10/12/2026
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE 2026 MAC MARTIAL ARTS FMA & OPEN TOURNAMENT A HUGE SUCCESS!
What an incredible three days! My heart is full, my stomach is full, and in the spirit of Thanksgiving - i am truly Thankful. .
Organizing and hosting a tournament and an international seminar at the same time is no small task. The countless hours of planning, preparation, coordination, and late nights can be overwhelming, but seeing everything come together makes it all worthwhile. None of this would have been possible without the incredible people who stood beside me and supported this event.
TO MY FAMILY, FRIENDS & MAC MARTIAL ARTS VOLUNTEERS
From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!
To everyone who gave their time and energy helping with scorekeeping, staging, food preparation, judging, transportation, audio and visual, accounting, registration, security, setup, cleanup, and everything in between — your dedication did not go unnoticed. Every role, big or small, contributed to making this event a success.
I would especially like to recognize a few individuals who went above and beyond:
Sharon Gale – Thank you for your outstanding project management, organization, and dedication in keeping everything moving forward.
Stephanie Sonmor and Katelyn Nuestro – Thank you for the late nights, hard work, and countless hours helping with tournament operations.
Natasha Fortuna John Fortuna for helping get organized
Jackie and Christian- for coming over and helping pack everything.
Inzy for taking the time off and helping me get tables in order.
My kids – Thank you for staying on top of our social media, keeping everyone informed, and helping promote the event throughout the weekend. I'm proud of you!
- My nieces, Jillian and Sophie – Thank you for helping me run the store and for giving your time, energy, and support throughout the event. I truly appreciate everything you did!
Jeff Wong – Thank you for your tremendous work ensuring registrations were completed, organized, and ready for competition.
Julius Litorco – Thank you for always being there year after year, helping organize and verify our divisions, and serving as our tournament arbitrator. Your experience, friendship, and continued support mean more than you know.
My brother, Mark Macaraeg – Thank you for the audio and stagging help and for always believing in me and being there for me.
Eric and Kyle from budo brothers - spent three days together and you finally got to know the real me and what I stand for. I cant wait to see what material you put together from Tuhons seminar.
My in-laws Dante Arcie Amigo and Sandra Martin Chicote for ensuring that there all of my volunteers were fed and helping at the registration table
My amazing wife, Aileen Amigo Macaraeg – I cannot thank you enough for everything you do behind the scenes. From the countless late nights to making sure every detail was completed correctly and on time, you have been my biggest supporter through it all. I know how much you sacrifice to help make these events happen, and I couldn't do this without you.
TO ALL OUR PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS & TEAMS
A huge thank you to all the martial arts schools, instructors, coaches, competitors, and families who travelled from British Columbia, across Alberta, Winnipeg, Toronto, California, and Maryland to support our tournament.
Some of you have been supporting this event year after year, and that loyalty and friendship mean the world to me.
You are the reason we continue to host these events. It's not just about medals, trophies, or winning. It's about bringing martial artists together, building friendships, sharing knowledge, creating opportunities, and strengthening our martial arts community.
Thank you for believing in what we are building here in Calgary.
TO OUR INCREDIBLE SPONSORS
Events like this would not be possible without the generosity of businesses and individuals who believe in supporting martial arts and our community.
A very special thank you to our sponsors:
- Alex and Mark – Foggy Gorilla
- Hervin Pesa and Mary Jean Canuel Pesa – Smile Ko Dental
- Ron Molina – ME Accounting
- Sean Chicote and Kiara Nguyen – Big Pictures
- Aileen Go and Maj Mana-ay Morales – Family Vision
- Chanthoeun Harris Precision Hyundai
- Sole
- Shaun – Craft & Co. Law
- Bears Den and Developments
- Susan Augustin INR Tax Services
- ernie Jeremiah James Mejia Trolley 5
- BET Sports Net
- Taresa H Lee shuaba shuaba hot pot Edmonton
Your generosity and commitment helped us create an event where martial artists of all ages and backgrounds could come together, compete, learn, and grow.
Thank you for investing in our martial arts community. We are truly grateful for your continued support.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO TUHON Apolo Ladra , APOLO JR. & G**o Joe Apostol
Lastly, I want to express my deepest appreciation to Tuhon Apolo Ladra, Apolo Jr., and Joe Apostle for travelling to Calgary and sharing the incredible knowledge, traditions, and teachings of iKALI with our martial arts community.
The three days of training, learning, laughter, and friendship were truly unforgettable. Thank you for believing in me and helping me helping me on my quest to make Mac FMA tournament in Canada bigger and better.. I cant wait to bring ikali to Western Canada.
Thank you for sharing not only your knowledge but also your friendship. Everyone had an amazing experience, and we look forward to welcoming you back to Calgary!
A FINAL MESSAGE...
Every year, I ask myself why I continue to take on the challenge of organizing these tournaments and seminars. The planning is exhausting, the hours are long, and there are always challenges along the way.
But then I look around and see the smiles, the friendships, the competitors giving their best, the instructors supporting one another, and the families cheering from the sidelines.
That's when I remember exactly why I do it.
Martial arts has always been about more than competition. It's about respect, discipline, community, friendship, and creating opportunities for the next generation.
To everyone who contributed, participated, volunteered, sponsored, travelled, or simply came out to support us — THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.
I am truly humbled by the support, friendship, and generosity of everyone who helped make the 2026 Mac Martial Arts FMA & Open Tournament and iKALI Seminar such a memorable success.
Until next year, let's continue to grow, support one another, and keep the martial arts spirit alive!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
With sincere gratitude and respect,
Punong G**o / Sensei Lawrence Macaraeg
Mac Martial Arts Club 🥋
