The Scrapbook
A tribute to Grandmaster Remy A. Presas
When you think about a person’s life you often think of a scrapbook because it contains memories of the person. As you sit down and open the cover of someone’s scrapbook you get a glimpse into who they were. By seeing how they began and how they have grown you can get to know a person even if it is only from someone else’s memories.
Each time you turn a page a new day in the person’s life is there for you to see. If you look at the pictures and read the words you can learn a lot about who that person was and who he affected during his time on this earth.
As we go through the pages of Professor Presas’s scrap book we would see a very athletic young boy working hard practicing the movements that he saw his grandfather teach to the soldiers who protected the Philippines. As you move deeper into the scrapbook you would see a confident young man who left his home at a young age to study the Filipino art of stick fighting from many different Masters. He learned more than just his family’s style of palis palis. As he grew you would notice that he became stronger, his forearms were very powerful, he is growing into a very tall man. During this time his art is growing and his ideas are formulating for the Art of Modern Arnis. This is what Professor felt was the most effective of all the arts that he has learned. As you turn the page again you would see a warrior testing the effectiveness of his art in live combat. You would see very quick battles and Professor clearly the victor.
You could see another chapter in the scrapbook where the young man sets out on an even bigger adventure when he leaves his homeland for the United States. He feels he can spread his Art of Modern Arnis through out the world. This section of the book is filled with many pictures, the young man teaching classes in local parks and working with many different martial artist of the time. You would see friendships being formed and legends being created. You will see three martial artists working together to make a seminar to expose people to multiple arts on the same day. You will see words and captions for The Big Three. From this you would see pictures of two men who first met at one of these seminars. They became friends and two masters were born. Over the years you will see smiling pictures of Professor with friends and you will see pictures of Professor practicing his art with the lucky few that would feel the art first hand. You will see a very young man who first began Modern Arnis under his instructor, this young man would also grow up to be a Master. There will be pictures in Black Belt Magazine, pictures on the walls of Dojo’s across the United States, Canada and Germany.
As the world changed and technology emerged you would see video and then dvd of the Professor and Modern Arnis. You would see many of the people in the beginning of Professor’s scrapbook still with him. You will look at pictures of Masters and their children growing through the years. If you look today you will see Professor in the biggest digital scrapbook to date, his name and likeness is all over the World Wide Web.
It is this scrapbook of someone’s life that does not end when they leave this earth. If you look at Professor’s scrapbook you will see the dedicated people who carry on his art as he would have wanted it to be carried on. You will see growth and new ideas using the concepts that Professor taught. His art is still evolving and his scrapbook is still expanding. One of the most important things you will see in Professor’s scrap book is the love, loyalty and dedication of Professor to his students and from his students back to him. It is this circle that never ends that will keep Professor’s memory alive for eternity.
Take a moment to think about your own scrapbook of life and remember all the pictures and contributions Professor has made to your book. For those who trained with him first hand the pictures will be easy to see they will be the bruises, the sweat and the hard work. They will also be the smiles, the meals and the time spent with a friend. These moments are priceless and should never be forgotten. For those who did not train directly with Professor you will find him in the teachers who have dedicated themselves to carrying on the legacy. When you look at life it is a maze of people and events that make us who we are, sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly but we are all together on this great journey that we call life. Live it to the fullest, train hard, enjoy the friends you have now and the ones you will meet in the future and always keep adding to your scrapbook.
Warmest regards,
International Modern Arnis Federation (IMAF, LLC.)
Remy Amador Presas' Modern Arnis
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