Los Angeles Doce Pares Eskrima

and often contrasting styles and skills were all successfully integrated and passed on to the next generation of Doce Pares adherents. The following styles each comprise a portion of the Doce Pares Multi-Style training curriculum:

The Close Range style (corto) of Lorenzo and Teodoro Saavendra
The Medium Range style of Jesus Cui
The Espada y Daga and Corto Orihinal style of Felimon “Momoy” Cañete
The Long Range style of Yoling Cañete and Vincent “Inting” Carin
In later years, the Corto style of Ciriaco “Cacoy” Cañete and Pangamut of Maximo Cañete
Grandmaster Dionisio “Diony” Cañete

Over the years the styles were gradually incorporated into one training method, while retaining the individual character of each system. The second generation of the Cañete Clan were afforded the rare opportunity of becoming well versed in these various styles and ranges of Filipino Martial Arts. The development of each style and evolution of what we now call the Doce Pares Multi-Style system during the past three decades has largely been credited to Grandmaster Dionisio “Diony” Cañete, the son of Yoling Cañete. In his efforts to preserve and promote Doce Pares as it was when it was formed in 1932, GM Diony wove together the various styles of the original masters into one logical and methodical curriculum. This was done in such a way that, even in the midst of innovations and modifications, the essence of the original component styles remain undiluted. Historic Roots of Eskrima

Eskrima, Kali, Arnis the only known traditional Filipino martial art, has roots deep in the culture and history of the Filipino people. Though the exact date of its origin remains unclear, historical evidence suggest that this art of self defense – involving the use of long and short sticks, a dagger or other blunt instruments – undoubtedly existed long before the arrival of the first Spanish colonizers in the country. Lapu-Lapu vs. Ferdinand Magellan

Lapu-Lapu, a Filipino hero, was believed to be one of the foremost masters of Arnis, which was known during that time in the native dialect as Pangamut. Lapu-Lapu vigorously trained his men for “showdown” fights against tribal enemies long before his historic battle with Ferdinand Magellan on April 27, 1521, on Mactan Island. When Magellan, the first circumnavigator of the world, tried to subdue the recalcitrant Lapu-Lapu, the Spaniards were met not with a hail of bullets but with wooden instruments, spears, and bolos. Magellan lost his life in that battle. Lapu-Lapu’s father, Datu Mangal, most likely brought stickfighting to Mactan Island, and Sri Batugong and his son Sri Bantung Lumay brought the art to the neighboring island of Sugbu (present day Cebu). Bantug Lumay’s son, Rajah Humabon, became arch rivals with Lapu-Lapu and this feud between local chieftains contributed significantly to early development of the “old” Arnis. Thus, when Miguel Lopez de Legaspi landed established the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines in 1565, he and his men noted that the Filipinos were in a class by themselves in the arts of stickfighting and swordfighting. The Many Names of Filipino Martial Arts

Due to Spanish influence Filipino martial culture art came to be known as arnis de mano, which derives from the Spanish word arnes, meaning “trappings”, or “defensive armor”. It also acquired namesake such as estokada, estoque, fraile, armas de mano or simply arnis. Among the Tagalogs, it is known as pananandata; to the Pangasinan natives, kalirongan; to the Ilocanos, didya or kabaraon; to the Ibanan, pagkalikali; to the Pampagenos, sinawali; and to the Visayans, kaliradman or pagaradman, or later, esgrima or eskrima. The word eskrima is derived from the Spanish word esgrima which means a “game between two combatants with the use of blunt instruments.”

Filipino Martial Arts Today

The revival of arnis to its present level of popularity is credited to the National Arnis Kali Eskrima Association of the Philippines (NARAPHIL), which was organized in 1975, mainly to promote and propagate this Filipino art. Among their projects were the staging of the First Asian Martial Arts Festival in 1976, the First National Arnis Championship in March, 1979 in Cebu City, the First World Eskrima Kali Arnis Championships in Cebu City on August 11-13, 1989. It was during the first world championships that NARAPHIL organized a convention that led to the formation of the World Eskrima Arnis Kali Federation (WEKAF). Representatives of ten countries including the Philippines became the charter members of the federation. The Doce Pares Multi-Style system and GM Diony were recently featured on an episode of “Human Weapon” which aired on The History Channel in Fall 2007.