each target (out of the line of fire yet close enough to see the target). Players will hold 3 darts in a man-ner agreed by both players, with the blowgun held at their side (pipe end down on the floor). At a refer-ee’s command, players shoot three darts in succession as fast as they can, then kneeling down on one knee when they’re done, shouting

‘CLEAR!’. The player that is done first AND hits the target 3 times wins 3 points. However if the per-son that finishes first does not hit the target all 3 times and the other opponent does, the player that did not complete first gets .25 of a point. If playing in teams, each round of play is shot by another team member. Play continues until one person (or one team) gets to 15 points first. For longer games you can go to 30 points. “Pincushion”: This is not a game of points but rather just for target fun. The kids at my studio loved to play this! Use a foam ball or old soccer ball, roll it across the floor and see if people can hit it while it is in motion. It is best to play on a carpeted surface, and

you may make up criteria for the targeting, such as “you have to hit it while it rolls within a certain area (marked by field marker cones), or “two shots within 15 meters”…..the fun is in making up rules for the targets! “Robin Hood” Another fun target game. Put a dart with an old dart cone at the center of a standard target. See how many darts it takes to shoot a dart at the first dart’s cone.” “Blitz” Players have 1 min-ute to shoot as many darts as they can for as many points as possible. It helps to have a timer that makes an audible alarm at the one minute mark.

The Future of the Sumpit/Fukiya/Sarbacane Currently, there are clubs throughout the USA, France, Japan and the Philippines. These practitioners, although practicing for the sportive aspect, carry on a tradition that many cultures and indigenous tribes have practiced for countless generations. Without blowgun practitioners passing this

art to the younger generation, this skill could possibly be pushed to the wayside by modern cultures in a world of iPads, video games and other technology. The art of the blowgun—along with other traditional target sports—not only brings the old ways to a modern view, but also brings a wonder-

ful practice that fosters a view of the natural ways of doing things. Starting in this sport is relatively easy….many sporting goods stores and online retailers sell blowguns of different bore sizes and lengths, and the sport makes for a great family activity.

Restita DeJesus is a Seattle, Washington native. She has studied martial arts since 1978 and is the Chief In-structor of Body Movement Arts, a school that offers instruction in Kajukenbo, Wushu, Tai Chi, and Doce Pares Eskrima. Restita has been fascinated with traditional target sports ever since her first exposure to blowguns in the early 70’s. More than 30 years later, she still practices with what she likes to call “non-powder projectiles” or “traditional target sports”. Restita holds a Yondan (4th Dan) Silver Expert ranking within the United States Blowgun Association (a branch within the International Fukiyado Association). She is the founder of the North-west Sport Blowgun & Traditional Target Sports Enthusiasts (which welcomes members from the Washington/Oregon/Idaho/Montana/Wyoming/Alaska area), and Founder of the Seattle Snapdragons Bullwhip Club. She offers extracurricular lessons and seminars in Sumpit, Saltik (slingshot), Bagakay (throwing spikes), Tapon-Ta-pon (throwing knives), and Latigo (Bullwhip).Restita DeJesus can be reached at rdejesus@bodyma.com or at her studio (206) 596-7880 Facebook - NW Sport Blowgun: Click Here Web page, Seattle Snapdragons Bullwhip - About us: snapdragonswhips.webs.com Studio, Body Movement Arts: www.bodymovementarts.com

This picture was taken at PhiSBA’s official hang-out (Yoyoy’s backyard) during their first gathering on March 23, 2003. From left to right, Goy-Goy, Yoyoy, Marla, Dickie, Mai-Mai, Dakoy (crouching), Drei (in shades), Gagets, Waning.

Blast from the PastThis was about a group that was organized in the Philippines. This article was in the FMAdigest persission to use from the FMAdigest was obtained. Since this article came out, the group has dis-banded.

