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Informative Issue No. 119 2014

Maestro Danilo Rossi Lajolo Di Cossan

Host By: Master Lee Lollio

Maestro Alan Saitta

Introduction Brief History of Italian Martial Arts Training with Maestro Danilo and Maestro Alan A Final Word

The FMA Informative is fortunate to have Lee Lollio who is a Filipino martial arts practitioner and teacher host Maestro Danilo Rossi Lajolo Di Cossano Founder of Lajolo Knife Fencing System and his Chief Instructor Maestro Alan Saitta both from Italy and provide the FMA Informative with the information in this issue. The FMA Informative was fortunate in the past to publish a article about Maestro Danilo in the FMA Informative newspaper “Interview Maestro D’Armi Danilo Rossi Lajolo di Cossano” by the FMA Informative, (Issue Vol2 No.10 - 2013 - Click Here) As stated by Mr. Lollio: What I really respected about Danilo and Alan were their humility and integrity, which seems to always follow a true fighter that I have experienced. The first day I met up with Danilo and Alan later that day we went to the martial arts school where I teach at and both Danilo and Alan sparred full contact with me and my students for hours with no ego whatsoever and was more than willing to mix it up with great skill, which is a rarity for some Masters in the arts. The FMA Informative highly suggests when Maestro Danilo returns to the United States be sure to attend his seminars or workshops. In fact this is suggested anyway throughout the world that Maestro Danilo maybe having a workshop. The FMA Informative is hoping that it will be able to provide more information on Maestro Danilo in a future issue.

To contact Maestro Danilo visit his websites: www.calixworld.com or www.lajolosports.com

Host Lee Lollio with his wife Elisa Miranda Lollio and Maestro Danilo and Maestro Alan



Each issue features practitioners of martial arts and other internal arts, other features include historical, theoretical and technical articles; reflections, Filipino martial arts, healing arts, the culture of the Philippines and other related subjects. The authors, publisher and owner of this online magazine are not responsible for any injury, which may result from the instructions contained in this online magazine. Before embarking on any of the physical activates described in the magazine, the reader should consult his or her physician for advice regarding their individual suitability for performing such activity. The ideas and opinions expressed in the FMA Informative online magazine are those of the authors or instructors being interviewed and are not necessarily the views of the publisher, editor or owner of the FMA Informative. The articles are the property of the author’s that wrote them and cannot be used without the permission of the author. The FMA Informative is for the promulgation and promotion of the Filipino martial arts and the Culture of the Philippines. NO issue can be printed and Sold for Monies, without the express permission of the Owner and Publisher of the FMA Informative.

The Author: Lee Lollio is a Filipino martial arts practitioner and teacher, International certified 4th and 5th degree blackbelt, a senior instructor and disciple under founder Grandmaster Leo Fong in Wei Kuen Do, Chi Fung and LF Modern Escrima, Lajolo Knife Fencing System USA, California representative, Certified MMA striking and boxing coach and also Founder of his own methodology Bo Jin Tao (Way of Modern Kombat).

Introduction I had the opportunity to host Maestro Danilo Rossi Lajolo Di Cossano Founder of Lajolo Knife Fencing System and his Chief Instructor Maestro Alan Saitta both from Italy who came over from there to America for the first time arriving in California. Prior, I have corresponded with Danilo for a couple of years on the internet and email sharing pleasantries and cross sharing periodically our philosophies in sharp edge Kombatives in our chosen arts and methodologies. I have always had a passion and deep interest besides martial arts in knives since I can remember and was taught how to care and respect a knife at an early age. Later on when I started studying the Filipino martial arts seriously in several Escrima systems and reality based weapon combatives, I married into a proud Filipino family who my wife’s father knew how to wield a blade also. His grandfather where he grew up was a known Escrimador and Master of the cane/stick and tabak, which functions in the same manner as a machete in the Philippines and I was taught his family

