Ricky Santiago loves taekwondo. From the late ’80s, the dobok has been the most used item in his life.
The now-52-year-old, however, loves his school just as much, so much so that after spending most of his schooling in De La Salle Zobel, he came back to Alabang to call the shots for the Jr. Archers’ taekwondo program.
Hearing how it had happened, it sure sounds like Santiago coaching in Zobel was written in the stars.
“Taekwondo started in Zobel in 1986 and at that time, I was in fourth year high school and was just a yellow belt,” he recalled in the newest episode of the University Avenue webcast hosted by Migs Bustos. “From there, the sport took off in the school and I fell in love with it.”
“After college and after I played for the national team, I wanted to share that passion for taekwondo. Fortunately, I got to take over in 1997,” he continued.
That means that for nearly 25 years, one man has had the guiding hand for all those taekwondo student-athletes inside the gates along University Avenue.
“I love my school. It’s the best high school in the universe, like I always tell the kids,” he shared. “I love my sport. I wanna share to everyone that it’s not just about kicking and all that.”
“It’s about a mindset of humility and respect. After they graduate from the program and take over business or politics or whatever it is, hopefully, they will lead with virtue.”
Character-building was, is, and will remain at the core of the former national team member’s long-running program. Taekwondo is known as a martial art, but Zobel’s mentor teaches his students that physical strength is nothing without emotional, mental, and spiritual strength.
To illustrate that, Santiago recalled an instance when he was called by school administration, saying that his star pupil, James Ruiz de Luzuriaga, did an axe kick way outside the mats.
“I was surprised. James is a kind-hearted kid,” he narrated. “I was thinking, ‘What happened, what happened? Taekwondo may be taken out!'”
As it turned out, Ruiz de Luzuriaga was only standing up for himself, using that ax kick to ward off a negative force.
“There was a much bigger kid who was bullying him. James is quiet, he doesn’t talk too much,” furthered the softspoken coach. “But if you push him too much, something comes out.”
After the incident, however, Santiago made it a point to remind his athletes that they should only use their kicks as a last resort – and never to hurt anybody out of spite. That discipline is the defining characteristic of a proud product of the Zobel program.
“Back then, I was hardheaded. At first, I didn’t understand why that was happening because I thought I was doing something good,” narrated de Luzuriaga, adding that he had to do pushups as disciplinary action. “But because of that, I matured. I understood that that I actually made a mistake because I lost discipline and I shouldn’t do that again.”
de Luzuriago would go on to win three gold medals in the UAAP as well another three championships in the Palarong Pambansa. Now, he is the CEO for digital marketing agency Brand Society Asia.
Santiago’s teachings, however, continues on – onto another batch being molded into passionate and disciplined students and athletes.
“Coach Ricky, he really helped me develop this mindset that you have to be disciplined because this is something greater than you,” noted Andrew Medina, himself a multi-time UAAP champion.
Alongside discipline, the Zobel program is also big on instilling confidence among student-athletes – confidence that could even take them all the way to the Philippine national team.
“Coach Ricky always believed in me and pushed me to be the best that I can be,” remarked Medina. “He was always like, ‘Andrew, why don’t you try for the national team? You don’t know, maybe you can get in.'”
With that, he has been wearing the flag since 2018.
All of it, whether it be continuing to excel in the sport or making waves in another arena, thanks to Zobel and its taekwondo coach who could boast of being worthy to stand alongside the legendary Hans Smit in terms of tenure and success.
“Since I was a kid, it was sir Ricky who molded me. I was in the program for almost half of my life,” detailed de Luzuriaga. “I learned how to balance academics, high-quality education with training, discipline and passion. It molded me into becoming who I am now.”
—
The pasture isn’t always greener on the other side. In fact, it’s the greenest along University Avenue. Continue catching all our episodes on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/delasalle.zobel) and also follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dls_zobel).
