Widely practiced but little understood, the Filipino martial arts have a rich history and distinctive character that until now, has not been fully documented. Written in the context of Philippine history and culture, Filipino Martial Culture uncovers the esoteric components of the Filiino martial arts and the life-histories of the men who perpetuate them. Incuded are: the history of turbulence and ar inthe Philippines form prehsitoric times to the present daiy; the cultuere of the filipino martial arts, including the warrior ethos and worldview, spiritualitiy, folklore, and weaponry; biographical sketches of eighteen Filipino masters and descriptions of their respective fighting styles; and a comparative study of the ethos, ideology, and development of the Filipion martial arts in relation to the considerable martial traditions of India, China, and Japan.

In the course of his research, internationalliy renowned martial arts master and scholar Mark V. Wiley traveled the globe, interviewing top masters and recording their life histories, thoughts, and anecdotes. In addition, he collected 320 historical photographs and illustrations, including step-by-step sequences of the masters demonstrating the distinctive techniques of their particular martial styles. Certain to become a classic reference for practitioners and researchers alike, Filipino Martial Culture has set a new standard for martial arts writings.

Contents

Foreword by Michael Maliszewski, Ph.D.
Author's preface
Part one General introduction
1 Background investigation
Introduction
Review of literature
Research methods
Spelling and name designations
Part Two Historical perspective
2 The prehistoric era
An island and its people
Early inhabitants
The legend of ten Datus
The introduction of Islam
3 The Colonial period
On the shores of Mactan
A Spanish colony
The cry for fredom
4 the Twentieth cCentruy
American intervention
Philippine insurrection
World War II and after
Reemergence of a warrior's art
Part Three Community, culutre, and artifacts
5 Ethos and worldview of the Filipino warrior
introduction
Dimensions of the physical arts
Spiritual/religious ideology
Psychological framework
6 Structure, rites, and symbols
Introduction
Social structure, status, and titles
Sacred time and space
Rites of passage, liminality, and communitas
Rites of initiation and status elevation
Symbols, metaphirs, and meaning
7 Folk performance, festivity, and celebration
Introduction
Martial folk festival
Martial folk drama
Martial folk dance
8 Typology of weaons
Intorduction
Origin and classification of Filipino weaons-Slash and thrust weapons; Impact weapons; Flexible wapons; Projectile weaons; Protectants
Wapons as cultural artifacts
Part Four Contemporary masters and marital arts introduction
9 Herminio Binas (Binas dynamic arnis)
10 Angel Cabales (Cabales Serrada Escrima)
11 Carlos Escorpizo (Arnis Escorpizo)
12 Ramiro Estalilla (Rigonan-Estalilla Kabaroan)
13 Ray Galang (Hagibis)
14 Meliton Geronimo (Sikaran)
15 Leo Giron (Giron Arnis/Escrima)
16 Antoinio Ilustrisimo (Kali Ilustrisimo)
17 Carlito Lanada (Kuntaw Lima-Lima)
18 Porferio Lanada (Arnis Lanada)
19 Benjamin Luna Lema (Lightning scientific arnis)
20 Amante Marinas (Pananandata Marinas)
21 Christopher Ricketts (Sagasa)
22 Edgar Sulite (Lameco Eskrima)
23 Bobby Taboada (Balintawak Arnis Cuentada)
24 Sam Tendencia (Tendencia Arnis-Hilt)
25 Raymond Tobosa (Tobosa Kali-Escrima)
26 Florendo visitacion (Vee Arnis Jitsu)
Part Five Summary and conclusion
27 The classification and ethos of Filipino martial traditions
Introduction
Classification of Filipino martial arts
The 'ancient' system
The 'classical' system
The 'modern' system
Ethos of Filipino martial culture
Appendixes
1 Generic terms for the Filipino art of weaponry
2 Styles of Filipino fighting techniques
3 Name classifications of Filipino martial arts
4 Systems of Filipon martial arts
References cited
Glossary
Bibliography
Index

A detailed scholarly account of the Filipino martial culture including histories, interviews, and insights into the cultural significance of weapons, talismans, and martial arts. It was entertaining and insightful. I recommend this to anyone involved in Filipino martial arts. ( )