Modern Arnis International Summer Camp 2005

Hi James,

Camp is now over and I am dog-tired. Reviews will come later, more so from the participants, but I have to say that other than my first traininig experience wtih Prof. Presas, this has been the best Modern Arnis training/teaching experience I have ever had. The camp was electric and incredibly positive. It exceeded my expectations.

One note - Roland Dantes was not able to make it to the camp as a film he was working on had not finished production yet. We had Master Samuel Dulay, technical director of IMAF Philippines in his stead. He (as well as the other instructors) was smokin'. Like I said, I'm dog-tired and more to follow.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

PS - There will be an 8-DVD set coming out on the camp soon. Watch for details. My, it feels good to sit down.
 
Wow, 8 DVDs from a single camp! Does it include watching people sleep? :D I'm glad to hear it was preserved, but 8 DVDs is a whole lot of material--I'm a bit surprised!
 
Good question. I haven't seen the rough footage. :uhyeah:

Estimated price is $99.00 for the set. Yikes! 8 DVDs for only $99.00! Yup.

Dan
 
This camp was a watershed event. The focus was Modern Arnis. Not organizations, not approaches, not stick vs. blade, not who has the biggest ego or the highest rank or the most videos. It was ALL about the art in all of its glory and diversity and beauty.

Thursday night.
GrandMaster Murphy was there from the start with the video crew not making it in time for the opening session, but he was no match for our team of instructors. They went to Plan B seamlessly. Plan B was "let's take a single strike and see how each instructor would approach it." Even though we saw disarms, traps, throws, abanikos, blade cuts, and block-counters from the different instructors, it was clear that they all came from the same root. Very cool! This went on for 3 hours. It was also interesting to watch how the various instructors bounced off of each other's ideas. One would show an abaniko taking out the attacking weapon, someone else would jump in and go "and here you can insert a <insert technique here>..." The energy was high voltage and we all went to bed jazzed.

Friday.
We were split into two groups to keep the classes small. Mr. Dee arranged the schedule so that every student had the same classes, just the order changed. It also allowed the instructors to watch each other's classes and not miss something just because they were teaching. (Way to go Mr. Dee!)

Leading off my group was Datu Dieter Knuttel doing disarms and locks. He's not just fast, he's sudden! :erg: Thank goodness, he doesn't drink coffee because he's also high energy. You can tell he loves the art so much he wants to pour all of his knowledge into you at once so you can play too!

After a great start we were treated to SM Dan Anderson taking us back to basics and polishing them to a higher level. Master Robert Quinn led us in an exploration of the possibilites of the abaniko and ranging. This was really cool since we had been dazzled the night before by a display of Master Dulay's abaniko skills. SM Bram Frank presented the sobering truth of the blade and its role in Modern Arnis. I especially liked his comments that stick shows the beauty of Modern Arnis while blade shows the deadliness. Datu Inocalla gave us insight into a side of Modern Arnis you don't hear often: the spiritual and healing components.

Following up on the abaniko work that Master Quinn showed us in the morning, Master Dulay and the lovely Edessa showed just how far you can take abaniko. The two of them are simply poetry in motion. Everyone in the group had a new appreciation and inspiration for abaniko work.

After dinner, came a special treat. Doug Perry Sensei gave us an introduction to Okinawan martial arts. A word of caution, his demonstration on me was accompanied by high levels of PAIN! :uhyeah: Seriously, though, the level of power and skill coming from him is awesome.

Saturday.
Somehow, we led the day off again with Datu Knuttel. This time it was tapi-tapi. I've decided that tapi-tapi actually means "Mom! He's hitting me again!" Thankfully, the next section was SM Anderson on Countering the Counter. Maybe now I can hold off Datu Dieter for a few more minutes... Any of you that haven't had the opportunity, attend a class with Dan, you're missing a rare treat. This man is a teacher's teacher. He and Datu Dieter also make a great comedy team. It was really fun to watch these two rag on each other mercilessly but always with the greatest respect and a spirit of fun.

