Das Interview führte Christian von Praun im Mai 2009. Eine deutschsprachige Version des vorliegenden Interviews wurde auf Kampfkunst-ezine.de veröffentlicht.
Jon Escudero moved to Israel from the Philippines in 2008. He is one of the last to learn directly under and be ranked by the late Grandmaster and Founder of the system, Benjamin Luna Lema, in the Philippines.
GM Benjamin Luna Lema
Jon holds a Master’s rank in Lightning Scientific Arnis and has 13 years of experience in the system as well as experience in various martial arts such as: Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Jiu jitsu, Wrestling, Capoeira and more.
He is currently the Secretary General of Lightning Scientific Arnis International, the governing body of Lightning Scientific Arnis and is also on the Board of Directors of the Philippine Council of Kali, Escrima, Arnis Masters, which is an association composed of respected Masters and Grandmasters in the Filipino Martial Arts whose aim is to promote Brotherhood in the FMA and preserve its Legacies.
Academia Tercia Cerrada Cadenilla y Espada y Daga is his club in the Philippines and is run by his students and abroad there is Lightning Scientific Arnis Israel in Tel-Aviv.
Master Jon Escudero
Jon Escudero
Master Instructor
Lightning Scientific Arnis International – Secretary General
Chief Instructor
Academia Tercia Cerrada Cadenilla y Espada y Daga
Lightning Scientific Arnis Israel
Cvp: How did you come in contact with the FMA in general and with LSA specifically?
Jon Escudero: While studying in the University of the Philippines I was Head of the University Wushu Club and we participated alongside the other Martial Arts clubs during a Martial art presentation hosted by one of the local fraternities. It was there that I saw a demonstration by a group who demonstrated Arnis. It was the LESKAS group founded by GM Elmer Ybanez. I was familiar with some of the other martial arts ive seen, as well as other FMA, but it was their demonstration of speed, power and control that really impressed me. It was very exciting to see a Filipino martial art executed with the same class as other martial arts. I didnt join them immediately, I think it took a year or two before I went to my first session with them, but when I began training in it, I was hooked!
CVP: Is there a special tactic or weapon Lightning Scientific Arnis is known for?
Jon Escudero: LSA is particular known for the combination of Espada Y Daga, or sword and dagger executed in Serrada.
CVP: For our readers not familiar with LSA, could you explain the training method Serrada
Jon Escudero: Ok, this could get a bit hairy. The term “Serrada” simply means “closed”, being derived from the word “cerrado” in Spanish.
The way we use it is to connote the act or position of something being closed. We like using a DOOR and a BLANKET as a metaphor to explain the concept.
Without getting too technical you could say that serrada is the act of closing your opponent’s doors so that he can’t get an opening, or slamming the door in your opponent’s face. This involves the act of controlling your opponent by intercepting, jamming or blind-siding your opponents movement.
You can also think of it as throwing a blanket over your opponent where your strikes and “checks” jam, intercept and pre-empt your opponents attacks.
This is all generally done in the media and corto ranges where the support hand is effective.
What makes this technology effective is the combination of serrada with a continuous barrage of powerful strikes at close range hence the description, “Tercia Cerrada Cadenilla y Espada y Daga”
Executing Espada y Daga in Serrada requires a high level of coordination because it essentially combines two weapons that were meant for different ranges which means the practitioner has to know when it is appropriate to use a sword and dagger repertoire and when it is more applicable to stick to solo baston in largo. What you don’t want to happen is to chase after doing an “espada y daga” technique when a basic largo smash is more appropriate.
The support hand, whether it holds a dagger or not, must be trained to attack the openings the baston makes as it hits its target. It must either pierce, slash or push the opponent and break his balance or nail him to the ground as the baston re-chambers for a finishing strike. This involves usage of techniques like espada y daga, banda y band, krus tumba, rompida, otso to name a few.
Training these techniques balance out the dominance between the primary weapon hand and the support weapon hand. It also acquaints the practitioner with the possible repertoire for knife techniques and empty hand fighting.
CVP: How is the system structured?
Jon Escudero: Different Clubs in the LSAI Family may do things different from each other, but the structure is pretty simple. We have the Basic Fundamentals of Movement, Manner of Striking, Bigay-Tama Sets, Baston Serrada, Baston(Espada) y Daga Sets, an Empty Hand set for disarming and takedowns. Of course each club has its own training curriculum and each has their own focus ,but in general the LSA clubs work with the same material.
