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DoctorB

02-11-2003, 11:32 AM

Hello to All,

I would like to report the following information for the 2003 Modern Arnis International Symposium, effective today, February 11, 2003. I have revised the Symposium Fee structure downward and the schedule is as follows:

February 12 - April 20 - $195 with a deposit of $80

April 21 - June 29 - $235 with a deposit of $95

June 30 - July 9 - $275 with a deposit of $110

At the Door - $295

Single Day Prices: Friday & Sunday - $50; Saturday - $110
(Friday and Sunday are 3 & 4 hours, Saturday is 9 hours).
The Symposium instructional schedule will be:

Friday, July 11, 6 - 9pm
Saturday, July 12, 9am - 6pm
Sunday, July 13, 9am - 1pm.

There will be three teaching sessions per hour, for a combined total of 51 hours of instruction.

There are group rates available in the following configurations:

3 - 5 people
6 - 10 people
11+ people

You can contact me for specific information about the group rates for the Symposium.

Groups may be formed at your pleasure, and one person will serve as the contact person. Please pay by bank check or money order and make it payable to Dr. Jerome Barber/ Symposium.
The Symposium mailing address for the checks and money orders is:

Dr. Jerome Barber
Suite 230
5999 South Park Avenue
Hamburg, NY 14075

The first hotel to give us a group rate is the Holiday Inn, Downtown, in Buffalo, NY. The rate is $99 for a double and $109 for a triple occupancy. The group rate is listed under "Modern Arnis Symposium". The other two hotels will be formally posting their rates for me later this week and I will report them as soon as I have them. Please note that there are only 135 double occupancy rooms available for the Symposium, when all three hotels are ready to accept reservations.

The final list of Symposium instructors are:

Senior Master, Dan Anderson - Modern Arnis 80
Punong Guro, Tom Bolden - American Modern Arnis Associates
Guro, Bruce Chiu - Modern Arnis - Remy Presas Style
Senior Master, Bram Frank - Common Sense Self Defense/ SC
Datu, Tim Hartman - World Modern Arnis Alliance
Datu, Dieter Knuttel - Modern Arnis Germany
Guro, Dan McConnell - IMAF, Inc.
Guro/Sensei, Dawud Muhammad - Modern Arnis - R. Presas Style
Guro, David Ng - IMAF, Inc.
Senior Master, Rocky Paswik - Modern Arnis - Cuentada
Senior Master, J. Richard Roy - IMAF, Inc.
Guro/Sifu, Peter Vargas - American Modern Arnis Associates

These instructors cover the full spectrum of the late Professor Remy Presas' teaching career outside of the Philippines from the late 1970's through 2000. Thus we have the art as taught by Professor being repersented from by 7 senior instructors and 5
fully certified instructors. The lowest rank held is Lakan Tatlo - 3rd degree black belt. Combined the instructional staff has a collective history of 205+ years of martial arts experience.
I am looking forward to hosting the Symposium because I believe that it is going to be the defining Modern Arnis event of 2003.

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.

Dan Anderson

02-14-2003, 03:21 PM

Okay folks, now's the time to pony up. This is going to be a very good event and who knows when the possibility of having so many Modern Arnis instructors under one roof at the same time will happen again?
Yours,
Dan Anderson
PS - This and the WMAA Camp in May should be the two premier events on the East Coast this year!

DoctorB

02-17-2003, 05:19 PM

Originally posted by Dan Anderson
Okay folks, now's the time to pony up. This is going to be a very good event and who knows when the possibility of having so many Modern Arnis instructors under one roof at the same time will happen again?
Yours,
Dan Anderson
PS - This and the WMAA Camp in May should be the two premier events on the East Coast this year!

Thanks Dan, for the plug. It seems that I am getting more private e-mails and inquiries from Europe (7) then from North America (1) regarding the event, group rates and costs.

After nearly a year of having this event discussed, questions about fees, who should attend, dates and conflicts in schedules, the silence at this point is quite puzzling to me. In the past people have railed against this person and that, this claim and that, this organization and that as well as who was legitimate and who was not; yet when the time comes, the event is scheduled which will show everyone in attendance the full range of diversity within Modern Arnis, the players go strangely quiet!!

Hmmmm... did I strike a raw nerve or two? That was not my intention. I just want more people to see and experience what my students and I have been privileged to see since 1981 (that's my starting date in Modern Arnis), a full spectrum of people doing the art of Modern Arnis, as taught by Professor Presas, yet with their own inputs and innovations. I always remember something that I heard Professor say quite often, "Make it for yourself!"

The Symposium is scheduled, the fee structure is posted, the instructors are announced, now all that is missing are the participants who will be attending the FIRST Modern Arnis
International Symposium, featuring some of the more experienced and leading instructors of the art.... this event is all about sharing, experiencing different ways of doing Modern Arnis, it is at once familiar, learning how to work together, meeting new people, yet there will be differences and only the essence of Professor will be there.... it is time to make the art the art for yourself.... join us and let's get started.

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.

Rich Parsons

02-19-2003, 12:23 AM

DoctorB,

I have said I woudl be there. I will be. The problem I have is the bank check and or money order. This means I have to get away from the office during Bank hours and get this check. I usually get this done about once a month. So, in the next couple of weeks I will get to the bank and get you the deposit check. :D

DoctorB

02-20-2003, 09:14 AM

I am in the process of finalizing the contract for the second Symposium hotel in Buffalo, NY. We will be using the Radisson-Downtown. The room rate is $109, per day and I have gotten quite a deal since it will be a July date and the individual rate is normally $175 per day. There will 40 rooms available. This hotel is closer to the Symposium site than the Holiday Inn listed in the opening post for this thread. As soon as the contract is signed, i will update this thread and give everyone the 800 phone number for reservations. Be forewarned that you have to make your reservations for this hotel BEFORE June 18, 2003, to get the "Modern Arnis Symposium" rate.

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.

