Page 39 - Martial Science Magazine February 2018 dig

WICE A YEAR, I GET TO DO A
BABAO-ARNIS SEMINAR IN LAS
TVEGAS HOSTED BY JUSTIN
CATALDI OF CREATIVE WARRIOR
ACADEMY. BABAO-ARNIS SYSTEM WAS
FOUNDED BY MY PARENTS, MY LATE
FATHER GM NARRIE BABAO AND GM
ZENA BABAO WHICH IS COMPRISED OF
THREE SYSTEMS: BATANGAS BASTON,
CACOY DOCE PARES AND VILLABRILLE
KALI. EVERY FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS (FMA)
SYSTEM HAVE SOMETHING IS COMMON IN
THAT THEY MOST TRAIN WITH VARIOUS
WEAPONS THAT BECOME THE EXTENSION OF
THEIR HANDS AND FOR BEGINNERS IS
COMMONLY CALLED THE BASTON OR
ESKRIMA STICK.

The first weapons mostly taught is the single rattan stick
or cane along with basic numbering system. Someone
who trains in Eskrima is called an Eskrimador or train in
Arnis is Arnisdor but under Batangas Baston, the praction-
er are known as “bastoneros” as my mom told me. Batangas
Baston or Batangas Arnis is the art that was passed down
from my grandfather Buenaventura

“Turing” Babao to my father Narciso Requina Babao or GM
Narrie Babao. The single stick or single baston is the weapon
system that we teach under the Babao-Arnis curriculum before
we even start teaching empty hands. The stick or baston is very
abundant in the Philippines and training can also emulate the
sword depending how one strikes with the weapon. We tell the
students to strike with fore knuckles for proper striking. The av-
erage length vary depending on system but in our system it would
be length from armpit to the tip of middle finger or between 26-29
inches low. When we train Arnis/Kali, prefer heavier rattan stick
with skin still intact and when we train Cacoy Doce Pares we prefer
light stick which called olisi. Other terms one would here for baston
are garrote, olisi or yantok defending in the region of the Philippines.

After the students become familiar with using the baston for striking
and defending then they start to use the same striking and defending
techniques going empty hands or “mano-mano.” The movements of
the weapons is often known as the extension of the hands. Our second
weapon system is mano-mano or “kuntao” which can be translated way
of the fist. Our kuntao system has it’s origins from one of my father late
instructor, GM Ben Largusa and also from Juan Locoste. Besides using
empty hands and fist fighting known as Panantukan, we also teach the art
of kicking called Sikaran which comes from the root word Sikad.