Learning Aikido in the Philippines: My First Aikido Training circa 1993

Saturday, January 12, 2013

My First Aikido Training circa 1993

1993, Cagayan de Oro City, Traditional Aikido
Sometime in 1992, I really wanted to learn martial arts. Hungry from lack of martial arts training opportunities back in our hometown, Mainit, Surigao Norte, it didn't matter to me which martial arts I should go into. I've heard from my Dad about Jiujitsu, Kendo, Judo and Taekwondo, but I never knew what the differences were among these.

On my third year in college in 2004, I found the Axis Gym, at the back of Cogon Market, where I inquired about "body building". At the other end of the building, I saw a sign "Aikido", I inquired, and eventually got admitted under Sensei Alex Javier (left photo - courtesy of http://www.skyscrapercity.com forum). I think I borrowed money for my uniform and for my initial enrollment (which I don't recall now how much).

I trained for a year and practiced on my own whenever I had a chance. I had opportunities to take promotional belting exams, but I think I was too poor to pay for examination fees. By April 2005, I had to move to Manila after college graduation. I tried practicing on my own, but it was difficult.

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Hunger for Martial Arts

I was hungry to learn martial arts. There were no training opportunities back home in our hometown, Mainit, Surigao Norte. And so, it didn't matter to me which martial arts I should go into. I've heard from my Dad about Jiujitsu, Kendo, Judo and Taekwondo, but I never knew what the differences were among these.

On my third year in college in 1994, I found the Axis Gym, at the back of Cogon Market in Cagayan de Oro City, where I inquired about "body building". At the other end of the building, I saw a sign "Aikido", I inquired, and eventually got admitted under Sensei Alex Javier. I think I borrowed money to buy my uniform and as payment for my initial enrollment (around P600?).

I trained for a year or practiced on my own. I had opportunities to take promotional belting exams, but I think I was too poor to pay for examination fees.

By April 1995, after college, I had to move to Manila. Unfortunately, I was not able to practice on a dojo, but I bought some books about Aikido and tried practicing at home (without an uke).

In 2013, I suddenly bumped into the website of Makati Aikido Club. The dojo was just 5 minutes away from my office where I had been reporting to every day for the past 7 years (yes, it took me that long to discover a nearby dojo!!!). Without hesitation, I enrolled myself right away but only to find out that by July 2014, our office will be moved to Quezon City.

I eventually found the Philippine Heart Center (PHC) Dojo in 2015 and has since started training there.

Oh Aikikai... why so distant?

But yes, I have gone around becoming part of the three major Aikido Federations in the country: 1) PAPA - Pilipinas Aikido Propagation Association in early 1990s; 2) FFA - Filipino Federation of Aikido - early 2010; and 3) AikiPhil - Aikido Philippines recently.

Discovering Combat Aikido

I remember seeing a "Combat Aikido" sign in Cubao in the late 1990s. I wanted to enroll but I was living quite far (first in Pasig City then in Laguna). My wife and kids moved to Cubao in 2005. And in 2009, I suddenly remembered Combat Aikido. I visited the gym and to my surprise, it was already renamed TAPONDO. I met the Master Monching Gavileño who encouraged me to also enroll my 2 kids, Lawrence and Dilion.

Combat Aikido was propagated in the Philippines by Master Monching (Gavileno Sensei) from the Aikido lienage of Kohei Toichi (one of the original students of O'sensei Morehei Ueshiba. With a larger percentage of attacks, throwing (tapon), stopping (pondo), and defense techniques adapted to the Philippines street fighting scenes, Master Monching named the now Filipino-originated martial arts form as TAPONDO.

I found a lot of similarities with the traditional Aikido, but the shorter application of techniques and use of "street-fighting" weapons and attacks were noticeable in Tapondo, aside from the non-use of the traditional Gi or clearly marked Tapondo uniforms.

I hope to reflect and write here the differences and similarities of these two distinct but related martial art forms.