Interview With GM Antonio “Tatang” Illustrisimo and Master Tony Diego

Grand Master Antonio Ilustrisimo

Interview With GM Antonio "Tatang" Illustrisimo and Master Tony Diego This interview was conducted with Antonio Tatang Illustrisimo and his senior student, Tony Diego, on July 29, 1997, in Manila, for Australasian Fighting Arts Magazine. It was the last interview the Granmaster ever gave. At the time of the interview, Grandmaster Illustrisimo had been ill for the previous two weeks, so he tired quickly and had some trouble talking. We were accompanied by a live-in companion, who helped serve as a translator for some of the Grandmasters answers. He passed away about a month after this interview was conducted. Grandmaster Illustrisimo lives in one of the toughest sections of Manila, near the docks. He was a merchant seaman for 35 years, and has spent his life in this same area. As an example of the respect these people give to this legend, the story is told of a gang fight between a local Manila-born gang and a gang of men who had come from the Visayan Islands for work. At the height of the melee, with many men fighting, Tatang walked through the middle of the place, and everyone stopped fighting until he had passed. He is one of those rare men whose reality justifies the legend. Australasian Fighting Arts Magazine: Erle Montaigue visited you in Manilla around 1981 and was impressed with what you were doing. He wrote an article for Australasian Fighting Arts magazine at that time. I am happy to see that you are still enjoying life and your students. And also happy to see that most of the students that you were teaching back then are still with you. Have your ideas on your training methods changed at all since 1981? GM Illustrisimo: The principles of the Art are still the same principles, so of course it is the same. AFM: When you began teaching your students, like Antonio Diego, you had certain ideas as to what they would learn by now. Have they reached your expectations? GM Illustrisimo: Yeah! Tony has been with me a long time, since 1975. If you want to train with me, you must learn the old way. When we train, I will hit your hands, many times, so you learn. You must take the pain to learn. AFM: Tony Diego, youve been with GM Illustrisimo for more than 20 years. Have you been satisfied with your training in the art, and with Tatang? Tony Diego: At first, he wouldnt teach me. He said that the Art was only for fighting. I kept asking and finally he accepted me. Ive been very satisfied. I have never felt that I wanted to change, or stop training. At one time, I was a little frustrated, though, and I asked Tatang why I couldnt be more like him. He simply answered that You are you, you are not me. Everyone learns in a different way, so you must be satisfied with the result that you get. It cant be the same as your teacher. AFM: Do you feel like you have mastered everything the grandmaster has to teach? Tony Diego: Once I asked Tatang if he had taught everything, if I had the complete system. He replied, When a guest comes to your house and you give him food, you give him the rice from the top of the pan. Its the best rice that everyone likes to eat, but you save for yourself the rice from the bottom of the pan, where it has become hard and crusty. I think that means that he taught everything he could teach, but that there are things that he still has that are not teachable. Things that come from an individuals experience in life. AFM: Tony, you will retire from your job in a few years. Do you think tht you will take on more students, expand the teaching? Tony Diego: No. I dont think so. I have several students who have been with me for many years. Probably they will take over the job of passing on Kali Illustrisimo. AFM: GM Illustrisimo, your style of Arnis impressed Erle Montaigue as one of the most natural for self defense. Are your views still the same in that this art should only be for self defence using straight forward methods rather than the more flowery ones? GM Illustrisimo: The fancy stuff in arnis, all the flowery movements, is only for stage shows, for demonstrations, not for real fighting. AFM: What is your advice to students who would wish to take up arnis nowadays in the Western world? It seems that today, the old ways of learning are fading, and many students want to learn the tournament styles. GM Illustrisimo: Arnis is simple, only one-two-three (demonstrating a 3-strike combination in the air). The tournament styles are different, not really arnis. AFM: How long do you feel a student needs to train to learn arnis, how many years? GM Illustrisimo: Only two weeks, you can master the techniques! Arnis is simple, only one-two-three! AFM: Two weeks!!? GM Illustrisimo: Study with me one hour every day and you can learn how to fight for tournaments. My pupils usually win in the tournaments. Remember, though, that training for tournaments is not training for real fighting. Wearing armor is bad for the art, students dont learn well. AFM: … [Read more...]