8th Bakbakan of Eskrimadors @ Gaisano City Booming Success Part I: The Old Meets the New by James U. Sy Jr.

The Bago Lapu-Lapu Viñas Arnis Club of Coach/SI Randy Alvarado, representing Bago City College (BCC), at the conclusion of the highly successful 8th Bakbakan of Eskrimadors “Higutay Duel” presented by the Guinabo Arnis & Combat Sports (GACS) of Grandmaster Felix A. Guinabo last July 29, 2012 at the Atrium Area, Gaisano City Bacolod Supermall, Araneta St., Bacolod City (James U. Sy Jr./CMAS photo).

Founder/Grandmaster Felix A. Guinabo (seated) and members of his Guinabo Arnis & Combat Sports (GACS) with Founder/Master James U. Sy Jr. of Conceptual Martial Arts Society (CMAS), Inc. at the conclusion of the highly successful 8th Bakbakan of Eskrimadors “Higutay Duel” that they presented last July 29, 2012 at the Atrium Area, Gaisano City Bacolod Supermall, Araneta St., Bacolod City (James U. Sy Jr./CMAS photo).

Some of the arnisadors who participated and supported the highly successful 8th Bakbakan of Eskrimadors “Higutay Duel” presented by the Guinabo Arnis & Combat Sports (GACS) of Grandmaster Felix A. Guinabo last July 29, 2012 at the Atrium Area, Gaisano City Bacolod Supermall, Araneta St., Bacolod City (James U. Sy Jr./CMAS photo). The Guinabo Arnis & Combat Sports (GACS) of Grandmaster Felix A. Guinabo successfully held the 8th Bakbakan of Eskrimadors “Higutay Duel” last July 29, 2012 at the Atrium Area, Gaisano City Bacolod Supermall, Araneta St., Bacolod City. Not less than 90 martial artists representing 20 groups from Bacolod, Bago, Murcia, San Enrique, and Talisay gave demonstrations and competed under IFFMAS Arnis rules. GM Guinabo held the event in cooperation with Gaisano City Bacolod Supermall represented by its Advertising officer Nomer Lobaton, Negros Occidental Baston Federation (NOBF), Inc. of Founder/President Emeritus Atty. Col. Grandmaster Marcelo “Pope” C. Jalandoon, Ph.D., and current President P/Sgt. (Ret.) Grandmaster Estanislao “Eslao” T. Guarra, Intercontinental Federation of Filipino Martial Arts Schools (IFFMAS), Inc. under its President Grandmaster Elmer V. Montoyo, and Conceptual Martial Arts Society (CMAS), Inc. of Founder/Master James U. Sy Jr. Special guest of honor was Grandmaster Casimiro “Chingi” A. Grandeza, “The Father of Karate in Negros,” the first Filipino grandmaster of Korean Tang Soo Do, and the Founder of the White Kimono Club (WKC) and the Philippine Moo Duk Kwan Soo Bahk Do. Arnis, otherwise known as Eskrima, Baston, Yaming, Garrote, and Olisi, is a generic collective term for the wide spectrum of Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) that may consist of one or several of the following: short espada/baston (solo or doble), espada/baston and daga, long espada/baston, daga (solo or doble), flexible weapons (caburata, latigo, kadena, tabak toyok, etc.), derivable weapons, pangamut (pang-agaw, trangkada, dumog, sipa sumbag), and esoteric and healing arts. Arnis is a corruption of the Spanish Arnes, which means, “bracelet or chair mail armor.” Thus, someone who knows Arnis has an “armor” that can protect him against violent attacks. Arnis has been declared as the National Martial Art and Sport of the Republic of the Philippines but the public is not aware that the art is categorized into the combative, sportive, and cultural/theaterical. Each one may use similar techniques but they greatly differ in their mindset, focus, approach, and training. The 8th Bakbakan of Eskrimadors “Higutay Duel” made efforts to showcase all three expressions into one event. The demonstrations featured the combative and cultural/theatrical expressions as exhibited by the classical and DepEd practitioners. The tournament featured the sportive expression using IFFMAS Arnis rules. The special main event, the higutay duel, is actually a composite of the modern sportive form and the combative higutay dueling of old arnisadors in Negros. DEMONSTRATIONS. The Kalido Society of Bacolod Christian College (BCC), through