Supreme Grandmaster

Great Grandmaster Bert Labitan in response to Mr. Bais

WHEN I LEFT THE PHILIPPINES IN 1979/80 I CARRIED WITH ME THE CERTIFICATE/PERMIT TO TEACH DEVELOP AND SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE TO WORTHY STUDENTS AND BECOME A PART OF SIETE PARES ESCRIMA ORGANIZATION. THE CERTIFICATE CLEARLY STATED THAT I AM THE SOLE AUTHORITHY THAT CAN SELECT, ASSIGN POSITION TO PERSON I THINK HAVE THE FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THE ART AS DEVELOP AND AGREED UPON BY MYSELF AND GRANDMASTER LABOR. AFTER LONG PRAYERS TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, I WAS LEAD TO PICK THE 4 PERSON WHO ARE NOW THE PILLARS AND GUARDIANS OF THE ART. 3 OF THOSE ELDERS WERE MY BROTHERS IN THE SERVICE DATING BACK IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES. WE ALL FOUGHT THE SAME WAR. THE OTHER ONE WAS A VETERAN IN SOUTH AMERICAN WAR, A TERRORIST HUNTER. I KNOW ALL OF THIS PEOPLE FOR OVER 20 YEARS AD WE TRAINED SIDE BY SIDE SINCE I GET BACK INTO THE UNITED STATES. WE WERE FORGED WITH THE WORD OF GOD, THE STRONGEST ORACION OF ALL. WHEN I INVITE SOMEBODY TO COME INTO THE FOLD I ONLY INVITE ONCE. WHEN HE OR SHE CANNOT MAKE TIME ON THAT INVITATION IT MEANS HE OR SHE IS NOT INTERESTED BESIDES WE FOLLOW ONLY 1 CURRICULUM AS DEVELOPED AND TESTED BY MYSELF AND GRANDMASTER LABOR. MANY TRIED TO CLAIM THAT THEY ARE SIETE PARES YET DOESN'T KNOW HOW MANY STYLES IT CONSIST OF. AS OF NOW ONLY THE PILLARS AND THE MASTERS KNOW THE SYSTEM. THE BUCK STOPS WITH JULIE X SHANNEFELT RIGHT NOW THE HEIR TO SIETE PARES ESCRIMA. GOD BLESS EVERBODY.

G/Gm Bert Labitan

Combat is older than Man himself. Even animals have their own way of defending themselves.

The Philippines have more than 7,000 islands and inhabited by different tribes and are bound by their own dialects. These tribes, from the lowlands to the highland were warlike and tribal war was common. To expand their territory and to capture slaves to work for them or to sell to foreign traders. This warlike atmosphere developed into different ways of fighting skills to protect themselves and the existence of their tribe. Thus, the Filipino martial arts was born and evolved. The fighting arts of the Chinese, British, Dutch, Russian, Spaniards, Americans, Japanese and other foreign traders and conquerors influenced the Filipino Martial Arts.

The fighting arts of Siete Pares Escrima can be traced to a certain town in Iloilo Philippines, as practiced by seven brothers, each one fights with a different style or way from each other. They were the defending champion in their town for so many years, unbeatable and undefeated, until one day a young man named Sozimo Labor or Sossing as known by his townmate of Janiway came into the picture. A prodigy of Carlos Jaranella, an adventurer and fighter who earned his skills from Cebu who travelled back to Iloilo as guerilla, a soldier of World War II and also a tournment of death fighter.

Sossing Labor learned his Arnis/Escrima basics from his father, Zacarias Labor, a De Campo and Disalon fighter whose favorte weapon was the bamboo lance or bankao. Sossing was taken by Caloy Jaranella under his wing and trained him for tournament fighting.

When the town fiesta was a few weeks away and the Americans, Filipino soldiers and guerillas were fighting with the Japanese Imperial Army in the surrounding cities, towns and islands, Sossing Labor was also honing his skill on the upcoming tournament.

The big day arrived and the tournament was bloody. Sosing Labor fought and defeated the seven brothers, thus becoming the youngest tournament of death champion in their town.

The war was over, the oldest of the seven brothers died and Sosing Labor was asked to take the leadership of the 7 Pares Escrima system. Sosing Labor then incorporated his sytle of fighting, the De Campo, Disalon and Orabis system.

