Thao Bui - COA 2022
Thao came into Balintawak with no previous martial arts background, and successfully finished her "Completion of the Art" test in 2022 under the expert guidance of Guro Frank Zhong. Her fascination with Balintawak grew during her attendance of the 2021 Balintawak World Camp as a spectator, where she had the privilege of meeting with numerous inspiring martial artists, particularly the accomplished women who practice and teach the art.
Motivated by this experience, Thao delved eagerly into training this elegant and efficient art form. Armed with a passion for Balintawak, unwavering dedication, and a structured learning approach which complemented by her background as a marketer and data scientist, she made remarkable strides. Within just one year, Thao progressed from Level 1 to achieving her COA test at the 2022 Balintawak World Camp. Inspired by the words of Guro Jeff Soriano, Thao showed that the amount of effort and focus spent on training has a tremendous effect on how long it takes to complete the curriculum.
Thao tested for her Level 1 and 2 supervised by the Guro Jeff, followed by Level 3, 4, 5, and 6 (COA) tests under the watchful supervision of Grandmaster Bobby Taboada. As an COA, Thao enjoys assisting with classes and teaching the curriculum, as well as deepening her understanding of the art.
Photo credit: Marc Elevado
IG: @thao.ph.bui
Matt Chua - COA 2023
Matt Chua is an actor and music artist, who resides in Pennsylvania. In late 2021, he was introduced to Guro Frank Zhong through a mutual friend and the two shared a multitude of conversations; one topic being Balintawak. Matt had no background in any martial arts, and was unaware of one that had origins in the Philippines. As Guro Frank explained some of the history of Balintawak, Matt became extremely interested in learning the art form. He decided to dedicate his time and focus to learn the Filipino Martial Art, despite how daunting the task appeared.
In 2022, Matt would commute state-to-state for two, sometimes three, days a week, and spend hours diligently working on basic and semi-advance techniques to establish his foundation. Guro Frank would continue to challenge and encourage him, as he would learn to execute his new skillset with more power, accuracy and control. With the help and guidance of Guro Frank, his teammates, Guro Jeff Soriano, and Grand Master Bobby Taboada, Matt Chua consistently persevered through challenges and welcomed any opportunities to hone his craft in Balintawak.
Within one year, Matt completed Levels 1-5. In 2023, he achieved Level 6; becoming a COA after only two years of practicing Balintawak. He continues to dedicate his time to find new ways to sharpen his abilities, along with building New Jersey Balintawak with Guro Frank Zhong and his teammates. Matt will often be transparent with any newcomers of Balintawak about his previous insecurities starting out as a beginner, to how he eventually felt more comfortable in the art, citing the reason being “reps and retention.”
Jay Pasco – COA 2024
Jay is a software engineer who stays active by training in martial arts. He earned his black belt in American Kenpo under Frank Vigoroux in 2013 but eventually stepped away to focus on building his career and raising a family.
In 2022, he felt the pull to return to training—this time with a stronger connection to his roots. While searching online for Filipino Martial Arts in New Jersey, he discovered Guro Frank Zhong. At the time, Jay had never heard of Balintawak, so he turned to YouTube and found videos of Grandmaster Bobby Taboada. The speed, control, and explosiveness of GM Bobby’s style immediately caught his attention. Intrigued and inspired, Jay messaged Frank on Instagram, and they met at a local park where Jay was introduced to the fundamentals of the art and began Level 1 training.
From that point on, Jay trained consistently through one-on-one sessions with Frank, building speed, power, and control. Just three months later, he attended the NYC Balintawak Camp, where he met GM Bobby in person and tested successfully for Levels 1 through 3. Later that year, the NJ group traveled to North Carolina to train directly under GM Bobby, and during that visit, Jay was unexpectedly tested for and passed Level 4.
He continued training diligently, focusing on developing his feeder skills and learning how to set up every Level 5 disarm with precision. He completed Level 5 at the 2023 Balintawak Camp. Over the next year, Jay dedicated himself to Level 6—challenging himself to improve his timing, movement, and body mechanics to execute the semi-advanced techniques. On November 2, 2024, at the North Carolina Balintawak Camp, Jay tested and earned his Completion of the Art (COA).
Jay continues to train with the NJ Balintawak group, where he remains focused on refining his Balintawak skills. As he continues to explore the deeper layers of the art, he looks forward to one day taking on a student of his own and beginning the path toward Level 7.
IG: @ajpasco213