Gabriel Saludar believes in the combination of punch, kick and take down of karatedo more than the usual kick-all-the-way style of taekwondo.
Preventing a medal-less homebound trip, Saludar pushed himself to winning bronze and silver in two categories for region 7.
At 20, the CTU Main BS Statistics major shifted from taekwondo to karatedo with no trainer to help him understand the basics of the former.
He and teammates put up 12 medals, which included a silver, gained from ‘kumite’ (a Japanese term for sparring) and ‘kata’ (a showcase of techniques and styles in karatedo) in individual and group categories.
CNU performed team ‘kata’ for women while NORSU awed audiences in the same event [men].
Karatedo [men] players were Bryan Kirit , Val Radoc Zyrkxis, Robert Raya, and Aldritch Pinili of NORSU; Gabriel Saludar, Bradley Geliano, John Rey Betcher, Jhoarn Serrano, and Stephen Durano of CTU; and Hanssen Nicole Aguelo and Behrn Vergel Catipay of CNU.
As the competition progressed, CTU contender fighting at +84 kgs. for individual male kata made an opponent lose balance at his strike thus breaking the elevator glass at Robinson’s Place where the event was hosted.
CTU Sports Director Nemia Zamora’s quick response to the incident settled the matter.
Karatedo’s medals have contributed a lot to region 7’s medal tally in this year’s national SCUAA games. ICPA