Inducted into the A.M.A.H.O.F.(Inc) for 2008
Life-Time Achievement – Modern Arnis
Inducted into the W.K.U.H.O.F. for 2008
Life-Time Achievement – Modern Arnis
Master Rodel Lakan Walo (8th Degree Black Belt – Modern Arnis) was 14th of July, 1949, in San Rafael, Ilo-ilo, Philippines, and introduced into Arnis at a young age of 14. Both his parents and brothers would summon him every afternoon to teach him a technique or two. By sundown, he’s got his arms tainted with bruises, making him hate the sticks at first. Training then was quite informal, and the system was not known. They merely call it “œbaston”, referring to the sticks being used. Such was the scenario for Master Rodel every afternoon. Naturally, as a boy, he did not appreciate it at all. That’s why he enrolled in a gym in his hometown Ilo-ilo to study Shotokan Karate, where he earned a greenbelt rank in 1968.
When he moved in Manila in 1970, he continued to practice Karate at the National Amateur Karate Organization (NAKO), and there he earned his blackbelt ahead of Arnis (at present, he holds the rank of 5th Degree Blackbelt in Shotokan). NAKO happens to share the same office with the Modern Arnis Federation of the Philippines (MAFP). There, an eternal friendship between a genuine Arnis Grandmaster and a loyal disciple was born. Master Rodel came to know the late Grand Master Remy Amador Presas, and was convinced by the latter to focus on Arnis instead. They happen to come from two different provinces that speak one common dialect. “Ilonggo, magkababayan, ika nga”. Master Rodel was even prodded to stay at the gym and serve as a utility boy in exchange for studying Arnis which he did! After two years of practice, he earned his blackbelt (Lakan) in Arnis in 1972 and went on to become one of the Grandmaster’s top students and was even designated to assist in the teaching of Modern Arnis.
When Grandmaster Remy Presas left for US in 1985, Master Rodel was among those given the authority to propagate Modern Arnis. But he was the only one who did! Most of his contemporaries went out to declare autonomy already. “What I do to my teacher could be done by my students as well, so I prefer to stick it out with Ninong Remy. After all, loyalty begets loyalty'” he would explain to his students from time to time. In 1978, when he first left to exhibit Arnis in Osaka, Japan, he had no idea he would be starting a career as an International Modern Arnis Instructor. He started traveling country to country from then on. When Grand Master Remy returned to Manila in 1994, the rank of Master or Lakan Anim (6th Degree Blackbelt) was conferred unto Master Rodel, and was witnessed by the late Grandmaster Edgar Sulite. Grandmaster Sulite once kidded him -œif you go teach Arnis abroad, why propagate Modern Arnis? You’re not making yourself famous with that? You’re only helping the already established Grandmaster Remy Presas even more.” And luckily, his patience, perseverance, and faith in God all paid off. Various invitations and citations poured out in his mail box. Especially, when he earned the moniker ‘small -hand grenade’ in Australia. In 1997, he was named Master Instructor of the Year by the World head of Family Spokeship Council International Hall of Fame in Florida, USA. To date, he has visited countries like Australia, Israel, Italy, Brunei, Spain, South America Japan, Mexico, Thailand, Germany, and the various states of the US. In 1999, the late Grandmaster Remy Presas promoted him to Lakan Walo (8th Degree Blackbelt ), perhaps the most given to any of his loyal students. It was witnessed by the huge crowd Martial Arts aficionados in a big gathering in Rizal Park, Manila. And in the year 2003, he was awarded in the 18th Parangal ng Bayan Awards for his contributions in Sports in Makati, Philippines.
Aside from being the Chairman of the Board of Arnis Association International Inc., he is also one of the Senior Master Guro of Modern Arnis Remy P. Presas International Organization (MARPPIO), an international Arnis organization created to carry out the late Grandmaster Remy Presas. Master Rodel believes it is necessary to share his aims and goals as follows:
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- To be able to learn and teach Arnis-the art of Filipino Stick Fighting.
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- To promote and regulate Arnis International as a Physical Education and as an art.
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- To develop and train qualified instructors, players, and officials in Arnis throughout the world.
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- To integrate cooperation with the national government programs internationally on the youth development through active participation in the Arnis sports Activity.
The sports of Arnis promote discipline, sportsmanship, loyalty, etiquette, self-control, and self-confidence. This is considered as the Six Cardinal rules of Arnis; it is an art of the Philippines and is as well represented by Senior Master Rodel.
EDUCATION:
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- Secondary / Vocational Cert. & Colleges, Iloilo School of Arts and Trades Automotive Mechanic in 1970.
