MANILA TAEKWONDO

M2 Grand Opening, Milpitas CA

2011-09-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

Sept. 3, 2011
The Grand Opening for M2 and the 15 year aniversary for Manila TKD in Milpitas had a great turn out with the family, friends and spectators that joined in on the fun. The Mayor of Milpitas also showed up for the ribbon cutting and presented Master Henry Cruz and SBN Chino Cruz with a Certificate welcoming them to the city of Milpitas. The Demo was a success thanks to the helpers and the students that put in their time and effort to make all this happen. Manila 2 is NOW OPEN. Please come by and try us out!!!

M2 Sports Coming Soon.(competition team)

Bay Area Open 2011 Union City CA

2011-08-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

Bay Area Open was a great turnout for Manila TKD, majority of the kids placed or brought home gold. The results are listed below, note that not all fighters are listed and will be adding through out the week. We would like to thank Master Henry and his family for the help and support in coaching. The Old Manila is Back!!!

Michael - silver
Abi- bronze
Seth- gold
Patrick-bronze
Silva brother- gold/silver
Lilly- gold
Brian-gold
Eunice-silver
Meg- bronze
Jordan -gold
Jonathan- silver
Arvin-gold
Naiomi- bronze
Taylor-gold
Joseph-gold
Niko-gold
Lance-silver
Dean- silver

M2 Sports TKD

2011-08-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

M2 - Manila Tae Kwon Do (Milpitas, CA) is a branch of Manila Tae Kwon Do HQ (Union City, CA). Although it is a branch school, it is solely owned and operated by Chino Cruz, Master Henry Cruz' eldest son.

Chino Cruz is an experienced Tae Kwon Do Instructor and competitor with 17 years of Tae Kwon Do experience. He is a 2nd degree Black Belt and will be receiving his 3rd Degree shortly.

As a Tae Kwon Do competitor, Chino received his 1st US National Gold Medal at the age of 6.. In 2004 Chino was invited to attend the 1st ever US Taekwondo Developmental High Performance Program Camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The purpose of the Developmental High Performance Program is to identify world class talent and develop future champions at the international level.

In August of 2005, Chino together with his Manila Tae Kwon Do teammates, traveled to the Philippines to compete in the Philippine Nationals and the 4th Samsung Best of the Best Taekwondo Championships. In the Philippine National Event, Chino led the Junior Boys Team (5-man Team) to a 3rd place win, finishing in the Top 4 out of 31 Teams. At the Samsung Best of the Best Championship, Chino finished in 1st Place in the Junior Male, Welterweight Division.

In September 2011, M2 - Manila Tae Kwon Do 2 will open it's doors. As we begin another chapter in Chino's future and Manila Tae Kwon Do's legacy, we invite all of you to stop by and visit with us so you can personally see what MHQ and M2 is really all about. We hope to see you soon!

"Live on the edge and give it all you got in practice, boys and girls. Champions aren't born, they are made." - Sansunim Chino Cruz."

2011 Northern California State Taekwondo Championships

2011-06-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

Word from the Master:

Norcal State championship result for Jordan Santos was 30-8 !!. Highest score ever recorded by the True score system. Great job crew. So proud of you all. Everyone from student to Grandmaster were nice to Manila. Gave out a lot of business cards. Love this game especially when done right.Thanks to all especially to Robert and Lea for you know what. We hit Chinatown on the way home. UC Davis is a beautiful University. .Thanks to all and job well done.

Henry Cruz
SBN
Manila Taekwondo

Always train hard
When you train hard
The fight is easy

Jordan
Rd.1
Rd.2

Human Weapon- Taekwondo

2011-06-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

Facebook

2011-05-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

Manila Tae Kwon Do Athletes - Past, Present and Future

This group is Open (public), which means everyone can see the group and what members post.

What can you do in your group?

Members can post and comment on updates, chat with everyone at once, schedule group events, create shared docs, and more.

manilataekwondo@groups.facebook.com

Stanford Spring TKD tournament

2011-05-20T13:21:00.001-07:00

Here are the Manila Competitors for the upcoming TKD tournament at Stanford on 05/28/11.

1. Sansonin Geremy Escolta
2. Sansonin Joshua Magpuri
3. Justin Bose
4. Joseph Ong
5. Kevin Nguyen
6. Jordan Santos
7. Taylor Duke
8. Jonathan Man
9. Meg Hsu
10. Naomi Spielmann
11. Brian Wong
12. Seth Verdote
13. Omar Garcia
14. Diego Gastelum
15. Bree Magpuri
16. Patrick Domingo
17. Lance Capili

Note; if your name was not mentioned we apologize but we know that we will see you there.

