Just wanted to echo from the first part of the forum discussion, we do look foolish to others (not that this does'nt exist in other arts or forums) and it is embarrassing to say the least. We do look the fool when we harp on each other and attack others because of their affiliations or that they may disagree with our viewpoint.
It would be interesting to be noted as the Martial Arts group that set the standard for reasonable disagreements and discussions with mature and professional examples.
Hmmmm...we shall see.
And I believe there are many Modern Arnisadors out there who do not get involved in the mud slinging and do agree to disagree. I think we kind of like the "Modern Media" that only portrays the "Horrors" that happen around us and never see the greatness and good that far surpasses the "bad" that happens. I know that there are more "Mature and Professional" Arnisadors and FMAers out there that just do not respond to the goofballs that try to disrupt or badmouth others.
I think that we have much more in common with each other in Modern Arnis than we care to admit.
(even those guys that bad mouth and disrupt)
We could honor our Grandmaster by following the "Cardinal Principle" of Student Loyalty:
"Loyalty should be to the student, loyalty to the art, to a fellow player and to his teacher. Ingratitude to one is ingratitude to the other. A student should be loyal to a fellow player because any disloyalty to him is disloyalty to the art itself. More important, a student should be loyal to his teacher. Everything one has learned is owed by him to his teacher. Personal whims should never cause one to be ungrateful to where he owes everything he knows. Even if the ulitimate aim of the art is already achieved by a student that he can now manage on his own, he should never forget the teacher who labored for him. In the skirmishes of things, the student should be always loyal to him."............................
"Ingratitude is treachery and a traitor has no place in the forum of honorable men."
This is a quote from Grandmaster's first book "Modern Arnis" on the Cardinal Principles of Modern Arnis.
I am sure we can all, including myself, learn to get along and humble ourselves and see what things we have in common over what we may disagree on.
Yours in Modern Arnis,
Ben.