It was PE 2 (wrestling) in UP Diliman in 2006. It was memorable for me because of its novelty. Our professor, Prof. Norberto Madrigal, was very well-versed in the sport, and his method of teaching was not only accommodating but was also patient. The class in itself, to me, was not just practical in engaging you physically and strategically; it also planted seeds for a budding competitive sport.
Being a varsity athlete in the university, I did not have to take PE classes. However, we were required to take electives in my course, sports science. The most memorable one for me was basic weight training because I learned all about the different exercises that can be done in resistance training or in the gym, what muscles they target, how to do them properly, how to teach the exercises to others, and how to plan out a weight training program. I believe it was a very practical class which I could truly apply in life and in my sport.
My most memorable PE subject was my first PE, folk dance under Ma’am Dioquino. Folk dance requires dancing in pairs, but back then, my blockmates and I were not yet close friends and we were still shy, so dancing was awkward! Towards the end, it became group dances. I remember the girls were practicing Pandanggo sa Ilaw where we would put a glassful of water on top of our heads while changing from standing to lying on our bellies to rolling to the left and right. Imagine, there was spilled water everywhere! The boys were busy perfecting their hand-and-body coordination for Maglalatik, which was no joke! The dancers should have timing and grace. Our final exam was an intermission number for the annual dance recital where all PE dance classes showcased their moves and were up for winning in their categories. We had a great time, and guess what? After our performance, we had to clean up.
Judo, because it was where I was able to grow and develop into a varsity athlete. I learned the fundamentals and techniques of the sport not only through rigorous training, but also through an honest-to-goodness study of literature on the martial arts.
I have two memorable PE subjects: PE 1 Foundations of Physical Fitness since it deals with all the basics of fitness including exercise physiology, health, and wellness. The other is PE 2 Swimming, a required course for BS Biology students, which is the most difficult and risky PE 2 course to teach since extra precautions are very much needed compared to the other PE 2 courses. The teacher and students would travel for an hour going to, and an hour and a half coming from, the venue which passes through steep roads.
My most memorable PE subject was swimming. I learned I was quite good at it. All throughout my high school days, I had poor eye-hand coordination (table tennis, badminton) and was very poor at team sports (volleyball, basketball). But in swimming, neither was required. All I needed was to be comfortable in the water and make it to several laps. It was an excellent full body workout for my wiry frame and improved my lung capacity.
My most memorable PE subject was badminton. I was a member of the UP Varsity Track Team competing in 110-m high hurdles and 400-m low hurdles. I didn’t have to take PE yet, but we were encouraged by my coach to take other PE subjects to cross-train. I decided to take badminton because of the pretty girls, one of whom was my crush. The PE teacher was surprised because I was the only male student in the class. Of course he humiliated me and made me sweat and run by playing with me in front of my lady classmates! I was humiliated in front of my crush but got my cross-training and realized how real badminton was actually very strenuous.
