Sifu Alex Co Remembers Guro Edgar Sulite
*The following is excerpted from the new book, Lameco Eskrima: The Legacy of Edgar Sulite.
I first met Edgar Sulite in the early 1980s under very unique circumstances. I was invited by Yuli Romo, an Arnis grandmaster, to attend a tournament sponsored by Master Picate. Yuli told me that the grandmaster considered the “King of Kings” in the field of Arnis, named Antonio “Tatang” Ilustrisimo, shall be present in the tournament. Usually, I don’t attend tournaments because I find them boring, as I am already used to their routines. But this time, curiosity got the better of me; I desired to meet the grand master touted to be the king of Arnis. Ironically, as even in kung-fu events, which is my field, I am hardly present; but in this event, with its system then alien to me, I was very visible.
I asked my best buddy, Topher Ricketts, to come along with me. It was when we reached the tournament site that we found out that Yuli will challenge and fight a young master from Cagayan de Oro, one of the provinces of the Mindanao region. Their fight will be the main highlight of the event, using live sticks and without the use of body armor. Unfortunately, their anticipated fight did not push through, as Master Picate failed to come up with the prize money. Considering that the renowned masters were already in the venue, it was decided that there would be a demonstration where each master would be presented. In the event, I was introduced by Yuli to the great “Tatang” Ilustrisimo. I cannot remember the other demonstrators, but what I vividly remembered were the ones presented by Grandmaster “Tatang” Ilustrisimo and Ka Piryong Lanada of the Lanada Style. “Tatang” did the single baston, and Ka Piryong did the double baston. The reason why I singled out these two was simply because they were the ones I knew; “Tatang” having been introduced to me there by Yuli, and Lanada, who had been featured in Inside Kung-Fu magazine through the workings of his students in the U.S. So basically, knowledge wise at that time, I could not distinguish the versatility and salient points of their different styles.
After the tournament, Yuli introduced me to Edgar Sulite, whom I noticed to be very well mannered, respectful and who projected an aura of self-confidence, though still younger than most masters. I had just finished publication of my first book on Ngo Cho Kun, and I was aware that there as a demand for reference materials for the ever-growing market of Arnis practitioners. During those times, the only available book on Arnis was the one published by Remy Presas.
In the course of our conversation, publishing a book on Arnis came up. I thought a book on the art would be a great idea as the art of Arnis, though well-known in the Visayas and Mindanao regions, was then not so well-known in the metropolis of Manila and its neighboring cities. In fact, it was widely believed that Arnis was personified and represented only by the style of Remy Presas, who had established quite a name in this field, by virtue of his book. I found the young Edgar Sulite very skilled, educated and very passionate about Arnis. I gave my business card to him to pay me a visit, and sure enough, the following week, he appeared at my doorstep, presented me with a manuscript of his work, and was indeed looking for a publisher.
This started our business and personal relationship, and together with Topher Ricketts, we three established a lifelong friendship. Edgar would come to my office almost every day to discuss his book and demonstrate his Arnis knowledge to us. I would in turn expose him to the field of kung-fu, sharing my knowledge of Ngo Cho, Hung-gar, Praying Mantis, internal strength training, while Topher would delve into full-contact, pugilistic fighting with boxing basics and scientific training methods. So, in essence, we three became brothers in the martial arts, and at nighttime, would regularly practice at the penthouse of my residence in Makati.
Since the three of us were in constant company, I got to introduce Edgar and Topher to the different kung-fu masters, and Edgar also utilized some internal kung-fu techniques in his Lameco Eskrima, which explains his seemingly internal strength. I also learned Edgar’s Arnis style: Lameco. So the three of us each had knowledge in Arnis, Kung-fu, pugilistic fighting with specific strength on our own individual systems.
The publication of Edgar Sulite’s book was a great challenge to me. First, we had to change his original manuscript to be able to appeal to the readers. As I was more experienced in the field of book publishing I suggested we incorporate many items to make the book attractive enough to the readers, like putting its history, calisthenics, basics and fundamentals, strides, attack and defense techniques, closed inter-relations between a stick and dagger, plus introduction to some well-known masters. The latter was to expose these masters so their students would like to have their own copies, like a sort of marketing strategy. I published his first book with the title Secrets of Arnis.
