Punong Guro Edgar Sulite interview by Guro Steve Tarani. February 1997.

Following is a very interesting Interview from 20 years ago of Punong Guro Edgar G. Sulite, conducted by our Lameco Eskrima “backyard” brother, Steve Tarani in February of 1997. This was probably the last interview that PG Sulite would give before he passed away soon after on April 10, 1997. This interview was published in Guro Dan Inosanto`s; Inosanto Academy of Martial Art`s (IAMA) “Free Voice” Magazine which was made available quarterly to those of us who trained at the Inosanto Academy. This Interview was in the Spring Issue of 1997 just after PG Sulite pased away.

In the Interview PG Sulite speaks about his years of practicing the Chinese Internal Arts of Tai-Chi and Hsing-I, both of which he had trained for quite a while back in the Philippines while he was younger. There he would get up early every morning and train his Kali, Arnis and Eskrima for hours, which was always a very intensive hard energy driven labor. He would then follow that up and finish with a Tai-Chi or Hsing-I session and then meditate to balance the “warrior inside” as he would call it, that being his spiritual being which had to be in harmonious balance with his physical being to complete both opposing sides of “yin and yang” representing both hard and soft when combining Lameco Eskrima with Tai-Chi and Hsing-I.

PG Sulite used to demonstrate to us often his push hands of Hsing-I. I remember him literally lifting our Lameco Eskrima “backyard” brother, Hans Anton Tan off of his feet and throwing him into the side of a wall to demonstrate the power of his Chi. He practiced a lot of this with our “backyard” brother Bong Hebia as well. PG Sulite would often tell us that we had to master both external and internal in order to have the best and most effective versions of our combative selves to come forward.

In addition to training Tai-Chi and Hsing-I, PG also trained Ng Cho Kung Fu from his friend and publisher, Master Alexander L. Co in addition to that PG Sulite would further condition his palms, hands and forearms with a type of Iron Palm training. All of this in addition to his Indigenous Pilipino Warrior Arts of Kali, Arnis and Eskrima.

Click on each of the two images below to read the full context of the interview below.

 

Iron1

 

 

Iron2

Photo Archive: Bakbakan Kali Seminar with Master Rey Galang at the Inosanto Academy, 1997.

Bakbakan Kali Seminar with Master Rey Galang at the Inosanto Academy, 1997.

Photo courtesy of John Jacobo.
 

Members of Lameco SOG with Master Rey Galang and John Jacobo from Bakbakan New Jersey. Bakbakan Kali Seminar at the Inosanto Academy in Marina Del Rey, California.

 
w:Lameco Tribe (aka Sulite Orehenal Group) Circa 97'

LAMECO: Legacy of Steel By Steve Tarani

LAMECO: Legacy of Steel By Steve Tarani

 

lameco eskrima arnis kali

dino flores eskrima

This article was reprinted with the author’s permission from the Souvenir Edition of Arnisador Magazine published by Goodwill Publications Limited. More information about the magazine can be obtained by calling Peter Morgan in London at +44 (0) 171-895 0800.

Saturday, June 1st, 1996
LAMECO: Legacy of Steel
By Steve Tarani

Swollen knuckles, bleeding forearms and battered shins – two warriors face off in a clearing. Sharp strikes of clashing rattan mix with the drawl of heavy breathing and shuffling feet. Intensely focused and alert, both combatants melt into the sweltering humidity. Glistening beads of sweat roll down to fingers wrought with open blisters. Ignoring the searing pain, each man continues fighting. Skillfully, cautiously – each life hinges upon immediate reaction to a deadly salvo of crushing blows.

Such is the way of life of an Arnisador – a path chosen by Punong Guro Edgar G. Sulite. Since and before the days of Magellan, the Filipino martial arts have proven themselves highly effective standing in defiance of determined warring tribes, rabid Conquistadors and greedy foreign hordes.

The LAMECO system, systematically structured and easily assimilatable according to modern training methods, is the stainless steel link in an unbroken chain of training succession.

Great-grandfather to grandfather to father to son, a continual succession of knowledge and commitment breathes life into the ancient art from those very early days of foreign aggression to the current days of domestic violence. The heritage of combat-ready warriors runs deeply through the bloodline of the Sulite family tree.

Born on September 25, 1957 in a rural province on the Visayan Island of Leyte, Tacloban City, Punong Guro Edgar G. Sulite was raised by a family of martial arts devotees in a rugged barrio neighborhood where deadly brawls and Bolo knife skirmishes were commonplace.

In other martial arts, the attainment of a certain level automatically designates the title Master or Grandmaster. In the Philippines, there are certain norms to be satisfied before one can be called and accepted as a Master or Grandmaster.

After expressing great interest in the Filipino fighting arts at a very early age, young Edgar was introduced to the rigorous training by his own father – Grandmaster Helacrio Sulite Sr.

Grandmaster Helacrio first studied with his father Grandmaster Timoteo Sulite in the 1930s. Grandmaster Helacrio went on to further enhance his skills under the tutelage of several other Arnis masters of varied styles (such as the late Grandmaster Melicio Ilustrisimo and Master Almario of Cebu among others.)

