|
Sifu/Guro Tom Bolden | |
|---|---|
|
|
Sifu/Guro Tom Bolden | |
|---|---|
|
Sifu/Guro Bolden is nationally recognized as a leading teacher of the Filipino Martial Arts with 35 years of martial arts experience. He holds Master Level Teacher Certification in Chinese/Hawaiian Kenpo and the Filipino Martial Arts of Eskrima, Arnis and Arnis de Mano. In 1993 Sifu/Guro Bolden was inducted into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame as Instructor of the Year. In 1994 Sifu/Guro Bolden was again inducted into the Hall of Fame as Master Arnis Instructor of the Year, giving him the rare honor and distinction of being a two time inductee.
Sifu/Guro Tom Bolden was formally introduced to the martial arts (Combat Judo and Bayonet Fighting) in 1962 while in the Marine Corps Basic Training at Parris Island, South Carolina. Early in 1963, after the completion of basic training, he was stationed at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, with the 8th Marine Infantry Regiment. While at Camp LeJeune, he participated in ongoing Marine Corps training in hand-to-hand combat and studied Shorin Ryu Karate at the Base Karate Club. One of Sifu/Guro Bolden's senior classmates at the club was the now renowned Shorin Ryu Karate Master Glen Primu.
In 1964 Bolden was transferred to Camp H.M. Smith, Oahu, Hawaii, where he served with the Guard and Military Police Unit. While in Hawaii he studied Chinese Hawaiian Kenpo/Kajukenbo with the Central Hawaiian Activities Association-3 (CHA-3) Kenpo Club, headquartered in Aiea, Oahu, Hawaii. The CHA-3 Kenpo Club was headed by Professor Marino Tiwanak - the first Black Belt student of the legendary Adriano Emperado, founder of Kajukenbo. Shortly after Sifu/Guro Bolden's arrival in Hawaii, a CHA-3 Kenpo Club Branch was formed at Camp Smith by Sifu/Guro Florentino Pancipanci, a Senior Black Belt Instructor under Professor Tiwanak. Thrilled by the idea of being able to train on the Base, Sifu/Guro Bolden was one of the first to join the Camp Smith CHA-3 Kenpo Club, thus becoming a Charter Member. The CHA-3 Kenpo training regiment was rigorous and consisted of nightly classes at either Camp Smith with Sifu/Guro Pancipanci or at the Headquarters School in Aiea, with Professor Tiwanak. On weekends, special field sessions were often conducted which covered elements such as situational and environmental combat training.
After several months of Kenpo training, Sifu/Guro Pancipanci chose Sifu/Guro Bolden as his Assistant Student. This was a position of trust and involved the traditional role of playing "The Opponent" during demonstrations, as well as being given privileged knowledge and special training. It was in this capacity that Sifu/Guro Pancipanci introduced Sifu/Guro Bolden to his family art of Eskrima. This was the mid-sixties when few non-Filipinos had ever heard of the Filipino Martial Arts and even fewer were privileged to study them. Practice was always done behind closed doors and would often take place at Camp Smith after Kenpo class had been dismissed and the other students had left. Training would involve the use of tightly rolled and taped newspaper as well as sticks and knives, with translations to empty hand self-defense. Many of the empty hand concepts were the same as those taught in Kenpo, except that here they were always related to the weapons. Sifu/Guro Bolden trained diligently and in 1966 Sifu/Guro Pancipanci promoted him to Assistant Instructor of the Camp Smith CHA-3 Kenpo Club.
A few months after his promotion to Assistant Instructor, Sifu/Guro Bolden was transferred back to the mainland where he was assigned to the 1st Infantry Training Regiment at Camp Geiger, North Carolina. While at Camp Geiger, Sifu/Guro Bolden served as a Platoon Commander and taught Kenpo and hand-to-hand combat to Marine trainees.
Sifu/Guro Bolden was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in late 1966 and, in 1967, enrolled in the Engineering Program at Savannah State College, in Savannah, Georgia. While a student at the college, he formed the first Martial Arts Club in the school's history, and taught Kenpo there until his graduation in 1970.
