YOUNG LIFE ARNIS EXAMS HELD

By: James U. Sy Jr.


4 members of Young Life Philippines, Inc.-Bacolod Chapter took their first Arnis Evaluation Test last Janury 16, 2008 at the Young Life (YL) Center, A-1 Silos Apt., San Juan St., Bacolod City.

The examinees were Faciola Salome “Mimi” Mendoza, Doem Oguilla, John Armias, and Hannah Joy Apurillo. The Examiners, all coming from Conceptual Martial Arts Society (CMAS), Inc., were Founder James U. Sy Jr., Chapter Heads Dr. Raymund Antonio “Mund” A. Maguad and Lafayette “Laf” A. Diamante, and Instructress Lorema “Bing” H. Tacsagon.

The Arnis examinations were patterned after the format developed by Sy for the Lapu-Lapu Viñas Arnis Aficionados Association (LVAAA) and used by the LVAAA Examination Board, composed of 1st Generation Inheritor/Headmaster Wilson “Nonong” E. Viñas, the late Grandmaster Dominador “Doming” D. Ferrer, and Master Ferdinand Emmanuel “Bobot” Y. Gayoles, in two previous examination in 2005 and 2006.

The examinations consisted of pang-igo (Strikes 1-7), panagang (blocks 1-3), baston contra baston pang-agaw (disarms 1-2), kamot contra baston pang-agaw, and shadow stickfighting. About 60% of the materials included were derived from the Lapu-Lapu Viñas Arnis System.

A select few of YL members, among them YL-Bacolod Area Directress Estela “Telay” Hernandez, Mendoza, Oguilla, and Anabel Layahin, started their Arnis instruction under YL Volunteer Lafayette Diamante, RN, in November 2006 as one of the programs offered by YL-Bacolod to the youth. Tacsagon, who is Diamante’s student in CMAS-Red Cross/Doña Juliana, assisted Diamante in the instruction.

Diamante, a product of the University of St. La Salle , was a former Clinical Instructor at the west Negros College (WNC) and a former instructor at the Philippine National Red Cross-Bacolod Chapter (PNRC-Bacolod).

Young Life (YL) is an international non-stock, non-profit organization founded in 1971 and dedicated to the development of the youth and to introduce Chirst to them. Members are taught how to sing praise songs, play musical instruments, and other useful skills. In the Philippines , YL has several chapters, among them Bacolod , Cebu , Dumaguete, Lapu-Lapu, Palompon, and Toboso.

The Bacolod Chpater had held camps for a week for high school and college students and also gave leadership trainings and recollections. Door no. 1 of the Silos apartment is being paid for by volunteers to serve as a place to hangout by Young Lifers where they can learn from their ate and kuya.

Some of the YL Arnis enthusiasts had already performed publicly during the Fight Club BRAWL (Bacolod Reality Amateur Warrior's League) III “No Disputes,” the Summer Best of Negros Martial Arts Expo and the 1st Himaya-an Festival Martial Arts Expo last March 18, 2007 in Sagay City, April 7, 2007 in Bacolod City and April 23, 2007 in Himamaylan City respectively.