Evan Pantazi's "Tribute to the Masters"
November 13, 1999
Evan
Pantazi's "Tribute" was as much a tribute to Evan's hard work and to his
popularity within the martial art's community as it was to the seniors he honored. In our
fragmented and often confusing segment of society, it was nice to see so many divergent
martial artist being able to get together and share their talents with one another. Not
once did I hear anyone boast about how tough their style was or tales of individual or
stylistic superiority. Just 175 men and women eager to expand their knowledge of the
martial arts.
Everyone has heard of Leon Jay, Remy Presas, Ed Melaugh and George Dillman. They truly are the pioneers of a new breed "Americanized" martial art. Strongly based on traditional Asian arts, their styles have evolved into new highbred systems, retaining individual stylistic basics while incorporating shared root elements that make what most dojo practice appear quite primitive.
Watching and working with the presenters was a rewarding experience. I can't count the number of times I found myself saying, "Yes, I can see how that relates to Uechi-ryu". Participating in this workshop was like discovering a dictionary of lost martial art definitions, enabling the practitioners to understand formally obscure movements and techniques with a completely new level of understanding.
The demonstrations were nothing short of phenomenal. You haven't seen Jujitsu until you watch Ed Melaugh effortlessly control his opponent with surgical precision and ballet-like grace. Leon Jay, like his famous father Wally, is a gifted martial artist with a sense of humor and effective teaching style. Remy Presas is a quiet yet formidable fighter. Watching him and his students work with sticks and knifes make the impossible appear simple. George Dillman is an enigma. You either love him or hate him. He is the person credited with the popularization of the art of Kyushu. He freely states that many people have helped him along this controversial road. Regardless of whether you choose to explore your system using the Dillman roadmap or not, you cannot help but sense he is on to something and that at some point in each style's history, students knew and practiced what he has discovered. Perhaps the secretive nature of the martial arts and the potentially dangerous nature of the techniques resulted in the modified and watered down versions of what is being practiced today.
Rediscover of the hidden layers of our martial arts has been a difficult and long journey for Dillman. It is obviously a journey that is not completed or not without it's flaws. But after meeting with him and spending a couple of days watching him in action, one has to marvel at his energy, sincerity and dedication to the job at hand. One senses that if anyone can unravel the ancient secrets of the martial arts, Dillman is the man!
Thank you Evan, for including me as part of the "Tribute". I will always remember this evening and the kind words you said during the presentation. Looking forward to working with you once again at Camp2000.
George E. Mattson
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Copyright 1999, Eastern Arts & Humanities Center, Inc. All rights reserved