Las Vegas Black Belt Camp
On the weekend of September 18, 2010, I attended a one-day camp in Las Vegas, Nevada, taught by Master Chuck Gauss and Master Ken Smith. This camp was geared for brown belts and black belts.
The focus of the day was on the details of the advanced aspects of Modern Arnis. The first 6 hours focused on right-hand techniques, particularly on the structure and soundness of advanced material rather than the accumulation of techniques per se.
The last three-hour session of the camp focused on left-hand material. Master Chuck and Master Ken emphasized moving your opponent through sweepstrokes, tulaks, footwork, and proper use of thrusts.
The video below contains material similar to what Master Chuck and Master Ken covered at the camp.
If you are not able to view this video, click here.
Master Chuck and Master Ken highlighted what they expected of the higher-ranking belts as opposed to beginners. As Master Chuck said, if we don’t practice the art as Professor Presas taught, the art will die.
This one-day camp represented an effort by Master Chuck and Master Ken to pass on the advanced aspects of Professor Presas’s art. They are passionate about preserving Professor Presas’s legacy and vision for the art of Modern Arnis. I had fun hanging out with Master Chuck, Master Ken, Master Roland, Steve Cheston, and Robbie Harris as we checked out Red Rock Canyon and the Vegas Strip.
A fantastic time in Las Vegas!
Additional Reading
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