Elmer’s Fire

History Channel’s series on the top martial arts around the world – “Human Weapon,” has become a huge hit in the United States, especially its documentary movie of the Filipino martial art of Eskrima or Arnis. The documentary-movie which also showcased Thailand’s Muay Thai, Japan’s Karate and Judo, China’s Kung Fu, Silat of Malaysia, Cambodia’s Bokator and many more, has given pride to all the Filipinos not only in America but the whole world as well. It has been replayed in a regular basis on the History Channel in the U.S.

The show, which stars mixed martial artist – Jason Chambers and former professional football player and wrestler – Bill Duff, featured the biggest and oldest arnis group in the world, the world renowned Doce Pares, was filmed entirely in the Philippines, particularly in Cebu City and neighboring provinces. Substantially, its opening and closing sequences were filmed in Cebu, Philippines. The docu-movie opened in Carbon market in Cebu City and ended in Badian, Cebu.

This is the fourth TV documentary featuring the Filipino martial art and Doce Pares as the central performer. The first one was “Way of the Warriors” which was produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 1982. The Discovery Channel’s “Asian Hot Spots” by Beyond International in October 2003 was the second one. The third, was in 2004 with “Kicking Ass” Martial Arts, within which Doce Pares was one of the featured martial arts.

Due to the film’s success, Doce Pares in Cebu received numerous phone calls and emails for bookings to study the art in Cebu. Student admissions for other arnis clubs all over the U.S. have also increased by 30% due to the show. After a recent 30-day seminar in the U.S. which were all fully-booked, Doce Pares International Supreme Grand Master Dionisio Canete (seen below handing me my 2nd Dan black belt in Doce Pares) revealed that majority of the participants joined his seminars after watching “Human Weapon.” SGM Canete added that during his seminars in Denver and Milwaukee, several students came from far away states, like Tennessee, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana and more.

Due to The History Channel’s insistence to include arnis in “Human Weapon,” Canete finally approved the inclusion of the world famous Filipino martial art on the documentary after believing in the show’s objectives which are to show to the world how eskrima/arnis started, assurance of a great exposure and excellent promotion of the art. The film also featured several other Cebuano arnis masters such as Val Pableo, Gerald Canete, Michael Canete, Bonifacio Uy, Albert Sales, Rudy Rey and Jose Borces.

“Just be part of it.” This is what our parish priest urged us to do during his homily a few Sundays before Pope Benedict XVI’s historical visit in the United States. Thus, be a part of it I did!

I didn’t just watch Him on TV or read about him in the newspaper or internet, I went to where He was and saw Him (a few feet from me anyway). As I did so, I brought along my sons, AJ & DJ, and their best friend Ron. One of my best friends, Marty, wanted to join us but changed his mind at the last minute claiming he didn’t have clean socks to wear. What a lame excuse! LOL! Despite us offering to give him new socks, he still didn’t go. Obviously, the lazy bum had other reasons. Just kidding Mr. McFly!

Seeing the Pope is something that does not happen everyday, not even every year. Except of course, if you live in Vatican City. I have been blessed to see the Pope twice in my life. I saw Pope John Paul II when I was still in high school as He visited the Philippines back in the early 80’s. Then, on April 19, 2008, it’s Pope Benedict XVI outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, New York.

I told the boys to appreciate every single minute of the brief but blessed moment and be grateful for it as it may well be their first and last to have this close encounter with the successor of St. Peter. Their perseverance and patience to wait for those “special few seconds” for almost five hours under the blistering heat of the New York City sun speak a lot about how they really valued the experience. For us, all the sacrifice was all worth it.

Yes, security was tight at that time but not too tight. Protesters were booed, cheers were heard, flags were waved, B16 shirts sold like hotcakes, and digital cameras clicked away like crazy. No, there was not a person on every square foot of that part of the Big Apple but undoubtedly a sea of humanity made its presence felt during that time. Indeed millions of people from all over the world and all walks of life gathered along 5th Avenue that day not to shop but to get something priceless…a glimpse of the Holy Father.

The Japan Karate Association Shotokan Alliance (JKASA), the Jersey City chapter of Japan Karate Association (JKA), the oldest and biggest karate group in the world, conducted its first ever belt promotional examination last March 22, 2008, 9 AM, in JKASA’s dojo at 124 Storms Avenue in Jersey City.

A total of 8 karatekas took the test for the 6th Kyu (green), 5th Kyu (blue) and 4th Kyu (purple) belts for the 2 year old JKA dojo. All 8 karatekas passed the said test.

JKASA instructors’ Sensei Oscar Carpina and Sensei Elmer Karaan, who are certified international instructors by JKA headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, conducted the exam.

For more details on the said event or more information about JKA Shotokan Alliance in Jersey City you may contact the dojo at (201)936-9658 or visit them at 124 Storms Avenue, Jersey City, New Jersey 07306 or check out its website at www.jkasakarate.com.

I had the privilege to be a Lupon Tagapamayapa for Barangay Lahug in Cebu City for a couple of years. When I saw this story on a national newspaper (Sunstar), I can’t help but feel proud to know that once I was a part of a very effective and successful system for our barangays to continue to be dispute-free. I would like to share the said story to you. Here it is…

Lahug wins award for dispute settlement system

For the first time in years, a Cebu City Lupong Tagapamayapa became the national winner of the Bureau of Local Government Supervision (BLGS) Incentives Award. For bagging the award, Barangay Lahug will receive P125,000 cash from President Arroyo herself in an awarding ceremony in Malacañang.

The past years, Lahug’s lupon had been chosen as the best in the City and in the region, but it never got past the regional level.The lupon serves as the conciliation and arbitration body of the barangay. It is composed of the barangay captain as chairman and its members.

938 cases

Barangay Captain Mary Ann Delos Santos attributed the triumph to Lahug’s systematic process of hearing complaints and the Lupon’s 99.79 percent efficiency in handling cases. She said that of 938 cases filed before the barangay from July 2003 to June 2004, Lahug’s Lupon issued only two certificates to file action (CFA).

Under the law, CFAs are needed before cases that could not be amicably solved at the barangay level could be filed with the regular courts. Delos Santos, 2003 outstanding barangay captain, said the judges of the competition came to Lahug to countercheck the documents the barangay presented.

The judges, among them an Appellate Court justice and a “strict” representative from the Gerry Roxas Foundation were “very impressed” by Lahug’s computerized system. “What makes us very happy and I think all the Cebuanos as well, is that this is the first time ever that a winner came from Cebu. We bested imperial Manila” she said.

In Lahug, after a complaint is lodged before the tanod office, contending parties will be summoned by Delos Santos. She has 15 days to try to settle the matter, but achieve such by first delegating the task to her councilors. If the councilors could not help the parties reach a settlement, it is only then that the matter would be brought to Delos Santos for another mediation effort. But if the councilors can reconcile the parties, a written amicable settlement will be drafted and submitted to Delos Santos for her signature. That way, the councilors, aside from their legislative functions, are also delegated with executive powers.

Delos Santos said if the conflict is still unresolved in her level, it is only then that the matter is brought before the Lupon. Of the P125,000 cash reward, P50,000 was from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), which asked Lahug to submit a project proposal for its utilization.

The rest of the P125,000 were sourced from private institutions, said DILG 7 Director Roberto Abejero in a letter sent to Lahug. Delos Santos plans to use the amount for the barangay’s clean and green and solid waste management programs with its “Kwarta sa Basura” project.