Grand Master Arnulfo “Dong” Cuesta
Dong Cuesta’s eskrima odyssey began in his early life, and was influenced by a variety of circumstances and incidents. As early as the sixth grade, Dong became involved with a local gang. Stunts such as jumping off moving cargo trucks eventually led to petty theft and more serious incidents. Dong ended up as a runaway living in a house with other gang members in Pasil, the most notorious place in Cebu, akin to Tondo in Manila. Eventually, some members of the gang were arrested for murder.
In order to escape the perils of gang life, Dong took advantage of a very old offer from his neighbor, Grandmaster Cacoy Cañete, to join and practice at his gym. Dong began training in the Doce Pares system with Cacoy’s son, Edgar, who at the time was concentrating on dumog (joint locks and takedown techniques). Dong’s skill developed at a very fast pace. His goal was to acquire enough knowledge and skill to be able to defend himself against his old gang, which looked unfavorably upon members who attempted to quit. Fortunately, the gang eventually broke up and ceased to exist. Nevertheless, Dong’s love for the art continued to bloom, and soon he was a very dedicated practitioner.
Impressed by Dong’s talent and dedication, Grandmaster Momoy Cañete offered to train him personally. GM Momoy trained him in solo baston, doble baston, espada y daga, latigo, and combat judo. He placed an emphasis on grace in execution as well as proper technique. Dong developed the utmost respect for GM Momoy’s skills. GM Momoy also practiced oración, and once used it to heal Dong during a time that he had become very ill.
Dong would also take advantage of opportunities to practice with GM Cacoy Cañete, who emphasized eskrido/dumog and sparring. Sparring was GM Cacoy’s forte, and in Dong’s opinion he was the quickest.
After being away for a few years due to his hectic schedule attending law school and building a practice, Diony Cañete came back into the picture. Dong was immediately impressed with his talent and skill. Diony taught and guided Dong in all of the Doce Pares sayaw (forms). Dong feels that Diony is the instrument of success within the Doce Pares system and will probably become its greatest Grandmaster. Diony typically does not want to acknowledge himself worthy of the title, but everyone recognizes his talent and qualifications.
Dong’s favorite aspects of eskrima are sparring and sayaw. He won first place in both the single and double stick sayaw divisions at the First WEKAF World Championships in Cebu in August, 1989. He enjoys demonstrating that sayaw is an important training tool which improves strength, speed, and coordination of the hands, body, and feet. His dedication to the art has led him to a level where he has been able to fathom the depth of the art of eskrima and that of the Doce Pares system.
Dong firmly believes that eskrima should be introduced as both a combat art and a sport. The growth that he sees in his own school, as well as the increase in the number of schools in the U.S., leads him to believe that eskrima could become the art of the next decade. He hopes one day to see the rivalries between eskrima systems and Grandmasters disappear, so that everyone can unite for the sake of the art and its heritage. He feels that everyone should be working towards the common goal of developing, promoting, and preserving the Filipino martial arts.