Indonesian martial arts incorporate a variety of fighting styles from traditional to hybrid. It's common to see pencak silat as an umbrella term, but many expand well beyond that. Types of Indonesian Fighting Systems Indonesian martial arts are composed of more than a few combative styles designed for self-defense or general combat. Below are some well-known systems. Pencak Silat Pencak silat is used as a universal term to describe the fighting arts in Indonesia. Some use the term separately, viewing them as two different aspects. "Pencak" can be observed by causal outsiders as it's all about the essence of training. Whereas, "silat" is more about the essence of … [Read more...]
A New Manila
Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is one of the birthplaces of Filipino martial arts (FMA). Previous inhabitants of the city — along with the island of Cebu — played a pivotal role during historical times in the development of Eskrima, Arnis, and even Panatukan, but despite that, the city has a surprising lack of FMA schools. It has also been overshadowed somewhat in the tourism department, with a certain class of holidaymakers preferring those other Asian metropolises like Bangkok, Macau, Singapore, and Hong Kong. But a new Manila is beginning to emerge with a change in fortune and a boost from the luxury tourism industry. The fourth-largest city in the world and a major … [Read more...]
The Bangkok Taxi Chronicles: Just Landed
Part 1 Oh man I'm starting to get excited. The plane landed about forty minutes ago and here I am already taking my luggage from the conveyor belt. Forty minutes to walk to Immigration, queue up, get my passport stamped up and pick up my luggage; that must be some kind of record here in Suvarnabhumi. I think I struck a slow day, or maybe not being swamped by one of the many Chinese tours nowadays makes all the difference; whatever the reason, I'm back! After customs, I emerge on the ground floor of the four level airport. I know where I'm going, I need a taxi, but I'm not going to wait in that taxi queue just outside. No sir! I took it once a couple of years ago and … [Read more...]
The Hidden Costs of Traveling Bangkok for a Day
Life in Isaan is okay. It’s this awkward balance of farm life and Western habits that my family must navigate through on a daily basis. What makes things a little more complicated is that everything is in Bangkok. Yes, in recent years there has been some great progress in Isaan, like more immigration check points and a passport centre in both Khorat and Khon Kaen, but for the most part, we must still make our way down to Bangkok at least three to four times a year for various reasons. During each visit to the capital, I am continually surprised at how much money my family and I are able to spend doing next to nothing. This last particular visit was on our … [Read more...]
Korat Hotel Review – Sripattana Hotel
I needed to find a hotel with a swimming pool in Korat (Khorat) city. This took my search results down from a hundred to just a handful. I was also working on a pretty tight budget as well which directed me to the Sripattana Hotel. Every ninety days I am required to make my way down to Thai immigration to ‘check-in’. Although married to a Thai national, this is still a process. I must complete whether I'm here on a marriage visa or with a work permit. As a family we try to make the most of these trips and will usually spend the night in Korat. Korat is the closest immigration check point to us, and is about a two hour drive from home. The … [Read more...]
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