Survey - Modern Arnis Blasphemy?

[bloodwood]

There are better ways to draw attention to yourself and your organization than posting a survey. So far, all you've done is draw negative attention. Our time would be much better spent reading about what your organization is doing, how it is growing, who is associated with it, and what you've been doing as far as seminars and camps that your organization has hosted. Up to this point all we've see is ZIP, nothing of substance, just talk. Besides, you ask for opinions and when a heavy majority are against your actions you say tuff s**t anyway. You are supposed to learn from a survey and make adjustments. All you have done is to come across arrogant and turn a lot of people off to you and your organization. I hope you got what you wanted out of this thread.
Personally. I will NEVER call you Professor. And as far as MA-80 goes, I have no problem accepting it as an organization once you start treating it like one, and acting like it is one.

Bloodwood

 

[The Mist]

Mr. Anderson and I have met, and talked briefly at another Buffalo event (Tim Hartmans Spring Training Camp) Which you made a brief appearance at.... see we are all one big happy family.

 

[The Mist]

I must have posted at the exact same time as bloodwood, that sort of changes my post a little....

 

[Dan Anderson]

Originally posted by bloodwood
A.There are better ways to draw attention to yourself and your organization than posting a survey.

B.So far, all you've done is draw negative attention. Our time would be much better spent reading about what your organization is doing, how it is growing, who is associated with it, and what you've been doing as far as seminars and camps that your organization has hosted. Up to this point all we've see is ZIP, nothing of substance, just talk.

C.Besides, you ask for opinions and when a heavy majority are against your actions you say tuff s**t anyway. You are supposed to learn from a survey and make adjustments.

D.All you have done is to come across arrogant and turn a lot of people off to you and your organization. I hope you got what you wanted out of this thread.

E.Personally. I will NEVER call you Professor.

F.And as far as MA-80 goes, I have no problem accepting it as an organization once you start treating it like one, and acting like it is one.

Bloodwood

Bloodwood,
A. I never posted the survey to draw attention to myself in the first place. Your assumption is wrong.

B. Actually, the majority of it has not been negative. There are individuals who are in disagreement with me and that is fine. I've never had the luxury of having everybody in agreement with me in the past and done't expect to in the future. As to zip and nothing of substance, only in the way of organized seminars. I have written and published a couple of books on the subject which is more than most have done and have represented my style on both coasts in the last year.

C. I made a survey to gain information and verify or refute a claim made, not to make adjustments because of the incoming data.

D. I got the data I needed/wanted from this thread.

E. I never asked ANYONE to call me such outside of my own personal students. I am not sending out this request, ultimatum or what have you for people to call me this or that.

F. It is a style. The organization, at the time of this writing is Dan Anderson Karate School. If I decide to make Modern Arnis 80 an organizational thing I will do so and will announce it.

I am sorry that you have taken offense to this thread but it contained questions I wanted to ask.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[bloodwood]

Thanks for the clear statements.
Now I'm off this thread.

Bloodwood :asian:

 

[Sifu DangeRuss]

Professor Dan...

More power to you. I recall making the pilgrimmage down to Portland to train with you and Sifu Fred King in the early 80's. You've certainly been swingin' sticks as long or longer than many who stake the claim. Furthermore, you were always a gentleman who practiced what he preached. 'cides...I kinda like the image of you with the little square cap with the tassle hangin' down over your eyes and the voluminous satin robe with the big red "S" on the front.

Your outstanding examples of sportsmanship and stressing the need to have fun, even in competition was a very profound motivation in the manner in which I have always strived to compete.

Wear the title well...

 

[Cruentus]

I don't think that anyone is disputing the use of the Professor Title for Karate; the issue is the use of the title in Modern Arnis. If you don't train in Modern Arnis regularly, or if you didn't train often with Professor Presas, then please understand that you won't understand the significance that the title "Professor" represents to the Modern Arnis community.

 

[Dan Anderson]

Dear All,

I have been in a number of discussions with others and I am alienating a number of those who have been friends with me by using the Professor title in Modern Arnis 80.

