The fighter is also a pastor

October 19, 2013 9:17 pm

By PERRY GIL S. MALLARI
FIGHT TIMES EDITOR

Raysaldo Biagtan as a muay thai fighter. PHOTO COURTESY OF RAYSALDO

BIAGTAN

A seasoned fighter and trainer, Raysaldo Biagtan is a native of Malabago,

Mangaldan, Pangasinan. He won a muay thai championship in South Korea in 2001
and the Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) Dutdutan in Baguio in
2009. He is also a guro of cinco teros (literally five strikes), an old style of arnisescrima endemic in Northern Luzon particularly in the province of Pangasinan.
Biagtan is the creator of Biagtan Martial Arts, a synthesis of muay thai, cinco teros
arnis and dumog (Filipino wrestling). He reveals that in his native dialect biagtan
means our life. Noting its significance, he said: Its very appropriate because I am
espousing martial arts as a way of life. In an interview with FIGHT Times, Biagtan
reveals his philosophy and training secrets as a fighter and a trainer.
FIGHT Times: Besides being a professional martial artist, you are also an
Evangelical pastor; how do you reconcile these two contrasting aspects of your life?
Raysaldo Biagtan: In martial arts we have the so-called inner power and we must
exercise meditation to develop this, and the outside power is done through physical

training. In doing these, you must employ the dynamic discipline, which is found
and flows from your inner self. As an Evangelical pastor you meditate through the
Word of God, open you heart, let it manifest in you and preach through your action
so that you preach the Word powerfully to the people. Martial art is for physicalmind and body, being a pastor is spiritualheart and soul. Reconciling these two
are simply a way of life, as we live in physical and spiritual. In Team Biagtan my
young trainers and fighters are trained both being a worshiper of God (spiritual) and
servant for people (spiritual/physical fitness).
FT: You are a champion fighter and also one of the most sought-after trainers in the
national and regional mixed martial arts (MMA) circuit; who among your students do
you think has the qualities to make it big, say, fight in the Ultimate Fighting
Championship?
RB: Rolando Gabriel Dy, the son of the world boxing legend, Rolando Badboy from
Dadiangas Navarette, Pacific Xtreme Combat (PXC) fighter who holds a record of
three wins and, beaten the No.1 featherweight of Guam Kyle The Boom Reyes.
Rolando got the fighting spirit of his father, when hurt in battle you must knock him
out or else he will knock you out. He is talented and potential to be one of the
biggest fighters in the Philippines and in the world, like his father.
FT: What is your philosophy in training fighters?
RB: Discipline is the number one tool in training, spiritual discipline and physical
discipline. Spiritual is God first, second is the physical life, as Christian we always
put God first in our life. We let the steering wheel of our life be controlled by Jesus,
so physical principles would be more effective as guided by the Holy Spirit. As a
fighter, we always focus on building up stamina and resistance, by applying speed,
power and strategy, if your stamina is poor even if you are the most technical
fighter in the world, you cant beat the fighter with high cardio capacity. Round 1 will
not always be yours when you are a knock out artist by using your one punch KO or
submission by using your strength, you must consider the ability of your opponent,
especially his stamina. Most MMA fighters today focus on grappling and what Ive
heard is theyre developing stamina by grappling long hours and do sprints for 20 to
30 seconds. And so during actual fights, stand-up fighting is their nightmare when
their opponent possessed high degree of stamina. Rolando Dy prepared for his PXC
39 fight against Kyle Aguon by doing long runs plus sprints before his tiring circuit
training, which is composed of shadow boxing for five minutes, five rounds of bag
work (five minutes per round), five rounds of pad training (five minutes per round),

five rounds of sparring (five minutes per round), plus five rounds of ground and
pound drills (five minutes per round). These are his daily training programs in
addition to his ground game in the evening. In our team, we punish fighters during
training, as two martial arts quotes say: Train hard and fight easy, train like a
champion and fight like a champion.
FT: You are also a noted teacher of Filipino martial arts (FMA), which is a weaponsbased system; how do you think FMA training can complement MMA and other
martial arts?
RB: In FMA, we consider polishing our skill in speed and timing especially edged
weapon based arts like my system Biagtan Cinco Teros. In actual fight, especially
the real thing when an attacker got a bladed weapon, long or short, react
explosively and do not let the weapon of your opponent hits you. Because if he cut
you or stabbed you, you will be either seriously wounded or dead. If that happened,
you can no longer bring back the moment that you are still complete. So in MMA or
muay thai, improve your speed and timing with devastating and explosive execution
of techniques with the legs, the body and the head of your opponent as your
targets.
FT: What are your thoughts on traditional martial arts and MMA?
RB: Traditional martial arts like FMA and muay thai would always bring life, selfdiscipline, honor, fame, wealth and health, so with MMA. It goes beyond the urge of
combat sport people to make a name. There are many hopeful fighters today
especially here in the Philippines; most of them are now in big MMA promotions and
making names. The biggest and pioneer of pro MMA event in the Philippines is
URCC. Ten years after, it paved the way for foreign MMA leagues like the PXC and
King Of the Cage to penetrate Philippine market. Now, along with URCC, ONE FC,
Asias biggest MMA promotion is now here. Every Pinoy fighters now have a chance
to showcase their skills in the world with these big promotions. Its a big help for us.
We must erase the crab mentality among us, let us help each other for the
betterment of each one, being negative will not make us famous and wealthya
quote in the Bible says, What you sow is what your reap. Renew our mind, our
heart, submit to the principles of the Almighty. Peace and God bless us all.

