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Dan Inosanto Remembers Leo Giron, By Antonio E. Somera
Taken from January 2001 Filipino Martial Arts
The martial arts of the Philippines are both beautiful and deceiving. They have made their way to the worldwide magazine covers, fight scenes on television and even the big screen with the Game of Death, starring Bruce Lee and featuring Dan Inosanto. Lee's use of the long weapon was clearly the larga mano style. In recent interviews with guro Inosanto, he said that Lee liked what the larga mano style brought to the table. This was also demonstrated when Lee faced Inosanto in the famous long weapon vs who macabebe sticks. Later, nunchaku became part of the martial arts fabric and helped usher in the advent of Filipino long-range fighting. In the late 1960's and early 1970's, guro Inosanto would travel across America trying to find as many of the old Filipino masters as possible. These travels took Inosanto back to his hometown of Stockton, Calif., which has one of the largest Filipino populations in the United States. Because of this Stockton was nicknamed "Little Manila."
The art of escrima was rarely taught in the Filipino community if Stockton. The Filipino martial arts were highly secretive and all training sessions were closed-door affairs. Many World War II veterans had at least a working knowledge of escrima. But the art was held in such high regard that only family members and invited guests were allowed to witness training.
One of the top masters of the time was Leo M. Giron, who began studying escrima in 1922. In Panasinan, he studied the Cabaroan (new) style under Benito Junio and the Cadaanan (old) style under Julian Bundoc. In Bayambang he studied the Macabebe sinwali (double stick) style under Flaviano Vergara. The most important thing Giron extracted from Vergara was the need to develop his own system which would effectively bridge the gap between the two major systems he had previously learned.
It was then that Giron developed his own style of arnis escrima he termed his Cabaroan (old) style Estilo de Fondo (solid position style) using the 24-inch stick, and larga mano (long hand), which used a 36-inch stick. He also created the Bahala Na Filipino Martial Arts Association.
In October, 1942 Giron was inducted into the United States Army. For over a year in the jungles of the Philippines then - Sergeant Giron served as General Douglas MacArthur's eyes and ears to help recapture the Philippine Islands. This earned him the Bronze Star.
Volunteering for a dangerous and secret mission, Sgt. Giron landed a submarine in Luzon, Philippines, where he assisted in successfully extending the lines of communication, securing vital military information. Sgt. Giron had many encounters that would prove to extend the lines of communication, securing vital weather data and obtaining military information. Sgt. Giron had many more encounters that would prove to extend his life and the lives of his United States guerrilla group.
After World War II, Giron rarely thought of escrima or arnis. There was too much killing and blood during the war and he believed that playing his art would only bring back horrible memories. However in 1968, a mass murder claimed the life of eight Filipina nurses. This tragedy re-ignited a spark which brought Giron back to the martial arts.
Grandmaster Giron has since touched the lives of many young martial artists. One of the deepest imprints was made on Dan Inosanto, a former senior disciple of Bruce Lee who has probably done more for the Filipino martial arts than any man in America. In this interview, guro Inosanto remembers his training with Giron.
FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS: How did you meet grandmaster Giron?
DAN INOSANTO: My mother called me one day and told me of a man that I should study from "Mr. Giron is a good man," my mother said. He is from Bayambang, Pangasinan and he plays the Cabaroan (new) style. My parents and manong (respected elder) Leo belonged to the same church and also my mother in later years trained with grandmaster Leo and was a member of the Bahala Na Association.
FMA: You have stated that Leo Giron is like a second father to you.
DI: Yes, I feel very close to him - he's like family. He and his wife, Alberta were very close to my parents, they all belong to the same church as my father and mother and did a lot of church and community functions together. And at that time they only lived one block away. My mother used to phone manong Leo to tell me what she wanted done and usually that's the way it's been for a long period of time.
FMA: You have said that grandmaster Leo is a rare combination of teacher and fighter.
DI: Some people sparring can be a very very good and even better than you, maybe not as good as you or they can be the same caliber. But what I found out is that some very good fighters have difficulty teaching, there's no progression. Good fighters can fight instinctively; there's not even a thought process of what is right or wrong or what are the principles and fundamentals involved. Grandmaster Giron is rare; he has a progression he understands. He can teach it and he can fight it because he has survived it through World War II. I think the major things about grandmaster Giron is that he can teach, he can fight and he's technical. These three traits are a rare combination in any martial art.
FMA: Do you think grandmaster Giron's system is effective?
