Cleverpens

By: Fatima Winniclare Jayme

The Provincial Arnis Championship had reached its final match.

On one side was Marco, who was renowned for his incredible speed. Elias was on the opposite side, a man of iron discipline and incredible self-control.

The combatants were in a rapid interplay of assaults and counter-attacks, watched with avid attention by the spectators. Marco landed a swift hit at the end of the final round that appeared to land on Elias’ shoulder.

Immediately the audience of his followers erupted in exultant applause.

Point!” “The strike was a success!

The competition is over!

Some analysts already put Marco down as the winner.

But the chief official, Master Rosa, raised her hand and asked for a word with the corner judges in private.

The attitude of the audience changed. You could feel the tension building. “What’s to argue about?” A voice cut through the mutterings, begging to be heard.

We all saw it!

Master Rosa remained calm and collected.

She conferred with the judges and then returned to the center of the mat. She said, “It was a quick raid.” “But speed does not mean certainty.”

“One judge thought it was a clean strike, another thought it was a partial deflection, and another thought it was after the defensive movement had already started,” she said.

After careful consideration of the observations, the officials decided to deny the point because the available evidence was insufficient.

The crowd was of mixed feelings.

Some let off steam.

Some said yes.

After the tournament, a young arnis student approached Master Rosa. “Why didn’t you just chuck the point?” he said. Most believed it had, indeed, landed.

Master Rosa took up two rattan sticks and gave one to the learner. “When we train,” she explained, “we learn to shoot accurately. Nevertheless, for our purposes, it is important to develop an attitude of deliberate and precise thinking.

The student listened carefully. The eyes may lie. Emotions may frequently deceive us. Even the feeling of a throng taken altogether may be wrong. Real justice begins when we are willing to examine our first impressions.

The young student nodded his head.

He saw that as the two contestants bowed to each other, the deepest talent in Arnis was something beyond only striking, blocking, or footwork.

It was the discipline to seek truth before declaring a winner.

SUMMARY: The Provincial Arnis Championship finished with Marco the quick, appearing to win against Elias the disciplined. The crowd roared after Marco’s final punch, but head official Master Rosa interjected to argue the judges’ split decision on whether the punch was legal or not. Without a consensus and any proof, officials stood by their judgment. The crowd’s reaction was varied. Later, a young arnis student asked Rosa about the choice. She stressed the necessity of attention and discipline, saying that the real core of Arnis is not just the physical movements but the quest for truth before crowning a winner.

LESSON: The Provincial Arnis Championship ended in dispute as Marco apparently was the winner over Elias on a quick hit. But Master Rosa considered the judges’ divide and rejected the point for lack of adequate evidence. She said genuine mastery is to go past initial perceptions for truth.

DISCLAIMER: The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or individuals, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. 

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