Informative Issue No. 19 2012

Majapai Derobio Escrima

Grandmaster Daniel Medina

Derobio Escrima a Very Deadly and Colorful Past The Basics Striking Blocking

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At the young age of 17, Grandmaster Medina joined the U.S. Navy and set out to see the world. Dan’s military career spanned 22 years and offered him the excitement and knowledge he longed for. During that time he was able to circle the globe 2 ½ times and took every opportunity to explore different countries and cultures. It was early in Dan Medina’s military career that he was introduced to the world of martial arts. During his tour of duty in the Philippines, Dan Medina studied Karate under

Master Reynaldo Gingco in Olongapo City and joined the Black Masters Sphinx Karate Clan of the Philippines. After achieving his black belt, he

went on to study Escrima and Kali. In the 70’s and 80’s learning Dan Medina

also added to his knowledge and skills: Arnis 63 Generals, Largo Mano, Arnis Kun-

tao, and the Ocho System; just to name a few. All these systems have their own histories, and

that should be another article for the future. After returning to the United States, Medina continued his Escrima training under the

watchful eyes of famous Grandmaster Narrie Babao, the first full contact weapons champion of the U.S. Four years later, Dan Medina was transferred to Hawaii and as luck would have it, Grandmaster Babao sent the eager student with a recommendation to train with the Great Grandmaster Braulio Pedoy. The direct lineage of Derobio Escrima continues thru Master Medina. Dan Medina has also had the honor of learning from the best and is proud to name Masters Ricardo Mendoza, Manny M. de Leon, Phillip Pabalinas and Shihan Ray Barrera as just a few of his illustrious teachers.

Dan Medina getting ready to fight, coached by Grandmaster Babao

www.majapai.com

Front Row: Punong Guru Ricardo Mendoza and Shihan Manny M. de Leon

Photo Courtesy of: John F Ptak

Striking and Defense Photos By: Stephanie Medina Assisting in Striking and Blocking Photos: Michael Medina

Derobio Escrima a Very Deadly and Colorful Past Derobio Escrima has a very deadly and colorful past. Many have lost their lives challenging this fighting style. The art as I learned it came from the Island of Leyte and was the fighting style of the infamous General/Papa Faus-tino Ablin. The legendary leader of the Pulahan movement who fought against Spain during the Spanish American war that ended in 1898 and the Filipino American war. The resistance in Ormoc Leyte ended with the wounding and cap-ture of General Ablin in June 1907

according to the US War Depart-ment records. According to Great Grandmaster Pedoy, Ablin was able to escape his capture and was actually living the life of a hermit when they met. This style was passed on to Great Grandmaster Brauilio Tomada Pedoy deep in the jungles of Ormoc. Great Grand-master Pedoy has his own very colorful history. Pedoy’s graduation from his studies with Ablin included surviving a life or death fight with his teacher using live blades. Great Grandmaster Pedoy proudly displayed the 3 scars from that encounter; one scar was at the base

of his chin, the second across the bridge of his nose right between the eyes and the last on top of his right hand. Luckily none of these battle-wounds were life threatening, or the General would have put him out of his misery per the pact they made. If any serious wounds were to occur to either of them, the other would have to perform the coup de grace. Later, the young Pedoy was told to leave and go from Island to Island and seek out other teachers for a con-tinued education. Though there are conflicting dates in the time

line between Great Grandmaster Pedoy and General Ablin, one has to take into consideration the time period in this part of the world in the early 1900’s and late 1800’s. People born in these villages and mountains kept no records. You just lived your life. When Great Grandmaster Pedoy emigrated from the Philippines to the US he used an old friend’s seaman papers. Pedoy entered the U.S. under the name of Escotor, which he used until after WWII when he applied to use his real name. So the dates I take with a grain of salt; and after so many years, hell I sometimes forget how old I am.

