Informative Issue No. 134 2014

Grandmaster Frank AycochoGrandmaster Frank Aycocho

“It is not worthy or worthwhile teaching martial arts to bullies, people with no conscience and especially violent people”

AMAC Student Hyungki Cho Basics in Learning Karate Basics in Learning Silat Basics in Learning Kuntao Basics in Learning Arnis de Mano Grandmaster Frank Aycocho Clarification

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The FMA Informative while in the Philippines in 2014, talked with Hyungki Cho (English name is Erickson) who is from Korea and is currently working in the Philippines. He is a student of Grandmaster Frank Aycocho the Founder of Aycocho Martial Arts Center. The FMA Informative talked with Mr. Cho on what Grandmaster Aycocho taught and how he is as a teacher. Grandmaster Aycocho Founded the Aycocho Martial Arts Center and has evolved into teaching (4) four martial arts. Always emphasizing the differences in the arts that he teaches. Karate, Silat (Bela Deri: street fight-ing concept, Silat Gayon: Indonesian fighting art in concept for sport and combat, and Pencak Silat: Malayan fighting art, Kuntao, and Arnis de Mano. Grandmaster Aycocho can teach a single art or all arts, breaking them down into sections for understanding.

Aychoco Martial Arts Center Main Gym

Block 11, Lot 22, Palmera Homes Novaliches East, Camarin Caloocan City, Philippines

Phone; (0947) 452-0660 Email: faycocho@yahoo.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/shanfrank.francisco

AMAC Student Hyungki Cho

Hyungki Cho (English name is Erickson) says that Grand-master Aycocho is an excellent teacher that besides teaching coordination of mind and body, self-respect, endurance, flexibili-ty, he also insists that the student must have an open mind, take the knowledge that is given and logi-cally apply it. Erickson says that in learn-ing from Grandmaster Aycocho teaches four martial arts. Grand-

master Aycocho always emphases the differences in the arts that he teaches. Karate, Silat (Bela Deri: street fighting concept, Silat Gayon: Indonesian fighting art in concept for sport and combat, and Pencak Silat: Malayan figting art, Kuntao, and Arnis de Mano. Grandmaster Aycocho can teach a single art or all arts, breaking them down into sections for understand-ing.

Basics in Learning Karate

The first is Karate which is divided into kihon (basics or fundamentals), kata (forms), and kumite (sparring). Karate can be practiced as an art (Budo), as a sport, as a combat sport, or as self-defense training. Traditional Karate places emphasis on self-development, Modern Japanese style training emphasizes the psychological elements incorpo-rated into a proper attitude such as perseverance, fearlessness, virtue, and leader-ship skills. Sport karate places emphasis on exercise and competition. Karate, (Japanese: “empty hand”) unarmed martial-arts discipline employ-ing kicking, striking, and defensive blocking with arms and legs. Emphasis is on concentrating as much of the body’s power as possible at the point and instant of

impact. Striking surfaces include the hands (particularly the knuckles and the outer edge), ball of the foot, heel, forearm, knee, and elbow.

Basics in Learning SilatSilat Gayong or known as Silat Seni Gayong: is a style of Silat from Malaysia. In Malaysia Seni Gayong is often called the most “complete” system of Silat due to the fact that it incorporates, to varying degrees, all the main aspects of other styles. This includes strikes, grabs, joint manipulation, weaponry, and acrobatics.

Pencak Silat Pencak silat (Indonesian sometimes spelled Penchak Silat or Pentjak Silat in Western writings) is an um-brella term for the martial arts of Indonesia.

Basics in Learning Kuntao That is taught is a combination of different methods which often are termed “eclectic” and often are lacking a core, instead relying upon the continu-al addition of new strategies, tactics, and techniques. The Aycocho Martial Arts Center system although hybridized is not at all “eclectic”, and the basic move-ments are also the advanced. Understandings and applications change, but the essential system does not. This allows for a much greater depth in the develop-ment of skill owing to the continual refinement of a base that does not inherently change, but instead becomes more advanced.

