Rolando Pintoy Dantes (June 15, 1944-March 16, 2009)
A Filipino martial artist who trained with Remy Presas for over 30 years. He has also trained with other martial arts masters, such as Cacoy Canete and Edgar Sulite.
He was deeply loved and respected by the martial arts world!
Born in Cotabato, the 5’10” movie actor’s real name was Rolando Tangco Pintoy. His father, Brigadier General Climaco Pintoy, was the Military Zone Commander of the 4th Military Area, which includes Mindanao and the southern islands of Sulu and Palawan. Dantes’ father was his first instructor in art of Arnis de Mano. After his father’s death, Dantes studied Shotokan and Tang Soo do, and earned black belt ranks in both arts, and later he studied Arnis de Mano from Professor Remy Presas and other FMA (Filipino Martial Arts) grandmasters and masters.
A dedicated bodybuilder, Dantes won the “Mr. Philippines” title five times: 1969, 1973, 1974, 1976 and 1980. He also placed several times in the “Mr. Universe” contest and took fifth place in the 1970 “Mr. World” contest. In 1980, he placed fifth in the World Games for Bodybuilding, and in 1982 received a Certificate of Merit from the International Federation of Bodybuilders. In the same year, Dantes received the President Marcos Gold Medal Award for Bodybuilding.
This extraordinary man was one of the best-known Philippine actors who had leading roles in American films, like the internationally released movie “The Pacific Connection” which featured Nancy Kwan, Guy Madison, Alejandro Rey and Dean Stockwell, and “Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection” with Chuck Norris. He also starred in dozens of Philippine movies such as “Arnis: The Sticks of Death”, ”Trojan Warrior”, “Tumbador”, “Under the Gun”, “Live by the Fist”, “Tiger Shark”, “Angelfist”, “Uhaw na Dagat”, “Durugin si Totoy Bato”, “Banta ng Kahapon” and several other movies made in Australia, where he later established his residence.
Before becoming a movie star, Dantes was a police officer for several years in Manila. It was while majoring in Physical Education in college when he met Professor Presas, the founder of Modern Arnis. His passion for Arnis was rekindled, and Dantes became one of Presas’ top students and closest friend. Presas even choreographed his Arnis moves in most of his movies. After Dantes immigrated to America, he continued his Filipino martial arts training with the late FMA Grandmasters: Antonio Ilustresimo, Leo Gaje, Ben Lima, Johnny Chiuten , Edgar Sulite and others; and with the 88-year old living legend, Grandmaster Cacoy Canete, founder of the Doce Partes Eskrido/Eskrima system of martial arts.
With his extensive martial arts and bodybuilding expertise and experience, Dantes was listed in the Philippine Martial Arts Grandmasters Hall of Fame in Florida, Martial Arts Hall of Fane in El Paso, Texas, and the Philippine Bodybuilding Hall of Fame. He held the position of Chairman of the International Affairs of Arnis Philippines and the International Arnis Federation, the officially-recognized governing body for Arnis by the Philippine government.