CVP: Speaking about Bigay Tama, it sometimes reminds me of padwork in Muay Thai or Boxing. Can you compare Bigay Tama to good padwork; does it fulfill the same task?
Jon Escudero: Bigay -Tama is a very interesting training tool unique to LSAI.
Let’s start with it’s definition. The term directly translates to “to give a strike”. What it is, is a reactive/responsive and counter-attack drill versus random attack patterns used to teach the practitioner several different skills. It is used to help the practitioner recognize angles of attack and how to counter-attack in “prescribed” patterns that seek the most direct and efficient line of attack. In the end these prescribed patterns are really just suggestions of how to fight in real life. But the patterns learned through the drills develop the attributes necessary to support the LSAI fighting repertoire like good angling, fast response, good footwork and control of space as well as positioning, timing and resistance to impact and endurance.
Good Bigay -Tama revolves around Speed, Power and Accuracy. Even though Bigay-Tama sets are performed random and fast, the practitioner is able to defend and counter attack effectively through the correct interpretation of the incoming attacks and correct counter-attack.
Bigay -Tama has a broad range of repertoire both for the feeder and the reciever. It trains skills for the three ranges of Largo, Media and, Corto and weapon combinations like Solo Baston versus Solo Baston, Espada y Daga and Doble Baston and various combinations of each. It is a challenging exercise for the receiver as it replicates all the little phenomena experienced in actual combat. Contact, Impact, the adrenaline rush, a little confusion,a little danger,a little fear, and most especially the need to fight back.
It is also an interesting challenge for the feeder because with the receiver actively defending himself the feeder cannot lower his guard. He also must constantly coordinate his weapons through all his movements. Uncoordinated movements would result in a broken flow of attack and diminish the maximum attainable speed and power. The feeder’s repertoire is also tested as well as his control of space. Since he knows the extent of the receivers repertoire he must be able to control and maneuver the receiver into the ideal positions for his attacks.
In the end practitioners have to remember that it is only a drill that and although it is a very good drill, that it is only a simulation of fight and not have any illusions.
CVP: How do you spar in Lightning Scientific Arnis, is there a special format?
Jon Escudero: Well, i dont know about “special” but we like the “live-stick” sparring, similar to doce pares format. Mostly because It is a format that teaches the player to dominate the opponent even at close contact, even when the player is getting hit, shoved, tripped – pretty much how it happens in real life. We also do a more flexible version of this that allows much more active involvement of the checking hand.
We also play a modified version of the padded stick style because it allows the player to work on finesse and accuracy. You have to be sharp and fast to get the points quick in padded stick. We modify the tournament style to allow for the checking hand since we favor serrada.
CVP: Could you explain a training method or exercise for generating hitting power, distance and power?
Jon Escudero: Well, for my guys we isolate each of these attributes like speed, power, accuracy, in drills specific to each attribute escalating in intensity over a specific time period. We try to be scientific about it, meaning I do athletic progress charts just so that they can see their own improvement. I find that it motivates them to do better and gives them a sense of achievement. After improving some attributes I have them do skill drills that tie-in with the gained attributes that we test in sparring at the end of each month.
CVP: Is there also self defense against Knife taught in the system and what do you personally think about that topic?
Jon Escudero: Not specifically as “self defense”, but the movements for dealing with knives are already taught through the stickwork. Most of the knife knowledge is embedded in the general LSA technology.
CVP: What about Knife vs. Knife?
Jon Escudero: Knife fighting techniques in general come from the abecedario and serrada sets. Its not set down in a specific way, but its movement is taught already early on in the serrada drills.
CVP: What are your plans for the future? How do you see the future of FMA?
Right now my plans are simple. Teach whoever wants to learn from me.
I am now currently living in Tel-Aviv and have started LSAIsrael with Neta Shermister. We are busy strengthening the group, and with more training as well as sharing our knowledge of LSAI and FMA in general. I have been invited to conduct some workshop sessions in the UK, Germany and Slovania and am busy working out the details for these trips. I also have a group back home in the Philippines that I go back to when i visit. So I am also preparing material for my next trip back.
I am really proud of the Filipino Martial Arts. It is something world class that i believe is worth international notice and acclaim. It’s really great that Hollywood has finally picked up FMA and started using it in action movies. FMA has a bright future ahead. Many good styles as well as the hidden traditional arts are becoming more accessible and the arts exposure to the world is enriching it with new enthusiastic practitioners from all walks of life all over the world. So when I look at the big picture, there is something in the FMA for everyone. So its simply up to them to pick up a stick and give it a swing.
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