Tuning up for the big event around the corner.

Manila Photoshoot Sunday 5-15-11

2011-05-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

Photo shoot turned out to be a great success thanks to Mr. Andrew Nguyen and all the participants of Manila TKD. The photos taken are of the students who are attending the Junior Nationals 2011, which is just around the corner. We will be having majority of the students attend ranging from green to black belts. Stay tuned for more updates with the upcoming tournaments and news from Manila TKD.

For more info about the photographer here is his website:
http://andrewphotolive.com/

YOUTUBE POST 4/9/11

2011-04-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

Manila ART

2011-04-17T00:46:00.000-07:00

Special thanks to Black Belt Neil Batallones for contributing his time and effort in making Manila TKD more home-like for the current fighters. Neil was one of the first black belts from the first batch of Master Cruz's students when Manila first started. He attended many tournaments with Master Cruz including nationals in his younger years. Thank you Neil for your hard work, your art is well appreciated and noted. Salamat Po!!!

Manila Renovation

2011-04-17T00:38:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all the families that made the Manila TKD renovation happen, Master Henry Cruz was very thankful and happy about the new place. Many more changes will happen in the next few weeks and we are proud to make these changes happen for Master Cruz. If you missed the chance to help out, it's not too late! We will continue to make changes and all events will be posted in emails that are sent out daily. GO MANILA!!!

American Open TKD 2011

2011-03-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

Salamat Po (thank you) for those who came & showed support to our competitors at the American Open TKD Champ in Hayward, CA .

Kuya Greg

Sansonin Geremy

Chris Ubando

CJ Ubando

Mrs. Wong

Brian Wong

Naomi Spielmann & Family

If your name was not mentioned we apologize.

Results of the fights are as follows;

1. Jordan Santos Gold dominated the entire fight, no need to say more.

2. Boston Medeiros Silver fought kids that are older, and bigger. The moose is loose.

3. Meg Hsu Gold on her 1^st tournament, special thanks to Sansonin Geremy for coaching her.

4. Brianna Magpuri Silver fought a girl who is 14 yrs old, she is 12.

5. Kevin Nguyen Silver gave out the best effort to revenge Manila.

6. Justin Bose First fight 9-0 Justin, second fight 5-2 robinson, great improvement, keep it up.

7. Joseph Ong Bronze

GOOD LUCK for those Manila competitors who are heading to Carson , CA for the qualifiers. May the force be with you.

Youtube.com/Manilataekwondo

2011-03-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

As many of those in Manila TKD already know, the school has been working on a Youtube page that showcases the fighters in Manila Taekwondo, please feel free to check out the site and subscribe!

You can find us @:

Youtube.com/Manilataekwondo

2010 UPDATE

2010-01-11T22:47:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to RYAN ARCAINA and CHEYENNE LEWIS who have garnered spots in the just concluded USA Junior National Team Trials. Both Ryan and Cheyenne will be representing the United States in the upcoming World Jr Taekwondo Championships to be held on March 9-10, 2010 in Tijuana, Mexico.

Also, Congratulations to Master Henry Cruz who to-date has coached his 10th US National Team spot.!!!! Great Job, Master Cruz!!!!

GO TEAM MANILA!!!!

2009 US Nationals Junior Olympics Update

2009-07-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

June 30 2009 - Day 1 - Niko

July 1, 2009 - Day 2 - Seth won Silver in 6-7 year old Green Belt

July 2, 2009 - Day 3 - Cheyenne won Bronze in 12-13 Black Belt

Leo - 16-17 year old Black Belt (Waiting to Fight)

July 3, 2009 - Day 4 - Anthony Realin (Fin)

Nico Bomagat (Fly)

Anna Ubando (Fin)

Chelsea Ubando (Feather)

Yazzy Bomagat (Welter)

Icky Nunez (Light Middle)

2009 Annual Summer Picnic

2009-05-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of the year again! Summer is here and the National Team is preparing for the 2009 National Championship to be held in Austin, TX

As part of our yearly ritual, the entire Manila Tae Kwon Do Family Will be hosting the

2009 Annual Summer Picnic
on Saturday June 20, 2009 @
Lake Chabot in Castro Valley

Come Join The National Team And The Rest Of The Family As We Celebrate Our Achievements, Welcome Our New Family Members And Support The National Team In Their Quest For The GOLD!

