Palusut and other Esteemed members of Martial Talk:
I have mentioned in previous posts,I am a student of Guro Roland Dantes and have been for several years.
I have been here in the Philippines for several months training and will be here for another two months at least (hopefully)! It has been very interesting for me, as in addition to the training I have undertaken to further my understanding of kali/eskrima/arnis, I have been conducting interviews with a number of the grandmasters/masters in different parts of the philippines.
Having trained directly under the auspices of Guro Roland, I have been taught to respect and appreciate all instructors and styles of the art who are teaching in a manner which reflects well for the art. Regardless of approaches taken, we are all doing our best to travel the journey we are on. Our paths may be different, but no bodyever said that they have to be the same. Hey, my girlfriend washes the dishes differently to me, but I do not dislike her for that!
Guro Roland was very fortunate to train directly with Professsor Remy Presas and also to have a close relationship with this remarkable man for decades. He was with him in the Philippines during the early years of modern arnis and was even with him when the art was first introduced to the USA. After his teacher stayed in the USA, he was also able to train with many other very well respected masters of various styles here. This was not disrespecting the teachings of his teacher, but was a reflection on the love of the art that his teacher helped him develop. The framework of the art that his teacher provided him with also allowed him to learn this other material and assimilate it into what he had already been taught.
The senior masters of modern arnis here in the Philippines are united and have been since they were training under Professor Remy A. Presas. They have chosen to follow the paths that suit their desires and that is what martial arts are about. Individuals gaining what they want from their training and study.
This weekend I am meeting a number of the Senior Masters with my teacher, Guro Roland Dantes. This will be to conduct a group interview with them for Australasian Blitz (a great martial arts magazine in Australia. There is a distinct chance I may submit it to FMA magazine also) so that they can also contribute their views to modern arnis and what they see as the future for the art they and many others who were taught by Professor Presas and his qualified students hold dear. Should you have any questions that you would like me to ask them, you can send me them via a private message or post them here and I would be happy to do so. Please note though, any politically motivated questions will be disregarded.
There are many students of the Professor progagating modern arnis throughout the world. Of course there are those in the Philippines. There are also masters like Kelly Worden, Tim Hartman, Dan Anderson, Dieter and many others. All of these men and their students are continuing the legacy of Professor Remy Presas.
Palusut:
I do know that Guro Roland wil be attending the event hosted by Guro Hufana in October in Las Vegas. Hopefully you and others can attend and meet with him there.
