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By Perry Gil S. Mallari, Reporter
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Muay Thai
fighters
Josephine Efondo
and
Master Raysaldo Biagtan |
“Muay thai is referred to as ‘the art of
eight limbs’ because it uses the hands, shins, elbows, and knees
as weapons in a fight,” explains Raysaldo Biagtan, master
instructor of the art. Biagtan and his students gave a demonstration
of muay thai in a recent meeting of the officers of the Rotary Club
of Makati District 3830. While muay thai is a brutal sport where
only the bravest and the strongest survive, its training methods can
be utilized as an excellent fitness program. “Besides making you
trim and fit, muay thai techniques also work well in a street
fight,” explains Biagtan. Muay thai, Thailand’s national sport
originated from Muay Boran (ancient boxing) and Krabi-Krabong, a
weapons-based martial art practiced by the Siamese army.
A native of Malabago, Mangaldan, Pangasinan,
Biagtan’s martial art’s odyssey started at the tender age of
eight in the Filipino martial art of Maharlika Kuntaw under his
uncles Rudolfo Biagtan and Florentino Biagtan Jr. The succeeding
years saw him studying various fighting systems like Shotokan
karate, Cinco Teros (Five Strikes) Arnis, Trovador Ramos
Consolidated Martial Arts style and kickboxing. He won his first
kickboxing championship at the age of 19.
Biagtan was introduced to muay thai when he was
25 years old via the Muay Thai Kickboxing Association of the
Philippines, then managed by Police Capt. Reynaldo Jaylo and Rolando
Catoy. “I fell in love with the art right away,” he recalls.
Biagtan experienced both training and fighting in Thailand and
believes that Filipinos can make it big in the sport. “We have
almost the same body built as the Thais,” he stresses. At 38,
Biagtan still actively competes in muay thai tournaments. Commenting
on the popularity of mixed martial arts (MMA) events nowadays, the
veteran martial arts teacher says MMA fighters would benefit greatly
from muay thai training because it would give them a superb stand-up
fighting arsenal.
Pooling his years of martial arts experience,
Biagtan created Biagtan Martial Arts, a synthesis of muay thai,
cinco teros arnis and dumog (Filipino wrestling). He reveals that in
his native dialect “Biagtan” means “Our Life.” Noting its
significance, he says, “It’s very appropriate because I am
espousing martial art as a way of life.”
Biagtan is devoid of cockiness typical of
fighters. His subservient aura can be attributed to the fact that he
is also an ordained evangelical Christian pastor. While assigned in
a ministerial mission in South Korea in 1997, he relates how he was
able to use martial arts to snatch away his compatriots from
destructive vices, “I offered them muay thai training and then
inject spiritual counseling after the physical work out,” he
points out.
Back in the Philippines, Biagtan continued using
martial arts as a bridge to reach a particular group of people that
he wants to minister. In Cavite where he resides, he taught muay
thai and gave free meals to street children. He continued the
project until financial difficulties made him stop. Biagtan
expressed his desire to continue the work if only benevolent
organizations would offer him support.
When asked if he had already used his martial
arts skills for real, he admits that he did so once to aid a friend
being attacked by a thug, “My friend was bleeding on the head
after being struck by a rock and that prompted me to make my
move.” Biagtan relates that anger made him exert excessive force,
“I really pummeled the guy,” he adds. That was a long time ago
when he was much younger. The seasoned fighter attests that he had
not been involved in another street fight since then. Biagtan
intones that in most cases, mastery of the art of fighting makes
fighting unnecessary. Using the rice stalk as an example he gave
this parting shot: “The rice stalk when it’s still green stands
straight and proud but once it’s ripe and golden humbly bows.”
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