On Saturday, September 14th, I received a text from Professor Chuck Gauss informing me of Professor Will Higginbotham’s passing. I was shocked. Like many of his colleagues, I did not expect this at all. He was healthy and showed no signs of ill health. I last saw him at the Annual Michigan Modern Arnis Camp.

A photo I took for the Modern Arnis Pamilya Channel at the Annual Michigan Camp.

Below is a clip of Professor Will demonstrating his Transitional Flow Drill on my good friend, Terry Hill, in Bedford, Indiana.

If you are not able to view this video, go here.

I first met Professor Higginbotham at the 1998 Michigan Modern Arnis Camp and saw him at many martial arts events in the Midwest.

For the past few years, he had teamed up with Professors Chuck Gauss and Ken Smith at many Modern Arnis camps and seminars. I tell you, those were phenomenal times. The man was a keen martial arts instructor who shared nuances of pressure points and joint locks. Below is an example shared by GM Chris Thomas.

His joint locks were exquisitely painful, and the man knew his stuff. I was on the receiving end of his joint locks a few times, and I FELT THEM!

If you are not able to view this video, go here.

In my text exchange with Professor Chuck Gauss, he pointed out that things can change in a blink. You never know when an all-time great will be around tomorrow or next week. You just never know. After all, Professor Remy Presas was only 64 when he passed in 2001.

To expand on this point, I have lost four students over the past few years. They all left a mark on me, and I miss them. Their ages ranged from 21 to 84. All of their deaths were unexpected. In addition, the mother of one of my students passed away at a very young age. Lastly, a long-time martial arts buddy of mine from Notre Dame passed away a couple of years ago after a long battle with cancer. Don’t take anyone for granted, whether an instructor, student or friend.

Again, you just never know. As I said above, Professor Will Higginbotham looked great at the Michigan Camp when I saw him in July.

I will attend the Annual ArnisFest from October 11th through the 13th. There will be a memorial service on Saturday, October 12th. See the flyer below for details. This will be an opportunity for many to say goodbye to Professor Will Higginbotham.

In closing, cherish all your martial arts relationships, whether it be your instructor, students, colleagues, and friends. In this day and age, much of our knowledge comes from everywhere. Learning from our martial arts instructors is precious. When someone like GM Will passes on, that source of knowledge will be gone forever. As such, take every opportunity to seek out those with knowledge you do not have.

RIP Professor Will.