During my stay in the Philippines for two years, I visited some
local dojos in Manila and Davao and met bunch of nice people.
1. Metro Manila area
-Makati Aikido Club-
I visited this dojo at 2001. It's located at Gym of YMCA
International at Makati. Though I knew the exact address, it was
very hard to find the place because of the taxi driver.
Royce Reyes sensei is the top instructor. (4th dan aikikai style..)
He was not too powerful and not too soft too. Just ok for me.
But it was really really hot inside since since there was no
window. So we need to take a rest in the middle for some mins.
I tried to visit this place again but my schedule didn't allow me to
do so...
-Heart Center Aikido club-
There's Philippine Heart Center along East Avenue of Quezon
City. It's very easy to find even if you take public transportation.
Take MRT and get off at GMA Kamuning station and take a
jeepney or walk for 10 mins. You may walk inside and ask for
MAB hall to a guard. Since MAB hall is really a HALL, you
need to set up bunch of mats first. If the hall is used by others,
people move to a basement.
Crispin Buenaseda (4th dan aikika) is a top instructor here but
when I visited this club he was absent.(went to canada for
a while..)
2. Davao City
-Seiwakai Philippines-
This is the oldest club in Davao city affiliated by Seiwakai Japan
(Koichi Shibata sensei 7th dan). Unlike other clubs, this club
practice different style of aikido;Shoji Nishio style since Shibata
sensei was a student of Nishio sensei.
This dojo is very easy to find since most taxi drivers knows this
place. 'Artiaga Street Taekwondo' is enough to reach here.
This dojo share space with taekwondo(actually Moodukkwan
style..). There are also several other clubs with same name.
(Maybe a split?)
Main instructor is Nouli Esguerra(2nd dan). He's only 2nd dan
but he's very skilled. I saw grading is very very slow in this
club. even kyu test is done once a year when Shibata sensei
visit.. Maybe this is why grading is very slow and Nouli is still
a 2nd dan. (I think he's more than that actually....)
Shibata sensei and other Seiwaka Japan members visit this
club once a year and hold a seminar.
I mostly practiced Kobayashi style, so their taijutsu and
bukiwaza seemed very new to me. I enjoyed training here.
I don't know why but most people train very soft here. Apparently
Nouli can be intense but he goes very soft. I think it would be
better if he goes less soft.
-Kannagara Dojo-
This dojo is located at Ford Academy. But many taxi drivers
don't know this place so like Seiwakai, just say 'Buhangin
Road, Ladislawa'. Ladislawa is one of the most expensive
village in Davao, so you can't miss this place and it has two
different gates. 'Buhangin Road' will get you to a proper gate.
(don't enter the village... anyway mostly you can't..
Marielle Macapawa sensei(4th dan aikikai) is a main and the
only one instructor here. Grey was an assistant instructor but he
left to Cebu for business.
Macapawa sensei is really powerful more than any other male
instructors I experienced in the philippines.
Sometimes she
goes too brutal but I liked her style anyway.
I don't know her history. I just heard some details from here and
there. I think she started learning aikido very early with other
teachers like Royce sensei of Makati aikido club. She used to
teach aikido in Manila but moved to Davao. (Why? I don't know..)
that's all for now..