The Workshop will be an introduction to the foundational concepts and exercises to the blade fighting style in a friendly, non-aggressive environment.  The class will cover movement, footwork, evasion, striking, blocking, etc.  At the end of the workshop, practitioners will have an introduction to the Visayan Style and the ability to “flow” – engage in swordplay.


The Visayan Style of Eskrima was created by Maestro Sonny Umpad.  After years of training in traditional Filipino arts including Eskrima & Kali, Sonny took the bold step of creating his own system.  The full name of the style is “Visayan Style Corto Kadena Larga Mano Eskrima”.  Corto Kadena means “short” and “continuous” or “flowing”.  Corto refers to both economy of motion and close range.  Strikes and blocks are compact, explosive, and powerful.

This tight structure gives an opponent little warning about oncoming attacks and makes it easier for the students to protect themselves.  Sonny based his art on the blade.  In his hometown, blades were the instruments of choice for self-defense and conflict resolution.  Witnessing many real fights with blades as a boy left a deep impression on him.  Sonny felt that it was easier to go from blade to stick than from stick to blade.  Of course, his art works with both.  The Maestro left specific instructions to his students regarding the direction his art would take after his untimely death, and through all of us, the art will continue.  Even after leaving this world, Sonny felt that his art was more important than egos, stylistic differences, and personality conflicts.  He dreamed of a united community of martial artists working together to preserve the treasures we inherited from our grandfathers who taught us the art.  He respected anyone who sincerely wanted to learn this increadible art.

 
Links to Maestro Sonny Umpad and Visayan Eskrima:
http://www.visayaneskrima.org
http://visayaneskrima.org/articles.html

http://www.fmadigest.com/Issues/special-editions/2006/Special-Edition_Maestro_Sonny-Umpad.pdf
http://dogbrothers.com/pages/multimedia_umpad.htm

Gregory Manalo has been a practitioner and ambassador of the Visayan Style of Eskrima for over 10 years.  He is a certified instructor and has been teaching workshops all over the Bay Area with different cultural, theatrical, youth and fighting arts groups.  Manalo is proud and forever grateful for each second spent with the late Maestro, teacher, artist, father figure and friend, Sonny Umpad. It is Greg's intention to share and preserve the arts as Sonny has shared it with him.