We ask that each family bring donate
$ 10.00 for purchase of paper products and game prizes

All donations per family ($ 10.00) payable by Monday, June 8, 2009. Your cooperation is essential!

Upcoming Tournaments

2009-05-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

May 23, 2009
Stanford Taekwondo Spring Open 2009

March 30, 2009
UC Berkeley Open

June 5-7, 2009
World Taekwondo Festival

June 29-July 5
2009 US Nationals, Austin TX

August 22-23, 2009
2009 USAT Junior Pan-Am Team Trils, Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, CO

2009 National Qualifiers - San Jose, CA

2009-05-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to all those who competed at the recently held USAT Qualifiers in San Jose, CA. Keep up the good work athletes as we are headed to the 2009 US Nationals in Austin, TX in June......

2009 CA State Team Trials

2009-04-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the following Manila TKD Athletes who made the 2009 CA State Team:

Anna Ubando
Chelsea Ubando
Yazzy Bomagat
Icky Nunez
Nico Bomagat

Chino Cruz - Manila Tae Kwon Do Premier Athlete

2009-04-14T14:00:00.001-07:00

Sansunim Chino is Master Henry’s eldest son. He currently holds a 2nd degree Black Belt. Sansunim Chino began Tae Kwon Do at the age of 5. He received his first US National Junior Olympic Gold Medal at the age of 6. He is now 19 years old. His success in this sport is not only measured in the medals he has received and competitions he has entered.

His main success can be measured in the admirers who flag him down wherever he goes. He is a simple and down-to-earth man with a huge love for this sport.

How it all Began - Christian CHINO Cruz, Chino as he is fondly called began his TKD training at the age of 6. In 1996, Chino competed at his 1st US Junior Olympics held in Orlando Florida as a Yellow belt competing in the Green Belt division.

He won the GOLD MEDAL in his 1st ever US Junior Olympics and has been winning them since then. It is not surprising at all that Chino is a Winner. He tries to excel in every endeavour and succeeds at it.

His life in Tae Kwon Do is centered In his school, Manila Tae Kwon Do. As the eldest son of Master Henry Cruz, Chino has a tough role to uphold. His success in this sport is closely watched and followed not only by his fellow classmates but by other athletes across the United States and in other countries.

Chino not only does Tae Kwon Do. He also likes to create works of art with his airbrush. He creates his works of art on T-Shirts, Shoes or whatever he can get his hands on.

Together with his entire family, Chino has traveled to a lot of places because of Tae Kwon Do. In 2004 Chino was invited to attend the 1st ever US Taekwondo Developmental High Performance Program Camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The purpose of the Developmental High Performance Program is to identify world class talent and develop future champions at the international level.

In August of 2005, Chino together with his Manila Tae Kwon Do teammates, traveled to the Philippines to compete in the Philippine Nationals and the 4th Samsung Best of the Best Taekwondo Championships. In the Philippine National Event, Chino led the Junior Boys Team (5-man Team) to a 3rd place win, finishing in the Top 4 out of 31 Teams. At the Samsung Best of the Best Championship, Chino finished in 1st Place in the Junior Male, Welterweight Division.

Chino's Tae Kwon Do career has been on 2-year hiatus, we are hoping that someday Chino will return to competition or return as a school owner and establish his own style of instructions.

Currently, Chino ventured into a great Marketing career and is in Hawaii to open a new business venture. We wish him luck in his business endeavours!!! We hope to see you back in the Bay Area by September '09......We will miss you!

04/18/09 - CA State Team Trials

2009-04-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

On April 18, 2009, 6 Manila TKD Athletes will be competing at the 2009 CA State Team Trials in Diamond Bar, CA. These athletes placed 1st-3rd in the just concluded CA State Team Championships:

Anna Ubando (FIN)
Chelsea Ubando (FEATHER)
Yazzy Bomagat (WELTER)
Icky Nunez (MIDDLE)
Robert Nico Bomagat (FLY)
Leo Yoshida (Bantam)

Good Luck to All!