Following graduation Sifu/Guro Bolden relocated to the Mid Hudson Valley Region in upstate New York to work as an engineer with IBM Corporation. Shortly after his arrival he began studying Tae Kwon Do (Ju Di Kwan) with the Korean Master Paul Cho, while continuing his training in Kenpo and Eskrima. Sifu/Guro Bolden earned his Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do in 1973, and for the next year, taught classes in Kenpo and Tae Kwon Do at the State University of New York at New Paltz. In 1974 Sifu/Guro Bolden wrote, directed and starred in a ten week self defense series, "Self Defense Workshop", in the local Public Access Cable Television Channel in Poughkeepsie, NY. This was the first television program of its kind ever to be carried in the area.
Over the next several years Sifu/Guro Bolden studied various other martial arts systems including Aikido, Tai Chi Chuan (Grand Master Da Liu and Isaac Student), Fu Jow Pai Kung Fu (Sifu Wo Look), Capoeira Regional (Mestre Ubira Almeida Jara) and Capoeira Angola (Grand Mestre Joa Grande and Mestre Nego Gato). He continued his Kenpo and Eskrima development by traveling back to Hawaii to train with Sifu/Guro Pancipanci. However, in addition to Kenpo and Eskrima training, Sifu/Guro Pancipanci now added Tai Chi Chuan and Chi Kung to the training regimen. In 1978 Sifu/Guro Pancipanci promoted Sifu/Guro Bolden to Full Instructor in Kenpo and Assistant Instructor in Eskrima, making him one of only a few instructors of Pancipanci Eskrima in the world.
In 1984 Sifu/Guro Bolden met and became a personal student of Grand Master Remy Presas, founder of Modern Arnis and one of only a few living students of the Great Grand Master of Balintawak Eskrima, Venancio Anciong Bacon. In 1987, Sifu/Guro Bolden opened one of the first schools of Modern Arnis, the Mid Hudson Valley Modern Arnis Development Center, in New York State at Highland. Under his leadership, the school became widely recognized as a center for technical and artistic excellence in Modern Arnis. During his tenure, Sifu/Guro Bolden earned the status of Senior Instructor of Modern Arnis. He served as Director and Head Instructor of the school until July of 1992, when he resigned in order to have the freedom to globally pursue and promote excellence and high ethical standards in Modern Arnis and the Filipino Martial Arts in general.
The several years following his resignation from the school have been very busy and rewarding for Sifu/Guro Bolden. In 1993 he was inducted into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame as "Instructor of the Year". The same year he also founded American Modern Arnis Associates (AMAA), a national organization dedicated to the purpose of propagating "American Modern Arnis", his personal adaptation of Modern Arnis, and advancing high standards of excellence in the Filipino Martial Arts.
American Modern Arnis reflects Sifu/Guro Bolden's own personality and his many years of study and training in various martial art styles, as well as other disciplines such as science, engineering, and dance. It embraces the Modern Arnis philosophy of eclecticism by integrating ideas and techniques from various martial arts styles (i.e. Abaniko, Balintawak, Crossada, Dumog, Espada y Daga, Palis Palis, Redonda, Elastico, Tai Chi Chuan, Kenpo and Silat) by using the Filipino Martial Art principle of "Flow". However the Art and Science of American Modern Arnis reflects the high degree of technical excellence and artistic sophistication which is characteristic of Pancipanci Eskrima.
In 1993 Sifu/Guro Bolden founded the American Modern Arnis Associates (AMAA), a national organization dedicated to the purpose of propagating and promoting American Modern Arnis and advancing high standards of excellence in the Filipino Martial Arts in general. The AMAA currently has affiliated schools in Connecticut and New York.
In 1994 Sifu/Guro Bolden initiated an annual National Seminar Tour to propagate American Modern Arnis and promote excellence in the Filipino Martial Arts. He also conducted a lecture series throughout the Northeast entitled "Recognizing Quality in the Martial Arts", to educate the public on how to choose a quality martial arts instructor and school. On the local level, he taught courses in American Modern Arnis at well known Vassar College located in Poughkeepsie, New York, and in the Poughkeepsie School Districts' Continuing Education Program. He also became actively involved in training peace officers and security personnel in American Modern Arnis
1994 was also the year in which Sifu/Guro Bolden was again inducted into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame, this time as "Master Arnis Instructor of the Year".
1995 was a busy year for Sifu/Guro Bolden as he continued his annual seminar tour and released his first video tape, "The World of American Modern Arnis". In 1996 he again conducted his annual seminar tour and was also honored by the World Christian Martial Arts Hall of Fame" which inducted him for the "Golden Lifetime Achievement Award" for his 35 years of study and training in the Martial Arts
Go to Sifu Bolden's Martial Arts lineage chart