Fillipino short whip??

J

Jack M

Joined
Feb 2, 2000
Messages
240
I was working out with a friend who was born in the Phillipines, he was showing me some stuff his Uncle had taught him and we were goofing around with some different weapons. When he saw my sjambok, he started telling me about his uncle using a similar short whip, but it was way back when he was a kid and he could not remember what it was made out of or very many moves with it. I have never seen such a weapon in FMA, and he is many years seperated from this experience. Does anyone have any experience with a short whip in any of the various FMA traditions?
 
The easiest thing would be to do a Google search on the Filipino Whip as there are many FMA Guros teaching these arts and to name them all would be near impossible. You can also search latigo and karubata. Tom Meadows also has a book out on the Filipino Whip which makes for a good read. There are many types of materials both natural and synthetic in the making of a latigo, most notably the hide of the "nuang" or water buffalo. Here in Stockton, the elder Filipino fighters would simply knot the end of their panyo or bandana and with a quick flip into the eyes of the agitator, made for ease of escape, or if so needed the insertion of a foreign object to make quell of the threat. Good luck with your search.

Matador-
 
the filipino equivalent to the sjambok that your friend might be thinking of could possibly be the tail of a posionous stingrays tail. The exact name escapes me, but they are flexable and the handle is usually wrapped in leather. for some great whip material look up tom meadows or the sayocs.
 
I found a Wikipedia article on the stingray tail. Now how cool is that? I just emailed him, he says it was stiff-but-flexi so the stingray tail may be it. Was there much technique development with it? Were they hard to get in the Phillipines?

Thanks for the other whip stuff, too. Awesome stuff, even though I have always been fairly pitifull with flexible weapons (children are advised to flee in terror when I practice the three section staff), I really like STUDYING flexible weapons (He says, rubbing the semi permanent knot on the back of his head.)
 
I have always been interested in FMA whip methods since I saw the Dog Brothers "Unmatched Weapons" video. But, good whips are so dang expensive!
 
The stingray tail or "buntot pagi" isn't much of a weapon at all, more ceremonial in nature, usually bestowed upon one who has authority, the tenyente or tanod of the perfecture and is used similarly like a gavel. A true "latigoan" or whip fighter would most likely have the revered and highly sought after "kumpas ulango" styled whip as his weapon of choice. I'm guessing the whip you describe is most likely a karubata, a favored weapon of the karusero's as found in Ilocos Sur, notably in the town of Vigan.

Matador-
 
Yes it is called "buntot ng pagi" which means tail of the ray. It is widely used in many coastal provinces in the Philippines. Even though it is mainly used as a livestock whip and a weapon, every province has their own symbolical purpose for it. For instance in the island province of Romblon, this whip is favored among many farmers because it is said that "aswangs" (mythical evil creatures or monsters) are scared of this whip. Just the sound of it's crisp crack, makes the creatures go away. I have held one and it belonged to my great, great grand father.
 
Kaliandk9s said:
www.cowwhips.com you can get a real good price on a nylon braided cowwhip similar to the ones the sayocs sell. Rhett is a gentleman and a pleasure to deal with.
Click to expand...
Yes, he is a great person to deal with...I have a 6 ft Kelley nylon cowhip that got a few years back and I think I paid, with shipping, $85.

As mentioned earlier, Tom Meadows wrote a book a couple of years ago. I think he is an FMA pracitioner who created his own style using a whip. I believe he commissioned Peter Jack down in New Zealand to make a combat whip specific to Meadows' style.
I just checked Peter's website and it does say Latigo y Daga whip and has some information on it.
 
Tom Meadows' book is excellent. He founded the "latigo y daga" association in Southern California a while back but I don't think he's teaching actively anymore. There is a short segment of Tom teaching the whip on Anthony deLongis' Two-DVD set: Mastering the Bullwhip.

Pananandata has a latigo which is more like a semi-rigid riding crop. It's a fearsome weapon especially since they used to put powered glass in the epoxy that covers the whip and then smear dog feces on it. In an age before anitbiotics this could be fatal if the wound was not cleaned and treated immediately.

Best,

Steve
 
slamade said:
Pananandata has a latigo which is more like a semi-rigid riding crop. It's a fearsome weapon especially since they used to put powered glass in the epoxy that covers the whip and then smear dog feces on it. In an age before anitbiotics this could be fatal if the wound was not cleaned and treated immediately.

Best,

Steve
Click to expand...

If I'm not mistaken the filipinos similarly used put poison on the stingray tail.

You mentioned the pananandata latigo is semi-rigid..is it like the african sjambok?
 
Indiana Joe said:
If I'm not mistaken the filipinos similarly used put poison on the stingray tail.

You mentioned the pananandata latigo is semi-rigid..is it like the african sjambok?
Click to expand...

Much lighter. It's made of thin rope and then epoxied to make it semi-rigid. Traditionally it was used by calesta (horse and buggy) drivers and just brushed lightly over the horse's hindquarters - or lightly cracked. The fighting version was for special occasions...

Best,

Steve
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top