04/04/09 - American Open (Cal State East Bay)

2009-04-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

We had a blast at this tournament. From our 6-7 year old Green Belts to our 14-17 year old Black Belts. Below are a list of athletes who competed at this tournament:

Seth - 2nd Place
Omar - 1st Place
Diego - 1st Place
Michael
Christian - 1st Place
Kirsten - 1st Place
Brianna - 2nd Place
Nico Cruz - 1st Place
Junior Olano - 2nd Place
Lexy - 1st Place
Jack
Austin - 1st Place
Joshua - 1st Place
Cheyenne - 1st Place
Anna
Nico B - 2nd Place
Leo
Icky - 1st Place

Can't wait for the next tournament!

03/28/09 CA State Championships

2009-04-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a list of athletes who qualified at the 2009 CA State Championship for the 2009 US Nationals to be held in Austin, TX in July:

BLACK BELTS
Cheyenne Lewis (1st Place) 12-13 LIGHT
Anna Ubando (1st Place) 14-17 FIN
Yazzy Bomagat (1st Place) 14-17 WELTER and 18-32 BANTAM
Icky Nunez (1st Place) 14-17 MIDDLE
Nico Bomagat (2nd Place) 14-17 FLY

Warriors vs Suns - 03/15/09 - Tailgate Party at the Oracle Arena

2009-03-17T10:44:00.001-07:00

Warriors vs Suns - 03/15/09 - GAMETIME

2009-03-17T10:38:00.001-07:00

UPCOMING 2009 TKD Tournaments

2009-02-23T14:03:00.000-08:00

3/28/2009 CA State Qualifier CSU LA

4/4/2009 American Open, Cal State East Bay, Hayward CA

05/09/2009 National Qualifiers San Jose, CA

5/23/2009 Stanford TKD Open Stanford University

5/30/2009 40th UC Berkeley Open UC Berkeley

06/5/2009 YIC International TKD Festival City of Industry, CA
to 06/07/2009

06/30 to US Nationals Austin, TX
07/05/2009

KIX Lightning

2009-02-23T13:57:00.000-08:00

Place your orders for the new MTKD Kix Uniform by Wednesday 02/25/2009. Expected delivery of uniform is Friday 03/06/2009.

Cost is $ 32.00 which includes shipping and remittance fee to Kix Philippines

January 2009 - Featured Athlete

2009-01-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

Victoria Anna "Icky" Nunez

Rank: 1st Degree Black Belt (KKW)

Years in TKD: 13 years

Icky as she is fondly called is a feisty, independent, aggressive and outspoken young girl. Communicating with people and socializing has never been a problem for her. Whether it's an adult or a boy, Icky always seems to make people listen to her and attract their attention.

She is a joy to be with, never a dull moment with her. She can keep you entertained for hours with her stories, her questions and her one-liners. She always has to make a comment and her one-liners are so quick that people often stop in their tracks and stare at her with amazement. She is the ultimate athlete as she is competitive driven and a true sport fanatic. She played JV Volleyball (2 years) in High School which is a huge feat for her as her high school has over 5000 students. Can you imagine the try outs she had to undergo? On top of that she does taekwondo and have been doing it for 13 years, and has been actively competing in the Junior level for 3 years. Since her Birthday falls on December, she started competing in the 14-17 BB division at 13.

In the beginning, Taekwondo was a way for her to socialize with her friends. She never really took Taekwondo seriously until she started competing in the 14-17 division. In her first try in this division, Icky received 1st place in the Anaheim Qualifiers. Her expectation was to win her 1st fight, but she went all the way to the finals, clinching a berth to her 1st National event in the 14-17 BB division.

On top of Taekwondo and High School Sports, Icky as a Sophmore in High School, ran again for 10th grade Class Treasurer this year and won by a landslide. She is also in Youth Ministry at St. Anne’s Church and actively participates in church activities as a Peer Minister (EMMAEUS)

Her schedule is pretty busy, both in school and outside of school. She starts her school day, 1 period before normal school starts as she had to take an extra class in the morning, (0 Period) to accommodate her Leadership Class. At the end of her school day, she has Volleyball Practice until 6:00 PM, 7:00 PM if they have a game that day. After school and Volleyball (during volleyball season) is over, she has either Youth Ministry (Monday Nights) or Taekwondo (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday Nights). Then on Saturdays, she has either Taekwondo practice or a tournament for volleyball or Taekwondo to attend. She likes being busy and enjoys all the activities that are currently occupying her time

As the 2009 Taekwondo season goes into full swing, Icky has tournaments in February, March, April and May that are already scheduled.

We wish you luck, ICKY, as you begin your Young Adult Life Journey! Think Big, Think Grand!

