Which FMA Teacher Has Made The Greatest Impact on the FMA's?

[Brian R. VanCise]

Which FMA teacher has made the greatest impact on the FMA's?

Okay there is really no right or wrong answer but state what you feel and why. Personally I am just curious!

 

[tellner]

There's only one possible answer. Dan Inosanto. He lifted the FMA out of obscurity and gave them a respectable public face. He promoted and brought forward pretty much all of the important Southeast Asian martial arts teachers. He was also the first to bring them to a wider non-Filipino audience. Even the teachers who had nothing to do with him have benefited from the publicity he generated for their arts. Frankly, a lot of so-called Masters and Grandmasters and Datus and Tuhons and all the rest should be down on their knees giving thanks to him instead of spreading slander and ingratitude. He's the one who provided their meal ticket.

He also systematized a lot that was done in more informal ways. Many prominent teachers living and dead took his stuff, filed off the serial numbers and claimed it as their own. He didn't badmouth them but just went on doing his thing, resolving quarrels rather than starting them. Anyone who could get Al Concepcion and Mike Inay (ztl) to sit down over dinner and bury the hatchet with just a phone call deserves some kind of award for saintly patience in the cause of Peace.

 

[kuntawguro]

I believe that 2 individuals opened the doors for the rest

# 1
Prof Remy Presas opened a lot of eyes to the FMA early in the 70's
by gaining access to a lot of Korean schools

#2 Guro Dan Inosanto was able to expose a lot of people to the concepts, history, and viability of the FMA in the later 70's by giving quality seminars and workshops everywhere.

the rest just benefited by their actions and their abilities

 

[Cruentus]

I would have to say the Saavedra family (namely Lorenzo, Teodoro, and Frederico) of the Origional Doce pares club, Anciong Bacon (Student of Lorenzo Saavedra, Founder of Balintawak Eskrima) and the Canete family (namely Cacoy, founder of current Doce Pares school).

Their fierce fighting ability and reputations helped make FMA what it is known for today.

Remy Presas could be mentioned not only for his skill, but for bringing FMA to the world. There are so many other's, though, as well. These people stick out the most in mind mind, however...

C.

 

[tellner]

I'll have to respectfully disagree for the reasons above. If it hadn't been for Mr. Inosanto they would all still be languishing in obscurity. It's hard to overstate the influence he had on the stature and exposure of the FMA. I'm not saying that he's the best eskrimador who ever banged a knuckle. But he's the most influential single practitioner of the last fifty years.

 

[Rich Parsons]

I'll have to respectfully disagree for the reasons above. If it hadn't been for Mr. Inosanto they would all still be languishing in obscurity. It's hard to overstate the influence he had on the stature and exposure of the FMA. I'm not saying that he's the best eskrimador who ever banged a knuckle. But he's the most influential single practitioner of the last fifty years.

I am confused by this.

GM Remy Presas was in the States and was already well known in the PI or RP as it is also called. I think Remy did his think and wanted to teach and travel. Remy went to lots of countries and taught lots of people. Is that not also taking the FMA's from Obscurity? Unless of course you are saying that Remy and Modern Arnis does not have a respectable public face. I am not sure which is part of my confusion. You mention it in the first and not the4 second so it may not be your main point.

This by no means an insult to Dan.

 

[Cruentus]

I'll have to respectfully disagree for the reasons above. If it hadn't been for Mr. Inosanto they would all still be languishing in obscurity. It's hard to overstate the influence he had on the stature and exposure of the FMA. I'm not saying that he's the best eskrimador who ever banged a knuckle. But he's the most influential single practitioner of the last fifty years.

That is not true because Remy Presas brought FMA to the states without Inosanto's assistance. If anything, we could thank Ed Parker for giving him a chance to present his style to the public (as well as Bruce Lee's).

That said, that is only referencing the "states." Presas brought the arts back into the maintstream pilipino culture (where it was not widely known), while also ambassadoring the arts to other parts of asia and Europe. This is pretty significant too.

Not saying that Inosanto is not influential, but credit needs to be given where it is due to both individuals.

 

[Carol]

I'm going to vote for the late, great, Conrado Tortal, who formalized and organized his family system, Pekiti-Tirsia, so it could be taught to non-family members.

 

[Perpetual White Belt]

That is not true because Remy Presas brought FMA to the states without Inosanto's assistance. If anything, we could thank Ed Parker for giving him a chance to present his style to the public (as well as Bruce Lee's).

That said, that is only referencing the "states." Presas brought the arts back into the maintstream pilipino culture (where it was not widely known), while also ambassadoring the arts to other parts of asia and Europe. This is pretty significant too.

Not saying that Inosanto is not influential, but credit needs to be given where it is due to both individuals.