My intention is not:

A. to alienate my friends

B. to "replace" Remy Presas

C. to create an exalted status for myself

I look at the title as I have stated in the past posts of this thread, however, more individuals are getting more and more upset and I am now in the prospect of losing friends over it.

Therefore, I hereby forego the use of the title Professor as regards Modern Arnis & Modern Arnis 80.

Thanks for all the input.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[The Mist]

Well Done!

 

[norshadow1]

Originally posted by Dan Anderson
Dear All,

I have been in a number of discussions with others and I am alienating a number of those who have been friends with me by using the Professor title in Modern Arnis 80.

My intention is not:

A. to alienate my friends

B. to "replace" Remy Presas

C. to create an exalted status for myself

I look at the title as I have stated in the past posts of this thread, however, more individuals are getting more and more upset and I am now in the prospect of losing friends over it.

Therefore, I hereby forego the use of the title Professor as regards Modern Arnis & Modern Arnis 80.

Thanks for all the input.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

Now if we could get some others to step back from some similar titles and considerations in Modern Arnis!

Lamont

 

[David Hoffman]

This reminds me of a time, I think it was 1989, I was sponsoring a seminar with Professor and Professor Wally Jay. It was a two week instructor training session and Professor Jay came out early so as to be able to rest before teaching and to spend some time with Professor who taught first. We were in the kitchen of my house on Mason Street. They were both standing by the refrigerator. I said, “Professor?” They both turned automatically to look at me and said “Yes?” at exactly the same time. Then they looked at each other, then we all smiled.

Professor always had me refer to his title as a “term of affection from his students” in anything he asked me to write. Professor Jay uses the title in its “martial arts” connotation as in his art, and in his teachers art before him, it was used as an official title. Professor did not use the title as such, preferring to be called “Founder and President” as well as “Father of Modern Arnis.” When Professor and I spent two weeks on holiday in Jamaica, the resort staff picked up on this use. They all called him. “PRO-fessor” with a rhythmic lilt, like rap. I recall they paid him a huge compliment, “PRO-fessor Can dance!” They said. (Clearly I couldn’t.)

While very unassuming in private, Professor always found titles and big ego’s amusing, Professor was very respectful, often publicly introducing people along with their professional titles. Thus Randi Schea, his student, was always “Doctor Randi,” Another example was Lee Lowery. The title, “Sifu”, was from him Kenpo, not Arnis, but Professor always called him “Sifu Lee.” In the same way Dan was not Goru Dan, But SuperDan! Later both received the Professor of Martial Arts moniker independently. In their case, as in Professor Jay’s, the moniker is used as a martial arts title. If we are to use the English title Professor, as is used in academia to denote a master level teacher, certainly both Lee and Dan qualify.

To me, as to many others it seems, Professor was “The” Professor. I certainly understand the emotions involved, all come from the love of a great teacher who has left us. But please remember that the title was a term of endearment, carried over from his days teaching at university in Manila, but never a Martial arts title or Modern Arnis title. Neither was the title sacred, Professor would have taken more pride in the association of the title Professor with higher education as he was very respectful of academia and those who had the discipline to achieve degrees. Founder of Modern Arnis, Father of Modern Arnis, these are specific titles that I can only associate with Professor. But before you jump on Dan for his use of founder I can also recall that a few other people gave their own name to their conception of Modern Arnis. This never seemed to bother Professor, he understood that some people had their own following to cultivate and their own living to make. I know first hand that Professor preferred people to work through the Federation, and Dan in particular was one of those he chose to help lead the Federation. So, to me, it is fair and acurate to say that Professor would have preferred that Dan assume his rightful place in the Federation. Dan knows I feel this way and that Professor wanted him involved with the future of his art and legacy. But with that said, may I also point out that I don’t think that Professor would have been that bothered that Dan chose to be independent. There are several senior people in Modern Arnis who had their own following and organizations as well. Professor allowed, and sometimes even encouraged this, if it was important to the instructor involved. The Datu title, as Professor used it in Modern Arnis, was generally reserved for those with their own “tribe” within the family of Modern Arnis. Professor never offered titles to exclude others, each was fit to the individual. If the shoe fit type of thing.

