Remy Presas Vision

[Dan Anderson]

I was making breakfast this morning thnking about the MOTTs thread and the last post I read by Brian Johns. I'd brought up the subject of IMAF saying they were carrying forward the Professor's vision. I remember the first time I read that and how pissed off I got at what I thought was their outright arrogance.

It occurred to me that since it is well known he related to different students differently (e.g. Tim more as family, me on more of a fighter mode, Fred King as a very close friend and confidant and so on), that his vision might have been different for each of his seniors in the states.

So, without being contentious or trying to set off a flame war, here's a question for a number of you seniors out there,

What was Remy Presas' vision for you?

Mine was simple, all he said to me was "Danny, get involved."

Tim, Randi and company, Jeff, Kelly, Jerome, Dieter, Bram, Presas family, Michael and all who I left out, what was his vision for you?

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[Red Blade]

Mine was simple, all he said to me was "Danny, get involved."

Does this mean you weren't?

 

[Dan Anderson]

Originally posted by Red Blade
Does this mean you weren't?

Actually, no. I was active and involved. After rather heated questioning of a number of Modern Arnis practitioners as to why I was left out of the loop when RP became ill (sorry about that, all) I found out from two different sources that he was under the impression I had retired from Mdoern Arnis. I had remarried into an existing family with five kids and had curtailed my travelling a bit. I was never inactive.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[Cruentus]

I can't say that he outright told me what his vision for me was. We had a close relationship when I took time off from seminars because I had to finish school. He was in good health then. A year later, he passed away, and I never got to visit him in his last days to have the privilage of hearing him tell me "exactly" what he wanted me to do.

I have my assumptions though.

#1 Why he never told me: I had been involved in Modern Arnis since I was 13. I think that he always expected me to continue the art for the rest of my life. The general assumption from him and me was that I would always stay active with him. He knew that my trust for my classmates was limited, so he was always warning me (jokingly and in Tims presence) "Not to be a trouble maker like Tim." [for those of you who don't know it, Tim was affectionatily known as a trouble maker by Remy (among other things), I think that Remy liked Tim for this because he was a trouble maker himself, and Tim was his protege'; so this is no slam on Tim]. The only people I trusted fully in Modern Arnis was my former instructor Ted Redish, Tim Hartman, and professor himself. Having known this, he expected me to always be active with him.

My year break from seminar training was somewhat disappointing to him, but he knew that I would be back when I finished school, so he wasn't worried. Had he known he was not going to be around in a year or so, he would have been sure to tell me his vision for me was.

#2 Expectation number 2: Honesty.

Besides expecting me to be active with him, he expected me to always be honest with him. I think that even before his health failed, he felt that many people had used him, taken advantage of him, and taken advantage of his art. There were a few circumstances where he basically "set himself up" for me to make the wrong decision and take advantage of a situation. I instead assured him that I wouldn't take advantage of him. I assured him that I would always be honest with him. I don't know if he had been testing me in his own way, but nevertheless he appreciated me for assuring him of my honesty. I think that was why him and I were pretty close, even though I was younger and lower in rank then some of his senior students.

#3 Expectation #3: "Faulino, I am still learning. Always be learning!"

nuff' said.

#3 Vision:

I think that he always envisioned me to be a major player in the Modern Arnis community, to help spread his art. I also think that when he envisioned this, he felt that he had 10 more years left in him to continue to mold me as such.

I think now that he is gone, he is in the great beyond somewhere, still expecting me to uphold my 1st 3 expectations: 1. Stay active somehow 2. Be honest. 3. Always be learning.

These I will uphold.

I think that by being active in the WMAA, training with Manong Ted Buot in a our parent art, Balintawak, and planning to see and train with others, I am upholding his expectations and visions for me.

PAUL

P.S. He did suggest once that I write an article for Black Blet magazine on how growing up with Modern Arnis influenced my life, and the life of my brothers; and how it helped mold me into an adult, from a broken home. Who knows, maybe someday I'll fullfill his suggestion.

