Ciriaco Cañete

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Ciriaco "Cacoy" Cañete (born August, 1919) is a Filipino martial artist and instructor of Doce Pares. He is the last surviving member and the only 12th degree black belt of the group. His version of the system is known as Eskrido.

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[edit] Biography

Born in San Fernando, Cebu, in the Visayas region of the Philippines, Cañete was the youngest of twelve children. The martial art Eskrima was a tradition in his family, and he began training at age seven under his brother Filemon "Momoy" Cañete. Filemon had learned it from his father, Gregorio, and uncles Gavino, Pedro, and Juancho. Ciriaco Cañete was also trained in other martial arts, including jujutsu, boxing, judo, free style wrestling, Shorin-ryu karate, and aikido. Ciriaco "Cacoy" Canete is famous for fighting over 100 no-rules eskrima matches. He was the preeminent Doces Pares warrior.

Amid high interest in Filipino martial arts, Visayan martial arts practitioners formed the Doce Pares association in Cebu. In 1939, Cañete's elder brother Eulogio "Yoling" Cañete became president of Doce Pares. The organization became the longest-lasting martial arts organization in the Philippines, and was instrumental in popularizing the Filipino martial arts. Eulogio Cañete was president of Doce Pares until his death in 1988. Ciriaco Cañete served with the U.S. Army Forces Far East (USAFFE) during World War II; during the Japanese occupation, Ciriaco Cañete served as 2nd Lieutenant Combat Intelligence Officer, Cebu area (guerilla forces). In 1945, he was transferred to the 38th Military Police Company, where he served as Chief Instructor in Defense Tatics and trained the 38th & 39th MP companies stationed in Dumjud, Cebu; after training was completed, Ciriaco Cañete was Military Police Detachment Commander and was stationed in Balamban and Tuburan, Cebu until his discharge in 1947. He studied at the University of Southern Philippines and taught martial arts in various Cebu schools.

In 1947 the Doce Pares club reorganized. Ciriaco "Cacoy" Cañete was senior single Olisi (stick) instructor, at the Doce Pares club. He also taught pangamot (empty hand versus weapons). The single stick is a training weapon used to represent a short sword, machete (bolo, pinute) or knife. During this time Cacoy Cañete revolutionized the use of the stick, incorporating traditional linear strikes (corto orihinal)with hooking strikes, butts, thrusts and developing a system of curving and circular strikes (corto curbada); the strikes were used in conjunction with traps, locks, throws and disarms. Cañete began incorporating concepts of pangamot, ju jitsu and judo into his system as early as 1948; later incorporating aikido into his combat system. "Eskrido" or 'way of eskrima" was the name Cacoy Cañete gave to this revolutionary system of single stick combat.

BY 1952, Cacoy Cañete was the chief instructor in single olisi, pangamut (empty hand techniques) and eskrido; his brother Filemon remained the senior instructor in espada y daga or olisi y daga.

Cacoy Cañete was also instrumental in popularizing eskrima in the Philippines. During the 1970s, he met with other members of the Cebu Eskrima Society and spearheaded the movement to create unified regional and national tournaments with sport rules, to popularize art of eskrima. Up until this time, eskrima matches had been fought with no rules and no protective gear; eskrima skills were primarily used to protect oneself from multiple armed attackers.

In 1979, at the age of sixty, he was champion of the First Open Arnis Tournament in Cebu City and the First National Invitational Arnis Tournament in Manila; both of which were sponsored by the National Arnis Association of the Philippines (NARAPHIL) and organized by Cañete's nephew and former student, Dionisio, who served as president of NARAPHIL and the World Kali-Eskrima Arnis Federation (WEKAF), an organization founded in 1987.

In 1988, after the death of his elder brother Euloigio Cañete, Ciriaco "Cacoy" Cañete was elected President of the Doce Pares club. A position he continues to hold.

[edit] Ranks

  • 3rd Dan Shorin Ryu Karate (awarded 1969)
  • 3rd Dan Kodokan Judo (awarded 1984)
  • 6th Dan Aikido (awarded 2006)
  • 12th Dan Eskrima-Eskrido (awarded 1995)
  • 10th Dan Pangamot (awarded 1995)
  • 8th Dan Ju Jitsu (awarded 2006)
  • Competition Boxer and Wrestler since 1937/1940

[edit] Honors

  • 1997 - Inducted into Cebu City Sports Commission, Hall of Fame.
  • 1999 - Appointed Sports Commissioner for Eskrima, Eskrido and Pangamot, by Mayor A. Garcia, Cebu City.
  • 2000 - January, chosen as one of the "Most Outstanding Cebuanos of the Century" by the Cebuano Studies and Historical Association.
  • 2000 - February, picked by the Cebu Historical Center as one of the "Four Outstanding Individual of Cebu City".
  • 2000 - July, Filipino Martial Arts Hall of Fame in El Paso, Texas, USA.
  • 2000 - December, Blackbelt Hall of Fame ("Weapons Instructor of the Year") in Los Angeles, California, USA.
  • 2002 - Authored the "Pangamot" Book (Bare-handed Defense System).
  • 2003 - US Martial Arts Association Hall of Fame ("Most Distinguished Grandmaster of the Year").
  • 2004 - US Martial Arts Association Hall of Fame ("Philippine Martial Arts Legend").
  • 2005 - Mayor Tomas Osmeña's Special Awardee, Cebu City, Philippines

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[edit] External links