AIKIDO PREVENTS SUICIDE By: James U. Sy Jr.

Nanneth B. Celebre, 30, native of Silay City, successfully prevented a suicide attempt by a hysterical woman by disarming her with an Aikido technique recently in Seawage Mustang, Brgy. Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City.

Don (not his real name), Celebre’s officemate, was being physically and verbally abused by his common law wife, Gina (not her real name), in a fight over the issue of child support inside office premises.

Celebre was present during the altercation but refrained from becoming involved until things started to get violent and uncontrollable. Another female co-employee, brought the couple’s baby boy in one of the rooms for safety.

The woman was getting the better of the man, biting, scratching, and mauling him at will. At one point, Celebre pulled the woman off the man, who was screaming out of pain from a bite. The man was bitten three times in three different parts of his body. The man had punched the woman but she kept on fighting.

The hysterical woman later saw and grabbed a cutter from one of the tables and with both hands, attempted to stab herself in the torso. The man got behind of her and held her wrists but could not take full control of her. Celebre was calling the police for the second time at that point but had to hang up and help. Celebre stepped in and applied a kotegaeshi (wrist reversal) to the woman’s right hand and a yubi dori (finger hold) in the other hand. She successfully disarmed the woman but she was cut in her left forefinger.

After about 20 minutes of continuous fighting, the office manager arrived and threw the fighting couple out of the office. Then the police arrived. The case has been referred to the baranagy for settlement.

“My technique was not perfect but I’m glad I was able to pull it off. I got cut when the blade broke into two. The important thing is nobody got seriously hurt,” said Celebre.

Celebre learned a few Aikido techniques and some Arnis from Master James U. Sy Jr., Founder of Conceptual Martial Arts Society (CMAS), Inc., when she was still serving as Secretary for Power Motorcycles Central from 2002 to 2004 in Bacolod City while Sy was the Manager of the store. Celebre is an alumnus of the University of St. La Salle.