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Doce Pares: A King of all trades... a complete art

For many martial artists, being a Jack of all trades, helps them survive in different situations that they're in. It makes them generally knowledegeable of what is out there and how they might be able to protect themselves.

Doce Pares is not only a means of self-defense, but it is an art form.

Luckily Doce Pares is a KING of all trades. In 1932, 12 grandmasters have come together and share their styles amongst each other. A couple of months later, the organisation grew up to 24 members, hence the name Doce Pares became suitable.

Many Doce Pares practitioners look at the organisation as a school, similar to that of an Educational System. The recent belt system that was devised is very much like going to an academic school. You cannot go to the next grade before you pass, not necessarily perfect, the level that you are on. After you've passed it, it should be a work in progress to perfection.

As for the different styles such as Largo Mano, Medio Largo, Corto Orihinal, Corto Kurbada, Corto Linear, Hirada y Retirada, Espada y Daga, Mano-Mano, and Baraw, these are more like the different subjects that can be studied under the Doce Pares school.

Doce Pares is one of the most organised eskrima systems around which was re-structured by Grandmaster Dionisio Cañete.

Now... Doce Pares may be the KING of all trades, but it is not necessarily so for its followers. It depends on how dedicated and how fast a learner the practitioner is. It takes quite some time to master one of the styles, so it should take constant practise and sparring to make sure that one is actually improving and developing.

Doce Pares gives you all these options, but it is up to you how far you want to go. The more styles you know, the more well-rounded you are as an eskrimador.

(By the way, this applies to many other traditional eskrima systems as well, not only Doce Pares.)

10 June 2008, Monday

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