Antonio "Tatang" Ilustrisimo (1904 in Bagong, Bantayan, Cebu – 1997) was the Grandmaster of

Kalis Ilustrisimo Kalis Ilustrisimo is a style of Eskrima founded by Antonio "Tatang" Ilustrisimo. Name ''Kalis Ilustrisimo'' means "The Bladed Art of Ilustrisimo": ''calis'' (or ''caris'') being another term for sword, blade and knife in Luzon and the Visayas ...

(KI), a Filipino martial art bearing his family name.

Early life

As a boy, Ilustrisimo studied

eskrima Arnis, also known as Kali or Eskrima/Escrima, is the national martial art of the Philippines. The three are roughly interchangeable umbrella terms for the traditional martial arts of the Philippines (" Filipino Martial Arts", or FMA), which em ...

from his father. At the age of nine, he decided to travel to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. He stowed away on a boat he thought was headed for America. Instead, he arrived in

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...

in the southern

Philippine islands The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

The martial arts

Ilustrisimo was one of the most well-respected eskrimadors in the Philippines. He was famed for winning countless duels and street encounters, as well as taking up arms as a guerrilla fighter against the invading Japanese forces during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Ilustrisimo was never defeated in combat, and earned great respect as a result of his brave exploits against the Japanese. In 1976, at the age of 72, Ilustrisimo accepted his first students, Antonio Diego and Epifanio 'Yuli' Romo. He had previously refused to accept students because of his work. After his death in 1997, Tony Diego was elected head of KI. Other notable students include Rey Galang, Christopher Ricketts, Romeo Macapagal, Henry Espera and Norman Suanico.

Death

Unfortunately, Ilustrisimo died a poor man. He was never recognized for his efforts in World War II.

Publications

His life and art were featured in the book titled ''Filipino Martial Culture'' by Mark Wiley. The same author included a section on Kalis Ilustrisimo in ''Filipino Fighting Arts: Theory and Practice''. Two of his most prominent students, Antonio Diego and Christopher Ricketts, published ''The Secrets of Kalis Ilustrisimo'' in the United States, with a foreword by Wiley.

References

* Mark V. Wiley (1997). ''Filipino Martial Culture'',

Tuttle Publishing Tuttle Publishing, originally the Charles E. Tuttle Company, is a book publishing company that includes Tuttle, Periplus Editions, and Journey Editions.

. * Mark V. Wiley (2000). ''Filipino Fighting Arts: Theory and Practice'',

Tuttle Publishing Tuttle Publishing, originally the Charles E. Tuttle Company, is a book publishing company that includes Tuttle, Periplus Editions, and Journey Editions.

. * A.Diego/C.Ricketts (2002) ''The Secrets of Kalis Ilustrisimo'',

Tuttle Publishing Tuttle Publishing, originally the Charles E. Tuttle Company, is a book publishing company that includes Tuttle, Periplus Editions, and Journey Editions.

. * Reynaldo S. Galang (2005) " Warrior Arts of the Philippines", Arjee Enterprises

Early life

The martial arts

Death

Publications

References

See also