Born and raised in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, Philippines on July 29, 1970 and started taking formal Martial Arts lesson in high school at the age of 17 at the National Judo Karate Association of the Philippines for one year. Went to practice in private with a close Chinese friend who had a background in Kung Fu for a couple of years until I graduated from High School.

Moved to Cebu City in 1990 where I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Engineering at the University of San Jose – Recoletos in the year 1995. CEBU, the Queen City of the South, was where I began my Full-contact Martial Arts career in 1990 at the age of 20 in the Yaw-Yan Temple under Master Julius Villaflores the first generation and original disciple of Grand Master Napoleon Fernandez (founder and originator of the art).

My chief instructor at that time was Master Benigno “Ekin” Caniga who now owns his own gym in Cebu City and has the largest number of students in the region due to the adaptation of MMA and Stick Fighting system incorporated into the Yaw-Yan form. This system is now known as the ArDigma System of Yaw-Yan. I was promoted to the position of Assistant Instructor in 1991 was given the Loyalty Seal of the Yaw-Yan brotherhood, a signature branding in the chest of the Yaw-Yan Symbol, a very significant event in my life that made me a full-pledged Yaw-Yan brother.

I started fighting in the ring in 1991 and fought several times with different stables around the country. During those times where MMA was not yet recognized as a legal sport, we would challenge different groups to come to our gym or us going to their gym for a one on one combat to test out skills, boost the confidence and the experience of having tested one’s ability to apply the techniques.

Currently holding a Blue Belt level in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and expanding my knowledge in ground fighting techniques to effectively adapt to different fighting situations