Mao

02-24-2003, 01:24 PM

Dr.Barber and everyone else,
This is to inform you that I will be unable to attend/present at the symposium. We have scheduled a family vacation to the opposite side of the country. I trust those who do attend will at least meet someone new.
Regards,
Dan McConnell
IMAF, inc. Board of Directors
Modern Arnis of Ohio
Hilliard Budo Center

Rich Parsons

02-24-2003, 01:51 PM

DoctorB

02-26-2003, 12:11 PM

Originally posted by Mao
Dr.Barber and everyone else,
This is to inform you that I will be unable to attend/present at the symposium. We have scheduled a family vacation to the opposite side of the country. I trust those who do attend will at least meet someone new.
Regards,
Dan McConnell
IMAF, inc. Board of Directors
Modern Arnis of Ohio
Hilliard Budo Center

Dear Dan,

I am very sorry that you will be unable to attend and present at the 2003 Modern Arnis International Symposium. I was looking forward to meeting you and doing some training with you.

The very least that everyone can expect at the Symposium is that they will "...meet someone new". In fact I believe that everyone in attendence will get a good deal more than that!! There are some very high powered presenters scheduled and there are a number of very exciting Modern Arnis alternatives that will be demonstrated. This is not going to be your typical old Modern Arnis seminar with your usual group of local participants. This event is all about how different people have taken what Professor taught them and re-fashioned it into their own art... they have made it for themselves and they are going to be there to share ideas and concepts.

I am sorry that I will not have a chance to talk with you and trade ideas at the Symposium, but there are other times and other places where that could happen. Have a safe and productive vacation.

With respect,

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.

DoctorB

02-28-2003, 03:18 PM

QUOTE]Originally posted by Rich Parsons
Yes I realize it will be important, and plan on being there. As I said so last summer. I would like to meet new people at this event. Yet it is sad that some of those I would liked to have seen or worked with are not going to be there now.

The problem that I see is that if it appears that no one is going and it is desperate advertising this will make even more people think about not going. The counter effect we are looking for. If it is once in a while and an update is made, or just a simple reminder, then this to me seems to be good. Maybe Red Blade and others were jsut concerned about a back lash.

Personally, I think Dr B is trying his best to makes things work. And I thank him for that. Yet, if every thread and or post is nothing more about how great this is going to be, it could be misleading.

No disrespect to anyone, yet I can see both sides and their concerns.
:asian: [/QUOTE]

First and formost, I do not understand where this notion of "desperate" is coming from! I believe that the first mention that l made with regard to getting people signed to the Symposium was about two weeks ago and nothing since. ( BTW Rich, this is being written as a general comment and not specificly to you.) And if advertising/posting a reminder, is an indication of deperation, then I truely feel sorry for all of the TV ads that I see reoccuring within same one to two hour period on TV!!

If there is going to be a counter-effect then so be it. As an update, there are ten (10) people are signed on as of this afternoon (1pm, est). A group of 8 from the west coast (and I do recall that we were told that it is too far and expensive to travel from the west coast to Buffalo.... hmmm...) and two individuals.

The only other update that I can confirm is that one instructor has publicly withdrawn, due to a family vacation commitment with travel plans to the western portion of the country, is how he phrased it, I believe. I replied to that posting and I am truely sorry that he will not be at the Symposium. I was looking forward working with him and discussing some things face to face.

Maybe I am too close to the business of organizing the Symposium and maybe I am guilty of seeing this as a great event because it will be the first time that a significant group of Modern Arnis senior instructors have come together in one place for one event since the death of Professor. Maybe I am too excited about the people who will be presenting because I have worked closely several of them in the past and I really want to see the others. Hell, maybe I am just too committed to making a positive comtribution to the art that I have enjoyed for the past 22 years.

Let me give everyone a tip, a heads-up, some advance notice.
I am waiting for confirmation that at least on custom knife maker and guild member will be at the Symposium selling his products.
I got a confirmation, last night that a custom craftsman will be making wooden training blades, the Aetas Bolo, which hails from Negros, the home island of the late Professor. When I showed Professor replica training blade in 1991, he was thrilled that I had done the research, found the bolo and that I was using it as part of my training program. We will have these bolos available at the Symposium. Remember that Modern Arnis is at it's core, a blade art!

The Symposium is designed to be an open ended exchange of ideas, training methodologies, a meeting place and discussion forum about the future directions that Modern Arnis could be going in. I have no intention or need to discuss who is not there, who is not going to be there or why they have chosen not to attend - that is their business. I am well aware of what Lamont wrote and I will have no comment on what he stated as his opinion. He was not and is not authorized to speak for me or my group. I will say this, both Mr. Delaney and Ms. McManus, were gracious and respectful enough to respond to their invitations to participate and they declined. Others, were not as considerate.

I happen to be quite passionate about the full implications that are bound up within the Symposium concept. If I am, for some people, too enthusiastic about the potential good that can come from this event, then that is way it is. I will not constrain myself in order to sell tickets!!!

I was asked to provide early dates, the lowest possible prices and post the information as early as possible. I have done all of that. I asked, in return, that people make an early signal of commitment. They did not have to send money, just give a verbal signal and only a couple of people responded. If I was going to be desperate, then November & December 2002, plus Juanuary 2003, was the the time to get paniced and withdraw the plans.
If I were going to be desperate then I should have rushed the information on to the various forums the first week of January 2003. But if people go back and read my posts for that month they will note that I missed my own deadlines for posting information. Desperate, paniced, or nervous? Not one bit. Just doing my job to remind everyone that there is a lot of work that needs to be done and those who attend the Symposium will be able to get some of the work started through face to face meetings. I have allowed a long period for people to send their deposits to reserve their places at the lowest prices. If I were nervous and desperate, would I be doing that? I don't think so!

