ESKRIMADORS Film Screening
February 20, 2010 - 7:00PM (Saturday)
It was a great night coming to CCP. Being inside it for the first time is really rewarding. Eskrimadors was one of the movies to be shown that night. It was part of an ongoing event called Cinema Rehiyon, where they showcase short indie films from different regions of the Philippines. This particular time was the screening of movies from the Visayan region, Cebu. In contrast to the short indie films shown, Eskrimadors was the only full-length film. It was a documentary/historical/action/narrative/cultural film, 100% Pinoy. It featured the stories of different Arnis greats of the Doce Pares Club. The main focus of this film was about the masters of the cane, however, it was more than that. It explained a part of the Visayan history and how the art of blade forging came to the Philippine Islands. It also explained the propagation of Filipino martial arts not only in Cebu or the Visayas area, but eventually the world. Another side of the film was the martial culture. It focused on how the people lived FMA within their daily lives. One idea was the "Juego Todo" or live stick matches without protective gears, only a fighter with a stick versus another. Results were bloody more often than death. This kind of fights had been going on for a while. With the desire of the masters to make FMA popular, they devised a way to make it into a sport. At first, people were expecting "Juego Todo" matches, rather it was not. There were protective gears and competition rules to be followed. The brutal contest became a showcase of skills. More people got interested. Because of this effort the FMA community expanded not only in the Philippines, but throughout the globe. FMA is gaining a whole lot of international popularity and even used in foreign movies. With all this universal recognition, it's a sad picture that FMA is not popular in its home. Filipinos are into foreign martial arts other than foreign sports. Nowadays many are saying FMA is a dying art. Surviving is the more proper term. FMA is combative in nature. Either you engage or not; if you engage, you must win. It is also the temperament of the Filipino people - survivors, flexible and adaptable. It was really a great movie. It's unbelievable how they've put all those information into 61 minutes of show. We are hoping for the Eskrimadors film to be out in the market. It would be very rewarding for all of us to add this selection to the knowledge of our very own FMA.
We also would like to acknowledge our new found friend and fellow Eskrimador - Perry Mallari. A reporter from The Manila Times who propagates FMA through his profession by creating articles on the web. He interviewed us to know more about our group, and would like to make an article regarding our little chat. It is our pleasure to meet this person. Seeing commitment in his job and dutiful in informing the FMA culture throughout the world. Like Kerwin, Perry is a hradworking artist. Using his time and effort, with his pen as his baston, he has made a big impact and a great factor for the dispersion not only about FMA, but the beauty of the culture of the Filipino people. Pugay at mabuhay din sa iyo, Ginoong Perry Mallari!
