Unique Stick Fighting

Unique Stick Fighting is Heyrosa Cebu

The Tiger Clan of Clugston Combat Systems is proud to bring you a little new information in the realm of stick fighting:

Cebu is known as the center for Eskrima (stick fighting) of the Philippines.  There are several reasons for this: 1) Most of the groups of Eskrima/Arnis/Kali that are widely known were spawned directly or indirectly from Cebu 2) Cebu has a unique history as  an area that was targeted not only by the Muslim Pirates from the South but by the Chinese Pirates from the North–so the people of Cebu had to fight often  3) Stick fighting in Cebu became an art unto itself that was taken beyond just using it as a stand in for a blade (and really anyone using a stick thinking it is a sword needs to use real swords–get over to that and away from the sticks as any good European bladesman will tell you).

Now the reality is that much of the F.M.A. (Filipino Martial Arts) is still rather clannish (other than those crass commercialized ventures which are all pretty much outside of the Philippines).  This means that the politics involved in the Philippines amounts to crabs in a bucket pulling each other down–it’s hard for one to admit that another one’s doing well.  In the midst of this there are some groups that continue to develop stick fighting–they don’t rest on ideas that were created long ago.  In the West this has been done by the Dog Brothers who took an idea to prove their (heavily PTK influenced) style against others and innovate. Mainly on the outside and then how to close and go to grappling–they do not fight close with a stick (not in the sense of Heyrosa close–but that’s a whole other article to explain that)

In Cebu there is a group known as Heyrosa Cebu that has a direct connection to Ancino Bacon (a leading force in creating many Eskrima systems).  They have continued to refine and adapt to a very urban form of stick fighting.  It is safe to say that no one moves the stick faster and can fight in such a close space as they can (if you don’t believe it you are welcome to take a trip to Cebu).

Heyrosa Cebu was featured in two documentaries (I have mentioned that before–look at other blog posts).

I am including just a glimpse at one small part of training here on the video.  This is an art that has no pattern and no number system.  They don’t use pads and do controlled sparring every single day.