8 August 2008, 19:07 in Martial Arts
Singapore training trip
This year in May I spent a week in Singapore with Brandon and Troy for a martial arts training holiday. We did some training in Tabimina Balintawak under Sir Bob Tabimina himself, and we trained some knife combatives with Charley. I also got to meet Richard and some of the other guys from Singapore for the first time.
Balintawak is a family of combat systems developed in the 1940s by Grand Master Venancio “Anciong” Bacon in the Philippines. A single rattan stick is used as the primary training tool, but it is not just a stick fighting art. Tabimina Balintawak is Sir Bob’s own variation of the style. The philosophy is to end the fight expediently; it is counter-offense system with emphasis on strong impenetrable defense. This contrasts with most other weapons based styles which focus on the long range and offensive elements.
Tabimina Balintawak focuses on the development of appropriate reactions, timing and speed. This can be applied to a variety of weapons (stick and knife) or bare hands fighting. The approach is very different to most martial arts where the focus is initially on techniques or applications, and the timing and reactions which actually make those techniques work come later. Tabimina Balintawak is about the development of appropriate reflexive response under pressure in real time.
The movements are simple and efficient, nothing fancy. The emphasis is on gross motor movements such as waist turn, hips, and legs, rather than on fine motor movements with the hands. The idea is to zero your mind and use your reactions and reflexes, rather than cognitively think about what is happening and how you are going to react (which is too slow).
The training is done one-on-one with the instructor personalizing the training for each student. The instructor “feeds” the student attacks and the student defends and counters. The instructor always keeps the student just above their comfort zone, continuously pushing them by increasing the speed or intensity, varying the tempo, introducing new attacks, or increasing the level of deception. While the training is not physically hard, it is tiring due to the psychological pressure and overloading of your brain.
Sir Bob is a true martial arts master, as opposed to someone with a day job who does martial arts as a hobby, or a business man who uses martial arts to make money. He is also a very interesting person with a warm heart. It was an honor to train under him. He may be old, but I wouldn’t want to cross him!
On most days we did do two training sessions, one in the early afternoon and one in the evening, each for 2 hours. We also did some knife combatives training under Charley, focusing on how to escape from some common knife hold up situations from both in front and behind. One night we visited the local BJJ club, run by Jason. Troy took the class, focusing on hip movement. We had a wrestle with the guys and then went out for a meal after.
This was my first time in Singapore (outside of the airport) and I really enjoyed it. The weather was warm, the food was tasty and cheap, the people were friendly, the shopping was good, and the training was awesome. It was a much needed break from work and the Perth winter.
Going overseas to train is something I definitely want to do more often. Being in another place and culture, away from the distractions of every day life, and surrounded by other people with a passion for martial arts was a fantastic experience.
Next article: OpenGL vs Direct3D
Previous article: James Duane: Don't Talk to the Police