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| Forgive the lousy pic and bad photoshop skills to bring out the Anting-anting tattooed on Antonio Ilustrisimo's chest. Source photo: Mark Wiley's Filipino Martial Culture |
Anting-anting are amulets held on or in the body that possess the power of the spirit world and offer courage and protection to their bearer. Oracion are prayers or incantations, generally in an admixture of Latin and native Filipino dialects, that do much the same. The difference between them is that anting-anting are generally only able to protect the bearer or give him courage, while oracion can do that in addition to weakening the opponent, breaking his fighting spirit, or forcing him to drop his weapon.
Antonio Ilustrisimo was a staunch believer in such things and possessed both. Regarding such things, Good Friday is the solemn day for arnisadors who are masters of oracion, that is, those who are able to control the spirit world through their charms and prayers. It is on this day that they test whether they still have their power, or whether they have lost it.
Every year on Good Friday, Tatang would wander to a deserted field followed by both believers and skeptics. he would prop up pieces of paper on which he had written incantations. He would then invite anyone with a gun (and many people carry them in the Phillipines) to shoot at the paper at point-blank range. Amazingly, no one ever succeeded in hitting the target with their bullets, despite the barrel of their gun touching it.
When one of the shooters was asked what he felt when shooting at the paper, he replied, "Nothing extraordinary happens while one is aiming at the paper. But the moment one pulls the trigger, an invisible force tugs the barrel of the gun aside and makes one miss. Sometimes the gun would refuse to fire altogether." If oracion can keep bullets from hitting their intended target, even a sharp blade poses no real threat to the eskrimador who possesses them.
Antonio Ilustrisimo would go home to recite his oracion twice a day at specified times - every day without fail. He also had his anting-anting tattooed on his chest so that it would forever be a part of him. During his fights, he would mentally recite his oracion. Given that he never lost a match - friendly or to the death - one has a difficult time just dismissin such things. As a testament to his uncanny powers, Antonio Diego is also a true believer and possessor of both anting-anting and oracion, and has also not lost a match.
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| Photo credit: http://www.warriorseskrima.com/ |
9. Tatang Ilustrisimo was reputed to possess both anting anting and orascion, did you witness any demonstations of his powers?
I have seen both anting-anting and oracion in operations. Many do not seem to work but those that do evoke wonder in even among avid researchers into the paranormal. Let me cite a few instances. Before Tatang’s health deteriorated in 1992 his mind was very sharp and focused, his will power tremendous. On good Fridays we would go to empty lots to tests his powers. On a sheet of bond paper, Tatang would scribble a few orascions and have it set up for a target. Now, I and my two elder sons are competent shots but at a distance of five meters we were only shooting around that 8′ x 11′ sheet of paper, knicking its edges only at 3 meters. Good sight pictures, good squeeze, good ammo, but could not hit the target. Whatever the mechanism, it worked.
After the dreams mentioned earlier, Tatang got a small pocket notebook and a lead pencil, brought me to a far corner of Luneta and told me to write oracions as he dedicated them including the instances for their use. Now, I am quite sceptical but acquiesced out of respect for Tatang’s good intentions. After that, for a period of two years I did not get cut. Now this is not unusual for most people but in my case I am a part time blade smith and in that period was prolific, polishing and sharpening blades by hand. Unconsciously I was handling blades without respect, grabbing at dropped blades etc, and did not receive a cut when previously, I was the corner stores main buyer of band-aids.
Only Tatang could cut me in practice or demonstrations, thin scratches which bled well. I was also doing very poorly financially during this time, a fact noted by an uncle, who asked me if I had or “wore” “armadura”-armor. I said no but commented that I was not getting wounded when I should. The uncle advised me to get rid of the armadura put on me by Tatang which I did. Right after my finances improved and I could get wounded in playing or when working on blades.
