News from Associates

It was a good year for CSSD/SC with non-stop international seminars in many parts of the world. Name a strategic city in a country somewhere, and CSSD/SC is most likely there! 

CSSD/SC's annual Instructor Camp was held on September 29, 2005 in Clearwater, Florida. It was chance for renewal of skills, knowledge and friendship for CSSD/SC instructors. On the agenda were the newest ways to teach MODULAR: Gunting & Tactical. The instructors learned conceptual motion, reaction to motion, use of impact within Close Quarter, use of edged tools, and translation to firearms. Also included were Horizontal Vertical, all 5 entries both with Gunting & Tactical, Bram’s 1-4-12 & 2-3-12 standard & backwards. Not to mention a very important topic: the legal use of force within the accepted force continuum. The Instructors Camp is but one of the long line-up of CSSD/SC seminars and events that took place several times a month in several locations around the world. Most noteworthy were the international seminars in Nuremberg, Tel Aviv, London, Anaheim, Orlando, and Tampa.

The biggest and most international is still the Commandments of Steel Seminar held annually in Israel. This year, it was held during the first week of May at the historical seaside town of Ceasaria. The Seminar is not just an opportunity to brush up on blade skills with a big group of highly-trained and wonderful people, but also a chance to visit some of the world's most important historical sites. Edessa Ramos, in her letter to new friends in Israel, wrote: "This was my first visit to Israel. It was like an exploratory trip to the moon... I didn't know what I would find and I didn't know anybody. Now it feels different, like another home. I will keep visiting and start exploring every crater. The travel was unforgettable... One day each in Jaffa, Jerusalem, Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee. I was in Israel for 7 days. Certainly not enough. Jerusalem alone deserves several days of visit..." 

CSSD/SC was quite a hit in this year's Martial Arts Hall of Fame, held on Sept. 2-3 in Orlando, Florida. The main seminar schedule on Friday night turned out to be a Modern Arnis show, mostly with CSSD/SC instructors.  

Demos were held the next day, where CSSD/SC’s Greg Beeman (Grasshopper), Steve Shinde (Tiny) and Thomas Lehmann impressed the crowd with modular knife, firearms and practical self-defense. The evening's success was to be credited to Arnis Kenpo Master George Denson. He had his star pupils assist the CSSD/SC team marvelously and also teach on Saturday. Sgt Gabriel Baker of the USMC down at Southcom has been training with Master Denson since he was 11 years old. He has undergone the Marine martial arts program and he demonstrated that on Saturday. A real treat for anyone into the warrior arts. 

"The seminar was a blast," said Master Denson. "It was fun to see Tiny, Grasshopper, Edessa, Thomas and Flo teaching to a full house. Not to mention being in the company of so many very fine martial artists all assembled under one roof." During the Gala evening, Bram Frank and George Denson were asked to sit at the Grandmasters table. It was, according to them, quite an honor to sit with so many greats. 

CSSD/SC started the initiative of nominating the late Grandmaster Remy Presas as the Father of Modern Arnis. His posthumous award enshrines him now with this time-honoured title at the Martial Arts Hall of Fame. 

2005 will be remembered as the year when a tight alliance and strong friendship was forged between IMAFP and CSSD/SC. It all began when Edessa Ramos started training consistently with and under Master Bram Frank this year. In fact, almost monthly she was travelling to a new location somewhere in the world in order to learn the training concept and systems of Master Frank. Edessa became a CSSD/SC member and Director for Switzerland early this year.  The peak of the collaboration was at the "Tipunan sa Disneyland" last August 10 – 13, the multi-system FMA training camp hosted and led by IMAFP-North America. With the blessings and good wishes from the IMAFP headquarters in Manila, Bram and Edessa represented Modern Arnis, not only in Tipunan, but also in the World FMA Expo held in the same weekend by Grandmaster Myrlino Hufana.  

Pictures speak a thousand words, so please feel encouraged to view these two superb websites where the photos of events are generously presented.

cssdsc.com/gallery
and
www.cssd-sc.net - (click on Gallery)

And before anything else, do check out the new Abaniko knives by Bram Frank. They just came out of production and they are super-cool! Designed by Bram and produced by Ontario knives, these unique and superb knives come in a set of 7” and 5”. All of Bram’s knives are named in honour of the Filipino martial heritage.

CSSD/SC has seminars all over the world. If you are interested in hosting a seminar, please contact 1-800-340-9664 inside the US, or 919-498-6694 outside the US. You may also email us videokick@yahoo.com.

Bram Frank has an ongoing class in Clearwater Florida. Several CSSD/SC instructors have courses in their areas. George Denson is currently teaching a weekly course in Sanford, NC. There are also weekly classes in Europe and Israel. Check the website www.cssdsc.com for more information.