PHILIPPINE ODYSSEY VI
By Jay de Leon

Chapter 14

Tipunan sa Pangasinan
Binmaley, Pangasinan
Feb. 19 – 20, 2011

On the week-end of Feb. 19 – 20, 2011, Filipino Fighting Arts Int’l (FFAI) sponsored a martial arts training camp in the province of Pangasinan, in northern Luzon, Philippines.  Among other things, Pangasinan is known for its coastline with sandy beaches like Lingayen Beach, its seafood, as well as destination islands like Hundred Islands and commercial resorts like Covelandia.

The training camp was hosted by FFAI co-founders Master Godofredo Fajardo of the Philippines and Jay de Leon of the United States, and designated as “Tipunan sa Pangasinan 2011,” reminiscent of Jay de Leon’s many Tipunan events in the United States.  Incidentally, FFAI  is celebrating its 20th year in 2011, having been founded in 1991 in Binmaley, Pangasinan itself.

Appropriately then, the venue for the training camp was a beach resort in Baybay Lopez, Binmaley, Pangasinan.  It had a private, secluded expanse of pristine sandy beach fronting it, which we utilized as both training ground and playground.

The training courses included specific aspects of arnis, karate, kickboxing and practical self-defense.  The camp instructors included :
Godofredo Fajardo – Founder, FFAI and member, Council of Masters of the International Modern Arnis Federation of the Phil. (IMAFP); based in Manila, Philippines.
Rei Samson – Founder, Salaknib Martial Arts System and senior guro, International Modern Arnis Federation of the Phil. (IMAFP); based in Baguio City, Benguet, in northern Luzon.
Jay de Leon – Co-Founder, FFAI and Commissioner for North America, International Modern Arnis Federation of the Phil. (IMAFP); based in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

The training included arnis concepts and specific techniques in basic strikes and striking combinations like figure 8 and banda y banda, triangle footwork, sinawali, largo counters, and sumbrada , and  actual arnis tournament sparring bouts with padded sticks as well as boxing and kickboxing bouts with boxing gloves.

The motley participants of this two-day training camp came from all over Luzon including Metro Manila, Baguio, and Pangasinan, and included martial arts newbies to professional security people, juniors, a group of local bodybuilders, and others.  The largest group came from the Sitbatan Kali and Pentjak Silat school out of Dagupan City, Pangasinan, headed by founder and chief instructor Rohnee Gumpal.

Food was home-cooked and abundant—pancit, inihaw na bangus (grilled fish, a Pangasinan staple), lumpia shanghai, adobo, and many fresh fruits like mango and local sweets.
In addition to the martial arts, there were plenty of beach resort activities.  These included swimming, surfing, basketball, badminton, and just plain frolicking in the surf and sand.  Evening entertainment consisted of some alcohol-fueled videoke singing and dancing.
On Sunday, after the morning training session and lunch, the group was able to watch on television the title fight between Filipino bantamweight Nonito Donaire and Fernando Montiel of Mexico.  It was an abbreviated fight as Donaire knocked out his game but badly outclassed opponent in the second round of a scheduled 12-rounder, and bagged the world bantamweight crown in the process. 

In a promotional blurb, I advertized this Tipunan event as “Lapu-Lapu meets Beach Blanket Bingo.”  Well, Lapu-Lapu was not able to make it to the event due to a previous commitment, and most of the participants were too young to remember Annette Funicello or Gidget of Beach Blanket Bingo fame, anyway.  But since most everybody seemed to have a good time and had their fill of martial arts and sun and surf and sand, as well as delicious, home-cooked food and good company, I may be forgiven for overhyping this event.
I would like to thank all participants and sponsors of the camp, the Tipunan service staff made up of the Lopez clan from Biec, Pangasinan, and our resort hosts, Willy and Aris Poquez.
Till the next Tipunan…
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas at ang arnis!

PHOTO GALLERY

The Venue

The main gate to the beach house that was the venue for
Tipunan sa Pangasinan 2011 hosted by Filipino Fighting
Arts Int’l (FFAI) at Binmaley, Pangasinan on Feb. 19-20, 2011.

Another gate to the beach house, where the dangerous animals
are kept caged.

This was the beach fronting the beach house that was the venue
for Tipunan sa Pangasinan 2011 hosted by Filipino Fighting
Arts Int’l (FFAI) at Binmaley, Pangasinan on Feb. 19-20, 2011.

The beach during dawn at the second day of training of
Tipunan sa Pangasinan 2011 hosted by Filipino Fighting
Arts Int’l (FFAI) at Binmaley, Pangasinan on Feb. 19-20, 2011.

The only other people on the beach before sunrise were fishermen
and residents of the area.  Here, fishermen arrive in their boats
hauling their catch.

