Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO: Top Instructors and Training Methods
By Erwin Ian Almagro
For many years, the style of Grandmaster Jose D. Caballero remained exclusive to him and his most trusted student Ireneo "Eric" Olavides. Grandmaster Caballero, the distinguished founder of the De Campo Uno-dos-tres Orihinal, was famous for his superb skill in stick fighting in the mecca of Filipino Combat Arts - the Visayas Region. As documented history would prove it, he has defeated many eskrimadors in his prime during Juego Todo (no armor fight) events, which were popular attractions in the towns back then. The rationale of withholding the concepts of his lethal techniques, which he used in actual combat, was obviously for protection. He never discounted the possibility that one day a student might exploit his brand of eskrima or might even challenge him in the revered Juego Todo. Until his death, it was only Eric who was able to graduate the complete curriculum of his mentor. Professor Eric, like his teacher, was also cautious of who he teaches eskrima. While maintaining his job as a teacher in the College of Criminology at the Misamis University, he was able to train a handful of close friends and acquaintances. Since he was only teaching a small group of students, he was able to pay much attention to them, giving good quality instruction. With the Juego Todo already banned, and no more reason to keep it hidden, Professor Eric slowly opened up the membership of Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO with the help of his loyal students who have completed his requirements and by which he has full confidence in their skill and character. The name Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO was later on adopted by Professor Eric's students to acknowledge their mentors contribution and improvement of Grandmaster Caballero's methods. Currently, there are four "pillars" in the present day Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO: Professor Eric Olavides, Romy Paradero, Ruel Tubang and Celestino Macachor.
Romy Paradero
Romy Paradero is a former Balintawak stylist. He lives as a farmer in Molave; Zamboanga del Sur. Romy's training in largo mano (long range) style of eskrima began when Professor Eric frequented the town Molave to look after his farm. He became one of Professor Eric's close friends and the most senior student in Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO. Romy was Juniors champion in the eskrima tournament held in honor of Jose Caballero in Ozamiz in 1982. He has been involved in many live blade encounters. He trains CAFGU militias and is noted in his place for disarming drunken troublemakers.
Ruel Tubang
Ruel Tubang took about two years before finally deciding to approach Professor Eric to train under him. His blue-collared job as a watch repairman did not give him much confidence to approach the more formal and respectable Eric Olavides who was a teacher by profession. So he requested his friend who is also a close acquaintance of Mr. Olavides to accompany him and act as a sponsor. He then finally got a nod from Professor Eric. Ruel's background before joining Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO is Kyokushinkai karate and Balintawak eskrima. While already a De Campo stylist, Ruel was able to stop a robbery in progress near his watch repair stall. He disarmed the robber holding a gun with his bare hands and saved people that day. Ruel has been involved in a total of 17 live blade fights in the streets. To be alive and surviving this number of incidents is no luck but skill. When both fighters are holding a knife, most likely both will end up dead. Even for someone with experience in such horrifying near death incidents, Ruel still humbly says he is not a master with the blade. He never encourages to stand-up to an opponent with a knife and he always recommends evading the fight.
Celestino Macachor
As a sales representative in Agusan, Celestino C. Macachor has drawn his gun three times. Life-or-death situations were nothing new to him. At a younger age, an experience he could not forget was a fight with his classmate at the old grandstand in Abellana, Cebu City. He was attacked unprovoked but he reacted immediately by jumping to a woodworking table and grabbed two mallets. As the fight was about to end in a stalemate, as they were going around in circles, he dropped the mallets, exposed his chest and challenged the opponent to attack. His opponent turned pale with fear and withdrew. CC Macachor has studied Shorin-ryu karate and boxing but he realized later on that it is eskrima that he truly has a passion for. While assigned in Mindanao, he searched for someone who could give him clear instruction and guidance in eskrima. His journey eventually led him to Professor Olavides and became a student for two straight years, living in an apartment 300m away from his teacher. CC Macachor is also a gun enthusiast and a hobby pistol smith. He became champion in 1989 in the PSA Butuan Club shoot. He became champion again in 1990 and was seeded in the top 16 in the Philippine Practical Shooting Association IPSC Mindanao region in the same year. He dropped out a year later when IPSC practical shooting became a game of one-upmanship in the latest gizmos and gear. In short he could not afford the arms race anymore.
Training Methods
There are only a few members in a training group in Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO for the reason that the teaching is not commercialized and en mass like an aerobic class. Careful attention is being given to every student such that the bad habits will be corrected as early as possible. Like a close-knit family, the members of Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO are more than just students. It is therefore imperative that the instructor screens potential students of their personal background before they are accepted to train and join the family. The character of the student is very important and he or she is expected to be diligent in training and be respectful of the art, the teachers, members and themselves. There are no standard uniforms to wear and there are no belts to signify the ranks. The trainings are usually done at the residence of the instructor. Schedules can be arranged depending on the availability of the instructor as teaching Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO is not their full time job. The teaching method is not very formal but it is organized. After every lesson, the student will be given instruction what to practice at home such that in the next session the progress will be monitored. If the instructor feels that the execution is not in the right form and in the right speed, accuracy and power, then the exercises will be repeated again.
