#rememberingTonyDiego Republic Act 9850 declares Arnis as the National Sport and Martial Art of the Philippines. This happened in December 2009. To this day, the committee in charge of coming up with the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) that would create a unified system of tournament rules, as well as the teaching methodology for public schools nationwide, remains inert. Worse, those who have spent their entire lives teaching Arnis, and helping it become the global phenomenon that it is now, remain obscure, destitute, and ignored. Some of them even get their dignity stripped off by asshole students from abroad who do not pay them, demand certificates, and even sweet talk their instructors in to stating on video that they are the only legitimate instructors of that teachers system. Then they go back home and make money from teaching that system, and they dont even bother sending something back to their teacher. Grand Master Tony Diego Kalis Ilustrisimo was one of the most revered instructors of our National Martial Art. He was a very important and iconic figure in the FMA world. He, too, was victim of such distasteful, condescending behavior. He lived a difficult life, lost his home, his belongings, and finally, his life. He deserved more recognition and dignity, but circumstances just didnt allow for what he truly deserved to go his way. The least we can do, especially those who learned from him and considered him a friend, is to honor his memory. And to those who are in a position to do something about the living conditions and financial situation of these Cultural Treasures of the Philippines: Please, once and for all, let go of your egos, get your heads together, come up with the IRR. You are doing more harm than good to the National Martial Art and to your respective communities by maintaining the status quo.
Posted on: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 00:56:19 +0000
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