Brief History of Italian Martial Arts tradition of the blade/Tabak. Over the years training and sparring with some of the best Punong Guros and instructor training partners in the Filipino martial arts for whom I am very grateful for in stick and knife that has consumed me, my passion has grown, especially for the blade, more so then the stick, which is more cumbersome and less practical in modern society. What drew my initial interest in Danilo besides our mutual passion for martial arts and sharp edge combatives and of course his obvious high level skill set from his various training and sparring videos I gleaned from was our same nationality we shared. My ancestral home, which is in part in Palermo Sicily in the south and Genoa and Bergamo Italy in the far north and myself being a long time martial artist who predominately studied the Asian arts in between competitive western boxing, which I also consider an art form and science for now thirty plus years, I have always wanted to study in depth my ancestral martial arts of Italy and Sicily. Besides just the basics of how to respect a knife and care

for one from several family members and being schooled in the art of boxing from my one uncle who was an accomplished boxer in the ring and known feared street fighter in Detroit where thirty years later I had the honor and good fortune of training under my uncles head boxing trainer like some of my other brothers, I had no serious training in Italian martial arts. I didn’t realize the gravity of Italian martial arts, its great tradition, and extensive history that demands respect that can rival any time in history by any other nation or tradition. Only after partaking an in depth research study in Italian martial arts preparing for my friend Danilo’s arrival in the USA from Italy who is a legitimate Maestro in Italian martial arts who I will write more about later, that I discovered the great and expansive history of Italian martial arts and the blade. Prior to that, I have just read glimpses of its history after years of studying the Pinoy, Malay and Indo China history of the blade and cultures and marrying into one.

To touch on and give a brief introduction of the history of Italian martial arts, specifically the blade, a lot of people don’t know that to this day Italy has one of the strongest knife cultures in the world, besides being one of the best knife makers. A history of the blade and martial arts that only the Greeks have a more ancient history dating all the way back to the Romans through the great Italian fencers who inspired the world in modern fencing with the renais-

sance and the baroque era. “Soldier of fortune, Master Fiore dei Liberi wrote a manual Flos Duellatorum or “the Flower of Battle” in 1410, illustrating a repertoire of techniques for many different weapons and for unarmed combat” that is one of the oldest books ever written on martial arts that still exist.

The Italian Arditi Assault Storm Troopers formed from 1917 to 1920 of World War I are of legend how they stormed the trenches

with only their short daggers on various missions and the Germans who were their enemy’s in the first world war still to this day write about their exploits of courage and expert specialized fighting prowess with a knife. Knife duels that ended up in death too frequently

the knife is still after thousands of years the weapon of choice and ruling provider for the Italian man for self-defense, handling disputes or unfortunately committing violent crimes. Family’s in Sicily and Italy have had their own traditional knife/stick fighting and martial art systems very similar to the Filipino family martial arts systems in the Philippines for generations over centuries that the Comorra the Italian mafia have practiced for their own benefit and exploitation. Only the last twenty years or so that the Italian knife family fighting were performed systems have been in the early 1900s more openly taught in Italy and Sicily to the general puband were carried lic and accepted by over by the cothem, because of the morra the Italtaboo and negative ian mafia to the reputation that the United States in Italian knife fighting secret Even to systems had with the this present day criminal underbelly with the environand specifically the ment of Italy with comorra and was strict anti-gun laws kept very close to Young Italian Comorra street the families and whatsoever for the Italian citizen, Mafia member in the early 1900s not generally welcome to outsiders. Maestro Danilo is leading the way with other Italian knife Maestros and families to share their beloved Italian martial arts and the blade that is traditional and very progressive in functionality for the modern times Italian Arditi Assault Storm Troopers

the Spanish conquistadors who had great fencing skills that later influenced Filipino martial arts. This article will not explore the debate on how much influence the Spanish had on the Filipino martial arts that has been written and debated many times now, but there’s no doubt even with the Italian fencer performing a similar roof block name escrima that is Spanish that you would see in the Filipino martial derived, that it obviously had an influence, how big or small arts in the Italian renaissance I will leave that for others to the world at large. I myself am to debate. That’s why I think the happy to be a part of this great pro- Filipino martial arts are so rich in gressive movement of my culture history and depth with its martial in Italian Martial arts and the blade arts from all of its influences from and support Maestro Danilo and the various colonialists and settlers Lajolo KFS and also be internalike the Chinese and Malays for an tional partners with them to the example. I also feel with the great best of my ability with honor. history of Italian fencing that a lot Ferdinand Magellan landof the Spanish settlers in the Philiped in the Philippines in 1521 with pines were quite possibly been in-

