Defensor Method defined

February 1, 2014 9:27 pm

By Perry Gil S. Mallari, FIGHT Times Editor

Guro Nate Defensor (left) demonstrates a defense against a knife attack.

Veteran Filipino martial arts (FMA) teacher Nate Defensor is in a position to offer a
unique perspective on the growth of kali, escrima and arnis having experienced
learning and teaching these arts in its country of origin and in America. In an
interview with FIGHT Times, Defensor talks about the uniqueness of his Defensor
Method, the common thread among Southeast Asian fighting systems, the growth of
the FMA in the United States and the potential of the Internet in teaching martial
arts.
FIGHT Times: Please tell us about your life journey; how did you start in the martial
arts?
Nate Defensor: I grew up in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Philippines with five
brothers. My father saw to it that all the five boys learn boxing, so he bought boxing
gloves and our backyard, at times, became a fight club for our neighbors, cousins
and classmates after school hours and on some Saturdays.

Defensors student Michael Querubin (right) practices an empty hand drill

against a female practitioner.
My eldest brother Dennis started learning Okinawan karate and Shotokan karate
under JKA (Japan Karate Association) affiliate All Philippine Karate Federation under
Mike Vazquez. He passed on some of the rudimentary basics of Shorin-Ryu and
eventually all the other brothers besides the youngest one, became members of All
Philippine Karate Federation in Bacolod City. Head instructor Mike Vazquez also
taught baston to his students. He eventually incorporated Tapado, the long stick
style from Negros, in his system in later years. Within the family, I learned from my
uncle, a World War 2 veteran, Herson Ramos, Ilongo Style of baston.

Defensor (center, standing) with his students during an FMA gathering. PHOTOS
COURTESY OF NATE DEFENSOR

When we migrated to Chicago, Illinois in 1972 I joined and practiced with several
martial arts schools in Chicagoland. Through the years, I got exposed to and learned
other martial arts systems of karate, kung fu, judo, Chinese internal martial arts,
Degerberg Blend, muay thai, Modern Arnis, Serrada Escrima, Inayan Eskrima, PekitiTirsia, Balintawak, Doce Pares, Inosanto Blend, Tobosa-Villabrille System of Kali,
Pusaka-Dwipantara Pencak-Silat, Jalur-Putih Pentjak-Silat, Kuntao, etc. Under the
Filipino Martial Arts (FMA), I got permissions and certifications from Grand Tuhon Leo
T. Gaje of Pekiti-Tirsia, Master Raymund Tobosa of Tobosa-Villabrille system of Kali,
and an apprentice instructor under Guro Dan Inosanto.
FT: You are teaching a unique style, which is heavily influenced by Southeast Asian
martial arts, can you explain to us the connection between kali and silat in terms of
movement dynamics, philosophy, geography and history?

ND: In 1984, I formed a Club and started incorporating the knowledge into what is
now the Defensor Method of Filipino-Indonesian Martial Arts.
In terms of movement of kali and silat, similarities abound. In Tobosa-Villabrille Kali,
there are several ranges (12) of weapons and empty hand deployment. In PentjakSilats Harimau System, albeit adept in stand-up fighting, ground fighting is their
bread and butter. The cross step or the sempok/dempok is the same in both kali and
silat. The djurus (also spelled jurus, djuroes), pentjak-silat version of forms is akin to
FMAs sayaw, anyos, and seguidas. A djuru can have many interpretations or can
have a common theme. A seguida can also have a common theme like solo baston
or single stick patterns that isolates certain angles or positions. Movement-wise,
one can easily tie them together in most cases. Commonalities exist in drills;
example is sambut or sambutan, which is similar or akin to sumbrada in kaliescrima. It is a form of counter for counter. Silats concepts of buah and bunga is
similar to escrimas countering drills as in lock and block in serrada,
numerado/numerada in kali, lock flow in dumog/buno, batalyas in Moro-Moro and
pakgang/grouping as practiced in Balintawak. Within these drills in both kali and
silat, similar principles are highly emphasized.
In terms of philosophy this depends on the style, village, and era. Generally, some
of the core philosophies display similarities regardless of what period it came from.
Meaning, this is a warrior art, a combat art, and a martial art. When attacked, it is
instinctive to fight back and defend ones self, family, village, island, and country.
In silat for example, it is common to exchange ideas or showcase ones silat
proficiency by doing a demo at a community gathering. Silat is also showcased in
some rituals as in weddings and festivals.
Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje Jr. of Pekiti-Tirsia expresses his philosophy eloquently by
stating he values life over death. Respect is key, if one practices kali and if one
becomes skilful, then one learns to respect the blade. Mutual respect thus exists
amongst those who carry the blade.
The concept of defanging the snake, more popular in FMA is a philosophy that
emphasizes destroying the limbs thus eliminating the threat. In silat, a somewhat
reverse psychology exists where movements are done to preserve the body. For
example, punching in an uppercut/big knuckles facing the targets are highly
emphasized to avoid breaking ones knuckle. Plus deployment of punching as a tool
is taught with proper body mechanics to maximize body torque. This makes the