DI: I think it's very effective. Manong Leo's system is scripted to the essentials, meaning this is what is going to work without the thrillers. Some system may be more impressive for demonstration but grandmaster Giron's system comes down to what I would call the nitty-gritty. When you need to count on it, it's what you're going to use. His principles are what you are going to adhere to rather than the fancy stuff you're going to impress the crowd with. His art is more of a combative art. This is what is going to work, and that's what it is all about.
FMA: He also has produced many top-level instructors and fighters.
DI: What I hear from others and what I have experienced is that his methods of teaching, along with having a good caliber of students, are superb. You can have good methods but you will also need good-caliber students. And with this he has produced many top-level instructors and fighters.
FMA: You have said that manong Leo has given you the principles and concepts to better understand other arts?
DI: Yes, his principles are very simple. His principles can be used with weaponry and empty-hands. For instance, your terrain and environment make a person think of what is available to them and what can work. It makes you reevaluate what is good or increases your awareness of the environment. I have found his principles to work, I use it as a model of thinking, and I feel it is invaluable in both empty hand and weaponry. The point I am trying to make is all the principles he taught in environmental training - whether on a ledge or over the fence, or on a trail or in the street - are some tools you can use and some tools you will leave out. It helps you to reevaluate your weaponry; this can all relate to knife fighting, bolo fighting, empty-hand and stickfighting. So all those principles I find to be very good. I have found them to work; I use them as a model.
FMA: Did you ever show sifu Bruce Lee any kali or arnis?
DI: Yes, he liked the larga mano system. Sifu Lee said, "This is what I would use." The principles are very similar to manong Leo's system. The reason for this is that I can assume that sifu Lee has a background in epee, which means thrusting, but the principles are still involved and very similar. So when sifu Lee and I would play he would show me some of his style and I would say "Oh yes that is called larga mano." No inside block, no outside block or roof block; he would try to hit my hand and evade id possible. Those were sifu Lee's principles.
FMA: Did you ever show sifu Lee any larga mano?
DI: Yes, I did. He seemed to take more into that type of approach rather than the block approach. He would rather hit the hand if possible, but not always possible. Using a lot of hitting and retreating methods, I am sure he also used the close range and middle range, but I know he preferred the long range or the larga mano system because of his background. But U did show him a lot of larga mano - that was right before Game of Death in 1972.
FMA: How did sifu Lee feel about the larga mano system?
DI: Sifu Lee felt that the larga mano system was a good approach. He liked the hitting of the hand. The hitting patterns like manong Leo's system is a very close approach to what he would do.
FMA: What did sifu Lee like the most of the larga mano system?
DI: He liked the concept of keeping distance and range, the concept of hitting. That was in the concept of sifu Lee's system. The major thing he liked was using the longest weapon against the nearest target, which would be the hand and then go into the body.
FMA: Did you ever tell sifu Lee of grandmaster Giron?
DI: Yes, I did tell sifu Lee about grandmaster Giron and that I had learned the larga mano system from him. At that time sifu Lee was doing the movie Game of Death and I would show him some of grandmaster Giron's system of larga mano. We were in Hong Kong in 1972. After showing sifu Lee grandmaster Giron's system of larga mano he would say, "This is what I would do and this is what I believe in" and we just took it from there. As you know, sifu Lee was experimenting with many different styles.
FMA: How do you feel about grandmaster Giron's system?
DI: I think for me I would prefer the long range, but the close range and middle range needs to be learned also. I like the system of the long range, because once you move into the middle range you run into many different types of situations and you run the possibilities of being struck by the left hand or rear hand. You run the risk of being damaged when your opponent uses his feet if he gets in tight. You also run into the possibility of being thrown, swept, tripped, taken down, and going to the ground. In the beginning you always want to take the easy route and you would always like to finish in the range of larga mano, because once you get into the close range, a lot of skills are really involved and there is a chance you may miss. Your determination is that you may not need to look at all the tools. Within the inside range there are too many possibilities; the ultimate is to stay at the long range if you can keep it and maintain it. I like to keep that concept. All through grandmaster Giron's system you can go into middle and close range also. But my first love is for the long range if possible - it depends on the caliber of your opponent. I like grandmaster Giron's system of larga mano; it has a lot to offer, as does the entire Giron system of arnis escrima.
Conclusion
The Giron system of arnis escrima contains 20 different styles. This system is from close range to long range using anything form bare hands to long stick. It offers a teaching progression that is quickly managed in the skills of self-defense. The Giron system of arnis escrima is also offered to students outside the Stockton area through its official affiliate program, which can be viewed on the web site at www.gironarnisescrima.com.