The Federation

The Federation acts as the governing-body of all the Martial Art Clubs and schools that practice the Art of Doce Pares Eskrima using the system developed by the Legendary Supreme Grandmaster Cacoy Cañete. This system is based on his years of experience and tested in real combat, thus making its techniques more practical, more direct and more effective.

Although there are several senior instructors or Grandmasters of the second generation of Doce Pares that teach their own interpretation or styles of Doce Pares Eskrima (traditional and cultural), the federation always puts emphasis to the combative aspect, prioritizing street fighting applications, than just being a sport.

Currently , there are over 100 Blackbelts worldwide and over 40 schools abroad that teaches Doce Pares Eskrima under the tutelage of Supreme Grandmaster Cacoy Canete.

In order to bring clarification and validation of their ranks, a listing of all the Grandmasters and Masters officially recognized by the Cacoy Doce Pares World Federation can be found at the Registry.

Learn More

The Founder The youngest of eight brothers and four sisters, Ciriaco “Cacoy” Cañete y de la Cuesta was born in August 1919 in San Fernando, Cebu, Philippines. He moved with the family to Cebu City while still a child, not long after his mother’s death. read more…

Membership Since 1932, Doce Pares has played a major role in the propagation of Eskrima. To date, it has thousands of active/inactive members worldwide. The Federation continues to welcome those who want to join the family, under the lineage of the Legendary Cacoy Cañete. read more…

Certified Belt-holders The Doce Pares Blackbelts are highly regarded throughout the world. The individuals who have achieved these ranks, through official recognition by the federation should be accorded great respect for their achievements. read more…