# Teaching Modern Arnis



## chris arena (Nov 6, 2005)

Modern Arnis is a wonderful martial art. Its depth is almost unfathomable and goes far beyond mere stick play. For this reason I have developed a true love for this wonderful martial art. But it is apparent that we all percieve what is and what isn't Modern Arnis. And, that is what is expected. After all, we are all individuals attempting to master the groundwork that Grandmaster Presas left us. These ramblings are just my experiences that I stumbled upon over the years. 

I was asked, a few years ago (1999) to teach a class in Modern Arnis at a local karate school. I accepted and started teaching, even though I was going through some major difficulties learning this art. Even though after a few years learning I was still having problems. I was a good striker, but my footwork was horrible, I was never on the mark to apply a technique, I was either too close, too far away, off balance to make any headway once we started sparring or doing anything beyond the typical submissive teaching and learning format. In fact, I became so discouraged, that I found another style (Tacosa Serrada). Please note that this was not in any way a failing of my teacher. The problem was mine. I just could'nt seem to advance and was becoming a rather good punching bag! (It is important to note that I was learning in a mixed jkd/Arnis system at that time. I had the best teacher, great classmates and the only failing was my apparent failure to progess. I did what most martial arts students do when confronted with thier own problems. Either run away or try another avenue of learning. I chose the other avenue. It is interesting to note that I was still teaching Modern Arnis at a local school. I had good basic technique, just could'nt fight. That was my problem.

My Tacosa Serrada teacher was a kid that spent 4 years litterly "living" with Master Jaime Tacosa and I was taught in what he called "old school".
For 1 1/2 years all I did was defend against 12 attack angle, learning 3 defenses for each angle. One 6 count drill. The 7th count was to infinity, free flow come what may Sumbrada  give and take. This style of play was exactly what I needed. It taught me range control and instinctive reflex in a stressfull situations. As I progessed. (slowly, I am a slow learner) this kid of a teacher constantly added stress and confusion, forcing me to get better or get hit. (I got hit a lot), but the hits were just hard enough to make me think and stop worring about a little pain......

I soon discovered my real problem. I was just a middle class white boy with a good temperment, never got in fights and had no wish to. Growing up in this fashion, I never had do deal with mean streets, spend years in the ring, etc. It was apparent that I had absolutely no fighting skills other that I liked to rough house a bit. And, I discovered that I had a no combative 6th sense. Some have it some don't. But we all can in a sense learn it. That was exactly what my Tacosa style training did. My instructor left for deployment in Afganistan and I returned to Modern Arnis.

Once back in Modern Arnis, I discovered that I was now moving better and started to progess where earlier I had failed. Was it due to the fact that the Tacosa style was better?  or was there something else that I have missed. In retrospect, All I was doing in Tacosa syles was defending against 12 angles (yes, they are different, but they are strikes none the less). Is Modern Arnis any different?  I don't think so, in fact, I feel that the differance is in the method of training. Not in the case of one art bieng any better that the other. After all it is only attack and defense. Nothing more. 

Lets go back into how Professor Presas learned. If I remember right, I believe that it was the Balantwik style that he really made his name in. And, if you look at how Balantwik trains a student, you will notice that the student learns how to defend against 12 angles, 3 defenses each, with the teacher constantly pressuring the student as he advances until he can successfully defend against any random 12 angle attack in a free-flow manner. Golly, that sounds a lot like my Tacosa training! Also, Professor Presas as he was coming up never went to a seminar! In short, he became a fighter first, then a master later!

At present. I teach a small begining class on Monday evenings. This is a new class that I am teaching in exactly the same method as I was taught when I studied the Tacosa Version. They learn three defenses only for each angle and are working until they can free flow. This is my class requirement for beginners. I also have a Saturday am class that works on the advanced Modern Arnis Visadario, trapping, lock flow and typical technique. But first, I want the students to move correctly. and have good solid defense skills on an instinctive level. Most of my students are typical suburbanites like myself, some women, some kids and some oldsters like myself. I want them to be able to fight instictively and this is what "old school" Arnis can give them better than a lot of so-called traditional arts. Also, this type of training weeds out lesser commited students. This may not be the way a commercial school is taught, But I have no monetary objective. I want to develop good advanced players that I can play with and maybe continue the art when I am too old to play.

