Sikaran Taliba 2014

Volume 3
2014
Number 1
Contents
Sikaran Taliba
Supremo Meliton C. Geronimo
Honorary Editor Emeritus
Emmanuel es Querubin
Editor in Chief
Elpidio Seletaria, Jr.
Managing Editor
Meliton S. Geronimo, Jr.
Editor-at-large
ERP
Art Editor
Major Filipino Newspapers in the United States
Rizal Provincial Meet
Should the World Sikaran Brotherhood of the Philippines Allow
Open Martial Arts Tournament?
Open Sikaran Tournament in Rodriguez (Montalban)
Tanay Open Sikaran Tournament
World Sikaran Tournaments
2nd World Sikaran Tournament, Manila
3rd World Sikaran Arnis Championship, Canada
Sikaran International Invitational Tournament
4th World Sikaran Arnis Championships, Canada
Special Arnis Section
Sikaran Uniform
Warriors Never Die - They Just Fade Away
From Around the Brotherhood
From The Desk of the Editor-At-Large
Major Filipino Newspapers in the United States
Take Notice of World Sikaran Brotherhood of the Philippines
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40
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Philippine Correspondent
Erlina Bartolata
Sikaran Taliba© is published by the Sikaran Pilipinas Publications. It is the
only internet magazine dedicated to the Sikaran practitioners around the
world. The ideas and opinions in the articles and manuscripts are those of the
author / contributor and not necessarily the views of the publisher or the editors. The Sikaran Taliba is not a forum for grievance. The management reserves
the right to edit contributed materials for derogatory remarks and disparaging
comments. All materials are the exclusive property of the author and cannot
be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the author.
Neither the world Sikaran Brotherhood of the Philippines nor the management of Sikaran Taliba assumes any responsibility in the misuse or abuse of all
techniques in this newspaper.
Editorial Office
P.O.Box 6332
Alameda, CA. 94501
sikarantaliba@gmail.com
By: Mantas Andy Sanano
9th Degree Red and White Belt
WSBP State Director for Florida
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Sikaran Pilipinas Publications
Republic of the Philippines Certificate of Copyright No. A 2009-102, Department of Trade and Industry Certificate of Registration 00706053, United
States, Library of Congress Copyright Registration No. TXu 1-612-682
2013, marked the year when
major Filipino newspapers in the
United States took notice of the
progress of Sikaran (Fighting Art
of the Filipino Farmer), through
the World Sikaran Brotherhood
of the Philippines, in the United
States.
Led by the Philippines
Today, Manila Mail, and FilAm Star,
there are indications and hopes
that mainstream media in the
United States will follow.
A Filipino TV channel,
which airs Monday to Friday has
shown interest in carrying news
about the World Sikaran Brotherhood of the Philippines’ events
and affairs. This responsibility fell
on the desk of Mantas Elpidio
Seletaria, Jr., International Coordinator.
2
3
Rizal Provincial Meet
By: Noel Espiritu
Information and photos furnished By Erlina Bartolata, Philippine Correspondent
Section 19, Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution provides, to wit: “The state shall promote
physical education and encourage sports programs, league competitions, and amateur sports,
including training for international competitions,
to foster self-discipline, teamwork, and excellence
for the development of a healthy and alert citizenry.”
As a result of this provision in the Constitution, barangay, municipal, and provincial meets are
held annually for the “development of a healthy
and alert citizenry.” On October 20-25, 2013 the
Rizal Provincial Meet was held in the Ynarez Sports
Center in Antipolo City, in the Province of Rizal.
Line up of the different municipalities
Named after the National Hero, Jose Rizal,
the Province of Rizal was created on June 11, 1901
by authority of the First Philippine Commission.
The composition of the new province, came from
two existing provinces. From the Province of
Manila, the municipalities of Caloocan, Las Piňas,
Marikina, Montalban, Muntinglupa, Navotas,
Parañaque, Novaliches, Pasig, Pateros, San Mateo,
Ynarez Sports Center, Antipolo City
and Lumisang-Aguho. Lumisang-Aguho (meaning Aguho that left) was just a barangay in the
town of Pateros. Other municipalities that are
now known by other names are: Pineda (Pasay),
San Felipe Neri (Mandaluyong), San Juan del
Monte (San Juan), San Pedro Macati (Makati),
Tambobong (Malabon).
From the Province of Morong (Politico-Militar District of Morong), 12 municipalities were
absorbed by the new province. They
are:Angono, Baras, Binangonan, Cainta, AntiPass in review of participants led by Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
polo, Cardona, Jalajala, Morong, Pillilla, Tanay,
Taytay and Teresa.
From the creation of the Province of Rizal in 1901 to the present there were several changes in the
composition. When Quezon City was formed parts of Caloocan, Novaliches and San Juan was absorbed. In
1975 Rizal province was further partitioned with the creation of the National Capital Region. Excised from
the Province were Las Pinas, Paranaque, Muntinlupa, Taguig, Pateros, Makati, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Malabon, Navotas, Pasig, Marikina, Caloocan, Pasay, and Quezon City to form the NCR or National Capital Region.
4
Rizal Province is now made
up of 13 municipalities and one
city. In alphabetical order, Rizal is
now made up of: Angono, Antipolo City, Baras, Binangonan,
Cainta, Cardona, Jalajala, Morong,
Pillilla, Rodriguez (formerly Montalban), San Mateo, Tanay, Taytay,
and Teresa.
In 1998, Antipolo was
elevated from a municipality to a
Component City in the Province
of Rizal. It was designated as the
Capital of the Province and a new
Capitol Building replaced the one
in Pasig, which was no longer a
part of the province.
Antipolo is a well-known
tourist attraction. The Hinilugang
Taktak Falls National Park, is a
popular summer get-away. It is
also popular with its locally grown
mangoes and cashews, as well as
suman. Antipolo prides itself as
the Pilgrimage Capital of the
Philippines. Enshrined in the
Antipolo Cathedral is the icon of
Our Lady of Peace and Good
Voyage, which was brought from
Mexico in 1626. Local devotees
also call it the Virgin of Antipolo.
Antipolo’s higher elevation gives a
scenic view of the metropolis.
All the municipalities in
the province of Rizal have their
own story to tell. Angono, is
known as the dwelling of the
higantes (giants). During the
Spanish colonial time, Angono
was a hacienda ruled by aristocratic hacienderos. As a way of
protesting their struggle, the
workers made
three giant effigies
of their landlords
depicting the
father, the mother
and the child.
The effigies
were made of
bamboo and
paper mache
about twelve feet
tall. Consequently
these effigies
became a part of
any celebration
and became the
mascot of Angono.
Baras, even
during the Spanish
times was known
as the birthplace
of Sikaran. In 1942,
the Japanese Imperial forces
occupied the municipality of
Baras. The Marking Guerilla Unit,
which operated in Rizal engaged
the occupying force from 1942 to
1945, finally liberating the town in
1945. The Marking Guerilla Units
aided the US military forces in
anti-Japanese operations in Grater
Manila and Southern Luzon
5
hastening the end of World War II.
A first-class urban community, the Municipality of Binangonan is now part of Manila’s conurbation with the rapid and
continuous expansion of Metro
Manila. It has a population of
274,179 inhabitants in a land area
of 6,634 hectares. Their main
livelihood are fishing and farming. Binangonan is a major supplier of freshwater fishes from
Laguna de Bay like dulong,
ayungin, biya, kanduli, and
gurami to Metro Manila, Laguna,
Cavite and Batangas. It lies between the foothills of Sierra
Madre and the shores of
Laguna de Bay.
Binangonan is now
known as “The Education
Center of Rizal.” Quality
education is available to
Rizal’s inhabitants, where
even the less fortunate can
avail of quality education,
including technical and
vocational knowledge .
Educational institutions in Binangonan include the Rizal National
High School, the University of
Rizal System, and the Technical
Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) center.
The Municipality of Cainta
was founded on August 15, 1571,
making it one of the oldest in the
Province. It has a land area of
4,299 hectares and serves as the
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secondary gateway
to the rest of Rizal
province from Metro
Manila. With a population of 311,845
inhabitants, per the
2010 census, Cainta
now holds the record
as the most populous municipality
and the richest
municipality in the Philippines.
A considerable number of
the population in Cainta is descended from soldiers from India
who mutinied against the British
Army. The British accompanied
by Indian soldiers briefly occupied the Philippines in 1762 to
1763. These Indian soldiers were
called Sepoy or Bombay. They
settled in town and intermarried
with native women. Their unique
physical characteristics (darker
skin) make them distinct from the
average Filipinos who are primarily of Malay and Chinese origins.
There was a time when most
nighttime security guards were
Sepoy or Bombay because they
were known to be able to stay
awake longer than most anybody.
A third class urban
municipality, Cardona is
now part of Manila’s
network of urban communities.
The town of Jalajala allegedly got its name
from small local shellfish
called halaan. The town’s
name supposedly resulted from miscommunication between early Spanish visitors and natives. The
Spaniards enquired of some
natives along the shoreline,
“¿Como se llama este sitio?”
(“What is the name of this
place?”) to which the latter
replied, “halaán pò,” thinking that
the foreigners referred to the
shells. The Spaniards accepted
the response as the name of the
place, and began calling it halaán,
later corrupting it into
Jalajala.
Predominantly a
Muslim area In the early
years before Spaniards
came, Morong was coined
from the word moro.
