Hi everybody,
since Germany is mentioned several times in this thread I think it is time for me to post.
For I am not too well known in the US, let me first introduce myself so that you know who I am. My name is Dieter Knüttel and since 1985 I am the chief-instructor of the German Arnis Association (DAV) which is one of the largest FMA organisations in Europe. We practice Modern Arnis in the DAV. I started Arnis in 1978 under Jackson Cui Brocka the same Master, that Datu Kelly Worden has started his FMA career with. I have been to the Philippines several times, staying about 3 months for training each time.
We have been with Ernesto Presas from 1983 to 1993 and with the Professor from 1994 to his death. I introduced Modern Arnis in Germany in 1983 and later in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland. I have taught seminars in these countries plus in France, England, Austria, Spain, Australia and the in the USA. I still teach about 20 Modern Arnis weekend seminars a year.
I have given Modern Arnis exhibitions in Germany, Denmark, Holland, Sweden and Norway with up to 15.000 spectators watching. 1996 I received Lakan Anim (6th Dan) and the DATU title as the 4th person from the Professor. We had him regulary in Germany and held seminars with 80 - 130 Modern arnis practitioners here in Germany. We held our examinations here in Germany and the Professor was always very pleased with the results. During his last seminar with us we had 28 black belt gradings form 1st up to 5th Dan. He always brought americans over to whitness the gradings and the seminar, like Dr. Randi Shea, Al Garza, Datu David Hoffman, Jeff Delaney and also Datu Tim Hartman. I have taught seminars in the US, where people like Michel Bates, Al Garza (organizer in Texas) and Dr. Randi Shea participated. During the Professors last seminar here with us in 1999, he asked Jeff Delany to invite me to Texas.
I know all of the MOTT´s exept of Ken Smith and all Datus exept Datu Shishir Inocalla and Datu Ric Bong Journales and I am also in good terms with Roland Dantes, whom I know since 1983, when I met him in Manila.
I was with the Professor during his last days, I left on Monday and he died on Tuesday.
I don´t write this to brag but just that you see that I know what I am talking about.
Regarding the IMAF´s and so on I want to stay out of the politics. I am only observing what happens.
Regarding Jamil Tharkani: He was a student of a student of mine and he made his 1st Dan with us in I think in 1997 or 98, when Dr. Randi Shea and Al Garza were here too. He split with the DAV in 1999 to join Gaby and seemed to have split with her too is with Jeff Delaney now as far as I know.
His event was a fund raising event for handicapped children featuring Capoeira, Wun Hop Kuen Do, (Dacascos Kung Fu) and a few other styles. Modern Arnis was only a 5 minute exhibition and it definitively was not an IMAF event. Jeff Delaney was there but did not give an exhibition. The Arnis part was held by Jamil. It was with a lot of high kicking and so on. A good show, but not really what we (and I think you too) would call Modern Arnis. JD was quoted with the statement: "I could not influence this exhibition any more"
Regarding Gaby Roloff: She made the contact between the Professor and us in 1994, when she was brown belt. She does not belong to the DAV and is teaching almost only women. She has nothing really to do with most of the Modern Arnis players in Germany, because they do not belong to her group. She has no groups in other countries in Europpe and teaches mainly seminars in the US and not so much here. One does not hear much from her. As far as I know she was not at Jamils event.
Regarding problems in Germany, there are alway problems, when people meet and work togeter (or not work together).
Modern Arnis in the US goes the same way as Aikido, Wing Chun, Keno, JKA Karate and really any other style, where the strong man at the top, who holds everything together, dies. (I womnder what happens when Dan Inosanto is dead) I am sure it will be the same with the WMAA when Tim drops out or with the DAV, when I stop there. It seems to be part of the human nature, that it is alomst impossible to accept a new leader, when he is picked out of a group of even people, or, in the case of JD, even below the level of the top people
The Professor let us find many different ways to interprete his Modern Arnis and the only way to do him justice is being tolerant, beacuse if there is one thing he hated it was politics. We all have learned at diffenerent stages of his development, and I think the beauty of the art is, that it does hardly limit us, when we observe the principies behind the techniques.
During one examination for a 2nd Dan, the person was moving , let us say very individually, not the way most other Modern Arnis players move. When we discussed the examination with the Professor befor handing out the degree, we asked him about his feelings towards that and the Professor said: "Leave him his feedom" For me it was a clear soign from him, that it is important that the art works individually for everybody and that there is not a standard right or wrong, but rather a "it works" or "it doesn´t work" and that he did not want to have copies of himself but thinking individuals, that can adapt the techniques to their needs or to the ones of their students. This is, I think, also, what he gave the DATU title for. I can´t speak for everybody, but I think for Datu Kelly Worden, myself and Datu Tim Hartman, it is the case.
Anyway, this post is very long already and I don´want to boe you all too much.
If there are any more questions regarding Arnis her in Germany or Europe, I will be more that willing to share my views.
DATU Dieter Knüttel
BTW: If you are interested in our interpretation of Modern Arnis, I have 5 videos about our currrent grading program up to brown belt plus I am almost finished with a new video about the Tapi-Tapi of Modern Arnis, which runs for more than 90 minutes.
You can find out more under
http://www.abanico.de
