Escrima maestro Macachor favors largo mano method

December 14, 2013 10:49 pm

By James Mendoza Contributor

Escrima teacher Celestino Macachor (left) trains a student in the ways of Sugbo
Largo Mano. PHOTO COURTESY OF CELESTINO MACACHOR

When Cebuano Eskrima: Beyond the Myth was published in 2007, it made ripples
throughout the Filipino martial arts (FMA) community after it challenged long-held
beliefs about the origins of FMA. Now its co-author Celestino Macachor is
questioning the efficacy of commonly taught FMA training methods with the
introduction of his Sugbo Largo Mano.
The 60-year-old Cebuano who has been training FMA since 1999 describes Sugbo
Largo Mano as a blend of the FMA system of grandmasters Jose de Caballero and
Ireneo Olavides called De Campo JDC-IO and various largo mano styles he picked up
in Southwest Cebu. Macachor is a former JDC-IO stylist under the tutelage of
Olavides.
Sugbo Largo Mano focuses on speed, distancing, and hitting accuracy, but not so
much on power and senseless drills, which, he said, only teaches synchronization.
He said the system still adheres to the basic principles of JDC-IO, though differing in
methodology.
There are three combat ranges in FMA that include largo (long-range), medio
(medium-range), and corto (close-range). As its name suggests, Macachors system
is primarily for long-range fighting.
A lot of the corto stuff in the Internet is useless, he said in an interview with FIGHT
Times, pointing out practitioners performing disarms that involve stick grabbing

maneuvers and convoluted techniques that give students a false sense of security
and invincibility.
Macachor said as far back as 2005, he and his former mentor, Olavides, tested
disarming techniques on each other as non-cooperative opponents. He said that
even with reduced striking speed, disarms, which are an integral part of FMA
curriculum, have a small percentage of being successful.
The main strategy of Sugbo Largo Mano is to control distance. If you cant reach
me, you cant hit me, Macachor said. If you can control space you can control the
fight. Practitioners are taught to attack any part of the anatomy of the opponent
that gets too close.
Real, full-contact sparring is essential to their training, according to Macachor.
Peripheral vision is also emphasized, and exercises like target hitting are drilled to
develop hitting accuracy and speed. There is one exercise where I just do random
shots, he said.
Macachor said he also picked up finer movements from his mentors response on
certain situations. During a photo shoot in Dapitan for a Rapid Journal article, I also
observed techniques Olavides did during an impromptu exchange with Ruel Tubang.
These were basically instinctive moves that [Olavides] doesnt teach, Macachor
said. I took note of them because I felt they could work for me.
Sugbo Largo Mano has no belt rankings. According to him, progress will depend on
the student. He said students who have fast twitch muscle fibers would have an
advantage owing to their ability to release sudden bursts of energy, while those who
are muscle bound may find it hard to deliver the necessary speed and intensity.
One more thing Id like to do in order to up the ante in FMA training is to include
the pain factor in sparring, and, hopefully, competition, he said. The World
Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation and Arnis Philippines, Inc. competitions are pillow
fights.

Reference: Manila Times: http://www.manilatimes.net/escrima-maestro-macachorfavors-largo-mano-method/60633/

BAGUIO ARNISADORS SHINE IN NATIONAL GAMES

June 4, 2013 9:44 pm
By EMIL C. NOGUERA

Arnis athletes demonstrate a two-man anyo or form. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Baguio City bets Raymart Gutierez and Claire Donga-as bagged three gold medals
each in the 2013 Philippine Olympic Committee-Philippine Sports Commission (POCPSC) Philippine National Games arnis anyo (form) competitions.
Gutierez scored 66.0 points to dominate the mens individual single weapon while
Elmer Batani of Igorot Team settled for silver with 65.0 points and John Franklin
Dresser of Cagayan de Oro placed third with 64.5 points.

Gutierez, a University of Cordilleras standout, claimed his second gold by topping

the individual sword and dagger event with 66.5 points followed by silver medalist
Dennes Dellomes of Iloilo and bronze winner Henry Mikael Gando of Baguio.
Gutierez also led his squad to a first-place finish in the team single weapon
category.
Donga-as copped the womens team single weapon gold medal by virtue of her
67.5-point showing, beating Cindy Abegail Monte of Baguio (66.5) and Iresh de Leon
of Iloilo (65.5).
Donga-as then connived with Ruth Ann Lavarias and Corina Collado in winning the
team single weapon title with 68.0 points. They beat the Pasig Team (66.5) and
Cagayan de Oro Team (66.0), which earned the silver and bronze, respectively.
The trio of Dong-as, Lavarias and Collado extended its dominance as it ruled the
team double weapon class in the tournament supported by Milo, STI Colleges,
Standard Insurance, Procter and Gamble, Ayala Corp., Summit Mineral Water, Bala
Energy Drink, LBC, 7-Eleven, Tea Monkey, Delos Santos Medical Center, SPIN.ph,
Splash Island, Enchanted Kingdom, Everlast, InnodermMetropharma Phil, Inc.,
Peak Martial Arts and BSP Employees Association.
Other medalists are Dresser (gold), Dennes Dellomes of Iloilo (silver) and Anthony
Galoy of Rizal Technological University (bronze) in the mens individual double
weapon; Reignrose Esquierra of Pasig (gold), Monte (silver) and Donga-as (bronze)
in the womens individual single weapon; Monte (gold), Lavarias (silver) and Irish
Crizel de Leon of Iloilo (bronze) in the womens individual double weapon; and Iloilo
(gold), RTU (silver) and Cagayan de Oro (bronze) in the mens team double weapon.

Reference: Manila Times: http://www.manilatimes.net/baguio-arnisadors-shine-innational-games/6843/