The Makiling Aikido Club in Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines will celebrate its 20th anniversary on September 24, 2011 with a keiko and homecoming for all those who began their Aikido journey in the dojo at the foothills of Mt. Makiling and trained with us through the years. Manolo Villegas Sensei, the founder of Makiling Aikido Club, already gave instructions to plan the simple celebration.
The story goes that the first batch of members in 1991 began their training on the field across the street from St. Therese Chapel without mats only the green grass to cushion their break falls and front rolls. Hence, new members nowadays should no longer wonder why senior members attempt jump rolls over a standing person or do high falls on a concrete or wooden floor.
Succeeding generations of members remember MA Gym in Plaza Agapita as the home of MAC from 1991-1994 and the Villegas Compound from 1995-2001. Shapers Gym in Grove, Lopez Avenue, LB is its present home. Manolo Sensei remains the chief instructor. The other instructors who handled the regular classes in the past were Eugene Maligalig, Dante Facundo and Paul Olegario. Eugene Sensei was the first student to attain the rank of sho dan, followed by Dante Sensei. Dante Sensei was the regular instructor from 1995-2001.
Paul Sensei arrived in LB with sterling credentials. Members then found out he trained in Japan as a student of Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba in Tohoku University. He taught regularly in LB from 1998 up to the time he returned to Japan for graduate studies.
Other members of MAC who reached dan levels were Rommel Miel, Alma Bombase, Jonaz Labastilla, Richard Encomienda, Dino Dominguita, Rommel Desamero, Jojo Genio, Phan Minh Quan, Caleb Osborne, Ted Boado, Russell Celis, Roy Calinga, Bujong Castillo, Mark Ang, Oliver Ocampo and GP Dayan.
Jeff Raņola, a student of Jun Penolio Sensei of Bicol Aikido Zen Dojo in Naga City, has been training with MAC regularly since 2009. The MAC is the designated dojo supervising aikido training at the Shin Shin Aikido Club in Biņan City in Laguna. Shin Shin Aikido Club became a member of Aikido Philippines in 2010.
Ichihashi, Osawa, Kuribayashi, Minegishi and Mori Shihans were visitors of Makiling Aikido Club.
When Aikido Philippines was formally unified under one federation only five Aikido clubs composed its charter - Makati YMCA Aikido Club, Red Tiger Aikido Club (Takemusu), Quezon City Aikido Club (Tachi Kaze), Shinbu Aikido Dojo, and Makiling Aikido Dojo. On November 21, 1992, Aikido Philippines was officially recognized by the Aikikai Hombu Dojo.
Former members and students of Manolo Sensei are invited to celebrate and reconnect with the dojo at the foot of Mt. Makiling. Those who have a lot of fond memories they would like to share and put these in writing can email their reminiscences, anecdotes, etc. at
dinodominguita@yahoo.com. Details of the event will be posted later. Invitations will be posted here and in the website of Makiling Aikido Club and Aikido Philippines.
Official Website:
http://mac-elbi.webs.com/
