Sonny Umpad

Umpad was keen to use modern technology. From early days he videotaped students’ classes, creating an archival history documenting his art. Additionally, he and a few of his past and current students were interviewed and filmed in 2006 for a video produced by the Dog Brothers, The Grandfathers Speak Vol. 2, Maestro Sonny Umpad.

Umpad died at home from cancer on August 24, 2006, at the age of 58. He was able in his last few months to see different generations of his students come together as a community which is dedicated to propagating his art.

During the early 1990s until his final days Maestro Sonny focused his training and teachings heavily on the random flow of the blade, both sword and knife within the pendulum. He believed that sword and knife fighting should simulate unpredictable exchanges over choreographed set drills. The evasiveness of the VCSK bladework refined the larga mano part of his art, Maestro Sonny practiced working with the cane and then developed the bugsay (oar). Used to transition fluidly from long to short range attacks..

Sonny worked during the late 1980s and early 1990s to define his sikaran, an FMA style of kicking and kneeing integrated with weaponry use. While his weapon and hand techniques draw strongly on Visayan styles, Sonny's footwork was heavily influenced by the Moro people. VSCK uses low stances and cross steps to control range, angles, and to uncoil with spring loaded explosiveness. In conjunction with the weapon above low stance attacks aim to cripple by hitting lowline targets such as joints. When Maestro Sonny introduced the pendulum flow into his students' training, he strived to further develop attributes that would be the hallmark of the VSCK - movement, timing, range, and improvisation.

Maestro Sonny created Visayan Style Corto Kadena (VSCK) Larga Mano Eskrima in the late 1970s. It's characterized by fluid movements, timing, elusiveness and explosive power. The art is based on the blade, although -sticks, pangamot (empty hands), and sikaran (kicks) are also used.

Master Santiago “Sonny” Umpad[1] (June 26, 1948 – August 24, 2006) was a Filipino eskrimador. He was born in Bogo, Cebu, Philippines. As a young man, Umpad was exposed to the traditional Filipino martial arts of Eskrima; in his region the term “estocada” was also used to describe these arts. Umpad gave full credit to the Balintawak Eskrima and Doce Pares systems, which made up much of his early training. When he went to the United States, he continued his training with Master Raymond Tobosa in the art of Villabrille Kali.