BIOGRAPHY
SIFU/PUNONG GURO TOM BOLDEN
FOUNDER and PRESIDENT
AMERICAN MODERN ARNIS ASSOCIATES


Punong 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, Punong 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 Punong Guro Bolden's senior classmates at the club was, now renowned Shorin Ryu Karate Master, Glen Primu.

In 1964 Punong 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. Professor Tiwanak had also been a world class boxer who had fought for the world title in the 1940s. Shortly after Sifu/Guro Bolden's arrival in Hawaii, a CHA-3 Kenpo Club Branch was formed at Camp Smith by Filipino Master Florentino Pancipanci, a Black Belt Instructor under Professor Tiwanak. Thrilled at the idea of being able to train on the Base, Punong 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 Master 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, Master Pancipanci chose Punong 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 Master Pancipanci introduced Punong 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, Punong 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 Master 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. Punong Guro Bolden trained diligently and in 1966 Master Pancipanci promoted him to Assistant Instructor of the Camp Smith CHA-3 Kenpo Club.

A few months after his promotion to Assistant Instructor, Punong 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, He served as a Platoon Commander and taught Kenpo and hand to hand combat to Marine trainees. Punong 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 Punong 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. Punong 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 Punong 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 Punong 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 Master Pancipanci. However, in addition to Kenpo and Eskrima Master Pancipanci now added Tai Chi Chaun and Chi Kung to the training regiment. In 1978 Master Pancipanci promoted Punong 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 Punong Guro Bolden met and became a personal student of Grand Master Remy Presas, founder of Modern Arnis. In addition to having studied various other martial art disciplines, Grand Master Presas was also a Balintawak student of the Great Grandmaster of Balintawak Eskrima, Venancio Anciong Bacon. In 1986 Punong 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 Punong 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 were very busy and rewarding for Punong 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). The AMAA is an organization dedicated to the continual development and propagation of "American Modern Arnis" (his personal adaptation of Modern Arnis) and to advancing high standards of excellence in the Filipino Martial Arts in general.

"American Modern Arnis" is a collaterial system of Modern Arnis which embraces modern as well as traditional teaching and training methods. It is a reflection of Punong Guro Bolden's own personality and over four decades of study, research and training in various martial art systems, as well as other disciplines such as Science, Engineering, Music and Dance. Like Modern Arnis, "American Modern Arnis" embraces the philosophy of eclecticism and by using the Filipino Martial Art principle of flow, integrates principles and concepts from various styles. These styles include Pancianci 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 Punong 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 regarding the topic of choosing 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 Punong 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 Punong Guro Bolden, he continued his annual seminar tour and released his Ground Breaking 1st video tape "The World Of American Modern Arnis" (The Art, The Science, The Spirit). In 1996 Punong 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.

Punong Guro Bolden was very busy during the period from 1997 - 2000. He demonstrated the Filipino Martial Arts at the 1997 New England Martial Arts Expo which was held in Danbury, Connecticut. He 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” for 1997. During this period he continued his Filipino Martial Arts Instructional Tour and did joint seminars with such notable as Al Tracy, Roberto Torres & Bobby Taboada. He continued his "Recognizing Quality In The Martial Arts" lecture series and in 2000, started production of his 2nd video tape “The World Of American Modern Arnis” (American Modern Arnis In Action).

The year 2001 was one of the most memorable of Punong Guro Bolden’s 40+ year martial arts career. He was inducted into Action Martial Arts Magazine’s Hall Of Fame and was awarded “The Spirit Award” for dedication to the martial arts. Punong Guro Bolden was also invited by Grand Master Al Tracy to attend the 2001 Kenpo Gathering Of Eagles to share his unusual knowledge and insights into the Eskrima legacy of Hawaiian Kenpo. Punong Guro Bolden conducted a series of seminars entitled “Connecting The Systems, Hawaiian Kenpo & Eskrima”.

The "Connecting The Systems" seminars were some of the most popular conducted at The Gathering, with the high point coming when Punong Guro Bolden’s teacher’s teacher, The legendary Adriano Emperado (Founder of Kajukenbo), attended one of his seminars. Another high point for Punong Guro Bolden was when he was awarded the title and status of “Senior Master Of Kenpo & Eskrima” by The Grand Master’s Council of Ten Grand Masters, including Sijo Adriano Emperado. The awards ceremony was witnessed by hundreds in attendance including such martial arts notables as Chosei Motobu, Eric Lee, Al Dascascos, Al Tracy, Adriano Emperado, James Ibrao, Ralph Castro, Larry Tatum, Alan Abad, Ted Tabura, Joseph Simonet, Max Pallen and others.

From 2002 until the present Punong Guro Bolden has continued to promote the Filipino Martial Arts through his ongoing classes, seminars, and camps. He also demonstrated American Modern Arnis at the 2003 International Modern Arnis Symposium which was held in Buffalo, New York.

In addition to those who have been previously mentioned, other teachers whom Punong 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), Grand Master Bobby Taboada (Balintawak Eskrima Cuentada System) and Grand Master Crispulo Ising Atillo (Atillo Balintawak Arnis, Eskrima System).

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