Eskrima Kombat

I was saddened to hear that GM Tony Somera, heir to the late GM Giron, has passed away.

I don’t understand all the politics of the divisions within GM Giron’s style, but I think everyone must grant to Tony his unwavering respect for, and loyalty to, GM Giron.

I remember going with GM Estalilla, Master Ed Planas, and my friend Ryan Osborne to see GM Giron and the Bahala Na group in Stockton. It was the way things always should be in the martial arts, with practitioners meeting in an atmosphere of mutual respect and learning from each other.

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I contacted GM Somera because I was considering learning Largo Mano. But due to time, distance, and money concerns, it just wasn’t feasible. GM Somera was the bridge to the last of the surviving Filipino Bolo Battalion members, as well as the “old men” –the original Filipino immigrants to California.

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The video below is of Grandmasters Giron and Somera walking together. I like to picture them walking together again in heaven.