4TH PANAY CONCEPTUAL M.A. SEMINAR HELD

This article is from the negros daily bulletin.

The 4th Panay Conceptual Martial Arts Seminar “Lapu-Lapu Viñas Arnis Hand Blade Fundamentals” was conduced by Conceptual Martial Arts Society (CMAS) Founder James U. Sy Jr. of Bacolod City last June 9, 2006 at the West Visayas State University Medical Center (WVSUMC) Doctors’ Quarters, Iloilo City.

2 doctor-members of CMAS-Iloilo Chapter, namely Dr. Rey Mollenido and Dr. Jason Rojas, attended the 2-hour session which covered Lapu-Lapu Viñas Arnis basic diagonal footwork, the body dynamics of the deflecting technique hand blade, its practical applications against a punch, kick, stick strike, and knife attack, and its translation to the stick and other similar derivable weapons. Sy was also supposed to take up its application against grabs but didn’t have enough time.

The doctors, who had previously learned Long Quan (Dragon Fist), Yasay Sable, and Oido de Caburata with CMAS-IC Chapter head Dr. Raymund Antonio A. Maguad and Original Filipino Tapado under Original Filipino Tapado Long Stick Fighting Association (OFTLSFA) President Grandmaster Benefredo “Bebing” M. Lobrido, found the technique very practical and easy to use even with minimal maintenance training.

The seminar was the first documented formal introduction of Lapu-Lapu Viñas Arnis to Iloilo City and the Panay Island. Lapu-Lapu Viñas Arnis is an indigenous Bacoleño system of corto (close quarter) Filipino Martial Art (FMA) using the solo baston, daga, and pangamut and specializes in disarming edged and impact weapons. The art was founded by the late Great Grandmaster Jose “Joe” L. Viñas (1906-1991) in 1932 and is currently headed by his only son Headmaster Wilson “Nonong” E. Viñas.

Sy and most of the core members of CMAS studied directly under Headmaster “Nonong” Viñas. Sy started his studies at the Lapu-Lapu Viñas Arnis Aficionados Association in June 1994. Lapu-Lapu Viñas Arnis is being taught in 6 of the 8 chapters of the Conceptual Martial Arts Society (CMAS).