The Smart World Arnis Open (WAO) overcame many challenges, both man-made and natural, to become an unqualified success. It was the first time that a three-day international arnis tournament was held at the SM Mall of Asia, and it generated a lot of good will for the sport.
Perhaps the biggest challenge was dealing with Mother Nature. Since MOA’s music hall opens out to the bay, the strong winds would occasionally blow rain into the venue, forcing the live audience to retreat, and the matches to be temporarily halted. Nevertheless, the referees, judges and tournament officials were quick in helping MOA sanitation staff in mopping up the moisture, and even flipping over the competition mats supplied by Stix so as to quickly get the tournament back on track.
Italy made its presence felt, winning its earlier matches and even making the playoffs in the higher brackets. They have offered to host the 2012 edition of the WAO, and have learned a lot from this year’s inaugural event. Truth be told, as of this writing, a good number of their entries made the semifinals in the men’s tournament. It was also an eye-opener for many of the practitioners and officials, as well, since they were under the watchful eye of a new audience, the casual mall-goer.
Other groups, such as Meralco and even the Philippine National Police, came over to watch and observe how the tournament is run. The PNP group was led by retired General Sam Tucay, who introduced running as a way of changing the image and culture of our police force. A group of 150 policemen patiently sat through the seniors eliminations and juniors quarterfinals Saturday.
Speaking of changing cultures, the organizing Philippine Council of Kali Escrima Arnis Masters used the event as a means of elevating the method of conducting tournaments. Officials had a different uniform each day, and were briefed before each round of competition to thresh out any concerns and keep everyone focused. Any problems were dealt with immediately, and the mood was kept light.
Also, participants were kept in line as to where to stay and how to behave. The common practice of rolling up one’s pants in a match was stopped, since it was a desecration of the uniform. Combatants were required to be fully clad in headgear and body armor before their matches began, to keep the event running smoothly. Matching was done continuously, and all notices were immediately relayed to the contestants and the crowd.
Even the participants saw the example set by organizers in picking up the players’ trash and maintaining order. Those who were unnecessarily rowdy were shepherded to the perimeter of the playing area, while photographers and the media were given instructions on which positions would best suit them. All in all, it was a great learning experience for everyone.
Also, as is the tradition of the PCKEAM, venue announcers helped the audience understand the rules of the sport, and what they were watching. The value of disarming an opponent (thrice and the match is over) to the differences in the rules between junior and senior competitions (different scoring systems) were relayed in simple terms, so that spectators would know what to get excited about.
Professionalism was repeatedly stressed until it became instinctual.
Since the council proclaimed the tournament open, everyone was welcome. Even some officials of the opposing Arnis Philippines spent time at the tournament, commenting on how well-run it was. Some even signified their intentions of joining the group, against the instructions of their bosses. At any rate, everyone was welcome to prove their skill.
Truth be told, the WAO was moved back to accommodate the organizers of the FMA Festival in Palawan, who even posted an announcement of their event on one of the photos of this writer’s facebook page. The PCKEAM agreed that, in the spirit of unity, we would not conflict with their schedule, in the hope that we would each benefit from the local and foreign delegates who attended. Unfortunately, the other party was not so magnanimous. Some of their events were extended to the point that it ran into the WAO. Another lesson learned. Kindness is not always reciprocated.
The next project of the PCKEAM is a national tournament aimed at raising funds for the Philippine athletes to the Asian Games at the end of the year. Even though arnis is not an Asian Games event (through no fault of the council), the group felt it was a means to raise the morale of our athletes, who will be against tough odds.
Besides, if the athletes won’t help each other, who will?