Cacoy Doce Pares Eskrima in New Zealand
By Simon Harrison

     Master Vince Palumbo, 8th Degree Black Belt Cacoy Doce Pares Eskrima and 2005 World Champion in the sport of full contact stickfighting, visited Christchurch in New Zealand to conduct a seminar.
     Master Palumbo, who is one of the most senior Australians within the Cacoy Doce Pares Eskrima World Federation (CDPEWF) Filipino stickfighting system of Eskrima, recently visited the very lovely and panoramic city of Christchurch in New Zealand to conduct seminars on the system.
     He was invited to Christchurch in New Zealand by fellow Cacoy Doce Pares Eskrima member and the Chief Instructor of the Christchurch Martial Arts Institute, Guro Leigh Jenkins.  Guro/Sifu Leigh Jenkins is a 3rd Degree Black Belt in the CACOY DOCE PARES ESKRIMA system, and he is also a very highly ranked instructor of the Wing Chun Kung Fu under Sigung Tsui Sheung Tin of Hong Kong.
     Master Palumbo conducted a 2 day intense seminar on the 14th and 15th of October, where he taught concepts of the Filipino Stickfighting and

Filipino Pangamot Jujitsu to the 60 students that attended the seminar/workshop.

     A multiple world title holder in this Filipino stickfighting art, Master Vince concentrated on developing the participants’ stickfighting abilities, taught techniques from Filipino Pangamot Jujitsu, and demonstrated defenses against a knife attack as well.
     Training consisted of two sessions per day with 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon.  The sessions were focused on the CACOY DOCE PARES ESKRIMA grading syllabus, sparring, forms, and knife defenses using the Filipino Pangamot Jujitsu techniques.
     The highlight of the seminar was watching Master Vince spar 20x2 minute rounds of full contact stickfighting in the sport eskrima body armour, where he sparred with some of the attendants of the seminar that had brought their full body protective armour.
     At the completion of the seminar, Master Vince conducted a grading for all of Guro Jenkins students.
     Some of the seminar attendees had travelled from the town of Wanganui, which is a 5 hour drive from Christchurch.  They were students of James West and Robin Howard's Wanganui Jujitsu/Eskrima school of martial arts.
     The 2 day seminar was also attended by members from some of the other martial arts clubs in the  Christchurch area as well.
     Master Vince intends on returning to Christchurch in early in 2007, when he will teach students how  to train and prepare  for a full contact sport stickfighting competition.
     Master Vince Palumbo will be very busy in 2007, as he has already been invited back to teach the Eskrima in Indonesia again, and he has had an invitation to conduct a seminar in Tokyo, Japan.
     There is also talk of a movie role in Master Tonny White's new movie called, 'MASTER OF THE GAME' which will be filmed on location in England and Rome.
     Master Vince is now training the Australian Team for the 3rd CACOY DOCE PARES ESKRIMA WORLD FEDERATION'S full contact stickfighting Championships in Cebu of the Philippines in November 2006.
     This young Master is doing his utmost best to promote the CACOY DOCEPARES ESKRIMA SYSTEM on an International scale all over the world.