Modern Arnis

MODERN ARNIS FOR JUNIORS, TEENS, AND ADULTS

CALL NOW TO ENROLL    658-564-7078

CLASS SCHEDULE
Monday
6:00-7:00 p.m  juniors

7:00-8:30 p.m. all ranks (adults)

Wednesday
6:00-7:00 p.m  juniors

7:00-8:30 p.m. all ranks (adults)

Saturday
11:30-12:30 p.m. all ranks and ages

Junior Class
Starting in January of 2014 we have added a new Junior Modern Arnis program, this curriculum is designed for the younger students who want to learn Modern Arnis covering instruction in Double Stick, Single Stick, and Empty Hand material.  The goal is to main stream the student into the adult program as they get older, so the curriculum is very similar to the adult curriculum but age appropriate..

Modern Arnis/Presas Arnis ( a martial art from the Philippines) that includes instruction in double stick, single stick, and empty hand techniques.  Both Modern Arnis and Kombatan Arnis are practiced across the globe and has been taught to law enforcement personal, martial artists, and civilians alike for self defense purposes.  This class blends GM Ernesto Presas's Kombatan Arnis and Professor Remy Presas's Modern Arnis together into a single, complete system, we call Presas Arnis.  This is not taught as an add-on class to the American Karate/TKD program but is a complete art unto itself.

Casual athletic clothes may be worn to class.  Formal Arnis uniforms are optional and available for purchase from instructor.  Rattan sticks will be available for purchase from instructor.




FAQ
What is different about Modern Arnis from the American Karate class?
In Modern Arnis (and the Filipino Martial Arts in general) weapons are introduced earlier.  In Modern Arnis a short rattan cane (or stick) is used to simulate the motions of a impact weapon, or an edged weapon.  However the motion the sticks make as they are moving through the air can also represent empty hand techniques as well; let's face it a thrust follows the same path as punch, a curving slicing motion is similar to an arcing swing of the hand and so on.  Likewise swinging a stick and learning to defend against that type of attack is similar to swinging, a baseball bat, a tire iron, a hair brush, etc. etc.

In our Modern Arnis class you are not only learning to swing sticks but learning how to use and defend against a multitude of different objects.

What similarities are there between Modern Arnis and the American Karate/TKD class?
In short both classes are concerned with teaching self defense concepts through te tradtitional martial art format.  Like karate and TKD; Modern Arnis has anyos (kata, Hyun or forms), and like the Hidden Sword Martial Arts karate program there is a emphasis on learning the applications of the movements found within the kata.  The traditional types of blocks kicks and punches are also found within Modern Arnis in it's anyos.  So both arts have a lot in common, in fact Modern Arnis was called "The art within your art" meaning that much of Modern Arnis can be found within other martial arts.

So if Modern Arnis is the known as "The art within my art" why study a different martial art?
Simple it has to do with broadening your perspective.  As a black belt Modern Arnis opened my eyes to a deeper understanding of my (at the time) primary martial art.  Since then it has helped me redifne my views on and my study of Kobudo, self defense etc. etc.

OK besides learning to swing a stick or a tire iron, what else will I learn?
In our Modern Arnis class a student learns to not only defend against weapons but also empty hand skills as well.  They learn joint locking, throwing, off balancing techniques, kneeing, elbowing, striking, kicking, flow drills, oh and doing all of this with or without a stick or knife in your hand.


Is Modern Arnis a guy thing or can girls do it as well?
Modern Arnis is for everyone, male or female, young or old.  In our classes we have students ranging from 10yrs -low 40's (heck the instructor is in his 50's).  We have on a case by case basis allowed some younger students (the 10 yr olds) to train with the adults till their own class is formed.

OK what do I need to join class?
Each student is required to buy their own pair of rattan sticks, no broom sticks, nor iron wood "Game of Death" or "Enter the Dragon" (mandatory Bruce Leee reference)  type sticks allowed.   Broom sticks break and hard wood  sticks destroy everyone elses rattan sticks.  That and athletic attire along with a good attitude and your set.

