MA History?

[arnisandyz]

Does anybody know the history of Modern Arnis? Specifically the time that the Professor and Ernesto were training together before going seperate ways. When they were training together what did they call thier art? Did the names Kombatan and Modern Arnis come about after or was Modern Arnis already established by the 2 brothers and when Ernesto started his own club he renamed it and Professor kept the MA ?

OR

Did they both recieve seperate training in different arts besides the family system and collaborate on occasion on Arnis?

Thanks

Andy

 

[Cruentus]

As I understood it, both Ernesto and Remy learned their family style. Remy left home to learn other styles besides the family art; don't know if ernesto did the same. I do know that Remy was the first to start his own art "Modern Arnis." Ernesto adopted the name also, but later changed it to Kombaton, as the arts are clearly different.

I hope that helps a little. :asian:

 

[Dan Anderson]

Remy initially learned the blade art from his grandfather, Leon and then from his uncle, Berong. Ernesto learned under his father, Jose. Jose never taught Remy. Remy left home at age 14, travelled about and ended uplearning balintawak eskrima. He came back home and the brothers, Ernesto and Roberto worked with him when he established a gym in, I believe, Manilla. As far as I know the brothers were together until Remy left for the US in 1974. Ernesto and Remy had a falling out and Ernesto, in time, changed the name of his art to Kombatan while Remy kept the Modern Arnis name. If you look at both arts, there are similarities and differences. Kombatan is as much its own entity as Moddern Arnis.

If we could get an interview with Roland Dantes we could probably get a much more detailed history of Modern Arnis back in the Philippines.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[progressivetactics]

So Professor had the blade art, the family art, Balintawak as his primary teachings?
Was there any other influences from the Filipines before coming to America?

Did he adopt anything while in America? Obviously the WJ-small circle,and Professor Dillman played a part in his learning, but other styles besides those?

bb

 

[Cruentus]

So Professor had the blade art, the family art, Balintawak as his primary teachings?
Was there any other influences from the Filipines before coming to America?

Did he adopt anything while in America? Obviously the WJ-small circle,and Professor Dillman played a part in his learning, but other styles besides those?

bb

I believe that he crossed paths with other masters and learned many things, but to the extent of which, there is very little to verify it. His primaries were clearly his families style and Balintawak, but he also had to have been influenced by other FMA styles. He learned some Silat, and some Kuntao as well. He learned different Dumog styles, and "the traditionals" I don't believe were all from his families style. In Japan, he learned Shotokan, Judo, and Jujitsu. In America, his art was pretty complete, but Wally Jay's small circle method was greatly influential on him. Dillman, not so much. I say that about Dillman not to discredit him, but the fact was Remy knew that stuff worked because he road tested it himself, or learned it from a road tested instructor. For example, he knew that a "Block-check" on the forearm followed by a strike to the side of the neck knocked a guy out way before he met Dillman. Dillman could just explain "how." I am sure some may disagree with me on the Dillman thing, however.

Professor, IMHO, trained smart. He didn't try to be a Jack of all trades, but he recognized when he could steal a technique from another system and put it into his own to make it work. He always told us to "make it your own." Hell, he even stole some Chokes from Dr. G.. The multitude of stuff he stole we will never fully know. I think that smart masters aren't afraid to steal techniques. That is part of the influece for naming my little training group "Tulisan" Eskrima Group, Tulisan meaning Bandit.

Have a good one!
:asian:

 

[Mark Lynn]

I had a conversation with GM Remy once where I asked him about his traveling around and training with different people. He told me that after he studied the Balintawak he traveled around and asked many instructors to check his stick. In a polite way challanging them. When I questioned him further on this he told me that he would ask around and find out who the local escrima/arnis player was and then he would go to the man and in private ask him to "check his stick". But GM Remy was sneaky about it, he would find out if the guy had any enemies and say he had a reason to fight them. Then he would go to the guy and tell him that he wanted to fight so and so and that he (Remy) heard that he (the guy he wanted to fight) was the best player around so would he mind checking his stick in private.

This way the fight wouldn't be a direct challange or one where they both would be seriously hurt, and if he won then the other instructor/player wouldn't lose face. So they would fight and if Remy won then he "owned" them or their style. From what he explained it wasn't owning as we use the term rather he had the essence of the style, and he could beat it. So he would have the player teach him some and then go off and see someone else, repeating the process.. Because GM Remy would have them check him in private the instructor didn't lose face and he would work with Remy some. Probably knowing that Remy could challange him in public and have it be more serious if they didn't go along with him.

Anyway I think that this is probably why there are all of the different types of strikes and blocking methods in his system, banda y banda, crossada, palis palis, up and down, sinawalis, rompedia, figure eight etc. etc. He added techniques from everywhere.

Mark

 

[progressivetactics]

very nice history lesson Men. Thanks.

Any more?

bb

 

[arnisandyz]

very nice history lesson Men. Thanks.

Any more?

bb

Agreed! Thanks for everyone input.

andy

 

[Dan Anderson]

Yes. Here's more from Roland Dantes in answer to a historical question I asked him. I got this today.

For the Striking Techniques and the Bolo Battalion.....Yes I was with the Professor in the early days of these Training Sessions he gave ...in fact I would like to make mention also that in training the Philippine Air Force Battalion on Riot and Crowd Control techniques the Professor also had with him the late Dr. Gulllermo Lengson (who was his " Compadre " with
Grandmaster Johnny Chiuten). Masters Rodel Dagooc, the late Willy Annang
(who later on became the Chief Instructor at the National Police Academy), Salvador Alina, and several others who ably assisted the Professor in this event.......Yes the Professor especially in the early days would always remind us that we should always treat the stick as a blade ...no matter what the
strike would be ( figure 8, banda y banda, rompida, double zero, etc.) on whatever combinations we would utilize it in.....for as he (Professor) always said..." THE ORIGIN OF THE STICK IS THE BLADE ".

More data for you.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[Guro Harold]

Great info Dan!!!