We had the privilege of presenting a tactical and interactive workshop on Filipino Martial Arts: Eskrima to the students and members of Barkada at Santa Clara University!
Led and developed by one of our organizers, Kevin Suarez, we were joined by Guru Lester Fontecha with Inayan Martial Arts in San Jose, in a workshop that provided a historical context on Filipino Martial Arts – Eskrima, Arnis, Kali – in light of Spain’s 300-year occupation in the Philippines. Did you know that Eskrima emerged as practice of self-defense during just the 1980s in the United States? Its resurgence across American martial arts/defense classes was attributed to the Delano Manongs that maintained the Filipino martial art form from the Philippines.Specializing in open-hand movements, tactical positions, and weaponed stances, Eskrima continues to gain popularity across martial arts communities. Through the provision of our free workshops, and Kevin’s leadership, we hope to continue preserving the spirit and education of Eskrima for our community.
