# New Information - 2003 Modern Arnis Symposium



## DoctorB (Jan 6, 2003)

As promised on another thread, I am posting some new information regarding the 2003 Modern Arnis International Symposium I.  The following people are confirmed presenters, either through publicly stated intentions on one of the forums 
or via private messages to me:

Dan Anderson - Modern Arnis 80
Tom Bolden - American Modern Arnis Associates
Bruce Chiu - Modern Arnis - Remy Presas Style
Bram Frank - Common Sense Self Defense/ Street Combat 
Tim Hartman - World Modern Arnis Allience
Dieter Knuttel - Modern Arnis - Germany - Remy Presas Style
Dan McConnell - IMAF, Inc.
Dawud Muhammad - IMAF
David Ng - IMAF, Inc.
Rocky Paswik - Modern Arnis - Cuentada
Peter Vargas - American Modern Arnis Associates

Douglas Pierre - Modern Arnis - Domog; has indicated that he will be attending the event, but he has not committed to teaching as of this date, due to a previous committment that may have him out of the counrty until a day or two before the event and possibly beyond the dates of the event.

Shishir Inocalla - Modern Arnis - Canada; has indicated that he would like to attend, however we need to work out some details before he can give us a firm committment.

I have e-mails going out to 5 other istructors and I will wait for their replies in the affirmative before posting thier names.

I will be sending out initial confirmation requests on January 7, 2003 and depending on the replies, I may be able reconfigure the Symposium fee structure in a favorable manner to make it more affordable. Please keep in mind that I have a number of fixed costs which I must meet regardless of who or how many instructors confrim their participation at the Symposium. Included within my fixed costs are the site rental for three days, insurance fees for 3 days and deposits to reserve the block of hotel rooms for the Sympoium participants.  

It should be noted that the Symposium instructor group represents a full spectrum of the art as taught by the late founder and Grand Master of Modern Arnis, Professor Remy A. Presas, from Shishir Inocalla, who studied with Professor in the Philippines, to Tom Bolden, Doug Pierre and Rocky Paswik who worked with Professor in he late 70's; Dan Anderson, Bram Frank and Tim Hartman, were part of the early 80's generation and the others became involved in the late 80's and the through the 90's. 

There is is not another Modern Arnis event scheduled for this year (2003) that will be covering this time span in Professor's teaching career. These instructors cover a wide range of styles and organizations within the spectrum of Modern Arnis. The instructors mentioned above cover the various 'periods' of the growth and diversity of the art from the "inital introduction" of the art through "the art within your art" to "Filipino Karate-Ju-jitsu" to "tapi-tapi". 

Given the diverity and range of experience within Modern Arnis that are represented by the participants, it would seem that the only logical approach to the 2003 Modern Arnis Symposium I, would be to add the following word and sub title:

                 "International"
                 "A Conceptual Martial Arts Exchange"

Breaking down the key words in the full event title:

"Symposium" - a meeting or social gathering at which ideas are freely exchanged.

"International" - because we have instructors coming from several countries AND there have a number of inquries from people in England, Scotland, Denmark, Germany and Isreal.

"A" - one type of a particular thing that has other variants; not the only one of its kind or type.

"Conceptual" - an abstract idea brought to a physical reality in time and space.

"Exchange" - to give or transfer one thing for another in return.

"I" - indicating that this event is the first, but not necessarilly the only "Symposium" that might be held in this area of interest.

Thus, the full event title:

*2003 Modern Arnis International Symposium I: A Conceptual Martial Arts Exchange*, actaully denotes an event that is open to all who are interested.  For our specific purposes, a social event or gathering at which the variations and interpretations of the martial art known as, Modern Arnis, as founded by the late Remy Amador Presas will be demonstarted, with subsequent discussions for the purpose of gaining a better understanding or greater insight into the art itself. 

This event is not intended to, nor will it offer the final and definative statement regarding Modern Arnis. It will be an attempt to understand how the art can be made to fit each individual practicioner.

It is my hope that everyone who atttends will leave their ranks, titles, organzaional affiliations and egos at the Symposium door. It is also my hope that everyone will go on the Symposium training floor with an "empty cup". Professor Presas, created a dynamic martial art, now, because of his passing, it is time to move forward and 'make the art for ourselves'.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.


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## Dan Anderson (Jan 10, 2003)

To put my 19 cents worth in, this is going to be a great event.  A number of people have mentioned that it might be turning into a possible pissing contest.  I think differently.  This is going to be a great opportunity to see how different instructors have taken what Remy Presas taught and have run with it.  I have personally seen several of the instructors move and they all have added their own personal touches to the same material.  I am ready to meet instructors I haven't seen in a while as well as some I have never met.

*Anybody* who is interested in Modern Arnis should try and make it there!  There should be a wide variety of classes taught and the instruction first rate.

_Be there or be square._

Yours,
Dan Anderson


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## DoctorB (Jan 11, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Dan Anderson _
> *To put my 19 cents worth in, this is going to be a great event.  A number of people have mentioned that it might be turning into a possible pissing contest.  I think differently.  This is going to be a great opportunity to see how different instructors have taken what Remy Presas taught and have run with it.  I have personally seen several of the instructors move and they all have added their own personal touches to the same material.  I am ready to meet instructors I haven't seen in a while as well as some I have never met.
> 
> Anybody who is interested in Modern Arnis should try and make it there!  There should be a wide variety of classes taught and the instruction first rate.
> ...