I want to remind some of you who came into Modern Arnis, late, say in 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996 or 1998, that there is an entire generation of people who studied Modern Arnis and were ranked at Lakan Isa or above before you ever entered your first seminar with Professor. This does not mean that what you did or learned is less important than what we did in the 1970's and 80's. It simply means that there is a lot of information that is available to be shared from us to you and vice-versa. I am very excited about that prospect - I enjoy the mere thought of that prospect - I am working toward making that prospect a reality on July 11, 12 and 13 in Buffalo, NY.

We have had the excitement of having Professor Presas and Modern Arnis being taught in Buffalo, at least once every year and as many as three times in a single year, since 1980. My instructor, Sifu Don Zanghi, was the very first Modern Arnis representative in WNY State. We have had as many as 7 schools teaching Modern Arnis at one time in the 1980's. Currently ther are 4 operational schools teaching the art. Hosting the Symposium is really a joyful thing to do, in spite of the work that has to be done.

I am very excited about what we could accomplish with the Symposium, so I have a great deal of difficulty reading through the loud, noisy posts about what someone has done, in the negative, when we have the possibility of doing something very positive to help the art.

So, if you misread my positive and excitable expressions as posts of "impending doom and gloom", tinged with deperate fears that the Symposium will not be successful, I am sorry about that, but the error belongs to the reader, not the writer.

Think back just about two months ago, when someone wrote that they would not be attending the Syumposium, my reply was to wish them well at the seminar that they had planned for the same weekend. I was quite serious and very sincere. I never expected to have ALL of the senior Modern Arnis instructors at the Symposium. Those who attend will have a good audience. We will have those discussions, training sessions and exchanges of ideas. Everyone will have something new added to their understanding about Modern Arnis. I am looking forward to the event with a great deal pleasure.

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.

Rich Parsons

02-28-2003, 06:08 PM

DoctorB,

All is well and I will be at the event.

The old saying: "The Check is in the Mail" :D

See you there!

:asian:

Rich Parsons

03-08-2003, 11:01 AM

Just posting to bring this to the top of the List

:asian:

DoctorB

03-08-2003, 02:32 PM

Originally posted by Rich Parsons
Just posting to bring this to the top of the List

:asian:

Thanks Rich, I appriciate the help. BTW are you going to be at the WMAA Camp?

I am working on getting a third hotel for the Symposium, I want to have 150 rooms available for the event. Here is the modified promotional letter that will be going out next week:

2003 Modern Arnis International Symposium I:
A Conceptual Martial Arts Exchange.
The Fee and a Hotel Accommodations

Hello to All,

I would like to report the following information for the 2003 Modern Arnis International Symposium I, the Symposium Fee structure and schedule are
as follows:

February 12 - April 20 - $195 with a deposit of $80
April 21 - June 29 - $235 with a deposit of $95
June 30 - July 9 - $275 with a deposit of $110
At the Door - $295

Single Day Prices: Friday & Sunday - $50; Saturday - $110
(Friday and Sunday are 3 & 4 hours sessions respectively, Saturday is 9 hours).
The Symposium instructional schedule will be:

Friday, July 11, 6 - 9pm
Saturday, July 12, 9am - 6pm
Sunday, July 13, 9am - 1pm.

There will be three teaching sessions per hour, for a combined total of 51 hours of instruction.

There are group rates available in the following configurations:

3 - 5 people
6 - 10 people
11+ people

You can contact me for specific information about the group rates for the Symposium.

Groups may be formed at your pleasure, and one person will serve as the contact person. Please pay by bank check or money order and make it payable to Dr. Jerome Barber/ Symposium. The Symposium mailing address for the checks and money orders is:

Dr. Jerome Barber
Suite 230
5999 South Park Avenue
Hamburg, NY 14075

Please note that there are only 135 double occupancy rooms available for the Symposium. Holiday Inn, Downtown, in Buffalo, NY. The rate is $99 for a double and $109 for a triple occupancy. The group rate is listed under "Modern Arnis Symposium".

The second hotel is the Radisson-Downtown. The room rate is $109, per day. Be forewarned that you have to make your reservations for this hotel BEFORE June 18, 2003, to get the "Modern Arnis Symposium" rate.

The Modern Arnis International Symposium I instructors are:

Senior Master, Dan Anderson - Modern Arnis 80
Punong Guro, Tom Bolden - American Modern Arnis Associates
Guro, Bruce Chiu - Modern Arnis - Remy Presas Style
Senior Master, Bram Frank - Common Sense Self Defense/ SC
Datu, Tim Hartman - World Modern Arnis Alliance
Datu, Dieter Knuttel - Modern Arnis Germany
Guro/Sensei, Dawud Muhammad - Modern Arnis - R. Presas Style
Guro, David Ng - IMAF, Inc.
Senior Master, Rocky Paswik - Modern Arnis - Cuentada
Senior Master, J. Richard Roy - IMAF, Inc.
Guro/Sifu, Peter Vargas - American Modern Arnis Associates

These instructors cover the full spectrum of the late Professor Remy Presas' teaching career outside of the Philippines from the late 1970's through 2000. Thus we have the art as taught by Professor being represented from by 7 senior instructors and 4 fully certified instructors. The lowest rank held is Lakan Tatlo - 3rd degree black belt. Combined the instructional staff has a collective history of 205+ years of martial arts experience. I am looking forward to hosting the Symposium because I believe that it is going to be the defining Modern Arnis event of 2003.

Breaking down the key words in the full event title:

"International" - because we have instructors coming from several countries AND there have a number of inquires from people in England, Scotland, Denmark, Germany and Israel. Several Filipinos and Filipino Americans have expressed their interest in attending this event.

"Symposium" - a meeting or social gathering at which ideas are freely exchanged.

"I" - indicating that this event is the first, but not necessarily the only "Symposium" that might be held in this area of interest.

"A" - one type of a particular thing that has other variants; not the only one of its kind or type.

"Conceptual" - an abstract idea brought to a physical reality in time and space.

"Exchange" - to give or transfer one thing for another in return.

