Review of the book Larong Moro-Moro: the Shroud of Arnis de Mano, by Abundio S. Baet, copyright 2010.



This book was written to explain the history and practice of the moro-moro (a socio-religious play in the Philippines containing mock battles), and its connection to the Filipino martial arts. The author is a lifelong practitioner of the Filipino martial arts, and has played in the moro-moro in the province of Laguna. He also comes from a family of martial artists and moro-moro players going back at least five generations. It is from that perspective that he writes about the moro-moro.

The first couple chapters are an introduction to what the moro-moro (also called the zarzuela, komedya, giling-giling, pangtanghalan, panayaw, or cinaculo) is and how it developed. The author then gives a history of the Filipino martial arts of southern Luzon, from the development of the Doce Pares in the 1800's, to the Siete Colores developed during revolutionary times, it's use during World War II, and today. A translation and meaning of the terms arnis de mano, escrima, and estocada are given, along with their origin in the moro-moro. The next couple chapters deal with the practice of Arnis and Escrima today, and the value of competition.

The next section covers the fundamentals of the moro-moro: weapons, grips, basic stances, a numbering system for striking, and pamamaltacia (or carrenza), which is both an artistic display and a form of sign language for making and accepting challenges. Then we get to the heart of the book, which is a description of the batalyas of the moro-moro from Laguna. The batalyas are numbered sequences of strikes, blocks, and associated footwork which are used to display mock combat during a presentation of the moro-moro. The first ten batalyas are show with single stick, and with stick and dagger. These two thorough descriptions are spread out over more than 100 pages, with a picture and text description of each step. Additionally, the first batalya is shown with double stick, spear, and stick and shield.

The last section of the book covers the exploits of the author's family, who have all been arnisadores, moro-moro players, and fighters. Starting in the 1800's with his great-great-grandfather, who helped to organize rebellion against the Spanish, it continues to his great-grandfather, who used the moro-moro to travel to the Visayas and help spread information for the revolution. His grandfather fought in seven death matches, the last one leaving him bedridden with an injured leg for years. His grandfather, uncle, and father all helped the guerrilla fighters against the Japanese in World War II. The chapter ends discussing the training and some of the fights of the author's father, and finally the author himself. At the end of the book is a 6-page glossary of Tagalog terms, and a short guide to numbers in Tagalog.

This is the first information to see print regarding the connection between the moro-moro and Arnis and Eskrima. Additionally, the author brings fresh information regarding the origin of the arts and integration of Spanish fencing. Furthermore, there is a wealth of information about the history of the arts of Laguna and southern Luzon, including information on the Doce Pares of Laguna, which is separate from, and predates, the Doce Pares of Cebu. For any one of those reasons alone, this book is invaluable for anyone interested in the history of the Filipino martial arts. All of them together make this book a must-have.

A preview and link to order the book can be found at: http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/larong-moro-moro-the-shroud-o...