KUNTAO Bataan Ceremony Join KFAAI and ADBC
KUNTAO Martial Arts Club the creator of the Annual Bataan Death March Ceremony in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania has now joined two key associations:
Kapitbayan Filipino-American Association, Inc. (KFAAI)
(KFAAI) KUNTAO
American Defenders of Bataan & Corregidor
ADBC KUNTAO
U.S. NAVY AWARDS COMMEMORATION TO KUNTAO ANNUAL BATAAN DEATH MARCH CEREMONY
The USS Bataan (LHD-5) has award a commemoration plaque and flag to the Phoenixville Annual Bataan Death March Ceremony held each year at KUNTAO Martial Arts Club.
The plaque commemorates the victims and survivors of the Bataan Death March.
The first ceremony to honor the WWII American and Filipino Veterans was held at Franklin Commons in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania on May 12, 2012.
April 9, 1942 – The Bataan Death March the forcible transfer, by the Imperial Japanese Army, of 76,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war after the three-month Battle of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of prisoners. The 80 mile march was characterized by wide-ranging torture, bayoneted and murder, and resulted in very high fatalities inflicted upon prisoners and civilians alike by the Japanese Army.
Those that survived were forced to walk to Camp O’Donnell. Even after arriving at Camp O’Donnell, the survivors of the march continued to die at a rate of 30–50 per day, leading to thousands more dead. Most of the dead were buried in mass graves that the Japanese dug out with bulldozers on the outside of the barbed wire surrounding the compound. All told, approximately 5,000–10,000 Filipino and 600–650 American prisoners of war died before they could reach Camp O’Donnell.
USS Bataan
USS BATAAN (LHD 5) was commissioned September 20, 1997. BATAAN is the fifth ship in the WASP class of United States Navy multipurpose amphibious assault ships. The mission of BATAAN is to enable the Navy and Marine Corps team to accomplish a seamless transition “….from the sea” to the land battle, as the lead ship and centerpiece of an Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG). A multi-mission ARG is capable of amphibious assault, advance force, and special purpose operations, as well as non-combatant evacuation and other humanitarian assistance missions.
For combat support, as well as non-combatant evacuation and other humanitarian missions, LHDs have hospital facilities second only to the Navy’s hospital ships, including six fully-equipped medical operating rooms, and hospital facilities capable of caring for as many as 600 patients.
BATAAN is 844 feet long, with a beam of 106 feet. Her well deck is 267 feet long and capable of holding three LCACs. Two steam propulsion plants, developing a combined 70,000 horsepower, drive the 40,500-ton ship in excess of 20 knots. The ship’s living areas can accommodate approximately 3,200 crewmembers and embarked troops.
Legends of Filipino Martial Arts Tour Pennsylvania
Legends of FMA Tour
MG-Sifu Dale Yeager with Filipino Martial Arts Grand Masters Michael Giron, Tim Hartman, Max Pallen and Bobby Taboada on their Legends of FMA Tour in Manchester Pennsylvania.
Phoenixville Ceremony Commemorates Bataan Death March
PHOENIXVILLE — For Dale Yeager, holding a ceremony remembering the Bataan Death March goes far beyond the fact that he teaches Filipino culture and Kali martial arts.
Yeager’s uncle was a prisoner of war after the U.S. garrison in the Philippines surrendered April 9, 1942.
Lawerence Jackson was one of the men put on the 80-mile death march, but he never reached Camp O’Donnell.
“He was cut apart by samurai swords,” Yeager said.
Between 600 and 650 other Americans and 5,000 Filipinos were killed on the march that Yeager commemorated for the second year at his Kuntao martial arts studio in Thursday night.
Members of all branches of the U.S. military, along with civilians, Filipinos, men and women all participated in the march marked by atrocities and sickness throughout.
“This encompassed an awful lot of people,” he said.
Showing a documentary of the last convention of Bataan survivors, veterans detailed watching friends murdered and going nine full days without food.
Despite the horrors, Jim Manser, the commander of VFW Post 7155 in Trappe, said remembering the death march and the subsequent hardships those imprisoned by the Japanese went through should not be sad.
“This is a celebration of life and the celebration of the unity of two countries,” he said.
“The Battle of Bataan forever linked together the Filipino and American people,” Yeager said a friend formerly in the Filipino secret service told him.
The fact that Americans were able to hold out so long at Bataan was important, as well.
“Three months did buy America invaluable time to get its act together and get to the front and take on the evil of its time,” Manser said.
In addition to Manser, Purita Acosta, president of the VFW Ladies Auxillary, attended the event.
Elaine Ficarra led the ceremony off by singing the national anthem while a color guard from the VFW brought forward the U.S. and Pennsylvania flag. That was followed by a Filipino-American chorus singing the national anthem of the Philippines.
Elaine’s mother, Jeanilyn, said the ceremony was important, and that everyone must remember both the “good and the bad” times.
“They are what makes us stronger and able to prosper in the future,” she said.
Stephen Spadaro, vice president of the Filipino-American Association of Philadelphia, praised Yeager’s efforts, saying “it takes a lot of effort to rally around any cause.”
Within the year, Yeager said a monument, a replica of the mile markers along the actual path of the march in the Philippines, will be constructed at Franklin Commons, the first of its kind in the United States.
“We want it to not just be a memorial but an educational experience,” Yeager said.
Legislators such as Andy Dinniman, Jim Gerlach, and Pat Meehan, who sent a representative named Andrew Colket to the event, helped secure the establishment of the marker, according to Yeager.