 

For a more detailed explanation of our program

The Adult Program (Presas Arnis)

The adult curriculum for Hidden Sword Martial Arts is centered around a combined system of two Filipino martial arts; Modern Arnis created by GM Remy Presas and Kombatan Arnis created by Remy’s younger brother GM Ernesto Presas.   This program is also heavily influenced by the teaching and inspiration of Hock Hochheim, SM Dan Anderson, Datu Dieter Knuttle and others.

The Hidden Sword Modern Arnis curriculum combines parts of the Kombatan system with parts of the Modern Arnis system that was taught by GM Remy in the mid to late 1990’s.  This blending of the more classical aspects of the Kombatan Arnis system with the more modern teaching or adaptation of small circle jujitsu into GM Remy’s Modern Arnis makes for a unique martial art that is more applicable in many ways for self defense purposes.

Generally speaking the Filipino martial arts include five main areas of study; the double baston (two weapons of equal length), single baston, espada y daga (stick and knife, or long and short weapons used together), knife and empty hand.  The Hidden Sword Modern Arnis curriculum is centered around the study of three main areas in the beginning levels through the mid intermediate levels; double baston, solo baston, and empty hand.  In the later intermediate and advanced levels (under black belt) the espada y daga and the knife are introduced.  In each level there are elements taught for each area of study, and they are tied together to the other areas.   The majority of the double baston, the espada y daga, and the knife are taken from the Kombatan system; while the majority of the solo baston and the empty hand are taken from the Modern Arnis system.

Double baston

The double baston teaches the use of two weapons of equal length, whether they be short bastons or sticks, dulos (or palm sticks), double daggers, or even two kitchen pans or skillets.  The double baston is taught through flow drills called Sinawalis and combative skill drills or defensive responses.  The sinawalis allow the student to practice strikes and blocks in a fast repeating manner thereby helping the student to build confidence and muscle memory at the same time. As the student progresses the flow drills become more complex building upon one another, then the drill patterns can be strung together and combined in a multitude of ways thereby increasing the student’s confidence and making it more challenging as the student progresses.

The combative defensive responses while small in number (four) set the foundation for also learning empty hand vs. weapon and empty hand vs. empty hand defenses.  Although the four defenses seem small in number their applications multiply exponentially when different strikes are added in such as thrusts, fan strikes (abaniko), etc. etc.  These four responses also set the stage for learning disarming skills that will be translated (adapted) to solo baston and empty hand skills later on.

Solo baston

The solo baston teaches the use of a single weapon of various lengths, while it is taught as a impact or blunt weapon many of the techniques and skills learned translate to edged weapon use and defense as well.  Utilizing flow drills like what has been taught with the double baston, similar flow drills are learned for the solo baston.  Using the same or similar drills allows the student to have an accelerated learning curve, while at the same time improving their confidence.  Flow drills like 2 vs. 1 (two sticks vs. one) allows the feeder (the student with two sticks) to learn valuable skills like driving (programming the defender’s response) the drill while the student with the solo baston learns valuable skills such as defending against both left hand and right handed feeds.  While these types of drill amps up the pressure on the defender and the feeder alike it is done in a safe and controlled manner.  In much later stages flow drills such as Sumbrada or the Tapi Tapi series are taught.

Like wise the skills such as striking, defending, locking, throwing, take downs and disarming are all further developed in solo baston combative drills.  Through partner drills the student learns to defend and counter the feeder attack, in later stages of learning the feeder learns to counter the defenders counter and so on.  The Hidden Sword Modern Arnis program also teaches the four Stick forms of Modern Arnis as well.

The solo baston training brings the student to the point where in advanced levels they learn how to feed or drive in drills such as the Tapi Tapi.  This is  where the student learns to drive or lead the drill in such a way that the defender has to respond in a certain manner, this allows the feeder to program the defender’s response setting them up so to speak.  Like a chess master who is always several moves ahead of his opponent the Tapi Tapi drill series in Modern Arnis teaches this same skill, but instead of sitting at a board studying the movement or your opponent, you are instead feeding them strikes with a baston at a fast pace. The solo baston just like before with the double baston, also helps lay the foundation for the empty hand phase of the instruction.

