What are the Filipino Martial Arts ranking system?

barangay ginebra school

1.] stamby: spectator
2.] pakialamero : enrollee
3.] wannabe : monkey see, monkey do
4.] jolog : not a girl, not yet a woman
5.] teacher's pet : more like free punching bag
6.] assistant : master's free aerobics instructor

when you reach the top you found your own school with Lapu-lapu as the direct lineage to techniques, such as espada y daga and florete, cruzada etc...

later you will incorporate silat, chi gung, and african aikido, pakistani capoeria, afghanistan arnis

ARE YOU SERIOUS? If so then wow, if not that is funny

bwahahahah! pwede palitan yung rank#5?
gaeing nating "sipsep"

tama ka pare, or brown noser nalang hehe

Meron ba?

Meron.

1. La Pang Alam

2. Bago Lang

3. Tagal Na

4. Kelan Lang

5. Una Pa Sa Yo

6. Una Ka Pa

7. Marunong Na

8. Marunong Ka Pa

9. Magaling Na

10. Magaling Pa Sa Yo

11. Magulang Lang

12. Mabagal

13. Mahina

14. Mabilis Lang

15. Malakas Lang

16. Hina Pik Ap

17. Porma Pa Lang

18. Maganda Na

19. Dami Salita

20. Labo Galaw

21. Mangangahoy

22. Magician

..

Lenard,

There is no single uniform ranking system for the all of the various Filipino martial arts systems. Many systems have devised their own ranking systems. Almost all systems use the term "guro" to signify instructors. Many systems use only that title. Some systems have added to this title by using terms like "mataas na guro" or "punong guro" to denote those higher than just instructors. Other systems use terms like "master", "grandmaster," "tuhon", "grand tuhon" and "professor" for senior instructors and heads of their system. Modern Arnis uses the term "lakan" as roughly equivalent to Japanese belting system, with those attaining a lakan level as having earned a black belt. The most controversial title use by some fma systems today would be "datu."

The earliest "guro' that I'm aware of was a "punongguro". I'm not sure if he was already using the term in the Philippines before he used it in the US.
I see mataas na guro or magulang na guro, so does it mean that a plain guro has elementary knowledge/aptitudes(mababa na guro) and unseasoned skills(bubot na guro)?

I heard 'Grandmaster' rank is relatively new ... was 'Maestro' the term in use before -at least in Luzon ?

I don't know about Luzon but in the visayas "maestro" and "maestra" are not really used to denote mastery or anything special when it comes to schooling in general. "Maestro/maestra" may literally mean "master" but in the local usage there, they are just used as terms for "teacher". So being called "maestro" there wouldn't necessarily mean you are a real master much less a grandmaster. I think this reference to teachers as "maestro/maestra" comes from the spanish (as in "schoolmaster") and replaced "guro" in colloquial language. All teachers (elementary, highschool, college, etc) in my home province are called "maestro/maestra" when referred to in the third person. In the second person, they are simply called "sir", "mam", "miss".

Maestro was common AFAIK in Luzon among the Senores. Either master or maestro but maestro IMO connotes more respect and master denotes a more casual expression. Joe Mena liked the english more than the spanish equivalent.
There was only a master and a student. Either a master or a student.
And yes, maestro only mean teacher, not necessarily someone who has a mastery of what he is teaching.

I see ... is it known when the term 'Grandmaster' was used for the first time? Who was the first to use it then?

When the students promoted themselves as masters, they consequentially need to elevate the master to grandmaster.. or when the teacher wanted to be called grandmaster, he needed to promote students to masters. Who? Its not politically correct to name names noh.
Another question begs to be asked but need not be answered here is, "Who's the first to use Supreme Grandmaster?" And why.

Is there an Ultimate Supreme Grandmaster already?

Indeed, an intriguing question ...



pm'd ...

My first thought in Ultimate Supreme Cheese burger!!!!! but back to titles
But really the first school I heard use this term was Doce Pares Multi-System , then I heard it from World Balintawak. I guess when you promote people to Grand Master you have to call yourself something. People forget that Master only means teacher just like Guro. Titles are just that, Title a name for something, in my life time I have had many, some grand and some to the point hahahah!!

Galing...

There are 3 uniformed ranks to the FMA that every system has.

1. You train it.

2. You teach it.

3. You know sod all about it.

Here speaketh the Grand Imperial Wizard...

Supreme Grand Master is a title used by Doce Pares' Cacoy Canete.

First of all though, I am not doubting the fighting abilities of those conferred with the "Master" rank i'm sure i'd get beat to a pulp if I do.

But I find all these titles superfluous and non-descriptive of the fighting ability of the people with so many gradations.

I actually agree with Pat's levels. And the fourth being an honorary title of Grandmaster conferred to the genius who codified the system.

But even with grandmaster for the inventor of the system, does it mean I can make my own style and be grandmaster of it even when I myself am untested? It just seems so superficial.

In other traditional systems the belt colors used to mean a certain level of ability. Like at 1st Dan black it should be routine for the practitioner to beat all the browns and at third routinely beat 1st level blacks.

But if all the belts or ranks mean is seniority then we should just call them, Chief or Captain or Lord or something that does not connect to mastery because really after "Master" for everything the title implies how much more masterful can you get. Master should mean "wow!". Seriously Even "grandmaster" lacks a certain poetry to it. Doesn't even evoke awe (I just mean the title, not any particular grandmaster).

Supreme grandmaster should mean like godhood.

Just my two cents.

I agree.

The problem here is one person takes on the title 'Master' a rival groups goes Oh! OK I am a Grandmaster if he is a Master, a third groups goes, well in that case I must be a Supreme Grandmaster and before you know it we have the GrandPooBaa Emperor of all before me.

Dont get me wrong for the most part the majority are in my eyes true Masters of the FMA, but when you then bump into a 22 year old boy spouting he too is a Master this just simply takes away the meaning of the title.

Are any of us really Masters? can we honestly say we have Mastered the art? I know after 30 years I am still working on it. Will I ever get there? Who knows and I dont care as I am just enjoying the ride. The day I think I know it all and have Mastered the art is the day I will hang my stick up and retire.

Titles are good for public consumption in adverts and promotions after that it means nothing, we are all just people like everyone else, it is just that some have had more practice than others.

Best regards

Pat

One problem that may also happen is when a student (who did not complete the system) suddenly gets infected by foreign gold fever and decides to adopt the Grandmaster title even if his own teacher never used that title. Suddenly the student severs all ties with his instructor and wants to distance himself from him. His big loss ....