YAW-YAN Ardigma Cebu is back after being without a home for more than a year.
From its iconic location on Sanciangko St., Yaw-Yan Ardigma Cebu has reopened at a temporary, humble gym at the Felimon Compound along Sikatuna St. in Barangay Day-as, Cebu City.
“We are back in business,” said Yaw-Yan Ardigma founder and CEO Master Benigno “Ekin” Caniga Jr. during a press conference at Sunburst Fried Chicken, officially announcing the gym’s reopening. “We have stopped for more than a year. We now have a small temporary gym for our athletes to continue their training.”
Caniga was forced to train his fighters at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) grounds after the old Yaw-Yan Ardigma Cebu gym was closed down. The building that once housed the old gym is now under construction.
Caniga currently trains over 40 athletes from Team Cebu City in different disciplines - MMA, kickboxing, Muay Thai, and wrestling.
The athletes are training for an upcoming event, the Mactan Fight League, on May 31, 2026, at the Vaño Beach, which will be headlined by Yaw-Yan Ardigma veteran Renan “Flash” Noblefranca. Aside from this event, some fighters are also preparing for stints in the Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy meets.
“Our athletes were training in Abellana (CCSC), but we really had no equipment. That’s why I decided to rent a place, even if it’s small, as long as it has complete equipment for training,” said Caniga.
The current Yaw-Yan Ardigma Cebu gym is just temporary. By next year, Caniga hopes to transfer to a bigger location in a building in Day-as.
“The building we will move into is currently under construction and we will be able to transfer there by next year. It will accommodate a cage and more athletes,” said an optimistic Caniga, widely considered the “Father of Cebu MMA.”
Yaw-Yan Ardigma Cebu will also launch its annual Summer Training Camp on Friday, May 8, at the new gym.
The camp offers courses in arnis, boxing fitness, Muay Thai, kickboxing, MMA, and Yaw-Yan Ardigma Combat (self defense).
Yaw-Yan, or “Sayaw ng Kamatayan,” is an original Filipino martial art founded by late Grandmaster Napoleon “Nap” Fernandez in 1972 in Sta. Cruz, Manila. / EKA