Thus, the full event title, *2003 Modern Arnis International Symposium I: A Conceptual Martial Arts Exchange*, actually denotes an event that is open to all who are interested. For our specific purposes, a social event or gathering at which the variations and interpretations of the martial art known as, Modern Arnis, as founded by the late Remy Amador Presas will be demonstrated, with subsequent discussions for the purpose of gaining a better understanding or greater insight into the art itself.

This event is not intended to, nor will it offer the final and definitive statement regarding Modern Arnis. It will be an attempt to understand how the art can be made to fit each individual practitioner.
It is my hope that everyone who attends will leave their ranks, titles, organza ional affiliations and egos at the Symposium door and will go on the Symposium training floor with an "empty cup". Professor Presas, created a dynamic martial art, now, because of his passing, it is time to move forward and 'make the art for ourselves'.

Given the diversity and range of experiences within Modern Arnis that are represented by the participants, this will be the seminal event of 2003 in the Modern Arnis community.

Yours Respectfully,

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.
2003 Modern Arnis Symposium Host

Emptyglass

03-09-2003, 08:23 PM

BRAM

03-21-2003, 09:52 PM

I hope to not only see my old friends but to meet new ones.. I personally look forward to learning new perspectives on Modern Arnis as seen through the eyes of others that studied with him in the late 90's...
OK OK.. I expect to learn from the "old guys" a well..

My student Frank Olesen and his partner Rob Newton are custom knife makers..
Frank will have Espada y Daga sets with him..
I think we will have Presas Family style Jungle Bolos..
as well as trainers of the Bolos..
Amnd add this to Dr Barber's Presas Bolos and we're going to have some cool stuff @ the syposium..
We will have Guntings..Drones and hopefully CRMIPTs...
Abaniko Gunting fixed blades..and trainers..
tapes and books..
yup... my long waited book on Conceptual Modern Arnis...

GM Neal Hummerstone, is coming up to Buffalo to pay his respects and train with us..
He's an "adopted" member of the Pambuan Arnis family..He studied with Raffy's dad..Raffy had his first schools within GM Hummerstone's actual physical school. He studied directly under GM Bo Sayoc..He's studied with GM Ernesto Presas..
He's an Aikido GM who loves Filipino martial arts..
He trains knife and Gunting with me...
He's in his 70's and looks like hes in his 50's..of course!

It will be just before my 50th @ the Symposium..
I look forward to seeing my daughter @ the Symposium..

be safe

Bram

Emptyglass

03-22-2003, 02:23 PM

Bram:

That sounds just excellent! I own one of your Guntings and a Trainer as well as the excellent Kydex sheath. I'm looking forward to seeing the fixed blades as I've not heard of them before as well as the bolos! I'll make sure I bring some extra cash. The book as well.

My current instructor here in Maryland also trained with Ama Guro Raffy Pambuan and he is planning to accompany me to the Symposium. The addition of GM Hummerstone to the event sounds like nothing but more good stuff.

I'm looking forward to meeting you as Dr. Barber and I have talked about your ideas often.

See you there!

Richard Curren

BRAM

03-22-2003, 04:09 PM

Richard:
thanks for the kind words.. Guro Raffy is someone I consider a good friend in the arts!
You can see the fixed blades @ www.gunting-museum.com
the Gunting fixed blades are:
1)Rob Simonich : Lapu Lapu fighter 5 & 7 inch versions
2)Rob Newton-Frank Olesen: Abaniko fighter 5 & 7 inch versions
Espada y Daga: Bolos modified with Gunting ramps with deep belly Abaniko fighters as the Daga
Presas Jungle Bolos
3)Mickey Yurco: standard fixed blade & neck knife version

The Abaniko is used by the IDF-ISA Anti Terror Units in Israel as well as some of our US-Spec Ops guys and our US-Anti Terror units..

be safe

Bram

DoctorB

03-22-2003, 05:31 PM

Originally posted by BRAM
I hope to not only see my old friends but to meet new ones.. I personally look forward to learning new perspectives on Modern Arnis as seen through the eyes of others that studied with him in the late 90's...
OK OK.. I expect to learn from the "old guys" a well..

My student Frank Olesen and his partner Rob Newton are custom knife makers..
Frank will have Espada y Daga sets with him..
I think we will have Presas Family style Jungle Bolos..
as well as trainers of the Bolos..
Amnd add this to Dr Barber's Presas Bolos and we're going to have some cool stuff @ the syposium..
We will have Guntings..Drones and hopefully CRMIPTs...
Abaniko Gunting fixed blades..and trainers..
tapes and books..
yup... my long waited book on Conceptual Modern Arnis...

GM Neal Hummerstone, is coming up to Buffalo to pay his respects and train with us..
He's an "adopted" member of the Pambuan Arnis family..He studied with Raffy's dad..Raffy had his first schools within GM Hummerstone's actual physical school. He studied directly under GM Bo Sayoc..He's studied with GM Ernesto Presas..
He's an Aikido GM who loves Filipino martial arts..
He trains knife and Gunting with me...
He's in his 70's and looks like hes in his 50's..of course!

It will be just before my 50th @ the Symposium..
I look forward to seeing my daughter @ the Symposium..

be safe

Bram

Thanks for the excellent update, Bram. This event is moving along very nicely. Please extend my greetings to GM Hummerstone, it will be a great honor and pleasure to have him attending the Symposium. Given the breadth of his experiences in the FMAs under the elder GM Pambuan, GM Ernesto Presas and GM Bo Sayoc, he is certinly well versed in this area of the arts.

Having Frank Olesen and Bob Newman adds that very real dynamic of sticks to blades to empty hand aspects of Modern Arnis. This is important to us since Remy always told us that there were three forms of play in arnis, as a fighting art - solo baston, sinawali and espada y daga. Frank and Bob are going to have those fine sets of espada y daga available for sale and I am sure that you, Tim Hartman and Tom Bolden will each give us a presentation on that aspect of the art.

