How long we have to train???

"A typical busy weekend"

Rizal Park (Luneta), Manila
12 March 2006

(by Manong)

Time is of the essence because it is infinite. Your question, "How long we have to train?" ....... is something that determines one's ability to assimilate of what has been taught. There is a saying that, "Training make things perfect" so inorder to attain such fete one must not see time not just an element of measurement but the quality of how you manage the element of time.

So, the next time you train, do it in the performance level otherwise whatever you do during those period of training is nothing but a garbage of trash!!! This is what made the PHILMAT great. They are not just an ordinary arnisador neither a super hero. They are the product of painstakingly and meticulously trained arnisador to interpret the real practice that they have bound to present from what have been the product of years of research by the mother organization - NARAPHIL.

Yes, this is a typical weekend activity of the Maharlikans. They are a group of dedicated professionals and businessmen who until to this date never cease to amuse me. They are very busy during their week days in their offices and businesses and still find time to share their expertise for the love of the art without any material compensation! So, young turks get whatever knowledge and time you spent with them because I can assure you they are worth knowing it. This is your legacy!!!

I salute you Maharlikans and hope that you can do more for them and country! We are already in another chapter of our lives and I'm very much honored that I'm still a part of that legacy you are promoting. My services is still and will always be available at your disposal though I'm a thousand miles away. I can always walk tall with head high and proud to say .............. I'm a Maharlikan!

Keep on training young turks because these Maharlikans provide their services for free. The truth is you can never pay their professional fees if you wanted it to be. They have a motto, "Every Filipino has the right to learn his arnis for FREE!". They are doing these because ........ this is your legacy!!!

Senior instructor Zaldie Franco is known among his peers as the "helicopter" arnisador. Why?? It is because he can twirl his cane much faster than anyone else and even more exciting is the long pole around his body and anywhere else like a "bastoneer" and hear the sound of the motion like a whistling rotor of the chopper.

A seaman by profession (a Chief Engineer actually), he never cease to come and help his comrades in sharing his skills and knowledge to the young turks. Like Prof. Luz Arroyo, Capt. Sarte, Cmdt. Martinada, Ms. Ana Tuangco, Mike, Rey and Alex dela Cruz they have family to attend to but their dedication is what made a lot of difference. Maharlikans they say ............ truly they are!!!

The span of generation

Patience young turks!!! I say again, "Practice, practice and practice!". Waste not time spent with these masters of the art because they are few like them. There is no substitute in learning skills but constant practice. Monotonous they say??? Well it's only in the mind of a critic but not a dedicated arnisador!

They have a lot more to share if only you develop that virtue of patience and wisdom. Four decades of assimilated knowledge is not just a hundred pages of books or manuscript but volumes to share. They have undergone training on five NARAPHIL Grandmasters some of which have passed away. The greatest knowledge of which they learned probably is how to love the art and live in the way they are taught they should be ............ "the way of arnis"!


As one of my greatest teacher (Anacleto Rous) in arnis would say, "Learn to respect arnis, for it is the legacy we are respecting and the very symbol of which is ........... the stick!" How we treat it .......... reflects our own personality and our nation as well.

Truly I understood now what he meant by it! Most arnisadores doesn't understand the way in giving due respect to our stick. They just pick it up whatever and whenever they want it! Or the worst scenario which I saw even in a video footage .............. they just throw it away like an ordinary thing or even kick it if it gets in their way! What the heck!!!!!!!!!! Is this how they treat our legacy???

"Learn to respect arnis ....... for it is our legacy that we are respecting! The symbol of which is the stick that we play with".
by Prof. Anacleto Rous