UDTA PROMO EXAMS HELD by James U. Sy, Jr.

Six students of the Universal Defensive Tactics Academy (UDTA) took and passed the 1st UDTA Rank Promotion Examinations last February 21, 2008 at the Universal Health Caregivers Training Center, #83A Cor. Rosario-Locsin Sts., Bacolod City.

Examinees (and their new ranks) were Hamel Marco D. Borromeo (Green Belt Level 1), Voltaire V. Daypal (Green Belt Level 1), Paul Anthony M. Ganzon (Green Belt), Jether A. Palma (White Belt Level 3), Sharlyn B. Remo (White Belt Level 1), and Kris ‘O Henrii P. Uy (White Belt Level 1).

Founder/Chairman Abraham G. Ganzon Jr. conducted the belting ceremony.

Examiners were Grandmaster Elmer V. Montoyo, Founder/President of the Philippine Integrated Martial Arts Academy-Filipino Tang Soo Do Association (PIMAA-FTSDA), President of the Intercontinental Federation of Filipino Martial Arts Schools (IFFMAS), and Grandmaster Danilo Cardinal, Founder/Headmaster of KaliSilat Arnis Association (Bacolod) and Traditional Shotokan Karate Arts (TSKA), Secretary of Arnis Philippines-Bacolod/Negros Chapter.

Other invited guests were Master Narciso "Hansy" L. Alojado, Co-Founder of Conceptual Martial Arts Society (CMAS), Inc. and Senior Instructor with the Original Filipino Tapado Long Stick Fighting Association (OFTLSFA), Inc., Senior Instructor Joeffrey Deriada of OFTLSFA, and Mr. Phoebus “Junby” Teruel, Jr., new member of CMAS and OFTLSFA.

UDTA traces its roots to F.I.G.H.T. (Filipino Integrated Guerilla Hand to Hand Tactics) which was started on January 8, 2008 in Bacolod City. In June 2008, Ganzon and the Board Directors of the Universal Health Caregivers Training Center decided to assimilate F.I.G.H.T. into the caregiver school and turn it into the Universal Defensive Tactics Academy (UDTA). UDTA handles the self defense course modules for the caregiver students of the Universal Health Caregivers Training Center.

The stockholders of the school wanted to equip their graduates with not only the expertise in caregiving but also in the skills of defending oneself against bodily harm. The Universal Health Caregivers Training Center has affiliate agencies overseas and a big number of their graduates are now working in Canada.

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


(The examinees)

(Abraham Ganzon instructing the examinees while the examineers are seated at the sides)