“It’s a long-ago event, but it’s not something we can forget,” Spadaro said.
In keeping with that, an area resident, Victor Verano, attended the event wearing the uniform of the Filipino Scouts, a combat organization from World War II.
“We must remember their sacrifice,” Verano, choking up as he told those gathered.
FREE Family Movie Night
Friday, April 5, 2013
KUNTAO Martial Arts Club [ Phoenixville, PA ] will host a Free FAMILY Movie Night for all ages. Free popcorn!
Please join us. [PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN LAWN CHAIRS]
2nd Annual Bataan Death March Ceremony Phoenixville, PA
On Thursday April 11th at 7:30 p.m. [KUNTAO – FRANKLIN COMMONS 400 Franklin Ave. Suite 115 Phoenixville, PA 19460] we will honor those American and Filipino soldiers who died and survived the Bataan Death March. A Military Honor Guard will be provided by the VFW Post 7155 and the KFAAI Kapitbayan Filipino-American Association of Chester County will provide a Filipino cultural display.
Following the ceremony a demonstration of Filipino Martial Arts used by the Philippine Scouts will be performed.
BATAAN DEATH MARCH HISTORY
April 9, 1942 – The Bataan Death March the forcible transfer, by the Imperial Japanese Army, of 76,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war after the three-month Battle of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of prisoners. The 80 mile march was characterized by wide-ranging torture, bayoneted and murder, and resulted in very high fatalities inflicted upon prisoners and civilians alike by the Japanese Army.
Those that survived were forced to walk to Camp O’Donnell. Even after arriving at Camp O’Donnell, the survivors of the march continued to die at a rate of 30–50 per day, leading to thousands more dead. Most of the dead were buried in mass graves that the Japanese dug out with bulldozers on the outside of the barbed wire surrounding the compound. All told, approximately 5,000–10,000 Filipino and 600–650 American prisoners of war died before they could reach Camp O’Donnell.
KUNTAO HISTORY
KUNTAO is a cultural club which teaches Filipino and Chinese martial arts [Kali – Traditional Wing Chun], languages [Mandarin and Tagalog] and the history of ancient China and the Philippines.
WEB: www.kuntaomac.com
MATAW GURO SIFU DALE YEAGER APPOINTED PENNSYLVANIA DIRECTOR FOR INTERNATIONAL FILIPINO ORGANIZATION
Dale Yeager the Director of the KUNTAO Martial Arts Club in Franklin Commons has been appointed Pennsylvania Director of the Mataw-Guro Association.
The Mataw-Guro Association was created in 2010 by an act of the Congress of the Philippines to manage and control the promotion of Filipino culture – primarily Arnis de Mano – throughout the world.
“I am honored to be the representative of all Filipino martial arts in the Commonwealth”, says Yeager. “Promoting this culture is an honor for me.”
Yeager is only the 40th person in the world to be elevated to the rank of Mataw-Guro [Master Teacher] which occurred in 2011.
ABOUT KUNTAO:
KUNTAO is a Filipino – Chinese cultural club located at Franklin Commons, Phoenixville, PA. KUNTAO provides classes for children and adults in the history, language and martial arts of the Philippines and Ancient China.
4th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL MATAW-GURO GATHERING – FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS 2013
The MATAW-GURO Association was created by an act of the Philippine Congress to control the promotion of Filipino Martial Arts [Arnis de Mano].
The 4th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL MATAW-GURO GATHERING will bring together FMA masters from around the world for two days of high level martial arts training and cultural demonstrations.
LOCATION: The Gathering will be held at KUNTAO Martial Arts Club [Franklin Commons 400 Franklin Ave Suite 115, Phoenixville, PA 19460].
DATE: JULY 27-28
FEES: $50 per person donation for MGA members. Nonmembers $75 per person donation.
Gung Hei Fat Choy! Chinese New Year
Traditions of Chinese New Year
Martial Arts Schools as Cultural Centers
When I created my martial arts club KUNTAO I designed it as a traditional type school. “Traditional” defined as a school that teaches martial art systems as combat arts and also teaches the cultures they were developed in.
KUNTAO joins the cultures of the Philippines and ancient China through the study of Kali and Wing Chun. My students are taught these systems as well as the history and languages of these nations.
To that end we participate in events that enhance my students’ knowledge of these cultures.
Recently we did a demonstration at the KAPITBAYAN Filipino-American Association [KFAAI] Summer Picnic at Marsh Creek State Park. Our demonstration included bolo techniques of the WWII Philippine Scouts and the ABCs of Arnis de Mano.
During the demonstration we shared the history of the Philippines and its influence on the U.S. Marine Corps, modern boxing and military special forces. After our short demonstration numerous Filipinos approached me and said that even though they grew up in the Philippines they did not know the historical facts we had just shared with them about their own country. This is sad.
I believe as teachers it is our responsibility to not only teach our students this history but also to share these facts with the public. We are not just martial art teachers we are also the caretakers of tradition and our schools should reflect that.
Recently Mataw Guro Lou Lledo came to my school to teach a seminar. MG Lou taught the ABCs but more importantly he shared his history and key stories about Arnis de Mano. He brought with him his traditions. In my opinion the combination of techniques and tradition is the key to a quality martial arts school.
In the KUNTAO student pledge we talk about tradition:
“I promise to remember those who have gone before me in Kali and Traditional Wing Chun. I honor their sacrifices by my loyalty and training.
I will always honor the heritage that I am apart of by my honorable conduct.”
As Mataw-Guros let’s bring balance to our students Technique – History – Culture.
