Guro Bill Aranda - A True Warrior's Path Guro Billʼs involvement in the Filipino Martial Art (FMA) has spanned a period of over 6 decades.  He has been studing and researcing this complete, ethnically Filipino, fighting art with masters and guros of Kali, Escrima, & Arnis from both the Philippines & the USA since the summer of 1962.  His years of training has familiarized him in the use of single & double, equal & unequal length, rigid & flexible, bladed & impact weapons, and in the Filipino empty hand art of bunoan (grappling), suntukan (boxing), & sipaan (kicking).  Today he continues to actively promote the art through individual & group classes and public seminars & demonstrations.  His years of practice has led him to see this simple, direct, & intuitive art not just as the fighting art that it is, but also as a path for personal growth (physical, mental, emotional, & spiritual) that can be taught & practiced by all people regardless of sex, age, nationality, and martial arts background. It is his hope that through the FMA, people will develop an appreciation for All Things Filipino (ATF) - especially its culture and history. Training Guro Bill has trained with many different teachers specializing not only in the FMA, but also in other weapon and empty hand based martial arts through training seminars & classes given on an individual & group basis, in a formal & informal environment, using structured & unstructured teaching methodology. Through the years his training progressed through different phases.  From the early 60s thru the 80s, the conscious effort was on learning the lessons taught by his instructors (the how & when phase).  On the 90s, learning continued with an emphasis on understanding the lessons (the what & why phase).  From the beginning of the millennium to the present, the learning & understanding was augmented with extracting the essence of the lessons using the Lee methodology. The many instructors who have served as a guide and influence in Guro Billʼs personal growth as a martial artist and to whom he will be forever grateful, include the following: Core • Guro Mike Barairo, Private Individual Training Makati, Philippines Eskrima, Arnis, Judo, & Boxing • Guro Dan Inosanto, Formal Group Classes Kali Academy of America, Torrance, CA Leo Giron System (Arnis), & Angel Cabales System (Eskrima), Villabrille/Largusa System (Kali), John La Coste System (Kali), Pekiti Tirsia (Eskrima) Inosanto Academy, Culver City, CA Leo Giron System (Arnis), & Angel Cabales System (Eskrima), Villabrille/Largusa System (Kali), John La Coste System (Kali), Sikaran, Western Boxing, Wing Chun, Jun Fan Gung Fu, Tai Chi Kali-Eskrima-Silat/JunFan Martial Arts Academy, Marina Del Rey, CA Leo Giron System (Weapon All Ranges), Angel Cabales System (Weapon Corto Range), Villabrille/Largusa System (Weapon & Empty Hands Training Methods & all Ranges), John La Coste System (Weapon, Empty Hand, & Kicking Ranges), Western Boxing (Empty Hands w/o Reference Points), JunFan Gung Fu (Energy Drills, Chinese Boxing, Trapping, & Attacking Concepts), Silat (Leveraging Concepts), Doce Pares System (Uneven Length Weapon), Siniwali (Equal Length Weapon), Capoera (Brazilian Kick Boxing), Savate (French Kick Boxing), Muay Thai (Thai Kick Boxing), Cinco Teros System (Long Range), Suntukan/Sikaran (Filipino Kick Boxing), Carenza, Numerado, & Sumbrada (Filipino Training Methods), with special emphasis on proper body mechanics, fighting ranges, rhythm, & timing • Guro Pete BatungBakal, Private Individual Training Makati, Philippines • Arnis, Tabak Toyok, Japanese Sai & Staff; through this teacher Guro Bill met GM Porfiro Lanada of the Lanada System • Guro Chris Kent, Formal Group Classes Kali-Eskrima-Silat/JunFan Martial Arts Academy, Marina Del Rey, CA Inosanto Blended System using impact & bladed weapons, empty hands, and kick boxing • Guro Ted LucayLucay, Formal Group Classes Kali-Eskrima-Silat/JunFan Martial Arts Academy, Marina Del Rey, CA Inosanto Blended System plus the LucayLucay Kali/JKD System of Panantukan/Sikaran, Knife Fighting, tabak maliit • GM Topher Ricketts, Private Individual/Group Training Glendale FMA Academy, Glendale, CA Ilustrisimo (Eskrima, Kali), Sagasa (Filipino Karate), Ngo Cho Kun (Beng Kiam Kung Fu), Boxing, Hand Sparring Other • Guro Richard Bustillo, Inosanto Blended System • Guro Jeff Imada, Inosanto Blended System • Master Fernando Bernardo, Scientific Lightning Arnis • Guro Louis Campos, Pentjak Silat Serak & Bukti Negara • GM Bobby Taboada, Balintawak Arnis Cuentada • Punong Guro Edgar Sulite, LAMECO Eskrima • Pendekar Guru Besar Herman Suwanda, Pencak Silat Mande Muda • GM Leo Giron/Master Tony Somera, Bahala Na Arnis/ Eskrima • GM … [Read more...]