KA-UBAY TO HOLD M.A. TILT W/ PIMAA, IFFMAS

By: James U. Sy Jr.


The Ka-Ubay Club, Inc. is set to present the 1st Annual Negros Martial Arts Championships Tournament in cooperation with the Philippine Integrated Martial Arts Academy-Filipino Tang Soo Do Association (PIMAA-FTSDA) and Intercontinental Federation of Filipino Martial Arts Schools (IFFMAS) of Master Elmer V. Montoyo and the USLS Karate-do Club of Junel Campomanes Sensei this coming March 8, 2008 at the USLS Coliseum, University of St., La Salle, La Salle Avenue, Bacolod City.

Justin G. Ramos, President of the Ka-Ubay Alumni Association Inc.-Bacolod (KAAI-Bacolod), and Oliver L. Tortocion, President of the Ka-Ubay Club-Bacolod, and USLS Karate-do Head Instructor and USLS Faculty Junel Campomanes met with Master Montoyo and IFFMAS School Heads last January 19, 2008 at the PIMAA-FTSDA Gym, Young Mern’s Christiaan Association-Bacolod (YMCA-Bacolod), Burgos St. , Bacolod City.

Others present were Master Luciano “Nick” Montoya of the Murcia Martial Arts Center (formerly Murcia Moo Duk Kwan)/IFFMAS, Master Ernest Christian “Chen-Chen” P. Montoyo of PIMAA-FTSDA/IFFMAS/OFTLSFAI, Founders/Masters Narciso “Hansy” L. Alojado and James U. Sy Jr., Master Instructor Joeffrey S. Deriada, and Instructor Lorema “Bing” Tacsagon of Conceptual Martial Arts Society (CMAS), Inc./OFTLSFAI/IFFMAS/PIMAA-FTSDA, and Jake Bugna of Tapondo International Federation Inc. (TIFI)/Tribu Hangaway (TH)/OFTLSFAI/IFFMAS.

The stipulations for the agreement were discussed from the budget, personnel, preparations, participants, technical aspects of the tournament, date, venue, etc. 12 bouts will be fought during the tournament, equally divided into 3 martial arts competition formats, namely Filipino Tang Soo Do, Sipa Sumbag (Kickboxing), and IFFMAS rules Arnis, the same events fought during the Best of the Filipino Martial Arts presented by PIMAA-FTSDA last October 6, 2007 at the Negros Occidental Multi-Purpose Activity Center (NOMPAC).

IFFMAS Member Organizations are also scheduled to give various martial arts demonstrations covering Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean lineages. Some of the planned exhibitions include Tai Chi Chuan, Shotokan Karate, Original Filipino Tapado, Filipino Tang Soo Do, Arnis, etc.

Some of the expected groups to see action in the event are Black Falcon Martial Arts Association-Main (BFMAA-Main) of Chief Instructor Joery C. Amante, CMAS, Murcia Martial Arts Center, OFTLSFAI, PIMAA-FTSDA, TIFI, TH, etc.

Ka-Ubay was founded by Erwin Antonio, Richard Eligio, Boy Litonjua, Rengie Sazon, Leroy, Nene, and Tommy Tad-y, Eddie Boy Varela, Nonong Verdeflor, and Mike Villaluna in 1971 at the La Salle Collge (later USLS). Today, it has about 600 members and has chapters in Bacolod , Cebu, Manila , and North America .

The current officers for the Ka-Ubay Alumni Association Inc.-Bacolod (KAAI-Bacolod) are Justin G. Ramos (President), Andre Marc Buncio (VP), Michael Ea (Secretary), G.A. Pico (Treasurer), and Renato “Kid” Bañas and Jaime “Boy” Torre (Advisers).

The current officers for the Ka-Ubay Club-Bacolod are Oliver L. Tortocion (President), Jojemar Chavez (VP), Lance Bertolano (Secretary), Michael Pacheco, and Philip Gargaritano (Sgt. At Arms).

Member organizations of IFFMAS pioneered the concept of multi-style martial arts tournaments in the Negros Island . Pioneers include Undo-kan Martial Arts Association (UMAA) of Founder/Director Master Efraim T. Beatingo Sr. (2003, Victorias City), BFMAA-Main (2004, Bacolod), PIMAA-FTSDA (2004, Bacolod), CMAS (2005, Bacolod), Fight Club Combat and Streetfighting Center (FC) of Founder/Chief Instructor Edwin J. Tusil (2005, Bacolod), TIFI (2006, San Carlos), and San Carlos Jungle Fighters Martial Arts Club (SACA JUFIMAC) of Founder/Chief Instructor Diomedes N. Mamugay and Combat Taekwondo Club of Founder/President Ret. Lt. Col. Epifanio F. Mercado Sr. (2006, San Carlos).

Tournament formats covered by the pioneers included Arnis, Filipino Tang Soo Do, Grappling, Mixed Martial Arts, Pencak Silat Olahraga, Shotokan Karate, Sipa Sumbag (Kickboxing), Western Boxing, WTF Taekwondo, Wushu Sanshou, and Yasay Sable.