SALAKNIB MARTIAL ARTS SYSTEM TOPS
BAGUIO ARNIS ENCOUNTER 2008
By Jay de Leon

On July 5, 2008, the 2008 Baguio Arnis Encounter was held at the University of Cordilleras in Baguio City, in the Mountain Province in northern Luzon, Philippines, under the sponsorship of Arnis Philippines. Because of its year-round cool weather, Baguio City is called the summer capital of the Philippines, and also the City of the Pines. It is a favorite tourist destination in the Philippines.

The following schools and organizations competed in the 2008 Baguio Arnis Encounter tournament:

YMCA Baguio
PMA – Philippine Military Academy
SLU – St. Louis University
UB – University of Baguio
AMA – AMA Computer College
Benguet State University
NIIT College
Salaknib Martial Arts System

Here were the eventual standings at the end of the tournament:

Over-all Champion – Salaknib Martial Arts System
1st Runner-up – YMCA Baguio
2nd Runner-up – Philippine Military Academy
3rd Runner-up – St. Louis University

Salaknib Martial Arts System was also the Over-all Champion in the 2007 Baguio Arnis Encounter.

Salaknib Martial Arts System is a Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) system and school founded by Rei Samson. Rei Samson is a Director of Filipino Fighting Arts Int’l under Master Godofredo Fajardo, which is based in Manila, Philippines.  He is also a ranking lakan (black belt) in Remy Presas Modern Arnis and a guro of the International Modern Arnis Federation of the Philippines (IMAFP) also based in Manila, Philippines. In addition, he is a consultant to the Department of Education of the Mountain Province.

In 1993, with the approval and encouragement of his guro, Master Godofredo Fajardo of Filipino Fighting Arts Int’l, ;Rei Samson started creating his own system of FMA calling it “Salaknib.” “Salaknib” means to protect or to defend.

Salaknib includes a full curriculum of arnis techniques based mostly on Remy Presas Modern Arnis, as well as elements of the fighting techniques of the indigenous warriors of the Cordilleras as researched by Rei Samson. In addition, the Salaknib system also teaches students how to apply these principles and concepts of arnis to tournament sparring (both arnis tournaments and other tournaments other than arnis such as karate and tae kwon do tournaments) and self-defense.

Here are pictures of the tournament winners, participants, students and supporters of the Salaknib Martial Arts System.

Congratulations to Rei Samson, the Salaknib Martial Arts System, Master Godofredo Fajardo and their umbrella organization, Filipino Fighting Arts Int’l.

Rei Samson, founder of Salaknib Martial Arts System, (extreme left), poses
with some tournament winners of the Baguio Arnis Encounter 2008.

Rei Samson, Jay de Leon and Godofredo Fajardo (from left to right) of
Filipino Fighting Arts Int’l, after dinner at the Wack Wack Country Club,
Mandaluyong, Philippines in December of 2007 during Jay de Leon’s visit from the United States.

Copyright, Jay de Leon 2008