Martial Arts & Culture
Philippines Travel 2024

by Uli Weidle and Wolfgang Müller

Join Uli Weidle and Wolfgang Müller on an unforgettable journey through the Philippines. Experience breathtaking nature, enjoy carefree karaoke evenings on the beach, have exciting encounters and get intensive training in Filipino martial arts. From whale sharks and waterfalls to masterful Eskrima lessons, this report takes you on an adventure that is both physically and mentally enriching.

Intro by Uli Weidle

I first went to the Philippines about 30 years ago. At that time I was only interested in learning the Filipino martial arts directly from the masters in the country of origin. Over time, I went back several dozen times and became more than just fascinated by the martial art. I discovered the cultural diversity on my travels, marvelled at the impressive beauty of the islands and got to appreciate the Filipinos' way of life.

When I travel to the Philippines nowadays, it is to share these experiences and impressions with my children – from the breathtaking nature to the special importance of family in Filipino culture. That is why I travelled to the Philippines again with my family in July 2024. 

Two weeks later, Wolfgang Müller from Germany wanted to come and live with us in the Philippines for a few weeks to experience the culture and train in Filipino martial arts. Wolfgang is a good friend and valued member of our team of trainers at the Reutlingen Martial Arts Centre, and we were all really excited to have him join us!

My wife and I met Wolfgang at the airport in Manila. And so our adventure together began. I was really looking forward to seeing how Wolfgang would experience the Philippines on his first visit.

In the following, Wolfgang will be sharing his impressions and experiences with us.

This is Wolfgang Müller's travelogue:

My unforgettable summer
in the Philippines!

My trip to the Philippines was an absolutely amazing experience that I was lucky enough to share with some truly wonderful people. The amazing encounters, fascinating conversations and incredible impressions are memories I would not want to do without!

After almost twenty hours on the road, I finally touched down in the Philippines – what an incredible feeling! Luckily, Uli and his wife Aimee were waiting for me in the arrivals area of Manila airport. I was really happy to see them. We got a cab straight away to the apartment they already lived in. The rest of the family were waiting for us there, and Aimee had ordered a pizza for me, which I shared with the other young people who were always hungry. After a few hours' sleep, we went straight on to Cebu. I was still in high-speed European mode, but the tropical heat and high humidity slowed me down pretty quickly.

Cebu

There were nine of us in total. The youngest was just five years old and the oldest was already over seventy. It was her first flight from Manila to Cebu. She was also the one who provided Uli and me with coffee in the morning. Her morning question "Coffee?" was the perfect start to the day for me and I was always happy about it.

In Cebu, we had the chance to experience rural life and spent a lot of time in and by the sea. The island offered the perfect balance of relaxation and adventure. After realising that Uli was already training every morning before anyone else was awake, I decided to do the same. Practising footwork on the beach in the sand and being physically active in this heat was tough, and it took my body a while to get used to it. There was always something new to discover, and Aimee encouraged us to try new things. One of the best things about Cebu was the Kawasan waterfalls. The deep blue water, surrounded by impressive forests, was a refreshing and beautiful sight. We even saw an iguana and a tree full of fruit bats. Another memorable experience was swimming with whale sharks. It was a really impressive experience, swimming in the water along with these huge animals. We also saw a turtle and lots of fish underwater on a boat trip. There were fresh coconuts and really tasty mangoes. I'll never forget our epic performances at the open-air karaoke evening. We spent some time in Lapu Lapu City too. We took some great shots at the Mactan Shrine, drank Blue Mountain Coffee at the Jah Army representative of the Philippines and took a trip around the city on tricycles.

Manila

From Cebu, we headed to Manila, a vibrant metropolis which offered a fascinating contrast to the quieter areas we had visited before. Manila is a city that really gets your pulse racing, with a non-stop buzz and endless opportunities to window shop at the Asia Mall and try out different foods.

Encounters

No matter where we went, we met friendly, welcoming people. In small villages and big cities alike, I always felt at home and it was easy to strike up a conversation. Another charming detail of the Philippines is the locals' love of music. We heard people singing songs on the street or while working in coffee shops and restaurants time and time again. 

Training with Kali and Eskrima masters

During our trip, we had the chance to train with some highly skilled masters of several different Filipino Kali and Eskrima styles. A fortunate accident involving a burst front tyre proved to be a blessing in disguise. It earned us an invitation to the Doce Pares headquarters in Cebu, and we were ready to accept it. When we followed their kind invitation, we got to train intensively with two excellent and super friendly masters of Doce Pares Eskrima. While we were there, we also bumped into a German Eskrimador who had just passed his 6th Dan exam the day before. I got to train with him for a few rounds and he showed me a few tricks. We also had the chance to practise Eskrima De Campo with the experienced teacher Manong Tini, who gave us fascinating insights into the world of Filipino martial arts. On first impression, he came across as a friendly, older gentleman who wouldn't harm a fly. But the training was really intense and by the end I had worn hands and a wonderful Kali grin on my face. It was a truly beautiful experience. While we were in Cebu, one of the security guards there became our friend and showed me some Balintawak striking sequences. While we were in Manila, we had the chance to deepen our knowledge of Pekiti Tirsia Kali with Tuhon Jay Bataclan. He gave us some personal and very interesting insights into how he thinks and acts in martial arts as well as in the healing arts. The discussions and training with him were really inspiring. After Uli and his family had already left for Germany, I went on to the island of Boracay. There I met Doran Sardo, who gave me a comprehensive impression of Kalis Ilustrisimo. I also gained valuable insights into the local martial arts and party scene and met musicians, a chef and also a senior representative of the Pekiti Tirsia Tactical Association.

Each of the styles I was able to train in has its own techniques and approaches, and they may seem very different at first glance. However, they all eventually lead us to the same place. It was really fascinating to get to grips with the different approaches. What really stood out for me were the encounters and stories that made the training not only physically and technically challenging, but also mentally inspiring and motivating. One of the most important realisations for me was that Armadong Kali, as we train it, is an amazingly all-encompassing, open and lively art that can deal effectively with combative confrontations and so much more! For me, it offers the most coherent and exciting approach to solutions! I was thrilled to discover that I could effortlessly adapt to other styles of FMA with the expert training I received from Uli in Reutlingen. I hope to have such an exciting journey again in the future. I'm so grateful that I can train at such an excellent high level at home, and I have the best people around me with whom I can live my love of martial arts.

Wolfgang Müller