Lameco Eskrima
Edgar Sulite's eskrima, assembled from the teaching of several Filipino masters. According to Wiley, the name combines larga mano, medio and corto.
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PhilippinesCharacter & Origin
Training
Who It Suits
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What the style is built from
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About Lameco Eskrima
Lameco eskrima is a Filipino system that Edgar G. Sulite, born in 1957 in Tacloban City, put together according to Wiley. Sulite studied under a number of eskrimadors, according to Wiley, and later combined their lessons into a system he called lameco eskrima. According to Wiley, he stressed that the system is unique only in name and its movements originate in the styles of his masters. According to Sulite's words in Wiley, the name is made of the first syllables of the three ranges, la for larga mano, me for medio and co for corto. Wiley lists Jose D. Caballero, Leo T. Gaje Jr., Jesus Abella and Antonio Ilustrisimo as his main teachers. According to Sulite, the most important element is the twelve basic strikes. According to Wiley, Sulite moved to the USA on 30 June 1989 and became personal eskrima instructor to Dan Inosanto and Larry Hartsell. According to English Wikipedia, he died on 10 April 1997 as a result of a stroke. We have not found the year the system was created.
History
According to Wiley, Sulite received the family style Sulite from his father Helacrio Sulite. After moving to Ozamis City in 1975, Sulite studied, according to Wiley, under Jose D. Caballero in de campo uno-dos-tres orihinal eskrima and through Pablicito Cabahug met Jesus Abella, founder of moderno largos. At the same time he studied under Leo T. Gaje Jr. in pekiti tirsia kali. After finishing college in 1981 he moved, according to Wiley, to Manila and reached Antonio Ilustrisimo through his student Yuli Romo, and trained with Ilustrisimo at his house in Tondo. According to Wiley, he also briefly studied under other masters, whom he listed as influences of smaller systems.
How it differs
According to Wiley, Sulite said that lameco differs from others in focus and intent. He spoke of Ilustrisimo as a good fighter who had no teaching method, and he himself wanted to present lameco clearly and with detailed explanation for the ordinary student. Wiley places lameco eskrima, together with Cabales serrada escrima, among systems named after the preferred fighting range.
Technique
According to Wiley, Sulite defined the ranges by reach. When the extended sticks touch with their tips at the wrist, it is long range, a touch of the hand on the opponent's elbow is medium range and reach to the shoulder is close range. Besides the twelve strikes, according to Sulite the system contains twelve kinds of footwork from various masters. English Wikipedia gives the rattan stick as the main weapon, and further work with one and two sticks, one and two daggers, stick and dagger, sword, staff, scarf and empty hand.
Training
Wiley writes that lameco is known as a system of drills called laban-laro. According to Wiley, the Sunday training at Sulite's house in southern California was called Sunday school and was full-contact sparring with a limited number of rules. According to Wiley, protective gear there served to protect the bones, not as a shield for covering.
Ranks and progression
In drawing up the curriculum, according to Wiley, Sulite drew on Caballero's system, which divided instruction into levels such as elementary school, high school and college. English Wikipedia, without citing a source, describes ranks from unang baitang to ika-limang baitang and further punong guro with colored belts and stripes.
Today
According to English Wikipedia, after Sulite's death his wife appointed Leonard Trigg president of Lameco Eskrima International and Dan Inosanto vice president, but FMA Pulse writes that Sulite appointed Inosanto himself. Wikipedia states that lameco in Sulite's form is taught by David Gould, Dino Flores and Wolfgang Mueller, and among other groups it names Lameco SOG and Bakbakan International. Lameco Eskrima International runs the website lamecoeskrimaintl.com.
Did you know
According to Wiley, Sulite wrote the books The Secrets of Arnis, Advanced Balisong and Masters of Arnis, Kali and Eskrima, and appeared on three covers of martial arts magazines. David Gould states on the Tambuli Media website that on 28 July 1996 he became the last instructor Sulite certified.
Frequently asked questions
What does the name lameco mean?
According to Sulite in Wiley, these are the first syllables of the ranges larga mano, medio and corto.
Under whom did Edgar Sulite study?
Wiley names Jose D. Caballero, Leo T. Gaje Jr., Jesus Abella and Antonio Ilustrisimo and also the family style Sulite.
Is lameco a branch of Kalis Ilustrisimo?
No. Wiley describes it as a system that Sulite assembled from the teaching of several masters, and Ilustrisimo is one of them.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.