Antonio Ilustrisimo

Antonio "Tatang" Ilustrisimo (1904 in Bagong, Bantayan, Cebu – 1997) was the Grand Master of Kalis Ilustrisimo (KI), a Filipino martial art bearing his family name.

Early life

As a boy, Ilustrisimo studied eskrima from his father. At the age of nine he decided to travel to the United States, and stowed away on a boat he thought was headed for America. In fact, he arrived in Mindanao in the southern Philippine islands.

The martial arts

Ilustrisimo was one of the most well-respected eskrimadors of the Philippines. He is famed for winning countless duels and street encounters, as well as being a guerrilla against the invading Japanese forces during World War II. Ilustrisimo was never defeated in combat, and earnt great respect as a result of his brave exploits against the Japanese. Ilustrisimo joins the organizing troops under the Philippine Commonwealth Army beginning the liberation battles and conflicts in the island province of Cebu against the Japanese and ended of World War II.

In 1976 at the age of 72, Ilustrisimo accepted his first students, Antonio Diego and Epifanio 'Yuli' Romo. He refused to accept students before then because of his work. After his death in 1997, Tony Diego was elected head of KI. Other notable students include Rey Galang, Christopher Ricketts, Romeo Macapagal and Edgar Sulite.

Death

To everyone's disappointment, a legend such as he with such skill died a poor man. He was never recognized for his efforts on World War II.

Publications

His life and art were featured in the book titled Filipino Martial Culture by Mark Wiley. The same author included a section on Kalis Ilustrisimo in Filipino Fighting Arts: Theory and Practice. Two of his most prominent students, Antonio Diego and Christopher Ricketts, published The Secrets of Kalis Ilustrisimo in the United States, with a forward by Wiley.

References