ABOUT ME

While growing up in Iligan City, Philippines my Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) journey was jump-started by my father Teofilo Soco, Jr., and my uncle Zacarias Dy, Jr. the traditional way in 1984. However, my formal training with another uncle, Raul dela Cruz, started around 1985 up until 1992 wherein the training specialized in the close-quarter mano-mano style (empty hands) which progressed to the traditional Filipino blade concept system, from Arnis to Kutsilyo (knife). I eventually learned another FMA system Yaw-Yan (Sayaw ng Kamatayan or Dance of Death) under the tutelage of various instructors of the art which included Ekin Caniga of Texas Yaw-Yan Ardigma (Arnis pang Digmaan) PTFBC (Philippine Texas Yaw-Yan Footboxing Council) in Cebu City, between 1994 to 2002, and Saladin Dacuyan of Yaw-Yan Fervilleon Pasay in Manila between 2003 to 2006.