Guro Johnathan Routis who is our Senior Children's Instructor performs a Doce Pares Sayaw 7 stick form.
Known as Eskrima, Arnis, or Kali, Doce Pares was formed in 1932 and is the oldest established martial art in the Philippines. It comprises of styles from many contributing masters of Philippine martial art.

Recorded history of Filipino martial art dates as far back and beyond the time of Ferdinand Magellan. It was when Magellan underestimated the fighting skills of the inhabitants on the island of Mactan. Magellan lost his head at this juncture when he battled Lapu-lapu for the glory of Spain. It would then take another 45 years before 300 years of Spanish control on the northern part of the Philippines were to take hold. Carrying of bladed weapons were forbidden. During the Spanish rule, the olisi or stick became the medium of this arts' transformation. Here Guro Johnathan demonstrates a "Sayaw", which translate to dance in English.

Today, Filipino Martial Art of this fighting system can be found among among the different Eskrima, Kali, Arnis styles that have developed in the Philippines, as well as from the Doce Pares Schools that have emerged since its founding: Balintawak, Multi-Style, Bandalan, San Miguel, and Cacoy Doce Pares to name a few. Some have retained the bladed aspects of the art intact while others have migrated to the use of sticks of varying degree . Doce Pares teaches the use of stick fighting as well as open hand, while maintaining its bladed heritage, and thus the development and introduction of the witik and other circular type of strikes that is so conducive to using sticks as a weapon.

The movements of the stick mimics the open hand techniques and vice-versa, as the stick and hands become one and the stick being an extension of the hand. Students are first taught weapons before empty hand, as the movement of the sticks flow like water. It is then like the flowing of water that becomes the basis of this art, for it is not only aesthetically pleasing, but it is what makes it equally deadly as well.

Doce Pares compliments other martial arts very well. Our school, Philippine Blackbelt Academy is based on the Doce Pares Multi-style System; Tel. (973) 777-5849. We are located in Clifton, New Jersey, USA. We teach private & semi-privately at an affordable price and at a pace, atmosphere, and style that makes learning this art fast, easy, and effective.

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