By P.C.

The island of the Philippines are the home to many ethnic peoples, though the main majority ethnicity in the Philippines are the Visayan Filipinos actually, though the Tagalong have a large influence as well since their language is the national tongue. Escrima is the general name given for the thousands of Filipino Martial Arts systems within the island nation. However, the characteristic of Escrima most noticeable to the popular imagination is the stickfighting with Rattan staves. The main school of Escrima is Doce Pares, with it’s founding attributed to Eulogio “Yoling” Canete, and the Saavedra brothers, Lorenzo, and Teodoro in 1932. Similar to how the Islamic Visayan leader LapuLapu slew Magellan and his men (while they retreated, which was not mentioned on the show) the Pinnoy (as Filipino men describe themselves in their native Tagalong as Pinnoy as Latin-American men use Latino) Patriot fatally attempted to do the same with the Japanese overseers during World War II. In a way liken to the Gracie family’s dominance in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the Canete family thrived as one of the most powerful families in Escrima, when Eulogio became the Doce Pares President in 1939. Today, GrandMaster “Diony” Canete, Eulogio’s youngest son, heads the organization, Dos Pares International. However, Diony’s uncle/ Eulogio’s youngest brother, Ciriaco “Cacoy” Canete is the most senior member of Doce Pares. Our hosts, Hollywood Jason Chambers and Bill Duff will attempt to fight a Doce Pares champion, while training with their GrandMasters, on this edition of Human Weapon. Find out to what results in this review…

Jason Chambers

Nickname: Hollywood

Gym: 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu / Legend’s

Former Gym: Renzo Gracie Association

DOB: 03/23/1980

Height: 5’11

Weight: 170 lbs

Styles: Submission Grappling (I think Eddie Bravo’s style is very different from Renzo’s though Renzo’s isn’t that classical), Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Jeet Kune Do (PHASE I Instructor), Kickboxing, Wrestling, Judo, Karate (?), “NHB”

MMA Record: 16-5-1

Former Total Fighting Challenge Welterweight Champion

Appeared on: All My Children, Sex in the City, Fear Factor

Key Victories: Adrian Serrano

Key Defeats: Thiago Alves, Michihiro Omigawa

Key Career Appearances: Reto Maximo (Mexico), DEEP (Japan), Icon Sport (Hawaii)

Human Weapon Record: 0-1 (loss to Yoddecha SitYodThong via 3 Round Decision)

Vs

Percival Pableo

Nickname: Val

Gym: Doce Pares

Height: Unknown

Weight: 155 lbs (75 kg)?

Styles: Doce Pares Escrima

1985 Philippines National Arnis Champion Bantamweight Division

1986 Philippines National Arnis Champion Middleweight Division (155 lbs) and MVP

1989 Word Escrima Kali Arnis Federation Sparring Champion Welterweight Division

1992 Word Escrima Kali Arnis Federation Sparring Champion Middleweight Division

(155 lbs)

Chief Instructor of Doce Pares International World Headquarters (1996 – unlisted)

I. A Demo in Cebu? And A Challenge Made

The show opens with the hosts leisurely strolling to what appears to be streetfight surrounded by a bloodthirsty mob. Out hosts explain that this s probably a demo due to one of the participants twirling a stick around. Then the Ecrimador with the maroon shirt hit a takedown. Undaunted his red-shirted opponent his a monkey flip sacrifice throw (falls onto his back and flipping the other guy in the air), but the maroon guy apparently got pissed and spiked the red one onto his neck and brain stem (probably causing a concussion). Then two men appear with malicious intent towards each other and start brawling. One of them mounted the other and started throwing potato shots. Then a knife was brandished and a portly Pinnoy finally stopped the “demo”. “Are these your guys? ” Jason asked. The man, who was in fact identified by the History Channel’s captions as Gerald Canete, an official of Doce Pares, said, “Yes.” For some reason visions of Satoru Sayama brutalizing his SHOOOTO students with his shinai pop into my head. He challenges them to fight his champion, Percival Pableo of Doce Pares International, who appeared to be a tanned stocky man similar in build to early WCW Eddie Guerrero.

So to prepare for the fight, the hosts go to… a Doce Pares International school. There they train with an Al Ponnay (whom cannot be found with a Dogpile © search). A history segment commends with the story of how Magellan was killed by Escrimadores. After doing some kata, Jason explains the three main ranges of combat, that being unarmed, with a dagger, and with a Rattan or similar stick. While watching some other students train hard, after doing some training himself, remark something to the extent that if one can think of a way to kick someone’s ass then the Escrimadores would do it.

