Tuesday, March 07, 2006

RECAP OF THE WEKAF US NATIONALS

The National Championships were a great success, after three days of exciting competition, competitors from all over the US enjoyed a memorable banquet, fine food and friends.Over the three days of the competition, there were 203 total competitors, who participated in over 400 individual events. Competitors included students from over 24 different Martial Arts schools. Despite the winter storm, things went very smoothly.

We once again thank everyone who contributed their time and effort to make this event a success.

WEKAF USA would like to officially congratulate those who, through hard work and continued effort, have qualified for the US National Stickfighting Team. In order to reserve your space on the US Team, there are important deadlines and actions that competitors are required to make. To help keep track of these dates, we have created a special page on the WEKAF USA site that lists detailed information on each of the following dates. This can be found here:http://www.wekafusa.com/Team-USA.html

Upcoming Important Deadlines:
Mar. 3, 2006- US Team Uniform Orders - $10 Discount Deadline
Mar. 15, 2006- Photo & Video Submissions for publication on the WEKAF USA Website- US National Tournament Highlights DVD Order Deadline
April 1, 2006- Notification of Intent to Compete in the World Championships
May 15, 2006- PreRegistration Discount Deadline- Discounted Room Rate - WDW Dolphin Resort - Reservation Deadline- US Team Uniform Orders - Final Deadline- "History Builders" Former US National Team Members Registration Deadline

GURO PROFILE: GAT PUNO ABON BAET

Gat Puno (Chieftain) Abon Baet is the fifth generation grandmaster of the Garimot Arnis System, a family system more than 150 years old from the province of Laguna, in the Philippines. He is the fourth son of the legendary arnisador and buno master, Grandmaster Felipe “Garimot” Baet. When his father passed away, Abon took on the fighting name of “Garimot” to honor his father, hence his fighting name of Gat Puno Abon “Garimot” Baet.

Abon began active competition at the age of sixteen. He competed in live stick competition (no padding) in several towns in his province of Laguna, the Philippines. This led to his reign as an undefeated arnis champion for seven years from 1978 to 1985.

He started teaching the family system under the banner of the Paete Arnis Club in Laguna, Philippines. For a brief time also, Abon taught Modern Arnis in Laguna at the behest and under the authority of Prof. Remy Presas, founder of Modern Arnis. The two would eventually reunite many years later in the United States.

In 1986, Abon accepted an opportunity to work in the United States, and in a few years began to teach arnis in the United States. By 1989, he had founded his organization Philippine Martial Arts, Garimot System International, U.S.A. which taught a total system that encompassed the complete range of Philippine fighting and healing arts of arnis, buno and hilot.

The Garimot Sysem now has chapters all over the United States, as well as in Sweden, Germany and Venezuela. In addition to his full-time job as a chef, Gat Puno Abon is busy with the seminar circuit, including prestigious senior masters training camps.

Gat Puno Abon has also written a book about buno entitled “Harimaw Buno : The Art of Filipino Wrestling.” In the book, he traces how his forbears learned the art from Aeta and Mangyan tribesmen.

What constitutes “buno?’ From the description of types of competition and techniques allowed or utilized, it appears “buno” is judo, jiu-jitsu, Graeco-Roman wrestling and shoot-fighting rolled into one. Its techniques include hand and elbow strikes, knee and low kicks, throws, sweeps, limb locks, joint locks, choke holds, head cranks, pressure-point tactics and come-along techniques.

You may contact Gat Puno Abon or purchase his book at his website at http://www.garimot.com/.