(There comes a time later on in a person’s life when you just stop counting). Going back to his travels, Great Grandmaster Pedoy had the privilege to be hired as a body guard to the famous Moro leader Datu Piang. This happened after Great Grandmaster Pedoy defeated the Dutus body guard who hap-pened to be accosting the village people. After the fight, the people wanted blood. “Kill him!” they

shouted. Great Grandmaster Pedoy simply threw his weapon down and returned “You want him dead; you’ll have to do it.” It must have been quite a battle because while under his tutelage he often told me “You don’t want to fight a Moro on

The Basics First Majapai Derobio Escrima is a unique system of Fili-pino martial arts that goes with the flow of your opponents attacks. It likes to get behind the attackers energy or force. The system will absorb and redirect the energy given it. Derobio is not exclu-sively a passing system; Derobio also incorporates force to force or ala contra as we call it. Here

Great Grandmaster Pedoy

Example #1: Angle number one goes thru the left collar bone and out the lower right rib cage; right leg forward.

Striking

the beach or sand. They fight like a whirl wind, their foot-work shoot-ing sand into your face”. My background before I made the Derobio journey, in-cluded learning Sphinx Karate, Arnis 63 Generals, Largo Mano, Arnis Kuntao, and the Ocho Sys-tem; just to name a few. All these systems have their own histories, and that should be another article for the future. But let me say this: The Sphinx system as taught to me by Punong Guro Ricardo Mendoza gave me the constant change of direction-which again was rein-forced by my meeting the Famous Detours brothers. The credit for my speed and accuracy has to be givin to the first U.S. full contact weapons fight-ing champion Grandmaster Narrie Babao (Arnis Batangas/Kuntao and Doce Pares) for his persistence on excellence.

Datu Piang

we can block force to force and redirect to a passing response, or counter directly. This can be very confusing and unpredictable to an antagonist. This also allows you to redirect your opponent’s strengths and energy to your advantage. This is what we call Sagang Sa Gawas and Sagang Sa Sulud (inside out-side fighting), now before I go too far I would like to introduce you to our basic angles of attack.

Majapai Derobio Escrima is a unique system of Filipino Martial Arts that goes with the flow of your opponent’s attacks getting behind the attackers energy or force. The system will absorb and redirect the energy given it leveling the playing field for a smaller or weaker practitioner. Derobio is not exclusively a passing system however; it also incorporates force to force or ala contra as we call it. With more options available, we can block force to force and redirect to a passing response, or counter directly. This can be very confusing and unpredictable to an antagonist. Being able to draw from these seemingly opposition-al techniques allows you to redirect your opponent’s strengths and energy to your advantage. This is what we call Sagang Sa Gawas and Sagang Sa Sulud (inside- outside fighting).I would like to introduce you to our basic angles of attack.

System of attacks and counter-attacks

Of great importance is that we treat all strikes as if they were being done with a cutting weapon. You have impact and draw thru. We do not stop at point of impact but rather treat each strike like you’re going thru your intended target at point A and out at point B. All this is done with alternating foot work utilizing both the male and female triangle.

General/Papa Faustino Ablin

Example #12: With angle number twelve you are hitting or cutting thru the crown of the head and trying to come out the belly; right leg for-ward.

Any and all of these strikes or cuts can be passed or stopped ala contra. You need to have the ability to do both i.e. Yin and Yang.

Example #11: Angle number eleven travels thru the right side of the neck; left leg forward.

Example #10: Angle ten travels thru the left side of the opponent’s neck with a horizontal strike; right leg forward.

Example #9: Angle number nine strikes from low left and travel up-ward to the right. Again, your target is the right leg but missing would guarantee a hit to the groin area or lower abdominal region; left leg forward.

Example #8: With angle number eight you stay right leg forward (as in angle 7), you pull the arm back and perform a sweeping upward cut coming in from low right and traveling up thru the left leg behind the knee cap. If you miss you will hit the groin area or lower abdominal regions. As you deliver your blow, you are picking up your right leg (to avoid hitting your own leg with your strike) and shuffling forward.

Example #7: Angle number seven is a thrust palm down the heart or the left brachial plexus tie in part of the shoulder left leg forward (Now on any of these thrusts if you hit any other areas i.e. solar plexus, groin, eyes are they good of course they are, a hit is a hit.) right leg forward.

Example #6: Angle number six is also a thrust palm up to the right lung or brachial plexus tie in part of the shoulder; left leg forward.

Example#5: Angle number five is a palm up thrust to the mid-section of the torso right bellow the belly button; right leg forward.

