MANILA, Philippines ? We parked the car in a dank, creepy alley behind McDonald?s Taft, and walked to where the tournament was being held: Grafik High, a game place in University Mall, Taft Avenue, frequented by La Salle students during hectic school days.

Having caught wind of a Street Fighter IV tournament last May 2, fellow writer-gamer Martin and I met at his Salcedo place to drive there. The tournament would start at 12 noon, and Martin wanted an early start, since he?d be joining. I was just there to scope it out; my gaming skills weren?t exactly on par to compete.

Street Fighter IV (SF IV) is the latest in a series of beloved fighting games released by Capcom Entertainment. When SF IV was released last February, it was an instant hit among gamers everywhere. A tournament held in the Philippines was a logical next step.

At the University Mall, I got the sense that I had walked into an actual underground street fighting venue. The place was dingy and a bit scary, but Martin, a College of Saint Benilde alumnus, calmed my fears. ?I?ve been playing games here since college. It?s safe,? he said.

Tandem

We climbed to the second floor and were greeted by the sight of Grafik High. It looked like a hacker?s lair: dark blue lights, loud electronic sounds, and a sizable number of participants already milling about.

Ahead of me, a few outsiders played a round of Rock Band. To my left, the organizers were setting up Playstation 3s on a huge plasma screen TV. The organizers were boyfriend-and-girlfriend tandem Nielzen ?Niel? Muyco, 25, and JhaJha Ramos, 21, who shared that Niel was one of the first to own a copy of SF IV.

?We always play here,? JhaJha said over the hubbub, ?so Niel thought of hosting a tournament here, because this is a gaming hub.?

The registration fee of P200 per entrant would go to the prize money pot. Additionally, the mechanics of the tournament were double eliminations?each player would play the best of three games, and each eliminated player would then move on to a ?loser?s bracket.?

?We don?t know who the top players in the country are, so this [tournament] is a way to find out,? said Niel. Looking at the crowd, full of lanky or portly dudes, sporting long hair, goatees or oversized shirts, I wondered if I was indeed looking at a gathering of some of the country?s top fighters.

Some participants had brought their own equipment. One of them was Jeff, who was carrying a huge button-bedecked box that looked like he ripped it off an actual arcade pad. He attached it to the Playstation 3 and proceeded to beat up his test opponent. I tried play-testing on the pad, which felt strange and new to me. I ended up losing both demo rounds to a random player, and to Niel himself (who bashfully said he wasn?t that good a player).

Then, I spotted something curious: A buff, tattooed gym guy lurking among the crowd of geeks. A real street fighter?

With a thirty-five player turnout, it was going to be a long day. The finalized roster would ensure the most skilled player would win a top prize of P7,000. Pretty good cash for a video game tournament.

Girlfriends

There were a few girls, too. Contestants? ?No,? said one shyly. ?Boyfriend ko, si Jerry, ang contestant [My boyfriend, Jerry, is a contestant].?

Sure enough, several guys brought their girlfriends along. I overheard the buff, tattooed guy snark in the background, ?Naaawa ako sa mga nagdala ng girlfriend. Iyan ang true love! [I pity those who brought their girlfriends. That?s true love!]?

At 1:50 p.m., the matches started. Only the participants were allowed inside the place. The other participants watched outside through the windows, and hooted and cheered the competitors.

These guys were hardcore. They applauded spectacularly timed moves like a well-placed uppercut, or jeered at failed strategies like a missed super move. As the tournament progressed, I realize that the euphoria of spectator sports was not limited to real-world competitions. There?s Araneta and Las Vegas, and then there?s Grafik High.

A skinny guy named Jordan was called next. Amusingly, his opponent was Buff Tattooed Guy. Adding a layer of unknown drama was the fact that Jordan is Jerry?s brother. He would be facing the guy who jeered people like his brother who brought girlfriends.

They took the controls, settled in their seats, and chose the same character?Ryu. This was going to be interesting.

Right away, it was obvious Jordan was the better Ryu handler. He delivered a flurry of punches and kicks. BTG was no slouch, countering with attacks of his own, but Jordan dominates him with unflinching Zen. Game over, BTG nodded and, like a real sportsman, shook Jordan?s hand. ?Good game.?

As the day dragged on and competitors got eliminated, Martin provided a running commentary to the crowd watching. ?Nice! Ay, patay! Iyun, isa pa! [Dead! Another one!]?

One particular match between fighters Zangief and Blanka had the crowd mesmerized. Both handlers were good players, outdoing each other with strategies and timing. Both were down to their life bar?s last millimeters, and when one pulled a surprising save, feint, and spectacular finisher, the crowd erupted in awe. ?OOOOHHHH!!!?

A tall, lanky guy named Edward was standing outside, shaking his head. ?I?m not playing?, he said, ?I?ll lose! These guys play ten hours a day. I have work. I?m just here to support Jeff.? I look at his arms. Tellingly, he was carrying Jeff?s arcade pad.

Camaraderie

Martin retired to a bench after his own round. He didn?t win the tournament, but he was happy to have participated.

?This is a place to show off, and meet new friends,? he said.

Among the crowd, the participants exchanged game tips, strategies and combos. There was a real sense of camaraderie among these guys. And admiration. One watched through the glass as the guy who beat him won over another challenger. ?Wala, pare, galing ng kalaban ko. Kung manalo siya sa buong tournament, [My opponent was good. If he wins the tournament] I?m not ashamed!?

Inside the blue-lit room, lit sporadically by flashes of fireballs and body slams, a group of girls played Rock Band, singing ?Eye of the Tiger,? unmindful of the rowdy tournament behind them.

I was exhausted from the coverage, but the energy of these players was unbelievable. They were still full of fire and gusto, throwing their voices and arms as they watched their brothers-in-arms beat each other down in electronic fury?the stamina drawn from hours of mastering this game.

In the end, the P7,000 was won by a player named Raymond. Niel himself made it to third place with a P1,000 cash prize.

?If it?s successful,? Niel had said earlier, ?We hope to hold tournaments quarterly.?

Call them what you want. Geeks. Nerds. Dorks. But remember, when you face them in their ring, you face a street fighter, standing up to the challenge of any rival. And they play with the eye of the tiger.

Visit http://sf4philippines.multiply.com for the tournament details and results. Buff up those skills and opposable thumbs for the next big tourney!