Cast of Characters

Guro Rohnee Gumpal (left), chief instructor of Sitbatan
Kali and Pentjak Silat based in Dagupan City, arrives
at the training camp for Tipunan sa Pangasinan 2011
 hosted by Filipino Fighting Arts Int’l (FFAI) at
Binmaley, Pangasinan on Feb. 19-20, 2011.

From left to right, Francis “Frank” Julian, Emil Bautista, and 
Dick Benitez of the Jearic Fitness and BodyBuilding Gym
of Binmaley, and a student of Sitbatan Kali of
Dagupan City, Pangasinan.

From left to right, Jay de Leon, Frank Julian, Emil Bautista
 and a student of Sitbatan Kali at the Tipunan sa Pangasinan
 2011 held at Binmaley, Pangasinan on Feb. 19 – 20. 2011. 
Emil Bautista is the owner of Jearic Fitness Gym
located in Binmaley, Pangasinan.

Francis Julian of Jearic Fitness Gym of Binmaley shows off
both his bodybuilding and arnis form at theTipunan sa
Pangasinan 2011  hosted by Filipino Fighting Arts Int’l (FFAI) 
at Baybay Lopez, Binmaley, Pangasinan on Feb. 19-20, 2011.
Frank competes in bodybuilding competitions.

Eben Cahilig (left) and Jose Rey Ponghon from Manila.  These two were
the most advanced students of the participants.  Eben is an arnis guro
from another arnis style and Rey is the founder of a kickboxing club and
a high-level arnis practitioner.  During the training, both were promoted
to FFAI Tagapagsanay Antas Isa (Instructor Level One).

Rey Ponghon, founder of a kickboxing club, shows off his
 form during early morning training at the beach at Baybay
 Lopez, Binmaley, Pangasinan.

Group picture of some participants on the first day of training of
Tipunan sa Pangasinan 2011  hosted by Filipino Fighting Arts Int’l
(FFAI) at Binmaley, Pangasinan on Feb. 19-20, 2011.

Training - Day One

The participants of Tipunan sa Pangasinan 2011 held at
Binmaley, Pangasinan on Feb 19 – 20, 2011 line up and
prepare to bow in for the day’s training.

Jay de Leon (left, in green shirt), of California, U.S.A, co-founder of
Filipino Fighting Arts, Int’l (FFAI), welcomes participants of Tipunan sa
 Pangasinan 2011 held at Binmaley, Pangasinan on Feb 19 – 20, 2011.

Master Godofredo Fajardo, foreground in full Modern Arnis uniform,
founder of FFAI, kicks off the beach training with a brief intro.

Dick Benitez (left) and Emil Bautista of the Jearic Fitness Gym
square off in a padded stick competition during the FFAI
training camp Tipunan sa Pangasinan 2011 held
 at Binmaley, Pangasinan on Feb 19 – 20, 2011.

Frank Julian of Binmaley, Pangasinan (left) and Rey Ponghon
of Manila square off for a friendly kickboxing match. Will
 there be blood in the sand?

Training - Day Two

Master Godofredo Fajardo, founder of FFAI (left, foreground), leads
the sinawali training at the Tipunan sa Pangasinan 2011 held at
Baybay Lopez, Binmaley, Pangasinan on Feb. 19 – 20, 2011.

Jay de Leon, co-founder of FFAI,  demonstrates a lock on
Rey Ponghon while Rei Samson looks on during beach training
at the Tipunan sa Pangasinan in Binmaley, Pangasinan
on Feb. 19 – 20, 2011.

Rei Samson (right) shows off his kickboxing form during
beach training at the Tipunan sa Pangasinan 2011
in Binmaley, Pangasinan on Feb. 19 – 20, 2011.

 Chow Time

Clockwise, Eben Cahilig, Rei Samson, Godofredo Fajardo,
Rey Ponghon, Rohnee Gumpal and Jay de Leon during lunch
at Tipunan sa Pangasinan 2011 at Baybay Lopez, Binmaley,
Pangasinan on Feb. 19-20, 2011.

Through a lens, drunkenly.  It was videoke night at the camp on Saturday
night.  Even the camera had blurred vision and slurred speech by the
time this picture was taken.  The videoke machine was state of the art but
 the singing was atrocious, so therefore the identities of the participants
 shall remain anonymous to protect the guilty (of bad singing).

Till the next Tipunan… 

Photos by Godofredo Fajardo and Emil Bautista of the Philippines, and Jay de Leon of the United States.  All Rights Reserved.

All Rights Reserved.

To be continued… Chapter 15 Click Here

Prologue, Chapt 1-3 Click Here
Chapter 4 Click Here
Chapter 5 Click Here
Chapter 6 Click Here
Chapter 7 Click Here
Chapter 8 Click Here
Chapter 9 Click Here
Chapter 10 Click Here
Chapter 11 Click Here
Chapter 12 Click Here
Chapter 13 Click Here