DAVAO CITY, Philippines — the 39th National Moo Duk Kwan Soo Bahk Do Summer League championship is coming down to Davao City on June 2, 2007. The tournament organizers announce this Tuesday at the regular Sports Communicators Organization of the Philippines (Scoop-Davao) of the Royal Mandaya Hotel, this city.
Nell June Astudillo, a blackbelt practitioner of the Korean karate dance told sports writers and events organizers that some 200 martial arts enthusiasts will participate coming from Bohol, Cebu, General Santos City and Cotabato.
Host organizers of this year’s event will be two of Davao’s biggest fitness groups, the Metro Lifestyle and BeeFit club, according to Astudillo. The Venue of the tourney is the main activity center of SM-Davao, he added.
Astudillo, who teaches children on this discipline, said that Karate is to Japan as Moo Duk Kwan is to South Koreans.
That’s the similarity, he said. Although Moo Duk Kwan is more on soft and light executions of the different forms of self defense while the Japanese karate is hard and stable, Astudillo added. Karate is more on breaking to show strength and stability while mobility best describes the style of Moo Duk Kwan Soo Bahk Do.
He said all the above-mentioned participating cities and provinces are known to have an increasing following of the South Korean martial arts.
In fact, next year’s host of the same summer league tournament has a priest for its teacher and leader. He is known among all Boholano martial arts afficionados as “Fr. Caloy”.
When Bohol’s turn to act as host comes, it is sure to be more exciting and well-participated considering Boholanos fondness for the different forms of martial arts, Astudillo said. (PIA XI/Romy Sabaldan) davaotoday.com
