Bolo: edges, DVDs & other stuff

[Dan Anderson]

Hi All,

Here's a post of interest to all of us Modern Arnis guys and gals:

Well I think I found a small niche to work in..
and of course it involves sharp things..
The Presas JUNGLE BOLO...
CAS Iberia the Historic Sword manufactureres are interested in doing a remake of the Presas Bolo. The Presas Bolo is a true fighting Bolo..a JUNGLE BOLO...
I have been negotiating-talking with CAS Iberia to do the following and I'd endorse the Blade as well as Guru Roland Dantes
CAS Iberia would:
1) Renowned Sword maker-Paul Chen would make a custom version
made like samurai sword-....laminated & forged
2) CAS Iberia would have a regular version made in the Philippines
plain steel and very sharp...
3) there would be a matching trainer with red handles
4) set up a Student educational fund- foundation for Filipinos with some of the profits
5) Use my book & DVDs to teach the use of said Bolo

I have already shot Volumes #1-#2 of the Bolo DVDs this past weekend and I have started on the Bolo Book to accompany it..
I take statements that Prof made about Bolo & cutting and apply it to the actual Bolo usage not stick posing as a blade..
Thanks to George for filming and Ms Amy for helping with the actual Bolo usage...

See you all in Vancouver, Spokane and then in Baton Bouge.

be safe
Bram

I'm getting a preview copy of the DVD sometime next week and I'll be posting a preview.

Bram had done a ton of work getting the Presas family bolo system out of Prof. Presas back in the day. RP never liked teaching the knife very much and a lot of us never pestered him for it. I liked the stick work, myself. Bram's research got validated by one of RP's oldest students, Roland Dantes, as being legitimate. This will cover a piece of the "Modern Arnis pie" that few of us got. Those of who know Prof. PResas' early history knows that he was initially taught by his grandfather and uncle, both bolo men. This should be good stuff, folks.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[mcjon77]

AWESOME!!

I've been interested in seeing some bolo/longer blade applications in Modern Arnis, as well as getting a quality bolo myself. And the idea of selling a trainer as well makes it that much more appealing.

Jon

 

[Cruentus]

Wow..sounds like a great niche for Bram! I was impressed with his blade applications at the symposium. He truely knows how to apply Modern Arnis to the blade. I'll be looking forward to his new stuff thats coming out.

Yours,

Paul

 

[arnisandyz]

I'm looking forward to seeing this! Modern Arnis has a rep for being a "stick" art mainly for the reasons noted above (Professor was selective to who he showed blade to) it would be good to see this part of its origins! Any pictures of the bolo? I've looked at CAS blades before and they look pretty good. I think right now they have 2 different bolos, a kampilan, kris, barong, etc.

 

[Dan Anderson]

Go to this link, y'all, if youwant to see the original Presas bolo.
http://www.gunting-museum.com/CSSD-SC_Weapons/cssd-sc_weapons.html
Sweet!

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[Cruentus]

I have one myself! Got mine in, like, 95 or something.

:asian:

 

[arnisandyz]

Go to this link, y'all, if youwant to see the original Presas bolo.
http://www.gunting-museum.com/CSSD-SC_Weapons/cssd-sc_weapons.html
Sweet!

Yours,
Dan Anderson

Very Nice! Thanks. I have one similar to that- but not exactly. Mine has a stupid sailors head on the handle. The shape and build quality of the blade, carabao handle and brass fittings look about the same though. The tapered point is better for thrusting and it is much faster than the tip heavy bolo (for chopping). If I were to guess its probably around 20" in length?

 

[mike dizon]

In tghe philippines it was always stressed hat the cane was a sword. Even here though only some of Remy's senior students recieved a lot of training in knife and bolo techniques.

 

[OULobo]

Very Nice! Thanks. I have one similar to that- but not exactly. Mine has a stupid sailors head on the handle. The shape and build quality of the blade, carabao handle and brass fittings look about the same though. The tapered point is better for thrusting and it is much faster than the tip heavy bolo (for chopping). If I were to guess its probably around 20" in length?

