Why is Modern Arnis "modern"?

[Eric Daniel]

This question has probably been asked before but I would like to ask it again.
I have heard many perspectives about why modern arnis is "modern".

One is that it's "modern" compared to other arnis systems because modern arnis has forms and other arnis systems do not have forms. I do not know about that one!

Another perspective I have heard is that modern arnis is "modern" because "you do not always have to have a weapon you may just have your empty hands." In other words modern arnis is "modern" because practitioners of modern arnis encorperate empty-hand techniques into the system.

Of these two perspectives I would agree more with the one about encorperating empty hands because I have seen Two other arnis systems Giron arnis and garimot arnis and I have not seen them use empty hands only weapons.
Does this mean that they do not have empty-hand techniques? No, it does not but as far as I have seen they don't. Maybe it depends on the background of the teacher teahing the art or maybe not but that is all for now.
Please let me know your perspective on this subject.

 

[Dan Anderson]

Hi Eric,

Here is a quote from Warrior Arts of the Philippines edited by Rey Galang. This is from an interview with Guro Roland Dantes:

"(Q) How did Professor Presas come up with the name modern arnis?

Well, he was very close friends with De. Guillermo Lengson who also should be commended for providing many opportunities to Professor Remy to demonstrate modern arnis.

One day Professor Remy visited Dr. Lengson, in his clinic next door to the University of the East, they were discussing the hip movements in karate. There was a book on Dr. Lengson's desk titled 'Dynamic Karate' written by Masatoshi Nakayama that laid open on chapter 2 which was dealing with applying the power in the hips. Also in the preface of the book, the author mentioned development of karate as a modern martial art.

During the discussion, Dr. Lengson was clarifying his interpretation of karate and mentioned that the karate Dr. Lengson taught was a modern interpretation. So after this discussion and reading parts of the book, Professor Remy concluded that this was essentially the case with his interpretation of arnis. That what he had developed was a modern form of an older art.

This can be verified by Master Christopher Ricketts who was a student of Dr. Lengson and was also there during this meeting."

More on the subject after I go and eat lunch.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[Mark Lynn]

Dan

I was under the understasnding that he named to Modern Arnis because he udated it as a self defense system and not a "pure" or old arnis system (what I'm trying to say is that he incoprerated more modern techniques and teaching methodoligy).

1) Hitting the stick instead of the weapon arm in practice.
2) Trying to make it easy for school kids and such to earn. This could be watering it down somewhat like the karate instructors of old did when they wanted to introduce karate into the Okinawan schools systems.
3) Grabbing and controling the stick (which you wouldn't do if you were teachig a edged weapon based art or system.
4) Making the translation from weapon to empty hand a focal point of your teaching.
5) Dropping things (stances, weapon combinations, techniques) that were no longer really practicle due to the society that he/we currently live in.

But that is a cool story/interview, I need to get the book.

Mark

 

[Mark Lynn]

1) One is that it's "modern" compared to other arnis systems because modern arnis has forms and other arnis systems do not have forms. I do not know about that one!

2) Another perspective I have heard is that modern arnis is "modern" because "you do not always have to have a weapon you may just have your empty hands." In other words modern arnis is "modern" because practitioners of modern arnis encorperate empty-hand techniques into the system.

3) Of these two perspectives I would agree more with the one about encorperating empty hands because I have seen Two other arnis systems Giron arnis and garimot arnis and I have not seen them use empty hands only weapons.
Does this mean that they do not have empty-hand techniques? No, it does not but as far as I have seen they don't. Maybe it depends on the background of the teacher teahing the art or maybe not but that is all for now.
Please let me know your perspective on this subject.

Eric
I added numbers to your post to address them.

1) Other arnis systems do have forms. Doce Pares has anyos or forms, Kombatan has has anyos as well. However Kombatan and Modern Arnis are linked since the founders of the systems were brothers so that might not be a valid point.

2) Other arnis systems do have the empty hand to weapon translation aspect as well as Modern Arnis. However if you mean that Modern Arnis is Modern because of the emphasis placed on this aspect of the art (the connection between these parts of the system and method of teaching) than I would agree.

3) Garimot Arnis does have a empty hand component to it. When I went for a week long camp with Abon Beat no (disrespect intended if I get Abon's name or title not spelled correctly) we spent a couple of training sessions on empty hand material. Now maybe it was termed Buno or some form of empty hand grappling if I remember right, but I took it as part of the Garimot system.

On a side note I was real impressed with Abon's skills in this and other areas.

With respect
Mark

 

[Rich Parsons]

Dan

I was under the understasnding that he named to Modern Arnis because he udated it as a self defense system and not a "pure" or old arnis system (what I'm trying to say is that he incoprerated more modern techniques and teaching methodoligy).

1) Hitting the stick instead of the weapon arm in practice.
2) Trying to make it easy for school kids and such to earn. This could be watering it down somewhat like the karate instructors of old did when they wanted to introduce karate into the Okinawan schools systems.
3) Grabbing and controling the stick (which you wouldn't do if you were teachig a edged weapon based art or system.
4) Making the translation from weapon to empty hand a focal point of your teaching.
5) Dropping things (stances, weapon combinations, techniques) that were no longer really practicle due to the society that he/we currently live in.

But that is a cool story/interview, I need to get the book.

Mark

Mark,

I believe the interview, yet I think the list you created and maybe some more of the ideas in GM R Presas's head, were also driving forces for why he was searching for a different name, and I would like to add in the his Wife Rosemary had recommended using Arnis as few others in his area in of the central islands. Hence Modern Arnis.

 

[arnisador]

The "Hitting the stick instead of the weapon arm in practice." one is the one I've heard most often as an aexplanation of this. But, I think that's an insufficient explanation by itself.

 

[Dan Anderson]

The "Hitting the stick instead of the weapon arm in practice." one is the one I've heard most often as an aexplanation of this. But, I think that's an insufficient explanation by itself.

Yes, it's too simplified. Remy's sources (from my research) were his family, balintawak eskrima, Cacoy Canete, Dr. Guillermo Lengson, and various people who he had met/matched up with in the PI. Modern Arnis is a blend of these influences rather than a family or closed art passed down in a small clan setting. That's what makes it "modern."

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[Mark Lynn]

Hey we all pretty much agree on this.

Ok group hug.

We got that positive Modern Arnis feeling going on here .

So what role did Rosemary Presas play in all of this? I have heard she helped Remy build/run a gym but what else? I've never heard much about her.

Mark

 

[arnisador]

I've heard that it was her idea to call it arnis (vice escrima or what have you).

 

[Dan Anderson]

So what role did Rosemary Presas play in all of this? I have heard she helped Remy build/run a gym but what else? I've never heard much about her.

Mark

My understanding is that she was an organizer and, to a degree, had ghost written RP's first two books. Look at the difference in writing style between his first two books and his book published by Ohara Pubs and you can see what I mean.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[Eric Daniel]

Thanks for all your answers. I will keep in mind that modern arnis is not "modern" because there are forms or because there are empty hand translations but because Remy wanted to have a more "modern" art of the old one.