Professor Tom Bolden

     Sifu/Guro Tom Bolden was first introduced to the martial arts in the form of Marine Corps hand to hand combat training, which was comprised of knife and bayonet fighting strategies, and components of karate and combat judo. This was in 1962 while in Marine Corps Basic Training at Parris Island, South Carolina and during Advanced Infantry Training at Camp Geiger, North Carolina. In early 1963 after the completion of Basic and Advanced Training, Sifu/Guro Bolden was stationed at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, with the 8th Marine Infantry Regiment. While at Camp LeJeune he participated in ongoing hand-to-hand combat training and studied Shorin Ryu Karate at the Base Karate Club. One of Sifu/Guro Bolden's senior classmates at the club was, now renown Shorin Ryu Karate Master, Glen Primu.
     In 1964 Sifu/Guro 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 at 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 involving the traditional role of playing "The Opponent" during demonstrations, while providing the rare privilege to receive esoteric 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 had been privileged to formally study them. However, Sifu/Guro Bolden would later learn that many of the knife and bayonet fighting strategies and techniques used in Marine Corps hand to hand combat training, had first been taught to American military units serving in The Philippines during World War II, by attached Filipino scouts who were proficient in Kali, Eskrima and Arnis.
     Eskrima practice with Sifu/Guro Pancipanci 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 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 Korean Master Paul Cho, while continuing to train in Kenpo and Eskrima. Sifu/Guro Bolden earned the 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" on the local (Poughkeepsie, NY) Public Access Cable Television Channel. This was the first television program of its kind ever to be aired in the area.
     Over the next several years Sifu/Guro Bolden studied various other martial art systems including Aikido, Tai Chi Chaun (Grand Master Da Liu and Issac 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 Sifu/Guro Pancipanci now added Tai Chi Chaun and Chi Kung to the training regiment. 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 Grandmaster of Balintawak Eskrima, Venancio Anciong Bacon. In 1986 Sifu/Guro Bolden started one of the first Modern Arnis Schools in New York State, and in 1987 he opened The Mid-Hudson Valley Modern Arnis Development Center in Highland, New York. 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 a 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.
     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 the 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 in general.
     "American Modern Arnis" embraces modern as well as traditional teaching and training methods. American Modern Arnis, a collateral system of Modern Arnis, is a reflection of Sifu/Guro Bolden's own personality and over three decades of study, research and training in various martial art systems, as well as other disciplines such as science, engineering and dance. American Modern Arnis embraces the Modern Arnis philosophy of eclecticism, and by using the Filipino Martial Art principle of flow, integrates principles and concepts from various styles such as Panci Panci Eskrima, Balintawak Eskrima, Crossada, Cinco Terros, Palis Palis, Ocho Ocho, Redonda, Elastico, Espada y Daga, Hawaiian Kenpo, Tai Chi Chaun, Silat, Jujitsu, Dumog, Capoeira and others. Flow is the glue, which ties it all together and allows it to work as an effective, highly refined and totally integrated combat art.
     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" for the purpose of educating the public regarding the topic of choosing 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 an exciting year for Sifu/Guro Bolden, he continued his annual seminar tour and released his first videotape "The World Of American Modern Arnis".
     In 1996 Sifu/Guro Bolden 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 Life Time Achievement Award" for 35 years of study and training in the martial arts.
     Sifu/Guro Bolden was very busy in 1997. He continued his Filipino Martial Arts Instructional Tour and his "Recognizing Quality In The Martial Arts" lecture series. He demonstrated The Filipino Martial Arts at the New England Martial Arts Expo, which was held in Danbury, Connecticut and was also honored by the "World Hall Of Fame Sokeship Council", which inducted him into the International Martial Arts Hall Of Fame as "Master Instructor Of The Year".
     From 1998 until the present Sifu/Guro Bolden has continued to promote The Filipino Martial Art through his ongoing seminars and training programs.
     In addition to those who have been previously mentioned, other teachers whom Sifu/Guro Bolden would like to thank for having given valued martial arts knowledge and insight over the years include, Cherie Barnier (Tai Chi Chaun and Chi Kung), Sifu/Guro Dan Inosanto (Kali, JKD, Silat), Professor Wally Jay (Small Circle Ju Jit Su) and Grand Master Bobby Taboada (Balintawak Eskrima Cuentada System).