A classic reference for martial artists and aficionados of Filipino culture, Filipino Martial Culture is an unprecedented excursion into the history, ideology, and techniques of Filipino martial arts. Beginning with a comprehensive study of the history of civil turbulence in the Philippines and the participation of its warriors in fights for independence from colonial rulers, Filipino Martial Culture proceeds to explore the worldview, spirituality, folklore and weaponry of this ancient tradition. Mark Wiley has collected extensive interviews with Filipino martial arts masters, as well as photographs of their practice and weaponry, in his preparations for this book. He explains basic and rare techniques, elucidating the ethos of much of Filipino culture in the process. The authority and depth of his materials are unsurpassed; Filipino Martial Culture is as much a definitive anthropological textbook as it is a practical guide to the martial arts
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Good place to start:
If you've ever wondered about the Pinoy warrior, this is a good starting point. Wiley's writing isn't the best and the book has numerous grammatical errors. You will find this piece interesting and it will point you in the right direction if you desire more details. I rated this 5 stars because it's a must addition to any martial artist's library. Buy it and judge for yourself. I don't consider spending $20 on any book as a waste.
88 words for Coconut:
Actually I am not sure how many words for coconut there are in the Phillipines. With all the languages, dialects and sub-dialects in the PI there must be at least 88. Where am I leading too? If you read around the web you will find some respectable criticisms concerning this book and Mark Wiley, maybe even Wileys ancestry. Mostly this is concerned with the "origin" theories for the Filipino Martial Arts. I think some slack could be given here as, you guessed it, "there are 88 words for coconut in the PI!"... more info
Trailblazing:
Mark Wiley's thorough examination of the ancient and modern Filipino martial culture is ground breaking, exemplary, and extremely well researched (there are 175 books referenced in the bibliography). My wife is Filipino so I've had a long time fascination with the martial culture of that archipelago, but had difficulty finding English-language texts to study prior to discovering this outstanding work. This book covers all aspects of those arts. It is well written and very informative, covering the martial... more info
A work of surprising depth and scope:
The only books which I can readily think of which approach this book in depth and scope are those by Donn Draeger.
Kudos to Wiley for producing such an interesting sourcebook which presents the contemporary mosaic of Filipino martial culture with a thoroughness rarely seen in the world of martial arts writing.
