Got a couple of newbie questions :-)

[Allen Anderson]

I just stumbled into your website a couple of days ago. I've been browsing your forums and articles and I just had a couple questions.
Do you guys study Cuso de Palo Canario at all? It's something I've recently become very interested in because my dad lived in the Canary islands for a couple of years.
Also, how close are FMA styles to Spanish fighting styles? I've practiced Pekiti-tirsia for a few years now, and many of the techniques have spanish names. I hope that's not too off topic for the forums :-/

Sincerly,
Allen Anderson
PS. How active is ARMA in the Salt Lake/Provo/Ogden Utah area? I'd love to meet you guys

[Shane Smith]

I can answer your "ps"; The guys in Provo are very actice and I have spent some time fencing with most of them at the longsword. They are a very well organized and highly skilled group of practitioners and shame on anyone in that area that doesn't get on over there and learn a lesson or two at the point of their swords <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" />

Welcome to the forum.

[Brian Hunt]

In addition the larger Provo group, there is also a good group up in Ogden, a couple of guys in SLC, and myself down in Price.

hope this helps.

Brian Hunt
GFS.

[Mike Chidester]

ARMA Provo meets at BYU campus, and you can contact me for details on time and location if you're interested in practicing with us. ARMA Provo is the largest and generally considered one of the most technically advanced study groups in ARMA.

To address your primary questions, I don't know exactly how similar FMA are to WMA, but I know that they are descended from the Spanish martial arts, so odds are the similarity is fairly strong. Although the Spanish conquest was some time after the "golden age" of Renaissance martial arts (if memory serves).