Reference: Manila Times: http://www.manilatimes.net/the-fighter-is-also-apastor/46109

MACABEBES as WARRIORS and MERCENARIES
July 5, 2014 8:56 pm
By PERRY GIL S. MALLARI
FIGHT TIMES EDITOR

Macabebe Scouts PHOTO PUBLISHED IN HARPERS WEEKLY, DECEMBER 23,

1899
While it is not highlighted in Philippine history, the first Filipino martyr for freedom
was a Kapampangan, a Macabebe in particular. When Spanish forces under the
leadership of Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi landed on the shores of Manila in June
1571, the Tagalog chiefs namely Rajah Matanda, Lakan Dula and Rajah Soliman
welcomed them. When Legazpi sent out word to the chiefs of the surrounding
country demanding that they too pay allegiance to the king of Spain, it was a
Macabebe who raised a fist of defiance against the invaders.

The late National Artist for Literature, Nick Joaquin, in his book Manila, My Manila
wrote the following account on the Macabebe chieftain, One Pampango headman,
the king of Macabebe, exploded with fury upon being invited to do so. He called on
the chieftains of Pampanga to join him in driving the foreign devils away. A fleet of
40 warboats was assembled, each equipped with cannon. Down Pampanga River
sailed some 2,000 troops, led by Lakan Macabebe himself.
Another interesting part of Joaquins book is the part that describes how the
Macabebe chieftain treated Legazpis envoy, it reads, Up jumped the king of
Macabebe, drawing his sword. May the sun split my body in half, cried he, and
may I become shameful and hateful in the eyes of my women, if ever I befriend the
Kastila! And brandishing his sword at the Spanish officer, he yelled: Tell your
master we have come to make war, not peace, and are challenging him to meet us
in battle on the waters of the bay! After which he jumped out the window and fled
to his boat.
The king of Macabebe (sometimes referred to as Tarik Soliman or Bambalito by
historians) perished in the Battle of Bangkusay on June 3, 1571. While they were the
first to defy Spain, the Pampango warriors, known for their courage and skill in
battle later on fought side-by-side with the Spaniards as mercenaries. They fought
against the Chinese pirate Limahong, the Moros, the Dutch and the British.
Describing the feral courage of the Pampango warriors, Gen. William Draper, head
of the British fleet that captured Manila in 1762 wrote, They never retreated and
they fought like mad dogs, gnawing at our bayonets. Noting the long collaboration
between the Pampangos and the Spaniards, historian Dr. John Larkin wrote,
Throughout the Spanish Period, even until the early American Period,
Kapampangans loyal to Spain (especially those who fought for Spain) were referred
to as Macabebes, even if they came from, for example, Arayat or Candaba or
Bacolor.
Fray Casimiro Diaz, a historian of the Augustinian order, referred to the Pampangos
as, the most warlike and prominent people of these islands. [Their rebellion] was
all the worse because these people had been trained in the military art in our own
schools, in the fortified posts of Ternate, Zamboanga, Jolo, Caraga and other places
where their valor was well known.
The warrior and mercenary culture of the Macabebes was still evident during the
American period. While feared as mercenaries, the Macabebes also earned the
unsavory reputation of being treacherous because of the military services they have