Italians in 1960 working on knife drills

fluenced by the Italian fencers. The Italian Combat and Fencing book one of the oldest still in existence by Italian Master Fiore dei Liberi Flos Duellatorum or “the Flower of Battle” in 1410 predates the Spanish famous Fencing book Treatise on Arms was written by Diego de Valera between 1458 and 1471 by fifty years or so. Also by the 18th century the Italians were the great modern fencers with the French in the renaissance era and later with the Spanish schools all but pretty much nonexistent and faded in history. It would be foolish to think that the Spanish settlers over the centuries in the Philippines were not in some way by some capacity influenced by the Italians in fencing with no difference with their influence all over the world.

Italians who have no awareness of Filipino martial arts in 1960 performing a drill that is similar to tapi tapi

Training with Maestro Danilo and Maestro Alan Training with Maestro Danilo and Maestro Alan for a week was an amazing experience I will never forget in brotherhood of the arts. I was honored that they would care so much to share their beloved art of the blade of Italian martial arts with myself over a weeks’ time before and after the seminar where they taught my students and fellow colleagues. Maestro Danilo is a twenty second family generation practitioner of the Knife and one of the leading authorities of expert sharp edge combatives in Europe. Besides his own rich family knife fighting system Lajolo history he has studied with all the major family knife

fighting systems all over Italy and Alan is an accomplished ChampiSicily and is the only one to have on Muay Thai Fighter who speaks permission from all the families Thai with over fifty professional to teach their beloved family knife fights and has trained and fought fighting systems to the general in Thailand and Europe and also is public. Maestro Danilo also makes a Muay Boran instructor who later frequent trips on a monthly basis to war torn Eastern European countries and Russia to teach their special forces and has schools in some of the most violent areas in the world. Maestro Danilo who is former military is also one of the most demanded personal protection agent body guards in Europe who has protected some of wealthiest people in Europe and also the who’s Maestro Danilo protecting Nicholas Cage who of “A” list actors this year will be honored in Thaifrom Hollywood land by his Kru Master from the while in Europe. Muay Thai University for his acco Maestro Danilo besides lades and study ship over the years being the founder if the in Thailand. With great respect for Lajolo Knife fighting Maestro Danilo, Maestro Alan a system is the President of Master in his own right became a the Italian International direct student of his and years later Short Fencing Association became his chief instructor in Lajowhere people from all over lo Knife Fencing System, which is the world come to comMaestro Danilo protecting Johnny Depp the ultimate respect. pete in full contact fencing What I quickly noticed in tournaments using official Lajolo sparring quality gear Italian knife fighting, especially Maestro Danilo’s Lajolo Knife that is some of the best in the world in his events with a culmination of the Championship hailed at different locations throughout Europe and Maestro Danilo protecting Ewan Mcgregor Australia where Maestro Danilo has affiliate Lajolo Knife Fighting Fencing schools. I hope in the very near future to have a Lajolo Knife Fencing tournament in the USA, specifically in California Maestro Alan in one of his full rules where I reside. Maestro professional Muay Thai bouts Maestro Danilo protecting Ethan Hawke

Fencing System like some of the corto Filipino martial arts Escrima and knife systems are the very tight close quarters knife thrusts and slashes, that for an example like the slashes are just a few inches vertical or lateral with level changes from the legs with the knife hand elbow in and tight staying in a non telegraphic position almost like Wing Chun’s immovable elbow not flaring out at all from both sides. The reason why is that Italy and Sicily is very urban

and congested like the Philippines and the methodology is based on the urban environment with practicality and survival at its utmost importance. There are ten strikes and counters to the Lajolo Knife Fencing System and low kicks are utilized also for destruction or distraction. Lajolo Knife Fencers pride themselves being proficient with both hands and trickery and sleight of hand movements are taught and encouraged. Foot work and distancing is also important

with the right timing to close the gap at the right time. Maestro Danilo has some noticeable scars on his body from his line of work in the protection industry and also real live blade challenge knife duels that is very common in Italy and Sicily. If agreed upon between both parties before the knife duel the first person to be cut wins and keeps the others knife and let’s just say Maestro Danilo has a nice treasure collection of knives… (LoL) Maestro Alan performing a modified 2 handed ripost Maestro Danilo performing a low line kick on Koki Wong while Boris Fritz is watching on