In my heart I believe Professor would see us all as being one family and having much in common, despite our unique and individual egos and opinions. After all, out of the billions of souls on this planet, how many face off with rattan sticks and learned from “The” Professor, who’s memory we now cherish and seek to protect! Even if we are thousands, we are still a small tribe. Even if we all argue, each with the other, how many outsiders would even understand what we were even talking about? I expect if I had sponsored a seminar for Dan some years ago or recently, I would introduce him as Professor Dan Anderson as I also knew him as such. If someone asked me, “Is this The Professor of whom I’ve heard, I would say, “No, one of his senior students who has attained the title of Professor as used in the Martial Arts.”

 

[Cruentus]

To me, as to many others it seems, Professor was “The” Professor. I certainly understand the emotions involved, all come from the love of a great teacher who has left us. But please remember that the title was a term of endearment, carried over from his days teaching at university in Manila, but never a Martial arts title or Modern Arnis title.

I agree with this. Professor was "THE" Professor, and it was a term of endearment that we all cherish the memory of. So how could any of us who are old students of "THE" Professor comfortably call someone else by that title in the "Modern Arnis" sense? It would be like your dad dying, and a new guy moving in and demanding that you call him "Dad." It just doesn't set well in the stomach.

This is why I think that it was the respectful thing, and the right thing for Dan to decide NOT to use the Professor title in the "Modern Arnis" sense. It actually has nothing to do with skill; most of us aren't ready, and never will be ready to call anyone else "Professor" on the Modern Arnis floor. Dan understood this, as far as I know, and he chose to respectfully retire that title.

I think that the respectful thing for all of us to do in modern arnis, regardless of chosen organization or "path," would be to retire the "Professor" title.

Now although this is my opinion, understand that I am not going to hate someone, nor am I'm not going to lie awake at night if someone in Modern Arnis decides to strut around using the Professor title, but that doesn't mean that doing so would be the right thing to do, either.


PAUL

 

[Datu Tim Hartman]

Not to be rude, but this thread ended back in March.

 

[arnisador]

A nice and informative post Mr. Hoffman, and the little anecdotes are always welcome--now they're written down! I appreciate the distinctions you're making between the various uses of the 'professor' title.

 

[Dan Anderson]

This thread ended in March (and not to be rude, myself) but it did not end with a totally sweet taste left in my mouth.

I dropped the in public speaking/signing use of Professor as regards Modern Arnis as it was pissing people off and creating a distance between me and others. I am not in the habit of being exclusive in Modern Arnis but being inclusive. RP left me with the words, "Danny, get involved." and in doing so, I don't think that means to exclude others.

I use the term Professor in my school for both karate and Modern Arnis 80. Let there be no doubt about that. My students call me nothing but Professor. It is also on my website. I do not expect anyone outside my school to call me Professor because of all the emotional issues listed out before in this thread and attachments of the title to Remy Presas to his students and so on.

An illustration of this is best recounted by a conversation Jaye Spiro had on the subject:

Jaye: "Dan, I'm not going to call you Professor."
Me: "Jaye, I never asked that you do."

That says it all.

As to how I feel about it, my opinion has not changed one bit since the first post in this thread.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[David Hoffman]

Hello again Professor Dan.

It's been some time since we last communicated. Sorry I didn't know this "thread" had finished as it did not appear locked. I don't get to check this forum that often so it was new to me. I am so glad to see that you are so active in this new age of Modern Arnis.

I hope we can all take a moment to consider that if we all feel so passionate about different things related to Modern Arnis and The Professor, it is because we all have so much love for the man and the art. This is something which should unite us, not cause so many divisions! There is room in the world for all of us and our individual interpretations of Professor's legacy. I do think there has to be more tolerance and common ground amongst all the individual agendas and organizations than is revealed on the forums. There is much more to unite us than divide us!