Ponnay showed them a technique called Lebai, in which an opponent’s lead wrist is checked and trapped during an attack. Then the rear elbow will be caught and locked on top of the already trapped arm’s elbow. Then the attacker would have to lower its level, and twist the trapped arms together like a fulcrum to exert pressure. If done correctly the attacked would fall forward in an arc. The mechanics of this throw is actually quite similar to the Judo throw, the Seio Otoshi. More on Judo later.

Bonafacio “Loloy” Uy, a GrandMaster (and Cacoy’s student) tutored the hosts, and yelled, “Don’t dance. This is not a dance studio. This is a Martial Arts studio.” He explained that each attack must have follow-though (i.e. how my Sambo coach would you don’t just hit the target but through, i.e. if you are going to punch someone in the mouth, hit as if your fist was to go through the skull). Thus Bill and Jason began to diagonally down with enough force to split a Rattan stick.

II. Interlude at the Taoist Temple

One of Cebu province’s more prominent tourist attractions is the Taoist Temple, which apparently is nameless (Chuang Tzu, the Taoist sage, would probably acknowledge such an idea with a nod). At this seemingly out of place spot, your hosts offer some incense, and meet local Escrima master Joe Borcess. He taught them another counter, this time a Disarm where they would grab the attacker’s arm, turning the attacker’s thumb, and then throw a strike at its midsection and then under the jaw. After some practice the boys board a boat to the Negros Occidental province to train in “Kali”.

Aside (Kali): The root art that modern Escrima is based on is not Kali. When Filipino Martial Arts became popular in the west it was called this because Occidentals (including you reading this essay) thought it was “the Mother of All Arts.” This is a false attribution based in part because Kali is the Divine Mother Goddess in Hinduism (yes Khali is named after a female divinity, but they say deities’ gender are quite malleable. By the way, the author have been told by some Hindus that the term Hindu is too general in describing thousands of sects of what may be different religions). The Kali is a blade used in Filipino Martial Arts, in actuality. The hosts are actually are actually training in the Filipino Wrestling style of Buno in the next segment.

III. Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje’s Kali Training in a Village by the Manalanga Mts.

After arriving on the island the hosts boarded a jeep than resembled Scooby Doo © ‘s Mystery Van to a village by the Manalanga Mountains. The two made a remark on their transport’s eccentricity. Arriving in a small village in the swamp, they greet Grand Tuhon (translation: grandmaster) Leo Gaje. Jason then makes the false Kali attribution that, is followed by the story of how Filipino Martial Arts had to be kept hidden from their colonialists (as Spain sent more after Magellan and colonized the Philippines for 400 years) by choreographing training sessions as dances similar to how Capoeira was preserved in Brazil . First our heroes practice by hurling javelins while knee-deep in the swamp, similar to how boars were hunted. Then they slash diagonally down at the muck with their javelins and then with Baston staffs. Then Grand Tuhon’s student Romel (not identified by name during the show) brought out a 1600 lb water buffalo for Bill to wrestle, after attempting that himself. This training is done with one arm around the poor bull’s ear and one around its neck.

This corresponded with the next hook taught, Baliog Pomali. The Balio Pomali is basically an Inverted ¼ Nelson Facelock. The attack is initiated by grabbing the outside of an opponent’s wrist (no-thumb grip I think), and pulling hir (screw it I will I abbreviate him or her with hir) forward. Wrap the other arm around the opponent’s head and neck area and claps one’s around the elbow joint of the pulled arm. Squeeze, and you have a brutal neck spinal crank.

IV. The Pagilog of Nick Eliezar

This author admits that at this point, he is somewhat perplexed about the location of the hosts but almost remembers one of them stating that the duo returns to Cebu City to meet a Nick Eliezar. Eliezar, to help their defense in fighting Pableo teaches them another disarm, Pangilog. This move resembles a WakiGatame from Judo (Lil Guido’s old ECW armbar finisher, and Shinya Aoki’s favorite hold), as it also serves the purpose of hyperextending the elbow joint, except it is done with the Baston. Enter the technique by thrusting the weapon under the armpit as if to stab. Then, grab the attacked armpit’s corresponding wrist. Pull down on the wrist and push up onto the stick until a clean headshot can be made.