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- National College of Physical Education, P.E. Second Year 1974- 1976
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- Technological Institute of the Philippines, Marine Engineer 1st Year 1979
MARTIAL ARTS EXPERIENCES:
| 1972-1980 | Arnis Instructor, Modern Arnis Federation of the Philippines, Manila |
| 1972-1980 | Karate Instructor, National Amateur Karate Organization In Association with Shotokan Philippines, Manila |
| 1972-1985 | Arnis Coach, Modern Arnis federation of the Philippines (MAFP), National Amateur Karate Organization (NAKO), Ilo-Ilo Chapter |
| 1973 | Arnis Coach Philippine Air Force Rifle Batallion |
| 1976 | Arnis / Karate Instructor in Private Sector, Composite Military Police Brigade (MP), Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City |
| 1976 | Arnis Instructor (DECS):
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| 1977 | Arnis / Karate Instructor in Private Sector, Philippine Coast Guard, Parola, Manila |
| 1978 | Official Delegate of the Philippines, Osaka International Trade Fair, Osaka, Japan |
| 1981 | Arnis Coach Philippine Navy Military Police, Sangley Point, Cavite City |
| 1981 | Arnis Coach Philippine Marine Provost Marshal, Fort Bonifacio, Makati City |
| 1981 | Arnis / Karate Instructor King Cobra Fighting Society, Darwin, N.T., Australia |
| 1981 | Arnis Instructor Nolonbhoy Police Force, Nolonbhoy Gove, Australia |
| 1981 | Arnis instructor Kormelda College, Darwin Australia |
| 1981 | Arnis P.E. Instructor, Darwin High School, Darwin, Australia |
| 1981-1995 | Arnis Intructor, Martial Arts Training Center of the Philippines, Manila |
| 1982 | Arnis instructor, Rusty Santos and Roland Dantes fitness Center, Manila, |
| 1982-1990 | Karate Instructor, World Korean Karate Jut-su Federation, Manila Chapter |
| 1983-1985 | Arnis Instructor, Young Women Christian association (YWMCA), Manila |
| 1985 | Arnis Instructor, Western Police District Station Mobile Patrol, Western Police District (WPD), Manila, Philippines |
| 1986 | Arnis Instructor, Far Eastern University Security Department, Manila |
| 1987 | Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Brisbane University, Australia |
| 1987 | Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Townsville, Australia |
| 1990 | Arnis Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Department of Education Culture and Sports (DECS):
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| 1991 | Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Brunei Darussalam |
| 1991 | International Judge / Referee, South East Asian Games (SEA Games) Manila |
| 1992 | Instructor / Arnis Seminar, International Goju Karatedo, Melbourne, Australia |
| 1994 | Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Okinawati Satellite, Mexico City |
| 1994 | Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Madrid Police Force, Madrid, Spain |
| 1994 | Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Tasmania, Australia |
| 1994- Present | Arnis Chief Instructor, Arnis Association International, Inc. Manila |
| 1995 | Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Jerusalem, Israel |
| 1997 | Sokeship Hall of Fame Awardee As Master Instructor of the Year 1997, Universal Studios, Florida, U.S.A. |
| 1997 | Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Australia |
| 1998 | Arnis Instructor, Department of Health (DOH), Manila, Philippines |
| 1999 | Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Street Grappling Academy, Asti, Italy |
| 1999 | Arnis Demonstration, 4th World Muay Thai Championship, Bangkok, Thailand |
| 1999 | Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Artesport Academia International (Jeet Kune Do) Asti, Italy |
| 2000 | Arnis Instructor, Defense Intelligence Security Group (DISG), Department of National Defense (DND), Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Philippines |
| 2000-2002 | Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Modern Arnis Remy P. Presas International Organization (MARPIO), Series of seminars in U.S.A. |
| 2003 | Parangal ng Bayan Awardee for Sports, 18th Parangal ng Bayan Awards, Makati, Philippines |
| 2005 | Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Deutschen Arnis Verbanes (DAV), Dortmund, Germany |
| 2006 | Instructor, 3rd Filipino Martial Arts Festival (FMA) Tagaytay City, Philippines |
| 2006 | Arnis Chief Instructor, Arnis Association. International. Inc., Taal, Batangas Chapter |
| 2006 | Resource Person, World Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) Festival, Tagaytay City, Cavite, Philippines |
| 2007 | Arnis Seminar, Radcliffe Queensland, Australia |
| 2008 | Arnis Training, Mansalay Police Station, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro |
| 2008 | Arnis Training, Pinamalayan Police, 410th Provincial Mobile Group Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines |