It's gotta happen

[Dan Anderson]

Dan

I like your list, and if you can get half of them I'll be there. I got some questions and comments for you in planning the event.

1)Hey what about Rocky? He spent a lot of time with the Professor, and he was taught somethings that others weren't taught.

2) Having it at a university, or some kind of a camp area, boy scout/Baptist or what sounds good. The Texas Summer camps that Al Garza put on 99-01 were all held at Rice University. It was great to have lodging and meals at the same place.

3) Since you are planning on having so many instructors how about having it over 2-4 days? This way the teaching sessions would be long enough to really get something from these guys?

Mark

Hi Mark,

1. Rocky would be wonderful. He is, however, one step removed from mainstream Modern Arnis and this is the thrust of this camp.
2/3. That's the plan.

Dan-

I think that you have a great list! Doesn't look like you left anyone out. You might want to consider not adding substitutions if some of the people from your list choose not to participate. I think in some cases, less is more. It might just be better to have less people on the card for logistical reasons.

Tim,

I'm inclined to agree at this point. A decent enought time with each instructor is my goal. We're still int he planning stages so we're flexible yet.

I will say the same thing to you as I said to others. The host has the right to ask whomever they wish to ask. Host priviledge.

Now I agree it would be nice to be open like you are, and offering it where and when you can.

Rich,

You are absolutely correct. The host does have the priviledge. I do, however, want this to be more than the "Dan & Super Friends" show. This includes masters I barely know or haven't gotten along with in the past but all have one major thing in common - senior students of Remy Presas. THAT is the major criteria, not if they are part of my fan club or even better, satisfied book buyers (humor, folks, humor).

If this goes right, it is bigger than any one of us or our organizations. So far, I lkie what I hear and support is growing.

Right now the goal is to have it mid-August 2005. It will take a couple of weeks to shore up the instructor line up and then present it to the bank for sponsorship money. A very good plus point is that my student, the businessman, is hot as a pistol on it so we're rolling right along. Also, the proposed site is Brevard, NC. There is a college/university (I forget which) there and it is close to an airport. All for now.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[Guro Harold]

Dan,

Was Rick Ward considered? He also lives in NC about 3 hours away from the proposed site.

Thanks,

Harold

 

[Dan Anderson]

No. Just the leaders and datus of the various organizations:
IMAF
IMAF, INc.
WMAA
WMAC
CSSD SC
DAV
Arnis Philippines
Me.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[Dan Anderson]

Hi all. I have emailed out the formal invitations to the above named instructors.

Datu Kelly Worden has politely declined to participate as neither Dr. Wilfredo Matias and Dr. Remy Presas, Jr. are not on the bill. I thanked him privately for his speedy and forthright answer and do so now publicly. I personally hope that he will reconsider when we have more of the details firmly in place.

He brought an important point which I wish to address here and now: I do not want anyone to think I am trying to re-write Modern Arnis history by saying Bram Frank is a highly ranked senior master of Modern Arnis by his inclusion in th teaching line up. As I stated in a previous post,

I acknowledge the lack of higher ranking and senior titles/status. Bram has researched an area most Modern Arnisadors are lacking in - Modern Arnis use of the blade. He lives in Florida where Prof. Presas also had property and spent a lot of time in. Bram and RP spent a lot of time together. When you see the bolo DVDs or his modular series DVDs, you see that what he is doing is Modern Arnis blade, not Sayoc or Pekiti. That he has had other influences as well, okay. I looked over a video of his last night and saw a number of drills I haven't seen before. Could they have been (insert name of any other well known or not so well known blade instructor here) drills? I suppose. I don't really know so I can't really say. It also doesn't matter to me. Look at what he is doing in present time. This is Modern Arnis blade.

this is the reason I have included Bram. I will keep you all posted as news happens.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

BTW - Kelly didn't say or state that I was attempting to re-write MA history. He had a concern about it.

 

[Guro Harold]

Dr. Remy Presas, Jr. are not on the bill.

Hi Dan,

Was an invitation extended?

Thanks,

Harold

 

[Andrew Evans]

Bram has researched an area most Modern Arnisadors are lacking in - Modern Arnis use of the blade. He lives in Florida where Prof. Presas also had property and spent a lot of time in. Bram and RP spent a lot of time together.

Dan,

Dr. Wilfredo Matias also lives in Florida and is great with the blade. Heck, Dr. Matias knew Grandmaster Remy Presas longer than most of the folks on your list.

Also (in the spirit of the Tour de France) Dr. Matias has kicked butt against cancer. When he was in Iowa and then Kansas, he worked out with us till 2-3 am in the morning and then got up early for the seminar. Heck, sometimes he had a beer in one hand and stick in the other. But ya know what, like a true arnisador, he never spilt a drop...

Dr. Matias is the Lance Armstrong of Modern Arnis!

Don't cheat folks who wouldn't ordinarily get a chance to see him. Dr. Matias is one bad mutha.

Bram has researched an area most Modern Arnisadors are lacking in - Modern Arnis use of the blade.

I take offense in that statement! Have you seen Tim Hartman's blade skills? I also wouldn't face Mark Lynn in a dark alley with his bladework. Heck, I could name a few Modern Arnis folks in the Northwest who would fillet my ***. (Of course, Kelly Worden trained many of these Northwesterners.)

If the reason you are bring in Bram Frank is due to his fame as a knife instructor, why not also bring in W. Hock Hochheim? Hock has a lot more gigs than anyone on your list. Sorry Dan but it definitely looks like a highly selective list.

Regards,

 

[Andrew Evans]

Dan,

I think a lot of folks here, even non-MARPPIO ones, would agree that Dr. Remy Presas Jr. should be invited. Those that have seen him will agree that he definitely can bring it on.

For everyone else, please visit http://www.modernarnis.com/fullvision_sparring.mpg

It will definitely *spark* your interest.

 

[Dan Anderson]

Harold,

If you look at my post on page 6, you'll see:

5. The instructional staff are to be first generation senior students of Remy Presas. I have no gripe about the instruction at the first symposium. It was all first rate. For this to be a true Modern Arnis event, I want only the senior instructors under Remy Presas. My list is:
SM Roland Dantes
SM Dan Anderson
Datu Tim Hartman
Datu Dieter Knuettel
Datu Kelly Worden
Datu Shishir Inocalla
MoTT Randi Schea (or any of the other MoTTs in his stead)
MoTT Jeff Delaney
Master At Arms Bram Frank

Was either Dr. Matias or Dr. Remy Presas, Jr. invited? No. They are wonderful instructors but I had to draw the line somewhere or else I would have to try and fund many, many more instructors than I could.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[Guro Harold]

Harold,

If you look at my post on page 6, you'll see:

Was either Dr. Matias or Dr. Remy Presas, Jr. invited? No. They are wonderful instructors but I had to draw the line somewhere or else I would have to try and fund many, many more instructors than I could.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

Hi Dan,

I understand that there has to be a cutoff somewhere.

What is your definition of first generation senior students?

Thanks,

Harold

 

[Dan Anderson]

Remy Presas is the founder of Modern Arnis.
If you trained with him, you are first generation. I suppose someone could get picky about having trained with another instructor and then trained with him, that wouldn't be a pure first generation student.
A senior student is one who has trained with him and has attained a very high rank, title, or status.

Folks, if this is headed where it could be (knowing the history of MartialTalk threads), let me was that no amount of nit-picking is going to get me to amend my list.

Harold, I know you to be a straight shooter so I DO NOT think you are doing this. But I am not going to follow this kind of line and start justifying every choice I make if someone wants to go there. BTW, I began with Remy Presas and have trained with no one else until his death (aside from one Dan Inosanto seminar). I am a first generation student of Remy Presas.
Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[Guro Harold]

Remy Presas is the founder of Modern Arnis.
If you trained with him, you are first generation. I suppose someone could get picky about having trained with another instructor and then trained with him, that wouldn't be a pure first generation student.
A senior student is one who has trained with him and has attained a very high rank, title, or status.

Folks, if this is headed where it could be (knowing the history of MartialTalk threads), let me was that no amount of nit-picking is going to get me to amend my list.

Harold, I know you to be a straight shooter so I DO NOT think you are doing this. But I am not going to follow this kind of line and start justifying every choice I make if someone wants to go there. BTW, I began with Remy Presas and have trained with no one else until his death (aside from one Dan Inosanto seminar). I am a first generation student of Remy Presas.
Yours,
Dan Anderson

Hi Dan,

I think that it was valuable to see what your definition of first generation is.

If you would like, you can keep this thread as the logistic center and spin off another thread for fielding questions regarding the symposium and address questions in that thread and the MT staff can move these initial questions over if you would like.

As far as me being a straight shooter on this subject, I do believe that the first generation definition has a bigger scope than the invited and esteemed panelists.

Best regards,

Harold

 

[David Hoffman]

Hi All,


2. I didn't put David Hoffman on the list because apparantly he has dropped off the face of the earth. The last couple of emails I sent him (via private messages from different forums) have not been answered. He is somewhat of an enigma to me. It appears he submerges, surfaces, and submerges now and again. If he pops up and merely says, "Hi." I will extend an invitation to him as well. There is no need for him to ask to participate as RP gave him datu title and 5th degree as well.

Hello Dan,

I am still on earth my friend! I have not, however, been following the forums. When my last machine crashed I was offline for a couple of months. Since then I am back online but have not had time to keep up with the forums. When I just logged in I did not see any private messages from you. Please feel free to contact me directly by email or telephone, not via the various forums. I'm sorry if you had the impression I was ignoring you.

David

 

[Andrew Evans]

This posting is not a stab at Dan Anderson. While I disagree technically and philosophically, I respect his efforts at organizing a big event. I merely want everyone to know my feelings. Just in case…

To everyone,

My oldest son is only 10 years old but he has trained with me for a few years. I even remember how he watched class from a playpen or car seat as an infant/toddler while his mother and/or I taught class. While I am admitting that he is not my most skilled student at this time probably due to his young age, I want folks to invite him to any big event held in my honor after I depart this world if I ever become a famous martial artist (or anything else). Also if he can bring it on, please let him do so. This holds true no matter what extraordinary circumstances occur between now and then. Life is strange and anything can happen.

Please also extend the same courtesy to my other child who is now eight months old especially if he ever gets the opportunity to train with me. I have always told my students that family comes first. I hope I will continue to do so and that anyone reading this will remember my words for prosperity.

Regards,
Andrew Evans

p.s. My wife thinks this is morbid but I explained to her that I did not want the same thing to happen to my children that has happened to others.

 

[Mark Lynn]

Dan

Since Kelly has declined, I think it would be proper to invite Dr. Matias or Dr. Remy since this would show that you have the leaders from pretty much all of the organizations of Modern Arnis. It's still early in the planning process for this get together and either one or both would be an added beneift for anyone attending.

I traveled to Topeka to see what Dr Remy Jr. and Dr. Matias and I enjoyed their instruction They are good. And they bring to the table Remy's instruction of the pre USA days like Roland Dantes does.

Respectfully
Mark Lynn

Andrew
Thanks for the compliment and I agree with you with respect to inviting either/or both Dr. Remy Jr. or Dr. Matias. I don't think Dan needs to invite Hock though. Hock's blade work and such is more inspried by GM Ernesto than Remy, Bram's blade work is truely inspired by GM Remy.

 

[sungkit]

As has been mentioned previously, Dan has put together a great list of seniors of modern arnis and as the host, it is his choice who is invited.

In regards to Bram Frank, Professor Presas spoke very highly to Snr Master Roland Dantes about him in Canada. He also spoke highly about others and their accomplishments including datu kelly Worden, datu Dieter Knuttel, Dan Anderson, Randi Shea, and others. So I cannot see the problem if he is invited.

Hopefully this thread does not stoop to politics .

 

[Guro Harold]

Hopefully this thread does not stoop to politics .

Hi Sungkit,

I don't think that this is the case just yet. I think there are some legitimate questions and understandings that need to be cleared up in a general case. whether or not it should be done in this particular thread is another matter.

Best regards,

Palusut

 

[Dan Anderson]

Hi Folks,

Some things need to be clarified.

1. First of all, this a camp. This is not any kind of establishment of a Modern Arnis pecking order or senority listing. I am not declaring a who's who of Modern Arnis. As far a any kind of clarifications and such, I will answer questions pertaining to the camp itself.

2. The list of instructors is MY list. For the most part, they are instructors who have been studying in the US under Remy Presas for many, many years and are mainstream Modern Arnis players who now head their own organizations.

3. This list is far more inclusive than any other has been in the US so far.

4. The fact that this or that instructor is not on the list is no indication that he/she can't teach, isn't skilled, etc. I am working on sponsorship and I am putting only so many names on the list. I have received requests to teach by several instructors, each who have quality students, and have placed myself in a position anywhere from hurting someone's feelings to having delivered oblique insults by not having them on the list.

5. I have no problem having certain instructors (who are not on the instructor list) as guests at the camp. This will be done on an individual basis and will be done much closer to the date of the camp. I am not saying who can come and who cannot.

6. The declining of an instructor to participate does not automatically mean there is a vacant spot to fill. All it means is that an instructor declined to participate.

7. So far, we are dealing in the hypothetical and the planning. If the funding doesn't come off, I highly doubt I'll be able to pull it off.

