Ali had spent some time with Gabriel "Flash" Elorde.
As far as Ali having learned lutang from Elorde, I don't know for sure because I have only seen this unique footwork done in Kali Ilustrisimo, and mose recently Ali did it against Joe Frazier in Manila during rd 14, with 1 minute and 24 seconds to go.
But if you get the chance, check out thrilla in Manila and watch for when Ali uses lutang. It's awesome.
Anyway, here's some info about Ali's encounter with Elorde:
Two days after his hero's welcome at the Manila International Airport, world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali figured it was time to meet some important people.
The first on his list was former world junior lightweight champion Gabriel "Flash" Elorde, who reigned for almost seven-and-a-half years, taking on the best in his division and beating them.
The first thing Ali asked Elorde when he visited him at his Manila Hilton suite was to teach him how to throw the left hook, apparently trying to match the most potent weapon in Joe Frazier's arsenal.
Ali fooled around with Elorde, jabbing, weaving and ducking. Elorde blocked a jab of Ali and was instinctively ready to throw a counter-punch when Dick Sadler yelled, "Don't fool with Elorde, he's good."
Sadler, former trainer of George Foreman, was helping Ali get into shape for the Frazier fight. Recalling how he joined Ali on the trip Sadler disclosed he had gone to see the champion to ask his help in setting up a pension fund for retired fighters, telling Ali he "didn't wish to handle fighters anymore".
Ali looked at Sadler and announced, "I'm hiring you right now."
Sadler couldn't refuse saying, "How can you turn down a champion like him."
Ali and Elorde first met in 1964 when Elorde won a controversial 10-round decision over Puerto Rico's Frankie Narvaez, in a contest that was marred by a post-fight riot at Madison Square Garden. The fight was staged to raise money for a monument on the island of Corregidor in the Philippines, which served as a testament to the courage of Filipino and American soldiers in World War II.
They met again when Elorde failed in his bid to win the world lightweight title against another Puerto Rican, Carlos Ortiz, also at the Garden.
During the 30 minute meeting, Ali asked Elorde what he was doing since his retirement and "gladly accepted" an invitation to be guest at the cornerstone laying ceremony of Elorde's four-hectare sports plaza in the suburb of Paranaque.
After the meeting Elorde and Sadler discussed possible strategy against Frazier. Elorde stressed that the first thing Ali had to realize was "He's got to have good, strong legs" to be able to stand the pace of the fight.
He told Sadler and the champ that, "This is necessary because Frazier goes in all the time and Ali will have to dance and jab and keep moving. Keep him off balance and when the opening is there, crack him with a right." Elorde noted that Ali was " a head-hunter with no punches to the body," unlike Frazier, who worked the body all the time.
Sadler agreed, adding that Ali would have "to take advantage of his height and reach and also adjust to the reality that he is much older now than when he won the title the first time around. There are some things you can still do after many years but you have to do them differently. You have to adjust to your years".
Sadler added, "I joined the champion's camp to help him out by reminding him of a few things, not teaching."
Before Elorde, his brother-in-law Lope and fight manager and promoter Lope" Jun" Sarreal left the suite along with international referee Carlos Padilla Jr, Ali offered to donate a handsome trophy for Sarreal's local boxing show "Main Event" at which both Sadler and Angelo Dundee were guests.
The call on President Marcos and the beautiful First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos was entirely different. Moments of serious fight talk were interspersed with good-natured quips that had everybody in the reception hall of Malacanang, the presidential palace, laughing.
The highpoint was when Ali introduced the statuesque Veronica as his wife. President Marcos took one look at said "She's very beautiful" to which Ali, with a twinkle in his eye, looked at Mrs.Marcos and quipped, "You haven't done too badly yourself Mr. President."
Ali, elegantly dressed in a Filipino barong, the formal native shirt, strolled around the reception hall looking at President Marcos and saying, "Its home, like my home, beautiful, great."
President Marcos, after three years of martial rule, was conscious of the value of the "Thrilla in Manila" for the country and his regime. "This sort of fight," he told me, "publicises the Philippines and shows that the government is stable and we have peace and order. This is only possible under martial law. There was anarchy before. By and large we are peaceful here now. The fight will be good for Manila and the Philippines. It's an honor and a privilege to have the fight here."
Ali and the President clearly impressed each other and appeared as though they had known each other for years.
The President said he was "tremendously impressed" with the champion adding "he is a very articulate and intelligent young man".
Ali, who had met with and been feted by several world leaders said he was "truly honored to meet a man of such stature. I will be honored to tell my children and my family that I met and know the President of the Philippines. He is a good and dedicated man. Humble, peaceful and loving. If I were a citizen of this country, he'd be my leader for sure".
