24 March 2015 – Philippine Ambassador to China Erlinda F. Basilio led the officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy in Beijing in organizing a Seminar-Workshop on Arnis at the Embassy’s Social Hall on March 07, in partnership with the National Arnis Association of the Philippines (Naraphil)-China Chapter. The seminar-workshop was attended by Embassy personnel and household members, some members of the Filipino community in Beijing, as well as young Chinese professionals and students who are enthusiasts of this martial art.
The Seminar-Workshop was one of the commemorative activities for the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China as well as the Embassy’s gender and development (GAD) activity in observance of International Women’s Month in March. It was aimed at providing the participants with basic arnis knowledge and skills for exercise and fitness and as a tool for cultural exchange, and, at the same time, equipping them with valuable self- defense tips and techniques.
Chinese officials present at the event included Mr. Bai Ruijun and Ms. Wang Bo of the Chinese Association for International Understanding (CAFIU), and Mr. Zhang Wangnan, Deputy Secretary General of the China Association of Martial Arts and Director of the Industry Development Committee as well as guests from the Beijing Sport University and the Beijing Olympics Center.
Representatives from China Radio International (CRI)’s CRI-Filipino Service, China Daily, China Youth Daily and China.com.cn were present to cover the event for their respective media organizations.
The event included an arnis demonstration by Mr. Rhio Zablan, founder and president of Naraphil-China, Mr. Lin Chi and Ms. Sabrina Sicking; presentations on the “Introduction of Arnis” with Demonstration by Mr. Zablan; “The Health and Wellness Benefits of Arnis” with Demonstration by Mr. Vincent Soberano, eight-time World Muay Thai Champion, a pioneer of mixed martial arts (MMA) in China, a fitness guru and advocate of arnis; “The Relationship of Stick, Blade and Empty Hand Techniques” with demonstration by Philippine Minister and Consul Frank Olea, Embassy’s very own expert on the balintawak style of Filipino martial arts; and “Arnis in the Movies” by Mr. Jhun Occidental, a Filipino-American based in Beijing who is an expert on the modern arnis style; and a Workshop on basic striking and blocking techniques and the abaniko style by Mr. Zablan and Professor Li Junfeng of the Beijing Sport University.
In welcoming the participants and guests, Ambassador Basilio remarked that the Seminar-Workshop on arnis is not only a most fitting kick-off event for a sports series that the Embassy will undertake as part of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China and an implementation of the Philippines-China Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Sports Cooperation signed during President Aquino’s State Visit to China in 2011, but also an opportunity to promote the spirit of camaraderie and sportsmanship by introducing to our Chinese friends this Filipino martial art. She said that the seminar-workshop that shares this Filipino martial art with Chinese friends is a wonderful opportunity for exchange and cooperation in the field of sports, while propagating arnis as a modern martial art, which has been designated as the national martial art and sport of the Philippines under Republic Act No. 9850 signed in 2009.
The Ambassador said that, through the national sport of arnis, it is hoped that the Chinese people will get some insight into the resilient character of Filipinos and that through sports diplomacy, Chinese and Filipino athletes can be brought together to further promote friendship, respect and cultural understanding between the two sides.
A Filipino merienda of pancit, adobo, lumpia, puto and gulaman was served to participants following the seminar-workshop. END