V. Pekiti Tirsia: Extreme Military Art of Fort Bonfacio (with Col. Natalio Ecarma)

Jason and Bill introduce us to the only system of Kali fighting recognized by the Filipino government, Pekiti Tirsia, a system devised by Muslim chieftains. It is at Fort Bonfacio in Manila that they are acquainted with Colonel Natalio Ecarma, and his Force Recon Battalion, which has implemented this system to use against Islamic rebel organizations in the island nation. Clips are shown of the troops practicing slashing towers of tires using the Ginunting, Bolo, and other machetes of their trade. Then Bill and Jason witness Dagger stabbing drills. The Colonel’s chubby and overzealous assistant demonstrated his Palamout technique for the boys. Like a combo from the Tekken series or one of the popular polygon fighting games, the sequence of movements is: step in, check the opponent’s wrist, grab the elbow, sidestep to the outside, and strike the neck under the jaw. The sidekick then proceeded to apply moves to Bill, probably without his actual permission, including a mounted Rape Choke. Not a good time to show that move on TV. Aside from all of that, his author wonders why it is not mentioned anytime during this segment that the GrandMaster of this style of Escrima is Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje from Segment III, and that Colonel Natalio Ecarma is probably his student.

VI. By a Waterfall in Badian: Training with Doce Pares Grandmaster Diony

As a student of Escrima, Jason marked out when he reached the mountain headquarters of Doce Pares, its legendary GrandMaster Diony Canete, and most of all the huge waterfall in the background. They were treated by a Sayaw, or sword dance, by Diony’s students. This one represented the Sun and the stars (astronomy motifs again. Since there has been mystical interludes in the past two episodes, and there definitely will be one tonight on the Karate episode, will the boys visit a little church in Auvergne where a knight named Jacques de Molay created a powerful attack still used by Savateurs called Baphometkillsthegreedypope. And will Bill exclaim, “That’s odd I wonder. I wonder what it means). After their awe subsided a bit, they began training on large rafts, which Diony explained was to help attain balance. Finally after their hard work and training, our heroes sparred against each other with foam-covered metal Bastons, and it was decided amongst themselves and Diony that Jason was faster and more technically, as he hit Bill in the head numerous times, thought Bill caught him in the eye. Before going, Diony inspires the boys with the story of his father’s friend (he never mentions that of course) the patriot Teodoro Saavedra, who sacrificed his life protecting his homeland from the Japanese. This author wonders if he told the hosts the story of how he met Percival Pableo. The following aside will shed some light on it though….

Aside (Cacoy): Born in 1919, as the son of Gregori Canete, and brother to the famous Canete brothers (such as Felimon “Momoy,” and Eulogio “Yoling”), Ciriaco “Cacoy” Canete started with the family school of Escrima at a young age. GM Canete also through his life trained in various styles such as Shorin Ryu Karate and Aikido, which he received black Belts, respectively in 1964 and 1972. He was also an amateur Boxer (Western) from 1937 to 1939, and a Wrestler for the Philippines National Wrestling Association in 1957. However, his most noticeable training and affiliation was with the Kodokan, where he received his first Black Belt in 1957. He was their representative at the University of San Carlos in Cebu City from 1962 to 1968, as an instructor. He received his 3rd Dan Black Belt form the Kodokan in 1984. Thus any Escimadores who have heat in regards to how the techniques described were in Judo terms should not fume. Apparently there is a deep connection between Judo and Escrima, perhaps heavily influencing the modern Doce Pares school of today. Many Escrimadores in the US supplement close range training with BJJ as the famous Dog Brothers of Real Contact Stickfighting themselves are students of Rigan Machado, of the Machado Jiu-Jitsu family (the Machado brothers, Jean-Jacques, Rigan, are actually children of Carlos Gracie but for numerous reasons choose to use their mother’s surname). Cacoy found the system of Eskrido, a combining elements of Judo, Doce Pares Escrima, Japanese Koryu (post - feudal era; modern since 1860) Jiu-Jitsu and Aikido. Although it seems that he formed his own wing of Doce Pares, he still works closely with his son Gerald, and of course, his nephew, GrandMaster Diony Canete, his elder brother Eulogio’s son. In 1982, he would train extensively with a kid that Diony brought into the family like a son. The kid’s name was Percival “Val” Pableo…

VII. The fight: Jason “Hollywood” Chamber vs. Percival “Val” Pableo

The boys arrive at the designated cockfight ring outside of Badian. It is even dirtier than the dirtiest honkytonks. Apparently there were no health codes when this place was built. The fight was scheduled to be a fight with two 3-minute rounds, and a scoring system similar to Western Boxing and UFC. Three disarms during the fight would be a TKO. Since the bold trained in the traditional way, they decided to take the fight with no padding or body armor, using a single Baston club per combatant. Jason and Bill decide that since Jason is faster, and has experience he would fair better. The audience is told by Jason that knees are not allowed and since no kicks were shown during the fight, apparently kicks were barred. The fight is preceded by a censored cockfight.