8. I welcome all comments and suggestions. As I said in one of the first posts on this subject, if the camp suffers due to sameness of instruction (or any other fault), I'll take the heat and it will be my mistake. If the camp is a success, it will be our success.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[Dan Anderson]

Posted on the WMAC forum:

Proposed Modern Arnis Master's Gathering
Recently I was contacted by Dan Anderson about a proposed event to draw all the seniors of the art together for another symposium or gathering of the masters. I will place the proposed list below as chosen by Dan Anderson:

The instructional staff are to be first generation senior students of Remy Presas. I have no gripe about the instruction at the first symposium. It was all first rate. For this to be a true Modern Arnis event, I want only the senior instructors under Remy Presas. My list is:
SM Roland Dantes
SM Dan Anderson
Datu Tim Hartman
Datu Dieter Knuettel
Datu Kelly Worden
Datu Shishir Inocalla
MoTT Randi Schea (or any of the other MoTTs in his stead)
MoTT Jeff Delaney
Master At Arms Bram Frank

Dan claims not to want any political problems during the organization of this event, yet two of the Professor's chosen Datu are not listed, there are 6 total. Dan may or may not agree, in the Western Hemisphere the Datu ranked practitioners were and are senior in status and longevity in the art of Modern Arnis, all 6 ! That would include Bong Sun Jornales, although not consistently active in the affairs of Modern Arnis (due to political choice) he none the less was active enough to sign and assist in the Promotions of both Tim Hartman and Dan Anderson himself. Additionally not listed is Datu David Hoffman, I believe David actually knew Professor Presas longer than any of us, and was trusted to deal with the personal trust of Professor's which is still in turmoil. So as we struggle for our positions in the public eye of martial arts Datu Hoffman is left to struggle with issues superseding anything we are personally facing as seniors of the art. His importance and status should not be ignored, he should be offered to participate in an event of this magnitude, he is a Datu of Modern Arnis...

Possibly he was not chosen by Dan because of Bram's personal issue's with Datu Hoffman? Or Dan's personal and business association to Bram Frank who is now considered a senior in the re-written history of Modern Arnis? Since when? Since the passing of Professor? It seems that Chuck Gauss and Datu David were on Bram's Modern Arnis Examination Board for his first test in 1994 , how is that a Senior?

I also believe if this is indeed a Senior Instructor event that Dr. Wilfredo Matias who was indeed the Senior ranked 7th degree practitioner of Modern Arnis in North America when Professor was alive should be included. In regards to Remy Jr. in the short 3 year time period since the inception of MARPPIO Remy Jr. has put forth a great deal of effort to spread the art of Modern Arnis and is succeeding without question. Like it or not he is the direct Presas Bloodline and is willing to teach and demonstrate his interpretation of the art next to anyone, further I attest to his skill level as being extremely exceptional for such an event. This fact alone opens the door for magazine editors to seek coverage to document a historical event involving the Son of Remy Presas and the actual seniors together in an instructional event.

In personal discussions with Randi Shea, he seems hesitant to be involved for a number of reasons, some which are mentioned here.

Well over 6 months ago I was contacted by Datu Tim Hartman to participate in a seminar with the Datus of Modern Arnis, I agreed, what happened to that event, is Dan Anderson now jumping ahead of the game in an effort to say it was first in the staging area? Let me say it since others won't, are there underline agenda's surrounding promoting this event?

Another concern worth mentioning is the proposed International participation of Datu Dieter and Senior master Tito Roland Dantes, anyone ever heard of baby steps? Could we actually put together an event and get the support of those within the United States prior to an attempt to capture the World? Big Dreams considering lingering issues still prevalent here in the United States...

Just some thought's
Datu
_________________
Kelly S. Worden

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[Dan Anderson]

Hi All,


2. I didn't put David Hoffman on the list because apparantly he has dropped off the face of the earth. The last couple of emails I sent him (via private messages from different forums) have not been answered. He is somewhat of an enigma to me. It appears he submerges, surfaces, and submerges now and again. If he pops up and merely says, "Hi." I will extend an invitation to him as well. There is no need for him to ask to participate as RP gave him datu title and 5th degree as well.

Hello Dan,

I am still on earth my friend! I have not, however, been following the forums. When my last machine crashed I was offline for a couple of months. Since then I am back online but have not had time to keep up with the forums. When I just logged in I did not see any private messages from you. Please feel free to contact me directly by email or telephone, not via the various forums. I'm sorry if you had the impression I was ignoring you.

David

Hi David,

Here is a formal invitation to be a participant in the upcoming camp. Since you have been reading the thread in the MT forum, you what I am trying to accomplish.

As my student is working on the sponsorship proposal, I will need an answer and a bio from you as soon as possible.

Yours,
Dan

 

[Brian Johns]

Dr. Matias is the Lance Armstrong of Modern Arnis!

Not to totally get off the thread, but I'm glad to hear someone like Dr. Matias beat cancer like Lance Armstrong. What Lance did this past weekend in winning his 6th Tour de France ranks as one of the all time great athletic achievements. Bud Greenspan, the well known Olympics documentary filmmaker, has opined that Lance is one of the top three athletes of all time. His time trial performance up the L'Alpe d'Huez last Wednesday will be the stuff of legends for years to come. It was just an awe inspiring performance and one in which he just crushed the field. A truly inspiring athlete.

Take care,
Brian Johns
Columbus, Ohio