Sosing Left his province of Iloilo to seek the greener pastures of the city of Manila. Working as a handy man for the Magsaysay family, in which one became president of the Republic, Ramon Magsaysay. Sosing then settled in the town of Subic or Subic City as known to U.S. servicemen.  It's about 65 miles north from the city of Manila and 8 miles north of the U.S. naval base in Subic Bay. Here he settled into a quiet life, blessed with a wife and 2 sons.

Tired of the hustle and bustle of the big city, he came home to Subic and became a driver of a community transportation, the tricycle, a Filipino innovation made of motorcycle with sidecar that can carry up to 7 passengers. Nobody knows that we have a champion among our midst.

Bert Labitan, born in the Visayas, the province of Cebu, grew up in Subic City, his father's hometown.  As a son of a poor family, Bert learned hardship in early life. Their livelihood was fishing on the Bay of Subic. That barely supports a family of 5, so Bert the eldest of the children learned illegal ways of fishing, like dynamite and the use of poison to bring home more fish. Like his forefathers before him, he also sought greener pastures and was blessed that he was recruited by the U.S. Navy.

In the early part of 1976, Bert stationed on board the U.S.S. Dixie and was in Subic Bay for R&R. As a new black belt of Arnis Batangas, as taught by Master Babao, presented an exhibition of the art during the town's celebration for the farmers. Assisted by his compadre, Reggie Probst, a brown belt of the art, he brought the people into wild applause. When the celebration was over, Bert and Reggie, like triumphant gladiators walked in the town street with heads up and chest out. Sosing Labor was in the audience and walked with them toward Bert's house a few hundred yards from the celebration. Sosing then said to Bert that it was a good show, but can be made better. He then told Bert, who regards him as a distant relative, that he'll see him that night. Bert's house also served as a small gym in the first floor. At 7:00 that evening, Sosing arrived at Bert's house with a coconut leaf center rib shaped like a sword. He then instructed Bert to strike. Bert only remembered his one and only strike, the rest he was not able to remember. He gained consciousness while his mom was applying medicinal coconut oil to his bruises. Thus started Bert's lesson in 7 Pares Escrima. After a couple months in Subic Bay, the U.S.S. Dixie went back to the United States in San Diego, California. Two months later, Bert was on his way back to Subic Bay and reported to his duty station at Naval Supply Depot, oil farm as a new maintenance chief. For 3 years, while stationed in Subic, Bert trained daily with Maestro de Maestro Sosimo Labor in the fighting art of 7 Pares Escrima. On the 3rd year of their training, Bert was able to differentiate and isolate each style of the Siete Pares system.Bert was wondering throughout those years of training why he can't figure out where was the number one strike of 7 Pares Escrima coming from. Each day starts from a different angle. On November 30, 1994, Maestro de Maestros or Grandmaster Sosim Labor passed the stewardship of Siete Pares Escrima to Bert Labitan, Maestros or Grandmaster of the system.

Maestro de Maestros Bert Labitan's martial arts knowledge is composed of Okinawan karate as taught to him by a relative, Army Ranger Demit (Ibon) Sobrepena and Loreto (alias Bulog), Dumog, Panuntukan, Pulahan Arnis/Escrima, Combat Judo and Jiu-Jitsu by his uncle Rito Barnayha, boxing by Joey and Roy Barnayha, his cousins, Kajukenbo, from his shipmate onboard the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, Fred Cauteverio, Sphinx Karate by Chen Almazan, a disciple of Grandmaster Galez, also an Ilongo, Arnis Batangas as taught by Mater Babao, and Siete Pares Escrima from Grandmaster Sozimo Labor. Bert also learned other forms of self defense in the streets of Subic City and Subic Bay. Being poor was the punching bag of every bully in both city or town, 20 years in the military exposed Bert to many forms of self defense, which he also incorporates in 7 Pares Escrima.\

Seven Pares Escrima is composed of the following styles: Sinawali, Di Campo, Tinulisan, Figura 8, Orabis, Disalon, Binukidnon, Kapakapa or Pupog, Pabilog, Combate Heneral, Cruzada, At Iba Pa.

Belief and Love of God is encouraged.