TAPONDO DEMO AT TOBOSO

The Tapondo International Federation Inc. (TIFI)-Toboso Chapter under Basilio de la Torre Sensei conducted a martial arts demonstration last December 10, 2005 at the Toboso National High School, Municipality of Toboso, Negros Occidental.

TIFI-Toboso Chapter was supported by TIFI-Bacolod Chapter under Negros Chief Instructor Roy R. Flores Sensei, TIFI-Calatrava Chapter under Danny Lopez Sensei, TIFI-Escalante Chapter under Frederick Flores Sensei, and TIFI-San Carlos Chapter under Danny Lopez Sensei and Florencio Yap Sensei.

The exhibition consisted of knife fighting and knife defense, stick fighting and defense, sword forms, and other standard techniques of tapondo, a Filipino style of aikido founded by Philippine aikido pioneer Master Ambrosio “Monching” Gabileño, who is a native of Guimaras Province.

Tapondo is a contraction of the Tagalog word tapon which means “to throw” and the Ilonggo term pondo which signifies “to stop” in reference to jointlocking and pinning techniques. Taken together tapondo can literally mean “to throw and stop.” It works on the principle of stopping an aggressive intention and action by flowing and harmonizing with the attacker’s force and to use his force to subdue him.

Negros Chief Instructor Roy R. Flores Sensei is ranked 4th degree black belt by the Tapondo International Federation Inc. headquartered in Cubao, Quezon City.