chris arena
Green Belt
Modern Arnis is a wonderful martial art. Its depth is almost unfathomable and goes far beyond mere stick play. For this reason I have developed a true love for this wonderful martial art. But it is apparent that we all percieve what is and what isn't Modern Arnis. And, that is what is expected. After all, we are all individuals attempting to master the groundwork that Grandmaster Presas left us. These ramblings are just my experiences that I stumbled upon over the years.
I was asked, a few years ago (1999) to teach a class in Modern Arnis at a local karate school. I accepted and started teaching, even though I was going through some major difficulties learning this art. Even though after a few years learning I was still having problems. I was a good striker, but my footwork was horrible, I was never on the mark to apply a technique, I was either too close, too far away, off balance to make any headway once we started sparring or doing anything beyond the typical submissive teaching and learning format. In fact, I became so discouraged, that I found another style (Tacosa Serrada). Please note that this was not in any way a failing of my teacher. The problem was mine. I just could'nt seem to advance and was becoming a rather good punching bag! (It is important to note that I was learning in a mixed jkd/Arnis system at that time. I had the best teacher, great classmates and the only failing was my apparent failure to progess. I did what most martial arts students do when confronted with thier own problems. Either run away or try another avenue of learning. I chose the other avenue. It is interesting to note that I was still teaching Modern Arnis at a local school. I had good basic technique, just could'nt fight. That was my problem.
My Tacosa Serrada teacher was a kid that spent 4 years litterly "living" with Master Jaime Tacosa and I was taught in what he called "old school".
For 1 1/2 years all I did was defend against 12 attack angle, learning 3 defenses for each angle. One 6 count drill. The 7th count was to infinity, free flow come what may Sumbrada give and take. This style of play was exactly what I needed. It taught me range control and instinctive reflex in a stressfull situations. As I progessed. (slowly, I am a slow learner) this kid of a teacher constantly added stress and confusion, forcing me to get better or get hit. (I got hit a lot), but the hits were just hard enough to make me think and stop worring about a little pain......
I soon discovered my real problem. I was just a middle class white boy with a good temperment, never got in fights and had no wish to. Growing up in this fashion, I never had do deal with mean streets, spend years in the ring, etc. It was apparent that I had absolutely no fighting skills other that I liked to rough house a bit. And, I discovered that I had a no combative 6th sense. Some have it some don't. But we all can in a sense learn it. That was exactly what my Tacosa style training did. My instructor left for deployment in Afganistan and I returned to Modern Arnis.
Once back in Modern Arnis, I discovered that I was now moving better and started to progess where earlier I had failed. Was it due to the fact that the Tacosa style was better? or was there something else that I have missed. In retrospect, All I was doing in Tacosa syles was defending against 12 angles (yes, they are different, but they are strikes none the less). Is Modern Arnis any different? I don't think so, in fact, I feel that the differance is in the method of training. Not in the case of one art bieng any better that the other. After all it is only attack and defense. Nothing more.
Lets go back into how Professor Presas learned. If I remember right, I believe that it was the Balantwik style that he really made his name in. And, if you look at how Balantwik trains a student, you will notice that the student learns how to defend against 12 angles, 3 defenses each, with the teacher constantly pressuring the student as he advances until he can successfully defend against any random 12 angle attack in a free-flow manner. Golly, that sounds a lot like my Tacosa training! Also, Professor Presas as he was coming up never went to a seminar! In short, he became a fighter first, then a master later!
At present. I teach a small begining class on Monday evenings. This is a new class that I am teaching in exactly the same method as I was taught when I studied the Tacosa Version. They learn three defenses only for each angle and are working until they can free flow. This is my class requirement for beginners. I also have a Saturday am class that works on the advanced Modern Arnis Visadario, trapping, lock flow and typical technique. But first, I want the students to move correctly. and have good solid defense skills on an instinctive level. Most of my students are typical suburbanites like myself, some women, some kids and some oldsters like myself. I want them to be able to fight instictively and this is what "old school" Arnis can give them better than a lot of so-called traditional arts. Also, this type of training weeds out lesser commited students. This may not be the way a commercial school is taught, But I have no monetary objective. I want to develop good advanced players that I can play with and maybe continue the art when I am too old to play.
So far I have almost 3 advanced students for my Saturday class and we are having fun learning. We buy the tapes and learn and experiment, do flow drills and try to enter into them and play the visidario / La Tranka / Tapi-Tapi variances and pull them off under a little stress. Does it work, for me it is too early to tell. But one of my 3 yr studends was awarded her brown belt by Remy Presas Jr. and our dear departed Tito Wilfedo Mathias. She studied the basics for her first year. then once the basics were instilled, went on to the typicial Modern Arnis techniques.
We need a strong foundation and mental and physical challenge in order to grow. Otherwise we only know technique. Sorta like that college professer at some lofty grad school teaching advanced accounting, although he never ran a business. In effect, most of us "teachers" are a lot like that college professor. We are not street fighters. How then, are we going to learn the street level, down and dirty business of fighting. Fighting comes first. Technique advances our skill. But we need the basics. Modern Arnis is looked upon by some so-called traditional schools as only a method of cross-training. Our art is forged in combat and we need a safe and professional method of teaching the average guy. In short, our techniques are above reproach. But only after we can move combatively and instinctively. In a way, We are all renegades. The Grandmaster has passed on. It is up to us to grow and pass the art.
