DAN ANDERSON CONDUCTS MODERN ARNIS SEMINAR
IN BURBANK, CALIFORNIA
By Jay de Leon

On Oct. 7, 2007, Sunday afternoon, Dan Anderson conducted a Modern Arnis seminar at Toma Rosenzweig’s Aikido Daiwa School in Burbank, California. I understand that this seminar has become something of a tradition, as Dan has conducted several seminars previously at the same venue, traveling all the way from his home state of Oregon.

Dan Anderson is a Senior Master of Remy Presas Modern Arnis now teaching his own style of Modern Arnis called M-80 System of Modern Arnis. I am privy to the fact that Dan has maintained close contact with and is held in high esteem by the Remy Presas Modern Arnis masters in the Philippines, including those of the International Modern Arnis Federation of the Philippines (IMAFP).

Dan Anderson underscores a point with one of the participants
at his Modern Arnis seminar conducted at Toma Rosenzweig’s
Aikido Daiwa School in Burbank, California on Oct. 7, 2007.

In fact, , Dan and I participated in last year’s 1st Prof. Remy Presas Memorial Camp and 3rd FMA Festival 2006 in Tagaytay and Manila, Philippines, hosted by the International Modern Arnis Federation of the Philippines (IMAFP). Together with other foreign participants like Bram Frank from the United States, Edessa Ramos from Switzerland and Dieter Knuettel from Germany, we savored instruction as well as camaraderie from many well-known Modern Arnis masters in the Philippines, all of them former students of Remy Presas, like Rodel Dagooc, Cristino Vasquez, Jerry de la Cruz, Godofredo Fajardo, Roland Dantes and many others.

The honorees on this crowded stage at the Gala Night of the 3rd FMA Festival
in Manila,Philippines on July of 2006 included, from left to right, Bram Frank
of the USA (partly hidden), GM Rodel Dagooc and GM Jerry de la Cruz
of the Phil., Dan Anderson of the USA, Dieter Knuettel of Germany,
GM Cristino Vasquez of the Phil, and Master Godofredo Fajardo
of the Phil, home from his base in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

At the Burbank seminar, Dan started with some Modern Arnis templates consisting of basic block and counter moves. Building on this base of templates, he added moves and attributes stressing power in the strikes, multiple strikes at both medium and close range, the concept of flow, and the Modern Arnis version of feints and ruses, or enganyo in some systems.

All in all, it was a great refresher course if you were already a Modern Arnis practitioner, and an excellent sampler or teaser if you were new to the art or to the style.

Dan Anderson (center) poses with Roger Agbulos of ASTIG/Lameco (left) and
Jay de Leon of Tipunan International at Dan Anderson’s Modern Arnis seminar
held at Toma Rosenzweig’s Aikido Daiwa School in Burbank, California
on Oct. 7, 2007.

Some martial arts luminaries in attendance included Eric Lee, kung-fu kata champion, actor and seminar instructor and performer in his own right; Roger Agbulos, senior Lameco student of Punong Guro Edgar Sulite and seminar instructor, honchos of Valley Martial Arts Supply located rightaround the corner on Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood, and an old friend, guro Damian Romero of Los Angeles, California.

Kung-fu great Eric Lee (right) poses with long-time friend Jay de Leon
of the International Modern Arnis Federation of the Phil. (IMAFP)
at Dan Anderson’s Modern Arnis seminar conducted at Toma Rosenzweig’s
Aikido Daiwa School in Burbank, California on Oct. 7, 2007.
This duo trained with Remy Presas in Los Angeles in the late 1970’s.

Anyway, it was great seeing Dan again and it felt good doing familiar Modern Arnis moves. My thanks to Toma Rosenzweig for the hospitality including the water and the fruits. And to the participants in the seminar, keep on training and enjoying the legacy of Modern Arnis founder Remy Presas now being passed on by so many competent and joyous guros all over the world, like Dan Anderson.

You may contact Dan Anderson either through his website at www.danandersonkarate.com or his school at Dan Anderson Karate School, P.O. Box 1463, Gresham, OR 97030, tel. no. 503-665-8596.