The Toughest Fighters in the History of Filipino Martial Arts
By Jay de Leon

Originally Published in WorldBlackBelt Magazine, 2004

     Just like any ancient martial arts, the history of Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) has its share of legends, myths, epic fighters and heroes. In FMA forums and chat rooms, you have probably witnessed heated debates about the truth, existence or validity of many FMA events or items. They range from the historical (Did Lapu-Lapu use FMA to slay Ferdinand Magellan?) to mythical (the blind Princess who taught a famous grandmaster, or the deadly caves of death used to test another famous grandmaster), to its supernatural aspect (Do “anting-antings” (amulets) and “orasyones” (prayers) protect you from serious injury?), to tales of combat (challenge and death matches).
     There is no question such “death matches” existed until they were banned by General MacArthur in 1945. Who actually won, or whether such matches ended in death or serious injury is, of course, the fodder for chatroom discussions. In this article, we define combat as using FMA in a ring match (sanctioned or otherwise), or in a real life situation, as in a self-defense situation, in battle (war), or in the performance of sworn law enforcement or security duties. For purposes of this discussion, we will have to rely on “recorded history,” since without it, obviously we are left to conjecture and speculation. We leave that to the chatrooms.
     Understandably, most of these fighters are either founders of FMA systems, or stalwarts or the “designated fighter” of their systems. Half of them served in the conflict that was known as World War II. With the exception of Vicente Carin, Emiliano Zapata, and Abon Baet, these warriors have answered the final bell and fought the last round of Life.

And so, in no particular order, here are my toughest fighters in the history of Filipino Martial Arts

Jose D. Caballero (1907-1987)
     Grandmaster Jose D. Caballero of Toledo City, Cebu, Philippines was the founder of a devastating style known as “De Campo Uno-Dos-Tres Orihinal.” In his prime, he was the vaunted “Juego Todo” (All Out, no holds barred) champion and beat many well-known eskrimadors of his time. He also served with the Philippine Constabulary in the hostile Moro province of Lanao in Mindanao, Philippines. His most illustrious students include Punong Guro Edgar Sulite, founder of “Lameco Eskrima,” and Irineo L Olavides, current inheritor of Caballero’s system.

Angel Cabales (1917- 1991)
     Angel Cabales is one of several grandmasters credited with the emergence of FMA in the US. But Angel Cabales was first and foremost, a fighter. Originally a boxer and a wrestler while growing up in the Philippines, Angel became a student of renowned fighter and FMA Grandmaster Felicisimo Dizon at 15 years old. Eventually he became Dizon’s designated fighter, answering any challenges from other styles, always confident of victory relying on Dizon’s vaunted “serrada” (close-range) techniques. Cabales continued to fight many challenge matches in the U.S. as well, after he emigrated in 1939. In 1966, Cabales opened the Cabales Escrima Academy in Stockton, California.

Antonio “Tatang” Ilustrisimo (1904-1997)
     Antonio “Tatang” Ilustrisimo has fought in more “death matches” than perhaps any other FMA master, and has had his share of real life violent encounters. He killed his first man in self-defense at the age of fifteen while living in Jolo, a Muslim city in Mindanao, Philippines. During World War II, Ilustrisimo was a guerrilla fighter in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Luzon, and used his knife and bolo techniques in many close-quarter encounters with Japanese soldiers. Much later in civilian life, Ilustrisimo was arrested seventeen times for violent incidents in the mean streets of Manila. As a side note, Tatang was one of a few Grandmasters who carried an “anting-anting" (amulet) and had an “orasyon” (prayer) tattooed across his chest, and used these to invoke divine intervention in whatever life-and-death situation he was facing.

Conrado Tortal (1897 - ?)
     Conrado B. “Tay Dadoy” Tortal of Negros Occidental, Philippines is considered the founder of the “Pekiti-Tirsia Kali” system. He lived during dangerous times, and his art served him well. Balbino Tortal, his oldest brother and principal training partner, was shot and killed by Japanese solders in 1945 after he disarmed a Japanese soldier of his samurai sword and killed two other soldiers attempting to bayonet him. “Tay Dadoy’s” own violent encounters were also duly recorded, including his fight against the Lizares brothers, a prominent political ruling family from Talisay, Negros Occidental, wherein he fought with hardwood “espada y daga” against their bolos, and a much publicized duel against Tansiong Padilla, designated fighter for the Aldobon style from Panay. Tortal also served as the first Chief of Police of Victorias, home of the largest sugar mill in Negros Occidental.

Grandmaster Benjamin Luna Lema (left), works out with Master Elmer Ybanez.

Benjamin Luna Lema (1919-2003)
     Grandmaster Benjamin Luna Lema, affectionately called “Mang Ben,” is known as the founder of “Lightning Scientific Arnis,” and passed away not too long ago. As a young man, he had numerous arnis challenge encounters in Iloilo, Philippines and was purported to be undefeated in both tournament competition and street encounters. He had occasion to use, hone and teach his FMA as a guerrilla fighter against the Japanese in Panay during World War II. As late as 1979, Lema competed in the now infamous challenge of the Grandmasters in Manila, together with other champion fighters like Cacoy Canete and Timoteo Maranga, among others.

