D
DoctorB
Guest
Kelly S. Worden
Joined: 14 Feb 2002
Posts: 396
Location: Tacoma, Wa. U.S.A.
>It was not an easy personal decision to make as far as >attendance, it was though, an easy professional one. I hosted >MARPPIO last year at the same time, exactly the same >weekend, the weekend after the 4th of July. It was discussed at >last years event to continue and make the event an annual one.
Let me cut staight to the chase on this matter. The decision not to attend is a personal one and I have nothing to say about matters totally beyond my control.
Second point, in our series of e-mails going back to the point at which I first posted the intent to host the 2003 Modern Arnis Symposium AND even after the date for the event was publicly announced on MartialTalk, WMAC Forum, Eskrima Resource Digest and several other forums, neither you, Kelly Worden nor any member of Marppio contacted me to advise me that there was a conflict with a previously planned event, therefore, there is an 'appearence of deception', that can and should have been expected. Personally, I wish you well at your event.
>That was quite some time prior to Dr. Barber organizing his >symposium date. Long before Dr. Barber posted his plans I had >sent a similar proposal to Datu Dieter for a Filipino gathering in >Las Vegas.
Unfortunately, I am unable to read private communications not sent to me and when public references are made to such communications without some accompanying details, its' true and full meaning is not apparent to every reader of the public communication. So you made a suggestion before I put a plan into operation, but it is the plan put into operation, that usually receives the most attention.
>After all Las Vegas is a central location for conventions, Martial >Art Organizations worldwide have been using Las Vegas with >great success for a number of years. I even suggested the >location to Dr. Barber and he didn't respond, that's fine he made >his choice to make everything convenient for the people on the >East Coast simple as that.
Now, Kelly, let's get this one straight - yes you did mention holding the Symposium in Las Vegas, but that came AFTER I had already set the event for Buffalo and announced the location.
Additionally, I DID ANSWER YOU via e-mail and I noted in that message that I did not have a contact person in Las Vegas, who could handle all of the local details that would come up for an event, so for me, it was not a good choice.
As for LV being "a central location for conventions", I would beg to differ with that opinion. It is not "central" for me, it is a 3-5 hour flight depending on connections and it is not cheap - remember your point about costs is a double edged sword! From Miami, the flight is 4-6 hours, from Maine the flight is 6-8 hours!
That does not constitute "central" to me when the flight from Washinton State is most likely 2-3 hours.
>What exactly will it cost the majority of practitioners on the East >Coast to attend, $300.00 and a couple hours to drive.
Apparently you are not completely familiar with your USA geography - there are points on the East Coast that will require as much as 24 hours driving time to reach Buffalo! Try locating a Road Atlas and check out the milage from Miami, FL Tampa, FL Atlanta, GA, Lexington, KY, Columbus, OH, Chicago, IL, Boston, MA, Providence, RI, Hartford, CT, Philadelphia, PA, Wilmington, DE, NYC or any points on Long Island. None of these cities are within a 4 hours drive of Buffalo.
I deliberately put a two month window on the seminar fee structure because I WANT people to make their deposits during the first two months next year - I want them to have the benefit of the lowest costs that I can give them and still cover the expenses of the Symposium Presenters. If I were hosting an event with one to three instructors, the fee structure would be different - it would be lower!
>I inquired in an e-mail to people around the Western United >States about their desire or interest to spend 3 or 4 days >traveling and drop about $1000.00 or more to attend an event >that has a questionable agenda at the very least. Nothing I >have seen except the original posting and description of the >event even has a professional presentation about it.
You can back off the histrionics, Kelly. A plane flight though expensive does not require 3 or 4 days of travel to get to the East Coast. I deal with research questions and surveys for a living, I know that how one phrases a question can strongly influence how the question is answered. If people do not want to come east for WHATEVER REASON, that is their decision. I work a 9-5 job like most other people in America, so the idea of cost vs. benefit is real for me as well. I understand why an event closer to home might be prefereable to one 1500 miles away.
>If someone does not respond to the martialtalk.com group, they >are dragged through the dirt for having a life of their own, oh >yeah, and "doing they're own work."
Now you are confusing two different issues. Your scheduling the July 11 & 12 event has nothing to do with how people do or do not conduct themselves on MartialTalk.com. It is neither my position or intention to justify anything posted on the forum. I only speak and post for myself. I do my own work, I have 'made the art for myself' just as you have done in your part of the world
and I am quite proud of my students because they have done the same thing. No trash talking, just good solid work!
>Most people responded to the e-mails that they would rather >attend a seminar just like the MARPPIO seminar we held last >year in July, for a fraction of the cost of the New York trip.
And I will say it again, good luck and good training!
>Actually, last year we had a great deal of senior practitioners >that outranked any and all the people scheduled for the >upcoming New York event, and this year will be no different.
Gee, Kelly, I did not know that the Modern Arnis Symposium was:
1. a New York event
2. that it was about what rank someone might hold.
As I seem to remember the original objective, the 2003 Modern Arnis Symposium is intended to help people to determine for themselves, who has the highest level of skills within the art of Modern Arnis regardless of title and/or rank!
The fact that you will have people at your event who "outrank" every one who will be at the ORIGINAL MODERN ARNIS SYMPOSIUM, is a benefit and selling point for you - use it well! We are offering two very different programs. One is not better than the other - just different and from you perspective quite local in scope.
>The difference is we are getting together for the benefit of the >art and the pure joy of training, not to prove that somebody can >piss higher on the wall.
Say whatever you want, Kelly, but the bottom line is that I have not gone out of my way to insult and belittle others on this or any other forum. Since you have a legitimate reason for not coming to the 2003 Symposium in Buffalo, please enjoy your event in Tacoma.
Regardless of the number of instructors who attend the 2003 Symposium that I am hosting, the event will be held, because some people have committed to being there. In spite of how many or few people actually attend the 2003 Modern Arnis
Symposium, it will be held as scheduled! The goal has not changed - a demonstarted ability to teach and present an in-depth program of Modern Arnis Instruction - with the attendees having the last word as to who they believed was most to least skilled in the art. Rank and titles will be left at the door, skill will be the final determinor of "rank".
As for what I will say about those who do not attend the 2003 Symposium.... the operative word is "Nothing!"
Jerome Barber, Ed.D.