Maestro Danilo showing Boris Fritz with Anthony Tesoro behind them the Lajolo non telegraphic elbow that creates short economy of motion strikes

Maestro Danilo’s Russian Lajolo KFS affiliate School in Russia

Maestro Danilo’s Lajolo KFS affiliate Australian School headed by Master John Martini

Maestro Danilo working with Anthony Tesoro with his back to the camera

Maestro Danilo defends against low forward thrust from Maestro Alan

Maestro Danilo defending the high line forward thrust with a finishing modified high line ripost

Maestro Danilo defending against a low forward thrust with a finishing downward stab and slash Maestro Danilo defending against a number one strike with a mid level finishing modified ripost

A Final Word What I really respected about Danilo and Alan were their humility and integrity, which seems to always follow a true fighter that I have experienced. The first day I met up with Danilo and Alan later that day we went to the martial arts school where I teach at and both Danilo and Alan sparred full contact with me and my students for hours with no ego whatsoever and was more than willing to mix it up with great skill, which is a rarity for some Masters in the arts. From my exceptional experience training and sparring for a week with Maestro Danilo and Maestro Alan I was asked to be their first US representative and I was honored to accept and also be a direct student of Maestro Danilo to further my education in the Italian knife fighting and also the Italian martial arts culture. I was taken back and blown away by a gift given to me

by Maestro Danilo from one martial artist to another with respect when he gave me one of his limited designed fixed knives by the world renown knife maker Frank Beltrame one of the finest gifts I have ever received by anyone and will cherish it for the rest of my life and make 1st USA, California Chapter newly appointed sure I leave it to someone representative and host Lee Lollio worthy with honor when my day comes. This experience will be a memory that will knife fighting families and to visit last a lifetime and I am grateful for my own family where I have a everything from Maestro Danilo lot of cousins who I stay in conand Maestro Alan, but most impor- tact with and do some of my own tantly I feel I have two brothers extensive family research into the in the arts that our brotherhood Italian martial arts and nobility I will endure forever and the value belong to, but know nothing about to our international partnership it in depth at this time besides my is priceless. I plan to visit Italy own Lollio family coat of arms and in the near future to study with a family villa my great grandfather Maestro Danilo and Maestro Alan built in the early 1900s where his and other Maestros of the Italian picture still resides in.

Having diner after the seminar

Having lunch and exchanging gifts with the host Lee Lollio, Maestro Danilo, Grandmaster Leo Fong and Maestro Alan

The host Lee Lollio handing Maestro Danilo a gift of a replica America Jim Bowie knife

Maestro Danilo and the host Lee Lollio’s friend Kenny with Danilo holding his new Bowie American replica knife he received from Lee as a token of respect

The Host Lee Lollio, Maestro Alan Saitta, Grandmaster Leo Fong, Founder Maestro Danilo Rossi Lajolo Di Cossan

If interested in training in Lajolo Knife Fencing System in the USA Maestro Danilo and Maestro Alan will be back October of 2014 for more workshops in the Los Angeles, California area where Lee Lollio resides and represents Lajolo Knife Fencing System Chapter as a dynamic supplement to his other fighting methods of choice and also in Las Vegas, Nevada where Anthony Tesoro currently represents a chapter at his school. For more information on Training or Hosting a Lajolo KFS workshop in the United States you can contact Lee Lollio at: Email: [email protected] or his Website: bjtonline.vpweb.com

To contact Maestro Danilo visit his websites: www.calixworld.com or www.lajolosports.com

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