The Jungle Bolos should be quite impressive and I do have a gentleman commissioned to make some wooden training replicas of the Presas Jungle Bolo, plus we will have the Aetea Bolo replicas (from Remy's home island of Negros) and similar to the blade that he used to demonstrate Stick Anyo #4 on his 1986 video series. There will also be some wooden barongs at the Symposium.

I have invited Mickey Yurco to the Symposium as well and I have purchased a couple of his products and they are excellent. I also want to let people know that I have seen and handled the prototypes of the 5 and 7 inch bldes by Frank and Bob... they are without peers!!! Everyone else is going to be playing catch-up for quite some time.

This is going to be quite a bit of fun to see people working with the bladed side of the art. Of course you know that I do not have to be coaxed into playing with, demoing or teaching anything with the Gunting!!! This is going to be a great opprotunity for people who have not seen or worked with the Gunting to find out just how smoothly it fits right into their Modern Arnis hand drills!!

Maybe I should add that you specificly designed the Gunting to compliment the "flow" or "crossada" movements used in Modern Arnis!!!

Thanks, Bram, for the update and new information. Made my day.

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.

DoctorB

03-22-2003, 05:54 PM

Originally posted by Emptyglass
Bram:

That sounds just excellent! I own one of your Guntings and a Trainer as well as the excellent Kydex sheath. I'm looking forward to seeing the fixed blades as I've not heard of them before as well as the bolos! I'll make sure I bring some extra cash. The book as well.

My current instructor here in Maryland also trained with Ama Guro Raffy Pambuan and he is planning to accompany me to the Symposium. The addition of GM Hummerstone to the event sounds like nothing but more good stuff.

I'm looking forward to meeting you as Dr. Barber and I have talked about your ideas often.

See you there!

Richard Curren

Hi Richard,

It sure looks like you are going to be in 7th heaven at the Symposium, with Bram, Mickey, Frank and Bob plus Keith with his wooden replica blades.

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.

Emptyglass

03-23-2003, 10:18 AM

Dr. Barber:

No doubt. However, you know how awkward I get around bladed weapons. :)

Talk to you very soon.

Respectfully,

Richard Curren

DoctorB

03-27-2003, 02:17 PM

Red Blade

04-06-2003, 02:28 PM

Dr.B-
I was wondering - maybe instead of trying to play kingmaker, you should actually teach at your symposium. It seems to me with all the cancellations (and possible future ones), you would have ample room to take one of the teaching slots. In addition, I would think that with all of the talking you have been doing, that people would really like to know if you got game or are you an armchair arnisador?

Cordially yours,

Emptyglass

04-06-2003, 04:16 PM

Red Blade:

Wow! You certainly haven't been taught much about respect in your training in the FMAs. Have you ever met Dr. Barber? Trained with him? Been taught something by him? How about Punong Guro Tom Bolden? Grandmaster Bobby Toboada? Sifu Guro Billy Bryant? Grandmaster Remy Presas? Guro Bram Frank? Dr. Barber was/is responsible for getting these folks into the
Buffalo area for a long time. All of the above mentioned folks are/were incredible arnisadors and proponents of the art. Do you think they would associate themselves with a "armchair arnisador". Someone who didn't truly love and practice the art they've dedicated their personal and professional lives to?

I have to admit, you've got stones on the internet. It's quite easy to accuse someone of being less than proficient from the safety of a keyboard and computer screen. Comparatively, most internet Trolls I've come across operate in this fashion.

I've been taught that if you can't say something nice about someone, say nothing at all. Dr. Barber knows what he's doing. He does practice/teach the art and he can take apart a technique to base concepts and bring it across to a student better than anyone else I've met in the FMAs so far. How do I know this? He taught me. For 5 years/5 days a week and he continues to teach me 8 years later every time we get together or talk (I live outside of New York State at present).

Are you planning on coming to the Symposium? Are you going to put your money where your mouth is or are you just going to be mouth? I'll be there even if it is just me, Dr. Barber and the instructors who are able/willing to come for three days of good training and Arnis bull sessions. I've been paid in full (full price) for months now (and I'm not wealthy), how about you? Come along, you might learn something. Or maybe not.

Modern Arnis has become a bit of a joke in FMA circles nowadays in my opinion. When you have so many people claiming to be the only/true/appointed/specified/highest-ranking grandmaster/successor/practicioner/insert title here, it's kind of hard to take the system seriously. Does this mean I think Modern Arnis is valueless? Of course not! Modern Arnis is the root of my FMA training, but the ridiculous politics and outrageous print and online advertising of the last 2 years hasgotten obscene.

Has Dr. Barber called himself Grandmaster (any other title) in the wake of the Professor's passing? Does he call himself anything other than Dr. Barber (a non-martial arts title - he does hold a real doctorate you know)?

Also, I think you're off base with calling Dr. Barber a "kingmaker". Who is he trying to make a king? Please be specific, because I don't see it. How is inviting the entire FMA world to a seminar and featuring multiple high-ranking practitioners of Modern Arnis with the statement of the absence of politics the actions of a kingmaker? No offense, but I think your opinion in this case is less than logical to be pleasant.

I await your response publicly or privately with great interest.

A whole table's worth of thoughtful intellectual food, indeed.

Cordially,

Richard Curren

arnisador

04-06-2003, 05:16 PM

Modern Arnis has become a bit of a joke in FMA circles nowadays in my opinion.

Sadly, when I go to FMA seminars I hear a lot of "Remy Presas was great, but...Modern Arnis is watered-down FMA." Some is jealousy over the success the Prof. had in getting attention for his art, I believe, but some of it represents an honest though not necessarily correct belief that the Prof. gave his American students an overly simplified system.

Dan Anderson

04-06-2003, 05:24 PM

Emptyglass

04-06-2003, 05:28 PM

Hi Arnisador:

I wouldn't go as far as saying that. What I was referring to was the current state of the system as a factionalized entity. I would say that in my experience with the Professor he did not spoon-feed his students the answers. He made you think, look and figure them out for yourself. However, when you got something and showed a depth of understanding in the material, he would continue to teach you as much as you could demonstrate to handle.

