The Tipunan Group

Tipunan Sa Disneyland
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Instructor - Rey Galang
Instructor - Topher Ricketts
Instructor - John Jacobo
Instructor - Jerome Barber
Instructor - Steve Aron
Instructor - Edessa Ramos
Instructor - Bram Frank
Instructor - Abon Baet
Instructor - Roger Agbulos
Instructor - Jay de Leon

FMA Festival 2006

Bakbakan FMA Invitational Tournament
July 22, 2006

Tipunan sa Los Angeles 2006

Tipunan Arnis Tours 2007

TIPUNAN SA DISNEYLAND 2005

Instructor – Abon Baet

Originally Published in the FMADigest Special Issue 2005

Abon Baet teaches buno at Tipunan.
Later on, he would also demonstrate
the use of the “lubid” or rope,
seen here tied around his waist.

     Gat Puno (Chieftain) Abon Baet is the fifth generation grandmaster of the Garimot Arnis System, a family system more than 150 years old from the province of Laguna, in the Philippines. He is the fourth son of the legendary arnisador and buno master, Grandmaster Felipe “Garimot” Baet. When his father passed away, Abon took on the fighting name of “Garimot” to honor his father, hence his fighting name of Gat Puno Abon “Garimot” Baet.
     Abon began active competition at the age of sixteen. He competed in live stick competition (no padding) in several towns in his province of Laguna, the Philippines. This led to his reign as an undefeated arnis champion for seven years from 1978 to 1985.
He started teaching the family system under the banner of the Paete Arnis Club in Laguna, Philippines. For a brief time also, Abon taught Modern Arnis in Laguna at the behest and under the authority of Prof. Remy Presas, founder of Modern Arnis. The two would eventually reunite many years later in the United States.
     In 1986, Abon accepted an opportunity to work in the United States, and in a few years began to teach arnis in the United States. By 1989, he had founded his organization Philippine Martial Arts, Garimot System International, U.S.A. which taught a total system that encompassed the complete range of Philippine fighting and healing arts of arnis, buno and hilot.

Gat Puno Abon Baet with Professor Presas

Gat Puno Abon Baet
with the late Prof. Remy Presas (right), Father of Modern Arnis.

     The Garimot System now has chapters all over the United States, as well as in Sweden, Germany and Venezuela. In addition to his full-time job as a chef, Gat Puno Abon is busy with the seminar circuit, including prestigious senior masters training camps.
     Gat Puno Abon has also written a book about buno entitled “Harimaw Buno : The Art of Filipino Wrestling.” In the book, he traces how his forbears learned the art from Aeta and Mangyan tribesmen.
     What constitutes “buno?’ From the description of types of competition and techniques allowed or utilized, it appears “buno” is judo, jiu-jitsu, Graeco-Roman wrestling and shoot-fighting rolled into one. Its techniques include hand and elbow strikes, knee and low kicks, throws, sweeps, limb locks, joint locks, choke holds, head cranks, pressure-point tactics and come-along techniques.

Gat Puno Abon Baet practicing Hilot.

You may contact Gat Puno Abon or purchase his book at his website at www.garimot.com.

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