# Toronto = Stockton?

- Link: https://brianejohns.com/2010/08/02/blog-toronto-stockton/
- Published: 2010-08-02T12:26:00-04:00
- Author: Brian Johns

Stockton, California has long been known for its’ long and rich history of [Filipino Martial Arts](https://brianejohns.com//2016/09/07/blog-what-are-filipino-martial-arts/),
dating back decades.

Stockton had a large Filipino community in those days, mostly migrant workers. Often,
at night, eskrimadors would train in secret. I remember reading somewhere that Professor
Visitacion, the founder of Vee-Jitsu, recalls nightly training sessions after working
in Stockton’s fields.

## As it turns out, Professor Vee lived there for 10 years before settling in New York City and becoming the founder of Vee Jiu-Jitsu.  

The FMA scene in Stockton later greatly influenced Dan Inosanto and Richard Bustillo
as they delved into Filipino martial arts. It is my understanding that the Stockton
FMA influenced much of the Inosanto-Lacoste blend.

If you are not able to view this video, click [here](https://youtu.be/dJR9RKOIO-k).

Among those who taught or came out of Stockton are Angel Cabales, Dentoy Revilar,
Rene Latosa, Maximo Sarmiento, John Lacoste, Leo Giron, Mike Inay and many of their
proteges. I am sure that there are several others that I left out. Nevertheless,
the Stockton FMA scene has had a profound influence on the history of American martial
arts, impacting martial arts masters from Dan Inosanto, to Professor Vee, to well-
known author Mark Wiley and many others.

## I would love to get my hands on an article or book that explores the Stockton FMA scene in more detail.

That brings me to the topic of the FMA scene in Toronto. 9,500 Filipinos immigrate
to the Toronto area every year, and Filipinos are now the third largest visible 
minority in the greater Toronto area. Like Stockton, this influx of Filipino immigrants
has inevitably brought in practitioners/teachers of various FMA styles. To date,
there are approximately 200,000 Filipinos in the Toronto area, and there is no doubt
that this number will grow. Obviously, like Stockton, Toronto is the hotbed of Filipino
culture.

I am aware of the following Filipino martial arts in the Greater Toronto Area:

(1) Modern Arnis
(2) Balintawak(3) Kali Illustrisimo(4) FCS Kali(5) Inosanto-Lacoste
blend(6) Lameco(7) Sikaran(8) Yaw Yan(9) Cinco Teros(10) Kali De Leon(11) Kombatan

I’m sure that there are a couple that I forgot. In addition, there are probably 
some “underground” groups that prefer to train in private.  

## The proliferation of FMAs in Toronto makes me wonder if this area will be the next Stockton. All signs point in this direction.

## Additional Reading

 * [10 Years in Modern Arnis](https://brianejohns.com/2008/04/06/blog-10-years-in-modern-arnis/)
 * [Home](https://brianejohns.com/about/)
 * [1st Annual Toronto Modern Arnis Camp](https://brianejohns.com/2010/09/03/blog-1st-annual-toronto-modern-arnis-camp/)
 * [2nd Annual Toronto Modern Arnis Camp](https://brianejohns.com/2011/09/04/blog-2nd-annual-toronto-modern-arnis-camp/)
 * [Friday Recommendation #20](https://brianejohns.com/2023/09/15/friday-recommendation-20/)

### Share this post:

 * [  X ](https://brianejohns.com/2010/08/02/blog-toronto-stockton/?share=twitter)
 * [  Facebook ](https://brianejohns.com/2010/08/02/blog-toronto-stockton/?share=facebook)
 * [  LinkedIn ](https://brianejohns.com/2010/08/02/blog-toronto-stockton/?share=linkedin)
 * [  Threads ](https://brianejohns.com/2010/08/02/blog-toronto-stockton/?share=threads)
 * [  WhatsApp ](https://brianejohns.com/2010/08/02/blog-toronto-stockton/?share=jetpack-whatsapp)
 * [  Email ](https://brianejohns.com/2010/08/02/blog-toronto-stockton/?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Toronto%20%3D%20Stockton%3F&body=https%3A%2F%2Fbrianejohns.com%2F2010%2F08%2F02%2Fblog-toronto-stockton%2F&share=email)
 * [  Print ](https://brianejohns.com/2010/08/02/blog-toronto-stockton/#print?share=print)

### Like this:

Like Loading…

### _Related_