PhiSBA or the Philippine Sport-Blowgun Association was established in March 2003 It is based in Davao City. The founding members are: Goy-Goy, Yoyoy, Marla, Dickie, Mai-Mai, Dakoy, Drei, Gagets, and Waning. It used to be a childhood past time of blowing any projectile from a piece of hollow stick. We used projectiles such as beads, seeds and even rice; and used shafts like plastic straws and even papaya leaf stems. When I got older, the fascination for the blowgun once again inspired me to improvise and made use of 3/8 in. aluminum tube from a discarded TV antenna, and used push pins with improvised fletching. It was fun and we can hunt small prey and hit stuff at a

distance. We made contest out of it with friends. While on the Internet do-ing some research, the word blow-gun just came to my mind and I typed it on the search bar and vio-la! A whole new world opened up. And that’s when I learned that it has quite a following, especially in Japan. The equipment was great, there are even barrels that are Tef-lon coated, talk about technology! After doing some research, and gathering tons of info. I came up with my own design, or should I say version of equipment, which was basically made out of available stuff that can easily be purchased in the hardware store. I also studied the competition for-mat and rules and made a brochure out of it. The next challenge was ... will my friends take to the idea, or will they laugh at me? I invited them over one weekend after-noon, and told them that I have a new sport to introduce to them. We would become its founding members; they all came (9 people including me). As I discussed the idea and the international follow-

ing of the sport, everyone liked the idea, and started blowing away. We practiced during weekends at our backyard, which became its headquarters. I made a website after we agreed on the name (PhiSBA instead of PSBA, which was such a mouthful) so as to let people know of our exis-tence. After a couple of months of practice and several bottles of beer, we tried a friendly competition with the top three winners receiv-ing a trophy. The competition had two formats: point competition and elimination style. The activities were set-aside after about a year, due to busy schedules and I had a new job. We recently revived the idea with some new and additional members, since a TV show that features sports events and activi-ties sent us an e-mail and asked if they can feature the sport. It was to be funded by ‘NGO’, which was actually a documentary of Filipino games. We are still waiting to see if the project will come to fruition. After receiving word from USA based National Sport Blowgun As-sociation (NSBA) and the plans of the international blowgun commu-nity to bring it to the Olympics, our group members wanted to revive the sport and promote it further in the country. Currently we are reviewing the rules and methods so that we can practice, and better familiarize ourselves on updated rules and also pattern our local competitions on International rules. In fact the tar-gets that we were using are half the

Philippine Sport Blowgun Association (PhiSBA)

size of the targets that are currently in use by the International Fukiya-do Association (IFA), and we are using a format similar to that of the German sport blowgun association (Deutscher Sport Blasrohr Verein, DSBV). Future plans will be to in-vite the international community to compete with us, promote the sport through schools, and create teams, which will later become part of a National Team. The organization follows the competition rules and regula-tions set forth in the IFA format, and promotes competition blow-gun shooting, because: Blowguns have been used by our ancestors primarily as a means of survival, for hunting, as well as a weapon. In our modern times the blowgun has evolved using modern materi-als thereby improving the accuracy and range of effectiveness. All over the world a lot people have become interested in the blowgun for sports and small game hunting. In fact, in some countries, like Japan and

Practice Makes Perfect

Malaysia, sport blowgun target competition shooting is already an organized sport with a great num-ber of followers. Blowgun target shooting is a sport that anyone can play. It can

be a singular or team event, and anyone can play the sport ... young, old and even people who have dif-ferently capabilities may enjoy the sport.

How to Make a Blowgun or Sumpit with Darts By Marc Lawrence

Blow guns are used by many Native cultures, in the Phil-ippines the Dayak were known for their use of the Sumpit or blow gun in the Southern Phillippines; they employed toxic coatings to the tip like the South American Natives. The Blow guns used for hunting ran about 5-6 feet long they were small caliber about ¼-3/8 inch bore with the mouth piece carved into the butt and a spear blade mount-

ed on the tip with simple sight. The unit also doubled as spear if needed. Old time blow guns were known to be 7-8 feet. In South America they used long blow guns with a small caliber and toxic dart as well. In North American the Cherokee people used blow guns of a larger caliber ½ and were made of hollowed out river cane and used non-toxic darts and stun darts for hunting birds.

Making a blowgun is a sim-ple process today, it can be made with some very simple material found at hardware store you will need a hacksaw a piece of half-inch inside diameter PVC about 3 to 4 feet long, you will need some pipe insulation for handle you will need a water bottle of a mouthpiece. This will make up the main part of the blow gun.

