Guru Mike Casto Article

Filipino Influences:
Doce Pares Eskrima
Balintawak Eskrima
Dekiti Tirsia Siradis Kali
Lacoste/Inosanto Blend Kali

Indonesian Influences:
Mande Muda Silat
Pentjak Silat Bukti Negara / Serak
Kun Tao Silat de Thouars (Chinese / Indonesian)

   One note I would like to make, the systems of Bukti Negara and Kun Tao Silat de Thouars were created, respectively, by Paul de Thouars and Willem de Thouars. The de Thouars family is Dutch Indonesian, not Indonesian. This distinction, in the context of this article, is somewhat irrelevant, but, out of respect for these men, I felt it necessary to mention this fact.

What I'll be teaching
   The Professor asked me to focus on weapons training since this is, really, the specialty of the Sikal system (though the system doesn't lack in the empty hand department either). I'm not sure how many sessions I'll be teaching during the camp but here's a brief overview of what I hope to cover.
        Knife disarms
        Stick disarms and locking/grappling with the stick
        Flexible weapons

   The knife and stick material will, for the most part, come out of the Filipino arts. The flexible weapons material will be primarily from the Cipecut system (which is part of Mande Muda Silat).

Items of note
   Some people scoff at weapons disarms ... and I understand why. Disarms are not a definite thing. In fact, disarms are, more often than not, incidental if not accidental in a real fight. However, I like to train them because if I'm presented with the opportunity, I have to be able to take it. If it's not in my body, then the disarm will not happen except through sheer luck. Luck is always an important factor in a fight ... but not something that can be relied. It's always nice to buffer it with training.
   In the flexible weapons training, I will be using an Indonesian "Sarong." However, anything flexible can be used. A T-shirt, towel, or even your belt (the cotton martial arts style ... leather belts would hurt a lot) can be used in the training. Now, I have heard people say that this is not practical ... I disagree. These concepts can be applied to anything that is flexible. This can include your jacket, sock, belt, towel, phone cord, etc. It can even include your opponent's jacket or shirt. I will also demonstrate some of these ideas.

   Thank you for your time in reading this article. I look forward to meeting and training with all of you in October.

Regards, Guru Mike Casto

	Guro Mike Casto of Sikal / Pencak Silat
	Hello, my name is Mike Casto. I will be teaching at this year's Camp Lansdale, October 6 - 8. I wanted to introduce myself and share some information about my background and what I'll be teaching at the camp. First, let me thank Professor Lansdale for inviting me down to teach at the camp. I have enjoyed what little time I have spent with the Professor and some of his students (particularly Senseis Coy and Eugene). I look forward to spending more time with them and everyone else who will be attending the camp. About Me I started in martial arts about 20 years ago at the age of 8. Officially, I trained in Tae Kwon Do and then Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate. Unofficially (through playing with friends or at seminars), I have been exposed (to varying degrees) to several systems of Kung Fu, some Shootfighting, Muay Thai, Kenpo, Kendo, laido, Aikido, Combat Hapkido, several systems of Filipino and Indonesian martial arts, Bando, and Ninjutsu. In 1995, I began training with Guru Ken Pannell in the system of "Sikal." Guru Ken has trained with some of the top names in the Filipino and Indonesian martial communities and Sikal is his expression of the elements he has learned from his instructors. In 1999, I earned my instructorship in Sikal under Guru Ken. Now, technically, my title is Guru. The word Guru is Indonesian for teacher/mentor/guide. It is synonymous with its Japanese / Chinese / Filipino counterparts of Sensei / Sifu / Guro. About Sikal Sikal, as I said, is a blend of elements from several Filipino and Indonesian martial systems. The Filipino arts are most often referred to as Kali, Eskrima, or Arnis. The difference between these words is open to conjecture. Some people use them interchangeably and others make distinctions. Personally, I make a minor distinction. It is my opinion (and, as I said, no one really knows for certain) that Kali is the parent art and that the terms Eskrima and Arnis began being used after the Spanish conquered the northern and central Philippines in the early 1500s (Note: in 377 years of trying, they never gained more than a minor foothold in the southern Philippines, and they were never really able to maintain these). My distinction, then, between the terms is that the word Kali describes a blade based art and that the terms Eskrima and Arnis describe stick based arts. This is not to say that the Eskrima and Arnis systems don't deal with the blade ... they are just more stick oriented. Most of the Indonesian martial systems fall under the umbrella term of "Pentjak Silat." Now, this can also be spelled "Pencak Silat." Throughout Indonesia, different regions use different spellings ... but they are pronounced the same way (PEN - CH - AK : Rhymes with "pen chalk"). These systems are as varied as the Chinese Kung Fu systems (and, in fact, there is also Chinese Kun Tao found in Indonesia). The system of Sikal draws primarily from the following systems: Filipino Influences:* Doce Pares Eskrima Balintawak Eskrima Dekiti Tirsia Siradis Kali Lacoste/Inosanto Blend Kali Indonesian Influences: Mande Muda Silat Pentjak Silat Bukti Negara / Serak Kun Tao Silat de Thouars (Chinese / Indonesian) One note I would like to make, the systems of Bukti Negara and Kun Tao Silat de Thouars were created, respectively, by Paul de Thouars and Willem de Thouars. The de Thouars family is Dutch Indonesian, not Indonesian. This distinction, in the context of this article, is somewhat irrelevant, but, out of respect for these men, I felt it necessary to mention this fact. What I'll be teaching The Professor asked me to focus on weapons training since this is, really, the specialty of the Sikal system (though the system doesn't lack in the empty hand department either). I'm not sure how many sessions I'll be teaching during the camp but here's a brief overview of what I hope to cover. Knife disarms Stick disarms and locking/grappling with the stick Flexible weapons The knife and stick material will, for the most part, come out of the Filipino arts. The flexible weapons material will be primarily from the Cipecut system (which is part of Mande Muda Silat). Items of note Some people scoff at weapons disarms ... and I understand why. Disarms are not a definite thing. In fact, disarms are, more often than not, incidental if not accidental in a real fight. However, I like to train them because if I'm presented with the opportunity, I have to be able to take it. If it's not in my body, then the disarm will not happen except through sheer luck. Luck is always an important factor in a fight ... but not something that can be relied. It's always nice to buffer it with training. In the flexible weapons training, I will be using an Indonesian "Sarong." However, anything flexible can be used. A T-shirt, towel, or even your belt (the cotton martial arts style ... leather belts would hurt a lot) can be used in the training. Now, I have heard people say that this is not practical ... I disagree. These concepts can be applied to anything that is flexible. This can include your jacket, sock, belt, towel, phone cord, etc. It can even include your opponent's jacket or shirt. I will also demonstrate some of these ideas. Thank you for your time in reading this article. I look forward to meeting and training with all of you in October. Regards, Guru Mike Casto

BACK