TIPUNAN Mini-Seminar in Los Angeles, 2005

On a balmy Sunday, Nov. 20, 2005, Tipunan seminars held the last of its mini-seminars for the year at the tony Toluca Lake Tennis Club and Sports Center in Los Angeles, California. Featured were two of Tipunan’s vaunted mainstays, Christopher “Topher” Ricketts and Roger Agbulos.

Christopher “Topher” Ricketts is a grandmaster of Kalis Ilustrisimo, a direct student and designated inheritor of famed eskrima fighter Tatang Ilustrisimo. Topher taught Ilustrisimo striking and blocking patterns and footwork, and their derivative applications using double sticks, knife and empty hands. As usual, he was ably assisted by actor son Bruce Ricketts.

Roger Agbulos was a direct student and acknowledged senior instructor of Edgar Sulite, founder of Lameco Eskrima. Roger concentrated on teaching Lameco power strikes with single sticks and the combative aspects of the knife.

Some Filipino martial arts (FMA) guros in attendance who lent their expertise included Dino Flores of Lameco Mandirigma and Jay de Leon, Commissioner for North America of the International Modern Arnis Federation of the Philippines (IMAFP )and host of the Tipunan seminars, with his son Mitch de Leon.