GM Guinabo Conducts Arnis & Knife Seminar for Guards by: James U. Sy Jr.

Grandmaster Felix A. Guinabo, Founder of the Trese Grabes Piga-Piga System of Arnis and the Guinabo Arnis and Combat Sports (GACS) club, conducted the Defensive Tactics (DefTac) section for the Refresher Retraining Course of 31 security personnel of the Negros Goldwings Security Services Corporation (NGSSC) last June 21, 2010 in Had. Balatong, La Castellana, Negros Occidental.

The Refresher Retraining Course was organized by the Philippine Arms Training Institute, Inc. under Training Director Rizalia B. San Miguel and Negros Goldwings Security Services Corporation (NGSSC) under General Manager Annieven Andaya.

Other Training Instructors include Area Supervisor Victorio V. Alejo Jr. of NGSSC, Detachment Commander Terry John Aride of ECJ-Farm, and Marketing Officer Jose Bagain of NGSSC.

GM Guinabo conducted a total of 6 hours for the advanced Arnis training, four hours for long impact and edged weapons and another two hours for knife work.

Although security guards have service firearms, they, just like other law enforcement personnel, are expected to postpone drawing them up until a fully escalated situation. In securing and apprehending suspects they must always justify the amount of force that they exert. Drawing and firing a service firearm is considered a last resort. A suspect must be apprehended with the least possible harm as much as possible. It is in this respect that Arnis training becomes indispensable.

Arnis de Mano “Harness of the Hand,” Baston “Cane,” or Eskrima “Fencing” are the traditional generic terms for the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA). These terms refer to a wide spectrum of defensive and offensive methods, styles and systems that include impact, edged, and flexible weapons of various shapes and sizes as well as empty handed striking and grappling and fight psychology.

GM Guinabo taught strikes and restrains using the Arnis stick, which is easily translatable to the security guard baton, as well as on how to handle and defend against the knife. Using the baton, a security guard can regulate the force he can inflict on the suspect. Knowing how to fight with sticks and blades also equips the guards with the necessary knowledge on how to deal with such weapons when a suspect has these weapons and the guard has none.

GM Guinabo developed his own style of Arnis, Trese Grabes Piga-Piga System, after studying Arnis for 28 years from 6 professors: Grandmaster Mario Lavista (1982), Grandmaster Hortencio M. Navales (1985), Grandmaster Teotimo Buenaflor (1987), Grandmaster Geronimo Valdes (1990), Grandmaster Bernandino Tanique (1992), and Grandmaster Frank Abalajon (1997). Master Guinabo started teaching under his own school, Guinabo Arnis and Combat Sports (GACS), in June 1989 in Brgy. Carabalan, Himamaylan, when he instructed the 61st IB of the Philippine Army (PA).

GM Guinabo holds a verifiable Arnis tournament record of 17-2-2. He was crowned champion in the Inter Barangay Open Arnis Tournament (1985) and Negros Open Arnis Championships (1986) and 2nd place in the 5th National Open Arnis Champions (1992). Representing Arnis, GM Guinabo entered and won the bantamweight grand championship of the World Kali Championships organized by the Pekiti Tirsia Global Organization on November 17, 2001 in Iloilo City. GM Guinabo had organized a total of at least 6 Arnis tournaments in 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2004.

GM Guinabo is a member of the Negros Occidental Baston Federation (NOBF) under P/Sgt. (Ret.) Grandmaster Estanislao “Eslao” T. Guarra and Arnis Philippines-Bacolod/Negros Occidental Chapter under Commissioner Grandmaster Danilo “Danny” Cardinal and has cordial relationships with the Intercontinental Federation of Filipino Martial Arts Schools (IFFMAS) under grandmaster Elmer V. Montoyo and the Original Filipino Tapado Long Stick Fighting Association 9OFTLSFA), Inc. under 1st Generation Inheritor/Grandmaster Benefredo “Bebing” M. Lobrido.

Interested parties may contact GM Guinabo at 0910-983-0853 and 0907-148-3061.