Datu Inocalla then showed us his latest addition to the Modern Arnis arsenal: Sinawali Aerobics (my name for it). He took us through a workout based on Modern Arnis moves that would have the kickboxing crowd throwing up their lunch (good thing he was right before lunch). Just when we were good and exhausted, he explained arnis tournament fighting and had us go a few rounds. I crawled to the cafeteria...

After lunch was Master Dulay. I thought I had seen the mountaintop of abaniko work yesterday. Man, was I wrong. Off to the side Ms. Edessa also showed My Sweetie and I how it all fit in with tradtional dances as well.

Going back to our roots, Bram and Grasshopper (Greg Beeman) gave us a whole new appreciation of the combat mindset behind Modern Arnis with the bolo. Anyone who has ever watched the Professor and wondered what the heck he meant when he said "he is cut already" has an A-ha moment when Bram moves that bolo...

The afternoon finished with Master Quinn and six-count. He has more ways of doing six-count than Baskin-Robbins has flavors! After he had us do six-count with blades, I had my own a-ha when I realized it was exactly the same drill as Bram's 1-4-12. All weekend there were moments like that for everyone. It was like a giant jigsaw puzzle that suddenly we started seeing the picture off the box.

The evening was another treat. Doug Perry Sensei showed just how beautiful the Okinawan weapons could be. He is a rare gem.

Did I mention that Datu Dieter was the Energizer Bunny? Well, after all the lessons were over, he organized an impromptu self-defense in a bar session. Everyone joined in and had a great time teasing Dieter about all the guys holding his hand and putting their arm around him, and commiserating with the poor slob when he slammed their head into the table... A word of caution, if you go drinking with Dieter, don't leave any drinking glasses near him. :uhyeah:

Sunday.
Bleary eyed, sore, dragging... and still eager for more. This time it was Ask the Instructors. For three hours they fielded all our questions. All of us were scribbling notes like mad. SM Dan gave a superb demonstration of timing and reading your opponent. Sorry, Boss, I still can't do the two-hop sneaker technique; my knees just aren't up to it. :rolleyes: The free-sparring match-up of SM Dan and Datu Dieter was worth the price of admission by itself.

Bottom line. If you couldn't be there get the DVD. Eight DVDs for $99 is a STEAL. George taped each 75-minute class (there were 7 classes per day) plus interviews with the instructors. That's a LOT of material just to condense into 8 DVDs. And make plans to be at next year's camp. I'll be there.

Thanks Mr. Dee and all the instructors for making it a memorable event.
 
Glad to here that everyone had fun; it sounds as if maybe everyone was empowered with knowledge and took something of value home with them.

I was sorry to hear that SM Dantes couldn't make it... but I am sure Master Dulay put on some good sessions.

Take care,

Paul Janulis
 
Greetings from the bleary eyed and jet-lagged Northwest!

I'm not sure of total attandance but it was in the low 40's. I have a disc full of photos coming from Bram in the mail even as we squeak. Here are comments by some of the participants:

I had a great time at camp. It was good to see various instructors from all over the world share their knowledge. They brought varied approaches evolved from their experiences but showed a common root in the teachings of the Professor. The camp location itself was well organized and covered all the camp attendees needs. I look forward to next year's event.
Roland Rivera

The camp was nothing less than exceptional in its content and instructors. The only thing I would cahange, if possible, would be my own skill coming into it. I will enjoy the video version for this class.
Jeff Williams

To say the instruction was great is obvious. The best part was the total absence of ego or one-upsmanship. Every instructor supported every other one as not just a colleague but a true friend. Every instructor was extremely approachable and made a point of talking to every student. This was the most refreshingly open camp I've seen in 30+ years of martial arts.
Barry McConnell

Paul & everybody else, y'all missed a truly wonderful experience. We will have the event next year! All for now.

Yours,
Dan Anderson
 
I'm a litle late on this thread but while I'm waiting on my pants to dry so I can go to work I'd figure I'd check out MT and see what is going on.

