The FMA Informative publishes Master Tony Diego & Kalis Ilustrisimo Special Issue, March 2013   http://www.fmainformative.info/Informative_Issues/2013/FMA_Informative-Issue67.pdf http://www.fmainformative.info/Informative_Issues/past_informative-issues.html Informative Issue No #67 Kalis Ilustrisimo The FMA Informative publishes Master Tony Diego & Kalis Ilustrisimo Special Issue, March 2013 Master Antonio “Tony” Diego When Master Tony moved to Manila, he trained in the Balintawak style of Arnis with the Eskrimadors from Cebu while he was working at the docks and at the same time training with Berting Presas (Modern Arnis) in Quiapo, a district of Manila. Soon after, he met Antonio “Tatang” Ilustrisimo in 1974. Tatang’s simple but ferocious style greatly impressed him. He then requested Tatang to teach him. At first Tatang would not teach Master Tony, explaining that it was only for his use alone! He said he remained undefeated because others do not know his style. Master Tony, far from being deterred, relentlessly pestered Tatang with attention and gifts until the old man finally agreed to teach him the ways of the blade. As a teacher of Eskrima, Master Tony has earned the highest reputation as a person and as an instructor. He fully believes that a student who learns the Ilustrisimo system should give credit where credit is due, and not to learn and then claim it or its derivatives as a personal innovation or declare it as coming from an imagined family tradition. Compared with Tatang, Tony teaches almost the same way with the exception that he has structured his instruction procedures into sets of techniques which make learning easier. This comes from having seen it from the student’s point of view. Tony has insisted on maintaining the purity of the system as Tatang taught it. The only change is the way the Ilustrisimo system is now taught in a structured sense, which Tatang did not. Any Questions Contact: Ms. Peachie Baron-Saguin at: peachiebaron@yahoo.com ———————— Kalis Ilustrisimo in its Pure Form Kalis Ilustrisimo in its pure form tries to maintain the life and death combative perspective and ex- presses this point of view in its techniques and their applications. There has been also a need to enter the Filipino martial arts world, which has a greater emphasis on the sports aspect. For this, Ilus- trisimo methods and techniques have perforce been modified in order to keep within the structure of the necessary constricting rules of sports. These rules are meant for the safety of participants and life and death combat movements are illegal. This is true for other ing, etc. Because of the greater emphasis on sports in the present Filipino martial arts community, students are more – keen on learn- ing techniques believing these will enhance their skill and their chances of winning competitions. In contrast, instruction in Ilustri- simo is based on the foundational combat philosophy of Antonio “Tatang” Ilustrisimo when teach- ing the techniques and their appli- cation. This point of view delin- eates objectives which give rise to the movements or techniques necessary to achieve such objec- The original main objective of Tatang’s fighting system is win- ning in battle and coming out of it alive and unhurt. For this, a flexi- ble fighting capability is necessary. Thus the Ilustrisimo system has a varied set of techniques which are effective at various distances and with various weapons all the way to empty hands. In using Kalis Ilustrisimo they use what one would call fraction (Master strikes at the student according to numbers). The Master strikes the student first countering the strikes one through twelve strikes, Abierta: Compared with Tatang, Master Tony teaches almost the same way with the exception that he has structured his instruction procedures into sets of techniques which make learning easier. This comes from having seen it from the student’s point of view. Master Tony has insisted on maintaining the purity of the system as Tatang taught it. … [Read more...]