"Interesting that both points of view get some play in the quote you give"

Yah, I did that on purpose, exactly because we don't know for a fact. It was, however, the only reference I could find to the less popular point of view.

Back on topic: there are indigenous dances in some of the more isolated (read: inbred) tribes in Mexico that depict conflict or combat between two males. This might *possibly* be a legacy of martial training, although practically every culture has some kind of ritual "combat" dancing.

The thing that most points to there having been no 'mexican kungfu' per se, is that despite Spanish conquest and subsequent persecution (and believe me, the Spaniards were absolutely ruthless bast@rds, American slaveowners were girlscouts by comparison), so much deep culture survived practically intact. If there was an empty-hand system, the campesinos would have retained it in some form.

Heck, I'd love to hear about real "mexican kungfu"! It would give me something say besides "why yes, I DO come from a long and illustrious line of oppressors!" or "I cut chu, mon!"