Workshop teaches FCC community the Filipino martial art of fencing

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- On Tuesday, Fresno City College kicked disconnected its Asian American Month Festivities.

The assemblage is hosting panels and workshops to thatch the assemblage astir Asian American cultures and journeys.

One of those events IS a store that taught radical astir a unsocial benignant of Filipino martial art. The benignant taught successful Tuesday's store is called Kabaroan Eskrima, which is simply a signifier of Filipino instrumentality fighting.

People successful the people learned however this is not lone a signifier of self-defense, but it's besides an art. The extremity of it is to humanize it, civilize the artist, and refine the techniques.

"It's harder to larn from a book," said Jamie Visitacion, and teacher with Estalilla Kabaroan Eskrima "You don't spot it, the movements."

In a packed Fresno City College schoolroom successful Central Fresno, Visitacion taught students the creation of Kabaroan Eskrima.

Many of the students coming from antithetic backgrounds. Vistacion said this benignant was taught by Grandmaster Ramiro Estalilla.

Estalilla gave classes astatine some Fresno City College and Fresno State for respective years.

"From determination helium benignant of changed the arts itself, wherever helium could marque it shorter for the assemblage purpose," said Visitacion.

Visitacion met Grandmaster Estalilla successful 1998, and has been with him since. Visitacion said his grandmaster is an ordained minister, and taught Eskrima arsenic not conscionable arsenic a signifier of self-defense, but to besides to humanize the creation signifier and marque connections.

"He utilized the creation itself, Kabaroan Eskrima, arsenic Christian ministry," said Visitacion. "To conscionable people. He introduced the creation to them to impart the ministry."

For students, the people was an eye-opening experience. Junior Keophovangphet, a 2nd twelvemonth astatine FCC, is Laotian American and successful the workshop, helium saw galore values that were akin to his culture.

"I deliberation being an Asian American and learning antithetic things from antithetic cultures, it helps you recognize antithetic values and beliefs," said Keophovangphet. "Cause one cognize successful my civilization it's similar."

Tuesday's store is conscionable 1 of respective Asian American Month workshops and forums happening astatine the college.

Gena Gong, an Asian American Studies Professor astatine FCC, organized galore of the Asian American period events.

"The much education, the much radical recognize that we are here, we are Americans," said Gong. "Some of america are fourth, fifth, sixth procreation Americans."

Gong said it's important to thatch aboriginal generations astir the antithetic kinds of Asian American past and cultures.

"Being capable to conscionable enactment different groups it feels phenomenal," said Keophovangphet.

This is the 2nd clip the Kabaroan Eskirma store was held. Gong said she's hoping to bring backmost the store successful the future.

Click here to spot the database of different Asian American period events happening this month.

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