2009 US Open - Las Vegas NV (02/12/09-02/15/09)

2009-01-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

This year, Manila Tae Kwon Do will be bringing 10 athletes to compete at the upcoming US Open Championship to be held this year in Las Vegas, NV. The competing athletes are:

12-13 Yr Old Black Belts
Lexy Bomagat - Bantamweight
Cheyenne Lewis - Lightweight

14-17 Yr Old Black Belts
Anna Ubando - Fin
Anthony Realin - Fin

Nico Bomagat - Fly

CJ Rivera - Bantam
Leo Yoshida - Bantam

Chelsea Ubando - Feather

Yazzy Bomagat - Welter

Icky Nunez - Middle

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-01-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

We at Manila Tae Kwon Do hope that everyone had a great and safe Holiday. We are now in the New Year and each year brings new challenges and activities. The Year 2009 is an important year for Olympic-style sport Tae Kwon Do as this year, the USAT is hosting Senior and Junior Team Trials to select the athletes who will be representing Team USA in international competitions.

Please check back with us on updates and coming events. We welcome you to the 2009 Manila tae Kwon Do competition year. Good Luck and be safe, Always!

Welcome, Sister Schools

2008-10-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

Lately, we have had visitors from out of town. Weekly we have had the pleasure of welcoming the students of KMAC-San Ramon. Thank you for your support and acknowledging that Manila TKD, Union City is the happening place to practice.

A special thanks to Master Maxwell of Victory TKD (Seattle, WA) who was in the house with his kids this past weekend. Together with Victory TKD, we competed at the just recentlyheld 2008 Silicon Valley Open in San Jose, CA.

'08 Silicon Valley Open

2008-10-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the SVO this past weekend. Not surprised at all that most of the competitors are from Choi's or Choi's affiliated schools. Didn't really see a lot of the Bay Area Fighting Schools, except for us (Manila), Robinson's, Sky and GST.

Anyway, Yazzy, Nico and Leo fought this weekend. We had 3 fighters but had over 20+ supporters there. We had Victory TKD of Seattle with us. Yazzy got Silver and Nico got Bronze. Leo fought extremely well considering he had to fight someone who was 50 lbs bigger and about 8 inches taller. Great Job, Yoshida!

It was kinda nice to go to a tournament again, after the long break we had! We'll keep you updated o the next tournament we are going to attend. With the recent downtrend in the economy, we're going to have to be choosy what tourney we're going to.......

TEAM Meeting

2008-10-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

We're having our 1st Team Meeting of the 2008-2009 Competition Season on FRIDAY, October 24, 2008 @ 7:00 PM.

Meeting was re-scheduled due to the freeway closure that happened on Wednesday (All Day). Meeting wil go forward on Friday. We hope to se everyone there!!!!

Topics to be Discussed: Competition Team Members, Training and Class Schedule Changes, Commitment (Athletes and Coach/Instructor), Upcoming Tournaments (USAT and Other), Setting Goals, Other Events or Activities (Halloween, Thanksgiving Week, Holiday Party, Holiday Week)

The Summer and Lazy Break is over! It's time to start training again and get ready for the upcoming tournaments.

Some people may not agree, but the athletes deserved the break from the pounding and the constant sparring. Injuries needed time to heal. Now, it's time to get back to the gym and start seriously training.

There are also new athletes have now joined the Competition Team, Let's welcome Kirsten Ancheta, Christian Monsalud and the Olano Brothers. Welcome to the Team! Welcome Back also go to Yazzie Bomagat, Chelsea Ubando and Icky Nunez. They are now back in training after all their summer and school activities.

We're back - Updates coming soon!

2008-10-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

Summer 2008 is Over and the 2008-2009 Taekwondo Competition Season has begun.

We took a few months off, but we're back with a vengeance. Please check back shortly for more updates about our school, upcoming events and activities.

We're Back from the Fresno Qualifier

2008-04-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

We're back from Fresno. 18 of our athletes competed in the junior division. 2 of the 18 competed as seniors.

