The Secrets of Giron Arnis Escrima (Secrets of the Martial Arts)
by Antonio E. Somera
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Book Summary Information
Author: Antonio E. SomeraEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1998-03-15
ISBN: 0804831394
Number of pages: 152
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Book Reviews of The Secrets of Giron Arnis Escrima (Secrets of the Martial Arts)
Book Review: Important Historical Record for Filipino Martial Arts in the US
Summary: 4 Stars
Grandmaster Leo Giron is one of a handful of key figures in the history of Filipino Martial Arts in America and this book preserves a snapshot of his teaching style and philosophy along with a visual record of how Giron himself performed fundamental techniques in his system. You will not learn Giron Arnis Escrima from this book alone, but I've found dozens of little bits of information in here that supplement the training I receive in my FMA class.
This book is most valuable to the student or interested observer who wants to find out more about how a Master's philosophy of life colors his martial arts practice. This is bare-bones information -- less about 'secrets' as things that the master tries to hide from the public and more about 'secrets' that are subtle elements of the art that one only gets from observing someone who has achieved Giron's level of quiet competence in any situation. It's also one of the only records we have of this grandmaster's method and emphasis in his practice studio that was done while Leo Giron was still alive and teaching. It captures something that would otherwise be lost as his teaching is passed on and evolves from teacher to student.
Somera is a competent and functional writer and the book is laid out in a logical manner. The photos don't show all that is going on in the techniques, but they do capture the most critical elements and are enough for a student to piece the techniques together with just a bit of qualified training and a patient and willing training partner.
If you are interested in an engagingly written history of FMA in general then you would probably do better with one of Mark Wiley's books like Filipino Martial Culture (Martial Culture Series). If you are more interested in Leo Giron's life and how his combat experience in the Philipines during WWII helped to shape his art or details about the birth of American FMA in Stockton, CA during the '60s then you would be more interested in Somera's other book Giron Escrima: Memories of a Bladed Warrior, which covers Giron's life story in more depth and also talks about the cultural environment that led people like Giron and Cabales and LaCoste to open their schools. But none of these books offer a no-nonsense record of Giron's legacy of instruction the way that this book does.
Summary of The Secrets of Giron Arnis Escrima (Secrets of the Martial Arts)
The Secrets of Giron Arnis Escrima is both an engaging biography of Leo Giron, and a visual and descriptive survey of his fighting art—a classical Filipino weapons and empty-hand self-defense system.
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