The first round began with Percival hitting a flurry on Jason. Then out of the blue, Percival leapt up with a diving Baston strike to the head. Jason later rallies back with a slash to the midsection. He attempts the Lebai but is instead disarmed when the butt of Percival’s Baston clubs his wrist. Jason tries a Judo throw, the Tani Otoshi, which is a rear falling takedown like the Side Russian Legsweep. He is warned that is not legal and he does not get a point. Why did Jason attempt a takedown if it was not legal? You would think Pableo who was made the Chief Instructor at Doce Pares World Headquarters in 1996, and the author of Commentaries on Tournament Rules would have clearly explained the rules before the match.

The second round’s first main highlight was Jason hitting Percival’s body again after eating a flurry. After Percival unleashes another flurry, Jason accidentally drops his Baston while backing off, and it is counted against him, thus befuddling him. Again why did Pableo, one of the event coordinators and organizers at the World Escrima Kali Arnis Federation World Championships in 1998 and 2000, not clarify this to him? When Jason attempted to try a knockout blow he got too close and ended up in a position like a clinch. As he was making a clean break, Percival bludgeoned his thumb with the butt of his Baston and broke it. It was swelling horribly and the Doce Pares referee declared it a TKO.

Up to the finish, Val was pelting Jason with the Baston equivalent of bitch slaps, at most scratching Jason and the worse could have bloodied a nose (but didn’t). If Loloy Uy was watching this he would cuss his junior of doing too much dancing and not following through with the attacks. His body blows probably did hurt Jason a bit as did his disarm, but nothing compared to the thumb smashing. Jason, himself taking Escrima in the past showed that he had some defense but was not too comfortable doing this, as he dropped the stick. Unfortunately for him and Bill, they will probably end up in more situations like this in the other ten or so more episodes of the season.

In regards to the art of Escrima itself, this author does not feel some of the material presented would be used in his own training regiment. Other colleagues have a similar thought. Bryan Alvarez, part-time Pro-Wrestler, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, Gymnastics coach, and editor of the Figure Four Weekly, and his cohost on the Bryan and Vinny Show, Vince Verhei, a former Pro-Wrestler, sportsman, and journalist, concluded that Escrima is a “whacky” art, in which Jason Chambers did not need to implement all of his Escrima lessons in his fight. Karl Stern, an Aikido practitioner, Alabama police officer, and the only court-certified Combat Sports expert in the state of Georgia, stated in a private message to this author, “What do I think? I think Escrima will get your ass kicked in a real fight.” The Combat Sambo coach of this author once remarked that checking attacks in mid-flight instead of dodging delays reaction time and opens one to attack. However, practicing with sticks and daggers (optimally blunt or hard plastic ) would teach one the range of the weapons and get a feel for them to possibly have some preparation (it definitely isn’t much, due to human factors and Factor X, but it might count though muscle memory) of a possible attack.

Until next time folks, this was Fools’ Gold.

Resources:

Wikipedia. http://www.wikipedia.org

-- ->. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pekiti_Tirsia_Kali

-- ->. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filipino_Martial_Arts

-- ->. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskrima

Doce Pares International. http://doceparesinternational.com

Filipino Martial Arts Academy. “Master Percival ‘Val’ Pableo.”

http://www.docepares.net/pableo.html

“Master” Vincent Palumbo. “The History of Circa Cacoy Canete.”

http://www.usadojo.com/articles/cacoy-canete.htm

Cacoy Doce Pares. “Grandmaster Cacoy Canete”

http://www.cacoydocepares.com/index.html

“Cacoy’s History.” http://www.cacoydocepares.com/history.html

P.C. sometimes manifests itself through a writer named Alan Lee. Alan Lee, as “himself” and under many aliases and assumed names have written numerous articles in the past for the Scientific Wrestling Journal, Wrestling Observer Online, the Figure Four Newsletter, and the Ric and Steve er Karl Show. Alan has trained extensively in the past in Judo, Freestyle Combat Sambo, Catch Wrestling, American Kickboxing, Folkstyle Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, and Muay Thai, but not enough to achieve ranks or infallible expertise in any. He also has attended classes sporadically in Capoeira Angola, Muay Boran Chaiya, Escrima, and Mantis Kungfu. He is almost completely clueless in those, though. He currently lurks in New York City, where he hopes to write Weird Tales that will inspire cults based around them. The author does not claim infallibility and if anything appears to be incorrect in regards to the names in this article please PM. {plug}