“Spolarium” painting by Filipino artist Juan Luna
When dangers comes your way, how confident are you? Let’s be realistic, do you think the skills you acquired from years of martial arts training will save you? The problem with martial arts education today is that they do not teach their students realistic way of fighting and in dealing with a street fight. Most of the techniques don’t work in real life scenario. That is why practitioners fail to defend themselves when real danger arises. They developed false sense of confidence. They believe they can defend themselves but in truth they cannot. A black belt does not guarantee victory in a street fight. The years of training teach one how to execute great forms, kicks, punches and win tournament trophies but again it doesn’t mean you can fight in the street
This is the reason why Sibukan was founded in 1984. The founders, Fred and Ismael “Boy” Garcia were consistent tournament champions in no hold barred fights, but they knew from experience that street fighting is different. There are no rules! You can bite, head butt, use a weapon or anything around you that might help you win a fight. We do not encourage our students to go into street fights in order to learn but we create situations similar to one and train them in that scenario in the gym. You can be a UFC or MMA fighter but that doesn’t guarantee that you will survive in a street fight specially if you are fighting with a seasoned street fighter who uses everything at his disposal. A UFC fighter is trained for competition and a street fighter is trained for street fighting. That is why, an MMA/UFC fighter is not guaranteed to win in a street fight because he trains and fights under certain conditions and rules. In the final analysis, MMA fight such as the UFC is still a sport.
Fred is the older brother and one of the pioneer of Yaw-Yan Full Contact Fighters in the 70′s. They were one of the first who introduced “No hold barred Knock Out system” in San Fernando, Pampanga and Manila, Philippines. Ismael is the younger and the first recognized kickboxing superstar in the Philippines with fights all over the country and some international fights.
Sibukan is a progressive form of combative self defense and the culmination of various Filipino martial arts (Yawyan, Arnis/Kali, Dumog and Buno)and other martial arts like Muay Thai, Judo, Jiujitsu, wrestling, boxing, pencak silat packaged into one mixed martial arts.
Sibukan is a Capampangan (Philippine dialect) word meaning tried and tested. It is also derived from the word SIpa (kick) BUno (wrestling)& tumbuKAN (boxing). Sibukan was founded by the brothers Fred and Ismael “Boy” Garcia in 1984. Both brothers were former Philippine National Yawyan Kickboxing Champions and experts Kali/Arnis fighters.
Note: Ismael “Boy” Garcia (picture above) has trained in Kali-Ilustrisimo and won Arnis/Eskrima/Kali Championship in the Philippines.
A Sibukan practitioner should be able to fight in three stages. 1st stage is boxing with kicks, sweeps and throws, 2nd stage is ground fighting with submission, 3rd stage is full contact kali/ arnis/escrima .
One of their most successful direct students is the Pride of Yawyan, Emiliano Zapata, who fought in international Muay Thai Championships in Singapore and World Muay Thai Council Fights in Australia.
Copyright © 2009 UMMA, Toronto, Canada, Fred Garcia