A Morong native
named Tomas M. Claudio
is listed as a hero in the
Philippines. He was the
first Filipino to die in
World War I while serving
with the U.S. Marine Corps
as part of the American Expeditionary Forces to Europe. He died
in France on June 29, 1918. To
honor him, the Tomas Claudio
Memorial College in Morong Rizal,
Philippines, was founded in 1950.
The main street of the town was
also named in his honor.
Pililla is a first class urban
municipality in Rizal Province. It is
surrounded by farms, small mountains, plains and trees. Pililla is just
few kilometers away from its
neighboring town Tanay.
Formerly known as Montalban, Rodriguez is another
first-class, urban municipality in
Rizal Province. It is the northernmost town in the province. The
town is located on the slopes of
the Sierra Madre mountain range.
It is also the largest town in Rizal
province. The town’s old name,
Montalban, refers to its mountain-
Teresa Miners
ous topography. The town’s new
official name is
taken from the
family name of
Eulogio Rodriguez, Sr., one of
the most prominent citizens. Mt.
Irid, the town’s
highest peak
towers 1,469
meters above
mean and sea
level.
A first class
urban municipality in Rizal Province, San Mateo, is
located along the
western border of
Rizal Province, it is
bordered on the
west by Quezon
City, to the south
by the cities of
Marikina and
Antipolo, and to the north by
Rodriguez. According to the
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the Provincial Government of Rizal, San
Mateo is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Rizal Province. There is an account that
suggests the Municipality of San
Mateo was so called, because of
its geographical resemblance to
another town in Spain
with the same name
San Mateo has had
a colorful and distinguished history. In 1639, a
battle ensued between
Chinese rebels, on one
side and Spanish troops,
on the other. The Chinese
were defeated and retreated east to the Sierra Madre
Mountains but not before
burning the town and its
church.
Again from 1696 to 1746, this
time the town residents rebelled
against the Spanish authority. Like
the Chinese they were defeated
and were forced to go to the
mountains and abandon their
lowland settlement.
From 1751 to 1765 the
natives once more rebelled
against Spanish governance. With
this resistance, the Spanish government reduced the town to
ruins. In 1871, San Mateo was
further dismembered when the
barrios of Balite, Burgos, Marang,
and Calipahan were separated
from San Mateo and formed them
into the new municipality of
Montalban, now Rodriguez.
During the revolution
against Spain in 1896, San Mateo
was made headquarters of the
Filipino forces. On August 6, 1898,
San Mateo joined the revolution7
Teresa in the
west, General
Nakar (Quezon
Province) in
the east, and
Pillilla, Santa
Maria (Laguna
Province) and
Laguna de Bay
in the south.
Tanay was
the headquarSan Mateo Blazers
ters of the
ary government of Gen. Emilio
second miliAguinaldo. During the Philippine- tary area of the Philippine RevoAmerican War, guerilla bands led
lutionary Government under
by General Licerio Geronimo
General Emilio Aguinaldo. Tanay
operated from the mountains of
residents who were members of
Rizal. General Licerio Geronimo is
the Katipunan fought valiantly
a close relative of Bonifacio
during the Revolution against
Geronimo (Grandfather of MeliSpain. During World War II, the
ton Geronimo), who at that time
mountain of Tanay was the base
was propagating Sikaran in
of operations of the Marking
Baras. In the eyes of the Filipino
Guerilla Unit.
people, Gen. Geronimo became a
Known as the “Woodgreat man for killing an illustrious
works and Garments Capital of
American, General Lawton. Gen.
the Philippines.” The Municipality
Lawton distinguished himself
of Taytay is a first class, municipalduring the American Civil War
ity in the Province of Rizal. It is
and the American military cambounded by Cainta on the north,
paign in Cuba.
Pasig City and Taguig City on the
Tanay, a first class municiwest, Antipolo City in the East
pality in Rizal Province is located
and Angono on the South.
57 kilometers (35 mi) east of
Led by the Rizal Governor
Manila. It contains portions of the and the Mayor of Taytay, officials
Sierra Madre Mountains and is
of Taytay Town in Rizal province
bordered by Antipolo City in the
have started drafting their own
northwest, Baras, Morong and
city charter in preparation for
8
their bid for cityhood.
The local government,
serious in its campaign to become the second component city
in the province after Antipolo
City, has claimed that Taytay is far
more than qualified in terms of
population, area and income
aspects. Under the law, to qualify
to become a city, towns must
have an annual self-generated
income of Ph 100 million pesos
and a population of 150,000 or
more, or a contiguous territory of
100-square kilometer.
Teresa a second-class
municipality in the Province of
Rizal, is situated in the slopes of
the Sierra Madre Mountains and
is landlocked on four corners by
Antipolo City on the north, Angono on the west, Tanay on the
east, and Morong, on the south.
Teresa is a valley surrounded by mountains. The town center
is located almost at the center of
the valley, with a vast expanse of
agricultural land bordered by
marble-rich mountains.
Originally named “Oroquieta” it was a barrio of the Municipality of Morong. As a non-independent town its name was
changed to “Santa Rosa” in honor
of the town’s patron saint. In 1900
the people agreed to change the
name from Santa Rosa to “Teresa.”
Pictures of the Baras - Home of Sikaran - Contingent During the Rizal Provincial Meet
9
Should the World Sikaran Brotherhood of the Philippines
Allow Open Martial Arts Tournament?
By: Mantas Louelle Lledo, Jr., 9th Degree Red and White Belt
WSBP New Jersey State Director
Lineth
10
nders
nay Highla
from Ta
Carandang
There was a time when the of the Department of Education,
member of the Asian Karate
World Sikaran Brotherhood of the
the municipal, and the provincial
Association; that several Sikaran
Philippines out rightly prohibited
governments accused the World
members won world crowns in
and specifically discouraged
Sikaran Brotherhood of the
the Asian Karate Championships.
tournaments or competitions
Philippines of “reproductive
What they cannot comprehend is
with other martial arts groups
isolationism.” This presented the
that although the techniques in
other than Sikaran. This was
misconception that the WSBP as
every art or sport may be the
explicitly expressed by the Sibeing a group of elitists with a
same, the tournament rules are
karan By-Laws Article XIII, Section
“holier-than-thou- attitude.” They
different. Each sport has its own
4, Paragraph H, which reads: “No
cannot understand why a Sikaracontest rules.
member is allowed to join other
nista will not win in a Karate
Long before Karate bemartial arts organizations or any
tournament and vice-versa.
came a sport, Sikaran as a sport
of their activities (Tournament,
There are some “all-enwas already in existence. Sikaran
Exhibition, promotion, and / or
compassing-wise-men” who even has a history of full-contact
training, etc.) without the consent said “what is the difference
contests, which included throws,
of the proper authority.”
take-downs, pushing and
The number one
pulling but no hand techreason offered by the
niques (except for blocking
association is the question
and deflecting the blows).
about the tournament rules
Sports Karate became popular
and regulations that will be
only in the late 1940’s and early
used and the officials who
1950’s, and there are two
will enforce them. Second
differing rules in Japanese
consideration that needed
Karate. Followers of Gichin
to be addressed is liability.
If a member of the association is injured during the
tournament, who will be
medically liable? The Constitution and by-laws of the
World Sikaran Brotherhood Sikaran originated as full-contact sports without the
of the Philippines has a
use of the hands except for defensive actions
provision for this situation,
but it only applies to members of
between punches and kicks. A
WSBP, and only during WSBP
punch is a punch is a punch and
sponsored and sanctioned toura kick is a kick is a kick.”
naments. If a member of another
True there is no difference
association is injured who is
between a Sikaran kick of a
liable? If a member of the WSBP
Karate Kick, a Tae Kwon Do kick or
caused the injury who will be
even a Kung Fu kick. Any one of
liable?
these when properly executed
Without understanding
will hurt the opponent. There are
the difference of Sikaran from
even those who claim that SiThrows like this body smash
other martial sports, despite the
karan was once known as Philipwas a part of Sikaran of old
external similarities, some officials pine Karate; that Sikaran was a
11
Funakoshi style of competition
use a “control-system-rule” where
blows are pulled back short of
contact and the competitors do
not use protective gear like the
members of the Japan Karate
Association and the other schools
of Karate like the Goju-ryu, the
Wado-ryu, the Shito-ryu, and
others.
Followers of this tournament rules are claiming that
Karate blows are “too deadly” if
not pulled short of contact.
Contestants may be subjected to
severe injuries, may be maimed
even fatally, which will make it a
game of death and not a sport.
The other Japanese set of
tournament rules was established
by Kanken Toyama who formed
the All Japan Karate Federation.
Followers of this school, like the
Shudokan, Rengokai, Rembukan,
and others use full protective
gear, which includes a head,
chest, groin protector, and gloves.
