Grand Master Dionisio "Diony" Cañete

Chairman of the Doce Pares Council of Grand Masters and the highest authority on Doce Pares in the World.

Dionisio belongs to the second generation of the famous Martial Art advocates, the Cañete brothers of Cebu City, Philippines. He is the youngest son of GM Eulogio "Ylong" Cañete, the principal organizer of Doce Pares, who headed the organization since its founding in 1932 until his death in June 1988.

Dionisio began his lessons in the Filipino Art in 1946 at the age of eight from his father and brother Iluminado, the eldest of the five children (4 sons and a daughter) of Eulogio and Irenea Aventurado.

He studied under GM Felimon "Momoy" Cañete and later with GM Ciriaco "Cacoy" Cañete, both brother of his father. He also trained with GM Vicenter Carin
and Maximo Cañete.

In 1950, during the Golden age of Boxing in Cebu, he was attracted to the sport and for five years regularly sparred and trained with several good amateur and
professional boxers at that time.

In 1957, together with his brothers, Diony was introduced to Kodokan Judo.

In 1960, immediately upon his election as one of the officers of Doce Pares, rules on the acceptance of students and membership were liberalized. They started to promote and develop Arnis to a wholesome spectator's sporting event

In 1975, He initiated the formation of the Cebu Eskrima (Arnis) Association. All major Arnis clubs in Cebu banded together for the first time. In succeeding to organize and band together all the top Arnisadors. Diony, in effect, sort of "civilized" the fighting-oriented Masters and curbed them to learn to co-exist for the sake of the
Filipino Art.

Events he helped organize/Events he participated:

March 6-7,1976
First National Arnis Festival
University of San Carlos Gym, Cebu City, Philippines
by National Arnis Association of the Philippines (NARAPHIL)

March 24, 1979
First National Arnis Open Championship
Cebu Coliseum, Cebu City, Philippines

August 19, 1979
First National Invitational Tournament
Philippine National College Gymnasium, Manila, Philippines

October 15, 1988
First National USA Eskrima Kali Arnis Championships
San Jose, California

First Eastern USA Arnis Championships
Jersey City, NJ

Note: The two tournaments were made possible through the all-out assistance & initiative of Arnulfo Cuesta, Fred Bandalan, Edward Abinsay, and Leo Fernandez

August 11-13, 1989
First World Eskrima Kali Arnis Championships
Cebu City, Philippines

It was during this tournament that the World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (WEKAF) was organized. He was elected Charter President

January 25-27, 1992
2nd World Championships & Congress
Manila, Philippines

1989 He was selected as Sportsman of the Year by the Sportswriters Association of Cebu (SAC)

During these tournaments he prepared the tournament rules and designed the appropriate protective gear.

In 1969 at the age of 22, he passed the Bar Examinations and became a fully-fledged Lawyer.

Diony has pruned down his active participation in various activities related to Arnis. His private gym in Cebu, however, remains a popular training place for students and instructors, especially those coming from other countries. He sees to it that the visitors are well attended to and are assured of learning what they want to know about the art. He still makes himself always available to render service to WEKAF and NARAPHIL.