 

[Cruentus]

Originally posted by Dan Anderson
Actually, no. I was active and involved. After rather heated questioning of a number of Modern Arnis practitioners as to why I was left out of the loop when RP became ill (sorry about that, all) I found out from two different sources that he was under the impression I had retired from Mdoern Arnis. I had remarried into an existing family with five kids and had curtailed my travelling a bit. I was never inactive.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

I'm confused...how were you involved?

I am not trying to pick the issue to death here, I am just wondering. I do recall you teaching along side of Remy in Michigan, but you were teaching "American Freestyle Karate," not Modern Arnis. Good seminar by the way.

So, please explain; how were you involved?

 

[arnisador]

He knew I looked after my brother Tim Hartman and encouraged me to help and advise him.

At camps I was frequently assigned teaching duties by him (teaching things like 12 angles or anyos or such to beginners off to the side while someone else had the main floor), testing board duties, and such. I think his vision for me focused in many ways on teaching and other things related to the fact that I am an academic.

I don't know that he had an individual vision for me after his passing; I think he knew I'd continue to help Mr. Hartman and that that's what he would have wanted.

Interesting question Mr. Anderson. It's making me think.

 

[Dan Anderson]

How was I involved? Like every other senior student, when I was at a seminar I helped and was occasionally his dummy. Thank goodness Chuck came along. I also never stopped training in or teaching the art in my school. In the entire 21 years I knew him while he was alive, I never stopped. That is involvement. While he was alive I seldom taught a Modern Arnis seminar alone. Why? It is part of my own personal ethics to not cut across his communication or income lines. So, I taught American Freestyle Karate seminars instead. Now I teach both.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[DoctorB]

Originally posted by Dan Anderson
I was making breakfast this morning thnking about the MOTTs thread and the last post I read by Brian Johns. I'd brought up the subject of IMAF saying they were carrying forward the Professor's vision. I remember the first time I read that and how pissed off I got at what I thought was their outright arrogance.

It occurred to me that since it is well known he related to different students differently (e.g. Tim more as family, me on more of a fighter mode, Fred King as a very close friend and confidant and so on), that his vision might have been different for each of his seniors in the states.

So, without being contentious or trying to set off a flame war, here's a question for a number of you seniors out there,

What was Remy Presas' vision for you?

Mine was simple, all he said to me was "Danny, get involved."

Tim, Randi and company, Jeff, Kelly, Jerome, Dieter, Bram, Presas family, Michael and all who I left out, what was his vision for you?

Yours,
Dan Anderson

My sense of his vision was "You make it (Modern Arnis) for yourself!"

I never wanted to be "top dog" or the top fighter. I wanted to be the BEST TEACHER of the art and to that end I developed the Erie Community College Self-defense Curriculum and began teaching Modern Arnis as a college credit course in 1987. I am, to the best of my knowledge, teaching the ONLY Modern Arnis program at the college level for academic credit. There are several club programs and ECC has a club that has been in place since 1985.

Professor approved my ECC curriculum in 1989 and he told me then "You are making it for yourself. That is very good." I made some small changes that were designed to fit me and the American culture that I was living and teaching in. My ideas were discussed and debated with Professor over a period of 12 years and sometimes I took his advice and other times I passed on it.

For instance, I "smoothed out" the anyos. I put more of a Chinese soft style movement into place and eliminated the start-stop-start, by the numbers counting method that a number of other instructors used. This worked better for me and my students and Professor approved of my approach. He never stopped the others from using their approach. I am still following his lead and vision by "making the art for myself."

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.

 

[Cruentus]

That's great Dan.

I will say, that this is news to me.

I remember both in 94' and in 95' at your joint seminar with Remy in Michigan, during the Q&A period that you always have at the end, the Question was asked, "Do you do Modern Arnis still?"

Your answer was the same both times. You mentioned that you were Remys highest degreed black belt in the US. Then you said that you hardly train modern arnis anymore, and that you don't do it actively other then teaching it at your school.

Because of this, and Professors assumption that you had "retired," I was always under the assumption that you taught in your school, but that you weren't actively training with Professor.

Then not actively training with professor, plus retirement rumors, leads one to believe that you were "inactive."

I have no beef with this either way. I just was suprised to here your answer.

I guess teaching in your school does mean "active," even if your not training with Professor..........duh on me!

We learn something new every day, I guess, eh?

