INTRODUCTION

Laresa, a martial art system, is developed by Jansen C. Balao. He felt that every individual is unique. Even their physique, mentality, spirituality are unique. This uniqueness made them different. Therefore one man’s strength can be another man’s weakness. After teaching for many years, Mr. Balao saw these different yet unique characteristics of individuals. A student reacts differently from a certain attack or defense maneuver with the others. Some are better with their legs than with their hands while others are vice-versa.

Before laresa was formed, many questions have been laid down.

These questions made Mr. Balao realize the importance of forming laresa. Laresa or L.A.R.E.S.A. is an acronym for L-learning, A-adapting, R-revising, E-every, S-style, A-available.

L-learning: The very first step for a higher goal. In all our lives, the very first thing we did was to learn; how to breathe, how to drink and eat, how to talk, how to stand, etc. All our activities lie on this. We first learn a thing then understand it. If you don’t like what you learned then junk it. But with laresa, we try to learn as much as we could. In martial arts, learning does not end with the instructor or teacher. There are books about martial arts that you can read. Videos are now available on your nearest martial art stores that you can watch and enjoy. But the best way to learn is to accept that we need to learn. Most martial artists forget this. When they achieved their black belt they thought that they are already invincible and no other martial art other than theirs are better. Remember this: THERE IS NO BETTER OR WORSE MARTIAL ARTS, JUST GOOD OR BAD MARTIAL ARTISTS. Do not let your ego cloud your judgment. ‘A filled cup can never be filled again.’ What this means is, you can’t add any more knowledge if your mind and heart are closed or filled. If you want to learn, open your heart and mind to let the knowledge flow within you. This type of learning achieves the best results.

A-adapting: The second step. After learning a subject, we try to adapt it, fitting it or adjusting it to our style as needed. This is a longer process. If a subject is learned, try to take note of its pros and cons; strengths and weaknesses. Try using your own knowledge and incorporate the subject with your style. If it fits right in your system then practice it. Practice alone until you perfected the movement then practice with a partner (different partners are the best). But take note: NOT ALL MOVEMENTS ARE EFFECTIVE AGAINST SOME INDIVIDUALS. Although this is true, it can be corrected by making slight changes on the moves. This is where the third step comes in.

R-revising: The third and final step. As explained, persons reactions vary on a single move. But through practice with different partners, you can adjust your move with theirs very easily thus maintaining the correct effect of the move. Revising a learned subject is a process that takes a very long period of time. If you keep on practicing, the move that takes three steps to complete will decrease to one step. Remember and MEMORIZE this phrase: MASTERY IS A TOTAL DECREASE NOT AN INCREASE. Consider this example: A carver found a wooden block that is not worth much. With a chisel he chipped down the unwanted pieces. After a great ordeal of chipping away, he manages to finish the job. Then the worthless chunk of wood becomes a masterpiece. Thus revising is not adding of moves but decrease of moves. With this in mind your path to total mastery is entirely in your hands.

Laresa does not end in a gym but continues even outside. Its principles can be applied even to other activities. Remember that laresa is not only a martial art system but also a way of life.