Thanks for your support, Dan.  We have a number of non-Modern Arnis players who have written with questions about the Symposium.  The common question has been regarding whether or not the Symposium is an "open" event.  Please let everyone know that the 2003 Modern Arnis International Symposium is open to all.  I believe in cross training and the concept of "the art within your art".

If just these people are the final group of presenters:

Dan Anderson
Tom Bolden
Bruce Chiu
Bram Frank
Tim Hartman
Dieter Knuttel
Dan McConnell
Dawud Muhammad
David Ng
Rocky Paswik
Peter Vargas

I am quite comfortable and confident that everyone will be very pleased with what they see and experience at the Symposium in July.

I have modeled the Symposium on the Gathering of Eagles format that was used in 2001 by the Kenpo Clans in Las Vegas.  That event proved that all of the nay-saying and negative comments are really meaningless, when people come together for the purpose of sharing and learning.  There was a lot of carping about how the event would fail in 1999, but it went over incrediblely well - so well in fact that the 2001 event more than doubled in size to over 800 participants!

The 2003 Modern Arnis International Symposium is going to do the same thing because the nay-sayers will stay at home.  The people who want to train and cross-train within Modern Arnis will be at the event.  We will be able to share and exchange at the Symposium.  We will renew friendships, make new friends, develop new contacts and networks.  Some old differences of opinion will be resolved because it is a new time and a new day within Modern Arnis.  We have a find a way to move forward with Professor Presas' ideas, but without Professor as the "active guiding light "!

So let's plan on being there, because this event is actually going to be more important than any single organizational camp.  The people coming to this event will represent a good cross-section of Modern Arnis styles. 

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.


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## Matt Stone (Jan 11, 2003)

Where's it going to be?


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## DoctorB (Jan 12, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Yiliquan1 _
> *Where's it going to be? *




Erie Community College - City Campus Field House
Buffalo, NY
July 11, 12, & 13

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.


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## norshadow1 (Jan 15, 2003)

> _Originally posted by DoctorB _
> *Thanks for your support, Dan.  We have a number of non-Modern Arnis players who have written with questions about the Symposium.  The common question has been regarding whether or not the Symposium is an "open" event.  Please let everyone know that the 2003 Modern Arnis International Symposium is open to all.  I believe in cross training and the concept of "the art within your art".
> 
> If just these people are the final group of presenters:
> ...



Hello Doc, 

I just found this board and I like what I've seen so far.  I will be at your symposium, no doubt about it.  For those of you have not gone to a program presented by Doc Barber, allow me to tell you something: the program will be well run, on time and it willbe fun to attend.  I did not go to the GOE2, due to some previous committments, but I was at GOE1 and that was a solid event.
All of the pre-event fears and negative predictions were totally unfounded.  Nothing negative happened and all of the people who went enjoyed the very warm supportive cooperation that existed at the GOE1.  I can not believe that anything less will happen at the symposium.  The people who go to the sysmposium will have a good time.  The people who stay at home for whatever reason will just have to understand that they will be missing a great event.  BTW, I have been to seminars and camps with 5 of the people mentioned above in Doc Barber's post: Dan Andeson, Tom Bolden, David Ng, Rocky Paswik and Peter Vargas.  Everyone of them ranged from very good to excellent!  I can't believe that the others listed above would not be of similar quality.  The symposium is an chance for people to come out and support the art of modern arnis and help move the art forward.  So I will be there!

Lamont


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## Dan Anderson (Jan 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by norshadow1 _
> *The symposium is an chance for people to come out and support the art of modern arnis and help move the art forward.  So I will be there!
> 
> Lamont *



Lamont,
Spread the word.  It WILL be a hot event and EVERYBODY is going to come out smiling.

Yours,
Dan Anderson


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## DoctorB (Jan 20, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Dan Anderson _
> *Lamont,
> Spread the word.  It WILL be a hot event and EVERYBODY is going to come out smiling.
> 
> ...



Dear Lamont and Dan,

Thanks you both for the votes of confidence.  I have a tentative new addition to the instructor list which I hope to have confirmed by the end of this week.  Things are begining to move forward.

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.


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## DoctorB (Jan 25, 2003)

I would like to report that I have been in contact with Sifu/Master J. Richard Roy, and he has agreed to be a presenter at the 2003 Modern Arnis International Symposium.  Master Roy, has hosted one of, if not the longest running Modern Arnis Summer Camp series that featured the late GM, Remy Presas.  His camps ran from approximently 1984 - 2000.  Master Roy, is a 5th degree blackbelt in Modern Arnis, he is on the board of the IMAF, Inc. 
and holds the title of sifu in the Chinese art of Tai Chi.

The final list of Symposium instructors in addition to Master J. Richard Roy, is as follows:

Dan Anderson - Modern Arnis 80
Tom Bolden - American Modern Arnis Associates
Bruce Chiu - Modern Arnis - Remy Presas Style
Bram Frank - Common Sense Self Defense/ Street Combat 
Tim Hartman - World Modern Arnis Allience
Dieter Knuttel - Modern Arnis - Germany - Remy Presas Style
Dan McConnell - IMAF, Inc.
Dawud Muhammad - IMAF
David Ng - IMAF, Inc.
Rocky Paswik - Modern Arnis - Cuentada
Peter Vargas - American Modern Arnis Associates

The above mentioned instructors provides us with a full spectrum of people that is representative of who has studied the art of Modern Arnis.  Early next week I will provide the forum membership with a revised Symposium fee schedule and dates for deposits.

Jerome Barber, Ed.D.


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