the invitation of Grandmaster Danilo Cardinal, made the first demonstration consisting of their likha anyo for DepEd Arnis competition. Their instructor, Master Leo C. Uyanib, showed the striking, blocking, and disarming of their style. Members of the Kalido demo team were Criselle Marie Bulanon, Bonry Hasan, Ace John Hidalgo, Joachim Javellana, Nylre Jel Ortega, Patricia Nicole Uy, Master Leo C. Uyanib, and Karla Rojon Villamor. The Bago Lapu-Lapu Viñas Arnis of Coach/SI Randy Alvarado, representing Bago City College (BCC) and who had been crowned champion at the Alculympics, also gave their interpretation of the likha anyo for DepEd Arnis competition. Alvarado and Tom Serapia demonstrated a number of Lapu-Lapu Viñas Arnis self defense techniques combining strikes, disarming, locks, and takedowns. The Cargada Pigar KaliSilat Arnis Club of Arnis Philippines (Arpi) Negros Occidental Commissioner Grandmaster Danilo “Danny” Cardinal also started their number with individual and synchronized likha anyo for DepEd Arnis competition. GM Cardinal and Master Gualberto Dajao demonstrated their style’s striking, blocking, and disarming maneuvers. Other members of the Cargada Pigar demo team were Christian Arroyo, Jessica Casiñas, Marimar Galon, Jude Guboc, and Jessica Sombero. The combined demo team of Arjuka-Malingin of Grandmaster Isaac T. Guarra and Guarra Style Modern Arnis of P/Sgt. (Ret.) Grandmaster Estanislao “Eslao” T. Guarra, represented by the Guarra family children and youngsters, demonstrated paired sinawali, nunchaku freestyle form, and empty hands counter for counter flow. Members of the combined demo team were Daicken Mae B. Guarra, Dayleem T. Baylon, Anne Bernadith G. Caro, Anthony M. Guarra, Exel Rose B. Guarra, Jerald John D. Guarra, Jeraldine D. Guarra, Jerryll M. Guarra, Windy Lou G. Poral, and Jill Tyrone b. Protacio. The Conceptual Martial Arts Society (CMAS), Inc. was represented by its Founder/Master James U. Sy Jr. who demonstrated a combination of the largo and corto applications of the solo baston and espada y daga, using strikes, tutchadas, locks, throws, and kicks as well as empty hand applications against a knife and a punch. Alex Gequillana used otso-otso as both offense and defense against solo baston, doble baston, espada y daga, and daga. The Tanique Arnis and Combat Sports (TACS) was represented by Master Arman Tanique and Master Roberto Lumugdang, who gave a demonstration of classical espada y daga using low stances as well as disarming te4chniques. Host Guinabo Arnis & Combat Sports (GACS) was represented by Grandmaster Felix A. Guinabo, Founder of the Trece Grabes Piga-Piga System of Arnis, who, together with Noel Emmanuel Arendon, demonstrated his own system of classical espada y daga which included body displacement, slashes, thrusts, locks and controls. The demo started from a slow pace to a faster beat, building up the rhythm. The Original Filipino Tapado Long Stick Fighting Association (OFTLSFA), Inc. featured 9 year old British-Filipino Phillip Penman, who exhibited the basic uno, dos, and bali-bali strikes against the attacks of OFT Master James U. Sy Jr. 1st Generation Inheritor (Tigsubli)/Grandmaster Benefredo “Bebing” Mamar Lobrido showed the higher linyada of the system using direct hitting with the assistance of Master Joeffrey S. Deriada. Rev. Engr. Gaudencio “Gau” B. lingamen Jr. of San Enrique, a Faculty Member of TUP-Visayas (1978-1990), the Founder of Garrote y Lanza, gave a unique demonstration of the dos palos (so-setsu-kon in Japanese, a kind of nunchaku where one side is longer than the other) freestyle twirling and whipping. His demo consisted of three segments: single 29” light metal, double 29” light metal, and double handed grip 52” light metal. Grandmaster Roemo "Roming" Postrano, Founder of the Garote Sikaran Arnis Club, gave a free flow anyo of both the solo baston and the doble baston. His performance also showcased the classical movements of arnis, characdteristic of the Negros systems.