FALCONS, WARRIORS BRING HOME NAT'L WUSHU MEDALS By: James U. Sy Jr.

Two member-organizations of the Intercontinental Federation of Filipino Martial Arts Schools (IFFMAS) affiliated with the Wushu Federation of the Philippines (WFP) took home a 2-0-5 medal harvest at the 2008 Philippine National Wushu Championships recently at the Music Hall, SM, Mall of Asia.

The Black Falcon Martial Arts Association-Main (BFMAA-Main) of Chief Instructor and WFP-Negros Occidental Coordinator Joery C. Amante snatched 1 gold and 3 bronze medals while Tribu Hangaway (TH) of Founder/Master and WFP-Oriental Negros Coordinator Roy R. Flores Sr. brought in 1 gold and 2 bronze for Bacolod and Negros Occidental.

Reynalyn "Ren-Ren" Jacob of BFMAA-Main, a competitor for the Juniors Women's 56 Kg. category, had to compete in the Seniors bracket for a lack of entries in her class. She dominated Rhoda Mae Doncillo of the Iloilo Tinagan School of Martial Arts, Inc. (ITSMAI)/West Visayas State University (WVSU) in the championship bout before the former won by TKO (Retirement) in the 2nd round.

Jacob was crowned champion of the Women's Juniors 53 Kg. category during the 3rd Iloilo National Wushu Sanshou Championships "Cong. Raul Gonzales Cup" last January 25, 2006 at SM City Iloilo. She took the silver during the 2007 Philippine National Wushu Championships and is the first female fighter to be sent by BFMAA-Main to the Philippine National Wushu Sanshou Training Pool.

2007 LGDC Negros Regional Wushu Sanshou champion Rosendo Trayco III of BFMAA-Main defeated Jerome Wanawan of powerhouse Baguio in an elimination bout in the Seniors Men 52 Kg. category but lost the silver-match.

Trayco's teammate, Kickboxing, Wushu Sanshou, and MMA champion Andres Villarmia, beat Franklin Lorana of the Iloilo Tinagan School of Martial Arts, Inc. (ITSMAI) in the Seniors Men 60 Kg. class but failed to go past the silver-match.

John Mark Bosico of BFMAA-Main took the bronze in the Juniors Men's 52 Kg. category while his teammate Julius Dohinog lost his first bout in the Seniors Men's 48 Kg. class.

2007 LGDC Negros Regional Wushu Sanshou champion Virginia Dacumos of Tribu Hangaway dominated Rubylene Liblib of Baguio and Edna Sobrevega of the Iloilo Tinagan School of Martial Arts, Inc. (ITSMAI) to be crowned champion in the Women's 52 Kg. category.

2007 LGDC Negros Regional Wushu Sanshou silver medallist and Tribe W.A.R. II champion Sheila Asdolo (Women's 48 Kg.) and Jonathan Alingasa (Men's 48 Kg.) of Tribu Hangaway defeated Charmie Rose Mendez and Armado Benito of Baguio respectively but settled for bronze when they lost their nest bout.