Then you'd also have to credit GM Max Pallen for sponsoring Prof Remy's initial trip here and housing him as well.

 

[Rich Parsons]

Then you'd also have to credit GM Max Pallen for sponsoring Prof Remy's initial trip here and housing him as well.

While I thought GM Pallen did help him in his second trip is first trip was paid for by the California Police in early 1974 time frame. No disrespect to Max or others who have done things to help promote and teach the arts of the Phillipines.

 

[Datu Tim Hartman]

I have to find the article, but if I'm not mistaken Remy had some influence of Guro Dan getting into FMA.

 

[tellner]

There has been a lot of good fighters and players. They all seem to have converged around Guro Inosanto. He might not be the best eskrimador in the world, but there's no doubt whatsoever he was the most influential single person in bringing them into the public eye.

 

[Datu Tim Hartman]

My vote is still for GM Remy. No one taught as many seminars as he did. There is no doubt that Guro Dan had an impact, but his big thing is JKD. Everyone has their opinion and there is nothing wrong with that. In this case we all may have to agree to disagree.

 

[stickarts]

The number of seminars that GM Presas conducted was just staggering. I was also amazed that when I traveled for work, I would visit martial arts schools in the area, and so many of them had GM Presas photo there in the school and had learned something from him.
My opinion is biased because I knew Prof. Presas better than I ever knew any of the others, however, he has my vote.

 

[arnisador]

All the answers are good! Prof. Presas and Mr. Inosanto are great choices.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Remy Presas, Dan Inosanto, Tortal, etc. There are actually many great pioneers of the FMA's. Remy Presas spread Arnis World Wide through so many seminars it would make your head spin. He also got Arnis into the RP school system as a PE class as well as spreading stick work into so many Tae Kwon Do and Karate schools that it was almost unbelieveable. Dan Inosanto also popularized the name Kali and taught a boat load of semianars and brought all kinds of Filipino Instructors to the States. Conrado Tortal formalized his family system and set it up to be propogated around the world by Leo T. Gaje and Nene Tortal! (even if they are a very divided house and now teach under seperate style names)

If I had to vote just for one then it would be Remy Presas! However it would be incredibly hard to argue against someone voting for Dan Inosanto as well.

Personally the one who influenced me the earliest was Dan Inosanto even though I had met Remy Presas several months before I had met Dan. In the end Remy certainly had more influence in my movement but still sooooooooooooooooo many others have also contributed.

 

[Perpetual White Belt]

While I thought GM Pallen did help him in his second trip is first trip was paid for by the California Police in early 1974 time frame. No disrespect to Max or others who have done things to help promote and teach the arts of the Phillipines.

I believe GM Pallen had something to do with that trip as well. I know that Prof Presas stayed at his house and I'm almost certian GM Pallen said it was during Prof Presas' 1st trip here. When I can get into my storage shed (There's a big snow pile plowed in front of the door which has now turned into an ice pile....) I'll look for the booklet Prof. Pallen wrote about it for the dates.

 

[kailat]

In my own personal experience way back in 1985 when I was first exposed to FMA it was Dan Inosanto. I had been in the Martial Arts for about 2yrs at that time studying an American Karate system, I couldn't of been no older than 14 at that time and along came Guro Dan out of NOWHERE!! Our school quickly became all about him for many years after. Of course this was waaaaayyyy before the INTERNET was around so the world was not so closely tied together and all that we had was Guro DAN, once a year. It wasn't until many years later had I heard of other FMA masters like GT Gaje, and then GM Presas. Later on in our circle of stickers I met the Cabalas' Serrada Eskrima guys. So to say the least I was really confused hahaha. Of course the older I became and more mature knowledgable I became about the various other arts and instructors did I come to understand that FMA was a vast array of disciplines each the same and each different. HOLY WOW!!! Yea because for the first several years of my FMA training I had no clue there was another FMA style or whatnot outside of the INOSANTO group.. BOY was I uneducated..

So with all due respect I'd have to say Guro Dan Inosanto would be my choice for getting FMA recognized at least here in and or around the Midwest much so the INDIANA area.

 

[Perpetual White Belt]

While I thought GM Pallen did help him in his second trip is first trip was paid for by the California Police in early 1974 time frame. No disrespect to Max or others who have done things to help promote and teach the arts of the Phillipines.

I just got back from the Senkotiros Sama-Sama weekend. Dr. Remy Presas taught a session on Sunday and while he was opening his session he said that Grandmaster Pallen brought his father over to the States in 1974. At the end of the session Grandmaster Pallen presented Dr. Presas with the Modern Arnis banner from that time and the swords used during those demonstrations.

 

[arnisador]

Hey, cool! Sounds like a good event.