Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Welcome, Sister Schools

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.

Monday, October 27, 2008

'08 Silicon Valley Open

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.......

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

TEAM Meeting

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.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

We're back - Updates coming soon!

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.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

We're Back from the Fresno Qualifier

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

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.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

March 8, 2008 - American Open

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!

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

DONATIONS NEEDED - Equipment and Uniforms

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!

Monday, March 3, 2008

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS

  • 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)

Monday, February 25, 2008

What a Succesful Promotion and Celebration

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

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

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION



Saturday, February 23, 2008


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



Celebrate with your Manila Taekwondo Family

Thursday, February 7, 2008

2008 US OPEN

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

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:

  1. James Soliman
  2. Jizel Encarnacion
  3. Geremy Escolta
  4. Angelica Guting
  5. Danny Wong
  6. Brian Kosiadi
  7. Niko Cruz

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

OUR NEW DOJANG!

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!

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

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

What's New - January 2008

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:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

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