REFORMA ESKRIMA ARNIS SYSTEM (RAS), INC.
ORIGIN & BIRTH OF RAS ESKRIMA FIGHTING ART

Marinduque Centurion Tradition

​

The Centurion Festival is a folk-religious event held annually during Holy Week on the island of Marinduque, considered the geographical heart of the Philippines.

​

The word “Morion” refers to the visor of the helmet that is associated with the armor of Roman soldiers.  The  word “Moriones” refers to the local inhabitants who dress up in costumes and masks of Roman soldiers during Biblical times. These costumed locals are farmers and fishermen who engage in the street theater as a form of penitence & thanksgiving.

​

The term "Moriones" was concocted by the media in the 60s, but local inhabitants have kept the original term, "Moryonan". Legend has it that Longinus pierced the side of the crucified Christ. The re-enactment reaches its climax when Longinus is caught and beheaded.

​

History

In Valencia, Spain there is a similar celebration called Festival de Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians Festival). It is almost certain that the word "Moriones" was derived from "Moros". Another possible derivation is from the Spanish word "murió" (root verb:morir) meaning "(3rd person singular) died". The origin of the festival is traced to Mogpog and the year 1887 when the parish priest of said town, Fr. Dionisio Santiago, organized it for the first time.

​

​Reference

1. Tagaloglang

2. Wikipedia

​

The Birth of RAS Eskrima - Filipino Marinduque Art

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Filipino Marinduque Art - Reforma Eskrima Arnis System (RAS) is a Stick/Blade & Empty-Hand Combative Self Defense Fighting Art System that was originally born in Marinduque Philippines as the clan Fighting System of Reforma Clan which was focus on being minimalist & simplicity but sophisticated fighting art that can deliver direct assault strike in a short, medium, long distance close quarter combat with great speed, accuracy, fluidity, power, coordination, and deadly strikes which can paralyze an opponent in just a couple of seconds either by armed or unarmed counter attack scenario.

​

Filipino Marinduque Art - Reforma Eskrima Arnis System (RAS) was develop & conceptualise based on our Ancestor Moriones Tradition and experience of my clan in festival participation during early days and younger years of our Ancestors.

​

I began replicating and conceptualize our clan personal Centurion moves and ideas since childhood days back in 1986. I develop, formalize, & conceptualize routine drills and apply my own simplified concept style in an efficient combative drill that mimic the movement of Honey Badger since 1998 up-to present.

​

The RASystem ESKRIMA Practitioner utilize its energy and maintain on guard position at all times. The practitioner moves in a random counter position and focus its target on every vital and sensitive body parts of its opponent.

​

The Filipino Marinduque Art  - RAS Eskrima has been continuously develop, evolving, preserve and being trained in secrecy for keeping its pure and authentic form as reserved fighting art of Reforma siblings & Filipino people for the next generations.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

The Combative instinct, aggressiveness, cleverness and fearless manner of RAS Eskrima core Principle & Methodology came from “honey badger (Mellivora capensis), also known as the ratel (/ˈreɪtəl/ or /ˈrɑːtəl/), is the only species in the mustelid subfamily Mellivorinae and its only genus Mellivora. It is native to Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Despite its name, the honey badger does not closely resemble other badger species; instead, it bears more anatomical similarities to weasels. It is classed as Least Concern rather than a threatened species by the IUCN owing to its extensive range and general environmental adaptations. It is primarily a carnivorous species and has few natural predators because of its thick skin and ferocious defensive abilities.

The honey badger is the only species of the genus Mellivora. Although in the 1860s it was assigned to the badger subfamily, the Melinae, it is now generally agreed that it bears very few similarities to the Melinae. It is much more closely related to the marten subfamily, Mustelinae, but furthermore is assigned its own subfamily, Mellivorinae. Differences between Mellivorinae and Melinae include differences in their dentition formulae. Though not in the same subfamily as the wolverines, which are a genus of large-sized and atypical Mustelinae, the honey badger can be regarded as another, analogous, form of outsized weasel or polecat.

The species first appeared during the middle Pliocene in Asia. Its closest relation was the extinct genus Eomellivora, which is known from the upper Miocene, and evolved into several different species throughout the whole Pliocene in both the Old and New World.” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_badger

​

The Reforma Clan fighting system has been influence and conceptualise based on our Marinduque Moriones/Centurion tradition that focus its training in blade, spear, ax, knife and various weapons being use in medieval period, Moriones/Centurion performance, hand to hand combative of our ancestors that fought during Philippine/American war back in September 1901 (famous Battle of Pulang Lupa in Torrijos Marinduque Philippines using Bolos, Machete, itak, spear) combined with cross-trained in different Filipino Martial Art styles while all weapon based practice drill has been utilize and can be applied as Empty Hand or Hand to Hand Application as RASystem ESKRIMA Combative Self Defense.

​

Filipino Marinduque Art - RAS Eskrima is not Sports oriented.

​

Filipino Marinduque Art

Reforma Eskrima Arnis System (RAS) inc.
Jimmy Rodelas Reforma
Founder/President/Promoter
Over All Chief Practitioner

​

"The one exclusive sign of thorough knowledge is the power of teaching." -Aristotle

​

​

​