I yahoo searched my name to check my listing as international representative of A.R.E. in the Philippines and found out among other things that I share the same name with Nicaraguan singer Cecilia Ferrer of the Argonauts. I also came across this old article circa 2005 in the Visayan Sunstar about my visit to Bacolod to meet some of the arnis masters facilitated by James Sy, Jr. Its like a travel back in time. Arnis has always been my first love. I started studying this indigenous martial arts in 1998 under Guro Maning Borza of Bicol who taught me the sinuwali method and introduced me to kung fu which I loved but did not pursue. My last Guro in 2006-2007 who is now in Israel,was Jon Escudero of Club Academia for the espada y daga style. My arnis training was intermittent. I wish I have the time to focus on arnis but my main martial arts discipline now is fencing and kendo. I was with Kalimasada as student and instructor from 1995-2000. Kalimasada was a passive self defence workout that cultivated inner energy. I was in the pioneer Perdana class in 1995 taught by Sir Leo Villarosa and Mathias Verhayden of Netherlands and Hawaii. My Kalimasada master was Pak Dedy Widarso who initiated me and my Grand Master was Pak Asep of Bandung. I stopped my Kalimasada practice in 2000 as I started studying a new method of self healing and energy development in 1999 with Guru Dedy Widarso of Jakarta Indonesia called Tapak Jagad or Step Universe. Today, I am an instructor of Step Universe in the Philippines. I also love sumo wrestling. I watch the live bashio telecast when I can on NHK. And yes this is so random but I love the animated movie Kung Fu Panda that I watched with five year old Miguel Lucero.I am not giving up on kung fu and I'm looking or rather waiting for my teacher to show up!
Step Universe website:http://www.stepuniverse.biz/
Saturday, August 31, 2005
Kalimasada instructress appreciates Negrense arnis
KALIMASADA (Indonesian energy works) instructress Cecilia Ferrer of Manila met Conceptual Martial Arts Society (CMAS) founders James Sy Jr. and Narciso "Hansy" Alojado last August 26 in Bacolod City for a formal introduction to the Filipino warrior arts of Negros Occidental.
The duo gave Ferrer a short session which covered the wide spectrum of Negrense arnis but focused on the universal fundamentals as taught in the Lapu-Lapu Viñas arnis system.
Ferrer was also introduced to two FMA grandmasters in Bacolod City and witnessed a first hand demonstration of their respective arts on August 27, 2005.
Headmaster Wilson "Nonong" Viñas, the 1st generation inheritor of the Lapu-Lapu Viñas arnis system, showed her the scientific application of the art's single stick combat and dynamic weapon disarming.
Grandmaster Mike F. Vasquez, the headmaster of Vasquez modified tapado and Vasquez modified karate, gave a demonstration of the devastating power of tapado, the Negrense arnis art of long stick fighting.
Ferrer, a daughter of the late Representative Inocencio V. Ferrer Sr., was amazed at the depth with which the Filipino martial arts (FMA) is interpreted and taught in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental.
"The Negrense/Bacoleño arnis is very logical. Each movement has a reason, making it very effective and efficient. The way they teach arnis here is different from how it is taught in other parts of the Philippines, and even abroad" she explained.
Source:
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/bac/2005/08/31/sports/kalimasada.instructress.appreciates.negrense.arnis.html
