TIPUNAN WORKSHOP 2008 AT WESTMINSTER,
CALIFORNIA
By Jay de Leon

Group picture without the photographer. Blair Wilson, Michael Long
Aaron Miller and Ricky Eisenacher (front row, from left to right). 
Ty Novits, Serina Tabisola, Andrea Hudlett, Jay de Leon,
Amanda Garcia, and Sam Sadler (back row).

On a sunny Saturday on Oct. 18, 2008, Tipunan International held a workshop at the American Tiger studio in the city of Westminster, in Orange County, southern California. It was hosted by Jay de Leon who teaches kickboxing and Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) at this studio. Jay de Leon is the chief instructor for Filipino Fighting Arts USA (FFA-USA) and the Commissioner of North America for the International Modern Arnis Federation of the Philippines (IMAFP).

In contrast to the full-blown seminars and mini-seminars usually sponsored by the Tipunan organization, this was a “closed” session, partly due to the limited venue. The participants came from the American Tiger Kyin Kung Fu Martial Arts under April Hawley and the Filipino Fighting Arts USA under Jay de Leon.

Group picture with the photographer.  Donald Rodriguez (photographer), Blair Wilson, Michael Long, Aaron Miller, Ricky Eisenacher (front row, left to right).  Ty Novits, Serina Tabisola, Andrea Hudlett, Jay de Leon, Amanda Garcia, and Sam Sadler (back row).

While most who came were local, still a few drove all the way from Los Angeles and suburbs. Participants included one junior, and their experience varied from novice to black belt instructor. 

Instruction was provided by instructors of the Filipino Fighting Arts USA. The two-hour session was roughly divided into four half-hour parts, broken down as follows:

     Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) – taught by Jay de Leon. Covered were double sticks sinawali and self-defense against weapons.

     Kickboxing – taught by Jay de Leon. Covered were boxing combinations and muay thai techniques.

     JiuJitsu – taught by Sam Sadler of Filipino Fighting Arts USA. Covered were basic defenses against the mount, side control and guard.

     Challenge Matches - open challenge matches in the three areas covered above - Filipino Martial Arts (FMA), kickboxing, and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). 

The lessons were fast-paced and action-packed, as most of them involved training with a partner. The highlight of the workshop was predictably the last portion of the workshop, the challenge matches.

The bouts turned out to be very competitive and exciting, with excellent technical execution and outstanding sportsmanship between participants. This exemplifies the spirit of all Tipunan events, which is to bring different styles and schools together, promote cross-training and foster camaraderie between practitioners of these different styles.

I offer my thanks to all the participants, to FFA-USA senior students Sam Sadler and Michael Long for the jiujitsu instruction and assistance with the whole workshop, and to Ms. April Hawley for allowing the use of the studio for this event. 

Special thanks to Donald Rodriguez for almost all of the pictures you see in this article. Donald is a professional photographer and green belt of Kyin Kung Fu who took time out from his Boy Scout camping duties with his son that Saturday to attend the workshop and take the official pictures.

Till the next Tipunan event…

Before the workshop

Reunion of Filipino Fighting Arts USA – Michael Long, Jay de Leon, and
 Sam Sadler. These three trained together at the FFA-USA Laguna Hills dojo
in south Orange County several years ago.  Notice the stylish MMA tees.

Ricky Eisenacher, Michael Long, Jay de Leon, Sam Sadler, and Ty Novits,
(from left to right), pose in front of the studio before the workout.

Introducing the chief instructor of the workshop, Jay de Leon (foreground).
At the extreme left is Sam Sadler, a senior student of FFA-USA,
who assisted with the instruction in the workshop.

The group prepares to bow in.

Filipino Martial Arts (FMA)

Double sticks sinawali performed by Michael Long (left) and Sam Sadler.

Sticks of fury. Michael Long (left) and Jay de Leon of Filipino Fighting Arts USA
with a furious display of double sticks expertise. Michael Long is a brown belt
with FFA-USA, and happens to be Jay de Leon’s son.

Jay de Leon (right) demonstrates defense against an attack with a club wielded
by Michael Long. First move, block and punch.

Second move, execute vine or snake on the weapon hand and …

…throw a ridge hand strike and a claw to the throat...

… followed by a  throw to the ground (major outer reaping) with an
 elbow break and a shoulder wrench, with strikes to the
floating ribs or face, if necessary.

Ty Novits tries the technique on Jay de Leon.

Andrea Hudlett (left), is trying to get the kinks out of the technique on
Amanda Garcia, while Jay de Leon (partly hidden) gives assistance.

Looks like Serina Tabisola has the technique down pat
on Ricky Eisenacher.

The whole group lines up to watch Serina Tabisola give a splendid demonstration
of her double sticks free-style form (anyo in Filipino Martial Arts).

Serina Tabisola is a black belt in Kyin Kung Fu, and attends
Jay de Leon’s FMA class at the studio.

Kickboxing

Jay de Leon gives pointers on kickboxing.

Former high school buddies Blair Wilson (left) and
Michael Long. Blair was a champion varsity swimmer
while Michael was a varsity wrestler in high school.
 Note the ink on these guys.

Ty Novits  is a Kyin Kung Fu student and  was the youngest
participant at the workshop.

Michael Long has been training
in several martial art styles since
he was four years old.

Michael Long (left) squares off with Aaron Miller on the boxing drills.

Aaron was a champion high school varsity wrestler and is currently
a college football player. Nice form, Aaron.

Did Jay de Leon just tag his son Michael with a right cross?

These two ladies are just having too much fun-- Andrea Hudlett  (left)
and Amanda Garcia. Amanda is a green belt of Kyin Kung Fu,
while Andrea is a FFA-USA student.

That’s more like it.

Jiu-Jitsu

Jay de Leon (bottom) starts the jiu-jitsu segment showing a defense
against a full mount, shown here by Sam Sadler.

Sam Sadler (top) is an advanced jiu-jitsu player, a black belt instructor
in Shaolin kempo and a senior student of Filipino Fighting Arts USA.

Sam Sadler (extreme left) shows Amanda Garcia and Ricky Eisenacher
how to execute a “bridge” to defend against a full mount.

Sam Sadler (bottom) defends against a side control
by Serina Tabisola.

Amanda Garcia (bottom) defends against a full mount
attack by Sam Sadler.

Jay de Leon (bottom) defends against punches delivered
from a full mount by Ty Novits.

Ty Novits (bottom) utilizes a guard position against Sam Sadler.

Sam Sadler (top) now has the advantage on Ty Novits with a side control.

After the workshop, some of the participants stopped by Jay de Leon’s house,
where they were joined by Jay’s friend Manny Tiangha, with his dog.  From
left to right, Ricky Eisenacher, Manny Tiangha, Jay de Leon, Blair Wilson
and Aaron Miller, with Bernie, the bull mastiff.