MY TRAINING IN ARNIS LANADA

After five years of absence from the PHILIPPINES, I returned in 1972, right after the declaration of Martial Law and only returned to the US in 1980.....Although prior to this I had known somethings about ARNIS DE MANO, ESKRIMA, and a few related arts, it was not until went to Manila and worked during Martial Law that I began a serious study of ARNIS DI MANO,also known, as ARNES DE MANO, translated roughly as 'HARNESS OF THE HANDS'....... My work at the time took me to many colleges, universities and schools in the Metro-Manila area and at every opportunity, when visiting them, I would inquire about martial arts in general and about arnis in particular......and met many well-versed in various martial arts and so forth..... One day when visiting a certain martial arts area or building in Quipao, as I was climbing the stairs, I noticed a name printed on one of the steps(not on where you stepped) that read, if I can recall correctly, PROFESSOR PORFIRIO LANADA, and possibly something to the effect that he taught at the school there....but it did not entirely take on the significance for me until much later on..... AT that time, MODERN ARNIS was being taught and practiced in Manila and around nearly every college and university and other schools, here and there, and so one could expect to encounter MODERN ARNIS(about which I shall discuss at another time when more appropriate) in operation and with programs nearly everywhere...... But to my surprise when I visited the famous LYCEUM of THE PHILIPPINES, I observed an arnis class that did not resemble MODERN ARNIS in any way and so when I talked with the lady instructress, a MISS BORJA, I learned of the existence of ARNIS LANADA and my mind recalled the name on the step, and as I discussed arnis with her, she made me the most generous offer that affected my life deeply: she asked if I would like to meet her teacher and I readily accepted her kind offer,so we made a specific date to meet and visit her teacher who was teaching at the PORT AREA and at, as I found out, THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE(GPO) where she introduced me to him and from there, as they say, the rest is history........ I immediately joined the GPO and began evening classes and continued training until I left for the US where another phase of my arnis and other martial arts training and experiences took place.........