HISTORY

Statue of Lapulapu on Mactan Island in the Philippines

 

 

Eskrima, Kali, Arnis, is the only known traditional Filipino Martial Art and has its roots deep in the culture and history of the Filipino people. The exact date of its origin, however, remains unclear. Traces of historical evidence reveal that this art involving the use of a single stick, two sticks, a long and a short stick, a dagger, or some other blunt instruments no doubt existed long before the arrival of the first Spanish colonizers in the country. The first known Filipino hero, Lapulapu, was believed to be one of the foremost masters of Eskrima-kali-Arnis, which was known during that time in the native dialect as pangamut. In fact, Lapulapu had vigorously trained and prepared his men for "showdown" fights against his enemies long before his historic battle with Ferdinand Magellan on April 27, 1521, in Mactan Island where Magellan lost his life.

Doce Pares was founded on January 11, 1932 by a small group of Eskrima Masters spearheaded by Eulogio Cañete, Lorenzo Saavedra and Teodoro Saavedra. Twelve of them originally conceptualized it but shortly after its inauguration on January 21 that year, the membership rose to twenty four. Eulogio Cañete and Teodoro Saavedra were elected as President and Vice President respectively. Other elected officers and original members were, Fortunato Peñalosa (secretary), Marcelo Verano, Deogracias Nadela, Strong Tupas, Rodolfo Quijano, Pio Deiparine, Florentino Cañete, Felimon Cañete, Juanito Lauron, Federico Saavedra, Cecilio Dela Victoria, Lorenzo Saavedra, Margarito Revilles and Anastacio Deiparine.

The name Doce Pares was adopted in reference to the famous twelve bodyguards of Emperor Charlemagne of France (AD 768-814). These twelve people all top swordsmen were known to have fought and killed hundreds of enemies in battles. Doce Pares, which means "Twelve pairs" in Spanish, was meant also to honour the twelve people who originally planned to form the organization, and when the membership rose to twenty four at the time of the inauguration, it indeed became more significantly fitting.

Grand Master Eulogio Canete

Eulogio Cañete held on the presidency of Doce Pares until his death in June, 1988. His second eldest son Eulogio, jr. succeeded him as president up to the present. His youngest son, Grandmaster Diony is the Executive Director and Chairman of Doce Pares Council of Masters. (None of the founding members are alive today, the last one GM Felimon Cañete died in 1995 at 91 years of age) Subsequently, the organization became Doce Pares, Incorporated when it was registered as non-stock, non-profit corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission which ssued certificate of registration no. 1373.

Grand Master Felimon Canete

For many years and even up to the present people are still confused about the real Doce Pares system. This is only understandable because while the system is a conglomeration of various styles as introduced by the founding masters in 1932, there are many instructors and masters today who only teach a specific style of any one of the original masters. All the founding masters had their own set of followers and the students who chose not to study and cross-train in other styles naturally learned only the particular style of his own teacher. 

Doce Pares was a virtual supermarket of Eskrima styles, hence, there's the Larga Mano of Eulogio Cañete; the Espada y Daga of Felimon Cañete and Jesus Cui; the Corto Linear of Teodoro Saavedra and later on of Venancio Bacon, Delfin Lopez and Timoteo Maranga; the Corto Orihinal and Media Largo of Felimon and Iluminado Cañete; the Hirada and Retirada of Vicente Carin and Ponciano Ybañez; the Mano-Mano and Baraw of Maximo Cañete and Jesus Cui; the Corto Kurbada and Abaniko of Ciriaco and Felimon Cañete respectively. 
Thus there are many masters today who only teach and promote one particular style and yet can validly claim to belong to Doce Pares family. 

It was in early 1970 when Diony was commissioned by his father Eulogio Cañete, the President of Doce Pares to study, prepare and formulate a program of instruction that would cover and comprehend all the component styles. The specific objective was to come up with a training curriculum that would give equal treatment and prominence to all the original styles and by all means to afford due honours and recognition to all the founding advocates. Hence the birth of the "Multi-Style" system which very much sat well with Grandmaster Diony as he and his three elder brothers were among the very few who were fortunate to have learned all the original styles as brought into and introduced by the founding masters when Doce Pares was formed in 1932.

 

The components of the "Multi-Style" system.

The components styles of the "Multi-Style" are: All the three styles of Corto (Close Range); to wit; Corto Linear (the traditional linear striking or a blade oriented type of striking) Corto Kurbada (the wrist-twisting or snap-wrist, curving strike) Corto Orihinal (featuring low, deep bent knee and wide stance which highly characterized the original Doce Pares close range style)
Media Largo (Medium Range)
Larga Mano (Long Range)
Espada y Daga (Short & Long Stick or Stick Dagger)
Baraw (Knife Fighting Techniques)
Mano-Mano (Open Hand Fighting)
a. Sumbag-Patid (Punch and Kick)
b. Lubag-Torsi (Locks and Immobilization)
c. Layog-Dumog (Takedown and Grappling)
d. Doble Olisi (Double Stick)

Specialized Subjects:

a. Eskrido
b. Sinawali
c. Tapi-Tapi (Alive Hand)
d. Sayaw/Karanza (Forms)

All the above subjects are incorporated under the comprehensive 5-year training curriculum of the Doce Pares "Multi-Style" system. The program is taught only in schools authorized by Doce Pares International, the original Doce Pares organization and only one recognized by the government of the Republic of the Philippines, duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as DOCE PARES INCORPORATED under Registration Certificate No. 1373.

 

ALL DPI SCHOOLS CAN READILY BE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE SEAL AND LOGO WHICH BEAR THE ORIGINAL SIGN OF DOCE PARES BUT MORE SIGNIFICANT IS THEIR 5-YEAR "MULTI-STYLE" PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTION.

ONLY THROUGH THE DPI SCHOOLS CAN ONE LEARN ALL THE ORIGINAL STYLES OF THE FOUNDING MASTERS OF DOCE PARES