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School Philosophy
Hanuman Martial
Arts is a combination of the martial arts from my life and training
experience. The fundamental core style I teach is Bahala’Na Escrima.
I augment this core art with concepts, techniques, and training from
MMA, Pencak Silat, Muay Thai kickboxing, and other martial arts from
around the world. I root the training in modern real-life self
defense but I always look to the past and historical warriors to
fully understand and appreciate the martial arts I teach and
practice.
My school is named for Hanuman
the white-furred monkey who appears in many legends and stories of
south-east Asia. He is most famous for helping Rama to find and
rescue his wife Sita from the demon-lord Ravanna in the story called
the Ramayana. Hanuman is usually shown holding a “Gada” (cudgel,
club) in his right hand and a mountain in the left. Hanuman is known
as the quintessential warrior and the “patron” of stick-fighters,
wrestlers, and engineers. His most famous attributes are his
mischievousness, sense of humor, his devotion to friends and family,
and his prowess as a warrior.
Hanuman embodies the qualities
that I personally strive to achieve and hope to instill in my
students.
My
Background
My love affair with martial
arts began over 40 years ago and continues today.
I began my formal martial arts
training in the late 1980’s under Guru Rennie Saunders at the New
River Academy studying Pencak Silat Mande Muda. This is an
Indonesian martial art was created by Pendekar Uyuh Suwanda,
expanded world-wide by his son Pendekar Herman Suwanda. Upon their
passing, the art is continued by Guru-Besar Rita Suwanda. This
martial system is best described as self-defense oriented and one of
the pre-eminent very close, in-your-face combat styles. A typical
technique from this style deflects an incoming attack, “traps” or
tangles the attack, breaks some bone or strikes a sensitive pressure
point, then trips or throws the assailant to the ground, and
incapacitates the attacker lying at your feet. While training with
Guru Saunders and Pendekar Herman Suwanda, I achieved assistant
teacher status. Though no longer my primary style, I continue to
practice the art and the martial arts I teach is heavily influenced
by this style.
In the late 1990’s, I watched
the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) which introduced me
to the new world of Mixed Martial Arts. This modern art incorporates
the concepts and techniques from punching and kicking arts, throwing
arts, wrestling and grappling arts, and submission techniques of all
kinds. Fortuitously at that time, I also met Coach Brian Burns who
had begun to teach Mixed Martial Arts. I became a student of Coach
Burns and over the years I have achieved assistant teacher status at
his gym. The effectiveness of this fighting style is continually
demonstrated during the UFC televised events. This fighting style is
the “yard stick” upon which I measure the effectiveness and
practicality of all the martial arts and techniques I practice and
teach.
To augment my martial arts
repertoire, I began to study Bahala’Na Arnis Escrima with Guro David
Hines in the late 1980’s. I immediately fell in love with this
martial art and it now forms the basic core of the martial arts I
teach.
This martial art is a weapons
based art created by Grand Master Emeritus Leo Giron. GME Giron was
taught traditional Filipino martial arts by his father, relatives,
and family friends from the time he was old enough to pick up an
escrima stick until he moved to California by himself at the tender
age of 14. In his new home, GME Giron continued his study of escrima
with masters and teachers he met in the area of Stockton,
California, known as Little Manila. When World War 2 broke out, GME
Giron joined the US Army and was assigned to the 2nd Filipino
Infantry Regiment and later to the famous 978th Signal Group and The
Allied Intelligence Bureau (also known as the “Eyes and Ears of
Macarthur”). As part of this commando group, GME Giron was dropped
behind enemy lines in the Philippines and spent over 1 ½ years
sending information back to the Allies, disrupting enemy activities,
and generally helping to lay the groundwork for the re-taking of the
Philippines by the Allies. This is the crucible through which GME
Giron truly forged his fighting style. For his actions during this
time, GME Giron was presented with The Bronze Star Medal, The
Philippine Liberation Ribbon, The Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal,
The American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and
received a letter of commendation ordered by the President of the
United States of America.
Upon returning to California
after WW2, GME Giron entered back into civilian life and worked as a
Stockton crop picker for many years. In 1966 on the east coast, a
depraved individual tortured and killed several nurses with a knife
during a home invasion crime. Most of these nurses were young
Filipina. This hideous crime spurred GME Giron to start teaching his
escrima to members of his community so that they could protect
themselves. He also felt it was very important for his community to
be proud of and practice their Filipino heritage and martial arts.
He took all his life experiences and his escrima skills and
organized them into the system we know today as Bahala’Na Arnis
Escrima. This is where GME Giron’s genius truly shined.
The name Bahala’Na came from
the battle cry motto of his unit during WW2 and may be generally
translated to mean “Come What May”. Since his passing at the age of
almost 93, GME Giron Bahala’Na legacy is continued by Grand Master
Tony Somera. Under GM Somera direction the Bahala’Na Arnis Escrima
family now extends internationally boasting many excellent escrima
schools in US and around the world.
I graduated from the Bahala’Na
Arnis Escrima system in October 2004, achieving the title Escrimador.
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