punching blows effective and less changes of knuckles breaking and thus preserves
ones bones for hopefully another day to live and save their knuckles from getting
destroyed.
One difference between the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Okinawan varieties of
martial arts versus the Southeast Asian arts of silat and kali is that of the spiritual
environment. The Chinese arts have the Wu-Dang and the Shaolin deeply
entrenched in its philosophies. The Japanese with its Samurai codes, Shintoism,
Buddhism and the Korean and Okinawan with its Chinese influences.
Silat and kali in the past were village-based and/or familial-based arts taught and
proliferated locally amongst its practitioners. Not to go deeply into details, the
Southeast Asian varieties of kali and silat does not have a Shaolin Temple equivalent
or a Samurai code. Thus the spiritual environment is different. The Filipinos with the
anting-anting, agimat, orasyon and other practices is a form of spirituality. The
silat/pentjak-silat connection is more Muslim/Mohameddan in majority of Indonesia,
Mindanao and Malaysia with some Hindu spiritual influences in Bali.
In terms of geography, silat/pentjak-silat spread into parts of Indonesia, Malaysia,
Singapore, Thailand, and parts of Philippines in the beginning. The same with kaliescrima-arnis. The kali taught by Grandmaster Floro Villabrille came from island of
Samar and the kali-escrima taught by GM Juanito LaCoste came from Mindanao and
Visayas, although among Stockton Filipinos, he was more known by referring to his
art as escrima according to some Stockton instructors.
Not to get into a debate over names, regionally, kali-escrima-arnis basically
cultivated or experienced growth and development initially in the Philippines. Heavy
migration of Filipinos to Hawaii and California resulted in more popular spread of
FMA in these areas.
But thanks to Remy Presas, Leo Gaje, Dan Inosanto, Bobby Toboada, Angel Cabales,
Mike Inay and many more pioneers. FMA has spread worldwide.
Prior to the late author/martial artist Donn Draeger, silat had a small following
compared to nowadays. Pioneers like Pandekar Suryadi Jafri, Heman Suwanda, Rudy
Terlinden, Pandekar/Agung Paul de Thouars, Victor de Thoaurs, Bapak Willem de
Thouars, and many others help build silats popularity. Now both silat and kali are
taught worldwide. The Internet boom has widely contributed to this rapid spread of
these martial arts.

FT: Besides training your students in an actual school, you also offer online lesson,
how effective is this method of teaching in your opinion?
ND: The online lessons, as evidenced by YouTube viewers, can be an eye opener.
One can get real creative with the online approach these days. I do have students
who learn online, practice among themselves and successfully tested for the
material being offered in Defensor Method. Case in point Mexico. We have
produced 16 individuals in Mexico that are able to teach the Defensor Method Level
1 curriculum and in the process of finishing Level 2 material. With the online
approach, it is a little bit of a challenge since one is relying on video and audio. It is
akin to watching film versus actually playing a game in sports. But the combination
of online lessons and good training partners can be effective for some folks. But
overall, in my opinion the combination of online lessons with hands on lessons can
be quite an effective tool for learning.
FT: The FMA has experienced tremendous growth in America; do you see the United
States as the second home of arnis, escrima and kali?
ND: Yes. I do not know how many practitioners in America vs. the Philippines, or the
world for that matter. But there is definite growth. Recent movies, TV shows, many
articles, and groups/individuals showcasing FMA has contributed to this growth.
Nowhere is it near the growth proportion of mixed martial arts or even the more
popular ones like muay thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, or krav maga. FMA is
experiencing some growth and America is starting to like the Filipino flavor.
FT: Youve been teaching for quite some time, in your opinion what is a good martial
arts teacher?
ND: In my own humble opinion, a good teacher is one that can communicate well.
Teaching is a skill. It involves communication, proficiency level, understanding, and
a lot of encouragement. If one can combine skill, communication, and influence;
that is golden. But let me also point out that the best coaches in any sport do not
have to be in the prime of their life. So in martial arts, an older person can be a
good teacher, albeit diminished skills. Teaching is an art. You can verbally, visually,
and guide the body/mind in many ways. Perhaps the best answer is the best teacher
is the one available at the moment. One can learn from anybody, generally as in
life. But consensus will show that a good combination of good qualities, good
material, good communication, good rapport, good standards of excellence, good