At its root, I would say that the FMA are truly a simple system of concepts with a near-infinite set of details in how you apply those concepts. Some instructors focus alot on the details and not so much on the concepts. Some are the reverse and some are a blend of the 2 extremes. In my experience I would say that the Professor liked to lean more towards the concepts and less towards the details but he was about at the middle ground of the scale.

Sincerely,

Richard Curren

arnisador

04-06-2003, 06:25 PM

I would largely agree with you Mr. Curren! I was giving my impression of others' impressions as I hear comments at seminars.

Emptyglass

04-06-2003, 06:42 PM

So we agree to agree. Great!
:)

Thanks,

Richard Curren

norshadow1

04-07-2003, 01:48 PM

Originally posted by Red Blade
Dr.B-
I was wondering - maybe instead of trying to play kingmaker, you should actually teach at your symposium. It seems to me with all the cancellations (and possible future ones), you would have ample room to take one of the teaching slots. In addition, I would think that with all of the talking you have been doing, that people would really like to know if you got game or are you an armchair arnisador?

Cordially yours,

Dear Mr. Red Blade,

PLEASE tell us who DocB is trying to "King"?

The symposium is not his! It belongs to the instructors and attendees. DocB is the host, the producer, if you care to use that term. He's already slapped my backside in a recent post. He stated that the symposium is not about him, but the people presenting and attending. I can't imagine any king-maker using that sort of logic.

As for his teaching at the Symposium, he stated right from the beginning that he would not be on the floor, because he needed to be available to handle the dozens of little things that come up at a big event such as this. I am sure that he would be willing to go on the floor with you, if you asked, in advance.... but I do recall that he has offered to be your Saturday morning training partner at the WMAA Camp. Are you going to go to breakfast with him? Are you going to teach him a thing or two about Modern Arnis at the WMAA Camp? I sure hope so :)

Cancellations????? Three people cancelled. Two posted their reasons. Where's the problem? At any major event with multiple instructors, some cancellations are inevitable. As for time-management and presentations, you are absolutely clueless. Everyone presenting was promised that they would have a minimum of 2 presetations, so inserting himself into the program when there are 11 presenters is not an easy thing to do.

Perhaps you would like to make up the presentation schedule for the symposium. Just make sure that you follow the alloted times Friday 6-9pm, Saturday 9am-6pm and Sunday 9am-1pm. Plan to have three presentations of for each time block and the minimun running time should be 60 minutes the maximun 90 minutes. It is also imperative the same 3 instructors must not be put together twice in the schedules. Having 11 presenters should help to control the latter problem.

Does he have the game? Is he an armchair arnisador? Excellent questions, but there is really only one way for you to find out for sure. DocB is in Buffalo. Go there or invite him to do a seminar for you! I strongly recommend the "Hand Tools I". If I recall, he did mention that one in another post on another thread, didn't he? Go ahead, call his bluff, invite him out to do a seminar for you. But maybe he's not bluffing. OH WELL, there's only one way to find out for sure, isn't there? (Sorry Doc, I couldn't resist. Slap me around at the next seminar, I earned it.)

Lamont

Dan Anderson

04-07-2003, 04:20 PM

Why hasn't anyone picked up on my subtle hints and declared me king yet?

Sitting in sorrow,
Dan Anderson
:(

Rich Parsons

04-07-2003, 04:23 PM

Originally posted by Dan Anderson
Why hasn't anyone picked up on my subtle hints and declared me king yet?

Sitting in sorrow,
Dan Anderson
:(

Dan,

Not the King is better than "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince" :) :D :rofl:

Dan Anderson

04-07-2003, 04:28 PM

Rich,
Good point...on the top of your head. :rofl:
We'll go over the kingship nomination process when I'm in Detroit this weekend.

Yours,
Neither Not The King nor The (Martial) Artist Formerly Know As Prince

Dan

Datu Tim Hartman

04-07-2003, 05:16 PM

Originally posted by Dan Anderson
Why hasn't anyone picked up on my subtle hints and declared me king yet?

Sitting in sorrow,
Dan Anderson
:(

How about the Jester?

Dan Anderson

04-07-2003, 07:09 PM

Originally posted by Renegade
How about the Jester?
Rene'
I just can't take your spot.

Dan

Datu Tim Hartman

04-07-2003, 08:18 PM

Originally posted by Dan Anderson
Rene'
I just can't take your spot.

Dan

I'm just filling in while the King Fool warms up.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

DoctorB

04-07-2003, 08:51 PM

Originally posted by norshadow1
(Sorry Doc, I couldn't resist. Slap me around at the next seminar, I earned it.)

Lamont [/B]

Don't worry, Lamont, the beating is waiting for you; and you are absolutely right, YOU HAVE EARNED IT. You told me the the message was sent and received...

Jerome

Dan Anderson

04-07-2003, 10:48 PM

Originally posted by Renegade
I'm just filling in while the King Fool warms up.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

You da fool, Jewel - the jester, Lester. The title is permanent yours. Be proud. You have my warmest congratulations. :D

The Upcoming King Dan the 1st

Buy the books, proclaimeth Moi!
:soapbox:

Datu Tim Hartman

04-07-2003, 11:33 PM

Originally posted by norshadow1
but I do recall that he has offered to be your Saturday morning training partner at the WMAA Camp. Are you going to go to breakfast with him? Are you going to teach him a thing or two about Modern Arnis at the WMAA Camp? I sure hope so :)

Lamont-

I don't know what you are trying to do, but my camp is no war zone. Anyone starting a battle will be dealt with extreme prejudice. After I am finished, the police will escort what's left of the offenders off the premises, and I will press charges.

Any questions?

