Ciriaco "Cacoy" Cañete — Filipino Eskrima master and creator of Eskrido

Early life and Doce Pares

Cañete grew up in Cebu, a center of Filipino martial arts (commonly called Eskrima, Arnis or Kali). In January 1932 a club known as Doce Pares was formed to consolidate local fighting styles; Cañete became one of its young members. Doce Pares emphasized both single-stick and double-stick techniques, footwork, timing and blade awareness—skills that shaped Cañete's lifelong practice.

Eskrido: principles and characteristics

In 1951 Cañete developed Eskrido, a system intended to blend traditional Filipino weapons work with complementary empty-hand methods. Eskrido emphasizes:

• continuous movement between weapon and empty-hand defenses,
• joint locks and controlling techniques adapted to stick and blade encounters,
• throws and off-balancing methods applied from weapon ranges to close quarters,
• practical drills that train timing, distance and transitional responses.

Teaching, influence and notable traits

Cañete taught widely and maintained a reputation for technical precision and a pragmatic approach to combat. His curriculum stressed adaptability: practitioners learn to use a stick as an extension of the hand, to convert weapon skills into unarmed defenses, and to apply joint-control methods safely in training. Over decades his students helped spread Filipino martial arts internationally and kept Doce Pares traditions alive.

Legacy and distinctions

Recognized as one of the senior figures in 20th-century Filipino combatives, Cañete was noted for longevity in practice and for being among the last surviving members of the original Doce Pares group. His system, Eskrido, remains studied by instructors who value its integration of locks, throws and weapon techniques alongside conventional Eskrima patterns.

Final years

Cañete died on February 5, 2016, in a hospital in downtown Cebu City at the age of 96. Reports cite complications from prostate cancer as the cause. His passing prompted tributes from martial artists who credit him with preserving and evolving Filipino fighting arts into a coherent teaching system.