IGA Kendo Club

Hello everyone! Very important announcement regarding practice on Saturday, March 31, 2012.

We will not be practicing in our usual venue, Arena Fitness. They will be closed due to a company outing. Instead, we will be practicing in the PhilSports Complex Basketball Gym, at our usual time of 2-6pm. This is the former ULTRA compound, and is located along Meralco Avenue. This is near the Ortigas Shopping district, near SM MegaMall. Please consult the area map below.

To get there by car, take EDSA and turn at Ortigas going in the direction of Robinson's Galleria. Make a right at Meralco Ave (it's the intersection with the Meralco Main Office on the left side). Go down Meralco Avenue, and after crossing the flyover and one more intersection you should see the PhilSports Complex and Department of Education Complex on your left. Go in the main gate and ask direction on how to go to the Basketball Gym.

To commute, ride the MRT or a bus along EDSA. Get down at the Ortigas station. Walk to Galleria and ride a jeepney bound for Rosario or a bus bound for Cainta. Get down at Meralco Ave. Ride a jeepney going to Crossing/Shaw Blvd, and ask the driver to drop you off at PhilSports, DepEd, or ULTRA. Cross the street to go in the main gate, and ask the guard how to go to the basketball gym.

Alternatively you can ride a taxi from any point in Metro Manila, and tell them to bring you to ULTRA (as it is more popularly known by that name).

However, in order to make things easier for members, we are arranging a carpool service from Centris (the mini-mall at the QAve MRT Station, near Arena). The plan is to assemble in Centris around 1pm and then convoy to PhilSports by 130pm. Please leave a message if you are interested in joining the carpool, either by volunteering your own car or by hitching a ride.

Thank you very much, and I hope to see all of you in PhilSports this Saturday.

Cheers!

Pinoy Kendoka

Sometimes things don't work out initially. It is when they finally do that makes it all the more rewarding.

For a few years now, I have been corresponding on and off with one of the owners of Bliss Cafe in Baguio, Mr. Jim Ward. I knew him only by reputation as a kendoka based in Baguio. He was friendly enough in our correspondences, and he had a standing invitation for us to keiko if I made it to Baguio. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, our meeting up never happened. Either I would go to Baguio and Jim would be out of town, or my planned trip to Baguio wouldn't push through.

Last month, I went up to Baguio on a hastily planned business trip. Because of the haste, and the fact that I was nursing an injury, I decided not to email ahead, just in case I wouldn't have time to try and meet up with Jim. As luck would have it, I had some free time in the evening. So I hopped into a cab in Session Road, told the driver to take me to Hotel Elizabeth, and soon enough found myself making my way through the lobby of the hotel and into the Bliss Cafe.

I read up a bit about Bliss Cafe before of course, but seeing the place in person was something else. It was full of art objects and memorabilia collected by Jim and his partner Shanti over the years. You would think the cafe would have a cluttered feel about it (like some art cafes here in Manila), but that was not the case here. Everything fit into it's own little corner and just seemed to contribute to a wholistic viewing experience. Though it isn't very clear in the picture below, this was Jim's Kendo/Budo corner in Bliss Cafe.

(Photo credits from Bliss Baguio FB Page)

Jim wasn't in yet when I came in, so I settled in to order dinner. Now, Bliss Cafe is a strictly vegetarian place, which to be honest gave me something to think about before ordering, as I am not a vegetarian by any stretch of the imagination. So after some thought, I settled on the eggplant ball pasta. That was definitely a good choice. And the dessert I got, the house crepes, was something I will remember for a long time. My only regret was that I wasn't able to try any of the fresh fruit smoothies, because the weather was really cold (I later found out it was around 11C that night!), but the hot gumamella tea I had was a good substitute. This is a restaurant I will definitely visit again when I go to Baguio.

Anyway, Jim walked in just as I was finishing my pasta course. I introduced myself to him, and he remembered our email correspondences. He took some time to settle some office matters and to talk to the other patrons (incidentally he introduced me to all of them, as it turns out they were all his friends - it is that kind of place), and then he sat down at my table and swapped kendo stories. He is as friendly as his emails implied he was, and it seemed like we were two long lost acquaintances meeting up. I could see how the cafe is an extension of his personality, warm, cozy, and full of nice memories and experiences.

