Dan Anderson sent this to me and said I could put it on our forum.
Dan wrote:
Dear Jeff, Randi, Tim, Ken, Gaby, Chuck, Jim, Brian et al,
Ever since Prof. Presas passed away, Modern Arnis has splintered into
several groups. From what I see on the Web, there are two IMAFs, the WMAA
(founded before Prof. died) and MAPPRIO in the Phillipines.
I can see the art going two ways. One is the Ed Parker American Kenpo
Karate route. Mr. Parker never solidified his organization and I don't know
how many of you remember the brouhaha that went on over that but it got
nasty for some time.
The other route is the one which both Pa Kua and Tai Chi has taken. Let me
explain. When the founder of Pa Kua, Tung Hai Chuan, began teaching his
art, his students were already either masters or at least training in other
arts. You now have various different schools of Pa Kua which trace their
lineage to the founder but have different emphasis points and so forth. A
good reference for this is Jerry Alan Johnston's book Masters Of Pa Kua.
Does this sound familiar? Many of us have different backgrounds. Randi
Shea is a Tai Chi practitioner. Jeff Delaney has studied internal arts.
Gaby Roloff's initial art, I believe, was Preying Mantis while Ken Smith is
an Isshinryu practitioner. Tim Hartman has a background in Kenpo, Chuck
Gauss is a Judo man and I have done American Freestyle Karate for many
years. Prof's slogan when he barnstormed the US on the seminar circuit was
"The Art Within Your Art." We all have our own backgrounds from which we
viewed and received his teaching. I don't think any of us learned his art
"from the ground up."
Many of us began our learning at different points of time and so at the time
of our initial exposure to the art, Prof. Presas' emphasis was changing.
Some of us started out on the Flow, some on Tapi-Tapi and all points in
between. His own personal learning was never stagnant but kept moving so
the art continued to change and grow. Are any of us doing the "correct
Modern Arnis" to the exclusion of the others? Personally, I don't think so.
Unfortunately, he never established a base school where we could all go to
and learn further and clarify basics and so forth. Except for the college
teaching I don't think he even had that in the Phillipines but I could be
mistaken on that point. Without a base school and a written, established
curriculum, I don't think there is a "correct Modern Arnis." I believe what
will evolve will be much like Pa Kua or Tai Chi, different schools on the
subject. In Tai Chi you have the Chen school, Yang school, Wu school, the
Sun school and so forth. They all operate on much the same principles but
are very distinct and separate schools of Tai Chi.
I have done a lot of reflecting on the possible situation which confronts
us. Prof's last request of me was, "Danny, get involved." There was a
mis-conception that I was no longer involved or retired from Modern Arnis
for a period of time as my attendance at seminars and camps dropped out.
There is some missing data. In 1995 I remarried and went from a scene where
I was married with nothing but a karate school to watch over to where I now
had a family with 5 children. My responsibilities shifted as you could well
expect and those responsibilities curtailed my running all over the country
at the drop of a hat. I have continued my teaching and training, though,
from that time forward.
Anyway, I personally don't want to see the infighting and back-biting which
has plagued American Kenpo ever since Mr. Parker's death. If anything, THIS
is what Prof. Presas didn't want to happen amongst his students. I also
don't see IMAF, IMAF Inc., WMAA and MAPPRIO getting together in "a group
hug," either.
"Danny, get involved." What I am going to do is operate from a viewpoint of
being inclusive rather than exclusive. Rather than pick and choose which
organization to support or branch off and form my own organization, I am
going to support Modern Arnis and all organizations which forward it.
I am willing to help out any of the groups to forward my teacher's art. I
owe him that. So, please contact me and let me know what I can do to
contribute.
Yours,
Dan Anderson
Dan wrote:
Dear Jeff, Randi, Tim, Ken, Gaby, Chuck, Jim, Brian et al,
Ever since Prof. Presas passed away, Modern Arnis has splintered into
several groups. From what I see on the Web, there are two IMAFs, the WMAA
(founded before Prof. died) and MAPPRIO in the Phillipines.
I can see the art going two ways. One is the Ed Parker American Kenpo
Karate route. Mr. Parker never solidified his organization and I don't know
how many of you remember the brouhaha that went on over that but it got
nasty for some time.
The other route is the one which both Pa Kua and Tai Chi has taken. Let me
explain. When the founder of Pa Kua, Tung Hai Chuan, began teaching his
art, his students were already either masters or at least training in other
arts. You now have various different schools of Pa Kua which trace their
lineage to the founder but have different emphasis points and so forth. A
good reference for this is Jerry Alan Johnston's book Masters Of Pa Kua.
Does this sound familiar? Many of us have different backgrounds. Randi
Shea is a Tai Chi practitioner. Jeff Delaney has studied internal arts.
Gaby Roloff's initial art, I believe, was Preying Mantis while Ken Smith is
an Isshinryu practitioner. Tim Hartman has a background in Kenpo, Chuck
Gauss is a Judo man and I have done American Freestyle Karate for many
years. Prof's slogan when he barnstormed the US on the seminar circuit was
"The Art Within Your Art." We all have our own backgrounds from which we
viewed and received his teaching. I don't think any of us learned his art
"from the ground up."
Many of us began our learning at different points of time and so at the time
of our initial exposure to the art, Prof. Presas' emphasis was changing.
Some of us started out on the Flow, some on Tapi-Tapi and all points in
between. His own personal learning was never stagnant but kept moving so
the art continued to change and grow. Are any of us doing the "correct
Modern Arnis" to the exclusion of the others? Personally, I don't think so.
Unfortunately, he never established a base school where we could all go to
and learn further and clarify basics and so forth. Except for the college
teaching I don't think he even had that in the Phillipines but I could be
mistaken on that point. Without a base school and a written, established
curriculum, I don't think there is a "correct Modern Arnis." I believe what
will evolve will be much like Pa Kua or Tai Chi, different schools on the
subject. In Tai Chi you have the Chen school, Yang school, Wu school, the
Sun school and so forth. They all operate on much the same principles but
are very distinct and separate schools of Tai Chi.
I have done a lot of reflecting on the possible situation which confronts
us. Prof's last request of me was, "Danny, get involved." There was a
mis-conception that I was no longer involved or retired from Modern Arnis
for a period of time as my attendance at seminars and camps dropped out.
There is some missing data. In 1995 I remarried and went from a scene where
I was married with nothing but a karate school to watch over to where I now
had a family with 5 children. My responsibilities shifted as you could well
expect and those responsibilities curtailed my running all over the country
at the drop of a hat. I have continued my teaching and training, though,
from that time forward.
Anyway, I personally don't want to see the infighting and back-biting which
has plagued American Kenpo ever since Mr. Parker's death. If anything, THIS
is what Prof. Presas didn't want to happen amongst his students. I also
don't see IMAF, IMAF Inc., WMAA and MAPPRIO getting together in "a group
hug," either.
"Danny, get involved." What I am going to do is operate from a viewpoint of
being inclusive rather than exclusive. Rather than pick and choose which
organization to support or branch off and form my own organization, I am
going to support Modern Arnis and all organizations which forward it.
I am willing to help out any of the groups to forward my teacher's art. I
owe him that. So, please contact me and let me know what I can do to
contribute.
Yours,
Dan Anderson