This is a “hit-as-hard-as-you-canknock -your- opponent- out- ifyou -can-system.” Points are not
given unless your blow hits your
opponent. This is the rules followed by the Asian Karate Cham-
pionships, and all the Filipinos
te-do Organizations (WUKO) and
who won in these series either
the dissolution of the Asian
knocked out or knocked down
Karate Association, the “controltheir opponents, a carry-over of
pull-your-blows-short-of-contacttheir Sikaran experience. Howsystem” became the only Tournaever, with this type of contest
ment rule in Karate.
rule, throwing, takedowns, push
Korean Taekwondo, with
ing, and pulling are not allowed.
the inclusion of Kwai Byeung
As Kanken Toyama said,
Yoon’s Jido Kwan and Hwang
“Contestants may express their
Kee’s Moo Doo Kwan, mandated
Karate skill and show how strong
the use of headgear and chest
they are without the risk of
protector but adopted a different
getting injured or maimed by
set of tournament rules with
using protective gear. The first
modifications. Korean Taekwondo
protective gear used in Karate
prohibited the use of the hands.
was the Kendo bogu (Kendo
Even now, the World
Protective gear). However, this
Karate-do Federation, which is
type of protective gear inhibits
the Karate authority in the world,
movement, and was very costly.
utilizes the “control- pull-yourKarate protective gear underblows-short-of-contact-system.”
went several modifications, even
However, there are still
borrowing from other sports. The
Karate groups that use protective
final design of Karate protective
gear. In the rest of the world, the
gear was designed and adopted
full contact tournaments evolved
by the Asian Karate Association.
to the “mixed martial arts system,”
Grandmaster Meliton Geronimo
without the use of protective gear
designed and produced protecand a different set of rules.
tive gear for use of the Sikaran
Sikaran, on the other hand
Brotherhood.
restored the old Sikaran rules
When attempts were
with major modifications. For
made to unify Karate in the
Philippines under the Philippine Karate Association, it
became necessary to hold
tournaments and competitions. There were two Karate
Tournament rules adopted
- the “control-pull-yourblows-short of contact-system,” and the “hit-as-hard-asyou-can-knock-your
opponent-out-system” with
the use of protective gear as
practiced by the Asian
Karate Association.
With the formation
Knockout system with protective gear used
of the World Union of Karaduring the Asian Karate Championships series
Protective gear designed and produced
by Grandmaster Meliton Geronimo for use of the Sikaran Brotherhood
12
safety’s sake, throwing, takedowns, pushing, and or pulling
were prohibited. Only kicking
techniques were allowed. Punching and strikes with the hands
also were not allowed. With these
rules, sports Sikaran became a
display of kicking techniques,
instead of “any-which-way-fighting-system.”
Several meetings were
conducted between the Department of Education and the Technical Committee of the World
Sikaran Brotherhood of the
Philippines to find a happy medium, without compromising the
principles of Sikaran and preserve
the excitement of the sport.
When the set of the tournament rules was finalized, hand
techniques, throwing, takedowns,
pushing, and pulling became
prohibited techniques. Use of
protective gear for children and
female competitors was mandated. For black belt participants,
only the use of the headgear
became mandatory. Likewise,
male black belts also fought
bare-chested, a carry-over of
Sikaran of old.
It took a lot of trials and
errors before the final Sikaran
Tournament Rules was approved
and became an official part of the
by-laws of the World Sikaran
Brotherhood of the Philippines.
With the Sikaran Tournament Rules in place and members of the WSBP trained and
accredited to be Tournament
Officials, it became possible to
join “open tournaments with
other martial arts groups.” However, Section 4 of the same Article
I, which reads: “All open games,
contest, meets and tournaments
shall be conducted under the
supervision of the WSBP Sikaran
Technical Committee, strictly
observing the Opisyal Na Tuntunin ng Larong Sikaran (Sikaran
Official Tournament Rules),” will be
the number one consideration.
With these provisions,
there have been several open
tournaments where members of
the World Sikaran Brotherhood of
the Philippines have competed,
won, and prevailed.
Finally, based on Article I
- Declaration of Principles and
Policies, Section 3, which states:
“The World Sikaran Brotherhood
of the Philippines shall adopt and
foster the principles of camaraderie, brotherhood, honor, courage,
integrity, honesty, and loyalty.”
The words “camaraderie” and
“brotherhood” weighed heavily
on the decision to allow Sikaranistas to compete with other martial
artists.
Head, and chest protective gear is mandatory in the children and female divisions
In the Black Belt division, head protective
gear is mandatory because the head is the
primary target of Biyakid
13
Open Sikaran Tournament in Rodriguez (Montalban)
By: Erlina Bartolata, Philippine Correspondent
Some of the participants
On November 29-30, 2013, Alfonso Facurib of Montalban Sikaran, hosted an Open Sikaran Tournament. Although the town is now officially known as Rodriguez, some still use the old name of Montalban.
Master Jaime Geronimo, 9th Degree Red and White Belt, Executive Vice-President of the World Sikaran Brotherhood of the Philippines and Ernesto Millanes, 9th Degree Red and White Belt NCR Regional
Director attended the event. Several seniors, headed by Roberto Pamilar, 9th Degree Red and White Belt,
were also present.
John Manungod, 4th Degree Black Belt #3131, Bulacan
Alogenes Salas, 4th Degree Black Belt #4195, Caloocan
Antonio Salas, 5th Degree Black Belt #4042, Caloocan
Marcelo Facurib, 5th Degree Black Belt #3010, Montalban
Allan Villamor, 5th Degree Black Belt #3891, Tanay
Emily Samillano, 5th Degree Black Belt # 3773, Tanay
Adriano Viscayda, 5th Degree Black Belt #3162, Cainta
Raulito Robles, 6th Degree Black Belt #2922, Baras
Eliseo Neri, 6th Degree Black Belt # 1599, Marikina
Tito Singson, 6th Degree Black Belt 3370, Antipolo
Elisa Pangilinan, 2nd Degree Black Belt 13-5800076, Baras
Jaime Geronimo III, 2nd Degree Black Belt #4973, Baras
Philippine Correspondent Erlina Bartolata taking notes
Emily Samillano (extreme right),
the only female certified Referee
Black Belt Division fought ala-original Sikaran, bare-chested
Some of the black belts with the trophies
14
15
Tanay Open Sikaran Tournament
Winners:
By: Erlina Bartolata, Philippine Correspondent
Over-all Champion - Baras, Chief Instructor Raulito Robles
Second Place - Tanay, Chief Instructor Emily Zamora Samillano
Third Place - Cainta. Chief Instructor Adriano Vizcayda
Individual Winners Men’s / Boys Division
Lightweight Black Belt Division;
Champion - Ronald Mira, Tanay
Second Place - Earvin Bartolata, Tanay
Third Place - Kevin Bobis, Baras
Middleweight Black Belt Division:
Champion -Eddie Gabiana, Baras
Second Place - Mario Losabio, Tanay
Third Place -Mark Vallestero, Cainta
Lightweight White Belt:
Champion - Jopher Mayormita, Baras
Second Place - Jeric Salomon, Cainta
Third Place - Edmon Bartolata, Baras
Middleweight White Belt:
Champion Richard Francisco, Montalban
Second Place ArvinMirabel, Cainta
Third Place - Mark Joseph Libelo, Bulacan
Heavyweight White Belt:
Champion - Christian Bonilla, Baras
Second Place - Albert Gaupo, Montalban
Third Place - Marlon Diaz, Tanay
Kiddies Group A:
1st - Arnold Macawiles - Caloocan
2nd - Alejandro Diaz, Tanay
3rd - Nino Diaz, Caloocan
Group B:
1st - Vladimir Teodoro, Baras
2nd - Jake Canete, Caloocam
3rd - Mark Joseph Facurib, Montalban
Group C:
1st - Wendy Salas, Baras
2nd - Aladin Pasco, Marikina
3rd - Mark Kioseph Facurib, Montalban
Group D:
1st - Mark Lorenz Marquizo, Baras
2nd - Arnold Martino, Antipolo
3rd - Dean Miko Buyon, Tanay
Mini Boys:
1st - Bill Catapusan, Baras
2nd - Kimbert Perez, Baras
3rd - Emmanuel Concepcion, Marikina
Small Boys:
1st - Nik Lopez, Marikina
2nd- Eugene Cuevas, Tanay
3rd - A. Longanes, Cainta
Individual Winners Women’s / Girls
Division
Kiddies Group A:
1st - Elaine de Vera, Baras
2nd - Lyka Villamor, Baras
3rd - Zaueah Cayetano, Montalban
Kiddies Group B:
1st - Virginia Aguilar, Baras
2nd - Mica Ann Ramos, Cainta
3rd - Katherine Penaflor, Cainta
Kiddies Group C:
1st - Wnedelyn Salas, Baras
2nd - Angela Jane Feliciano, Cainta
3rd - Angela Ocop, Montalban
Mini Girls Division:
1st - Trishia Magno, Tanay
2nd - Hanalyn Ross, Baras
3rd - Cris Antonette Gregorio, Cainta
Small Girls:
1st - Keith Tecson, Marikina
2nd - Lahlin Mendoza, Baras
3rd - Cathy Altamira, Cainta
Poster designed by Patrick Geronimo
16
17
Members of World Sikaran Brotherhood of the Philippines who participated:
1. Baras Sikaran
2. Marikina Sikaran