So, if any of you plan on going to Baguio, I would definitely recommend a visit to the Bliss Cafe in Hotel Elizabeth along Gibraltar Road. You can find more information about them on their FB or Multiply page. And...if you feel up to it, Jim would like to invite any kendoka visiting to bring their shinai and bogu. He really misses practicing (no kendo in Baguio unfortunately), and would relish the opportunity to cross swords with people again.

Cheers and peace out!

Happy New Year everyone!

The greeting is a bit late I know, but it's the thought that should count anyway. So with the New Year comes some changes to the IGA-Kendo Club.

First of all we would like to announce some schedule changes to the training. First of all, our regular Saturday trainings have been extended by one hour, so it is now 2pm to 6pm every Saturday. Also our weekday training sessions have been moved to Wednesdays, from 8pm to 10pm. The Wednesday schedule will last til at least February.

A possible change this month will also be the website. This website has done it's job over the part 2 years or so, but it's time for a change. Stay tuned for announcements regarding our new and improved website.

New things might also be popping up later this year, but for now I will just leave that as a teaser for things to come.

Hoping for a prosperous and busy year for the club in 2012!

Cheers!

Pinoy Kendoka

The IGA-Kendo Club ended the year with a Christmas Shiai like no other!

The afternoon started with the IGA-Ken members trooping to the College of Human Kinetics Gymnasium of the University of the Philippines, Diliman Campus, the venue for the event. The event was suppposed to start at 1pm, but due to the horrible traffic, most of the members came in between 130pm to 2pm, with some stragglers arriving as late as 230pm.

In spite of that glitch, the event started well enough, with Igarashi-Sensei explaining the format and the ground rules for the tournament. The first part of the tournament started shortly after.

The tournament started with the Kihon-Nobu Class, or non-bogu members, who were formed into two teams. The White Team was composed of Ems Maguan, Ivan Isada, Ivan Verona, Jiggy Matias, Nat Malit, Ralph Pobre, Xavier Tanchico, and their "spiritual leader" Boy D. The Red Team was composed of Dave Acuna, Ejay Angeles, Ferdz Andres, Karlo Agon, Kevin Enriquez, Lea Guerrero, Miriam Lalwani, Sam Al-Mualem, and Vonn Alfabeto. This competition showcased their knowledge of kihon and kendo basics. The Red Team won in a close match of 5 wins vs the 4 wins of the White Team.

The next phase of the tournament involved all the bogu class members. The bogu class members were divided into six teams, each captained by one senior member. The teams were:

1) Team French-Pinoy: Sempo - Vince Hernandez, Jiho - Leo Montalvo, Chuken - Gelo Manuel, Fukusho - Alvin Perez, Taisho - Alain Duminy (Team Captain)

2) Team Manslayer: Sempo - Len Santiago, Jiho - Ice Empeno, Chuken - Rikki Reyes, Fukusho - Max(ine) Labrador, Taisho - Loida Estanilla-Inting (Team Captain)

3) Team Inting's Angels: Sempo - Erika Simbulan, Jiho - Alexis Espina, Chuken - Julia Macaranas, Fukusho - Konishi Yui, Taisho - Kristopher Inting (Team Captain)

4) Matsu Team: Sempo - Max Gana, Jiho - Matsumoto Takeshi (Team Captain), Chuken - Inoue Yuta, Fukusho - Danika Velasco, Taisho - Wilbert Montalbo

5) Team Nano: Sempo - Anthon Cayaco, Jiho - Ain Cabonce, Chuken - Gama Cabria, Fukusho - Dardsie Abriol-Santos, Taisho - Neil Bascos (Team Captain)

6) Team Japan: Sempo - Erica Abriol-Santos, Jiho - Nix Lopez, Chuken - Nakagane Ryosuke (Team Captain), Fukusho - Jomar Romero, Taisho - Fort Liu

Matches were conducted in a single round-robin format, with each team facing off against each other once. The wins vs losses (draws were not counted) were tallied in order to determine the champion team. And in the end, the Championship went to TEAM NANO! For winning three matches vs. two losses, the most wins by any team. So congratulations TEAM NANO!

The day ended with a "Santa" moment, when kendo equipment were distributed to the various members, and the Christmas Party in Julia's Party Pad. All in all, it was a very exciting and enjoyable event.

