Speaking strictly for myself, I believe that mobility, footwork and body-shifting needs to be emphasized more in the training of most Modern Arnis students in the United States.  If there is one constant that I have observed in my 30 years of training within the Modern Arnis System, it is that most practitioners do not demonstrate a mastery of good footwork.  They typically ‘plant’ their feet, thereby ‘rooting’ themselves in one spot as they practice their striking and/or defending techniques in the required drills.  These people tend to rely heavily on their stick and free hand in defending themselves against an attack.  Many of my fellow Modern Arnis instructors talk about mobility and movement, but in reality they fail to execute the very behaviors that they have said were so integral to their instructional formats.

I have found that most of my fellow Modern Arnis instructors, regardless of current ranking, have failed to establish any sort of definitive pattern of triangulation stepping as described by the late system Grandmaster Remy A. Presas in his three (3) books.  Without that essential footwork foundation these instructors can not establish any sort of alternate supplemental patterns of evasive footwork to augment the primary triangulation steps that Professor shows in his books, particularly the Ohara Publications version of Modern Arnis ((Modern Arnis: The Filipino Art of Stick Fighting.  Remy Presas. 1983).  Merely talking about footwork and mobility is not enough.  One actually has to use it in their training sessions and then drill it into their students until it is a reflexive habit.

If one were to closely examine Modern Arnis stick strikes 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11 it would be readily apparent that these attacks can be evaded and neutralized by merely shifting your body off the line of attack with either a single step or rotation of upper body.  

The integrated transitional concepts which are inherent within the logical philosophy of blade avoidance in Professor Presas’ system should be readily apparent to anyone who has studied Modern Arnis in depth.  The thing that makes the Modern Arnis System so effective, efficient and logical is the built-in economy of motion that establishes the foundation of the system.  At the very core of the system is the reality that Modern Arnis is built on the principles of the long blade, such as the bolo, intake, kris, barong, machete and kampilan among many other blade types that one can still find being used in the rural jungle areas of the Philippines.

Blocking incoming bladed strikes is simply not practical in many cases.  Evasion and counter-striking are the better defensive actions.  In Modern Arnis as conceived by Professor Presas, the 12 stick strikes are “…the life and soul of arnis.  They are the things around which all other techniques revolve.”  (Modern Arnis: Philippine Martial Art “Stick Fighting”.  Remy Amador Presas, Founder of Modern Arnis.  1974, p. 32).  With that idea in mind, blocking, whether with a stick or empty hands must be seen as a secondary behavior which compliments body shifting and evasive footwork.

In his books Professor always included information about stances and body shifting. Professor believed that “… your body shifts almost automatically into the proper stances as you execute each strike.”  (Modern Arnis: The Filipino Art of Stick Fighting.  Remy Presas. 1983, p. 31).   

How can someone learn to step and shift effectively if they are not taught the correct methods of doing so?  Learning to shift is tied to striking and striking relies on footwork to move into the proper position and effectively execute the strike.

When Professor taught seminars and camps he often skipped right past any references to body shifting and stances. He would immediately begin teaching the 12 angles of stick attacks, plus the single stick with empty hand translations, joint-locking, double stick usage and disarming techniques that were based on the 12 angles of stick attack.  Professor Presas made the following statement regarding the importance of the 12 stick striking techniques:

“In the twelve striking techniques, the learner is taught how and where to deliver a strike in order to achieve the maximum power and efficacy.”

(Remy Amador Presas, 1974, p.32).

Combine the above quote with the following statements that Professor wrote in his 1983 version of his Modern Arnis book:

“Notice that your body will shift almost automatically into the proper stances as you execute each strike”.  (Remy Presas, 1983, page 31.). 

 “You must stay loose and move quickly, always pivoting to face the strike and keep your balance.”  (Presas, page 45, 1983.).

It appears to be the case that Professor Presas always assumed that his Modern Arnis students would automatically find and use as well as understand the proper positioning and body shifting without his formal input.  Unfortunately this assumption and instructional omission on Professor’s part may be the major contributing factor to the tendency of many of his certified Modern Arnis system instructors (and their own students) to stand-in-place, relying on their hand and stick skills when practicing the art.   

Professor Presas was a strong, powerful man with good upper body strength.  He was also a very good counter-fighter who could effectively stand his ground and prevail in a confrontation.  Therefore he was prone to say one thing yet actually do another when it came to evasive footwork and body shifting.  A large number of Modern Arnis students, have followed his physical example rather than his spoken or written words when it comes to evasion and footwork.

In the Kenpo-Modern Arnis curriculum that I developed for the Erie Community College self defense program, I included 4 basic methods of footwork and body-shifting.  These methods of stepping are based on the traditional premise that Modern Arnis is a bladed art and the primary striking tool is an 18 to 24 inch blade.  My own choice for a training tool to replicate the long blade was a wooden replica of the Negrito Bolo, which is quite common and still used on Professor’s home island of Negros. 

Professor Presas wrote that:

“What should be emphasized, however, is the fact that the cane is only for practice purposes for its basically less lethal in nature.  For in actual combat, the standard weapon is still the bolo or any bladed weapon which is more stable and convenient for this kind of combat technique."

(Remy Amador Presas, 1973, page 9.).

With this statement alone there shouldn’t be any doubt that Professor Presas clearly saw bladed weapons as being at the heart of arnis as he understood it.  Then as if to remove any lingering doubts Professor added the names of some of the blades that were featured in the arnis art as he understood it:

“… kris, bolo, kalis, laring, barong, gunong, kampilan, gayang,pira, punal, itak banjal, bangkcon, lahot and the panabas.”  (Remy Amador Presas, 1973, page 10).

In conjunction with footwork one should have a firm foundation in terms of stances and Professor mentioned this as well in his publications.  Professor wrote:

"There are only a few specific stances or ready positions in Modern Arnis, but learning them is essential before they become a part of your automatic response in a self defense situation.  Effective balance and the ability to move swiftly backward and forward to facilitate blocking and striking are the backbone of arnis or any martial art."

"Stances or ready positions are not static things to be assumed and then maintained throughout practice.  The body flows into each appropriate stance as the situation demands."  (Remy Presas, page 21, 1983.).

Perhaps one of the reasons that Professor Presas skipped right over the stance training and footwork when he first began teaching in the United States, Canada and Europe is because he was initially teaching accomplished black belt martial artists who were adding Modern Arnis as an add-on or secondary art to their original karate or kung fu systems.  Most of the first generation Modern Arnis people were already instructors within their ‘mother arts’ and were well beyond the need for any significant training in the basics.  As time advanced and a good number of Professor’s first generation students became Modern Arnis instructors, the absence of footwork and stance training became more pronounced within the art because these instructors were concentrating on teaching the arnis stick-work.

Consequently the emphasis on footwork fell by the wayside and Professor apparently assumed these instructors were teaching footwork when in reality they were not.  Many of the 2^nd and 3^rd generations of Modern Arnis students who I have worked with and trained beside at camps or seminars do not appear to fully understand the importance of footwork.  In addition, the concept of Modern Arnis as a bladed fighting art has been lost, in part because Professor did not want to teach that aspect of the art.  He wanted people to see the grace and beauty of the art not the carnage that someone create with a long blade. 

The 12 zone stick striking system is mirrored by the 12 zone stick blocking system. A very important aspect of the blocking system requires the defender to move to a safe zone while defending against the incoming strikes.  The blocks are supposed “…to be executed in one smooth and swift motion with no distinct pauses between the block, check and counterstrike motions.” (Remy Presas, 1983, p. 45).

Immediately after learning the basic striking and blocking patterns with the stick, the student must learn how to defend against random, non-sequenced strikes to different areas of their body. The empty hand translation defenses are most often taught right along with the stick training. The necessity to reflexively move, step and body shift are critical parts of Modern Arnis training strategy and should become very apparent to the student at this juncture of their training. The basic training ideas noted above sets the stage for the next level of intermediate Modern Arnis skills which should also be acquired and mastered.

Professor Presas was not the only FMA system leader or GM who espoused the importance of body shifting, footwork and mobility.

According to Steven K. Dowd:

“Stances are the foundation to any style of fighting.  For without the proper stance, attacking, defending, or countering an attack will not have the power, coordination, timing, or balance required for success.  Proper stances with the proper body alignment give mobility and the ability for executing blocks and strikes with confidence.” 

“Shifting from one stance to another with agility and strong footwork is an art within itself.  This is essential in combat for without it balance and timing will not be correct and failure is assured.”  (Arnis Balite: The Filipino Art of Hand, Foot & Stick Fighting; as taught by pundador Manuel M. Aguillon.  Steven K. Dowd.  Page 4.)

I believe that Punong Guro Dowd, as the certified inheritor of the Arnis Balite System, must know a thing or two about the FMA as taught and practiced in the Philippines, where he studied under the founder of the Balite Arnis System, Manual M. Aguillon.  I have had the opportunity to work with as well as observe PG Dowd and I can attest to his applicative skills as an arnisador.