3. Angono Sikaran
4. Montalban Sikaran
5. Plaridel Bulacan Sikaran
6. San Jose del Monte Bulacan Sikaran
7. Caloocan Sikaran
8. Jalajala sikaran
9.Antipolo sikaran
10.Sampaloc Tanay Sikaran
11. Tanay Sikaran
Pugay to
Grandmaster Meliton Geronimo
Other Martial Arts Visitors who participated:
1. Taborda Taekwondo, Morong ,Rizal
2. Alcantara Taekwondo, Tanay, Rizal
3. Consolidated Martial Art Academy , Samapaloc, Tanay
4. El Tong Mo Do Grappler, Sampaloc, Tanay
5.Taekwondo Morong, Rizal
The Tournament Officials
The trophies and medals for the winners
The Supremo
The Officials
Some of the participants
The participants
Official Invitation
18
19
Mini Boys’ A
1st - John Paul Singson - Antipolo
2nd - Dan Angelo Manalo - Baras
3rd - Eugene Cuevas - Tanay
Mini Boys B
1st - Kimbert Perez - Baras
2nd - John Paul Maglunob - Bulacan
3rd - Adrian Rabina - Tanay
Kiddies A
1st - Frederick Segundo - Tanay
2nd - Mark Allan Cas - Tanay Tae Kwon Do
3rd - Justin Chualong - Tanay
Kiddies B
1st - Genesis Burabod - Taguig
2nd - Arnold Macawili - Antipolo
3rd - Joemar Santos - Tanay Tae Kwon Do
Winners:
Kiddies C
Over all Team Champion - Tanay Sikaran
2nd place - Baras Sikaran
3rd place - Morong Taekwondo
1st - Adrian Samar - Marikina
2nd - Vladimir Teodoro - Baras
3rd - Dennis Balubar - Tanay Tae Kwon Do
Individual Winners:
Black Belts
Kiddies D
1st Philip Olvia - Morong
2nd Joshua Casulla - El Tong Mo Do Grappler, Tanay
3rd - Earvin Bartolata - Tanay
1st - Mark Lorenz - Jala-jala
2nd - Rommie Kiezel Galvez - Morong
3rd - Miguel Tagana - Tanay
Junior Lightweight
1st - John Del Dorado - Morong
2nd - Ronald Mira - Tanay
3rd - Kevin Bobis - Baras
Middle Weight
The Supremo (in wheel chair)
in front of the participants and the trophies
Girls Division
kiddies A
1st - Ashley Rain Ramos - Tanay
2nd - Geli Padel - Tanay
3rd - Meseya Gondra - Jala-jala
Kiddies B
1st - Elaine de Vera - Baras
2nd - Jhesalie Tarel - Tanay Tae Kwon Do
3rd - Ma. Lyka Villamayor - Baras
Kiddies C
1st - Catherine Joy Vicente - Marikina
2nd- Angela Diaz - Tanay
3rd - Wendelyn Salas - Baras
White Belt Girls Division
Small Girls
1st - Lhalin Mendoza - Baras
2nd - Trisha Magno - Tanay
3rd - Alyssa Mae Malaso - Montalban
Medium Girls
1st - Judyann Losabio - Tanay
2nd - Divine Grace Maguieue - Tanay Tae Kwon Do
3rd - Janalyn Ross - Baras
Large Girls
1st - Catherine Solano - Tanay
2nd - Ellen Aboy - IPC3rd - Catherine Ramos - IPC
Special Awards
1st - Diane Conquilla - Baras
2nd - Cajolene Vicente - Marikina
3rd - Candice Ojero - Morong
1st - Mario Losabio - Tanay
2nd - Raymond Zabala - Valenzuela, Bulacan
3rd - Eddie Gabiana - Baras
Small Men’s Division (White Belt)
1st - Jake Osinar - Tanay
2nd - Joaquin Tan - Morong
3rd - Joel Pranada - Tanay Tae Kwon Do
Large Boys’ Division
1st - Melvin LOsabio - Tanay
2nd - John Harvey Vidal - El Tong Mo Do Grappler - Sampaloc, Tanay
3rd - Joey Bendana - Tanay
Medium Boys’ Division
1st - Robert Villamayor - Bulacan
2nd - Marlon Diaz - Tanay
3rd - Nino Esguerra - Tanay
20
21
World Sikaran Tournaments
2nd World Sikaran Tournament, Held in Manila, Philippines in March 1994
By: Ruben Santos
On May 10, 2014, the Regional Chapter of Canada, led by its Regional Chapter Director Mantas Dante
Alambra, will host what is billed as the the 4th World Sikaran Tournament. Venue will be in the City of Winnipeg, Province of Manitoba. Tournament Director is Dante’s son Dastin Alambra.
This is the third time that Mantas Dante Alambra, hosted this event. In 1986, the First World Sikaran
Tournament was held also in Winnipeg. It was also the venue of the Third World Sikaran Tournament. The
Second World Tournament was held in Manila, under the sponsorship of the City of Manila.
It is very unfortunate that most of the record and the pictures of the past prestigious albeit mislabeled World Sikaran Tournaments were lost forever when they got drenched by several past typhoons that
destroyed the Headquarters of the World Sikaran Brotherhood of the Philippines. Thanks to the hard work of
Philippine Correspondent Erlina Bartolata, she was able to reconstruct some information of the events.
It is with a sad heart that we are offering here bits and pieces of these events, and we are begging the
pardon of all those concerned for our inability to present a decent record of these noteworthy occasions.
1st World Sikaran Tournament at Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (1986)
Participants: Philippines, Canada, USA, and Australia
Token Delegates: France, Germany, Malaysia, England, Saudi Arabia, China
List of Winners Men’s Division:
Heavyweight Champion: Candido Pecate
2nd: Fredie Cahatol
3rd: Bert Nagutom
Middleweight:
Champion: Carlo Alambra
2nd: Arthur Teodisio 3rd: Osias Banaag
Lightweight:
Champion: Albert La Madrid
2nd: Ferdinand Peralta
3rd: Michael Arado
Form Competition:
Participants: Philippines, Canada, USA, and Australia
Token Delegates: France, Germany, Malaysia, England, Saudi Arabia, China
Heavyweight
Champion
2nd
3rd
Light Heavyweight
Champion Henry Bio
2nd Rommel Guiveses
3rd
Middleweight
Champion Lito Jacla
2nd Stephen Prince
3rd
Lightweight
Champion Paul Villamor
2nd Raymond Villafranca
3rd James Clarkson
Women’s Division
Lightweight
Champion Myla Buenvatura
2nd Emily Samillano
3rd Mercy Casadillo
3rd World Sikaran Arnis Championship at Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada on June 1, 1996
No record found or reconstructed
Champion : Bebot Cruto
2nd: Freddie Cahatol
3rd: Mario Cruto
Team Overall Standing
Sparring: 1st : Canada
2nd : Philippines
Form Competition:
Champion: Canada
Runner Up: Philippines
22
Sikaran International Invitational Tournament
In March 1998, another international event was held in Manila, Philippines. It was billed as the International Invitational Sikaran Championships.
There were 2 teams that participated. Team
Philippines and Team North America. The only
record that survived is the record that somehow
got stuck in the memories of Andy Sanano, and his
student Rick Scripter, which they posted in facebook, and which we are reprinting here.
“Looking back to 1998, we can see a remarkable event in the Filipino Martial Arts. Guro
Andy Sanano, of the Sanano Sikaran Club of Rapid
City, South Dakota and Guro Dante Alambra, of
Sikaran-Arnis of Winnipeg, Manitoba, formed an
international Sikaran team. The Team prepared to
go to the Philippines for the International Sikaran
Tournament of 1998. Once in the Philippines and
prior to the event the Team spent some time training in Baras, Batangas and Manila. I am not sure but
I think the Team also spent some time in Tagaytay.
Below is a listing of the results of the participation by the North American Sikaran Team:
1998 International Invitational Sikaran Tournament
23
When: March 1998 (around the time of Supremo’s birthday)
Where: Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Manila, Philippines
Who Participated: Our group represented team North America
Head Coach, Team North America Organizer: Dante Solomon Alambra
Assistant Coach: Andy Sanano
Team Players: Dastin Alambra, O’neal Mendoza, Jeffery Flores, Justin Flores, Andrew Eusebio, Jason O’Cilka,
and Rick Scripter.
Pictures From the 1998 Sikaran International Invitational Tournament
Results:
1. Dastin Alambra (Gold Sr. Black belt Balangkas, Gold Sr. Black belt lightweight Laban, Silver Sr.Blackbelt
Arnis Balangkas)
2. Andy Sanano (Gold 40yrs. and over Black Belt Balangkas)
3. O’neal Mendoza (Bronze - Sr. Black Belt Balangkas, Bronze Sr. Black Belt, Super lightweight Laban)
4. Jeffery Flores (Silver Jr. Black Belt Sayaw, Gold Jr. Black Belt Laban)
5. Justin Flores (Gold Jr. Black Belt Sayaw, Silver Jr. Black Belt Laban)
6. Andrew Eusebio (Bronze Under black Belt 10 and under division Laban)
7. Jason O’Cilka (Silver Sr. Black Belt Light Heavyweight Laban)
8. Rick Scripter (Bronze Sr. Black Belt Heavyweight Laban)
The primary sponsor for Team North America was Greenhills Realty, a company based in Winnipeg,
Manitoba.
The following is a letter of comment regarding the experience of one of the participants in the events
in and surrounding the tournament.
“Dear fellow students,
Over the last two weeks I have had the honor of accompanying Guro Sanano, Seniors O’Cilka and
many members of the Canadian Sikaran Team. It was an experience that I will never forget. We could write a
long story about our experiences. I will try to hit the highlights.
The people of the Philippines are basically very poor. However, they are friendly, accommodating,
and happy. They show much respect for other people. The Philippine fighters were very good, but when the
bouts were over, they were polite and friendly. They came to us and asked if they could please take a picture
with us. They are very upbeat and positive. A good example is that they do not call themselves fighters,
they call themselves “players.”
Elders are always held in the highest regard. As a post-script to a statement, a much younger person
would add “po,” meaning, “with much respect.” Example: “salamat-po” or “thank you, with much respect.”
Also, elders and youngsters alike, when they had to walk between other people, would lower their arms with
straightened fingers and a slightly hunched back and slightly lowered head, as a show of respect.
Both the Canadian and the Philippine players who placed in the tournament demonstrated to me
a tremendous amount of humility. Let us remember that humility is simply a lack of arrogance and is not
synonymous with “wimpy-ness.” On the contrary, a person with true humbleness, knows his rightful place in
the world and amongst its’ people and is unfettered by the need to “prove” him or herself.
More pictures of unidentified participants...
Thanks again to the club members who kept us up and running while we were gone.
Sincerely,
Rick Scripter
P.S. It is clear that looking back at the tournament is a view of a significant event in the development and
recent history of Sikaran and the Filipino Martial Arts.”
24
25
- Prior to registration into the 4th World Sikaran Tournament please contact your country’s Team Organizer
to ensure you are eligible to participate in this event
Country World Team Organizers
Philippines
United States
Australia
Saudi Arabia Canada
Jimmy Geronimo/ Meliton Geronimo Jr.
Henry Bio
Jose Mari Diestro
Ian Orlain Solano
Dante Solomon Alambra
Scheduled Events for the 4th World Sikaran Tournament/1st World Traditional Martial Arts Tournament
Andy Sanano enroute to his winning a gold medal....
Tuesday, May 6 - Delegates begin departing from their respective countries
Wednesday, May 7 - Delegates begin arriving to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Thursday, May 8 - Delegates continue to arrive from their respective countries
Day – Rest day & guided tours of Winnipeg
1800 – Senior Instructor Meeting & Dinner
Friday, May 9 - Day - Guided tours of Winnipeg
1830 – Welcome dinner for all delegates (participants own expense)
Saturday, May 10 - *Note with your registration you are automatically entered into all eligible divisions in
both the 4th World Sikaran Tournament and World Traditional Martial Arts Open
0900 – 4th World Sikaran Tournament opening ceremonies
0930 – 4Th World Sikaran Tournament divisions begin
4th World Sikaran Arnis Championships at Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - May 10, 2014
Tournament Information
- Tournament Date: Saturday, May 10, 2014
- Tournament Location: Canad Inns Destination Centre, 1415 Regent Ave. W, Winnipeg,MB, CAN R2C 3B2
- Tournament Host: Punong Guro Dante S. Alambra - WSBP Canada Director
- Tournament Director: Punong Guro Dastin Alambra, dastin@sikaranarnis.net
- Tournament Registration fee: $150 CAN (includes: unlimited events, ticket for celebration dinner post
tournament)
* Note with your registration you are automatically entered into all eligible divisions in both the 4th World
Sikaran Tournament and World Traditional Martial Arts Open
- Payable in cash or money order
- Make money order payable to:Sikaran Arnis School Of Martial Arts Canada
- Note if mailing in registration pay by money order
- Registration will be processed once funds have cleared
- Tournament Registration and fees due: Monday, March 31, 2014
- Spectator Fees (For non-competitors in tournament): $10.00 – 6 years and older
Children 5 years and under are free
- Celebration Dinner tickets (non-competitors):
$50.00 (12 and over)
$35.00 (11 and under)
- Official Tournament Hotel:Canad Inns Destination Centre
1415 Regent Ave. W, Winnipeg, MB, CAN R2C 3B2
ph: (204) 667-5560 fx: (204) 667-5913
tf: 1-888 33-CANAD (22623)
26
1. Traditional Sayaw Divisions
2. Tradition Weapons Divisions
3. Continuous Sikaran Laban Divisions
4. World vs. World Sayaw & Laban Competition
World Traditional Martial Arts Open Begins
5. Arnis Point Sparring
6. Patalim Point Sparring
7. Traditional Forms Divisions
8. Traditional Weapons Divisions
9. Point Sparring Divisions
1800 – Grand Finally Show, Celebration and Recognitions Dinner (participants own expense)
Sunday, May 11
1100 – Seminars from each Grand Master on a chosen topic
1500 – Refreshments and Snacks post seminar
Monday, May 12 - Delegates begin departing from Winnipeg to return back to their respective countries
Celebration Dinner
5:00pm Evening Show
- Gold Medal Sparring Matches
- Gold Medal Sayaw Showcase
6:00pm Cocktails begin
6:30pm Opening Prayer
7:00pm Dinner Served
7:30pm Speech by Tournament Host
7: 45pm Speech by Grand Master of World Sikaran Organization/Brotherhood or Designate
27
8:00pm Awarding of the Top Athlete for each country: Philippines, United States, Australia, Saudi Arabia and
Canada
8:15pm World Sikaran Organization of Canada recognizes community members that have supported the
continued growth of WSO/WSB of Canada
8:30pm World Sikaran Organization of Canada recognizes Col. (ret) Meliton C. Geronimo, Master Jimmy
Geronimo, and Master Meliton Geronimo Jr. by presentation of Lifetime Achievement Award
9:00pm Dance floor is open
Philippine Delegation to the 4th World Sikaran Tournament of 2014
On January 15, 2013, a meeting was held at the headquarters of the World Sikaran Brotherhood of
the Philippines regarding the Philippine Delegation to the 4th World Sikaran Tournament in Canada. Result
of the meeting are as follows:
February 1: Mass Training of All Players To Canada
February 23: Meeting Of All Delegates To Canada/Finalization of Requirements, Schedule for an Interview
with the Canadian Embassy!
March 9: Fund-Raising Tournament at Baras, Rizal
April 27: Fund-Raising Tournament at Marikina, Rizal
As of the adjournment of the meeting, nothing has changed in the list of the members of the delegation. However, no one will be surprised if the the final list will be different, which will be personally favorable
to some people rather than the association and the country.
Special Arnis Section
Reprinted with permission from seletariasikaran-arnis.com
Arnis: Classical vs. Modern
By Carlomagno Seletaria
Lakan Tatlo (Third Degree Arnis Black Belt)
Modern Arnis of the Philippines
Second Degree Sikaran Black Belt
World Sikaran Brotherhood of the Philippines
Should a Martial Artist Cling to the Classical Methods or Catch Up with the Times and Modernize?
I hope that my fellow
students in martial arts (we are all
and will always be students) read
through this article with an open
mind and leave their slippers of
judgment and conclusions at the
door before they enter. A mind
The above list of delegates of the Philippine Team was published and circulated in November 2013. However, there are rumors that this list has been changed several times. There were postings in facebook that says
if any of the delegates fail to attend a meeting their name will be dropped from the list.
28
without judgment and prejudice
is closer to realizing the truth
than that of a mind constrained
with the burden of bias.
The Classical Era
The massive wave of
Filipino martial art systems that
came into the scene and out of
the woodwork in the last three
decades is phenomenal. A whole
slew of Grandmasters and styles
were developed when before
were unheard of.
However, what is not widespread
knowledge in the history and
development of these systems
is that in the pre-Remy Amador
Presas and the Modern Arnis
phenomenon era (prior to circa
1960s), there was no organized
and systematic approach in
teaching Arnis, Kali, and Eskrima.
Before the Modern Arnis of Remy
A. Presas, the Arnis masters (or
maestros as they were called)
imparted their students, who
were outside of their family line,
with limited knowledge due to
issues of loyalty and secrecy. Arnis
was taught in a pedigree, and
knowledge in the arts of the blade
and the stick were held in great
secrecy by its practitioners, while
the influence and pressures of the
dominating western cultures of
the Spaniards and the Americans
entombed any chance of the reemergence of the art as a national
symbol of the Filipino’s cultural
strength. Thus Arnis was doomed
to die a silent death.
A very important aspect
of their training was that most
modern concepts of the art seen
today were absent, especially
the most civil way to teach Arnis
where the student will not be hurt
badly or in a way that minimized
injuries. Secrecy and pain were
synonymous with the name Arnis
to non-practitioners.
29
The Maestros clung to
their traditions. One such was
that they believed the cane was
sacred, because it held the power
of life and death, and the soul of
the art, and with it the soul of the
ancestors who wielded it. Thus
blocking was directed to the hand
and the forearm and not at the
cane itself. This mentality in teaching proved to weed out students
who were not actually serious in
learning and at the same time
discouraged large numbers of
students who got hurt and subsequently lost interest in learning
the art. This in turn slowly led
Arnis to the brink of extinction.
The Maestros did not have
a progressive system of teaching
both on the striking and blocking
techniques. It was largely a notion
of teaching technique after technique in a disorganized fashion.
The sticks were swung in a very
ferocious and uncontrolled fashion, simply disregarding that in order to learn and minimize injuries
there has to be control in practice.
The students were given tools, yet
no instructions for its complete
comprehension. The students did
not learn the techniques in a sensible order and with it no progression on the different applications
of the methods, as most Maestros
focused largely on one style (i.e.
Abanico style for one or Contrada
for another) and neglected to
expand the fundamentals into
a more comprehensive system.
This unorganized and deficient
approach of the art in its “rawest”
form, though not entirely negative in itself, did not help in the
propagation of Arnis. For if one
can only grasp a single aspect of
the art, how can he/she continue
to teach it well and proceed with
his/her own path? This is akin to
30
a painter who has but one color
to use when he wants to paint an
entire rainbow. His picture would
be incomplete.
These men were not
fools however. They knew how
to fight. They knew the method
of combat. They knew how to
apply the art, yet like any other
doctrine or school of thought, it
started with an idea, some sort
of truth. A wise man realized and
experienced the truth, yet he
did not set it down and write in
stone. He instead, preferred to
keep it raw in his mind and the
minds of others. As time passed,
the wise man passed away as
well, and his disciples took what
has been shared, what was given,
and what was raw and vibrant,
and turned it into doctrine and
crystallized it as what was, what
is, and what always will be. What
was once alive and real has been
dried of its life force, ceremonies
were fabricated, the truth set to
adhere to critical standards and
the approach formalized, and the
wisdom became a tradition.
Modernization
Then came Remy Amador Presas and his revolutionary
style of teaching in the form of
Modern Arnis. In the late ‘60s the
art started gaining ground in
the city of Bacolod. By the ‘70s it
had reached Manila and became
nationally renowned. Through his
efforts and countless exhibitions
later, Modern Arnis had caught
the eye of Col. Arsenio de Borja,
director of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (PAAF),
and encouraged and supported
Arnis to be taught as a regular
subject in Physical Education
throughout various colleges in
the Philippines. This in turn led
Remy A. Presas on a crusade to
re-introduce the art of Arnis to
the general public and Modern
Arnis as the first Filipino martial
art to be taught in high schools,
colleges, and universities in the
Philippines.
Remy A. Presas’ wife, Rosemary Pascual Presas, renowned
for the title “Mother of Modern
Arnis”, aided him in his dream of
reintroducing the art of Arnis,
donating her years of experience
as a college teacher in devising a
modern approach and developing a progressive curriculum from
which Arnis can be comprehensive in a way that was void of all
the classical burden that nearly
extinguished it from the Philippine culture. Many of the antiquated techniques in Arnis have
been modified in order to be easy
to learn and to avoid injuries to
students, and its presentation to
help students grasp the intricate
styles and techniques without
sacrificing the soul of the art. As
a fruit of their labor the first book
of the art entitled, Modern Arnis:
Stick Fighting was published in
1974 and remains as a template
of the teaching curriculum taught
today by its practitioners.
Controversial as it may
sound, Remy A. Presas was the
first to devise a 12 striking structure of the angles of attack. The
previous methods did not have
such an order, which explains
why it was more challenging to
learn. The students were taught
how to control the strikes in
practice, and when to let loose
in combat. This type of practice
ensured not only safety of the
students, but a simple step-bystep pattern in muscle memory.
After Remy A. Presas 12 angles
of attack and the success of the
methodology of teaching that
Modern Arnis was gaining, other
Eskrimadors found it necessary to
pattern their striking order from
that of Modern Arnis, this in turn
helped in the propagation of the
Filipino martial arts in general.
An Arnisador’s Values
Seeing the fears of the old
masters in the misuse and disloyalty of students in the art, Remy
A. Presas devised and emphasized morals values in Arnis in the
form of the Six Cardinal Principles.
These principles emphasized that
an Arnis player must be of good
character, sincere to himself, his
partners and his teachers on his
intentions in learning and practicing, a person of discipline, a
person of self-control, a person
who treats others with the same
etiquette they would wish upon
them, and most importantly, a
person who values his or her loyalty to the teacher that he or she
owed so much of his knowledge.
The opposite of these values or
the misuse of the art is a spit and
slap to the face of those who
came before them.
Extension of the Hand
In the revolution that
Modern Arnis stirred in the
Filipino martial arts, the classical
way of teaching was the first to
go, as Remy A. Presas emphasized that Arnis can be practiced
just as safely as any other sport.
Instead of hitting the hand and
forearm in practice, the stick
would hit the stick, or in cases of
stick versus empty hand, it would
be with controlled force. The stick
of course, is just an extension of
the hand, and whatever weapon
an Arnisador can wield may be
effective and lethal when one
understands the concept of Extension of the Hand. This is very
important in learning the essentials of Arnis, and this methodology of teaching attracted new
and large amount of enthusiastic
students. Arnis was no longer
seen just as a violent man’s game
as it had been perceived, but
that it can transcend itself as an
aesthetic and cinematic art, as a
sportsman’s passion, as an effective self-defense technique, and
of course, as a lethal form of selfdefense.
public’s eye, and in turn helped
the Filipino realize the beauty of
the art, and saved it the from the
state of cultural oblivion. Techniques that were forbidden to be
taught were exposed in the art,
such as the empty hand disarming against stick, of which the
Maestros deferred from teaching, because the very notion of
teaching someone how to take
away the stick of an Arnis player
was absolutely abhorred, thinking that the emphasis was that
the stick should be the one that
would end up to be much more
superior and in turn come out
as winner. However, that had to
be changed. Such mentality was
neither practical nor beneficial
for the propagation of Arnis. And
so Modern Arnis broke ground
by defying classical methods of
teaching, and coping with the
necessities of the times. Growth
has been emphasized, the force
that drove the will of the art must
be fluid and never crystallized, for
there was no growth in stillness or
preserving tradition, as this very
notion defied the essential ele-
The Essential Concept
Webster’s New Universal
Unabridged Dictionary defines
Modern as, characteristic of present and recent time, contemporary; not antiquated or obsolete.
Modern Arnis was founded on
a basic concept that one must
adapt, evolve, and grow in accordance with what is necessary in
the moment, so that one can survive. Almost Darwinist in a sense,
but not necessary as brutal. Remy
A. Presas modernized classical
Arnis so that it would catch the
31
ment from which Modern Arnis
was concocted from.
A Criticism of Today’s
Modern Arnis
Since the death of my
grandfather, Remy A. Presas, in
August of 2001 in an uncomfortable care home in Victoria, Canada, various factions have continued to expand his legacy and the
legacy of Modern Arnis. Whether
it be my family’s MARPPIO, Kelly
Worden’s NSI, Tim Hartman’s
WMAA, Rodel Dagooc’s AAII, Jerry
de la Cruz’s ACP, Vic Sanchez,
and too many others to mention
worldwide (of which most are
legitimate and some are hacks),
their efforts ensure that the teachings of Remy A. Presas will not be
forgotten.
But then again history can
inadvertently repeat itself. With
no clear and present leadership
in the art today, people cling to
what have been taught to them,
and even worse, claim that it is
better than the other, or its predecessor. Arnis is Arnis. For one to
think that: This is the way it was
taught to me, and to keep the art
alive and the Professor alive in
me, this is the way I shall keep it,
is thinking backwards. One must
grow with the art and the art
must continue to flow.
On another note, don’t
limit yourself to one aspect of
the art, just because it is contemporary, or it’s what the professor
emphasized,” whether it is the
Sinawali techniques or the TapiTapi method. Take for example, a
student who practices his tapitapi drills so rigorously, that he
focuses on it day and night. So
much so that he envelops himself
into believing that Tapi-Tapi is
a martial art of its own, and not
part of the broad spectrum of
techniques that Modern Arnis has
to offer. After all, how often do
you have an aggressive encoun-
ter with someone on the streets
with good knowledge of Tapi-Tapi? Oh, and the fact that you and
him are both armed with a rattan
stick! And the fact that you both
engage in attack in such manner?
In this case, the word lethal takes
an entirely different definition.
Liberate yourself from the
negative mentality that the old
maestros have had and value their
strategy in combat. What it really
comes down into is that Arnis is
Arnis, and it should not get any
more confusing than that. Do not
crystallize it; share it, and share it
and continue to share it. The old
maestros have died with their
own techniques unknown and
unshared because of their paranoia in loyalty and secrecy.
Modern Arnis is not just a martial art, it is a way of discipline
and morality, and to learn it is to
express one’s fluid knowledge in
an uninhibited and unrestrained
manner.
Evolution of Sikaran Uniform
Discovery of the Philippines to mid
1950’s white camisa tsino and red pants
Mid 1950’s to 1972 all white with corresponding belt
1972 to the present white upper and
red pants with corresponding belt
Sikaran Uniform
By: Emmanuel es Querubin
Aspiring actor / director / producer Carlomagno Seletaria
“flies” over the hills of Hollywood, California
32
The wearing of uniform
started to identify social status.
The uniform separates and characterizes class, kinds, or categories. Among all uniforms, the
military uniform stands out as the
most distinguishable. The wearing of military uniform started in
ancient times to identify a skilled
warrior from the working class
and the rest of the populace. The
military uniform is a standardized
and distinctive clothing (or lack
of it like the gladiators) intended
for identification or display, and to
intimidate the enemy. The uni-
form identified the friend from
the enemy. It also identified the
rank within a unit and the uniform distinguishes the wearer as
an element of a larger entity. The
military uniform imbues the soldier military discipline and bearing. In societies like the present,
where the military plays a major
role in the governance of a country, the uniform serves to impress
the population and the soldiers
alike. Military uniform establishes
a rigid direction from a central
authority. Military uniforms have
changed a great deal, from the
Military Officer Uniform
simple one color uniform such as
khaki or olive drab or fatigue, or
grey to various shades of “digital”
prints to afford more camouflage
and less chance of detection.
Meliton C. Geronimo, being a military man and aware of
the advantages of a uniform decided that Sikaran must also have
its own distinctive uniform.
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Military Officer in Camouflage
Police Officer in SWAT Uniform
Deputy Sheriff Uniform
All white uniform of Sikaran (Philippine
Karate, in the 1950’s, 1960’s, until 1972)
Search and Rescue Officer in Uniform
Left: “Uniform” of the farmer, red pants and bare-chested. Ramon Valdenor executing Sikaran’s Hampas sa Lupa. Being bare-chested presented a problem for female
Sikaranistas
In the early stages of
Sikaran, there was no such thing
as a uniform. The farmers engage
in Sikaran wearing their work
clothes or even their everyday
clothes, which most of the time
is a white camisa tsino (Chinese
shirt) and red work pants. Normally, while working in the field,
the farmer is bare-chested with
red pants rolled up to the knees.
After work, for casual wear they
roll down the pants and wear a
34
white camisa tsino. The white
camisa tsino and the red pants is
attire not of choice but of consequence. This camisa tsino only
comes in white and the work
pants only come in red. Since
they are the most common and
easy to come by, they were the
most economical piece of normal
clothing.
The Katipuneros (revolutionaries against the Spaniards)
wear the red pants of the farmer,
because they are mostly farmers.
Red has different meanings in different cultures. It may
mean prosperity, joy, and passionate love. Being the color of
blood, red also symbolizes vitality, energy, life, boldness, and
adventure. In mythology red is
the color of Mars, the god of war.
In the Greek culture, Red denotes
magical power and super human
heroism.
The red pants became synonymous with Sikaran, because
Sikaran is a physical art of the
farmers. The farmers engage in
Sikaran, bare-chested and barefooted. It was the “uniform” in the
early stage of Sikaran. It was not a
“prescribed uniform” in Sikaran, it
just so happened that this is what
they wear while working in the
fields.
In the 1950’s the most
popular martial arts were Japanese Judo and Karate. Uniform of
both arts was white upper shirt
and white lower pants, with a belt
the color of which designates the
grade or the rank. Meliton Geronimo aligned Sikaran with Karate,
since both arts are similar in the
sense that they are both empty
hand-fighting arts. For expediency and to conform to the rules
of the Asian Karate Association,
Meliton Geronimo adopted the all
white uniform and even named
his association Karate (Sikaran)
Brotherhood of the Philippines.
Henceforth, Sikaran was referred
to as Philippine Karate.
In 1970, the Asian Karate
Association was dissolved and
replaced by the World Union of
Karate-do Organizations (WUKO).
Like the Asian Karate Association,
WUKO mandated the all white
Karate uniform on all its members.
In 1972, Meliton Geronimo, after a long and life-changing
discussion with the surviving
Sikaran elders, it was decided that
it was high time that Sikaran be
propagated and promoted for
what it is, an independent fighting art of Filipino origin and not a
style of Karate. Meliton Geronimo
dropped all references to Sikaran
as Filipino Karate and changed
the Karate (Sikaran) Brotherhood
of the Philippines to simply Sikaran Brotherhood of the Philippines, and later the World Sikaran
Brotherhood of the Philippines.
Meliton Geronimo also
decided that Sikaran must have
its own distinctive uniform. In addition, the Sikaran elders whose
experience and knowledge
acquired through the ages came
to the rescue. They suggested
that Sikaran’s uniform must be
patterned after the same attire
used in Sikaran in the past. The
red pants of the farmer, with the
white camisa tsino for casual
wear. The decision was not very
difficult. Red pants and white
shirt are the right colors. Red, the
color of blood, denotes boldness, courage, and perseverance.
It means the mental and moral
strength to resist opposition. Red
implies firmness of mind and will
to face extreme hardship, danger,
and difficulty. Red suggests an
ingrained capacity in meeting
the opponent with fortitude and
resiliency. Red evokes the mentality or temperament to hold up
one’s morale when threatened or
opposed.
White, like Red, is an
inherently positive color. White
is always associated with purity,
understanding, spirituality, and
perfection.
The color white, being
the opposite of black, depicts the
good guy as the one in white and
the bad guy in black. In religious
figures, angels are typically depicted as wearing white or having
a white glow.
White is a bright and brilliant color that can illuminate the
darkness.
The color white influences
mental clarity, promotes purifica-
tion of thoughts and actions, and
removes prejudice and pre-conceived notions.
With the color decided,
it was time to finally decide the
design. There were suggestions
to have white pants and red shirt.
There were suggestions to just
adopt the red pants without shirt
in order to immortalize the farmers of yesteryears who developed
Sikaran. Majority of the “sexist”
Sikaranistas favored this selection.
However, it presented a major
problem. In the 16th century and
beyond, Sikaran was an activity
that was limited to the farmers
and “male chauvinists.” In modern
society, Sikaran is no longer “a
male only” organized extracurricular recreation. By having
different uniforms for males and
females will only promote segregation, isolation, and discriminatory barriers.
Since the signature
weapon of Sikaran is the biyakid
(spinning heel kick) it was only
natural the red pants, the color of
blood, be used to inflict “blood”
on the opponent. Red pants were
thereafter decided to be the
lower garment. Both male and
female may wear red pants representing a decent and identical
uniform. The white upper camisa
tsino was modified to be sturdier,
more durable and impressionable
uniform. Instead of the flimsy
material of the white camisa tsino,
it was replaced by heavier cotton
material that will be more discreet
for female use. On March 10, 1972,
Grandmaster Meliton Geronimo
unveiled the official Sikaran uniform, red cotton pants and white
cotton shirt. He further ordered
that in every official Sikaran event,
only the official white and red
Sikaran uniform must be worn.
35
Warriors Never Die - They Just Fade Away
By: Emmanuel es Querubin
Official Sikaran uniform, white upper shirt and red lower
pants. Appropriate for both male and female Sikaranista,
children, and adult alike
36
(Left) September 1994, Soke Ed Brown breaks two bricks with a knife-hand strike.
(Middle) August 1995 breaking 15 bricks with ox-jaw strike. (Right) March 2013, performing Sinawali
“Old soldiers never die,
they just fade away” is a phrase
taken from a US Army ballad. It
earned fame when General Douglas MacArthur used the phrase to
end his military career.
Ed Brown is no General
Douglas MacArthur, however,
he is also a warrior through and
through in every sense of the
word. At a very young age, he enlisted in the United States Marine
Corps in 1952, the same year he
started his martial arts training
under a Police Officer from his
hometown of Milford, Connecticut named Jake Echonrode. He
was introduced to the Isshin-ryu
style of Okinawan Karate, which
gave him a solid foundation in the
martial arts.
In 1961, after his promotion to Black Belt in Isshin-ryu
Karate he became hand-to-hand
combat instructor in the US Marine Corps at Camp Lejuene.
While in the Marines, Ed
was stationed in Okinawa where
he furthered his study of Isshin-
ryu Karate under Master Tatsuo
Shimabuku. In 1963 he was
released from the US Marines.
After his release from the
Marines, Ed worked as a Gas Turbine Technician at the same time
teaching Isshin-ryu Karate to various law enforcement agencies
and personnel. He also joined the
tournament circuit winning several medals and trophies. There
were times when he hits the
competition scene all week long
In 1966 he married Fran
Delio and they established their
first Isshin-ryu Karate Dojo in New
Canaan, Connecticut. The school
was successful with Ed as the
instructor and Fran the Business
Manager. The name of Ed Brown
became synonymous with martial
arts that he was sought after to
give demonstrations, seminars,
and workshops. Their small dojo
cannot accommodate the number of prospective students. His
full-time job also did not give him
enough time to teach. In 1980,
he quit his job and opened up his
second dojo in Norwalk, Connecticut. Enrollment in both the dojos
exceeded 250 students.
In 1986, The Isshin-ryu
World Karate Association (IWKA)
invited Ed Brown to give a demonstration in Gushikawa, Okinawa
during an IWKA Tournament. Ed
Brown, his wife and their daughter took an extended vacation in
Okinawa to demonstrate his various feats of strength like breaking 15 bricks, ripping cards and
phone books, and others. He also
37
Filipino, Japanese and Chinese
arts he learned, Professor Ed
Brown and his wife Fran established the Chairo-Kan Bushi
Shindo (Brown Style Warrior
Heart Way) earning him and
his wife the title Soke and
Soke-Dai (Founder). They also
published a martial arts book
entitled Masters, Pioneers, and
Legends. The book included
Filipino Grandmaster Meliton
With Kichiro Shimabuku, of Isshin-ryu
Geronimo of Sikaran, and
World Karate Association (IWKA)
Grandmaster Florendo Visitatook the time to learn the similari- cion of Vee Arnis-Jitsu. Likewise,
ties and differences of the various they sponsored two prestigious
schools of Karate through the
annual Karate tournaments,
introduction of Katsushi (Katsuya) The Northeastern Open Karate
Miyahira, Chairman of the Karate
Tournament in April of each year,
Federation of Okinawa.
and the U.S. Invitational Karate
Tournament in October. The
top competitive fighters all
over the country participated
in these tournaments, which
included the competitive
facets of the art like kumite
(free-fighting), kata (formal
exercises), and tameshiwari
(breaking techniques).