So far I have almost 3 advanced students for my Saturday class and we are having fun learning. We buy the tapes and learn and experiment, do flow drills and try to enter into them and play the visidario / La Tranka / Tapi-Tapi variances and pull them off under a little stress. Does it work, for me it is too early to tell. But one of my 3 yr studends was awarded her brown belt by Remy Presas Jr. and our dear departed Tito Wilfedo Mathias. She studied the basics for her first year. then once the basics were instilled, went on to the typicial Modern Arnis techniques.

We need a strong foundation and mental and physical challenge in order to grow. Otherwise we only know technique. Sorta like that college professer at some lofty grad school teaching advanced accounting, although he never ran a business. In effect, most of us "teachers" are a lot like that college professor. We are not street fighters. How then, are we going to learn the street level, down and dirty business of fighting. Fighting comes first. Technique advances our skill. But we need the basics. Modern Arnis is looked upon by some so-called traditional schools as only a method of cross-training. Our art is forged in combat and we need a safe and professional method of teaching the average guy. In short, our techniques are above reproach. But only after we can move combatively and instinctively. In a way, We are all renegades. The Grandmaster has passed on. It is up to us to grow and pass the art.

Again, I am in no way a master. Just my opinion.

Chris Arena


----------



## arnisador (Nov 6, 2005)

This is a great post. I have always felt that Prof. Presas discouraged us too much from free-sparring and this prevented us from finding out whether our own techniques would really work. Luckily in the WMAA I have been encouraged to spar by Datu Hartman. My JKD experience has also helped add more aliveness to my FMA techniques, even though--or possibly because!--their FMA techniques (in the branch I study) are few and quite straight-forward.

It sounds like cross-training has given you some new and useful training ideas. Modern Arnis is agreat system and it teaches general self-defense more than just the stick-dueling of Balintawak, so to a certain extent I think the comparison to a dueling system isn't entirely fair--the Prof. wanted something that was also useful for empty hand self-defense.

But it's true that the seminra-style format and emphasis on teaching those who did it as ssecond art, just for the stickwork, raises the risk of an incomplete education in the system.


----------



## Lisa (Nov 7, 2005)

Chris, 

That is such a fantastic positive post that I wish I could rep you twice for it.  Great job and thanks for sharing.

Lisa


----------



## kruzada (Nov 7, 2005)

Good post. 

"old school Arnis" methods of training, as you put it, are proven to work. Applying techniques from random feeds is a necessary step before trying them real time in sparring sessions.


----------



## dearnis.com (Nov 7, 2005)

Good post.  I think for many folks who trained seminar only and did not really work and test the material between seminars the problem came from not realizing something critical about RP's footwork.  During the time I trained with  him (Early 90's up till the end) he did not emphasize footwork.  More importantly, he took very small steps, and seldom moved a fraction of an inch more than he needed to.....problem is the rest of us needed to move a great deal more.  Rather than a constant, minimal adustment to and control of my opponent I have to make larger moves.  Not a bad thing, just a fact of life.  The thing is, I had to step outside Modern Arnis and have some other instructors show me what I wasn't doing.  Sounds like you were fortunate enough to have the same experience, with the addition of a number of other additions.  
As you said, Modern Arnis is a wonderful art; it does help to see it from the perspective of other arts.  This is one of the core tools, IMO, for unpacking all the material that RP left.


