GIVE or take a few years, the Philippines will emerge as not only as the strongest practitioner of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) in Southeast Asia, but also in the entire Asian region, next to Japan. And credit should go to the BJJ and judo blackbelt and professor Stephen Kamphuis, who has painstakingly developed and promoted the sport since arriving in the Philippines in 2004.It was Kamphuis, who introduced and later established the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation of the Philippines and had it recognized by no less than the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation. The activity center of the SM City Sucat recently hosted hundreds of spectators and local and foreign competitors for the Philippine Jiu Jitsu Gi/No Gi National Championships. “The growth of BJJ here is amazing,” said Kamphuis, who was in charge of the two–day tournament, participated in by elite players and age-groupers. “We are the biggest practitioner of the sport now in Asia, after Japan and Australia in the Pacific. Filipinos truly have indomitable warrior’s spirit,” said Kamphuis, a native of New Zealand. Kamphuis, who owns the popular KMA Martial Arts and Fitness Gym in Makati, also credits the sport’s friendly atmosphere, saying “BJJ can be practiced by all players of all ages, men and women.”Among the men who saw action on Saturday was actor-martial arts enthusiast Rocco Nacino, who narrowly lost his under-70kg. elimination fight in his first bout as a blue belt. In BJJ, the blue belt is the second of the ranking system after the white belt. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self-defense system that focuses on grappling and ground fighting. It was developed to allow a smaller, weaker person to protect him or herself from a bigger, stronger opponent by using proper technique and leverage.After rounds of intense combat and strategic moves, the more skilled players emerged victorious. Among the gold winners of the two-day event were Wilander Ordinado of Team Deftac Riberio in the male adults, white belt division, and Vanessa Lu of Team Fabricio in the female adults’ white belt division.