Rich Parsons

04-07-2003, 11:35 PM

Originally posted by Dan Anderson
Rich,
Good point...on the top of your head. :rofl:
We'll go over the kingship nomination process when I'm in Detroit this weekend.

Yours,
Neither Not The King nor The (Martial) Artist Formerly Know As Prince

Dan

See you this weekend.

Let me know when you want to get together, I think I might go Bike shopping, and pick up a Honda SHadow ACE.

Knight Errant

Dieter

04-08-2003, 05:19 AM

Hi everybody,

as most of you might know, there is a MARPPIO seminar in Tacoma unfortunately at the same time as the symposium. Here is a statement of Datu Kelly Worden regarding that matter and I can only say: thank you Datu Kelly, for this support.

With Respect

Dieter Knüttel
Datu of Modern Arnis

Copied from the WMAC forum:

I would like to offer a prospective of the events happening during July, either the MARPPIO Seminar and Tournament or the Symposium.
First and foremost it is important to support either one if you can attend please do so.

I can not speak for Dr. Barber or the Symposium Instructors, I can say that there is a very talented group of Instructors slated for the 3 day event and at the very least it is impressive to see them all join together for the benifit of Brotherhood in Modern Arnis.

Just to clarify my stand for attending the MARPPIO event, I will in the future keep this event happening and it has a unique flavor all unto itself.

Without question the Symposium could be a once in a lifetime opportunity and to me it important for that event to stand tall and be a success in every way. If for some reason you are trying to decide which event to support and you can afford to make it to N.Y., I think that would be the direction to go.

Like I said it could be a once in a lifetime opportunity so take advantage of it!
I am not trying to keep you from attending our MARPPIO Event, last year we had a great time and I believe this year will also prove to set high standards of support and training. I want the event to be like all the Natural Spirit training seminars, exciting, educational, and fun. I have yet to have a camp, seminar, or tournament fall short of expectations. That is exactly why I do them year after year!

Bottom line is the MARPPIO Seminar will be a success if all the people who showed up last year make it again this year. In September The WMAC Water and Steel Camp will be held as well, if you miss the MARPPIO event to attend the Symposium, you can still attend "Water and Steel" a couple months later.

So I offer this opportunity, if you go to the Symposium and later sign up for the Water and Steel Camp I will deduct $100.00 from the cost of the WMAC Water and Steel Camp!

Which ever path you choose, hold your head high and train hard, we are all Modern Arnis and that is what is important!

Respectfully,
Kelly S. Worden

DoctorB

04-08-2003, 11:19 AM

Originally posted by Renegade
Lamont-

I don't know what you are trying to do, but my camp is no war zone. Anyone starting a battle will be dealt with extreme prejudice. After I am finished, the police will escort what's left of the offenders off the premises, and I will press charges.

Any questions?

Tim, leave this one alone. I have already dealt with Lamont. I will do so again at our next meeting and he is quite aware of that fact. The remark was made in jest and carried a little smiley face. In addition, Lamont **will not** be at your camp, but I will as previously mentioned in a couple of posts on this forum.

I did invite Red Blade to a breakfast meeting on Saturday May 3, if he attends your camp and writes me to confirm that he would like to do that. I also stated that I would be his training partner for the Saturday morning camp sessions, since he has asked if I could do the art or was I just "an armchair arnisador".

If I am not yelling and screaming about this, why are you? Red Blade and I will work this out on our own. No help needed! That is why Lamont has a beating waiting for him at the next seminar or training that I hold and that he attends. He is well aware of it and it is my issue, not yours.

BTW, as a word of caution, I would suggest that your plan of intervention could result in you being escorted by the police as well. You should check NYS Penal Law with regard to "assault" and "justification" before making those kinds of public statements.

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.

DoctorB

04-08-2003, 12:17 PM

Originally posted by Dieter
Hi everybody,

as most of you might know, there is a MARPPIO seminar in Tacoma unfortunately at the same time as the symposium. Here is a statement of Datu Kelly Worden regarding that matter and I can only say: thank you Datu Kelly, for this support.

With Respect

Dieter Knüttel
Datu of Modern Arnis

Hi Dieter,

Congratualtions on your recent promotion. Thanks for posting that quote from Datu Kelly. This is exactly the kind of supprt that we should be giving one another's events. I realize that some people in the past have tried to make an issue of the fact that Datu Kelly, The Presas' and Guro McConnell, had withdrawn from the Symposium instructor group. I was not hurt by their decisions, I was not angry and I certinly did not toss any fits of outrage. They each did what they felt was in their best interests and I wish them all well in thier ventures. I have stated that position publicly several times and privately to Datu Kelly as well.

Datu Kelly and I converse regularly via private e-mail and have done so since 1993 when we first met in Cleveland at the World Martial Ars Hall of Fame induction program. I have been somewhat amused when people on this forum have tried to throw the withdrawls in my face, because I have an entire body of private messages from Datu Kelly. I was aware at least a month earlier that the withdrawl might happen.

If people would prefer to go to see Datu Kelly and the Presas' on the July 11-13 weekend, please do and have a great time. Two events on the opposite coasts are not going to be competative with one another. I want to experss my great regard for Datu Kelly, his entire body of work over the years and he has my support. The Washington State event will be an excellent one.
If Guro Dan withdrew from the Symposium in order to attend the Washington State Seminar Weekend, that is fine with me. It was his decision to make and he made. I hope that he at least meets some new people there.

Great things are going to happen at both events and we are fortunate that there are multiple events available to us in Modern Arnis. Without numerous opportunities to work with different people there is a tendency to stagnate and regress instead of reaching outward and growing. With Professor gone, it falls to us to learn how to make the art for ourselves.

Good luck and grea training at the Washington State event in July. My best wishes to all who attend.

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.

Datu Tim Hartman

04-08-2003, 03:38 PM

Originally posted by DoctorB
If I am not yelling and screaming about this, why are you?

Simple, because it is my camp.

arnisador

04-08-2003, 03:46 PM

Mr. Worden is really putting his money where his mouth is--that's very generous and very supportive of him.

