4 Americans complete training on Yaw-Yan ArDigma fighting system

CEBU, Philippines - Four American kickboxers completed an extensive training about the fighting system of Yaw-Yan ArDigma under the guidance of Master Benigno 'Ekin' R. Caniga, Jr. recently at the Yaw-Yan headquarters situated at 4th floor of Coast Pacific Downtown Center just across the UC-Main Campus along Sanciangko Street, Cebu City.

Anthony Alexander, Ethan Bregman, Sergio Diaz and Tara Punwaney went through a series of punching and kicking drills both in the basic and advance level of Yaw-Yan ArDigma.

  "These guys flew all the way from the United States just to experience the training of Master Ekin and to fully understand Yaw-Yan, which is one of the most popular authentic Filipino martial arts," said Yaw-Yan ArDigma Sacramento head Michael Rubi Mckenzie.

First introduced by Grandmaster Napoleon 'Nap' Fernandez in 1972, Yaw-Yan is an all-out martial arts using the body as a weapon. It trains the students in different areas of teaching punches, kicks, elbows and knees.

  Mckenzie said that aside from the four students he brought here, more and more Americans have enrolled in their gym in Sacramento, California. "In the US, there are many popular martial arts but Yaw-Yan has slowly gained ground and has captured the interest of martial art enthusiasts."

 Mckenzie credited the growth of Yaw-Yan in Sacramento to his instructors headed by international martial arts champion Johnlery 'Ian' Caniga Jr., Jordan Balcita, Remigio Berandoy and Jeremy Antolin.

  "There is a plan to bring new batch of students from the US to train in Cebu every year and I bet more will be willing to come here and experience the training," added Mckenzie.

For his part, Master Ekin is ecstatic about the growth of Yaw-Yan not only in the US but also in other parts of the world. "Hopefully we can have some of our students from other chapters in the US and in Europe to visit us for a training camp," Master Ekin said.  (FREEMAN)