Southeast Asian Martial Arts in the Philippines With Antonio Graceffo!

Antonio Graceffo takes you to the Philippines in this martial arts travel-video supplement for his Destinations column, appearing in Black Belt magazine. Graceffo explores a variety of martial arts styles and gives an overview of the fighting and training scene in this island nation. Included are his experiences training in arnis, kuntaw, yaw yan and hybrid yaw yan. "There's probably like 300 different [martial] arts in the Philippines," Antonio Graceffo says in the video below. "On top of that, you've got 7,000 islands to explore and everyone of has their own masters, their own styles."

Your Filipino martial arts training starts with this FREE download!
Escrima Sticks 101: Julius Melegrito’s Practical Primer on the
Fighting Arts of the Philippines

Antonio Graceffo's adventure in the Philippines "on an island called Palawan," he says, "where I was training with Dennis Santos. He was teaching me arnis, which is probably the most common martial art in the Philippines and the one that most people associate with the Philippines. At the same time I was also boxing with the amateur boxing team on the island. So between the gym and the boxing and [the] arnis I was able to train three times a day and it was costing me almost nothing." Eventually, Graceffo moved on to other arts such as kuntaw, taught to him by Frank Ayocho in Manila. "Kuntaw is a martial arts you may or may not be familiar with," Graceffo says, "but what I like about kuntaw is that it's got everything. It's got sticks, it's got knives--which you expect in Filipino arts--but it's also got grappling, it's got striking, it's got kicking and it's just an all-encompassing martial art, which is what I tend to like."

SOUTHEAST ASIAN MARTIAL ARTS VIDEO | Antonio Graceffo's Southeast Asian Martial Arts "Warrior Odyssey" Continues in the Philippines

Antonio Graceffo is a freelance writer currently based in Asia. His book, Warrior Odyssey: The Travels of a Martial Artist Through Asia, is Graceffo's record of where culture, communication and martial arts meet during his decade-long travels through nine countries including Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines. Join Antonio Graceffo for a trip around the world in these exciting martial arts travelogue videos:
SUBSCRIBE TO BLACKBELT MAGAZINE TODAY!
Don't miss a single issue of the world largest magazine of martial arts.

Queen of All Moves

https://www.madrills.com/products/jkd-for-black-belts-attack-strategies

Do you want to maximize your self defense skills? Learn the game of combat chess and most importantly the queen of all moves.

Allow me to intercept those who would object to the title of this article. I'm not claiming that there's a secret move, shortcut or hack that will give you the edge in any fight. Even if there was an ultimate weapon or strategy, you likely would avoid it because you
Keep Reading Show less
jeet kune do

5 of the most common martial arts injuries

www.atkinsoncommonnewburyport.org

Whether your martial art has you rolling on the ground and grappling, striking and sparring, or working with weapons (hopefully the unsharpened variety!), there are five common types of injuries martial artists tend to see. It is nearly impossible to avoid all injuries, but there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of injury that everyone who practices any martial art should be aware of.

Stress Fractures

One of the most common martial arts injuries, stress fractures occur when bones are struck with repetitive force -- think checking kicks in muay thai, or repeatedly hitting a heavy bag with inadequate wrist support. Stress fractures are also very common in runners' feet and legs, so if you've recently upped your cardio to get in better shape for your art, be on the lookout!

Keep Reading Show less
injuries

Creed Heavy Bag Gloves from Century Martial Arts - Product Review

A good pair of gloves is like a dollop of whipped cream on a cake slice—it just makes everything better! Whereas a bad pair of gloves can make your training session feel uncomfortable and awkward, a great pair can make you feel like you could beat Mike Tyson (or at least stay alive in a fight with him for a few seconds). One training session with gloves on either end of the spectrum will quickly make you appreciate the importance of quality equipment.

What to Expect from Creed

In this case, you can definitely expect good quality whipped crea—er, gloves. Made of genuine leather, Creed Heavy Bag Gloves are built to last. After wearing them for many weeks filled with numerous rounds of heavy bag training, the gloves still feel great!

The Creed Heavy Bag Gloves provide a comfortable and protective balance of padding in the appropriate areas. This ensures that they keep their shape well, cover your fist well in the areas that hit the target and ensure the satisfying smack of solid impact rather than the crack of a rolled wrist.

Keep Reading Show less
product review

UFC 250 - Fast Paced Fight Card is Promising for Fans

UFC 250 Poster Featuring Main Card with Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer

UFC 250 Fan Poster by Tracie Ching

The UFC 250 main card set for Saturday night will feature five fights in lighter weight divisions that won't disappoint fight fans. The match ups are guaranteed to be fast paced and heavy hitting with three bantamweight matches and the highly anticipated women's featherweight title fight between Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer.

Reigning champ Amanda Nunes will be center stage at the UFC Apex arena once again Saturday night to defend her women's featherweight title against her challenger Felicia Spencer.

Keep Reading Show less
mma
Don’t miss a thing Subscribe to Our Newsletter