Vince Palumbo recently attended the 4th Annual Cacoy Doce Pares World Championships along with his Australian team-mates.
After several months of hard training Master Vince had prepared a team of 9 other Stick Fighters also from Adelaide, all ready to get into the action in Jakarta.
Over the days of the tournament Master Vince exhibited some exceptional refereeing skills, a tribute to his 23 years of experience as a fighter.
As an observer it was an education to simply watch this man who was not afraid to get amongst the “eye of the storm.” When things were getting out of hand he would rapidly step in like a bulldog, and with his keen eye, combined with his discipline and focus, the fights in his ring were always clean bouts.
When it was time to get into the ring himself and compete, Master Vince showed everyone why he had previously acquired the nickname “the Master Blaster”.
Anyone who has experienced a blow from Master Vince’s stick knows exactly what it means to be struck by lightening or as the Filipino’s call it “kilat” (Lightning strikes!).
The man is a powerhouse and his opponents will be the first to testify to this with the “trophies” they acquire in the form of stripes and lines on their various body parts.
Master Vince’s flurry of strikes frequently leave his opponents feeling bewildered and wondering what exactly struck them and when will it be their turn to strike?!
Master Vince entered into several different fight categories for the 2007 World Championships and overall he hauled a swag of medals back home to Australia (13 in total including 9 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze!) Some of these medals were for the forms event, again demonstrating the diversity of skill which he possesses, not only is he incredibly tough, but the man can be graceful too!
The Adelaide contingency of the Australian Stick-fighting team, all trained by Master Vince, were very successful in this competition, as evidenced by many more gold medals. These rewards were a clear indication of the dedication and hard work put in by Master Vince as the head coach of this team.
On the presentation evening the Supreme Grand Master Cacoy Canete awarded Master Vince with the well-deserved title of “Grand Master.” He was also awarded the high rank of 9th Degree Black Belt in Cacoy Doce Pares Eskrima, and the 8th Degree Black Belt in the Cacoy Pangamot Jujitsu.
There is frequently a discussion in martial arts circles about whether or not Masters and Grand Masters should compete in tournaments. As a martial arts student there is nothing more compelling and inspiring than seeing the art of Stick Fighting in action in the hands of an experienced fighter. It is an inspiration to see an instructor “walking his talk.” The precision and finesse, not to mention speed, power and accuracy of each strike is a big step-up from the stick-work one witnesses at the beginner’s level.
GM Vince has now had in total over 200 fights in the combat sports fighting arena, and this includes 100 stick-fights.
Grand Master Vince must be complimented on his vast array of skill, as a gifted teacher (for adults and children alike), as a referee or judge helping to lift the standard on an International level, as an incredibly tough fighter and as a mentor and role model for the lives of many. (There are not many who fill such shoes!)
The Australian team would like to congratulate Grand Master Vince on his tremendous efforts. He’s come a long way from the humble beginnings of his career in 1974 as a junior boxing and gymnastics student!
I often hear GM Vince say the words: “To dream is to believe, so go dream, do believe, and then try hard to achieve!”, and I must say that he is living testimony to this quote.