rendered to foreigners. It is interesting to note that 81 Macabebe Scouts

participated in the capture of Emilio Aguinaldo, the first President of the Philippine
Republic in Palanan, Isabela in March 1901.
War brings out the best and the worst in humanity and that was the case when
Macabebe scouts committed atrocities like torture and rape while working with
American forces at the beginning of the 20th century. An illustration published in
page 3 of the May 10, 1902 issue of the Deseret Evening News (Great Salt Lake
City, Utah) shows Macabebe scouts administering water cure to a Tagalog official.
Commenting on the mercenary culture and exemplary military skills of the
Macabebes, Professor Randy David of the University of the Philippines Diliman said,
It was a way of rebelling against the inferior status to which colonialism has
consigned them as indios.
Land of the blades
Various archeological diggings in Pampanga in 1930, 1959, 1960 and the 1990s
yield evidences that an extensive community thrives in the location decades before
the Spaniards came in 1571. An article written by Joel Pabustan Mallari for the Juan
D. Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan Studies reads, Also discovered were
chinaware shards, postholes and metal implements, 15 pieces of which were metal
blades used for agricultural and ceremonial activities. Some resembled sundang
and talibung [bladed weapons] and spear points. Mallari also named a heat and
hammer bladesmithing method native to Apalit, Pampanga called pukpuk.
Expounding on the sophisticated metallurgical knowledge of the Pampango
bladesmiths of yore he wrote, In Apalit, it is said that the source for the steel
comes from the black sand common to Capalangan. This sand, which some old folks
also call kapalangan, is magnetite sand, the source of highgrade iron. Although this
kind of iron sourcing requires a higher metallurgical skills and pyrotechnology just
like in the ancient production of Japanese katana. Capalangan is a barrio in
Pampanga whose name can be roughly translated as land of palang. Palang is a
kind of sword similar to the parang of Mindanao and the parang or pedang of
Indonesia. Mallari even mentioned a method of forging endemic to the province,
This old method of forging called pituklip or folding and subu the forging with the
hard and soft steel, which are from the early tradition of carburization process were
practiced earlier in the region.

Panday Pira, the famous Filipino metallurgist that lived between 1483 to 1576 was
said to be a resident of Barrio Capalangan. Panday Pira was credited for inventing
the lantaka, a small cannon that could be rotated and maneuvered at any angle
during battle. The Majapahit Empire (1293-1527) that spans most of Southeast Asia
including the Philippines was once known for its skilled bronze cannon-smiths.
Panday Pira initially made weapons for Rajah Soliman but was later commissioned
by the Spaniards to make cannons for their ships and the fortification of Intramuros.
Style of arnis-escrima
Pampanga is known as the home of sinawali or the double stick fighting methods of
arnis-escrima. The etymology of sinawali came from the word sawali, a panel of
woven bamboo skin used as walls of nipa huts. The crisscrossing weaves of the
sawali resembles the intricate movements of the double sticks hence the term. The
concept of fighting with weapons in both hands is not limited to stick fighting but is
translatable to knife and sword fighting.
The unique Pampango method of weapons fighting is still practiced today as an
independent style or as a part of a particular system of arnis-escrima. A good
example is the style taught by the late Grandmaster Leo Giron. Girons method is
comprised of 20 different styles of fighting and one of these is the Estilo Macabebe
or double stick style.
In an article titled The Evolution of Arnis, the late Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) scholar
Pedro Reyes mentioned a unique characteristic of the Macabebe style, he wrote,
One such is the Macabebe Style, named after a town near Manila, the Philippine
capital. Its adherents swing and twirl their batons in complicated circles and figures
of eight.
Reference: Manila Times: http://www.manilatimes.net/%EF%BB%BFmacabebes-aswarriors-and-mercenaries/109319/
Using the stick to apply a choke
December 21, 2013 11:26 pm
By Perry Gil S. Mallari FIGHT Times Editor

Besides being an impact weapon, the escrima stick can be also used to apply
chokes.
In most systems of escrima, arnis and kali, the shaft and the butt of the stick are
employed to execute locks, throws and chokes with the latter considered the most
lethal.
Using the stick to apply pressure on the neck area is deadly and justifiable only in
situations wherein there is an imminent grave threat to your life. An excerpt from
Clinical Forensic Medicine: A Physicians Guide by Margaret M. Stark, tells of the
dangers of applying pressure on the neck: Pressure on and around the neck is well
known to be potentially lethal action. Death can be caused following compression of
the neck by any one of four mechanisms or by combination of two or more of them
airway obstruction by direct compression of the larynx or trachea, occlusion of the
veins in the neck (however, the large reserve capacity of the venous system makes
it unlikely that rapid death would result even if complete occlusion was achieved),
compression or occlusion of the carotid arteries (occlusion of the carotid circulation
for a period of 4 minutes or more may result in brain damage), the fourth
mechanism by which death can occur during pressure to the neck results from
stimulation of the vagus nerve by direct pressure in its course down the neck or as a
result of stimulation of the carotid sinus. Vagal stimulation results in bradycardia
(slowing of heartbeat) which may progress to asystole (a state of zero cardiac
electrical activity) or, in some cases, immediate asystole.

