Alfredo "Fred" Bandalan is the first Filipino American to become a Doce Pares Grand Master.
The old man was so predictable. He would walk through his vegetable gardens, the pineapples and the fighting cocks on his way to the barn. In the barn, the young boy, Fred, would surreptitiously watch his grandfather attending to the animals. He would then pick up a stick, sneak up on the old man and poke him on the side. His grandfather would instantly spin to a defensive/offensive stance, do some intricate moves then shout at the laughing boy, "demonyo ka (you devil)!"
Fred’s grandfather, Pedro Blanco, was doing eskrima, a martial art form indigenous to the Philippines that uses sticks or swords as weapons. Though he would proudly do demonstrations during family gatherings, the old man felt that it was too dangerous for his young grandson to learn.
Little did he know that Fred was already picking up on the techniques from watching his grandfather and other Filipinos in Hawaii, young and old, who would often engage in play skirmishes using rolled newspapers as simulated weapons.
Bandalan was born in Lanai, Hawaii in 1936. His father was from Leyte and his mother, like his grandfather, was from Mandaue, Cebu.
No comments:
Post a Comment