by Francis Miguel B. Rabulan
If the world of basketball has LeBron James and Stephen Curry, karate and swimming has Job Vincent B. Rabulan.
Job is really special as he happens to be my younger brother. Fondly called as “Cobbi” in the family, he is eight (8) years old and is currently a Grade 3 student of the Blessed Virgin Mary section of Canossa College San Pablo. Cobbi is also said to be my Dad’s exact carbon copy. What is special and unique with my younger brother is his love and passion for sports, particularly karate and swimming. Now let me share with you how he got drawn into these sports.
Cobbi started karate in April 2015. His interest for the sport was influenced by watching over and over again the classic Karate Kid movies including the last one where in Jaden Smith starred in. My Mom thru her friend learned about the Samurai Karatedo Club in YMCA San Pablo and this paved the way for Cobbi’s entry into the karate world. In the last two years, I have personally seen how my brother has progressed from a novice student (white belt) to earning and being promoted to purple belt. He has a knack for performing “kata” which is the “ultimate expression of karate” and this has led him in joining various national competitions together with the Samurai Karatedo Club. Just this year, their club joined the Okazaki Cup Tournament, MKKPI Tournament and the Sen. Migs Zubiri Karate Cup. Even before these national competitions, Cobbi was already exposed to various competitions hosted by Samurai Karatedo Club which is under the Laguna Shotokan Society (LSS). Karate has become a family event as my parents and I would always join and support my brother in every competition. In the last two (2) national competitions, my brother won a bronze in the advance kata category for ages 8 – 10. All the practice and hard work that he has put in are finally paying off and he is reaping the benefits.
Swimming is another sport that my brother loves. My parents have been for the longest time convincing us to go into swimming as this is the best form of exercise to treat asthma (yes, you read it right as me and my brother have asthma). Cobbi started swimming just this year (April to be exact) and now he is an active member of the Lake City Swimming Club (LCSC). What started as a beginner and advance summer short course has become a passion for my brother. Like karate, Cobbi also has this competitive spirit in him when it comes to swimming. He recently participated in the Southern Tagalog Amateurs Swimming Association (STASA) sanctioned 1st Phase STASA Short Course Swimming Competition (Aug 26 – 27) and STASA Novice Competition (July 22) in Dasmarinas, Cavite and Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Among the swimming strokes/styles, Cobbi loves the butterfly as this is the strongest stroke of the world renowned swimmer and most decorated Olympian, Michael Phelps. Phelps also happens to be Cobbi’s hero in swimming.
As his “Kuya,” I can see that my brother has a bright future ahead of him in both karate and swimming. I am so proud of what he has accomplished at his age.