Timoteo Maranga ( ? - 1988)
     Grandmaster Timoteo “Timor” Maranga of Cebu, Philippines is the founder of the system “Tres Personas Eskrima de Combate Super Kuwentada System.” Starting his eskrima education at the age of seven from his father Gregorio “Godoy” Maranga, he had “hands-on” training repulsing intermittent Moro raids on their island.  During World War II, as a member of the legendary Bolo Battalion, he had numerous hand-to-hand encounters with the Japanese, making him one of the most battle-tested eskrimadors of World War II.  Later, he had occasion to train with the best eskrimadors in Cebu—Eslao Romo, Doring Saavedra, Lorenzo “Enciong” Saavedra and Venancio “Anciong” Bacon. As late as 1979, he competed in the Masters tournament in Manila, along with Cacoy Canete, Benjamin Luna Lema, and others.

Floro Villabrille (1912-1992)
     Grandmaster Floro Villabrille was the undefeated champion of countless so-called stickfighting death-matches in the Philippines, Australia and Hawaii in the 1930’s. Although such matches rarely resulted in death, many matches resulted in serious injuries, since these matches were full-contact bouts without the use of any armor, and punches, kicks, sweeps and throws were allowed. Villabrille started fighting in death matches at the age of 17, and his last recorded match was in Hawaii in 1948 (around age 36 yrs. old), shortly after which the death matches were banned. His knowledge of various styles in the Philippines coupled with his combat experience in the ring led to the development of his own FMA system known as the Villabrille System of Kali.

Grandmaster Vicente Carin shows his scars from knife wounds.

Vicente Carin
     This list would not be complete without Grandmaster Vicente “Inting” Carin, who himself claims to have fought the most life-and-death matches, and nobody disagrees. During World War II, he fought against the Japanese, where he had occasion to use his skills in man-to-man combat. After the war, he became one of the most popular grandmasters in “Doce Pares” under Grandmaster Filemon “Momoy” Canete. His real-life violent confrontations are legendary and well-known.  In one incident, he fought off at least ten armed attackers, killing one and sending several to the hospital. Carin himself sustained no less than 10 knife wounds serious enough to kill a man, was given up for dead, but miraculously survived. Inting Carin is well into his 80’s as of this writing (2004), still alive and teaching in the Philippines, a living legendary eskrima warrior.

Emiliano Zapata

Emiliano Zapata undefeated champion of Yaw-Yan.

     Emiliano Zapata is the full-contact champion of Yaw-Yan, a Filipino martial art developed by Grandmaster Napoleon Fernandez, himself an undefeated kickboxing champion. Yaw-Yan, from the two last syllables of “Sayaw ng Kamatayan” or “Dance of Death,” is a deadly amalgam of Muay Thai, TaeKwonDo, western boxing, and FMA. Active from the 1970’s to the early 2000’s, Zapata amassed an astounding record of 105 undefeated full contact ring fights. Yaw-Yan practitioners stress that their art is not purely a full-contact sport martial arts, but a complete martial art with high emphasis on practicality and effectiveness in street confrontations.

Gat Puno Abon Baet (left), “play-fights” with double sticks

Abon Baet (1963 -    )

     Just to prove to you that this list is not limited to ancient warriors shrouded in the mists of time and myths of invincibility, I am including a modern day warrior and authentic, old-style FMA master, Abundio (Abon) “Garimot” Baet, inheritor of his family system from Paete, Laguna, Philippines called “Garimot Arnis.” More popularly known as “Gat Puno” Abon, he was a full contact champion of his province, Laguna, for several years. By his own admission, he has had an extremely violent past—numerous street fights including one when at least a dozen ganged up on him, violent encounters while working as security for the mayor of his city, and involvement in a bar brawl in Cozumel, Mexico between two groups which resulted in two knife fatalities on the other side. He has since immigrated to Pembroke Pines, Florida, where he teaches FMA, and his fighting is now limited to full-contact stickfighting. He has a standing challenge to any comer who wants to test his skill, or just “play-fight,” Filipino-style.

Gat Puno Abon Baet (left), “play-fights” with bolo.

     Other FMA fighters considered for this article include Felicisimo Dizon, Cacoy Canete, Santiago Toledo, Jose Mena, Carlos Navarro, Filemon “Momoy” Canete, Meliton Geronimo, Leo Giron, Wenceslao “Eslao” Romo, Napoleon Fernandez, Delfin Lopez, “Anciong” Bacon, Urbano “Banoy” Borja, Teofilo Velez, and Lorenzo Saavedra, Every one of these fighters fought in many a life-and-death situation or full-contact fight, and could have been featured as well. As you can see, there is no dearth of fighters in the history of FMA. Don’t worry, I am sure there will be occasion to feature these greats in a future article.
     I would like to leave you with two thoughts regarding this article. One, I have no intentions of glorifying violence or condoning any lawlessness these men may have committed. Then and now, the Philippines has dangerous places, and even more dangerous men. I know, I lived there the first twenty-seven years of my life. This is simply a reiteration that FMA was born out of the crucible of combat, and a reminder why we take up martial arts—to be able to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Two, what made these men tough was not FMA but their own will to survive, their “intestinal fortitude,” as we say, or their heart. FMA simply provided the tool for their survival.