by Ashley Martin
the Carillon
Datu Kelly Worden, with his 30 years of teaching experience, enlightened martial arts enthusiasts with his “defensive tactics” seminar on November 6 and 7, 2004.
The seminar, at the Regina Travel Lodge, welcomed approximately 60 law enforcement officials, police studies students and some civilians and martial artists from Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg, as well as various towns across Saskatchewan.
Worden, who is a hand combative instructor with the military in Tacoma, Washington, is a world-renowned grand master of martial arts. His 40-year run with martial arts began with boxing, which he started at the age of eight. Boxing, he said, isn’t really considered a martial art because it “wasn’t traditionally based out of south-east Asia.
“Today they find all karate practices are almost evolving to boxing to get a better comprehension of physical contact, dynamics and movements. Karate is more rigid and more structured. Boxing is more freestyle.”
Worden’s system of martial art is very similar to Filipino martial art in that his art contains aspects of Filipino art, and both systems entail different types of martial art. Worden’s system, which he calls “natural spirit,” incorporates aspects of boxing, karate and judo, as well as parts of his professor’s system, “the art within your art.
“The Filipino arts are such a melting pot, kind of like Canada and America. All cultures are there, so all the elements of [other Asian] arts are integrated into Filipino martial arts.”
Filipino martial art, which originally began as a “survival art,” is based on geometry, as the body is broken down according to different angles. It’s based on action and reaction, distance, tempos and rhythm.
“Your aggressor advances on you, you move away,” Worden said. “It’s one of the most direct practice systems of self-defense. The Filipino arts have consistently been a ground route while they experiment with other arts. It’s a foundation art that enhances and brings reality back to the table.”
Worden’s Datu, Remy Presas, “modernized” Filipino art, making it “less aggressive, so other people could transition without being hurt.”
Presas, who taught Worden for 23 years, appointed him to Datu.
“[Receiving such an honor] is weird for a westerner,” Worden said. “I don’t push it that much. I’m just a big white fighter.”
“[Natural spirit] is very realistic, very functional. It’s not a lot of traditional martial arts. It’s very reality-based,” says Troy Ostapiw, the Canadian representative for National Spirit International (NSI). “[Worden is] very practical, realistic, and he’s world renowned so people tend to have a liking towards him.”
Though Worden has left Saskatchewan for an interview with California’s Black Belt Magazine, those interested can get involved with NSI. Contact Ostapiw at 347-8029 for more information.
