Grand Master Rodel Lakan Walo (8th Degree Black Belt - Modern Arnis) was born in July 14, 1949, in San Rafael, Ilo-ilo, Philippines, and was introduced to Arnis at the young age of 14. Both his parents and brothers would summon him every afternoon to teach him a technique or two. By sundown, his arms were bruised, making him hate the sticks at first. Training then lacked a formal system. They merely called it "Å"baston", referring to the sticks being used. Such was the scenario for Master Rodel every afternoon. Naturally, as a boy, he did was not too enthusiastic about it. He later enrolled in a gym in his hometown to study Shotokan Karate, where he earned a greenbelt rank in 1968. When he moved to 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 happened 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 his skills on Arnis instead. They happened to come from two different provinces that spoke one common dialect. "Ilonggo, magkababayan, ika nga". Master Rodel was convinced to stay at the gym as a utility boy in exchange for studying Arnis! After two years of training, 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 the US in 1985, Master Rodel was among those given the authority to propagate Modern Arnis. But he was the only one who actually pursued it as most of his contemporaries went out to declare 'autonomy' instead. "What I did to my teacher could be done by my students 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 from 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 -Å"if 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 paid off. Various invitations and citations poured into his mailbox. He even 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 such as Australia, Israel, Italy, Brunei, Spain, Japan, Mexico, Thailand, Germany, and the US. In 1999, the late Grandmaster Remy Presas promoted him to Lakan Walo (8th Degree Blackbelt ), perhaps the highest accolade given to a student of his. It was witnessed by a huge crowd Martial Arts aficionados in a big gathering in Rizal Park, Manila. In 2003, he was bestowed an award at the 18th Parangal ng Bayan Awards for his contributions to Sports. 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: To be able to learn and teach Arnis-the art of Filipino Stick Fighting. To promote and regulate Arnis International as a Physical Education and as an art. To develop and train qualified instructors, players, and officials in Arnis throughout the world. To integrate cooperation with national government programs internationally on youth development through active participation in the Arnis sports activity. The sport of Arnis aims to promote discipline, sportsmanship, loyalty, etiquette, self-control, and self-confidence. This is considered the Six Cardinal Rules of Arnis; it is a unique art form from the Philippines. EDUCATION: Secondary / Vocational Cert. & Colleges, Iloilo School of Arts and Trades Automotive Mechanic in 1970. National College of Physical Education, P.E. Second Year 1974- 1976 Technological Institute of the Philippines, Marine Engineer 1st Year 1979 MARTIAL ARTS EXPERIENCE: 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): Ifugao Agricultural And Technical Institute Mountain Province Angeles Technical School, Angeles City Castillejos High School, Zambales Central Luzon State University, Muñoz, Nueva Ecija 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 Arnis Coach Philippine Marine Provost Marshal, Fort Bonifacio, Makati City Arnis / Karate Instructor King Cobra Fighting Society, Darwin, N.T., Australia Arnis Instructor Nolonbhoy Police Force, Nolonbhoy Gove, Australia Arnis instructor Kormelda College, Darwin Australia 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 Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Townsville, Australia 1990 Arnis Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Department of Education Culture and Sports (DECS): Teacher’s Camp, Baguio City; Echo Tech, Cebu City; General Santos High School, General Santos City; Pagadian High School, Pagadian City 1991 Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Brunei Darussalam 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 Instructor / Arnis Seminar, Madrid Police Force, Madrid, Spain 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. 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 Arnis Demonstration, 4th World Muay Thai Championship, Bangkok, Thailand 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 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 Arnis Training, Pinamalayan Police, 410th Provincial Mobile Group Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines