South Korea, Hong Kong confirm entry in World Arnis Championships
January 16, 2004
— with Sona Mae V. Povadora
IN what could be a major boost to the growing popularity of arnis worldwide, South Korea and Hong Kong have confirmed their participation for the first time to the 2004 World Arnis Championships slated from June 23 to 25 at the SM-City Cebu.
“I could hardly believe it because these countries are known for their own forms of martial arts with Korea being the home of taekwondo and Hong Kong for kung fu,” said lawyer Dionisio Ca?ete, president emeritus of the World Eksrima Kali Arnis Federation (WEKAF).
“This just shows that arnis is getting more popular and widely accepted as a unique form of martial worldwide,” added Ca?ete, who is also the executive director of the Sto. Ni?o Village, Banilad-based Doce Pares International.
Ca?ete said he is expecting 500 arnisadors from 20 to 25 countries around the globe to join the WEKAF-sanctioned event.
With the multitude of foreign visitors coming in for the event, Ca?ete is planning to tie up with the Cebu Visitors and Convention Bureau (CVCB), apparently, in response to the unsolicited advice by sportsman Antonio “Bidoy” L. Aldeguer to drum up the event not only as a martial arts competition, but likewise as a tourist attraction.
In yesterday’s SCOOP-Forum at the Baseline Restaurant, Ca?ete brought along with him arnis practitioners in US-based Ramon Rubia, Frans Stroeven of Holland and Horst Eckert of Germany, who are all very appreciative to the ancient Filipino form of martial art.
“I like arnis because it is the most complete form of martial art. Everything is there,” said Stroeven, adding that the unique use of weapons in arnis is the most distinct characteristic that differentiates the RP’s national sport to other forms of martial arts.
Unlike the other martial arts, arnis is comprehensive. It covers all ranges of fighting. It covers weapon fighting such as knife, long blade and stick, bolo/sword. While the open hands fighting includes punch and kick (sumbag patid), locking and immobilization (lubag torse), and throwing and grappling (layog dumog).
With a large number of participants seeing action, WEKAF divided the tournament into the WEKAF World Championship, and the World Invitational Tournament.
The WEKAF World Open Championship will only accept high calibrated arnisadors or those who have earned championship titles in their country.
There are two divisions in the Open championship, Sparring or Full Contact and Forms or Sayaw.
Sparring will be categorized into single and double stick, it is also divided into 14 weight Men’s division, Women’s, Men’s Senior and Men’s Junior. While the Forms will consist of the Traditional or classical and Open event.
Aside from title holder arnisadors, there are also players coming that are not qualified to compete in the Open championships. With this they will have the oppurtunity to participate in the Invitational event which unfolds on the 27th of June. Although the venue will still have to be decided either in Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue or at the Mango Square.
It is ironic that the United States of America has the biggest delegation so far with 120 arnisadors coming in the country for the one week event, while the host and the founding country, Philippines, will only have 60 participants.
“It’s just so sad that we have Filipino scholars training for the art for free but are not taking it seriously. We have this colonial mentality, what we want is taekwondo and karate,” said Canete during an interview.
Joining the wagon are European countries like England, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Norway and France. Also confirming their participation are Canada, Australia, South Africa, Puerto rico, Mexico, New Zeland, India, Korea and Hong Kong.
The coaching staff of Doce Pares has yet to determine the final arnisadors to complete the 60 slots as there are still two qualifying tournaments set on January 25 at the Punta Princesa Sports Complex and on February 22 at the Banilad Sports Complex.