In 1992, they constructed
a humble but traditional
Hombu Dojo (General HeadWith Grandmaster Florendo Visitacion
of Vee Arnis-Jitsu
Upon their return to the States Ed
Brown earned his Doctorate and
Professorship in Martial Arts Kinesiology. He decided to expand his
martial arts horizon and sought
instructions in Sikaran and Arnis
de Abaniko, under Grandmaster Meliton Geronimo, and Vee
Artnis Jitsu under Grandmaster
Florendo Visitacion. His interest
in learning Sikaran led him to be
a member of the World Sikaran
Brotherhood of the Philippines,
with registration No. 843.
Incorporating all the
38
Soke Ed Brown trained in Sikaran and
Arnis de Abaniko under Grandmaster
Meliton Geronimo
quarters) complete with oriental
garden, a teahouse, temple, and
outside training ground with
makiwara (punching board).
Martial arts grandmasters who
influenced his Chairo-kan Bushi
Shindo, such as Grandmaster
Meliton Geronimo, Grandmaster
Florendo Visitacion and Grandmasters Kichiro Shimabuku and
Angi Uezu have been entertained
in the Hombu Dojo at various
times.
In 1997, after being nominated and inducted in over 30
martial arts hall of fame, Soke Ed
Brown and Soke-dai Fran Brown
established the Martial Arts Masters, Pioneers, and Legends Hall
of Fame. From 1997 to 2001, over
340 martial arts masters were inducted into this undertaking from
around the globe. This prestigious
event brought together many
great grandmasters, masters,
and teachers together and was
inducted to their most deserved
place of honor.
In 2007, Fran Brown
unexpectedly passed away. Soke
Ed Brown was devastated by the
passing away of his bride, and
business partner of 41 years.
Soke Ed Brown dedicated
his time and energy in teaching,
in improving the Hombu Dojo,
and visiting the other martial arts
masters that he befriended along
the way, like Grandmaster Meliton
Geronimo.
In 2008, Soke Ed Brown
took a trip to the Philippines to
attend the birthday celebration of
Grandmaster Meliton Geronimo.
While in the Philippines he met
a member of the World Sikaran
Brotherhood of the Philippines
named Lilia Aboganda. They got
acquainted, fell in love, and tied
the knot of matrimony on March
14, 2009. Soke Ed Brown adopted
Lilia’s three sons from a previous
marriage, Michael, Marc Lester,
and Miguel Julius.
The newlyweds shuttled
back and forth from Limay,
Bataan, hometown of Lilia, and
Grandmaster Meliton Geronimo, and
Soke Ed Brown with Raquel Geronimo (left)
and Lilia Brown (right)
before Christmas, Soke
Ed Brown succumbed to
cancer but not before he
met several officers and
members of the World
In March 2009, Lilia Aboganda and Soke Ed Sikaran Brotherhood
of the Philippines who
Brown tied the knot of matrimony
spent Christmas eve with
Connecticut while construction
him at the hospital. Finally
of their new home in San Jose del
the martial arts warrior lost
Monte, Bulacan was going on. In
the bout of his life without Soke Ed Brown with World Sikaran Brotherhood
December 2012, they spent their
a medal but a headstone
of the Philippines Executive Vice-President
Christmas in their new home.
that marks his grave. His
Jaime Geronimo
Soke Ed Brown left the managepassing away is a great loss
ment of his Hombu Dojo and
to the martial arts. Rest in Peace,
the Chairo-Kan Bushi Shindo to
my friend.
Tommy Vitte, his most senior Student.
Ed and Lilia stayed in the
Philippines until after the 86th
birthday celebration of Grandmaster Meliton Geronimo and the
Sikaran Festival where Soke Ed
Brown demonstrated his expertise
in Japanese Kobudo (weapons).
On June 29-30, Ed and
Lilia drove from Connecticut to
New Jersey to attend the Second
Annual Sikaran Gathering in the
United States.
A couple of months later
they went back to the Philippines,
hoping to again spend Christmas
Special Guest of Honor Soke Ed brown, during the 2013 Sikaran Festival. With him
in their new home. However, it
are Elpidio Seletaria, Jr. WSBP International Coordinator, and Ernesto Millanes,
was not meant to be. The day
NCR Regional Director
39
From Around the Brotherhood
Sanano Bothoan (School) of Sikaran, Rapid City, South Dakota
From The Desk of the Editor-At-Large
Meliton S. Geronimo, Jr.
9th Degree Red and White Belt
WSBP International Vice-President
He is the son of Grandmaster Meliton C. Geronimo and the third generation heir to the
Geronimo Sikaran lineage. He came from the line of Sikaran haris. His Grandfather,
Cipriano Geronimo was the last Hari of Baras, Rizal. His Great-grandfather Bonifacio
Geronimo, was the last Hari ng mga Hari. Grandmaster Meliton Geronimo has issued
a Legal Declaration, naming his son Administrative Head of the World Sikaran
Brotherhood of the Philippines, when he steps down as President.
“Pinakikita mo namin na buo pa ang Gumaca Chapter sa pamumuno ni Mantas Ven Segui.”...
August Villaver
40
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SIKARAN GOLDEN JUBILEE
On November 6. 2016, The World Sikaran Brotherhood of the Philippines will celebrate its golden anniversary. It was on November 6, 1966 when the Asian Karate Association, composed of Japan,
Korea, China and the Phillipines recognized Sikaran as a distinct unarmed fighting art of Filipino origin
and named Meliton Geronimo Grandmaster with the rank of 10th Degree Red Belt.
This jubilee will be marked by festivities worthy of this grand event. The First Sikaran Hall of
Fame will be held in conjunction with the Golden Anniversary.
In 1966, the original plan was to invite the Grandmasters who were invovled in the recognition
of Sikaran as a distinct fighting art from the Philippines on its 50th Anniversary. But this will not be so.
Grandmasters from Japan, Kyojiro Furusawa and Koichi Kondo have passed away. Grandmasters Dr.
Kwai Byeung Yun of Ji Do Kwan Kong Soo Doo, and Hwang Kee of Moo Doo Kwan Tang Soo Doo of
Korea have likewise passed away. With the dissolution of the Asian Karate Association in 1970, we have
lost contact with Chinese Grandmaster Chua Tiong Ki, but there were uncomfirmed reports that he to
passed away..
Only Grandmaster Meliton Geronimo is still alive, albeit at 86th years old, he is suffering from
the ill effects of several bouts with stroke.
From the early beginnings of Sikaran in the Philippines, it has now spread its wings in the four
corners of the world.
The golden jubilee is still 3 years away but preparations are now being taken to insure that it
will be the greatest event in Sikaran until Novermber 6, 2066, when Sikaran celebrates its centennial or
diamond anniversary.
Special Announcements
RELEASED IN 2011….
Sikaran Instructional Video Volume 1
Written, Produced and Directed by: Elpidio Seletaria jr.
7th Degree Black Belt (#1487)
Hercules, California, USA
www.Sikaranarnis.com
Coming Soon…!!!
Sikaran Instructional Video Volume 2
(Advanced Sikaran with Defensive Tactics, etc…)
To Order Contact: ELPIDIO SELETARIA - jseletaria1542@yahoo.com
Feb,23,2014 9:00 Am: World Sikaran Arnis Brotherhood of the Philippines, Ghq. Need Strict Attendance of
Regional Directors, Chief Instructors, Instructors, And Senior Black Belts,
Agenda: Election For 2014 Officer of World Sikaran Brotherhood of the Philippines
Meeting of the Philippine Delegation to 4th World Tournament to Canada, Bring The Following. Passport,
And Supporting Documents
Sa Darating na Tournament Sa Baras Sa March 9 2014 Need Din Po Namin Ang 100% Attendance Ng
Mga Clubs At Black Belts And Members. Magiging Guest Po Natin Si Vice President Jejomar Binay. Kailangan
Po Ang Suporta Nating Lahat. Mabuhay Ang Pandaigdigang Kapatirang Sikaran Ng Pilipinas.
Ipakita Natin Ang Solidong KapatiranG May Pagkakaisa.
Pugay Po Sa Inyo!!!!
Attention all Sikaran members!!! Mayor KC Robles Approved March 3 to 9 as Sikaran Week... Starting March
3 there will be mass training for all Municipal .Employees, School Officials, students, and barangay officials.
Training will include sparring, and all other aspects of Sikaran training. On March 9 there will be a mass parade with street dancers of all Barangay Officials, Municipal employees, and students from all school levels
here in Baras!
42
43
Hot Off The Press
Sikaran Teacher’s Training Academy
Book One
Sikaran Academy Book Two
Coming Soon
44
For the Order Form - Click Here
45
Arnis Books By Louelle Lledo, Jr., 9th Degree Red and White Belt #326
Arnis de Mano Teacher’s Training Handbook Series By Two Sikaran Mantas
To Order Contact: matawgurolou@yahoo.com
Louelle Lledo, Jr. (Reg. 326) And Andy Sanano, Jr. (Reg. 844)
Important Announcement
These Four Manuals Have Been Consolidated into One Book
To Order Contact:
Louelle Lledo, Jr. - matawgurolou@yahoo.com
Andy Sanano, Jr. - matawgurosanano@gmail.com
46
47
SIKARAN
Builds Fitness
Fitness Builds Confidence
Confidence Builds Productivity
Productivity Builds A Better Citizen
A Better Citizen Builds A Better Country
A Better Country Builds A Better and Peaceful World
Sikaran Builds A Fit, Confident, Productive and Better Citizen
Who Builds A Better Country and A More Peaceful World©
SIKARAN WORDS OF WISDOM
“When faced with the inevitable you will fall back to your level of training”