Modern Arnis: The Filipino Art of Stick Fighting
by Remy Presas
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Book Summary Information
Author: Remy PresasEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1983-06-01
ISBN: 089750089X
Number of pages: 160
Publisher: Black Belt Communications
Book Reviews of Modern Arnis: The Filipino Art of Stick Fighting
Book Review: A brief comment
Summary: 5 Stars
Now over 20 years old, this was one of the first books in English on escrima. At just over 150 pages and with 9 chapters covering the different topics, Guru Presas packs much good information into this small book. Many of the most important topics and skills are covered, and the photos and decriptions are clear and easy to understand. Although I have a more recent edition, the photos are still clear and not too dark or too light, as sometimes happens with the plates with older books. Close-ups are used when needed to show the details of hand positions. There is also a brief history of escrima at the beginning of the book.
Nowadays videos have in many ways replaced books as instructional materials in the martial arts, but video was still relatively new when this book was written, and it still stands on its own as one of the best early treatments of escrima. To see the actual movements, though, there is really nothing like a video, many of which are available used on the web for less than the price of the book. But books on the martial arts can still serve a useful purpose by discussing more technical matters such as theory, strategy, and topics like history, and perhaps as as catalogs and references for the techniques of a particular style.
Among Guru Presas's many legendary abilities, he was perhaps best known for his ability to perform disarms, and this is covered in the last chapter of the book, in addition to hand techniques, flow drills, trapping, the various single and double stick techniques, and other topics.
I have to mention that I had an opportunity to do a demo for Guro Presas back in the mid-80s with my teacher of Chinese Chin Na, the Kung Fu holding and locking art. As you probably know Guro Presas is also skilled in the Filipino version of this art, and was also a champion in Dumog, or Filipino wrestling and grappling, when he was younger. He enjoyed our demo and was very impressed with my master, Sifu Tony Ho, and his skill.
I am also a certified instructor in Kali/Escrima through the Ted LucayLucay lineage under Chuck Gonzaga, and have studied Serrada Escrima in addition to Kali. Chuck is a great martial artist himself and I am proud to be one of his students and instructors, and to have had the honor to demo for Guro Presas many years ago when I was still a young martial artist.
Summary of Modern Arnis: The Filipino Art of Stick Fighting
Covering a variety of preparatory stretches and warm-up exercises, the 12-zone striking and defense systems, hand-to-hand combat ('trapping hands'), flow-practice drills, sinawali and redonda, this 160-page, fully illustrated text gives novices a tangible amount of self-defense skill through specific drills. For example, the sinawali is taught without sticks, in empty-hand fashion, to illustrate how its weaving motions can be easily translated into empty-hand movements for blocking, punching, and takedowns. He discusses the 12 important angles of attacks on the human body, 12 basic ways of dealing with each angle, plus stick and sword disarming techniques.Martial Arts Books
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