US eskrimadors to see action
1ST CEBU CITY MAYOR'S CUP ESKRIMA CHAMPIONSHIP
Half a dozen eskrimadors from Los Angeles Doce Pares in the United States will showcase their fighting skills in this indigenous Filipino martial art against Cebu's homegrown talents in the 1st Cebu City Mayor's Cup Open Eskrima Championship this weekend at the mountain wing of SM Seaside City.
They are Manuel Paglinawan, Nutschell Anne Windsor, Brian Lin, Steven Hast, Anthony Castro, and Tim Piering.
Interestingly, the six arnis disciples have just passed with flying colors their promotional examinations administered by the top Grandmasters of Doce Pares led by Supreme Grandmaster Diony Cañete last Thursday afternoon.
Paglinawan has been promoted to third degree black belt together with Piering, and Castro. Also earning their respective ranks were Hubbard Tabay (second degree black belt), Hast, Windsor, Flobert Rosario, Matthew Chan, and Dexter Tidalgo (first degree black belt), Lin and Ann Duong (brown belt), and Blake Marymor (orange belt).
"I embraced eskrima because it's a complete, multisystem martial art. It covers weapons, knives, sticks and empty hands. There's no other martial arts that have that same level," Paglinawan said.
Paglinawan, who won gold medal in forms event during last year's World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (WEKAF) Championships, and his comrades are under the aegis of LA Doce Pares founder and chief instructor Grandmaster Erwin Mosqueda.
One of the first eskrima world champions when he dominated the bantamweight division during the 1st WEKAF Championships in 1989 at the University of the Visayas (UV) gym, Mosqueda takes pride for establishing the LA Doce Pares in 2002. From only three students, its membership has grown to 60plus with satellite schools in LA, Torrance and Granada Hills.
In the Mayor's Cup, Mosqueda foresees his wards to face a tough challenge as they will take their stick-fighting acts in the very birthplace of arnis.
Meanwhile, Philippine Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (PEKAF) Executive Vice President Master Gerald Cañete said they are expecting close to 300 participants in their twoday tilt backstopped by the city government of Cebu in association with the Cebu City Sports Commission.
Aspiring arnisadors as young as seven years old as well as the veterans aged 60 above will strut their wares in the open tournament that is part of PEKAF's dedicated efforts to find and develop arnis talents in the countryside.
"It's really been our desire to promote arnis up to the grassroots level and it is just fitting to hold more tournaments here in Cebu being the birthplace of eskrima," said Master Gerald Cañete, who is also the executive director of WEKAF.
Before the action begins, a simple opening ceremony will take place to be graced by deputy mayor for sports Eugenio 'Jun' Gabuya, Jr. and sports commissioner Allan Borres Delantar.