SEA Games ushering kickboxing revival as NSA
BAGUIO City and the Cordillera martial artist is looking at kickboxing as another arena to showcase their finest modern day gladiator with the upcoming SEA Games next year ushering the revival of this particular sports.
This development came after Philippine Olympic Committee Chairman and Tagaytay Congressman Bambol Tolentino recently called for a national assembly of kickboxing gyms and clubs in the entire country.
Tolentino who was the President of the old Philippine Kickboxing Association informed the assembly the 34th SEA games hosted by the country included Kickboxing in the list of 54 events will be played.
The inclusion of Kickboxing in the SEA Games prompted the assembly to revive Kickboxing as a National Sports Association (NSA).
The group renamed it Samahang Kickboxing ng Pilipinas (SKP) says John Cay-ohen, head coach of Scorpion Martial Arts International based in Baguio. He along with some Baguio based martial arts instructors attended the assembly held in Makati City in October. It should be noted that Kickboxing Federation of the Philippines become dormant during the Philippine Olympic Committee presidency of PepingCojuangco
Cay-ohen recently invited various martial arts club in Baguio, other Cordillera provinces and nearby region of Region I and II to re-echo this development. During their meeting held at the Dangwa Tranco Terminal area, the group decided to form the Kickboxing Alliance for the Cordillera and Northern Luzon that will become a chapter of the Samahang Kickboxing Ng Pilipinas.
The group immediately elected their interim set of officials with Cay-ohen as it first president. This they said is for the group to immediately work for the incorporation of the group with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the accreditation with the SKP.
Among those represented in the kickboxing alliance includes, the Scorpion Martial Arts, Universal Martial Arts, Red Lions Martial Arts Club, Muay Boran-Sayam Youth, Max Fusion-Warriors, Altitude Gym, FullCon Martial Arts Council, Bauko Warrior’s, Malayan Martial Arts, school based groups, among others.
Apart from this, the group will be holding a familiarization seminar on November 24 and 25 on the rules being followed in the kickboxing based on the World Alliance of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO). The group will then follow it up with its first kickboxing open tournament to be held here in Baguio on November 30 and December 1 also here in the city to set the motion for the development of players that will compose the country’s national team.
“We will have to compete with the players from all over the country and so we need to start the process if we are to be able to send players for the national team,” Cay-ohen said of the two events.
Edwin Aliong of Universal Martial Arts who got elected as Vice President for Operation noted the fact during the 80’s and 90’s, kickboxing had been very popular martial arts in the Cordillera along with the traditional karate.
He disclosed most of those Igorot fighters that became famous for carrying the national flag in the international competitions traced their martial arts foundation from kickboxing. It is just proper that it should again regain its glory after two decades of being overshadowed by other arts which includes the mix martial arts, Muay Thai, wushu, jujitsu and taekwondo he added.