location, good lineage, good demeanor, good credentials, good reputation are all
recipes for success in this business of teaching martial arts.

Reference: Manila Times: http://www.manilatimes.net/influence-of-religion-onfma/65056/

The way of Abenir Kalis

November 9, 2013 8:20 pm
By PERRY GIL S. MALLARI
FIGHT TIMES EDITOR

Maestro Fernando Bong Abenir CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Maestro Fernando Bong Abenir is among the most dynamic teachers of Filipino
Martial Arts (FMA) in the country today. He describes the current system he teaches
as a synthesis of the various martial arts he has studied through the years. Abenir
sits down with FIGHT Times to reveal his philosophy as a teacher and the salient
features of his fighting art.
FIGHT Times: Youve trained in a number of martial arts for so many years; can
you tell us a brief account of your martial arts career?
Fernando Abenir: I started training although informally with my father when I was
around eight or nine years old. He was teaching me some of the basics of kuntao,
which he learned while working as an overseas worker in Saudi Arabia. I also
learned a few things about knife fighting and street fighting from a man called
Inyong who was a street fighter that survived a lot of knife attacks.
I have been fortunate enough to train with some of the most well known masters in
escrima such as Pedro Reyes and Master Tony Diego. These people are all from Kalis
Ilustrisimo and I have learned a lot from them especially with Pedro Reyes who was
the very first among the group to teach me the rudiments and principles of the art.
He was also responsible for introducing me to Tatang [the late escrima Grand
Master Antonio Illustrisimo] and to have trained with him for some time before he
passed away. It was also through Pete [Pedro Reyes] that I was introduced to Master

Tony Diego. It was my hunger for more knowledge that led me to these people and
seeks instruction from them.
Although I wouldnt claim to have studied with all of them that long except for Pete
with whom I have studied for at least four years since 1996, and with Master Tony
(in his gym at Binondo or his Sunday sessions at the Luneta Park) from whom I got
my certification to teach Kalis Ilustrisimo.
Then I was also a personal student of Mohamad Hadimulyo from 1997 to 2000
whom I fondly call Pahadi.I spent a lot of afternoons with him at his quarters in the
Philippine Sports Commission and at the Philsilat gym where I was taught Nusantara
pencak silat and other silat forms before he went back in Indonesia. Pahadi
concentrated more on teaching me the self-defense aspect of the art. He taught me
the techniques of knife fighting and more of the intricate locking and striking
techniques of his art together with its jurus [forms] and his personal philosophies.
He then introduced me to his top student Bapak Oong Maryono, a three time
undefeated world champion in pencak silat ohlaraga [sport silat] who taught me a
lot about the fighting applications of the art in sport and street fighting. Sadly both
of them have already passed away. Master Oong died just recently.
I also had Orlando Lapuz as my chief instructor in Yaw-Yan (Sayaw ng Kamatayan)
He taught me this fighting system developed by Master Napoleon Fernandez. He
was also my instructor in muay thai when he first introduced it here way back in
1994.
I also learned from several of the most respected personalities in full contact sport
here in the country among them is Francis Pisa, a former national player in pencak
silat who now resides in Australia. He once entered the Universal Reality Combat
Championship and won. He was dubbed as one of the fastest to have ended the
fight during that night. He was also the back-to-back champion in U.S. and in Europe
in full contact sport. I learned how to really move fast and apply the leg catching
techniques of silat from him.
And last but not least, I also would like to give credit to John Baylon Sensei. Even
with just a few months of having me as a student, he gave me a lot of insights and
taught me real skills in the grappling aspect of judo. He is a phenomenon in the
history of Philippine judo being a consistent gold medalist in the South East Asian
Games.