RESULTS - Saturday - April 12, 2008
GOLD 8-9 Male Black 92.5 - 105.6 lbs - CRUZ, NIKO
SILVER 10-11 Female Black 66.1 - 77.0 lbs - BOMAGAT, LEXI
DNP 10-11 Male Red 66.0 lbs & Under - THANT, JACK
DNP 10-11 Male Black 66.0 lbs & Under - LEW, AUSTIN
BRONZE 10-11 Male Black 66.1 - 77.0 lbs - WONG, DANIEL
SILVER 14-15 Male Blue 94.7 - 107.8 lbs - MAGPURI, TYLER
DNP 14-17 Female Black 96.9 - 101.2 lbs (BANTAM) - UBANDO, CHELSEA
GOLD 14-17 Female Black 107.9 - 114.4 lbs (LIGHT) - BOMAGAT, YAZZIE
GOLD 14-17 Female Black 130.0 - 138.9 lbs (MIDDLE) - NUNEZ, ICKY
GOLD 14-17 Male Black 99.0 lbs & Under (FIN) - BOMAGAT, NICO and REALIN,
SILVER ANTHONY
DNP 14-17 Male Black 99.1 - 105.6 lbs (FLY) - RIVERA, CJ and
SILVER YOSHIDA, LEO
GOLD 14-17 Male Black 138.7 - 149.6 lbs (LIGHT MIDDLE) - BURNS, DWAYNE

Sunday - April 13, 2008
GOLD 12-13 Male Black 74.8 lbs & Under - ESCOLTA, GEREMY
BRONZE 12-13 Female Black 70.4 lbs & Under - LEW, BRYANA
GOLD 12-13 Female Black 70.5 - 81.4 lbs - UBANDO, ANNA
GOLD 12-13 Female Black 81.5 - 94.6 lbs - GUTING, ANGELICA
BRONZE 14 & Above Female Black 103.4 lbs & Under (FIN) - UBANDO, CHELSEA
BRONZE 14 & Above Female Black 103.5 - 112.2 lbs (FLY) - BOMAGAT, YAZZIE

Good Job to all that Competed!!!! We're headed to Detroit, Michigan in July!!

Back from IOWA - JR Team Trials Round Robin

2008-04-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

Master Cruz together with Dwayne Burns and Yazmine Bomagat just returned from IOWA where Dwayne and Yazzie competed at the just concluded JR Team Trials Round Robin. Dwayne competed in the Male Light Middleweight Division and Yazzie in the Female Lightweight Division. Both athletes faired well but did not come home with the win. No matter what the outcome was, these 2 athletes still remain in the top 4 of their weight divisions, one of the 4 best athletes in their weight divisions in the United Stated of America. Great Job Yazzie and Dwayne!!!!

Dwayne is only 13 and Yazzie is 14 so they have a few years ahead of them.

March 8, 2008 - American Open

2008-03-12T09:05:00.000-07:00

Cal-State East Bay - Hayward, California

24 Manila TKD athletes competed at this event. Good Job to all who competed even if you guys had to fight each other when there were other athletes in your group to fight. Just the luck of the draw!

23 Medals total for Sparring!

DONATIONS NEEDED - Equipment and Uniforms

2008-03-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

Currently, Manila Taekwondo is gathering USED and/or NEW Taekwondo sparring gear and uniforms that will be sent to Master Henry Cruz and Mr. Alan Cruz’ Alma Mater, Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the Philippines and Mr. Wendel Garcia, an elementary school teacher from
Punod Elem. School - District II Barangay Prosperidad, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental 6127, Philippines. Mr,. Wendel Garcia approached us via email to solicit any assistance we can provide his group of grade school students who have shown interest in pursuing this sport. Unfortunately, they are without means to safely practice and compete in this sport, below is an excerpt from his e-mail:

"In our Division school level, there was a yearly TKD sports competition held in the city. Last year , I trained my pupils to learn TKD but not for competing but they insist to do so. So I give them a try.In short, they are all defeated even in the first game. I really regret why I allowed them to compete.I said to myself, I'd never allowed them to compete again the reason is not the training , but the equipment that we dont have . The school cannot afford to secure one." . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . ."In this connection, I come to you to solicit from your benevolent heart any used equipment like a pair of head gear, body armor, arm guard, shin guard, groin guard( male/female), used TKD uniform (dobok) for elementary grade level if there is any , and a used kicking pad."

We are continuing to request our students, families and friends to donate and bring us their extra and unused sparring equipment and uniforms. We are also seeking donations to purchase mouthpieces and groin cups to send with our ext shipment. Monetary donations are also welcome. Any monetary donations received will be utilized to offset the shipping cost and to purchase new mouthpieces and groin cups.

The following is a list of equipment and clothing needed:
Chest Pad (Hogu), Arm Pads/Shin Pads, Helmets, Instep Pads, Taekwondo Shoes, Black V-Neck Uniforms, White V-Neck Uniforms, Any used or new taekwondo T-Shirts or Warm-Up suits

DO YOU SEE THE NEED???