----------



## Dan Anderson (Nov 7, 2005)

Hi Chris,

Great meeting you in Tacoma at Robert's tournament.  It sounds like what you got from the serrada system was a thorough grounding in the basics.  This is something that was missing in the seminar style of teaching of Prof. Presas.  He encouraged us to go back to our schools to teach after every seminar and I think one of the reasons was to ground ourselves in the basics.  Very well done on your progress!

Yours,
Dan Anderson


----------



## chris arena (Nov 8, 2005)

Thanks all of you for the response!

I guess the final thought that I have on all this has to do with angling.

When you are playing with the 24" and larger sticks you tend to want to play in the outer medio ranges. At this range you tend to be more mobile and elastico movements are the order of the day. You really get to stretch out and your footwork angling is 45 degrees +.

If you want to add a little spice to your play, Flow spar with a 22" stick! and your world changes. You are always in a range that you can easily strike with your live hand or the tip of you short stick. If you havent played this way you are missing a real treat! Your angling is completely different. If you step out in the typical 45 45 degree, it is like trying to take a frontal assault from a square horse. In other words, you will land on your butt.  You now split step. One foot straight forward and the other back, your angling is now only with your body, and live hand connections are endless. Note that in Balantwik they call split stepping (Tacosa speak), Slumping (Balantwik speak)--same thing.  

What really blows me away is in the Professor's later La Tranka and Visadario tape, he is playing in the same range as the Serrada players!!
Check out his footwork!! Short  shoulder width steps. Golly Gee, sorta like Serrada!  

I was told that  Angel Cabales's teacher, Filizimo Dizon, Atty Villabrea and Tatang Illistrimo were buddies and practiced a together now and then. Could there be a connection here??

I have no direct proof. but if anyone can educate me a bit here, it could make an interesting new topic to chew over!!  It would be of great help for newer players. 

Golly, do I smell a new Dan Anderson Book!! We could call it "Filipino fleet feet" 

regards,

Chris Arena
"enthusiastic intermediate".


----------



## Datu Tim Hartman (Nov 8, 2005)

chris arena said:
			
		

> Golly, do I smell a new Dan Anderson Book!! We could call it "Filipino fleet feet"
> 
> regards,
> 
> ...


 


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


----------



## Guro Harold (Nov 8, 2005)

Hi Chris,

Welcome to MartialTalk and thats for the positive posts!

Palusut
MT Senior Moderator


----------



## kruzada (Nov 8, 2005)

chris arena said:
			
		

> I was told that  Angel Cabales's teacher, Filizimo Dizon, Atty Villabrea and Tatang Illistrimo were buddies and practiced a together now and then. Could there be a connection here??



The late GM Jose G. Mena (Doblete Rapelon), Felicisimo Dizon and GM Antonio Illustrisimo were friends and sparring partners. 

Just FYI, GM Jose Mena was also one of GM Angel Cabales' teachers. I've seen some footage of Angel Cabales demonstrating Doblete Rapelon defenses that may have been integrated into his Serrada curriculum.

GM Mena liked to use lateral footwork/evasions and retirada. I'm sure that Mena, Dizon and Illustrisimo all influenced each other's styles. GM Lema was also friends with GM Illustrisimo and GM Mena. There are also some Doblete Rapelon techniques in the Lightning Scientific Arnis 12 methods.

Lightning Scientific Arnis practitioners utilize footwork called "cambio", where you step in 45 degrees with your front foot and move your rear foot out in back, so that your body angles outside of the striking zone, thus "changing" the direction that your center faces. Very similar to what you described.

Your description of the differences in footwork from Largo to Media range is accurate when playing "Force to Force". Things can change when you utilize other counters or method of defence.


----------



## Dan Anderson (Nov 8, 2005)

chris arena said:
			
		

> Thanks all of you for the response!
> Golly, do I smell a new Dan Anderson Book!! We could call it "Filipino fleet feet"
> 
> regards,
> ...


Chris,

Oh my goodness! Look what you might have started! By the way, you *smell* roses and *read* books.  

Literately yours,
Dan


----------

