Originally posted by Pappy Geo
Quoted by Paul:
"Demetrio had said to me over the phone? He had told me to not worry about all the "successorship" and "Grandmaster" stuff. We are all successors, for we all hold modern arnis in our hearts."
That about sums up MARRPIO'S ideology the way I understand it from them also. They believe there is/was only one Grandmaster and that was Remy Sr.
Since the professor always projected Modern Arnis as the "Art within your Art" how can there be a pure Modern Arnis? With the Professor gone, the art dilutes as he was the evolutionist. When you adapted the art to your present foundation a new flavor evolved. Every Senior has a different flavor of Modern Arnis, are any more correct than the other? Just evolved differently to adapt to your foundation, your physical body limitations, how you were encouraged to develop by the Professor.
It appears Modern Arnis has blended differently across the world, was it ever a "pure" system even when the Professor was alive? I guarantee you, every Datu and Sr, will do the forms and practice the system differently from each other.
Acknowledging what I have just discussed why not accept that we all may be a little different in our interpretation of modern Arnis but we are still in the same family? Share like mature family members not bicker like young siblings.
Pappy Geo
Dear Pappy Geo,
I waited to respond to your post because I wanted to carefully consider everything that you wrote. I have just one disagreement with your stated positions. I am refering to your
assertion that:
"Since the professor always projected Modern Arnis as the "Art within your Art" how can there be a pure Modern Arnis? With the Professor gone, the art dilutes as he was the evolutionist."
My take on this is that 1. Professor Presas was the Founder 2. He built the art around a blending of Crossada, Palis Palis, Balintawak, Shotokan Karate and Judo. (See his 1974 pubication on Modern Arnis.) Therefore Modern Arnis was Never a 'pure' art, it was from the very begining an eccelctic creation suited to his needs and experiences.
With the above in mind, I submit that Modern Arnis can not become a "diluted" art because it was built on the conceptual framework of the art within your art principles. Without these principles there would not be a Modern Arnis as we know it.
There are some very solid adaptations of Modern Arnis that follows the "art within your art" concept, although people have added their own, not Professor's combinations to achieve their personal renderings. The "evolutionists" are us, not the founder!
The real test of the art is in the player, not particularly which direction that one took. The "dilution" is in the individual, not the system or direction. I have seen several very strong and exciting versions of Modern Arnis and I have seen several people who are commited to a strict replication of what Professor taught, including mimicking has accent and jokes! That to me is "dilution"!
It is attmpting to establish a 'tradition based' art inspite of what Professor often said he wanted and definately in contrast to his own actions.
Professor searched out new ideas. He added new innovation to the art. He sought to learn more about Modern Arnis, because it was a work in progress for him. I first saw Professor in 1992 and last saw him in 1999. His art was evolving during that time, therefore, if I follow his lead, I/we should be adding to the art as we know and use it. We should not be trying to "preserve" it in a time capsuale.
"Acknowledging what I have just discussed why not accept that we all may be a little different in our interpretation of modern Arnis but we are still in the same family? Share like mature family members not bicker like young siblings."
I do not have a problem acknowledging what you have posted, nor am I opposed to people having different interpretations regarding the art. In fact I enjoy those differences. The bickering could be stopped almost immediately if the current organization and group leaders would step up, speak out and demonstrate the cooperation that you obviously want to see. I agree with you on that point. So why don't we leave Jeff Delaney and Lisa McManus alone? If they want to make asses of themselves with ridiculous promotions and grand titles, let them! Instead of trying to berate someone who is sponsoring an event that could and should benefit ALL of Modern Arnis, support the man's efforts, even if you (generalized and collective meaning) can't or won't attend.
I believe that attending events sponsored on the East Coast or West Coast or Mid-West or Southeast or Southwest is what we should be doing, based on time, cost, opportunity and travel considerations. We can't go to everything, but we all can probably get to something. We need to put the art and personal growth ahead of organizational affiliations and restrictive instructor loyality - resembling cultish behavior. In order to achieve true cooperative ventures, some egos have to be put aside! I have noticed that at least one member of this forum is going to attend the WMAA Camp, although he is not a member of that organization. It is true that he will be there in part to promote an event, but that could have done by sending a student with flyers.
I also know that he is passing on a Kenpo event, announced in
July 2002, regarding succession being held in Chicago the very same weekend, because we were planning to go there together. I will maintain those plans, but I also understand why he had to change his plans so that he could be supportive of the WMAA Camp.
It is easy to say that we need cooperation, it is much more difficult to see it in action. It is easy to say what people should be doing to achieve cooperation, but in truth, we have to put that into practice as individuals, one by one, because it is the right thing to do, for the art and the 'family'. I don't expect to see you on the East Coast on July 11, 12 & 13, because your instructor is hosting the Presas Family that same weekend; however it would be great to see you mentioning the East Coast event in a positive manner. There is certinly no conflict between the two events given the 3500 miles of seperation.
That is my take on a limited disagreement and a "HUGE" amount of agreement, with what you posted.
Lamont
:rofl: 
