The Logo and the Slogan

What you see here is the logo which I made to remind me of my ideas about traditional eskrima.

The three sticks of different colors represent three popular kinds of sticks used in eskrima.  The White is Uway.  Black is Bahi.  And Red is Kamagong.

The colors and their position in the triangle also carry their own meanings, apart from representing the aforesaid three kinds of wood.

White, as a color, also represents the apparent opening of an eskrimador's fighting guard.  It is an opening which seems to invite attack, but which should ideally be impenetrable because of the eskrimador's skill and quickness.

Black here also represents the near-certainty of defense and powerful strikes from one's strong side, which is that of the dominant hand.  On this side, the eskrimador should establish security.

Red represents how an eskrimador should be most watchful of his back and should be able to defend it.  It requires a constant awareness of one's surroundings, because an unseen strike could be fatal and then blood would flow.

The triangle itself represents the lessons I have learned from triangle stepping.

The gaps between the sticks mean that no matter how good an eskrimador is, there is always the likelihood that the opponent can find a way in to dismantle one's defense.  However, the gaps may also be openings, traps that the eskrimador may put in play to draw an opponent in.

Beneath the logo is the name of this blog and my idealized slogan as an eskrimador, written in my modified baybayin script:  Bunal Bol-anon, and below it, Bahala'g Maigo Ko, Basta Mamatay Ka.  For those who don't speak Visayan, this roughly translates into "I don't care if you hit me, so long as you die."

Fighting words, yes.  And somewhat inconsistent with my having said that not all fights have to happen and that it is a far greater skill not to have to fight because you've already won the fight before it is fought.

I take these words as a personal reminder, because, in truth, I am too much of a pacifist that I sometimes need to remind myself that there are times when one must fight and also that, should there be a need to fight, it must be all or nothing.