Book Review: Filipino Martial Arts Cabales Serrada Escrima

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by Mark V. Wiley, Oxford University Press, color and B&W Illustrations 152 pgs
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An 11 Chapters in 3 parts best broken down as

History (of FMA, the Serrada style, and Angel Cabales, theories, beliefs, and concepts)

Basics (Body weapons, training equipment, 6 stances, footwork/zoning, 5 strikes, body mechanics, alive hand)

Combat (12 strikes/targets, blocks/lock and block drill, hand vs stick (joint locks) and disarms

Glossary of terms

Mark V. Wiley is a well known writer up there with Jane Hallander and is loved and hated by some, who feel his books are inaccurate in some respects (style lineage). Welcome to Politics!

Giving credit where it's due, we're given the background history of Grandmaster Cabales, and whether you believe or not if he's fought, he has taught and influenced a lot of FMA stylists. There was talk of making a movie based on his life, with Guro Anthony Davis to play the lead. Don't know if it ever was made, point being Cabales was influential. the book also mentions Max Sarmiento, a well respected FMA master in his own right. Not really into the sticks but knives, hands, and counter staff he's credited with influencing the empty hand work of a lot of FMA stylists. Dan Inosanto's book introduced these two and other masters.

The joint locks section was interesting, basic arm/wrist locks but more emphasis on the wrist because of the disarm aspect
one of which is on Ted Lucaylucay's Kali/Escrima tape. The body locks shown are also common to a lot of kung fu and jujutsu styles and are definitely fun stuff to add/play with. There are really about 4 disarms shown, just shown in variation against the 12 strikes which is probably good for simplicity FMA stylists. I admit that when this book came out, I hated it thinking it was too short with not enough (read no knife) material. This book is a good overview for beginners and those taking Serrada Eskrima. I do consider this to be a classical techniques book because there are some techniques/habits shown that I feel aren't good like chasing the stick or treating the stick like a blade literally aka "no power when I swing".

This book is a good overview for beginners and those taking Serrada Eskrima. It complements just about any FMA book or video particularly Wiley's other works including "Filipino Martial Culture" (which I liked more) the new Serrada book coming out this year and the Serrada book put out by J.C. Cabiero (sp?).


 
Thanks for the review, this was the first book and introduction to FMAs I had. I liked it. "..and whether you believe or not if he´s fought,.." Are there people questionig the accounts of GM Cabales´ fights? I´m generally not much into FMA politics, but could you elaborate a little more on this? I´m highly interested.

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"Peace is not without conflict; it is the ability to cope with conflict" - Leo Giron
 
Judge, you've probably met a lot of folks who do not believe any fight accounts unless it's on film. That's the only reason why I said that. I don't know who has or hasn't fought really.

I do know that those who claim to have fought or have fought usually come back with the same conclusions about fighting.
 
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