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The Colt 1911 in FMA History...

Two major events that occurred in 1911 had significant long-term impact on Sulu blade culture:

1.  US Gen. John Joseph "Blackjack" Pershing banned the carrying of weapons, and;

2.  The US Army adopted the Colt M1911 .45 ACP Pistol as its standard-issue sidearm.

"American units fighting Moro guerrillas during the Philippine-American War using the then-standard Colt M1892 revolver, in .38 Long Colt, found it to be unsuitable for the rigors of jungle warfare, particularly in terms of stopping power, as the Moros had very high battle morale and frequently used drugs to inhibit the sensation of pain.  The U.S. Army briefly reverted to using the M1873 single-action revolver in .45 Colt caliber, which had been standard during the late 19th century; the heavier bullet was found to be more effective against charging tribesmen.  The problems prompted the then - Chief of Ordnance, General William Crozier to authorize further testing for a new service pistol.

Of the six designs submitted, three were eliminated early on, leaving only the Savage, Colt, and DWM designs chambered in the new .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge...

These three still had issues that needed correction, but only Colt and Savage resubmitted their designs. 

 

...a series of field tests from 1907 to 1911 were held to decide between the Savage and Colt designs. 

 

Among the areas of success for the Colt was a test at the end of 1910 attended by its designer, John Browning.  Six thousand rounds were fired from a single pistol over the course of two days. When the gun began to grow hot, it was simply immersed in water to cool it. The Colt gun passed with no reported malfunctions, while the Savage designs had 37...

 

Following its success in trials, the Colt pistol was formally adopted by the Army on March 29, 1911, thus gaining its designation, M1911 (Model 1911)..."

(Wikipedia)

#FMAhistory #FMA #Colt1911 #TheFilipinoPeople

Bodhidarma was a Blue-Eyed Barbarian!

Here's an excerpt on what Wikipedia says on Bodhidarma under the topic "Greco-Buddhism":

• "Bodhidarma, the founder of Chan Buddhism, which later became Zen, and the legendary originator of the physical training of the Shaolin monks that led to the creation of Shaolin Kung Fu, is described as a Buddhist monk from Central Asia in the first Chinese references to him (Yan Xuan-Zhi, 547 CE). (Ref #1)  Throughout Buddhist art, Bodhidharma is depicted as a rather ill-tempered, profusely-bearded, and wide-eyed barbarian.  He is referred to as "The Blue-Eyed Barbarian" (碧眼胡:Bìyǎn hú) in Chinese Chan texts. (Ref #2)"

REFERENCES:

1. Broughton, Jeffrey L. (1999), The Bodhidharma Anthology: The Earliest Records of Zen, Berkeley: University of California Press, ISBN 0-520-21972-4. pp. 54-55.
2. Soothill, William Edward; Hodous, Lewis (1995), A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms, London: RoutledgeCurzon https://web.archive.org/web/20140303182232/http://buddhistinformatics.ddbc.edu.tw/glossaries/files/soothill-hodous.ddbc.pdf

#GrecoBuddhism #Bodhidarma #Pankration #MalaySilat #ShaolinGongfu #FMA #MMA

Was Bodhidarma a Pankration practitioner?

"Pankration, as practiced in historical antiquity, was an athletic event that combined techniques of both boxing (pygmē/pygmachia – πυγμή/πυγμαχία) and wrestling (palē – πάλη), as well as additional elements, such as the use of strikes with the legs, to create a broad fighting sport very similar to today's mixed martial arts competitions... 

However, Pankration was more than just an event in the athletic competitions of the ancient Greek world; it was also part of the arsenal of Greek soldiers – including the famous Spartan hoplites and Alexander the Great's Macedonian phalanx...

Dioxippus was an Athenian who had won the Olympic Games in 336 BC, and was serving in Alexander the Great's army in its expedition into Asia. As an admired champion, he naturally became part of the circle of Alexander the Great. In that context, he accepted a challenge from one of Alexander's most skilled soldiers named Coragus to fight in front of Alexander and the troops in armed combat. While Coragus fought with weapons and full armour, Dioxippus showed up armed only with a club and defeated Coragus without killing him, making use of his Pankration skills..." (Wikipedia)

After Northern India was conquered by Alexander the Great, Greek and/or Macedonian kings ruled the territory for at least the next 200 years...

According to legend, some early Malay kings descended from Alexander the Great...

Bodhidarma, a Buddhist monk from India is accredited with separately creating the first preset forms of both Chinese Shaolin Gongfu and Malay Silat...

Was Bodhidarma also of Greek and/or Macedonian descent?

Where did Bodhidarma get his groundbreaking martial arts training methods? Could it be from Pankration?

#MartialArts #Pankration #Bodhidarma #ShaolinGongfu #MalaySilat #MMA #FMA