2 Cebuano eskrima grandmasters off to US for seminar-workshop

CEBU, Philippines - Two of Cebu’s top eskrima grandmasters will travel to the United States for a two-month seminar-workshop on the Filipino martial art.

Doce Pares Executive Director Gerald Cañete said up for the task are Grandmasters Andres “Kano” Cañete and Felix “Tenciong” Gutang. Kano Cañete, 63, is the only son of the legendary Filemon “Momoy” Cañete, the foremost teacher and one of the founders of the world-renowned organization in 1932, while Gutang, 67, served as GM Cacoy Cañete’s right hand man for more than 20 years.

They will leave for the US on March 18 direct to New York to attend the first Filipino Martial Art (FMA) Grandmasters’ Conference scheduled on the 19th. They are also special guests of the 5th Doce Pares World Championship on the next two days. The twin events will be held at the Jose Marti Academy Gym in Union City, New Jersey.

The two GMs will be travelling with some officials of Doce Pares, as delegates to the Grandmasters’ Conference, and with about 15 players, who will participate in the World Championship as well as in the West Coast Arnis Invitationals on April 12 in Anaheim, California.

Supreme Grandmaster Dionisio Cañete, ODL (Order of Datu Lapu-Lapu), who will leave ahead of the group together with Master Gerardo Rusiana, will join in some scheduled seminars as consultant. The 77-year-old supreme head of Doce Pares will be in Hawaii for special seminar-workshop for blackbelts and instructors.

Seminar schedules will be in Honolulu on April 25 and in Maui on the 26th. The Grandmaster, a lawyer and author of several books on FMA, has been informed that arrangements are now being undertaken for him to visit the State Senate, State House and the City Council. The Congress of the Visayan Organization is also inviting him. All these groups are looking forward to meet the highly esteemed eskrimador from Cebu City, a sister city of Honolulu. (PR) (FREEMAN)