The bolo handles of the PIs are pretty varied over the years. The ones that I see on Bram's site are sometimes call the "hoof" style and are supposedly modeled after the bolo of the PI hero Bonifacio. The sailors and MacArthur hilts are generally novelty blades made for tourists (especially Subic Bay sailors). If you go back even farther you can find "fist" hilts and my personal favorite, hilts that are carved with a fist holding a Spaniard's head. The oldest of the non-blades that are generally called bolos are usually carved with croc heads or demon heads. These are sometimes called tenegres or binangons

 

[Rich Parsons]

In tghe philippines it was always stressed hat the cane was a sword. Even here though only some of Remy's senior students recieved a lot of training in knife and bolo techniques.

Mike,

For Modern Arnis via GM Remy Presas, I would have to say yes. If it was Balintawak, I would have to disagree. Therefor, not all arts from the PI always stressed that the cane is the sowrd. Yes, you can translate the stick technique to the blade technique, yet, with stick techinque you can manage and monitor the cane, which gives less feedback to the opponent, then monitoring or managing the hand. Now obviously, if the opponent has a blade then you would monitor and manage the hand. No disrespect.

:asian:

 

[Dan Anderson]

In the philippines it was always stressed hat the cane was a sword. Even here though only some of Remy's senior students recieved a lot of training in knife and bolo techniques.

Prof. Presas often stated that the cane and the sword were "the same" but seldom taught techniques of the sword. It was guys like Bram win the US who really pestered him to teach them the blade.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[arnisandyz]

Prof. Presas often stated that the cane and the sword were "the same" but seldom taught techniques of the sword. It was guys like Bram win the US who really pestered him to teach them the blade.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

Besides the obvious slashing/cutting actions would the stick to blade modifications be similar to other styles like Bahala Na or Bakbakan? Using the flat or back of the blade for parrys to save the edge, etc?

 

[Dan Anderson]

Using the flat or back of the blade for parrys to save the edge, etc?

Andy,
That's one. You one smart cookie. Edge orientation is another.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[Cruentus]

Besides the obvious slashing/cutting actions would the stick to blade modifications be similar to other styles like Bahala Na or Bakbakan? Using the flat or back of the blade for parrys to save the edge, etc?

Also look at the traditionals (banda y banda, rompida, up & down, etc..)...especially Ocho-Ocho. Look at the "stick forms," and there are all sorts of blade translations within those. "Palis-Palis" I find to be a lot more blade friendly then stick friendly...and there are endless blade applications in those. The abiniko is useful for deflections and cuts as well. 6-count (also 5, 8, and 10 counts) are great templetates to work on blade translations, as well as the flow drill.

There are all sorts of cuts "hidden" within the movements, such as "the back cut." Little cuts that go unoticed unless you understand your tool.

btw...I bugged Professor for Blade translations too....What I got was very cryptic... "You can do this, and he is cut...you can do that, and he is cut already! Now...go do dat!" :uhyeah: I got some stuff.... I am still decifering what I was told to this day. I think sometimes (not all times) learning Martial Arts can be more like peeling an Onion then building a house...as you get better and improve, you get deeper and deeper insight into what your instructor has told you...even many years later.

That is why I like looking at Brams work, and I am excited about this new series. It helps me to decifer more what I was told, and perhaps learn something that I wasn't.

Yours,

Paul

 

[Dan Anderson]

That is why I like looking at Brams work, and I am excited about this new series. It helps me to decipher more what I was told, and perhaps learn something that I wasn't.

Yours,

Paul

Ditto.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[sungkit]

Good points.

Snr Master Roland Dantes ALWAYS stresses and emphasizes tio the student that the cane is a blade. This is what he was taught by Professor Remy and he continues along the same path today.

Also, if you are used to grabbing the cane, ity is not going to be as easy as some people think to uses different tactics against an edged weapon. When the edged weapon comes in quickly, your trained reactions are still going to be grab the hand. Due to this, Snr Master Roland stresses to students the importance of checking the hand ALWAYS and this includes with cane techniques.

