RAPID ARNIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE, WE KNOW THAT SO NO NEED TO BITCH ABOUT IT.

Unfortunetly it would seem that there are those who would much prefer

1 An Easy Ride and grades just handed to them regardless
2 A weak spirit
3 Closed mindedness
4 Dishonesty
5 A dictatorship

If that is what they want I can easily point them in the right direction. But there not getting it here, but I also remind them, don’t mistake kindness for weakness, pick a fight with a Rapid Arnis man and it is a fight you will get in more ways than one.

Now when people ask me if they can try other styles or even show the slightest interest in seeing other styles, not only do I say you should not even have to ask, I whole heartedly encourage it and support it. Jon is a fine example of my outlook to training in the FMA, not only is he a most senior and well respected Master within Rapid Arnis Organisation, he is a senior in other FMA styles too and he has actively sought out Masters and Grandmasters of the best calibre to gain knowledge from. And Jon (as do 99.9% of the Rapid Arnis members) knows all too well, everyone in Rapid Arnis is treated equally regardless of rank, it is simply some have practiced more than others and therefore know just a little bit more at this moment in time, but who knows one day the roles may well be reversed and that includes me.

Another example of the Rapid Arnis attitude is PG Shamin Haque, he was my most senior student back in the early 90’s, he was introduced to the Ilustrisimo system in Manila, when he came back home he asked my permission to go train with them, I said my permission is not required, but all the same he wanted it and he was still training within the Rapid Arnis System during his early years with the Ilustrisimo group. One day he said to me he would much prefer to teach and promote the Kalis Ilustrisimo system and I was proud of the fact that he finally found what he had been looking for and if it was not with us then so be it. I told him that if he felt that this system was the best for him then he should go with my blessing, he is now the most senior member of that group in Britain and Ireland and still he tells everyone where it started and he is proud of the fact that he started with Rapid Arnis and it was Rapid Arnis that helped him to get where he is now.

No bitching, no bad mouthing, just a passion for an FMA system that suited him.

There is a small minority out there in all walks of life that unfortunetly always try to blame others for their own failings, short comings, lack of commitment or what every you want to call it and will not admit to themselves that it is only themselves that get them where they are and nothing more. They will come up with any excuse that places the blame of their failings on anyone or anything else but themselves and I believe that this is what has happened here.

Especially when I hear, “I am losing students or everyone is leaving because Rapid Arnis is too hard blah, blah, winge, moan, bitch” No the truth is, people lose students because they themselves are at fault, not the style, the person. It is not that it is too hard for everyone it is simply that they are not willing to work hard enough themselves and that is the truth and unfortuently I cant help them, they can only help themselves.

It is sad to see someone leave Rapid Arnis in this manner, not sad for me, sad for their own piece of mind, their own self respect as they have their own conciance to deal with, not me or anyone else for that matter.

But if they leave for the right reasons and they feel they will benefit elsewhere and are honest about it, then they go with my blessing and help if it is required.

We may not be the biggest organisation and style in the world, but our reputation is solid and that is all that counts. And according to some, we are the hardest, now they say that like it’s a bad thing? If they feel Rapid Arnis is too hard then please keep telling people that, what a great piece of publicity that is for us. I wish I would have thought of using that bit of PR but it sounds so much better coming from those people who don’t want to admit they are unwilling to put in the hard-work therefore yes it is too hard for them or they could try working harder and they may be surprised just how easy it is eh!

Big wake-up call here boys and girls, we teach Filipino Martial Arts you know that art that is used to fight people with a whole multitude of weapons. If it is twirling and dancing and an easy time you want then yes, your in the wrong place and you need to enrol in the local majorettes class not Rapid Arnis or any of the proper martial arts for that matter.

Now if someone leaves because they want to but feels the need to bitch about it, then that is sad, sad for them and not for us because to be honest I am glad to see the back of them as I cannot abide dishonest time-waisters who are only in it to collect the badge or the belt or the rank or some other kind of kudos and are disappointed when it does not come easy. It would seem that these people are the “Everyone wants to be a Chief and no one want to be an Indian” type of people but they are unwilling to earn their feathers but simply expect them to be handed to them, now that’s sad.

If they want a badge to wear or a black belt to put round their waiste or even feathers to put in their hair then go to Blitz, they sell all kinds of stuff like that and you can easily print off your own certificate calling yourself the Grand Poo Baa if you like, if that brushes up your ego then I am happy for you. But simply put, if you want kudos, respect, rank, badges, feathers or anything else in Rapid Arnis then you got earn it and follow these simple rules.

Work Hard, have fighting spirit, keep an open mind and most importantly of all, be honest, for if your not you will only be fooling yourself because you wont fool us for long, we will catch you out in the end and you will either leave on your own accord or we will ask you to leave as we much prefer people who are hard working, have fighting spirit with an open Mind and are honest. If you do not have these qualities then you are in the wrong place.

And when you do leave, have a little dignity and self respect, as Jon said, Leave quietly and that way you will gain more respect from everyone instead of losing it.

Best regards

Pat