The I.C.M.A. Academy Team
October 6, 2007
A team of ten I.C.M.A. Academy Sport Stick Fighters lead by Grand Master Vince Palumbo was invited by the Adelaide 36ers professional Basketball team to give a demonstration of Sport Stick Fighting with and without armour during the main game half time break at Clipsal Powerhouse Stadium on the 6th October 2007. The team fought in front of a large crowd for three 2 minute rounds.
When the team walked out onto the court to start the demonstration the crowd was initially unsure as to what the fighters were going to do, especially with their armour and head gear on. When the announcer told the crowd there was going to be a demonstration of Filipino Sport Stick Fighting the crowd assumed the team was going to fight something similar to Kendo. Once the crowd saw the speed of the sticks they were amazed and roared with approval and support.
It was unbelievable to get such a massive and energetic response from a crowd that had never seen the Filipino sport of Stick Fighting before. They loved what they saw the I.C.M.A Academy Stick Fighters perform during the basketball half time break and they gave a standing ovation of applause when the demonstration was completed.
Announcer, Mario Pastro explained the rules and regulations of Sport Stick Fighting, about the success of the Australian Stick fighting Team at the recent world championships held in Jakarta and about Supreme Grand Master Ciriaco 'Cacoy' Canete and the Cacoy Doce Pares Eskrima of Cebu City in the Philippines.
The demonstration team consisted of the following stick fighters and students from the International Combative Martial Arts Academy in the suburb of Welland in South Australia.
- Grandmaster Vince Palumbo (World Champion)
- John Moore (World Champion)
- Andrea Wheatley (World Champion)
- Vickie Simos (Silver Medalist)
- Michael Harris (Silver Medalist)
- Steven Sarkissian (from the Cacoy Doce Pares Eskrima School in the USA!)
- Melissa Lopresti (World Champion)
- Tony Salerno (South Australian Champion)
- Vlad Mihal (Silver Medalist)
- Barry Jamieson (Silver Medalist)
Both Grandmaster Vince and John Moore conducted a demonstration of the 'KULATA' which is sparring without armour, using a rattan cane covered with a thin strip of foam. The 5000+ crowd was in awe of this fight and clearly appreciated how painful this type of sparring is. Both fighters received a great deal of applause for their efforts.
Andrea Wheatley and Vickie Simos fought with 2 sticks. Melissa Lopresti and Tony Salerno fought with 1 stick. Vlad Mihal and Barry Jamieson fought with 2 sticks. Mick Harris and Steve Sarkissian fought with 1 stick. Grandmaster Vince Palumbo and John Moore fought with 1 and 2 sticks in the KULATA.
The demonstration has prompted a lot of positive feedback with more eskrima demonstrations to be performed at other events throughout Adelaide where Grand Master Palumbo’s martial arts school is based. It is through the efforts of Grandmaster Palumbo and his team of Cacoy Doce Pares Eskrima Stickfighters from the I.C.M.A. Academy that the Filipino martial art of Cacoy Doce Pares Eskrima and Sport Stick Fighting has gained an enormous amount of exposure in South Australia and beyond. Through the continued efforts of Grand Master Palumbo this Filipino art and sport will continue to grow and thrive in a world wide setting.
