Symposium Fee and a Hotel Accomedation

[DoctorB]

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]

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]

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]

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.

 

[DoctorB]

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]

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]

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

Dan,

I will miss seeing you in July. Yet, as everything in life is a series of compromises and balances. You have to do what is best for you and your family.

I will see you around.

 

[DoctorB]

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]

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]

DoctorB,

All is well and I will be at the event.

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

See you there!

:asian:

 

[Rich Parsons]

Just posting to bring this to the top of the List

:asian:

 

[DoctorB]

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]

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!

Dan:

Already done and paid in full! I'm looking forward to meeting you and others this July. The Symposium promises to bemost educational.

Thanks,

Richard Curren

 

[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

 

[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

 

[BRAM]

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]

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]

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]

Dr. Barber:

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

Talk to you very soon.

Respectfully,

Richard Curren

 

[DoctorB]

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..
And 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...

Bram

I just received the following information regarding the Frank Olesen and Rob Newton products that will be available at the Symposium:

The aluminum sword and dagger sets that will be available to people in Buffalo will cost $180 when they are completed.
These sets will consist of a sword and abaniko ( Abaniko Gunting Fixed blade) (18 sets hopefully). These sets will have full grind lines in both bolos & knives..

Abaniko Fixed Blade gunting trainers are $60 each...Mircarta handles and full grinds in the blades like real knives.

+ + + + + + + + + + +

I have seen and handled examples of Frank and Rob's work in both trainers and live blades. Absolutely the best quality on the market. I will be buying examples of both, so in reality there will only be 17 espada y daga sets available (hopefully).

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.