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The Doce Pares is an organization devoted to the propagation of the Filipino Martial Arts known as Eskrima. One of the officers when it was founded in 1932 was Deogracias Nadela. Beginning and Origins of Doce Pares By Ciriaco ‘Cacoy’ Cañete.
At about the start of the American regime, the Canete siblings began their training in Eskrima. Brothers Florentino and Eulogio Canete (later to become the principal organizer and president of Doce Pares) started their initial education from their father Gregorio, uncles Gavino Canete, Pedro Canete and uncle Juanso dela Cuesta (their mother’s brother) trained with other well known masters among them, Tenyente Piano Aranas, Goriong Tagalog, Juanso Tikya, Andres Suares, Tito de Goma and Cesario Aliason. But the Canete’s quest for more Eskrima knowledge brought them to meet the more famous eskrimadors at that time, Lorenzo Saavedra and his nephews Teodoro Saavedra and Federico Saavedra at San Nicolas district in Cebu City where the Canete family moved from their original residence in the town of San Fernando, some thirty kilometers south of the city.
In early 1920, the Canetes joined the Saavedras when the latter founded Labangon Fencing Club, the first ever Eskrima organization in the Philippines. (The group used the word “fencing” because of the influence of the Americans who referred the art as such, being similar to the European sport or art of fighting with the use of saber, foil or epee. The American influence would later become more apparent when Doce Pares used and adopted more English words to identify and describe techniques or forms.
On January 11, 1932, the Canetes and the Saavedras together with the other well-known masters founded the Doce Pares Club. The founding of the organization was originally conceptualized by only twelve people but during its inauguration on January 21 of the same year, the membership rose to twenty-four. The name Doce Pares was taken and adopted in reference to the famous twelve bodyguards of Emperor Charlemagne of France (A.D. 768-814). These twelve people all top swordsmen were recorded in history to have fought and killed hundreds of enemies in battles. Doce Pares which means “twelve pairs” in Spanish was also meant to honor the twelve masters who founded the organization, and when the membership rose to twenty-four at the time of its inauguration, it indeed became more significantly fitting.
In the election of officers in that fateful day of January 11, Eulogio “Yoling” Canete was elected as President with Teodoro Saavedra as Vice President. Other officers were Fortunato Penalosa (Secretary), Marcelo Verano, Deogracias Nadela, Filemon Canete, Federico Saavedra, Strong Tupas, Rodolfo Quijano, Venancio Bacon, Florentino Canete, Juanito Lauron and Magdaleno Cabasan. Composing the advisory board were Lorenzo Saavedra, Lawyer Cecilio dela Victoria, Margarito Revilles and Dr. Anastacio Deiparine. (During the next 55 years, Eulogio was reelected 55 more times as President and served the position until his death on June 26, 1988 at the age of 87 years old).
A couple of years later, more prominent masters joined the group among them were Jesus Cui, Felipe Villaro, Claudio Kalinawan, Victorino Dilao, Rosalio Gonzales, Jose Garcia, Pastor Villagracia, Pio Deiparine, Basilio Tumulak and Francisco Roncesvalle. - from http://www.fmaforum.org *spelling of Diogracias was corrected to Deogracias by his son Bienvenido Nadela. |
