Battle of Cebu - World Stick Fighting Championships 2008

By John Harvey

After 8 weeks of intensive training in Luton we were ready for anything which was to be thrown at us. Mind you the 8 weeks training was not without a few dramas, with over 30 plus fighters in one room it was a day’s work to keep all the egos in check. That is another story for another day.

The 8 weeks training before a World Championships is a must, you want to be a world champion you have got to work at it, and it does not just fall into your lap. That means that you have got to work hard and listen to your squad trainers.

The WEKAF World Championships were to be held in Cebu, Philippines this year and this is a hard venue to win a championship medal, this is going to the heart of eskrima and has some of the best stick fighters on the planet.

The WEKAF British Team was very positive in their outlook and after all the training they had done we were certain of winning some medals.

Over the weekend of 12th and 13th July most of the squad made their way to Cebu, some went in groups and some went individually, most were staying at The Cebu Grand Hotel so this was to be our meeting place when we all arrived in Cebu.

Jude and I were not arriving until Wednesday 16th July because of work. We arrived at The Cebu Grand at about 9.00 in the evening.

After throwing our bags in our room it was time for some food in the restaurant. After a day of eating airline food we were ready for some proper food.

We were sitting in the restaurant for a while and we were joined by Grand Master Nick Elizar who we have known for over 10 years. After chatting with Nick for a while he told us he had a new training area. So we made arrangements to see it the next day and if it was big enough we would take the squad to train there next day.

The next day we went to look at Grand Master Nick Elizar new training area and it was fine so at 4.00 in the afternoon 30 stick fighters turned up for the first squad training in The Philippines.

The first squad sparring session at Grand Master Nick Elizar's training area (Photograph courtesy of Jim Smith)

The temperature was in the 80s and the humidity was very high so you need plenty of fluids. We started the training with Nick showing some very fast disarms and then on to the fighting in full armour. This was very hard and hot but the team had trained hard so it was not a problem. The fitness of The British Team is legendary in these events and this tournament was not going to be any different.

Photo opportunity with Grand Master Nick Elizar
(Photograph courtesy of Jim Smith)

This training session was on the Thursday, so on the Friday Grand Master Nick arranged for three jeepneys; these are like small open air mini buses, to take all the squad down to Hadsan Beach for a squad training session and to relax and do some sun bathing.

The session at the beach went very well; it was in the 90s and very hot. Mad dogs and English men train in the midday sun. The fitness level of the team is very good and they are all supporting each other. This is important in a large team.

Sparring on the beach
(Photographs courtesy of Jim Smith)

Saturday morning the last training session before the WEKAF World Championships start on the 22nd July. This last training session started at 7.00 am in the hotel gardens next to the hotel, and to Jude and my surprise there was no complaints. This session was fast and furious in full armour and although it was only 7.00 in the morning the team was looking very good and on track to win lots of medals. The team was looking very positive indeed. This was one of the best training sessions so far.

The last squad sparring session in the hotel gardens at 7 AM
(Photographs courtesy of Jim Smith)

Sunday was a rest day for all the team. Some went shopping; some guys went training in eskrima/arnis, after all this is the centre of eskrima with many styles to choose from.

Monday was the day of the congress; this is when the country delegates are chosen to be on the board of WEKAF. Roger Barnes from Northampton was chosen to be Great Britain delegate with John James as his assistant. A new president for WEKAF was also elected and that was Sharon Burns from Australia. This was a day of meetings so we were all pleased it was all over by 2.00 in the afternoon.

Tuesday the first day of the 10th WEKAF tournament was to start in a shopping centre; the venue was in The Ayala Shopping Mall. This was in a shopping mall right in the centre of Cebu, can you imagine a world championship tournament in your local Arndale shopping centre or a similar place. The Trafford Centre or Blue Water shopping centre.

This raised a few eye brows from lots of teams, who had travelled to Cebu, but this was the Philippines and it was the venue for the 10th WEKAF World Championships so we just got on with it.

Let me try to explain about the Ayala Shopping Mall, this is a very large shopping mall full of designer shops and all the things you would find in a shopping mall. Starbucks and some good restaurants.

We had an area cordoned off so you could get 4 fighting areas and enough room for all the fighters plus all the adjudicators in. Spectators could watch from behind the cordoned off area.

The fighting arena in the Ayala Shopping Mall
(Photograph courtesy of Jim Smith)

Tuesday was the start of the forms. Great Britain had only a few competitors in this event but we were positive of getting some medals. The forms have many categories so this was going to be a long day.

We started off well with Jacob Stewart from Yorkshire winning a silver medal to be followed by Cielito Caneja from South London also winning a silver medal. Cielito’s husband was also doing well in the forms winning a bronze medal.

This was a good start to the day. We now had to start winning some medals in the sparring. So it began. This was the ultimate test of your fitness and you skills as a world class stick fighter.

The medals started to come slowly with Robert Braid from Northampton winning gold in the lightweight single stick division. Robert is a new comer to the international stick fighting scene but what a start with a gold medal.

Glynn Daniels now a veteran fighter showed that he still had some left in the tank with gold in the vet’s single stick and gold in the vet’s double stick. Well done Glynn. We were now on a roll with Catherine Rawnsley winning gold in lightweight single stick.

As the day went on we were getting more fighters into the finals.

The next day was a 9 o clock start; this was going to be a long day. The medals kept coming with WEKAF GB delegate Roger Barnes winning gold in single stick and double stick. Frazer Cross also from Northampton also won gold in single stick. All these fighters Roger Barnes, Fraser Cross, Glynn Daniels and Robert Braid are from the Northampton area. Is there something in the water?

The single stick events were going well for The GB Team with lots of medals. We were winning golds, silvers and lots of bronze medals and we still had the double stick and the team event to come.

In the double stick we had a good start with Norman Charles from Kent winning gold and this was followed by another veteran fighter the indomitable Richard Hudson from Nottingham also winning gold in double stick.

In the female double stick we were doing well with Sasha Milliner from Kapatiran Arnis Bristol winning gold, Sasha also won silver in the single stick. Sasha must now be ranked as our number one female fighter in Great Britain.

So the medals kept coming, Fabion Cupidom from Northampton also won a gold medal in the double stick. The only blot on the landscape was that the organisers ran out of trophies and some of the GB Team had to leave The Philippines without them. Hopefully they will be sent onto Great Britain. This was an extremely successful trip to The Philippines for The British Squad and all of the team without exception displayed levels of fitness and skill to make them some of the best stick fighters in the world.

Even fighters who only won silver and bronze proved against better fighters that if you fight someone from Great Britain that you are in for a fight be it single or double stick. The fitness of The British Team was at the best Jude and I have ever seen from fighters.

The end result was that Great Britain came third in the medals table after USA 1st. Philippines 2nd. This is the best result for Great Britain since the commencement of WEKAF.

Total medals for Great Britain was 12 gold medals, 11 silver and 17 bronze. This was our best event so far but with some of the new names in stick fighting we hope to do better in Mexico in 2010. Names to watch out for are female fighters Terry Peyto, Jennifer van der Eijk, and Sarah Charles. Male fighters Roel Caneja, Robert Braid, Simon Winch, and Joe Agoncillo.

Great Britain are looking for sponsors going to Mexico 2010 if you want to be part of a winning team contact us at www.wekafgb.com or John Harvey via email at rapidjohn_52@yahoo.co.uk