Example #4: Angle number four goes thru the left hip or elbow and out the left side of the body; left leg forward.

Example #3: Angle number three goes thru the left hip or elbow and out the right side of the body; right leg forward.

Example #2: Angle number two goes thru the right collar bone and out the lower left rib cage; left leg forward.New students will often ask “Why the collar bone and not the head”? The answer is simple; if you swing at the head and the intended target ducks you will miss. But by swinging at the collar bone if you duck, I can still hit you in the collar bone or worse yet; you just put your head where the collar bone had just been. You just put your head in the path of my weapon.

As for blocking you can use mirror movements to stop the blow/cuts being delivered with a force to force action and from time to time these methods are em-ployed. However, the majority of our defense is going with the flow or force as this lets us use the at-tacker’s strength/size against them. Think of the little nerd getting picked on by the big bully who tries to throw a huge punch and the little nerd simply steps out of the way and the bully ends up on the ground… that’s the same prin-cipal. Many other systems have something similar, but this is our primary; utilizing force to force as a secondary. This allows Majapai practitioners to do what you can do, but you will have a hard time doing what we do. The main foundation and of great importance is foot work.

Principals of movement

As can be seen from the pictures when we defend our goal is to be behind the force. Now that’s not to say we don’t do force to force we do. But in this short article we will be primarily be focusing on passing.

How you are able to maneuver around, inside and outside your opponent determines who is con-trolling the outcome. Of greatest importance is the triangle and Circle. Great Grandmaster Pedoy always said “the secret is, never break the circle or triangle; NEVER cross your feet”. The constant uses of directional change as you go from inside your opponent to the out-side or as you spin around them using the minimal amount of movement can be very disorientat-ing. These movements and directional changes are done at a very close proximity and within the “personal space bubble” fur-ther confusing the attacker. This also gives you the time to take advantage of the situation. This constant change of direction from

inside to outside, and vice versa outside to inside this is then cou-pled with the use of nerve strikes, joint manipulations, sweeps, throws, and locks. Our goal is to give our opponent the feeling of being caught in a Hurricane or Tornado and totally out of control.

Blocking

In angle number 1 we step forward with our left leg as the weapon engages the incoming strike (target is the hand) followed by a check this can be very jarring. When you are done checking you should be ending in what I call the hammer back position. (Basically the weapon is loaded and ready to let loose, this applies to all your defenses) This of course is followed by your counters whether hitting or disarming.

Angle 2 you are stepping forward with the right foot as you sweep the strike up and over to your left this time the check can go to one of two places either the weapon hand or the opponents other hand this is very jarring in if done right it can cause your opponent to lose his breath (A standing lung compression)

Angle 3 here you hit the weapon or hand down then step forward with the left followed by the checking hand.

Angle 4 again hit the strike down then step so you don’t walk into the strike. (The check is done at the same time as the strike is deflected)

Angle 5 as you step forward with your left leg, you make a downward striking circle followed by your check again your weapon ends up loaded behind your right ear.

Angle 6 step forward with your right leg as you sweep your weapon point up across your body right to left.

Angle 7 step forward left leg again sweeping your weapon this time left to right.

Angle 8 this is tricky all the strikes have been coming right and left now you have a strike that is coming at you from the same side as the last strike which can really throw you off. Here you will strike down the weapon at the same time lifting your left leg again you will end up in the hammer back position without losing ground.

Grandmaster Dan and Stephanie Medina

Angle 11 almost like angle 2 again you must duck low as again angling out is not possible.

Angle 12 this is the easiest just like angle 1.

2 Attackers Defending - Angle 2www.majapai.com

Angle 10 almost like angle 1 but this time you will need to duck really low as you will not be able to angle out.

Angle 9 hit the weapon down as before stepping with the right leg right to left.

This is just the tip of the ice berg for the Majapai system which is based on, but not exclusively Derobio Escrima. In Mahapai, I have taken the already deadly martial art of Derobio escrima and added my experience with other martial arts to create “a whole new animal” (The words of Richard Bustillo) making it a more formi-dable force to reckon with. Please check out more on line: www.majapai.com or see our videos on YouTube.

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