Chi Kung Introduced to La Salle Profs By: James U. Sy Jr.

La Salle professors from around the Philippines try out Chi Kung for better health.


CELAM Head Serge Villanueva (right) enjoying a sumptous meal with nhis staff.

Narciso “Hansy” L. Alojado taught a session of Chi Kung “energy work” during the 2006 La Sallian Special Studies Institute (LSSSI) Retreat on May 18, 2006 at the Balay Kalinungan, University of St. La Salle (USLS), La Salle Avenue, Bacolod City.

The retreat, which ran from May 14-20, 2006, was aimed at developing a deeper understanding of La Salle’s life, his books, and spirituality. 17 professors from different La Salle schools scattered all over the Philippines including Bacolod (St. Joseph’s, USLS), Iligan, Manila, and Ozamis attended the chi kung session.

The retreat was facilitated by the Center for La Sallian Ministries (CELAM) under the direction of Serge Villanueva and his staff Hansy Alojado, Slade Garzon, Renee Ledesma, and Jo Tero.

Chi Kung “energy work” is a generic term for Chinese arts/systems centered on breathing and physical flow exercises and meditation that seek to calm the mind and free it of stress, improve overall physical condition, and strengthen the various immune systems of the body to prevent disease and to retard the effects of aging.

Many of the traditional Chinese Kung Fu/Wushu systems have Chi Kung integrated into their training regimen. Tai Chi Chuan “grand ultimate fist,” for one, works on the harnessing and concentrated use of Chi “life force” for healthy living.

Alojado is Co-Founder of the Conceptual Martial Arts Society and acts as moderator for its USLS Chapter. He is a certified instructor of Aikido, Lapu-Lapu Viñas Arnis, Muay Thai, Original Filipino Tapado, Pencak Silat Olahraga, Sipa Sumbag (Kickboxing), Togle Style Modern Arnis, and Wushu. He
has been practicing Tai chi Chuan since the 1970s.

2ND PANAY CONCEPTUAL MARTIAL ART SEMINAR HELD

The 2nd Panay Conceptual Martial Arts Seminar “The World of Arnis and Kung Fu Take Two ” was hosted by the Tuburan Study Center (TSC) last May 10, 2006 at the Tuburan Study Center, 49 Gen. Luna St., Iloilo City.

Resource persons were Conceptual Martial Arts Society (CMAS)-Iloilo Chapter Head Dr. Raymund Antonio A. Maguad and members Dr. Rey Mollenido and Dr. Eugene “Bong” Alicante Jr. All the guest speakers were from the College of Medicine of the West Visayas State University (WVSU).

15 students from the St. Catalina International School, St. Joseph High School, and Westbridge School for Boys were in attendance.

The seminar was the second of its kind to be held at the Tuburan Study Center, the first one being held last February 4, 2006. The resource persons introduced more historical, cultural, philosophical, and technical aspects of the Negrense Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) of Original Filipino Tapado, Oido de Caburata, and Yasay Sable and the Chinese Wushu style of long quan (dragon fist).

TSC was founded in 1991 as a project of the Daguiao Foundation Inc. to help students of Iloilo City to learn current socio-cultural matters and interesting activities from their peers and professionals. Project coordinator is Roger P. Sarmiento.

CMAS is a non-profit network of professionals-martial artists founded in October 2002 to research, document, systematize, organize, preserve, and propagate the various warrior traditions of Negrense FMA as well as other Asian and Occidental martial arts. CMAS-Iloilo was started by Dr. Maguad last June 2005. CMAS-IC is the first group to introduce the aforementioned arts in a seminar-demo setting in the Panay Island

3RD PANAY CONCEPTUAL MARTIAL ART SEMINAR HELD

The 3rd Panay Conceptual Martial Arts Seminar “Tapado Goes to Iloilo ” was conduced by Original Filipino Tapado Long Stick Fighting Association (OFTLSFA) President Grandmaster Benefredo “Bebing” M. Lobrido and Philippine Integrated Martial Arts Academy-Filipino Tang Soo Do Association (PIMAA-FTSDA) Founder/President Master Elmer V. Montoyo at the West Visayas State University Medical Center (WVSUMC) Doctors’ Quarters and then at the Iloilo Sports Complex, Lapaz, Iloilo City.

The Bago and Bacolod-based instructors conducted the intensive training for the 4 doctor-members of the Conceptual Martial Arts Society (CMAS), Inc.-Iloilo Chapter: Chapter Head Dr. Raymund Antonio A. Maguad, Dr. Frank Gellada, Dr. Rey Mollenido, and Dr. Jason Rojas.

It was the 3rd formal training under GM Lobrido for the doctors except for Dr. Maguad who took up tapado several months earlier. The first 2 trainings were during the 5th and 7th Negros Conceptual Martial Arts Seminar held last April 13, 2006 and May 13, 2006 respectively.

GM Lobrido worked on the doctors’ basics and introduced the salta and torsido lines from tapado’s primary course.