Author's Martial Arts Background

 Grade School

High School

20's

30's

40's

Welcome Message

     The title is of the Waray-Waray dialect and is intended to mean 'what should at least be'. It represents the author's personal opinions and choices, not 'the way' but just 'a way'.

     So, can anyone actually learn martial arts skills from online sources? Will published instructional materials and info-products suffice to convey know-how? Can the study of the various systems, concepts and techniques in this manner result in applicable levels of skill?

     I hope you agree, there is only one way to find out all the answers - give it a try.

     Hi. My name is Ferdinand Guya Lastrilla. Colleagues and student usually call me Guro Dan.

     First of all, I want you to know that I am not a martial arts master. A master is someone who has no vague concepts about his art. That's not me. I'm just another enthusiast with a lot of unanswered questions. 

     Guro with an "o" means teacher in Filipino. I am a Filipino martial arts (FMA) teacher. I consider myself 'of the low skill'. Don't be dismayed though, I am qualified to share the basics and, remember this, true mastery comes from mastering the basics.

     This blog is dedicated to all who may benefit from it. It is meant to provide as much useful information to anyone interested in the subject/s. If you disagree with anything I say or show, please bear in mind that I am merely presenting my opinion. And that may change over time as I keep learning. 

     What This Is All About

     This blog has been created in an attempt to present  materials so that anyone interested may be familiar with martial arts in general and the Filipino martial arts in particular.

     Some of the articles and media you will find here are also found elsewhere. I, the author, am merely making some contributions of my own so as to share the little that I know and/or try to fill in some gaps.

     As far as online learning is concerned, and depending on your own ability and resources, you may learn quite a few tricks this way. However, it is only by actual study, practice and experimentation with training partners that one can go deeper to learn the nuances of the martial arts.

     What You Can Do Around Here

     Explore blog posts. Explore the entire blog and its pages. Read or watch. Try the processes as best as you can, but take this simply as an in-depth introduction to the various methods discussed and not as a source of professional advice. This is for information purposes only. It should be clear that the author/publisher and the reader/viewer have no teacher-student relationship.

     You are encouraged to ask questions by using the comment feature of this blog. Just don't expect me to have all the answers as I don't claim to be an expert at everything. What I don't know, we can help each other find out by keeping discussions flowing.

     How You May Know What's What

     I have made it super simple for you to find what you're looking for. Well, if I have it here.

     Go to "Categories" and click on any topic. This will lead you to a page featuring a series of blog posts on the topic. These are arranged in reverse chronological order. The oldest post is at the very bottom and the latest post is at the topmost. 

     You may also search the Blog Archive.

     Should you wish to share a particular blog post or page, simply click on the share icons at the bottom of each post.

     Again, if you have any question, just use the blog's comment feature.

     How You May Improve

     As with the acquisition of any skill, if you do wish to learn anything from this blog, make sure you have the information right. Then, take the right action. This means you have to apply every how-to or process correctly. And, this means you have to sustain your activity. Be consistent and regular. Don't be content with any achievement you may seem to have.

     Study instructional materials very closely. Compare similar processes from various systems and methods. Use common sense to determine what's awkward and what's not. Try out and see whether a certain action of yours is likely to work or not in certain situations (pressure test).

     Assessing Your Progress

     It would be ideal if an expert of a particular system can take you by the hand. Again, I am not an expert of everything. But I will try my best to help in whatever way I can. I may not be familiar with a lot of other subjects but I do qualify to be a good evaluator of methods I am familiar with. 

     Honestly, in these craft, progress is measurable by effective application.

     Thank you and, WELCOME!

     Guro Dan