For the Chinese martial art of Kung-Fu, it is the Shongshan mountain range in Henan Province where the Shaolin monastery was built. For Japanese Karate, it is the Ryuku islands of the Okinawa Prefecture. For the Filipino fighting art of Eskrima / Kali / Arnis, it is Cebu in the Visayan Islands.
Although Eskrima is commonly perceived as a stickfighting art, it is a complete fighting system encompassing punching (suntukan), kicking (sikaran), locks and submissions (dumog), and the use of a variety of impact and bladed weapons. Eskrima knife fighting techniques are considered the best in the world.
Much of what is known about the origins of the art are shrouded in mystery. Unlike Kung-Fu and Karate which were originated and practiced by monks and nobility, Eskrima was a peasant art. Its practitioners lacked the scholarly education to create written records and relied on oral traditions.
In the early days, each tribe or clan practiced its own system of Eskrima. These were closely guarded secrets which were passed on from one generation to the next. Practice sessions were often held at night. These techniques would be brought out into the open when the community was under threat from rival clans, piratical raids, and foreign invaders.
Eskrima techniques were developed to fight opponents who possessed superior weaponry and numbers, such as during the fight for independence from the Spanish, the Americans, and later the Japanese. Under these conditions, Eskrima would develop into one of the deadliest and most practical fighting systems in the world.
When there were no wars to fight or conflicts to settle, Eskrima masters would often engage in Juego Todo matches. Juego Todo (to gamble all- in Spanish) were no-holds-barred, full-contact matches which often resulted in severe injuries or even death for its participants. Filipino migrant workers had brought this dueling tradition with them to the plantations of Hawaii and California in the 1920’s. |
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Juego Todo gained particular notoriety in the early 1950’s to 1960’s, in what was called “The Golden Age” of Eskrima. Rival clubs such as the Doce Pares and Balintawak, pitted their best fighters against each other in Juego Todo. Names such as Cacoy Canete, Anciong Bacon, Inting Carin, and Delfin Lopez rose to prominence as the most feared duelists of their era.
In the late 70’s to 80’s, Eskrima emerged into the consciousness of the martial arts world when Bruce Lee and Filipino-American Dan Inosanto promoted the art through movies and seminars. Interest soon brought Doce Pares members to the United States to conduct a series of demonstrations. That initial foray by Cebuano martial artists soon opened the floodgates and Cebu became known as the Mecca of Eskrima / Kali / Arnis.
ESKRIMADORS, an upcoming independently produced documentary film provides us with a glimpse into the rich and fascinating world of the Filipino Martial Arts. The film traces the development of the fighting art from its tribal warfare roots, its use in repelling foreign invaders, as an art of duellists, and its transformation into a sport practiced in over 25 countries.
The film features legendary Eskrima Grandmasters of Cebu such as Ciriaco “Cacoy” Canete, GM Dionisio Canete, and GM Undo Caburnay. Groups such as Doce Pares, Lapunti Arnis de Abanico, Teovel’s Balintawak, Nickelstick Balintawak, and Liborio Heyrosa Decuerdas, allow us a sneak peek into the deadly techniques which have made Cebuano Eskrima renowned the world over.
ESKRIMADORS is produced by Cebuano production company Pointsource Films. It is currently in post-production and slated for release during the 4th quarter of 2009. For distribution inquiries email: info@eskrimadorsdocu.com. |