Dan Anderson

04-08-2003, 04:46 PM

Tim & Jerome,
It's time for a private talk as it sounds like some sort of flame war is being perpetuated here.

Dan

Dan Anderson

04-08-2003, 04:54 PM

"First and foremost it is important to support either one if you can attend please do so.

I can not speak for Dr. Barber or the Symposium Instructors, I can say that there is a very talented group of Instructors slated for the 3 day event and at the very least it is impressive to see them all join together for the benifit of Brotherhood in Modern Arnis.

Just to clarify my stand for attending the MARPPIO event, I will in the future keep this event happening and it has a unique flavor all unto itself.

Without question the Symposium could be a once in a lifetime opportunity and to me it important for that event to stand tall and be a success in every way. If for some reason you are trying to decide which event to support and you can afford to make it to N.Y., I think that would be the direction to go.

Which ever path you choose, hold your head high and train hard, we are all Modern Arnis and that is what is important!"

Respectfully,
Kelly S. Worden

I totally echo what Kelly posted on his forum. It is unfortunate that both events are on the same day BUT y'all should attend at least one of them. good luck to Kelly here on the West Coast with the MARPPIO seminar. I'll be seeing y'all at the Symposium.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

norshadow1

04-08-2003, 04:55 PM

Originally posted by DoctorB
Don't worry, Lamont, the beating is waiting for you; and you are absolutely right, YOU HAVE EARNED IT. You told me the the message was sent and received...

Jerome

OK, Doc, no more junk delieveries from me.

Lamont

norshadow1

04-08-2003, 05:02 PM

Datu Tim Hartman

04-08-2003, 05:57 PM

Originally posted by Dan Anderson
Tim & Jerome,
It's time for a private talk as it sounds like some sort of flame war is being perpetuated here.

Dan

No flame war here. Just so there are no surprises, I am letting everyone know in advance that ANYONE starting trouble at my camp will be dealt with accordingly.

Dan Anderson

04-08-2003, 06:18 PM

Good for the clarification. I highly doubt there will be any surprises of that sort. Surprises in the instruction I am looking for. It keeps people on their feet.

Yours,
Dan

Datu Tim Hartman

04-08-2003, 07:07 PM

Dan-

Jerome was in the area, so he stopped into the school and we talked about the symposium. For the record, Jerome and I have no problems.

Tim

Dan Anderson

04-08-2003, 07:09 PM

Tim,
It never ceases to amaze me what live communication will handle. Excellente'

Dan

arnisador

04-08-2003, 09:24 PM

Mr. Hartman, do you recall an incident at a previous Buffalo camp, when someone started getting a bit out of hand and an undercover police officer attending the camp settled the matter with one sentence? He was an Isshin-ryu stylist adding some arnis to his repertoire:

"Excuse me--is there a problem here?!?"

Datu Tim Hartman

04-08-2003, 09:33 PM

Yes I do!

DoctorB

04-09-2003, 02:49 PM

Originally posted by Renegade
Dan-

Jerome was in the area, so he stopped into the school and we talked about the symposium. For the record, Jerome and I have no problems.

Tim

I am in full agreement with the above statement and in fact, we NEVER had a problem. The visit was simply because I was in the area, had the time and several questions that I wanted to ask. We missed one another via phone earlier in the day.

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.

DoctorB

04-16-2003, 10:06 AM

Just a quick note to everyone; the first price cut-off date is fast approaching. The lowest Symposium fee is $195 and the cut-off date for deposits is April 20, 2003. You will find the appropriate information below.

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.

Originally posted by DoctorB

Symposium Fee Structure is:

February 12 - April 20 - $195 with a deposit of $80

April 21 - June 29 - $235 with a deposit of $95

June 30 - July 9 - $275 with a deposit of $110

At the Door - $295

Single Day Prices: Friday & Sunday - $50; Saturday - $110
(Friday and Sunday are 3 & 4 hours, Saturday is 9 hours).
The Symposium instructional schedule will be:

Friday, July 11, 6 - 9pm
Saturday, July 12, 9am - 6pm
Sunday, July 13, 9am - 1pm.

Please pay by bank check or money order and make it payable to Dr. Jerome Barber/ Symposium.
The Symposium mailing address for the checks and money orders is:

Dr. Jerome Barber
Suite 230
5999 South Park Avenue
Hamburg, NY 14075

The final list of Symposium instructors are:

Senior Master, Dan Anderson - Modern Arnis 80
Punong Guro, Tom Bolden - American Modern Arnis Associates
Guro, Bruce Chiu - Modern Arnis - Remy Presas Style
Senior Master, Bram Frank - Common Sense Self Defense/ SC
Datu, Tim Hartman - World Modern Arnis Alliance
Datu, Dieter Knuttel - Modern Arnis Germany
Guro, Dan McConnell - IMAF, Inc.
Guro/Sensei, Dawud Muhammad - Modern Arnis - R. Presas Style
Guro, David Ng - IMAF, Inc.
Senior Master, Rocky Paswik - Modern Arnis - Cuentada
Senior Master, J. Richard Roy - IMAF, Inc.
Guro/Sifu, Peter Vargas - American Modern Arnis Associates

norshadow1

04-23-2003, 02:26 PM

Originally posted by DoctorB
Just a quick note to everyone; the first price cut-off date is fast approaching. The lowest Symposium fee is $195 and the cut-off date for deposits is April 20, 2003. You will find the appropriate information below.

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.

It's come and gone, DocB!!!

The price just went up, didn't it?

Lamont

DoctorB

04-30-2003, 08:46 PM

Originally posted by norshadow1
It's come and gone, DocB!!!

The price just went up, didn't it?

Lamont

Right on, Lamont, the price is now higher. Still have a couple more things to put into public view next week. Just catching up on some other things at work and staying off the forums for awhile. Hoping to meet some of the people posting on this forum at the WMAA Camp on Saturday.

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.