Empty Hand

The majority of the basic empty hand system as practiced in the Hidden Sword Modern Arnis curriculum comes from Kombatan and other empty hand arts. Because the HSMA curriculum is more centered around self defense than say sparring the basic empty hand program is very similar to other striking arts.  Empty hand anyos (katas or forms) are practiced as taught by GM Remy in his Modern Arnis system throughout all levels in the curriculum as well as applications of the Anyo techniques themselves.  The anyos are taught in a more free flowing manner than the Korean TKD forms found in the TKD program and are more similar to Thai Chi in execution or feel than say karate, but the applications are more self defense orientated than exercise related.

As the student advances in the Hidden Sword Modern Arnis system more of the Modern Arnis method that GM Remy Presas created is introduced.  In the basic levels the emphasis is on striking and kicking as in other arts and are developed through drills such as the empty hand application of the four combative response learned in the double baston section of the training.  Then in the intermediate levels in the art the emphasis of training shifts to developing more locking, off balancing, and take down skills.  These are backed up by learning the anyos and studying the applications found in them.  While floor defense and ground work are taught the emphasis is not on the sport aspect of controlling a person till they submit, rather it is to take them to the ground bringing them to a point of control or disengagement.

Empty hand flow drills such as the DeCadena (chain of hands), Empty hand Tapi, the empty hand sinawali series, and Opening and Closing the X (Crossada and Umbrella translation to empty hand movements) drills from Modern Arnis are all taught in the Hidden Sword curriculum.  As well as Pelit Pelit as taught by GM Ernesto Presas, and the Hubud Lubud (learned from Guro Dan Inosanto and others).

Espada y Daga

GM Ernesto Presas’s espada ya daga instruction from Kombatan is the basis of the Hidden Sword curriculum.  Espada y daga is the study of unequal weapons held in the hand.  Generally referred to as meaning stick and knife, or long and short the espada y daga section of the Hidden Sword curriculum teaches different skill sets to the student involving range (having a long weapon to block with and a short weapon to thrust with), having a blunt or impact weapon in use with a edged weapon, etc. etc.

Guro Lynn was told by GM Remy in a private conversation that he took out much of the espada y daga instruction in Modern Arnis due to the impracticality of it in today’s modern world.  He felt it was more important to focus on the solo baston and the empty hand than the classical systems of espada y daga.   However due to different skill sets that espada ya daga teaches the students guro Lynn felt it was important to add the espada y daga back into the program so he drew from the Kombatan system to enhance the Hidden Sword Modern Arnis curriculum.

Knife (Dagger)  (Edged weapon)

The majority of the knife portion of the Hidden Sword Modern Arnis curriculum comes from Hock Hochheim’s knife course and Kombatan Arnis.  As mentioned elsewhere on this site Hock was guro Lynn’s instructor in Presas Arnis, he combined GM Ernesto’s and GM Remy’s instruction first here in the United States in the early 1990’s.  Guro Lynn got the inspiration to combine further the brothers instruction and their arts from Hock.  Through his studies under Hock, guro Lynn studied in more detail and more in depth knife skills.

Knife work is really an art unto itself, but the basic use of and the defense against is covered in the Hidden Sword Modern Arnis curriculum.  Using the same format of utilizing previously learned skills and drills the student is taught knife use and defense in the later stages of the Hidden Sword Modern Arnis program.  The student will adapt the use of a knife to different flow drills such as Pelit Pelit, Sumbrada, Opening and Closing the X (Crossada and Umbrella application drills), and the Knife Tapi (Empty Hand Tapi pattern).  Likewise skill drills such as the 12 angles of attack, Block Check and Counter, Removing the Obstruction, and other drills.