The structure of Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO as developed by Professor Olavides consists of groupings of striking patterns in a series of modules from basic to advance. Many techniques are contained in a single grouping. There are no pre-arranged techniques. There are no numbering of strikes or numbering of angles of attack. There are also no stick-to-stick blocks and tapi-tapi or alive hand techniques. The 'disarms' are just simple direct strikes to the weapon hand. Forms or 'sayaws' or 'katas' are also not part of the training curriculum. The striking patterns can be applied to hit an opponent pre-empting a strike, hitting before the delivery of attack. It can also be used for counter offense (during the delivery of attack) and for following the trajectory of the strike (after delivery of attack). In any case, the strikes must be executed with speed, power and accuracy. It must be expressed with the right level of intensity and can be performed from any position or angle that is required of it. Professor Eric Olavides demonstrating the "double taps" - two vertical raps in rapid succession to the head. Ruel Tubang blocks the strike with a sumbrada and attempts to check but checking hand is hit with the secondary vertical strike of Professor Olavides.
In Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO, mainly a largo mano style, any part of the opponent's body that is closest will be the first target. It is usually the hand that holds the weapon that is exposed. If the weapon hand is withdrawn, other parts are of the body like the head; elbows, knees and checking hand present a good target and they should be hit first. Through continuous training and steadfast dedication, the trainee or apprentice will eventually understand the underlying concepts of effective and efficient striking along with the development of body mechanics and footwork. Mastering the fundamental principle of maintaining the maximum effective distance is vital in evading the strikes of the opponent. There is nothing fancy about the techniques in Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO. It is the concept or application of those techniques that is important to be understood clearly by the student.
Although Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO has various fighting forms, the chambered position at serrada stance is a signature of a De Campo stylist. The strong hand (right-hander or left-hander) holds the stick two inches from its end and chambering it to the rear elbow. The stance should not be too wide or too short with the heel of the rear foot raised for mobility. Even though, Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO is primarily a largo mano style, it provides consciousness and familiarity in all ranges such that practitioners won't have any problem in returning back to the favorable long range in case the opponent can close in.
In 2003 Maestro Olavides returned to the United States for the second time to fulfill his mission of propagating the art of Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO. Staying true to his convictions, Maestro Olavides opted not to do as most masters from the Philippines have done when venturing abroad. Instead he decided to search for students that would continue to preserve the art as he had done for so many years. It was after a strange turn of events that he decided to contact some former acquaintances from his previous visit back in 1999. It was at this time that Jason Autajay and Lloyd Bandonillo who had already been training together and Marlon Mercado were invited to meet Maestro Olavides. Soon after that meeting they began training with Maestro until his return to the Philippines in 2004.
Jason Autajay began training in eskrima by accident. It was because of his younger brother that he learned that some eskrima lessons were being held at a local Filipino-American community center near by. Jason recalls " I only went to show my support for my little brothers and sister but had no intention on joining it was during the orientation I was handed the waivers and others paper work so I decided to go for it" Ironically after two semesters Jason was not invited back to participate with the group so he packed his sticks up and put them in the closet.
Lloyd Bandonillo, who had join for only one semester at the same community center, happened to live two blocks away from instructor that was looking for a couple of students to practice with in the backyard. It was this instructor that would later introduce them to Maestro Olavides. Lloyd still finds time to train during the week even with a new bride, son, and hectic work schedule.
Marlon Mercado, a personal friend of one of Maestro's original students in the United States, is also a 2nd Dan in HAPKIDO; wanting to learn the martial arts of his homeland Marlon contacted his friend and later became a student of Maestro Olavides.
In March 2005, Maestro Olavides returned to the U.S. for the third time. Not happy with the direction Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO U.S.A was taking, he decided to restructure the group. Part of the restructuring process included the launch of a new website. [www.EskrimaDeCampo.com] This new site would serve as the central location for information on both the United States chapter and well as the Philippine based chapters.
Ron Velonza met Maestro Olavides during his most recent visit but caught on rather quickly due to his previous experience of stick fighting from his father. Ron brings his background in other martial arts to the group as well.
Maestro Olavides does have more students in the United States but has chosen to leave the responsibilities of organizing the group's activities to these four individuals. Training sessions lasted for a few hours each time and could be as many as three or four sessions in a week. During these sessions, Maestro would demonstrate and practice each technique with his students until he was satisfied that they were ready to move on. After many bumps and bruises, these sessions would end with dinner. It was during dinnertime that Maestro Olavides would share his ideas on principles and concepts of training. This continued until his departure in September 2005.