Just some notes from the tournament:

1) The fastest match of the event was the taisho match between Team Inting's Angels and Matsu Team. Inting went for the win against Montalbo and won with a men-ari and kote-ari in under 20 seconds. You can view the video of this match here.

2) The taisho match between Matsu Team and Team Nano could be considered as the most "brutal" match in the shiai. Bascos and Montalbo went all out, and Bascos even wound up breaking his shinai against Montalbo's defense at one point.

3) The most cheered on match was the  taisho match between Team Manslayer and Team Inting's Angels. It was the match of Inting vs Inting, and Inting won ;)!  The spectators could not get enough of this husband vs. wife match-up. You can view a video of this match here.

4) Three players won all their matches. Matsumoto won all his matches in the Jiho position, Nakagane in the Chuken position, and Inting in the Taisho position.

Videos of the other matches will be posted when available, but for the meantime please enjoy the ones posted above, and the following below:

1) Most Competitive Chuken Match, Reyes vs Nakagane.

2) Most Competitive Match between two new bogu class members, Cabonce vs Montalvo.

3) Match that utilized most of the shiai-jo, Macaranas vs. Manuel.

Finally, on behalf of the IGA-Ken Management, we would like to thank all the members who participated and helped to make this event a very successful one. Special thanks to Igarashi-Sensei who continues to be a source of Kendo knowledge and inspiration for us. Also thanks to the members of the Events and Publicity Team for the behind the scenes efforts in making this event work.

We are certainly looking forward to the next shiai, and to the other activities of the IGA-Kendo Club in 2012 and beyond.

Cheers Everyone! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

To end 2011 with a bang, the IGA-Kendo Club and the UP Kendo Club will be holding their Christmas Shiai (or competition) this Saturday, December 17, 2011, from 1pm to 6pm. Venue will be in the College of Human Kinetics Gymnasium of the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.

Competitions will start around 2pm with the Kihon-Nobu Class facing off against each other. They are divided into the Red and White Teams: 

Red Team - Dave Acuña, Ferdinand Andres, Kevin Enriquez, Lea Guerrero, Lea Jane Jonson, Miriam Mohaida Lalwani, John Karlo Agon, Vonn Alfabeto, Sami Al-Mualem, Ejay Angeles, Uziel Calica

White Team - Gerard Lumain, Nathaniel Malit, Jay Manlapaz, Stephanie Shayne Sor, Ivan Verona, Xavier Tanchico, Ivan Isada, Emmanuel Maguan, Jiggy Matias, Ralph Pobre, Nathaniel Mercado

This will be immediately followed by the Bogu Class matches. They are divided into six 5-man teams, with one A-Class member serving as Team Captain:

Team Bascos - Neil Bascos (Team Captain), Dardsie Abriol-Santos, Gama Cabria, Ain Cabonce, Anthon Cayaco

Team Duminy - Alain Duminy (Team Captain), Gelo Manuel, Alvin Perez, Vince Hernandez, Leo Montalvo

Team Estanilla-Inting (aka The ManSlayers) - Loida Estanilla-Inting (Team Captain), Ice Empeno, Rikki Reyes, Len Santiago, Maxine Labrador

Team Inting (aka Inting's Angels) - Kristopher Inting (Team Captain), Konishi Yui, Julia Macaranas, Erika Simbulan, Alexis Espina

Team Matsumoto - Matsumoto Takeshi (Team Captain), Max Gana, Inoue Yuta, Wilbert Montalbo, Danika Velasco

Team Nakagane - Nakagane Ryosuke (Team Captain), Erica Abriol-Santos, Fort Liu, Nix Lopez, Jomar Romero

The teams will be divided into two groups and will go through a single round robin elimination. The 3rd place in each group will face each other in a final match, then the 2nd place in each group, and finally the 1st place in each group will face off in a championship match.

Good luck to all the participants, and see you on Saturday!

On behalf of the leaders of the IGA-Kendo Club and the UP-Kendo Club, I would like to thank and congratulate everyone who attended the just concluded first ever Club Training Camp! It was a really memorable event, and I hope that everyone who participated had as good a time as I did!