FT: Who do you think is your most influential teacher and how he influenced you as
a martial artist and a man?
FA: I have to give credit to Pendekar Mohamad Hadimulyo of Nusantara pencak silat
and Master Tony Diego of Kalis Ilustrisimo. Both of them have given me so much
knowledge in how to apply the combative aspects, principles and philosophies of
the martial arts. It has also greatly influenced me as to how I impart this knowledge
to my students. From Master Mohamad I learned a lot about patience and diligence
through the practice of jurus. Everything has to be precise or near perfect before we
move on to another lesson.
With Master Tony, I learned so much about humility and giving respects to our
elders even if they have said something against you just as long as they dont go
beyond the limit of physically hurting you. They are the most influential teachers in
my life as a martial artist and as a person.
FT: What is your teaching philosophy and how would you describe the martial arts
curriculum youre teaching today?
The Abenir Kalis System is primarily a blade-based martial art, which derives the
bulk of its techniques and fighting principles from Kalis Ilustrisimo, Yaw-Yan, other
FMA styles and Pencak Silat. I have combined these systems in order to come up
with my own training system and also added techniques and strategies I discovered
effective during live sparring. Most of the techniques that were effective during a
full sparring session without protective gear were thoroughly observed whether
their efficiency was replicated many times.
I believe that during a fight wherein everything is sudden and happening so fast,
you may not have time to think but instead must rely on your quick reaction to any
attack or situation you are in. Our empty hand fighting system could be applied
anytime regardless of the practitioners skill level.
The weapons progression is used in conjunction with the empty hand training
progression of the system in order for the practitioner to get a complete education
in the variables possible with the major techniques and tactics employed in FMA.
The major characteristic of Abenir Kalis is efficiency. It is a very pragmatic and
practical. It does not waste time with unnecessary movements but instead goes
right through the heart of the problem when dealing with an adversary. We make

sure that the practitioner is able to fight or defend himself even with just a few
sessions of training in our system.
It does not mean achieving mastery of the skills and techniques of the system in
such a short period of time but rather the skill and confidence to handle a street
encounter. What we are after is for a student to learn to fight first and then work on
the finer points of the art later. That is why we do a lot of dynamic drills during the
first sessions and help the student analyze the different strategies and tactics that
could be employed during a street fight. It does not matter much how well you
execute the techniques during a fight as long as it scores or hits the target. People
are not concerned on how beautiful you employ your techniques but rather who is
left standing after the encounter. After learning these things, only then comes the
formal training for the purpose of mastery of the system.
FT: What are your thoughts on traditional martial arts and Mixed martial arts?
Some people are traditionalist by heart while others are more into combat sport
where practical techniques are employed full contact under certain rules and
regulations. I find nothing wrong with choosing either paths or embracing both. Its
really up to the person to know what he or she wants. Personally, I practice both.
FT: What are your current projects and future goals?
I would be hosting a Filipino Martial Arts event on November 23, 2013 in Don Bosco
Technical College in Mandaluyong where different FMA systems and styles would be
given an opportunity to do demonstrations and conduct free lectures to young
students. We are also planning to continue our arnis tournaments next year. My
future goal is to give seminars and training here and abroad and to be able to help
in educating the younger generation here in our country on the richness and beauty
of our martial traditions and culture.

Reference: Manila Times: http://www.manilatimes.net/the-way-of-abenirkalis/51736/

The Estrella technique of Eskrima
March 15, 2014 10:49 pm
By Maestro Fernando Abenir Contributor

The techniques shown here are derived from Filipino sword-based arts. This
technique is called estrella, which is the Spanish word for star. It is a defense
maneuver, which resembles the asterisk or a star hence the name.
Photo 1 shows both eskrimadors in a ready position. Photo 2 shows the eskrimador
on the left starting to swing his stick to attack the other person. Photo 3 shows the
defender quickly delivering
an upward thrust. Photo 4 shows the execution of the
technique called estrella cerrada. Photo 5 shows an upward strike seen in Photo 4.
Then finally, Photo 6 shows a downward strike called bagsak.

Reference: Manila Times: http://www.manilatimes.net/the-estrella-technique-ofeskrima/82820/

Influence of religion on FMA
January 4, 2014 7:10 pm
By Perry Gil S. Mallari
Religion and spirituality played an important role in the development of the Filipino
martial arts (FMA). Just like in other martial cultures, religion helps the Filipino
warrior deal with the issue of his eventual demise. In pre-colonial Philippine society,
when marauders, enemy tribesmen and foreign invaders were constant threats, a
warrior has to be at peace with the fact that he could die in battle any day.

