Martial Arts is more than just about fighting… it’s all about discipline and self defense which are good building blocks for kids as they grow older… bot only does it strengthen the body, but is also teaches restraint and discipline.
This October 20 and 21, Arte Suave was held again at Commercenter Alabang, and this time bringing in fighters and martial arts enthusiasts from all over the Philippines for two days of high-level gi and no gi jiu-jitsu action.
“The warm reception from both the local BJJ and MMA communities for the past three installments of Arte Suave Manila is one of the reasons why we’re back at it for another year,” shares Leslie Tagle-Dinglasan, AVP for Marketing of Commercenter. “We’re excited to open our doors again this year for new and seasoned competitors, and of course, the teams and families supporting them.”
As with previous years, the Gi competition is scheduled on the first day (October 20), and will be open to White, Blue, and Purple Belt competitors. The No Gi competition, which is open to Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced level grapplers, will be on the second day (October 21).
This 2018 saw the biggest umber of competitors reaching a total of 204 fighters, with a big percentage of those in the white belt category.
“More than a way to test oneself, competitions like Arte Suave Manila are critical to building teams,” quips Franco Rulloda, Co-Founder and President of Triumvirate Fighting and himself a Brown Belt with Deftac-Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu Philippines. “Building teams means growing the sport, and growing the sport means growing the community.”
Arte Suave Manila is also the first local event to introduce Superfights, which are ten-minute submission-only bouts featuring a mix of up-and-coming and established names both in BJJ an MMA.
Previous headliners from the jiu-jitsu scene include Myron Mangubat, the youngest Black Belt of Deftac-Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu Philippines; Kaila Napolis, a Purple Belt of Checkmat Philippines and a member of the Philippine National Jiu-Jitsu Team; Pat Jamlang, a Brown Belt from Origins Jiu-Jitsu; and Justin Ceriola, Blue Belt from Deftac-Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu Philippines who was recently honoured with a Siklab Superkids Award by the Philippine Olympic Committee.
From the MMA end, a number of elite fighters from leading promotions like the Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC), Pacific Xtreme Combat (PXC), and ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) have also competed on Arte Suave Manila’s mats: Drex “The T-Rex” Zamboanga, Hideo “Death from Tokyo” Morikawa, Burnard “The Hitman” Soriano, CJ “The Golden Boy” De Tomas, and Rolando “Dy Incredible” Dy. De Tomas and Dy are currently both signed with the UFC.
“Every time we hear about competitors and superfighters winning abroad, it motivates us to keep improving on our event,” continues Rulloda. “Creating and giving value to every fighter who joins our event has always been the driving force behind Arte Suave Manila.”
“We’re proud to be the home and presenter of a competition that contributes to the growth of the local BJJ community,” adds Tagle-Dinglasan.
