Silay Institute Self Defense Seminar Huge Success By: James U. Sy Jr.

Silay Institute (SI) Citizenship Army Training (CAT) Commandant Ricarido De La Cura Jr. and Assistant Commandant Gerardo "Gerry" Roldan (7th and 8th from the left, second row, white shirts) and guest instructors James U. Sy Jr., Edwin J. Tusil (6th and 7th from left, 3rd row), and Drodgel "Sunny" K. Benedicto (5th from left, 4th row) together with the 39 SI CAT cadet officers who attended the 2nd Silay Institute Self Defnese Seminar last April 8, 2006 at the SI School Grounds in Silay City, Negros Occidental.

39 cadet officers of the Silay Institute (SI) Citizenship Army Training (CAT) Unit underwent a basic martial arts course during the 2nd Silay Institute (SI) Self Defense Seminar on April 8, 2006 at the SI School Grounds in Silay City, Negros Occidental.

The Silay Institute CAT (SI CAT) Unit is under the supervision of Commandant Ricarido P. De La Cura Jr. and Assistant Commandant Gerardo "Gerry" J. Roldan. Silay Institute is run by its new Principal Dr. Angelina J. Guinanano.

Resource instructors were Founder/Chief Instructor Edwin J. Tusil and Senior Instructor Drodgel "Sunny" K. Benedicto of the Fight Club Combat and Streetfighting Center (FC) and Founder/Head Instructor James U. Sy Jr. of the Conceptual Martial Arts Society (CMAS).



From left: Silay Institute (SI) Citizenship Army Training (CAT) Commandant Ricarido De La Cura Jr., Fight Club Founder Edwin J. Tusil, Fight Club Senior Instructor Drodgel "Sunny" K. Benedicto, Conceptual Martial Arts Society Founder James U. Sy Jr., and SI CAT Assistant Commandant Gerardo "Gerry" Roldan.

Silay Institute is an achiever in its CAT Program having been awarded Best in Ceremonial Parade and Best in Theoretical Exam in Sector 3 three times each during the Annual Tactical Inspection. It also placed 2nd place overall in its sector. Commandant De La Cura and Asst. Commandant Roldan hosted the 1st Silay Institute (SI) Self Defense Seminar last April 11, 2004 at the same venue. 37 cadet officers were in attendance then.



Silay Institute (SI) Citizenship Army Training (CAT) Cadet Officers (from left): Reanna Grace Villegas, Kristine Anne Ebalde, Rapha Donguines, Sheryl Dela Cruz, Sydney Lobaton, Eden Peñaroyo, Mig Ryan Dequiña, and Joshua Tobongbanua.

The three featured instructors presented a compact reality-based self defense crash course for the cadet officers. The seminar started out with lectures on the benefits and need for personal defense, the tools of protection, anatomical basis of the arts, legalities of self defense, confrontation psychology, training mindset, and application.

Benedicto started the training with the warm up and stretching exercises. Then Tusil and Benedicto presented the fighting stance, footwork, and basic punching and kicking techniques that are the most in a street defense situation. The participants had the chance to hone their striking skills with several attribute development drills, with and without partners.



Joan Antipo (left) uses a basic palm strike in preparation for an escape technique against the inside wrist and outside bicep grab of Regine Agapin.



Marnie Esporas (right) zones away from the jab of Ma. Veniza Joy Labayen at the same time parrying her attack and countering with her own uppercut.



Joeben Lapres (left) and Louis Andrew A. Abela doing a partner punch-parry drill.



Ronald Rey Basillote (left) sways his body to the right to avoid the jab of Antonio Madayag Jr. at the same time checking the punching hand and countering with his own body punch.



Featured Instructor Edwin J. Tusil (center) gives Myla Pua (left) and Jasmin Dela Peña some pointers on the use of the low Thai roundhopuse kick and the knee high defense.



Joshua Tobongbanua (left) uses a low side kick to defend against the straight cross attack of Gerardo Cortez.



Featured Instructor Edwin J. Tusil instructs Kristine Anne Ebalde (left) on how to scoop and trap the front kick of Kristel Anne Dizon.

Tusil also presented practical knife defense skills.



Francis Aboy (right) uses an open T block to defend against the thrusting attack of Mig Ryan Dequiña.

Sy taught the fundamental body evasion, striking, and blocking of Lapu-Lapu Viñas arnis and the restraining holds of aikido and wild judo. He explained the distinction between edge and impact weapons and the appropriate ways to handle and deal with them.



Rogel Rodolph Yap (left) and Ian L. Capayan in an arnis ready fighting stance.



John Mark Diopenes (right) uses a payong block to deflect the center thrust attack of Roanna Grace Villegas and prepares to control the weapon hand with his other hand.



Angelique Talavesa (left) uses a sable reverse payong to deflect the center thrust of Rapha Donguines as Featured Instructor James U. Sy jr. gives some corrections.



Liz Louise (left) draws with the center thrust attack of Katherine Baltazar using a bicep cut.



Shellane Glaze Moril applies a goose neck wrist lock on Featured Instructor James U. Sy Jr.



Janne Antiporda (left) nulifies the stick advantage of Mary Jennifer Yape with an elbow lock.



Gena Mae Enarle (right) controls Beverly detario with a wild judo restraining hold.

Tusil is one of the few proponents of reality based and mixed martial arts in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental. He actively competed in the local karate and kickboxing tournament circuit in his younger days in the late 1980s. He is a shodan under Karate Master Enriquito "Enrik" B. Maguad Jr. of the Visayas Budokyokai. He has 19 years martial arts experience.

Benedicto is a black belt Senior Instructor under Tusil and assists in teaching kickboxing at the Fight club Main Gym. He is also ranked as a 2nd lieutenant in the Philippine Navy. He was a recipient of the Navy Duty Award. He has 19 years martial arts experience.

Sy is a certified instructor in several martial arts with a specialization in Negrense Filipino Martial Arts (FMA). He has trained under different masters in regions 6 and 7 and the NCR. He has 20 years martial arts experience covering Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Chinese, Thai, and western martial arts.

The cadet officers in attendance were Louis Andrew Abela, Francis Aboy, Regine C. Agapin, Elvert Amante, Joanne Marie Amazona, Joan Antipo, Janne Antiporda, Shame Marie Atadero, Katherine Paula Baltazar, Ronald Rey Basillote, Ian Capuyan, Gerardo Cortez, Sheryl M. Dela Cruz, Jasmin Dela Peña, Ian Deocampo, Mig Ryan S. Dequiña, Beverly Detorio, Jhon Mark G. Diopenes, Kristel Anne Dizon, Rapha Donguines, Kristine Anne Ebalde, Gena Mae Enarle, Marnie L. Esporas, Veniza Joy Labayen, Joeben Lapres, Sydney Lobaton, Liz Louise, Antonio Madayag, Shallane Glaze Moril, Jun Onga, Eden Peñaroyo, Myla Pua, Gerard Dominic Roldan, Angelique Talavera, Joshua D. Tobongbanua, Ryan Mark Velez, Reanna Grace Villegas, Rogel Rodolph Yap, and Mary Jennifer Yape.