Tulisan said:
Joe,
couple of things.
#1. That title might be a little misleading. "The last interview" is actually featured here:
www.kellyworden.com. GM/Datu Worden has been kind enough to offer us this interview on his site free of charge. It was done in Vancouver after his diagnosis in Germany...so your footage is not actually "the last interview."
#2. I hope you have talked with your attorney on this. When the Presas estate is settled, someone will most likely retain the rights to use Remy Presas' image for profit...whether it be his children, his succeeding organization (IMAF, Inc.), or Evett Wong. Regardless, I think it is highly unwise to try to profit off the Presas name without checking with all these sources first with the help of legal council...because you may find yourself owing someone some mucho cash. Plus, at the very least, (as Brian Johns pointed out) the ethical thing to do would be to at least clear any profiting off the Presas name with his blood relatives (his children aka MARPPIO). For some reason, I doubt you have done these things...particularly talking with the Presas kids. If you expect to have any credability here or with modern arnis people, I highly suggest you do this ASAP.
#3. Regardless of the outcome of this, or your actions...no thanks on the video. I am perfectly content with the memories I have of my teacher, and I don't feel I need to cheapen it by buying my memorabelia.
Thanks anyways...
PAUL
Dear Paul [Tulisan],
Thank you for your post!
I appreciate the correction on the interview. I was not aware of the 2 interviews done by Kelly Worden with Prof Presas & thank you for bringing it to my attention! I will correct that immediately regarding any future mention.
I will contact the remaining Presas family members regarding the various legal aspects under the law and my rights as well. Let me clarify a several points to everyone will know all the aspects regarding this...
My TV program has been on the air for over 14 years & was created due to the martial arts cable programs throughout the US that I would see featured in Magazines such as Black Belt, etc...
With The death of SGM Ed Parker in 1990 and My Kung Fu Grandmaster Liu, Yuen Chiao of the Wu Tang Kwoon of Taipei Taiwan afterward gave me the impetus to start "Martial Arts Today" Television, "A program dedicated to the ancient fighting arts of the orient, featuring the instructors and masters,styles and celebrities of the martial arts"
The programs airs throughout cable systems in the southeastern Massachusetts area and all guests are informed that the program is offered for purchase of a limited amount of 25 copies and after those 25 are sold, no more would be made available. In only one instance was I asked not to offer the episode and legal documents were placed before me and I happily signed them as long as people could see the episode locally. Unfortunately, many martial artists cannot see my program and are surprised when I interview their instructors,masters,etc...and wish to purchase copies of said episodes as a momento of that particular seminar or event. I notice you have Vee Jujutsu listed as one of your arts, Did you know that I also did the last televised interview with Prof. Vee? Probably not. Because it wasn't offered through major channels or featured in Black Belt or any other magazine, Unless you know my website, you'd probably not even been aware that it exists! I've sold a whopping 2 copies of that particular episode because it's not about the ducets,dinero,or cold hard cash, it was about interviewing the wonderful master with child-like enthusiam who took great joy in telling me he was "84 and 1/2!" then demonstrating techniques and showing a true master's subtlety as he made his "uke" wince with pain at the skilled applications of facial pressure points and finger manipulations. I know these techniques work because he also applied them to me and I still have the photos to prove it as well.
Professor Presas was a similar story. He was doing a seminar in massachusetts with George Dillman and Leon Jay [Wally Jay was ill at the time and Leon graciously covered for his ailing father] Prof. Presas was informed of the program and the format as well as the future sale of the episodes and he had no problem at that time and there were at least 3 witnesses to my explanation of the format of my program because I gave the same explanation to them as well. The most important reason he gave me a 50+ minute interview and a 10 minute demonstration?
Because he knew me personally and I was his student.
I started in Modern Arnis with Prof. Presas after I had asked Mr. Parker if he could recommend anyone on the east coast to further my instruction in the FMA and he recommended Prof. Presas. I found that Prof. Presas was doing seminars in Beverly,Massachusetts and the host was none other than David Hoffman! I statred training with Prof. Presas in 1985, attending seminars over the years and having 2 of my students study with Professor [Tim Gillett and Michael Antunes] until they each achieved their respective "Lakan" from professor. Most people who are of rank or note in Modern Arnis know of me or my students. So, Professor had no problem talking about his career and I am, for lack of a better term, a martial arts historian, with one of the largest book, video and magazine collections in the US [as told to me by authors and researchers in the industry] and would bring up salient features and points in his career that the average reporter would not. That was one of the main points of my program. That a particular person is not simply being interviewed by someone ignorant to their life, but rather, a person who has followed their career and and has read [and memorized] their various accomplishments. I miss Prof. Presas not just as an instructor, but someone I believed in and enjoyed doing my "Fart" with my "fartner" [if you knew Prof. you know what i'm talking about!]
With over 20,000 videos in my archives, I misplaced this footage as I moved from dojo to dojo,place to place, and was extremely happy when it resurfaced. I thought that the Filipino Martial Arts forum in MartialTalk would be an ideal start to offer this rare footage to a group of individuals who appreciated Professor's legacy and were not aware of this footage's existance.And what better forum than one dedicated to Prof. Presas himself and his legacy? But instead, i get barraged with a salvo of "get a lawyer" and "why should you profit from professor?". It reminds me of the classic 21 century adage "no act of knidness goes unpunished." But, I will go through the proper channels per se with the mindful phrase inbedded in my head "Welcome to America;Land of Litagation!" This forum has been the only venue I have offered this tape to because I know many of the moderators personally and have met and or trained with few of them over the years so I felt this would be a place where people would appreciate this find.
My standard format has always been that if an episode goes an hour in length [or more] It is offered at a standard $35.00 for a "special' as opposed to the standard $25.00 for my 1/2 hour episodes, been that way for almost decade and a 1/2.
Lastly,Paul, I'm sorry you feel that what I do is nothing more then "memorobilia" and you are entitled to your opinion, I have spent 35 years studying these arts and over 25 of those attempting to record and preserve those arts and memories through my collection and have chosen on occasion to share that knowledge and collection with others. I have chosen to do so to educate, to enlighten and to benefit the martial arts public and encourage the general public to study these wonderful arts. Last time I looked, that's not a bad thing.
Perhaps If I was a more active member in this forum and wrote about my experiences and study of modern arnis then this initial post would have not been met with such a heated response and for that I apologize for not being a more prolifict writer on this board so that you could get to know me better.
Thank you for time & I hope that I was of some service,
KENPOJOE
