The days of arnisadors, or stick fighters, challenging each other to brutal matches are long gone. Called Juego Todo -- Spanish for “I play all” -- those duels were usually undertaken to settle disputes or to prove one’s dominance over another. Matches often resulted in severe injuries and death in some cases.
Juego Todo’s modern adaptation, a hybrid sport of the same name, debuted a few years back under a local promotion called Underground Battle Philippines. A little over a week ago, the tournament was afforded its biggest stage yet at HistoryCon, which took place at the World Trade Center in Manila.