 

[Dan Anderson]

Hi All,

I watched the new Bram Frank's Presas Jungle Bolo DVDs last night. George Denson covered them fairly well in his post so I'll take a different tack in this review.

What Bram does is go straight to the roots, historically and technically, of Modern Arnis. Many of the actions Prof. Presas made which, on the surface, students didn't get or failed to make sense of, are explained in this series. Much of Modern Arnis is based on the blade work of his grandfather and uncle and this is what you see. Bram shows the Presas family bolos and his trainers are made according to specs. An interesting note is that he makes the distinction between agricultural bolos and jungle fighting bolos. His bolo is in the second catagory.

DVD #1 goes into the history and relevence of the blade to todays Modern Arnis. Bram and Amy demonstrate basics of the blade and what happens to areas you cut. There's a bit of functional anatomy lessons in there.

DVD #2 goes into Anyos 1-4 with a blade viewpoint and then variations off of the bolo techniques. What I like most about this DVD set is that with Bram giong over the important points (and differences) of blade work, one can use the data as starting pints to continue your own research. This is vitally important to anyone who has only done stick work (which comprises the bulk of Modern Arnis players in the US). While he doesn't need it, I endorse the hell out of this series. This is a missing piece of the pie for those with mostly cane orientation in the FMA.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

PS- You can't beat the price either. You can get them on the CSSD/SD website.

 

[DoxN4cer]

Mike,

For Modern Arnis via GM Remy Presas, I would have to say yes. If it was Balintawak, I would have to disagree. Therefor, not all arts from the PI always stressed that the cane is the sowrd. Yes, you can translate the stick technique to the blade technique, yet, with stick techinque you can manage and monitor the cane, which gives less feedback to the opponent, then monitoring or managing the hand. Now obviously, if the opponent has a blade then you would monitor and manage the hand. No disrespect.

:asian:

Nicely said.

I agree with you to a point, Rich. While Balintawak is primarily a stick fighting system, IMO, the root... no, the heart and soul of the FMA (generally speaking) lies in the blade; regardless of the preferred style one might train in. The stick represents the blade; and the transition from stick to blade is made rather easily, but not by everyone. There are some subtle, yet very imprtant differences between the two.

Managing/monitoring the stick is relatively easy compared to doing the same to a hand that is weilding a blade, and you certainly don't have he "comfort zone" of grasping the weapon when facing a blade as you would when facing an opponent armed with a stick. It's like sticking your hand into a blender if the defender isn't versed in blade craft. There are also the differences in footwork, body shifting and angling that are similar, they are very different in very subtle ways.

v/r

Tim Kashino

 

[sungkit]

Was reading the post with Guro Roland Dantes and he wanted to commend Bram Frank on his fantastic work in relation to the bolo and dvds. Having met Bram in Germany at the event of Datu Dieter, Guro Roland was most impressed with the research Bram had carried out, his dediaction and passion for the art.

 

[DoxN4cer]

Was reading the post with Guro Roland Dantes and he wanted to commend Bram Frank on his fantastic work in relation to the bolo and dvds. Having met Bram in Germany at the event of Datu Dieter, Guro Roland was most impressed with the research Bram had carried out, his dediaction and passion for the art.

Hi Singkit,

I sent you a PM regarding your response to my post in the "Successors" thread. The thread got closed, so I 'll insert my reply here.

I would not dare presume to assert that Professors long time friend and confidant (Guro Roland) was visiting to take advantage of his condition. I hope that much is clear. I my mind, he was not among those that took advantage of the situation at the Professor's deathbed. No way, no how.

Anyway, back to Bram and the Bolo... Bram has done some great work in the realm of bladecraft. He brought the Modern Arnis blade back to the forefront; moreover, Bram's a good fella. I hope we can all meet in 2006.

Gumagalang,

Tim Kashino