Another FMA system leader who advocates the importance of footwork and evasion was the late GM Leo Giron.  GM Giron was one of the FMA masters who helped Guro Dan Inosanto arrive at some of his understandings regarding the FMA.  GM Giron was a scout for the Filipino Army which battled the Japanese troops in WWII.  His understanding of the importance of evasion is battle-tested in the field of actual combat not some imaginative paper-printed constructions of what ‘might be’ effective.  GM Giron stated:

“To evade is to move out of the path of an incoming blow.  This does not require the assistance of a weapon, although for maximum protection an evasion is best done in conjunction with a deflection.  Evasion is the most graceful motion in the art of escrima, for this movement reveals the amount of training a player has.”  (The Secrets of Giron Arnis Escrima.  Antonio E. Somera.  Page 52, 2003.).

The late GM Antonio Ilustrisimo, a highly celebrate escrimador from Cebu, Philippines, stated that:

“Any weapons-based fighting art must employ the skills of footwork and evasion to a high degree.”  (The Secrets of Kalis Ilustrisimo: The Filipino Fighting Art Explained.  Antonio Diego & Christopher Ricketts. Page 61, 1999.).

If any doubts the skills of the late GM Ilustrisimo, talk with the author of numerous FMA books, Guro Mark Wiley.  He studies with the GM in the Philippines and believes that the late was absolutely the best escrimador that he studied under.

I am a firm supporter of the idea that Modern Arnis is a ‘living conceptual martial arts system’ that should never be relegated to, considered or in any way treated as a “traditional system”.  As far as I am concerned Modern Arnis, in reality, has to evolve as it is moved from one culture to another.  Furthermore, it is critical that practitioners of the art adjust to the changing times where- ever the art is practiced.  As Professor Presas stated in various ways: 

“Arnis today has experienced changes in the weapons used.  Although the art still makes use of the itak or bolo now and then, it has relied considerably on the use of the cane as a self defense weapon.  This is not because the cane is less deadly than the bladed weapons but mainly because in the later years, Arnis is engaged in more as a sport.”

(Remy Amador Presas, page 12, 1973.).

“Body shifting is very important.  An eskrima player should be shifty in positioning his body at a vantage point so that he can strike with utmost power.  Proper body positioning will also enable him to be outside the effective range of an opponent’s blow or strike.  Body shifting consists of stepping, sliding, turning or (a) combination of these movements.”  (The Practical Art of Eskrima: 2nd Edition.  The Filipino Martial Art of Attack and Defense with cane or barehands, otherwise known as Arnis.  Remy Amador Presas, “Father of Modern Arnis”.  Page 26, 1994.)

“Learning to employ body shifting in arnis is extremely important. Virtually all the techniques in this book employ some degree of body shifting to move your body away from the opponent’s angle of attack, yet close the distance so that an effective defense can be used (counterstrike, disarm, takedown).”  (Presas, page 26, 1983.).

“Imagine that your stick is a sword and that you are “slicing” your opponent’s arm.”  (Presas, page 83, 1983.).

All of the above statements by Professor Remy Presas, the founder and Grand Master of Modern Arnis points toward one compelling concept, Modern Arnis is based on flexibility, mobility, footwork, body-shifting and was developed from a long blade orientation.  If anyone ignores or denies these truths then they are practicing a mere facsimile of the full art as developed by the founder.  I have based this conclusion on the written statements of the founder of Modern Arnis and not my own opinions or unsupported beliefs about how the art should be viewed.

I fully recognize and expect a number of so-called leaders and authorities to disagree with my conclusions in the above document.  They are entitled to their opinions and positions, however, in the final analysis these people have a deeply profound argument with Professor Remy Presas and not me, because I am merely quoting his statements, as published in three (3) books under his name.

Since these books are currently in print and readily available to the public, I will let the public decide whether or not I have fully and correctly understood what Professor meant when he wrote the various statements that I have quoted.  It is up to those who disagree with my positions to find written or some recorded video/audio documentation, that is easily accessible to others and use that data in their opposing documents.  Talk is cheap.  I am on record and stand by everything that I have written above until I am proven to be factually wrong.

Modern Arnis is a long blade oriented Filipino Martial Art that requires the practitioner to utilize mobility, body shifting, good footwork, with both physical and mental flexibility.  That is my professional instructional position and I am sticking to it!

Jerome Barber, Ed. D.

January 14, 2012

Hamburg, NY 14075