Arnis builds momentum

Yesterday, SM Sucat hosted the Smart National Youth Arnis Championship at the central atrium of building B. Despite the lack of fanfare and the Palarong Pambansa opening tomorrow, close to 150 students entered.

The Philippine Air Force sent a sizable delegation, while contingents came from as far as Pampanga, Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental.

This was a test case for Smart Sports, as its head, Patrick Gregorio said that it was imperative that they support arnis, more so now that it is the official national sport and martial art of the country.

“We realized the significance of arnis to us, not just in terms of sport, but as part of our culture,” said Gregorio. “We want to be part of the sport’s growth.”

Smart’s support of arnis also follows the nationalistic sports vision of its leader, businessman Manny Pangilinan, who has been looking for sports to include under its growing umbrella. Smart already supports seven sports in the Palarong Pambansa, and is looking at pushing arnis to the next level by helping reunite the community.

The competition opened with the anyo or forms events, performed by kids and juniors as young as seven years old. What drew applause from the crowd of mallers was the intensity with which the kids went through the various mandatory moves, with some participants even adding their own flashes of style, like twirling the stick around their neck, or tossing it behind the back with one hand and retrieving it with the other.

“Now you will see how good our youth are,” declared Rey Dominguez of the organizing Philippine Council of Kali Eskrima Arnis Masters (PCKEAM). “They are excited by the opportunity to show what they can do. The kids have really been preparing for this.”

What also impressed the judges was the attention to detail, particularly in the traditional costumes worn by the participants, which were inspired by native dress from all over the country. This added glamour to the event, which had teams cheering and howling for each other throughout the day. Shoppers literally froze in their tracks to watch the imaginative choreography.

“It is amazing how graceful our youth are, especially the girls,” says Ricky Victoria, sales and marketing head for Eljan Ventures, Inc., manufacturers of Stix, the official equipment of the event. “It’s very inspiring to watch them perform the anyo (forms) given the preparation needed. We look forward to developing more equipment for the national sport.”

Ironically the day before, there was an announcement interpreted as a last-minute attempt to sabotage the event. Arnis Philippines had been conducting refresher courses for the Department of Education personnel who will be conducting the arnis tournament for the Palaro. They allegedly announced Thursday - the day before this tournament - that the weigh-in for the Palaro would also be done on Friday, or two days before the opening. Traditionally, the weigh-in is held after the Palaro opens. Moving the weigh-in would mean that students competing in the Palaro in Tarlac would have to be there early, and those entered in the Smart National Youth Championship might be discouraged from joining. At any rate, the ploy did not work.

“If we had any more participants, we could have had problems finishing on time,” Dominguez explains. “After all, this is just a one-day event. Next time, we will make it longer. This was to show our new sponsors what we can do.”

The sparring events also showed how passionate the youth are, and luckily, they were well-covered by the gear provided by Stix, which covered the children from head to foot with specially-designed protective gear created specifically for arnis. Stix is studying a wide range of products that will also include training equipment, high-end sticks and adding, and even headgear for a planned professional arnis circuit later in the year. Think of it as mixed martial arts with sticks.

Also in the works is an international event targeted for the end of July. This will include workshops on officiating, and various competitions. There will also be a search for the official Philippine arnis demo team that will travel the country and give exhibitions at sporting events to help promote the sport.

With new partners like Smart, SM and Stix, arnis is finally beginning to get the support it has deserved.