Again, I am in no way a master. Just my opinion.
Chris Arena
I was asked, a few years ago (1999) to teach a class in Modern Arnis at a local karate school. I accepted and started teaching, even though I was going through some major difficulties learning this art. Even though after a few years learning I was still having problems. I was a good striker, but my footwork was horrible, I was never on the mark to apply a technique, I was either too close, too far away, off balance to make any headway once we started sparring or doing anything beyond the typical submissive teaching and learning format. In fact, I became so discouraged, that I found another style (Tacosa Serrada). Please note that this was not in any way a failing of my teacher. The problem was mine. I just could'nt seem to advance and was becoming a rather good punching bag! (It is important to note that I was learning in a mixed jkd/Arnis system at that time. I had the best teacher, great classmates and the only failing was my apparent failure to progess. I did what most martial arts students do when confronted with thier own problems. Either run away or try another avenue of learning. I chose the other avenue. It is interesting to note that I was still teaching Modern Arnis at a local school. I had good basic technique, just could'nt fight. That was my problem.
My Tacosa Serrada teacher was a kid that spent 4 years litterly "living" with Master Jaime Tacosa and I was taught in what he called "old school".
For 1 1/2 years all I did was defend against 12 attack angle, learning 3 defenses for each angle. One 6 count drill. The 7th count was to infinity, free flow come what may Sumbrada give and take. This style of play was exactly what I needed. It taught me range control and instinctive reflex in a stressfull situations. As I progessed. (slowly, I am a slow learner) this kid of a teacher constantly added stress and confusion, forcing me to get better or get hit. (I got hit a lot), but the hits were just hard enough to make me think and stop worring about a little pain......
I soon discovered my real problem. I was just a middle class white boy with a good temperment, never got in fights and had no wish to. Growing up in this fashion, I never had do deal with mean streets, spend years in the ring, etc. It was apparent that I had absolutely no fighting skills other that I liked to rough house a bit. And, I discovered that I had a no combative 6th sense. Some have it some don't. But we all can in a sense learn it. That was exactly what my Tacosa style training did. My instructor left for deployment in Afganistan and I returned to Modern Arnis.
Once back in Modern Arnis, I discovered that I was now moving better and started to progess where earlier I had failed. Was it due to the fact that the Tacosa style was better? or was there something else that I have missed. In retrospect, All I was doing in Tacosa syles was defending against 12 angles (yes, they are different, but they are strikes none the less). Is Modern Arnis any different? I don't think so, in fact, I feel that the differance is in the method of training. Not in the case of one art bieng any better that the other. After all it is only attack and defense. Nothing more.
Lets go back into how Professor Presas learned. If I remember right, I believe that it was the Balantwik style that he really made his name in. And, if you look at how Balantwik trains a student, you will notice that the student learns how to defend against 12 angles, 3 defenses each, with the teacher constantly pressuring the student as he advances until he can successfully defend against any random 12 angle attack in a free-flow manner. Golly, that sounds a lot like my Tacosa training! Also, Professor Presas as he was coming up never went to a seminar! In short, he became a fighter first, then a master later!
At present. I teach a small begining class on Monday evenings. This is a new class that I am teaching in exactly the same method as I was taught when I studied the Tacosa Version. They learn three defenses only for each angle and are working until they can free flow. This is my class requirement for beginners. I also have a Saturday am class that works on the advanced Modern Arnis Visadario, trapping, lock flow and typical technique. But first, I want the students to move correctly. and have good solid defense skills on an instinctive level. Most of my students are typical suburbanites like myself, some women, some kids and some oldsters like myself. I want them to be able to fight instictively and this is what "old school" Arnis can give them better than a lot of so-called traditional arts. Also, this type of training weeds out lesser commited students. This may not be the way a commercial school is taught, But I have no monetary objective. I want to develop good advanced players that I can play with and maybe continue the art when I am too old to play.
So far I have almost 3 advanced students for my Saturday class and we are having fun learning. We buy the tapes and learn and experiment, do flow drills and try to enter into them and play the visidario / La Tranka / Tapi-Tapi variances and pull them off under a little stress. Does it work, for me it is too early to tell. But one of my 3 yr studends was awarded her brown belt by Remy Presas Jr. and our dear departed Tito Wilfedo Mathias. She studied the basics for her first year. then once the basics were instilled, went on to the typicial Modern Arnis techniques.
We need a strong foundation and mental and physical challenge in order to grow. Otherwise we only know technique. Sorta like that college professer at some lofty grad school teaching advanced accounting, although he never ran a business. In effect, most of us "teachers" are a lot like that college professor. We are not street fighters. How then, are we going to learn the street level, down and dirty business of fighting. Fighting comes first. Technique advances our skill. But we need the basics. Modern Arnis is looked upon by some so-called traditional schools as only a method of cross-training. Our art is forged in combat and we need a safe and professional method of teaching the average guy. In short, our techniques are above reproach. But only after we can move combatively and instinctively. In a way, We are all renegades. The Grandmaster has passed on. It is up to us to grow and pass the art.
Again, I am in no way a master. Just my opinion.
Chris Arena