Grandmaster Timoteo Sulite’s instructors were active in the mid-19th century and their grandfathers recalled stories of their grandfathers which included the defeat of several infamous Spanish conquistadors using the very same styles of Arnis that have been meticulously passed down to Punong Guro Edgar G. Sulite who, in turn, continues the solemn tradition to this very day.

While simultaneously training under his father and coming to master the family system known as Sulite Rapelon, Punong Guro Edgar G. Sulite continually expanded his skills and combat technology by training intently with several other masters and Grandmasters all across the Philippine Islands.

Punong Guro devoted his entire life to the study of the ancient systems and masters who transformed him from young eager aspirant to the refined physical embodiment of technical perfection that he has become today.

Among the long list of such distinguished curators of the ancient ways is Grandmaster Antonio Ilustrisimo of Bag-on Bantayan – founder of Kali Ilustrisimo, Grandmaster Jose D. Caballero of Ozamis City, Western Mindanao – founder of De Campo 1-2-3 Orihenal and Grandmaster Leo T. Gaje Jr. of Negros Occidental – founder of Pekiti Tirsia (a close quarters combat system that specializes in knife and Espada y Daga.)

Punong Guro sheds further light on the methods of his masters in a series of educational books and video tapes available to the general public. Especially in his third book, MASTERS OF ARNIS, KALI & ESKRIMA, Punong Guro provides a rare glimpse into the arcane and mystical world of the traditional Filipino warrior class. Punong Guro is also the author of ADVANCED BALISONG: FILIPINO BUTTERFLY KNIFE and THE SECRETS OF ARNIS and has produced a total of ten instructional video tapes.

Punong Guro Sulite believes that the ancient tradition of keeping the sacred art only in the family is a double-edged sword. On the one hand the art is kept pure and in accordance with tradition. On the other hand, as modern times erode the interests of today’s youth, (who would much rather play video games rather than listen to grandpa tell old war stories,) the passing of the torch becomes more and more limited to only a select few. Unfortunately, when such masters pass away, so goes with them, forever, the art which they possess.

Thus, with the bold risk of changing the course of tradition, Punong Guro accepted the responsibility of both preserving the ancient teachings in the exact way in which he was taught, as well as disseminating this teaching in a modern platform of instruction.

In this modern age of automated organizational skills, combined with his uncanny ability to analyze with the precision of a high-tech computer, Punong Guro Sulite has heavily exposed the western world to the LAMECO system. Punong Guro currently has a number [of] schools in such varied corners of the globe as the Philippines, Germany, Australia and the United States. As a result of his unique modern approach and personal dedication through the LAMECO system, the proliferation and integrity of the ancient teachings is sustained.

What is the LAMECO system? LAMECO is a perfectly balanced synthesis of the many effective teachings and styles which Punong Guro has come to master in the span of his life.

There are some systems which specialize in long range fighting (known as “Largo Mano” or “Long Hand”) and others specializing in medium range fighting (known as “Medio”) and still others which specialize in close quarters combat (known as “Corto”). Thus, an acronym for the synthesis of the three ranges of combat LARGO, MEDIO and CORTO, the first two characters of each combat range LA, ME and CO were combined to form LAMECO.

In an interview, Punong Guro said, “I wanted to preserve the ancient teachings… but bleeding forearms and knots on the top of the head is not a good way… [there is no] safety. So a good compromise is safety equipment… [and] gradually, we can remove [the protective armour].”

When asked how he had planned to preserve the old teachings without dissipating the potency of the original art, and simultaneously combine the best of each system without offending each of his teachers, Punong Guro Sulite replied, “Grandmaster Ilustrisimo entrusted me with his [lifetime of knowledge] and wanted me to carry his name… the same with Grandmaster Gaje, Grandmaster Caballero, Grandmaster Abella, and all the others. So I have systematised and presented [the arts in a modern context easy to assimilate through a synthesis of multiply effective systems].” Thus the LAMECO system was born.

What further separates LAMECO from all other contemporary systems is its emphasis on the totality of the human being – mind, body and spirit – not only the physical elements. Attention, intention, visualization and complete focus are the integral components of the LAMECO training system. Drills and processes which develop the vital constituents were developed as the result of intense study and detailed analysis of countless ancient systems.

As modern day martial artists, we should consider ourselves most fortunate to have the opportunity to train under a renaissance thinker such as Punong Guro Edgar G. Sulite. He is one of the very few who has brought the ancient traditions out of the darkest jungles and into the light of modern day martial arts training, by sharing with the rest of the world – his legacy of steel.

Punong Guro is a Tagalog title which is comprised of two words. The first, Punong, literally translates to “trunk” or “base of”, for example, a tree. Combined with the second word, Guro, which translates as “one who leads another out of ignorance” (or “teacher” in Western terminology,) this title can be translated as “Primary master instructor” or more readily, “Grandmaster”.

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