I thought to add my voice to this thread not to kick up any emotions, but rather, to note that as I've known you since "back in the day" I was also aware that you were called Professor, long before it was an issue and while our friend and teacher was still with us. You do credit to Professor's memory and wishes by remaining involved, brother Dan. And no, we do not all have to agree with each other on every point. The important thing is that we continue to pursue spreading the art and continuing our teachers legacy as we each interpret it.

One thing I do beleive in strongly: Professor would have wanted us, all of us, to spend more time and effort in uniteing within the Modern Arnis family, and far, far less time on our differences of opinion. The who is who seems to be much too big of a general issue. We all know who we are. We have only to look in the mirror and at those around us. Each persons history with Professor is unique to them. Each persons rank, title, skill, knowledge, etc. is also unique, and reflects on them personally. A title or rank, or just attendance at one seminar, includes each of us in Modern Arnis and does nothing to exclude anyone. As my good friend Datu Dieter has said: " Let each one cook his own soup." If our representations are honest and historically accurate, then they are valid and true. Time and history will be our judge and nothing is written in stone.

I suggest we all put our emotions in check and look to all the wonderfull things that unite us in Modern Arnis. We are all first generation students of The Professor and all of our views, positions and histories has great meaning and truth within our small family. When compared to the sun does not the moon look pale and dim? Yet our new day is without the light of our teacher, and the moon and the stars are now our day. We each of us bring Professor's light to this new day, wether we studied for one year or for over 20.

Now that we are in this new age for the art, many people have come forward with their personal history with the art and Professor. Many I had thought lost, as for whatever reason they were not "active" for some or many years. Each and everone has something to share with all of us, and I strongly welcome them all. I don't think it necessary to examine their resume, just to accept their contribution.


Mabuhay ang Modern Arnis!

David

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Well said sir, well said.

:asian:

 

[Dan Anderson]

David,

Thanks for the kind words. There was one interesting thing about the whole Professor issue which was brought to light just recently. Tim and I were talking about it and he told me that it was thoroughly gone over a year prior to my bringing up the subject regarding Lisa McManus wearing the same title. I need to find the thread for that one. I guess I stirred the ashes of that one and the flames roared once more.

As to uniting, I have actually been quite active in attempting to handle brush fires between several senior practitioners of our art in the last year or so. I am a current member of the WMAA and have supported the camps and activities of that org. I just, within the last week, got in communication with Dr. Shea and am working on attending one of the upcoming IMAF camps. I got sorted out the difficulties between Kelly Worden and I and he and I are on an even par. Bram and I have been buds for some time and Jerome and I are recent friends. You and I have always gotten along.

An interesting thing to point out here, is Prof's last instructions to me were, Danny, get involved.

He never said with who. More importantly, he never said with who not to get involved with as well.

There couldn't be more different personalitites as Tim, Kelly, Randi, you, Bram, Jerome, Rocky, me, Jeff and (insert your choice of name here). I am in communication with all but Jeff and that is because I only met him at the funeral and our paths don't cross, not because I exclude him. Just with the above named, uniting won't happen. Look at the personalities.

But it doesn't mean that all of us, each in our own way, shouldn't help push the art none of us would have had in the first place had it not been for the old man.

Yours,
Dan

 

[DoctorB]

Originally posted by Dan Anderson
David,

An interesting thing to point out here, is Prof's last instructions to me were, Danny, get involved.

He never said with who. More importantly, he never said with who not to get involved with as well.

There couldn't be more different personalitites as Tim, Kelly, Randi, you, Bram, Jerome, Rocky, me, Jeff and (insert your choice of name here). I am in communication with all but Jeff and that is because I only met him at the funeral and our paths don't cross, not because I exclude him. Just with the above named, uniting won't happen. Look at the personalities.

But it doesn't mean that all of us, each in our own way, shouldn't help push the art none of us would have had in the first place had it not been for the old man.

Yours,
Dan

My point in organizing the Symposium was right along these same lines of reasoning. It is also true that I am an advocate of skill being the determinor of rank, but rank should NEVER take the place of good common sense and friendship. Nor should rank be confused with learning and teaching ability. I am one of the people who have suggested that the title is too often confused with the man in Modern Arnis. This is a problem that will take care of itself over time.

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.