Comment by LAPU LAPU on August 10, 2009 at 9:24pm

Yes indeed I just started training and learning Dumog it is nasty and mostly illegal in any fight league like the UFC however the locking and braking of joints can be applied in grapling techniques and is legal for a tap out My instructor Master Ed Galang told me that in the Philippines you learn bare footed in the rice patties at least a foot of mud and will have to take down a water buffalo all four legs with Dumog grappling techniques. lol its an amazing art that is being taught by the few that knows

Comment by Francky POULLET-OSIER on November 10, 2009 at 6:12pm

Thanx a lot...

Comment by Ray Melchor on May 11, 2012 at 1:28am

I confess that I do not know what Dumog was originally. However, I practice Dumog as a sort of "mini-art" because my foundational art, Modified Pangamut, allows for insertions of things that work for an individual (sort of a JKD mindset). Whatever it used to be, Dumog is currently used primarily as a movement and controlling art. 

The basic concepts behind it are that a single limb is weaker than a persons full moving body weight, and asymmetric tipping angles are less stable than straight-on brute force. So if I grab my opponent's upper arm with both of mine, I have a natural strength advantage. I also can vary my positions so that attempted strikes by my opponent with the other three limbs will be at awkward angles and somewhat out of reach. After grabbing a limb (or head/neck), if I now move the person diagonally so that balance is only on one foot, the person is likely to lose complete balance.

I can't envision a violent and chaotic street fight looking like a tournament demo. Speaking for myself, while I know a fair amount of moves and can execute them smoothly in demonstration, the awkwardness of a real fight takes away the smooth transition points. In hard sparring, I have to "manufacture" moves. If my opponent resists my attempt at a lock or joint torque, I may need to soften him up or reposition him, and then continue with the move. That's where Dumog comes in. I call it a "bridge" art because it is ideal for when unexpected resistance is met in a move that you realistically can finish. You simply move the opponent where you want him, and then continue. Dumog "bridges" that gap between movement completion, distances, or even different arts themselves. If my opponent resists my arm bar part way through, I go to Dumog to control him, move him off balance, soften him up, and get him to stop the resistance. I then finish the move. If I attempt an arm bar from too far away, Dumog allows me to move him closer and into a better position. I then finish the move. If my opponent manages to change distances, I can change attacks altogether. In fact, I can deliberately move between distances by use of Dumog.

Some people use push-pull movements as their primary Dumog applications. Others circle the arms around like a jumprope in "Double Dutch." The key is that you are always moving and doing things to soften up the opponent. Dumog-elbow. Dumog-knee. Dumog-head butt. Dumog-wrist crank. Over and over around the body until the person is overwhelmed and ripe for the move that ends the fight.

A key ingredient to successful use of Dumog is good body sensitivity and the ability/willingness to go with the opponent's energy rather than against it. Another key is angular shifting. A good place to see this in action is football. Watch the way the linemen go against each other. They use tipping angles to get their opponent off balance and then do what they are mainly trying to do...block or get past the blocker. If they go straight at each other, they try to get lower and "stand the guy up" so his balance is lessened. I see these as classic Dumog principles in action.

Again, I don't know the origins of Dumog or how it was practiced years ago or how it may still be practiced today in its more traditional forms. But as a bridge art or transition art, I find it essential. It is not pretty...at least not when I do it. It is not going to impress people who expect a tournament demo show. But it works. It is straightforward and simple and can be adapted if one understands the purposes of it and the essentials of its mechanics. And as an added bonus, it is a wonderful demonstration of the beauty and effectiveness of the Filipino Martial Arts. As I have come to understand FMA, its signature is the ability to use anything as a weapon in a fight. It is the ultimate "McGyver" art. And I think that Dumog showcases that beauty wonderfully.

Respectfully,

~Ray

Comment by Ron Kosakowski on May 24, 2012 at 4:26pm

Ray, it sounds like you do Paul Vunaks stuff? He did a good job of putting in the off-balancing methods of Dumog within his style. I was just with a Kuntao guy who is also an anthropologist. I threw it at him that I suspect Dumog has some of its roots in Kuntao due to the fact Kuntao is one of the oldest styles in the Philippines.The roots of Dumog not really known so he had no answer. However, I showed him the similarities in some of the technique and he found it possible. The Spanish destroyed a lot of ancient writings therer as well as other places they conquored so much of the ancient history is very hard to prove at this point. 

Comment by Ron Kosakowski on May 24, 2012 at 4:31pm

By the way, I want to make sure people understand what I said above here...in books I have read, it says Kuntao was influenced by Dumog...I feel it is the other way around due to the fact Kuntao is older than Dumog is. Though wrestling in general, is the oldest form of male dominance in the pack. We started seeing a structured systematic progression around the time of Alexander the Great.

Comment by terry joven on May 24, 2012 at 4:42pm

Good stuff Ray & Ron!

Comment by Ron Kosakowski on May 24, 2012 at 4:51pm

Thank you...I have turned into a research fanatic lately. :)

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