There are folks out there who really need our help! We have children in this sport who probably have more uniforms and equipment that they will ever need.

There are people in need all over the world.
Helping these 2 groups out is the first of many that we will be sponsoring.
Please call us at (510) 441-8661 or e-mail us at manilataekwondo@aol.com
if you are interested in participating in this effort. Let us know if you can help! Any type of donation would be much appreciated!

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS

2008-03-03T11:20:00.000-08:00

April 12 and 13, 2008 - Fresno Qualifiers (Fresno CA)
May 3, 2008 - AAU Qualifiers (San Francisco CA)
May 24, 2008 - Stanford Spring Open (Stanford CA)
July 1-6, 2008 - US Senior and Junior Nationals (Detroit MI)

What a Succesful Promotion and Celebration

2008-02-25T14:54:00.000-08:00

CONGRATULATIONS, Master Henry Cruz!

Despite the rain and the jitters, the Black Belt Promotion and the Grand Opening Celebration was such a huge success. The crowd of people who attended both events spilled over to the parking lot and to the neighboring businesses.

All 7 Black Belt Candidates made it!!!!!! What a great showing of skill, talent and most expecially heart. Special Mention goes out to Geremy Escolta whose confidence and hardwork was evident in his execution of each command, form and technique. Another special mention goes out to James Soliman, who despite the challenges, overcame being ill and not feeling 100%, sailed through the promotion with flying colors. Congratulations to all!!! James, Geremy, Jizel, Brian, Angelica, Danny and Niko.

Despite the rain, people came in support of those who promoted and to celebrate the Grand Opening. The kids had fun with the Cotton Candy and Popcorn Machine (Thank you to the Bomagat Family). To all the families and friends who came, thank you for braving the rain to celebrate with your Manila Taekwondo Family.

Thank you to our neighbors who also came to support the event. We welcome you to our Manila Taekwondo Family.

Keep checking back as photos of the event will be published soon!

THANK YOU - Grandmaster and Masters in Attendance

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A special thank you to all Masters who attended last Saturday's Black Belt Promotion. We thank you for your dedication and time and the inspiration that you have given these candidates. Your presence has truly made the event special and unforgettable.

Grandmaster M.W. Jung
Master Stuart Forrest
Master Ramon Tirona
Master Richard Goldstein
Jo-An Aguirre, RN
Cody Aguirre
Chief Instructor Simeon Dondero
Instructor Glenn M. Goffin
Instructor Vincent Almacen
Master Viray and Son
Mr. Steve Miller
Mr. Ron Leong
Sansunim Alan Cruz
Sansunim DJ Del Castillo
Sansunim Chino Cruz
Sansunim Rhennel Reyes

A special Thank You goes out to those students who helped these Black Belts achieve one of their goals:

Icky Nunez, Celeste Ubando, Leo Yoshida, Chelsea Ubando, Yazzi Bomagat, Elias Guting, Niko Bomagat, CJ Rivera, Anthony Realin, Brian Cruz, Anna Ubando, Lexy Bomagat

GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION

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Saturday, February 23, 2008

To begin right after the scheduled Black Belt Promotion Testing
(Approximately 1:00 PM)

Celebrate with your Manila Taekwondo Family

2008 US OPEN

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Good Luck to Angelica Guting and Geremy Escolta! Together with their families, these 2 athletes are headed to New Orleans to participate at this year's U.S. Open. You will both be in our prayers, Good Luck!

BLACK BELT PROMOTION TEST

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Mark your Calendars for Manila Tae Kwon Do's Black Belt Promotion Test on Saturday, February 23, 2008, 11:00 AM

Grandmaster Merrill W. Jung will be in attendance. Everyone is welcome to attend and watch. Call us at (510) 441-8661 for more details.

Congratulations on reaching a new level of achievement! Testing at black belt level is done significantly different than colored belt testing. Much of the test requirements are the same, forms and sparring skills, but the test itself is conducted differently. Up until this time testing was done most often just with the schools instructor or local high rank. At black belt level testing is done in front of the grandmaster, invited masters and dignitaries and in front of lots of spectators. Black belt testing is a major event and something to remember for a lifetime! It's also something great to watch as well!

The (7) Candidates for Black Belt Promotion area:

James Soliman
Jizel Encarnacion
Geremy Escolta
Angelica Guting
Danny Wong
Brian Kosiadi
Niko Cruz

OUR NEW DOJANG!