:asian:
PAUL

 

[Dan Anderson]

Originally posted by PAUL
That's great Dan.

I will say, that this is news to me.

...the Question was asked, "Do you do Modern Arnis still?"

Your answer was the same both times. You mentioned that you were Remys highest degreed black belt in the US. Then you said that you hardly train modern arnis anymore, and that you don't do it actively other then teaching it at your school.

:asian:
PAUL

I have a particular standard when it comes to my teachers. I do not do anything to "steal their thunder," nothing to detract from their presence. I travelled intermittantly and did the art in my school. Where my "play" came was i the karate seminars. That is where I could shine and so forth. Under RP, I was the student, not the star, hence the emphasis of my answers at that time. I wa far more forthcoming in my involvement when I was interviewed for the article for Black Belt magazine Tim and his student (whose name escapes me right at the moment).

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[Red Blade]

Originally posted by Dan Anderson
Actually, no. I was active and involved. After rather heated questioning of a number of Modern Arnis practitioners as to why I was left out of the loop when RP became ill (sorry about that, all) I found out from two different sources that he was under the impression I had retired from Mdoern Arnis. I had remarried into an existing family with five kids and had curtailed my travelling a bit. I was never inactive.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

1. Why would GM Presas think you retired?

2. When was the last time you trained with GM Presas?

 

[Dan Anderson]

Originally posted by Red Blade
1. Why would GM Presas think you retired?

2. When was the last time you trained with GM Presas?

Red,

1. When I remarried I curtailed my travelling by quite a bit. both Tim Hartman and Chuck Gauss told me that RP told them I had retired. My guess is that I had cut my travelling to seminars and camps back because of the finances and time involved. In my previous marriage there were no children so my responsibilities were less. I now had 5 kids.

2. I think in 1999 although I won't swear to that as off the top of my head I don't exactly remember so I won't categorically state any particular date. I do know we were in communication when we hit a "bump in the road." The "bump" might have had something to do with him thinking I was out of the picture as well.

Anything else you are curious about?

Yours,
Dan Anderson

PS - Don't ask because the "bump" is nobody's business.

 

[Red Blade]

How often did you train with him from 95' on?

 

[Dan Anderson]

Red,

You're off the subject of the thread and and are circling around some point you want to make or imply.

Get to the point.

How often did I train with RP from 1995 on? I do not keep a calendar of my travels. At this point, it's:

A) None of your business (as I see this as a covert stab at either my relationship with RP or how legitimate/current I am),

B) What is it to you,

C) and what's the point you're getting at?

Take a page out of moromoro's book and get to the point.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[DoctorB]

Originally posted by Red Blade
How often did you train with him from 95' on?

Glad to see that you are back Red Blade. I missed you at the WMAA Camp... really did want to train with you there! Are you planning to attend the Symposium? We could do some training exchanges there. Are you up to it?

BTW, How often did you train with Professor Presas from 1995 to September 2000?

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.

 

[Rich Parsons]

Senior ? I have had the honor of some of the people I met to tell me I am their senior. I also respect those that have started before me or have more rank or knowledge as a senior.

So, from a partial Senior ,

My Vision was to teach Modern Arnis and to share the knowledge I was able to have gained during my past, present and future training.

In 1987 and again in 1988, GM RP ask me and Mike Power if either of us wanted to travel with him for a while. I am not sure, of the reasons for Mike, all I know was that I was in the middle of my Engineering degree, and wanted to finish it first. You make your choices and you live with them .

Where did I get this impression and or vsion from? I would help my partner(s) at seminars or an early camp or two and then, until I was helping a group of people at seminars at one time. I enjoyed this, and RP would come by and either give me pointers on how to better execute the technique or to tell me to slow down for a student to learn better. As RP was trying to help me, and always encouraging me, I took this as my Vision.

Arrogance, sure it was. Yet, I do not think I have the only Vsion nor the only way to accomplish anything.

Have a nice day Dan and thanks for the Thread
:asian:

 

[dearnis.com]

Vision?
How about a man with a look of simple joy on his face that a room full of people were practicing his art and enjoying it?

that's what I try to remember anyway.



(Just a small nudge to the thread's direction..)