The day started with the assembly of most of the students in UP Diliman. After a series of minor glitches caused by unexpected traffic, accidents, and “lost” members, we managed to meet up with Igarashi-Sensei’s group who was waiting in Sta. Rosa. From there, we proceeded to go to the People’s Park in the Sky and the Tagaytay Picnic Grove for sightseeing.

Lunch was served in the Alamat Restaurant in the Picnic Grove. It was here where Nakagane-Sempai, Alain-Sempai, and (our resident Lover-Boy Ninja) Wilbert joined the group.

After lunch, we all went to the Tagaytay Sports Complex (where the last straggler, Marge, joined the group) for the first part of theTraining Camp.

In the evening, we checked into the Tagaytay International Convention Center, where we were billeted for the night.

After a much needed bath and rest period, we went for dinner in the nearby Fatless Shabu-Shabu Restaurant…which was not completely fatless as the name implied, but this was a good thing.

The next day started with an early morning jogging session. After breakfast, we then proceeded to the Tolentino Sports and Activity Centerfor the second part of the Training Camp. Among other things, there were seven newly inducted bogu class members, and a shiai that included all members, with a very special Igarashi vs. Igarashi match!

The last activity for the day was a late, but wonderful, lunch in Sonya’s Secret Garden. And then we braved the traffic going back to Manila where the event officially ended.

All in all, this was a very successful camp. Everyone had positive things to say about it, and took away much needed lessons from the training.

Of course we would like to know more about how you felt about this, so if you can please take the time to answer the survey posted below, it would be very much appreciated. This is the same survey posted on the Facebook pages, so if you already answered that one please don’t answer a second time.

Link to the Survey

More pictures and videos will follow. I would like to encourage everyone to post their pictures and videos, either on this website or on the Facebook pages.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone once again for yourparticipation! Here’s looking forward to the next Training Camp!

Cheers!

Pinoy Kendoka

Hello everyone!

The following is the itinerary for the Training Camp in Tagaytay. Note that most of the schedule times are flexible, with the exception of the training times in the Tolentino Sports and Activity Center. Hope we can stick to the schedule as much as possible though!

Saturday, October 29:

630am - 700am: Assembly in UP Diliman (exact meeting place to be determined)

700am - 900am: Travel from UP Diliman to Palace in the Sky, Tagaytay

900am - 1000am: Sightseeing in Palace in the Sky

1000am - 1015am: Travel from Palace in the Sky to Picnic Grove

1015am - 1200nn: Sightseeing in Picnic Grove. Free time for everyone to do what they want. Zipline, horseback riding and other activities available.

1200nn - 130pm: Lunch in Picnic Grove and Siesta.

130pm - 140pm: Travel from Picnic Grove to Tolentino Sports and Activity Center (TSAC)

140pm - 200pm: Prepare for training session.

200pm - 600pm: Training Session

600pm - 630pm: Travel from TSAC to Tagaytay International Convention Center (TICC)

630pm - 745pm: Check-in and preparation for dinner

745pm - 800pm: Travel to Restaurant

800pm - 1000pm: Dinner and fellowship night

1000pm - 1015pm: Travel back to TICC

1030pm: Lights out (in theory. )

Sunday, October 30

630am - 730am: Breakfast and preparation for training session

730am - 740am: Assembly for leaving

740am - 755am: Travel from TICC to TSAC

755am - 800am: Preparation for training session

800am - 1200nn: Training session

1200nn - 1230pm: Travel from TSAC to TICC

1230pm - 200pm: Preparation for lunch and checking out

200pm - 230pm: Travel from TICC to Sonya's Secret Garden

230pm - 400pm: Lunch and exploring Sonya's Secret Garden

400pm - 600pm: Travel from Sonya's Secret Garden to UP Diliman

600pm: ETA in UP Diliman. End of event.

Hello everyone,

This is the t-shirt design made by Ricky for the club.

We might also help the UP Kendo Club with their own shirt, so stay tuned for that.

Cheers!

Pinoy Kendoka

Hi everyone. Just a reminder that we will be collecting the Training Camp fees starting tomorrow, Oct 1, 2011. Deadline will be Oct 15, 2011.

Hello,

Just a kind reminder that we have practice every Thursday 8 to 10 PM, Arena Fitness. All are welcome. Last Thursday (September 8 ) there were 10 of us and we had a good, fun practice! 

See you on Thursday.

Alain