Jose Rizal : the Warrior
Jose Rizal: The Warrior
By: Eskabo Daan
*Main Image courtesy of FMAPulse.com; Jose Rizal (right) fencing with Juan Luna (Left)
Jose Rizal is best known as the National Hero of the Philippines. Through his intellect and passion, he wrote two of the most influential books in history, “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo,” and sparked the Philippine revolution. But is it possible that one of the most honored Filipino intellectuals was also one of the earliest integrated martial artists and even promoted the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA)? This article will explore Rizal’s training in martial arts, including Filipino martial arts.
During his early life, Jose Rizal “…was frail and sickly as a child.” As a result, Rizal began conditioning himself through buno, a Filipino-style of wrestling. Because of his size, others sought to take advantage of him. He writes in “Memorias de un estudiante” he tells his experience in grade school in which, “The son of the teacher was a few years older than I and exceeded me in stature… After beating him in a fight, I gained fame among my classmates, possibly because of my smallness” His martial arts training would carry into adulthood as he began cross-training in his travels.
While in Madrid, Rizal practiced fencing and pistol shooting. His reputation as a marksman is best illustrated in a letter he wrote to Antonio Luna which states, “Speaking of shooting, I am sending you a target containing 10 bullet holes; it was seven and a half meters from me. At twenty-five meters I can put all my shots in a twenty-centimeter target” In Japan, Rizal learned judo under the tutelage of Dr. Jigoro Kano. Rizal would eventually teach judo in Paris to the members of the Kidlat (Lightning Club) and would learn boxing while traveling to London from his friend Dr. Reinhold Rost. Rizal’s greatest passion and patriotism, however, came from the Philippines.
Despite being well rounded in many martial arts, Rizal made it a point to learn the marital
By: Eskabo Daan
*Main Image courtesy of FMAPulse.com; Jose Rizal (right) fencing with Juan Luna (Left)
Jose Rizal is best known as the National Hero of the Philippines. Through his intellect and passion, he wrote two of the most influential books in history, “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo,” and sparked the Philippine revolution. But is it possible that one of the most honored Filipino intellectuals was also one of the earliest integrated martial artists and even promoted the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA)? This article will explore Rizal’s training in martial arts, including Filipino martial arts.
During his early life, Jose Rizal “…was frail and sickly as a child.” As a result, Rizal began conditioning himself through buno, a Filipino-style of wrestling. Because of his size, others sought to take advantage of him. He writes in “Memorias de un estudiante” he tells his experience in grade school in which, “The son of the teacher was a few years older than I and exceeded me in stature… After beating him in a fight, I gained fame among my classmates, possibly because of my smallness” His martial arts training would carry into adulthood as he began cross-training in his travels.
While in Madrid, Rizal practiced fencing and pistol shooting. His reputation as a marksman is best illustrated in a letter he wrote to Antonio Luna which states, “Speaking of shooting, I am sending you a target containing 10 bullet holes; it was seven and a half meters from me. At twenty-five meters I can put all my shots in a twenty-centimeter target” In Japan, Rizal learned judo under the tutelage of Dr. Jigoro Kano. Rizal would eventually teach judo in Paris to the members of the Kidlat (Lightning Club) and would learn boxing while traveling to London from his friend Dr. Reinhold Rost. Rizal’s greatest passion and patriotism, however, came from the Philippines.
Despite being well rounded in many martial arts, Rizal made it a point to learn the marital
References: * Salvador, Diego – Rizal in Duels & Martial Arts: More than Just your Ordinary National Hero * Navarro, Rene – Rizal: Zen Life and Zen Death * Mallari, S Gil Perry – Fightin’ Jose, The Manila Times, 12 June 2008