Anyhow I want to thank SM Dan and Mr. Dees for putting on a great event. Dragonmind already gave a good review of the camp so I won't repeat it. However this was a great time. I hope that the next event will be at the same place (Brevard College) as it was a excellent setting. Having the training facility (in the gym), dorm rooms, and meals provided all within safe walking distance from each other was fantastic. Walking from the training to go to the lunch/dinner was a great transition from training to social life and it allowed you to get know others at the seminar better.

The food was pretty good overall, nice selection of different things to eat. It wasn't broiling hot (80's) and low 60's in the evening. I honestly haven't been to a better place for a seminar. Although the IMAF Houston camps at Rice University were pretty close. The camp was run very well and Mr. Dee kept everything running on time. And of course the instruction was top notch.

Look forward to next years event.

Mark Lynn
 
Still waiting on the pants to dry so I thought I'd give a few suggestions for next year.

1) Maybe have a class outside (weather permitting). I mean that place was one of, no correct that, was the most beautiful place that I have been to a seminar or camp at yet and we were inside a gym the whole time. I think that having a class or something outside might also help bring forth the positive energy of the event.

2) Tying in with 1) maybe use the enviroment that is present outside to enhance the learning process. (At a camp with Abon down in FL. to me the most memorable times of the camp was training on the beach and surf, and out on the back patio of the resort using the steps and guard rails during knife defense.)

I also want to thank Mr. Dee for allowing Datu Dieter to conduct the situational self defense class after the regular training time Saturday night. It was great fun and really brought everyone out of their training stupor. I mean everyone was tired and worn out from two solid days of training and I know some wanted to bail out of training anymore. But Dieter's class was a blast because everyone got into it (and he is a good teacher), but I think also it was fun because it was different, it wasn't normally what you see at a MA camp.

And that is what I was thinking about. Pants are done, time for work.

Mark
 
How detailed do you want? I took several pages of notes :rolleyes:

Basically Dieter had 4-5 tables set up with 4 chairs at each table and we all sat in them. Then Dieter taught techniques that went with say the person the person next to you coming on to you. And what the offendee could do to get away from the person.

It started with simple escapes ways to leave and then escalted in striking them, grabbing their hair and then pinning their head to the table, hitting them with a glass and/or throwing the drink in their face or using the glass for a finger lock (that was smooth). And then we moved into escapes from attacks from the rear and such.

All of the while Dieter was explaining different concepts/stratigies etc. etc. relating to the defense. This was set up for the more violent defenses if the person was molesting/potentially violent etc. etc. not just that the person tried some sort of a pick up line.

At the end of a long day of training his class helped get everyone to socialize and focus on something other than just banging away at sticks. I mean everyone was having a good time with the jokes and such that would come up when you had a bunch of guys having to try and act like they are trying to pick up another of the same sex (since there were more males than females), and then act in kind to get to a more advantages position so that you could do the defense. Since Dieter went through partners like a hot knife through butter eveyone had their time to get their head pinned to the table, their finger locked by a glass, their hair pulled, etc etc. by him. So it was a blast.

As Dragonmind brought out it was an impromptu session, and it was good of Mr. Dees and SM Dan to let Dieter do it. Also it was good of Dieter to volunteer and suggest doing it in the first place. We all gained from it. I'm sure that Dieter was as tired as anyone else was but he had fun with stuff like this in Germany and he wanted to share it with us, thinking that we would enjoy it as well. Which we did.

I guess that is a decent summary of it. For a more detailed description I'll have to wait till I get there in my notes. I've been typing them into my computer and I've only gotten to Saturday's second session (it's been 2 weeks), and I've got 30 pages so far. :)

Mark
 
Good summary Mark. One thing I did want to point out is that Dieter didn't just lock your fingers WITH the drinking glass, he locked your fingers INSIDE the glass! Visualize this: your opponent's hand palm down on the table top. Slide a glass over their fingers. Use your other hand to pin their hand to the table while rotating the glass in an arc to create a finger lock. OUCH!
 
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