During the Ryukyu Kingdom of the 1600s the indigenous martial arts of Okinawa were blended with the fighting arts of Fujian, China, to formulate the birth of what would become the globally popular martial art known as Okinawan Karate. There were no tournaments, no politics, and no nonsense; only hard men that sacrificed time, sleep, and comfort to toughen their bodies and strengthen their spirit in pursuit of improving their odds at protecting themselves and their loved ones. Chanpuru: Reflections and Lessons from the Dojo offers glimpses into the old ways of karate through the personal...

Eskrima stick fighting is indigenous to the Philippines and in the 1950s one of the most popular styles emerged: Balintawak. To appreciate Anciong Bacon's Balintawak Eskrima, you have to understand set-ups, anticipation, the art of outwitting through ruses and lures; economy and simplification of motion, sans lavish and squandered movements; effective strikes fused and bonded with speed, power, elegance and grace. That is the essence of Anciong's Balintawak and these are the methods Sam Buot explains and demonstrates in this book. Written from the author's half-century of personal experience...