Warning: Blow guns are a Paleo - weapon used for target practice, bird hunting, tranquilizing large animals by veterinarians and as weapons by Indigenous people so be careful as these can injure someone as they said in the Christmas story you can shoot your eye out! So do not be dumb-ass with this! Do not hurt yourself, you family friends or pets. Good luck, you are responsible for your own actions!

Step One - measure PVC to 4 feet long and cut off with a hacksaw.Step Two - take a piece of #80 grit sandpaper and lightly sand the ends so they are smooth, chamfer-ing the outer edges as well as just the inside of the pipe.Step Three - get a water bottle cut the top portion off and glue the top end to the end which you want to be the mouthpiece with hot glue gun. Use some tape such as masking tape or electrical tape to make the edge of the water bottle is smooth to when you put it up to your face so it will not scratch you.Step Four - mark about mid-point on the pipe, you will then mark 3 inches either side of that mark, then you will put a dab of hot glue on from the hot glue gun, quickly slide the hand grip into position and let cool. You now have a blow gun! Use the large paint ball rounds and you are California Compliant! Know the laws where you live. I understand in some country this is highly illegal and you could be jailed for having it. So now you have nice PVC one that looks very modern. OK so I am a traditionalist at heart! So here is how I make them out of one piece river cane. I go down to the river look for the straightest one I can find about 10-12 feet long, I cut it down bring it back to the house and cut it into a 5 section I use the middle. I have two methods to make a cane blow gun at this point; one is slow method I let it dry out, that takes about 2 month. . I use a ¼ inch- 3 foot steel rod to knock the inter-nal joints out, then I use section of ready -rod of rebar as rasp to hollow out and smooth the inside. Sand edges, burn designs and

finish with a varnish. The quick-ie method requires that you can make a camp fire in the backyard and heat the rebar and use it hot to knock out the joints and rasp out the inside. You can shoot it that day. Another method I have seen and repaired is the multi-joint blow gun these are made by the Dayak of. This is made out of short sections of hollowed out river cane. Joined together like cou-pling they used larger size joint section about

4-6 inches in length to go over the smaller sections. Each joint is sealed with natural gum resin glue then is wrapped to hold. The wrapping is coated with a paint to seal and hold the wrapping. Use the same methods as the other river cane and you can reproduce

PVC End

PVC blowgun grip

PVC Blowgun with 14 bottle mouth piece

Cotton ball skewer darts with metal tips

Cottonball skewer darts

Coupling joint on Blowgun

Full length Dayak multi-joint blowgun

Dayak mouth piece

Dayak blow gun full length

PVC blow gun full length

this yourself. So now you need darts if you wish shoot at targets, be advised that in many states this is illegal but not on Native American reservations. To make skewer darts you will need cotton balls thread and bamboo skewers and pencil sharpener.Step One - use one cotton ball tear in half the long-ways,Step Two - cut the skewer to 7 inches in length.Step Three - sharpen the skewer and then poke it through the cot-ton ball and slide the cotton up to a bout ¼ of an inch from the back end.Step Four - Use a clove hitch knot to secure the thread and wrap it 10 times around counter clockwise, then start with the basket weave wrap around cinch, you will al-ternate high, low high alternating while wrapping each time and pulling the cotton ball up tight so that it will make an air tight fight. Finish with a cinch know and fin-ish it with 2 ½ hitches knot.Step Five - metal tips made in a long tapered cone fashioned from thin sheet metal simply lay out the pattern and cut out with tin snips or old heavy duty scissors. Roll the thin metal around the end of the skewer to shape. Use small indent like from small nail to hold the shape and put s small crimp on the end. Paper cone darts- half sheet method, you will need a half sheet of paper, use a bamboo skewer about 6 inches in length, use the skewer to roll the cone starting from the end left side by the corner and roll inward until you have large cone. Take the dart and tape it with small piece toward the cone

wrapped to the dart body and have enough hair to make air tight seal and still be able to slide in the tube of the blow gun. The hair bundle has to quite long like 3-inches to make a plume that seals the tube.

Dayak blow gun multi-joint

to hold it. Now put the dart in you blow gun, mark with sharp pencil. Take the dart out and cut with scis-sors. Right at or just a hair above the line. Now slide your bamboo skewer down so the cone is at the back end and tape in place. Now you have paper cone dart. Traditional darts using long wispy hair ma-terial like squirrel hair or synthetic hair requires it be Cone dart

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