The Aycocho Martial Arts Center system is culturally derived from the arts of China and Indonesia, and accord-ingly has tactical elements of both. The adopted cultural aspects, primarily school eti-quette, may vary between Chinese and Indonesian terminolo-gy and practices, and may even include elements of both. There is an axiom that states that for a system to be valid it must be based upon a greater system. Beyond the consid-eration of historical and cultural elements, what defines the Aycocho Martial Arts Center system is a core of operation that is firmly rooted in the principles of physics, psychology and anatomy. This orientation is what allows the art to weave together two disparate cultural elements and blend differing

strategies together into one whole, and in the end, define itself. It is a true synthesis.

Basics in Learning Arnis de Mano Emphasize is a weapon-based fighting with sticks, knives and other bladed weapons, and various improvised weapons. It also includes hand-

to-hand combat, joint locks, grappling and weapon disarming techniques. Aycocho Martial Arts Center teaches defend-ing against and/or reacting to angles of attack rather than particular strikes. The theory behind this is that virtually all types of hand-to-hand attacks (barehand-ed or with a weapon) will hit or reach a combatant via these angles of attack and it is reasoned that it is more efficient to learn to defend against different angles of attack rather than learning to defend against particular styles, particular techniques or particular weapons.

Sports Arnis

Final Comment

Grandmaster Aycocho feels that it is very important that the student should know the history of a martial art and what is behind the art its self. If the student expands his knowledge in these areas then the student will understand the concept and principles of the art and be more appreciative of the art

that they are learning. Erickson was confused when fist commencing his train-ing, but once he grasped the differ-ences of the principles of each art the concepts became clear and his training progressed. Overall Erickson feels that in learning from Grandmaster

Aycocho he has and continually is developing his mind and phys-ical attributes which he has found that have gone far beyond what he thought he was capable of ac-complishing, which has enhanced his overall personal self-respect, self-confidence and inner aware-ness and self being.

Guro Margarito Lubat who has undergone cross training with Grand-master Frank Aycocho in Kali Silat, Shotokan and Sports Arnis - Docena Corto y Largo

Grandmaster Frank Aycocho and Guro Margarito Lubat

Grandmaster Frank Aycocho Founder of Aycocho Martial Arts Center (AMAC)

Grandmaster Aycocho was a self-supporting child without parents. He worked as a house boy for Jim Mediavillo a policemen and instructor in body building, Judo, Jiu Jitsu at the Bicol Univer-sity. Frank by watching the classes, self-studied the Judo and Jiu Jitsu. It was 1966 at the age of 14 years of age, at a barrio fiesta in Bicol, Philippines there was a ring set up for kick boxing events. The ring announcer called all the kids to step up into the ring wearing uniforms for a competition. The Referee explained that there would only be only 2 fouls in the match no hitting the groin, and no biting, this was kickboxing like the K-1 that is now shown on TV. In 1967 Jim Mediavillo sent Frank to his 1st year of high school, Frank joined the Balmace-da Jiu Jitsu Karate and Arnis class-es and at a stage show he danced tinikling with an arnis partner. One year was all Frank got to attend for high school due to financial reasons. He had to go to work and worked as a utility man at a hotel. At the same time Frank joined the YMCA Karate program ran by Sensei Jun Legaspi who was the instructor, at a tournament he had his first taste of Kuntaw due to competing against some of

the Kuntaw students in the area. As time passed Frank then found another job as a utility man at a hospital with his earnings he was able to finish high school by attending night classes. Grandmaster Aycocho then joined a school that taught Kuntaw, Karate, Ju Jitsu and Arnis whose instructor was Jun Orence.

In 1974 as a 3rd Degree Black Belt, Grandmaster Aycocho went to Manila to join in the competi-tion of the 1st Asian invitational Karate Tournament at Araneta Coliseum, and won the individual Kumite. Grandmaster Aycocho enlisted in to the AFP. He was an instructor of hand and foot combat of PGB, (Presidential Guard Bat-talion) at Laog City Marine Camp Training Center. He transferred to the Special Service Group and became a member of the PCRP Team-Karate (Philippine Constab-ulary), but decided that this was not a good for him, so he trans-ferred to the Medical Service, OJT at AFP Medical Center, V-Luna taking up EMT Paramedic, O.R. Tech, MEMU Tech. After many years of ser-vice Grandmaster Aycocho left the