Reference: Manila Times: http://www.manilatimes.net/using-the-stick-to-apply-achoke/62401/

Philippine Marines fight with Kali
March 22, 2014 9:37 pm

TSgt. Manuel Prado Jr. demonstrates the use of the ginunting in combat.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The weapons-based art of kali, a term used to describe the Filipino martial art
(FMA), has gained wide acceptance among martial artists, security professionals,
civilians, and even fight choreographers. For many in the Marine Corps, their very
survival depends on how well they know this indigenous fighting art.
One of its adherents is Technical Sergeant (TSgt.) Manuel Prado Jr. of the Philippine
Marine Corps Force Recon Battalion. A devoted practitioner of FMA since his early
childhood, Prado followed his veteran fathers footsteps and entered the Corps as a
teen. There he found use of his FMA skills in the field as a soldier, and at the
barracks as a teacher.
Prado also gained a reputation in the martial arts community as a master
blacksmith of the ginunting, the Marines standard issue sword. In an interview with
FIGHT Times, he discussed the role of FMA in the military and how he is passing this
knowledge to future generations of soldiers and civilians.
FIGHT Times: Please tell us about yourself and your duties in the Marine Corps?

TSgt. Manuel Prado Jr.: I have served the government for 25 years now. From the
start Ive been part of the Marines. Ive done plenty of work as a marine, though I
cannot mention them here.
I started as a regular rifleman, or foot soldier. Next, I served as a point man and
radioman. I also became a machine gunner and explosive ordnance disposal
specialist. After three years, I joined the Marine Force Reconnaissance. In 1994, we
became the pioneer force reconnaissance troops of the Philippine Marine Corps. I
served at the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force but my longest
assignment was with the Force Reconnaissance Battalion, where I was assigned for
almost 16 years.
Ive been practicing kali since I was a child and during all my years in the Marine
Corps. Because of this I was assigned to become an instructor. When I toured Golan
Heights, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, and Israel as a United Nations
Peacekeeper, I was able to teach kali to Allied soldiers.
Upon returning to the Philippines, I was appointed Chief Master Instructor of the
Philippine Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. I serve as course director and ran the
Tactical Combat Kali training of all deployed marine battalions and battalion and
brigade headquarters staff.
FT: Why did you study kali? What style do you practice and teach?
MP: I hail from Mindoro where I learned espada y daga and arnis de mano from my
father, who started teaching me when I was five years old. We are a family of
blacksmiths and the practice of kali is common. It has been a tradition among my
clan, especially with my father who used kali when he fought the Japanese during
World War 2 in the early 1940s.
I continued to practice even as I entered the Corps at 17. One of the things we learn
in kali training is perseverance under difficulty. In the military, we call that
adaptability and improvisation.
Integrating kali into my military training was easy in my experience and Tactical
Combat Kali is the result. Here we have included everything we have learned in the
field as soldiers. In our experiences we saw the necessary modifications to kali that
we can utilize for close quarters combat in contemporary warfare.
Ive personally utilized our style in various field engagements in Maguindanao,
Basilan, Jolo, Tawi-Tawi, Bicol, Quezon, and Mindoro.

FT: Why did the Marines decide to include kali in their martial arts program?
MP: Because this is what we have found useful in a close quarters battle. It is
effective as a backup to firearms in our experience.
FT: What aspects of kali did you find useful in a real combat scenario?
MP: In my experience, bolo versus bolo, hand-to-hand, and knife fighting are the
things that we have been able to use in field operations.
FT: How do blade training complement firearms training?
MP: You must always ready your bolo, knife, or dagger in a patrol. In the event of an
ambush, the blade is preferable to a firearm in a close contact scenario where quick
reaction is needed.
FT: Do you also train civilians? Why?
MP: I learned kali as a civilian and in my retirement I will return to being a civilian.
The discipline taught by kali as a martial art suits both soldiers and noncombatants.
With the help of fellow practitioners, I started the Summit of Kali Brotherhood
(Kataastaasang Kapatirang Pang-Kali) in 2012. Our goal is to propagate Tactical
Combat Kali with discipline, resilience, and humility.
FT: Can you share any incident where you (or one of your soldiers) were forced to
use your kali skills in battle?
MP: There have been many instances where our knowledge in kali has saved our
lives. In the chaos of war (what we call the fog of war), firearms can jam, soldiers
lose their weapons, and ammunition can run out.
Kali was also the method we used in the battle at Camp Abubakar in Maguindanao
in 2000. Combining swiftness and stealth, we were able to use kali to finish the fight
up close.
FT: What is the story behind Panday Gear? How did you learn to forge bladed
weapons?

MP: Im part of a family of blacksmith and it is our tradition to forge blades. Prado
Blades is my own brand and Panday Gear market and sells them in the Internet.
FT: What lesson would you impart to other kali practitioners in order to improve
their technique or training?
MP: I require all my students to have discipline, resilience, and humility. These
qualities are needed to improve and deepen ones understanding of kali. For their
practical needs, practical techniques are what we continuously train in Tactical
Combat Kali. But whether we practice it for sports or fighting, the goal is the same:
respect to our ancestors and love of our country.

Reference: Manila Times: http://www.manilatimes.net/philippine-marines-fight-withkali/84564/