In between invasions, Filipino fighting men during peaceful times preoccupy

themselves with the brutal sport of arnis-escrima stick fighting. Practitioners
entering the deadly contest of juego todo (all-out stick fighting matches without the
aid of armor) also have to deal with the issue of death. For the men involved in
these deadly arts, religion offers the promise of protection, invincibility or in the
case of death in combat, a pleasant passage to the afterlife.

The Philippines was influenced by many religions through the centuries but two
namely indigenous beliefs and Catholicismleft a lingering mark on the FMA. This is
particularly evident in the esoteric practice of acquiring anting-anting (an object
possessing magical powers) and oracion (magical prayers), a skill highly esteemed
by some traditional arnisadores.

The late FMA scholar Pedro Reyes wrote on how arnisadores managed to weave the
two faiths together, In many cases, the changes were not too traumatic. For
example, the arnisadores simply moved the great days of initiation into the
oraciones of the Moon Goddess to the days of the Lent and to All Souls Day. As for
the celebration of the Earth GodChristmas became one of them, leaving only the
summer initiations without Christian equivalents. Incidentally, arnisadores prefer to
offer themselves to the Goddess. A traditional practice, for example, is to drill
during the nights of the moon to seek the favor, protection and strength of the
Great Mother (Echoing the Energys Equation, Rapid Journal Vol.3 No. 2).

Many kind of powers were supposed to be derived from the used of anting-anting
and oracion among them are the ability to be impervious against blade and bullets,
the ability to become invisible as well as the capability to heal. In this particular
account from the book The Former Philippines thru Foreign Eyes by Fedor Jagor,
Tomas de Comyn, Chas Wilkes and Rudolf Virchow, an anting-anting provided extraordinary courage and strength to its owner, Superstition is rife.

Besides the little church images of the Virgin, which every Filipina wears by a string
round the neck, many also have heathen amulets, of which I had an opportunity of
examining one that had been taken from a very daring criminal. It consisted of a
small ounce flask, stuffed full of vegetable root fibres, which appeared to have been
fried in oil. This flask, which is prepared by the heathen tribes, is accredited with the
virtue of making its owner strong and courageous. The capture of this individual was
very difficult; but, as soon as the little flask was taken from him, he gave up all
resistance, and allowed himself to be bound.

It is also interesting to note that in the Philippines, the practice of testing the
potency of an anting-anting or oracion was done during Good Fridays, one of the
most sacred days in the Christian calendar. Owners of anting-antings and oraciones
during this occasion perform the blood curdling act of having parts of their body
hacked with sharp bolos or having a gun with live ammunitions fired at them at
point blank range.

The practice of naming arnis-escrima systems and techniques after saints and
deities is also a clear indication of the influence of indigenous beliefs and
Catholicism on the FMA. The San Miguel System of Eskrima founded by
Grandmaster Filemon Momoy Caete of the famed Doce Pares group was named
after San Miguel or Saint Michael the Archangel. The arnis strike Tagang San
Miguel, an outside downward diagonal strike, described in the very first published
book on arnis Mga Karunungan sa Larong Arnis by Placido Yambao and
Buenaventura Mirafuente was also named after the sword-wielding captain of the
heavenly hosts.

Bahala na, a Filipino philosophical-spiritual concept often used in FMA circles

traces its etymology to the word Bathala, the name of the supreme deity of the
ancient Filipinos. Bahala na came from Bathala na, which means Let God. Then
and now, when a Filipino fighter utter Bahala na, before plunging himself into the
heat of battle, it simply means he is entrusting his fate into the hands of God.

The teachings of Catholicism in the Philippines were passed on from one generation
through the next through preserved archives. In sharp contrast, there is a dearth of
written documents on ancient Filipino religions except those written by foreign
scholars. The reason for this is because much of these historical accounts were
transferred orally hence lost through the passing of time.

Pertaining to the oral traditions of pre-colonial Filipinos, a part of The Philippine

Islands, 14931898 Volume XXI, 1624, edited and annotated by Emma Helen Blair
and James Alexander Robertson, reads, Their whole religion was based on those
songs, and they were passed on from generation to generation, and were sung in
their feasts and most solemn assemblies.

Reference: Manila Times: http://www.manilatimes.net/influence-of-religion-onfma/65056/