Male 1: Ernesto Presas is the architect and chief of Combatan, the Filipino fighting system that could ruin any children’s party. Do not even try to call Ernie’s spar.
Male 2: This is by far the most amazing skills in the Philippines for sure—blindfold fighting. It is a blindfold that you cannot see through and he is blocking pretty much everything that is coming his way. That is amazing.
Yeah, how do you do that.
Male 3: If you learn the flow, that is it.
Male 1: The flow that Ernie is talking about the organic way the footwork and strikes a Combatan combined together. It is a bit like chess. There are set of moves or the outcomes are unpredictable. The spontaneous sparring this creates is called “Palit-Palit” and it is the increased sensitivity that palit-palit develops, and eventually means you do not have to rely on your eyes to stick it to your opponent.
Male 2: Palit-palit is striking but flowing with strikes.
Male 3: Flowing with strikes.
Male 2: So you are getting into almost a dance…
Male 3: Dance, dance.
Male 2: So that is the footwork and the palit-palit.
Male 3: Palit-palit.
Male 2: Would you do any, sort of stick work…
Male 3: Yeah, stick work. yeah! Palit-palit with the sticks.
This one, I can play and I cut it to you. See? We can talk. I am not looking. See?
Male 2: So you are having a conversation with me while fighting.
Male 3: Yeah, the move dance. See?
Male 2: The highest level of the skill, the flow, you can fight with two sticks with the blindfold.
Male 3: I can do with the blindfold.
Male 2: Would you show us sir?
Male 3: Yeah, okay.
Male 2: So you are actually blindfolded and you cannot see and these things could kill you.
Male 3: Yeah, this slow motion. You can go with the footwork. You can go with the speed, go backward. Yeah. See the footwork?
Male 2: That is an amazing skill. How did you learn the blindfold skill?
Male 3: My grandfather told me, use this blindfold 25 years, and he knows that there are people coming.
Male 2: He could sense it?
Male 3: Yeah.
Male 1: Ernie’s grandfather did not just give him advice, he also gave him his supernaturally powered amulet.
Male 2: What is your amulet, is it a stone or something?
Male 3: Stone, stone.
Male 2: And the amulet gives you a spiritual power?
Male 1: Spirit, yeah, power. I cannot become tired. After two hours, I will become more powerful.
Male 2: So you have never ever shown anybody your amulet?
Male 1: Uh-huh.
Male 2: Is it because if you show somebody, the power will be…
Male 1: No more.
Male 2: Yeah, keep it to you…
Male 1: Yeah.
If you learn the flow, that is it. If you learn the palit-palit.
Male 2: It is all about the flow is it not?
Male 1: Yeah, the flow.
Male 2: May the flow be with you.
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