ORIGINAL FILIPINO TAPADO REUNION RESCHED MAR. 1 By: James U. Sy Jr.

The Original Filipino Tapado Long Stick Fighting Association (OFTLSFA), Inc. has officially moved the 2009 OFTLSFAI General Reunion from February 15, 2008 to March 1, 2008 but still at the same venue, Hilton Beach, Brgy. Pta. Taytay , Bacolod City.



Heading the celebration will be the late Founder’s nephew, 1st Generation Inheritor Grandmaster Benefredo “Bebing” M. Lobrido with the support of the Mamar and Lobrido Clans, association officers and old and new masters, instructors, and practitioners of the art. It will be the 4th OFTLSFAI Reunion to be held under GM. Lobrido’s presidency.



This year’s event will mark the association’s 25th Year Anniversary, having been founded as the first and official governing body for Original Filipino Tapado, in 1984 in Bago City.



Original Filipino Tapado is the indigenous long stick fighting art founded by the late Founder/Grandmaster Romeo “Nono” C. Mamar in 1960 in Brgy. Taloc, Bago City after studying the Negrene arts of Lagas, Oido, Layaw, and Sinamak from 4 renowned grandmasters. Tapado differs from other native or eclectic Negrense long stick fighting arts in that it only uses two kinds of strikes, albeit each one having its own hierarchical linyada from within characterizing dalum “depth” of technique. It is a single ended, stick-based, two handed grip art.



Tapado derives from the Hiligaynon term Tapat, which in turn comes from Tapos “Finish, End.” Contracting Tapat with the suffix do, one gets a descriptive term for the degree or gravity of being finished or put to an end. Thus, Tapado is an art designed to finish a conflict the soonest, 3 strikes maximum ideally.



GM Lobrido is the 4th president of OFTLSFAI, having served since 2005 up to the present. His uncle, GM Mamar, was the 3rd president, serving from 1989 to 2005.



The most important achievement of the association under the leadership of GM Lobrido was the registration of the association with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) last December 16, 2005 (SEC Registration No. CN200530787).



OFTLSFA is a proud member of the Intercontinental Federation of Filipino Martial Arts Schools (IFFMAS).



Members and friends are welcome. Contact Robie Lobrido at 0928-600-2476 or Alojado at 0928-719-5141.