AFP and signed a contract, with the OFW in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, working as EMT-Paramed-ic for the 997 National Emergency Rescue Royal Commission. In his free time Grandmas-ter Aycocho was allowed to teach Kuntaw at the Royal Commission Recreation Center, which was open to multinationals of all ages, (Saudi Arabia law prohibits OFW to pay double compensation). Grand-master Aycocho got paid by a deal where he shared profits from his classes with the recreation manage-ment. Saudi Arabians loved Kuntaw sports competition. Grand-master John Bais and Grandmaster Aycocho promoted Kuntaw for 12 years in K.S.A. Grandmaster Aycocho was appointed as Director of Kuntaw, Middle East by Grand-master Carlito Lanada of KNP-IKF. Grandmaster Aycocho earned the rank of Master (Red, White and Blue Belt) in Kuntaw.Grandmaster Aycocho competed in Dubai; full contact karate compe-tition when he worked with CGG-FRANCE Oil exploration. In 1998 Grandmaster Aycocho returned to Manila, start-ing over again, opening an IKF Chapter in NCR Manila which was

published in the Manila Bulletin newspaper dated Jan 14 1999 and was visited by Grandmaster Lana-da returning to the Philippines for a visit from the United States Grand-master Lanada and Grandmaster Aycocho organized a Kuntaw National Tournament in Olongapo City. The guest speaker was the Honorable Dick Gordon. Grandmaster Aycocho with his students from the Manila KNP-IKF chapter took only one trophy in the tournament, winning the forms competition with Sayaw-An form and the Maya Form. Grand-master Lanada offered Grand-master Aycocho the position as KNP-IKF President. Grandmaster

Aycocho has been waiting for the appointment in writing, but to no avail it never happened. Struggling always due to geographic location and lack of support from the head office of the IKF, Grandmaster Aycocho moved on and Founded KUMANDOS in 1999, then establishing and found-ed LAKAS 8 Kuntaw mixing the art of Arnis with Kuntaw and Silat, Founded on August 8, 2008. Today Grandmaster Ayco-cho founded the Aycocho Martial Arts Center and has evolved into teaching (4) four martial arts. Al-ways emphasizing the differences in the arts that he teaches. Karate, Silat (Bela Deri: street fighting

concept, Silat Gayon: Indonesian fighting art in concept for sport and combat, and Pencak Silat: Malayan fighting art, Kuntao, and Arnis de Mano. Grandmaster Aycocho can teach a single art or all arts, break-ing them down into sections for understanding. A philosophy of Grandmas-ter Aycocho is “It is not worthy or worthwhile teaching martial arts to bullies, people with no conscience and especially violent people”. Grandmaster Aycocho teaches only to a select group of individuals confined in his school for priva-cy and full attentiveness for one month with complete and strict discipline.

Clarification from Grandmaster Frank Aycocho on Teaching at the Acocho Martial Arts Center

Sports type in the sense that forms of Kuntao, Karate-Do and Arnis are required from students for a high standard of merit to ef-fectively gain points in competition as well as sparring for competition. Students are carefully oriented with the flexibility of techniques appli-cable to the event of fighting. In competition, Professional etiquette is impose, techniques are limited according to the ground rules pass by organizers, In Grandmaster Aycocho teachings the student can automatically adopt to avoid fouls and end up in disqualification, dancing with the tune of music

being played, do not steep into the fighting arena to sleep on a spinal board or go to war and do nothing. Principles of empty hand is basically a self-defense type, being a martial artist one walks without a weapon or weapons at hand. The body parts are weapons, don’t walk around in public places with weapons then you get arrest-ed. The importance to stay alert standing in balance is avoid being injured even without a fight if you fall you can get injured, walk on a normal speed and timing otherwise you slide and fall, students excel discovering discipline how to

eliminate fear, developing physical and mental skills, learning how socializing with martial artist and non-martial artist and earn respect with the other stylist. Forms are required to develop the students on proper stances, focus, timing, balance, and execution of strikes, pause of concentration generating force and speed, mental skills in memorizing in the continuity of motion avoid-ing flaws in the action. All this applies in Arnis and Karate-Do and Kuntao forms.

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