Sayaw ng Kamatayan (Yaw Yan) It sounds Chinese, the movements slightly resemble that of Thai-Boxing and Korea's Tae-kwon-do but the origin is strictly Filipino. Yaw-Yan is billed as the Philippine's most lethal martial art.
Yaw-Yan was designed for Filipino fighter; (height doesn't matter) it is specially invented for small Filipinos to fight against big and heavy opponents. The originator creates these martial arts in consonant with Filipinos culture; the organization, food, uniform attitude and others.
Yaw-Yan is considered as one of the world's latest form of Martial Arts considering that it was originated only in Manila year 1972. A Yaw-Yan fighter utilizes the strength of his opponent against him through leading techniques, The Master called it "NON-RESISTANT" martial arts meaning no blocking are involved at all. This is simply redirecting your opponent energy to your favor, Yaw-Yan specialized to disarm knives, guns and stick in a spilt second without the use of force using the arms and legs as the weapon.
Yaw-Yan is a serious graceful performing art that requires an incredible amount of concentration for lightning speed movements. It is expressive and requires great focus, it is systematic fighting art, realistic, energetic, complete and practical. In essence, it is sophisticated form of street fighting. It has its own original style and not copied to any Martial Art. It is ultimately a highly develop personal spirituality and physique.
Yaw-Yan mortal combatant is like a wind, alive, quick, fast, free and formless. Throwing perfect lightning punches and kicks from all angles. The hands and legs techniques are derive from stick and baton movement. Yaw-Yan fighter can dominate and maintain control over his opponent with his quick reaction and relentless foot/hand fighting combinations to various part of the anatomy. The effectiveness defends on split-second timing and reflexive action which can be achieved only through repetitious practice.
Contrary to most popular belief, Yaw-Yan is not purely a full-contact no-holds barred sport martial arts. It is a complete martial training with body-mind coordination and test of enduring indomitable spirit. More than just physical training, it also involves the mental disciplines of focus, concentration, alertness, flexibility, stamina, speed and continuity. Students train for real confrontation and actual fights ~ on or off the ring. Advanced Disciples have to go through a rigorous ritual of practice and discipline consisting of actual full-contact sparring, bag hitting, mind fighting and flexibility exercises. The Elbows (siko), knees (tuhod), and shin (lulod) are utilized in much the same way as in Muay Thai. Yaw-Yan practitioners have to learn 40 basic kicks, advanced disciples have to be able to execute and apply complexes advanced kicks requiring great dexterity, flexibility, and mastery. Most of these advanced kicks are trick kicks which always caught unsuspecting opponents by surprise.
Yaw-Yan practitioners are also adopt with Philippine bladed weaponries as balisong and bolo. Bladed weapons are mere extensions of the hands. The forearm strikes, elbows, punches, dominating palms, and hand movements are empty-hand translations of the bladed weapons. There are 12 bolo punches which were patterned from Arnis, the Philippines' very own armed art. These punches have continuous fluid striking motion quite similar to western boxing but incorporating the art of Arnis. Grappling, ground-fighting, and knife-fighting had always been a part of the Philippines' martial art and are always incorporated during the Yaw-Yan practice period.
-Taison out
(Edited and took out the art-bashing stuff)