Ed Parker The Father of American Kenpo

 Planting the Seed

Sometime in the late 80’s in a discussion with the late Grandmaster Edmond K Parker about the similarities of our two cultures, he asked me about Indian wrestling. He being full blood Hawaiian was curious about fighting techniques that I might have learned growing up as a young Indian boy. I told him I knew a few things but nothing of great significant. Later as I reflect back I realize that I dismissed his inquiry to quickly. For in reality I remembered much of the information that my dad, uncles, grandfathers and friend of the family on both sides had passed on to me. I would Indian wrestle with my brothers on a daily bases. On weekend our family would travel great distances to have weekend gathering to worship and socialize. It was a time for me to try out my wrestling techniques with other cousins and friends.

Until after Grandmaster Parkers death there was not a need to reach deep within the counters of my mind to dig out the information for I had much to learn from the masters of today. Through our discussion we surmised that our two heritages had many things in common. Our spiritual values, a deep devotion to family, how we held our elderly people in high esteem. How we cooked and prepared our meals, the use of elaborate costume and how we danced.

He told me of a conversation that he had with Elvis while spending some time at the singer home in Memphis. In that conversation Elvis had confessed to him about being ashamed of he was part Indian. It was not uncommon for a young boy that grew up in the south to be part Indian and sometime not even know it. If a family had Indian blood, it was not something to be talked about or even discussed. In reality, most were ashamed to admit it. After a long discussion, Ed convinced Elvis that being part Indian was something very special and to be proud of. From that day forward, Elvis spoke proudly about his Indian heritage. It was soon after that, Elvis being to wear the elaborate jumpsuits adorned with Native design on his concerts series.

During our conversation, Ed suggested that I do something about my Native Fighting heritage. I laughed, and told him, I was too busy trying to master his art of American Kenpo. Little did I know, but the Master had planted the seed. Senior Grandmaster Parker died in Dec of 1990.  

Grandmaster Remy Presas, the Father of Modern Arnis

Sometime in the earliest 90’s and looking for some inspiration after Ed Parkers death, I contacted Grandmaster Remy Presas, the Father of Modern Arnis. I soon began training with him thru his seminars circuit and began to learn his system. We had a connection together, one that we did not discuss, but felt. It was the same connection that Master Parker and I had enjoyed. We both knew it stemmed for our unique culture and the experience that we both encounter growing up as your boys. After training with him for a few years, he asked me about my Native fighting art. He was always looking for new ideals to incorporate into his Modern Arnis. Whenever someone would show him something and he liked it, he would say “that’s Arnis now”.

He did what all the great master did by forever changing his art to make it better. If it meant borrowing something from another style, that was ok. When I showed him some of the Native techniques, he suggest the same thing that Parker did and that was for me to organizes what I knew and began to teach the Native way. He knew that I was one of Ed Parker’s Black Belts and told me that he was very gratefully to Ed. I asked him why, and he told me that when he came from the Philippines to American, it was Ed Parker who helped him get started in the seminar circuit. Ed went out of his way to suggest to others to train with Grandmaster Presas in his Native art. 

I got a call late one evening from Grandmaster Pressas and he asked me, if I could pick him up at the airport DFW. I said of course I would and after a late dinner at his hotel, he told me of his intentions to retire. I asked him did he have a protégé or someone in mind to take over his organization. He said he did not. I was shocked when he said he had no one in mind to take over. I knew for a fact that he had thousands of students across the United States. He said he didn’t have anyone that he could trust.

I asked him again, did he have anyone that he could begin introducing as his successor and enter into a business relationship to continue to reap some of the benefits of his labor over the years. He said he had none, and he  suggested that that person might be me. I could tell that he really was serious and was just feeling me out about the possibility. I replied that I was honored, but in my heart I knew I wasn’t qualified.  I was on a new journey and I politely declined. I know now, had he taken me under his wing, I could have been ready in a few years. Grandmaster Remy Presas died in Oct 2001. Through the suggestion of these two Grandmasters, I began formulating my Native Fighting system.