[After four years of participating in the UniGames, the XU Lady Crusaders brought home the 2015 UniGames Overall Women Karatedo Championship Cup. The Lady Crusaders: Cori Liwan, Ruvie Jane Cugay, Joan Jane Edulsa and Jyssa Mayes Cozo with their coach, Jessica Esparrago (middle). All photos supplied by XU Physical Education Department.]
By Stephen J Pedroza
These women are more than just pretty faces. They are also masters in the art of self-defense.
Their fighting instinct and firm strikes proved superior in the 2015 University Games when they emerged victorious alongside their blackbelter coach who considers them more than just a team, but as family.
Starting them young
“They are like my children,” mused Jessica Hojas Esparrago, coach of the XU women karatedo team, of her players. “They started karatedo at a very young age and I watched them grow in discipline and skills.”
“Almost all of my players have been national players since they were in grade school,” continued Esparrago, who has been teaching karate for 27 years at XU. “It’s very important to start [training early], like in elementary until high school, so when they reach college, they already have a strong foundation in karatedo.”
Coach Jessica is a 3rd Dan Blackbelt-holder of Japan Karate Association - Asia Pilipinas. She started to teach part-time at XU’s PE Department in 1994 until 1999, when she turned full-time karate instructor. Now, she also handles other PE subjects, from fitness and dances to team sports.
“She has been teaching me karate for almost 10 years now and she has been there to support me in my competitions — to bring out the inner tiger in me,” said Cori Liwan, the team captain of the Lady Crusaders karatedo team.
She added that, “Sensei Jess has been remarkable at teaching karate because of her patience and passion.”
In the men-dominated world of karatedo, Coach Jessica sees the XU Lady Crusaders as a sight for sore eyes. She describes them as “strong, pretty and sexy.”
“Karate is a world of men,” she related, “but this time our Lady Crusaders emerged as the best lady fighters. They did so with grace and beauty. They kicked and fought like a bull in sparring and they performed with speed, power, form and grace in kata.”
True enough, after four years of participating in the UniGames, their perseverance and stringent trainings have paid off well. The XU Lady Crusaders brought home the 2015 UniGames Overall Women Karatedo Championship Cup and together. The XU karatedo delegation (men and women) won 24 medals (7 gold, 12 silver and 5 bronze) in sum.
Like a mother to her daughters, Coach Jessica, who was a national player herself in karatedo during her college years at Xavier (making her mark in the Private Schools Athletic Association Games, Philippine National Games, Mindanao Games and other tournaments), could not contain her happiness and gratitude over this recent success.
“I am very proud of the result of this year’s UniGames and I’m very proud to say that XU is known for having a very strong and well-disciplined karatedo varsity,” she expressed.
“It was a great honor to bring the name of XU to UniGames and be recognized as overall champion of the women karatedo. It was a dream that came true,” Esparrago added.
[Sensei Jess and Lady Crusaders team captain Cori Liwan strike a pose with the 2015 UniGames Women Karetedo Championship Cup.]
Surpassing the challenges
Being a champion is not easy.
To prepare for the UniGames, which was held in Bacolod City in October (participated by 40 schools from across the country), the Lady Crusaders had to train religiously for two hours from Monday to Friday at the XU Physical Education Hall to learn the different techniques of the kumite (sparring) and kata (prearranged exercises).
For every competition, Coach Jessica’s coaching streak includes a series of exercises to improve her players’ speed, power, form and stamina so they can survive up to the last opponent. She also inculcates in them the value of sportsmanship.
“Karatedo is not purely self-defense; it also builds up character,” she said.
As a graduating International Studies student at XU, Liwan admitted that the UniGames was not paved with easy tests.
“This year’s UniGames was quite challenging because it was my last one and I wanted it to be as productive as our games in the past years,” shared Liwan who juggled between her athletics engagements as president of the XU – Japan Karate Association and sports committee associate head of United Arts and Sciences Student Council, and academics.
“My team trained hard; we spent our semestral break training. No pain, no gain,” she said.
As the team captain, she encouraged her teammates to reap the much-coveted championship cup.
“This is my most memorable UniGames in the last four years because, finally, we have conquered the championship. I’ve been dreaming [of this moment] since the 2012 UniGames,” remarked Liwan.
“I'm overwhelmed by the achievement we brought to the school. And I believe that the next generation of varsity players will bring more honor to our university,” she added.
On behalf of the men and women karatedo team of XU, Liwan expressed her gratitude to Sensei Jess, who has been their coach, mentor and second mother.
Besides Liwan, the other Lady Crusaders are Ruvie Jane Cugay (Elementary Education - 3), Joan Jane Edulsa (Business Administration - 4) and Jyssa Mayes Cozo (Electrical Engineering - 1).
Beyond their accolades, the karatedo family, formed and strengthened over practice sessions, outreach activities, water breaks, defeats and victories, look forward to learning more about balancing power and wisdom in this sport, and finding personal meaning in being women champions.
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Catch the Lady Crusaders in action at the 2015 Region10 Interschool Karatedo Competition on December 19 at Lourdes College.
The karatedo team will also be conducting a free seminar-workshop for the XU community on self-defense paraphernalia and techniques sometime this year.
[The Lady Crusaders with the XU Men Karatedo Team: Mondel Ahmer Delyoden, Nick Austin Mistula, Matthew Sebastian Ong and Justine John Gabor with coach Jessica Esparrago]