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We survived the move!!!!
We were at our old location for 11 1/2 years. After being there that long, moving was really emotionally and physically tough. We amassed a whole lot of TKD stuff, trophies, plaques, posters and gear in 11 1/2 years. We sort of had a last party at the old location as we had a scheduled Belt promotion test that night (01/31/08). Everyone showed up, even the students who were not scheduled for promotion, a last goodbye to the old place.

The next day, early in the morning, Master Henry and the crew started loading up their vans, trucks and cars and began moving to the new location. It's not a very far move as the new location is about 1300 feet down the street. Nevertheless, it still was draining.

As soon as all the equipment, furniture and stuff was moved, everyone got going and started to put the whole place together. We laid out the mats, built shelving and racks, set-up the Boys and Girls dressing rooms and the next thing you knew, the whole place was ready and we were moved in. A couple of students showed up Friday night thinking it was class as usual. Landy showed up with Pops just to visit and say hello. On Saturday and Sunday we were back to put our final touches and get ready for Monday night's class.

Monday Night, 02/04/08:
Families drove up a little early, class was scheduled to begin at 5:45 PM but families started driving up at 5:30 PM. That was a good thing, as Master Henry needed some help setting up the mirrors. So the dad's came to his rescue and class was able to start on time.

We didn't plan a big turn out but as the classes went on, people started showing up, as far as Vallejo, Benicia, Bretwood and Redwood City. The Senior students showed up too: Chino, Rhennel, Jamel and Sanbert were there. Mikey and Tyler Charifa showed up with Mom and Dad (Mars and Jennie) along with everyone else. The only student missing was James Soliman (Hmmmm......Where was James????). Anyway, the night was perfect, old and new students together in practice and as you can imagine, practice was pretty intense.

A great beginning in our new location, as we continue the legacy of the Manila Taekwondo athletes, past, present and future. Be part of our Journey and our Dream!!!!

Come Visit us Soon at our new location. Feel free to drop by and say hello. Stay tuned for details of our upcoming Grand Opening Celebration!

VIDEO - CHINO CRUZ (Philippines 2005)

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VIDEO - MANILA TAEKWONDO BOYS (2005)

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PHOTOS - OUR FAMILY, THROUGH THE YEARS

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PHOTOS - WJCO Athletes - OTC-Colorado Springs (Jan 5-6, 2008)

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What's New - January 2008

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Happy New Year to all our Friends and Family!!!!

We are glad that you have taken the time to visit our blog. Please visit us from time to time as more information will be posted.

What's New at Manila Tae Kwon Do:

We have 2 athletes who have qualified at the recently completed WJCO (World Junior Championship Open) Team Trials in Colorado Springs, Dwayne Burns and Yazmine Bomagat. Both of these athletes are currently deep in training to prepare for the the next step of qualification, The WJCO Team Trials to be held in Des Moines, Iowa on April 4, 2008.
The MANILA TAE KWON DO COMPETITION TEAM is headed to DES MOINES, IA and DETROIT, MI to compete at the upcoming WJCO (World Junior Championship Open) Team Trials and USA Taekwondo Junior Nationals.

We are asking everyone we know to please help us reach our fundraising goal. Your assistance will allow our Competition Team to compete without additional monetary burdens to their family and loved ones. Our goal is to bring home the gold and be part of the dream and represent the United States at the World Junior Championships in Istanbul Turkey slated in May.

We are currently working on numerous fundraising activities. They are:

· Direct Monetary Donation through a donation website (http://www.supportourgroup.com/ZF685)

· Promo Fundraising Website - Where donors will be able to try various promotional offers from nationwide companies. There is no obligation to purchase anything. (http://www.promofundraising.com/promo5566)

· Flea Market/Garage Sale at the Chabot College Flea Market - February 16, 2008 and March 15, 2008

· Recycling - Help us create a greener California by recycling. We will be placing recycle containers in the dojang for your household plastic, aluminum and paper recyclables.
You can also directly donate to our cause by contacting us at manilatkd2008competitionteam@gmail.com. We will be happy to send you details and information.
We invite you to contact us via E-Mail at manilatkd2008competitionteam@gmail.com or visit our Web site at www.manilatkd.com for more information about our athletes, team and our fundraising events and activities.

We Would Love to Hear From YOU

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Please feel free to leave us any comments or provide us input.