Who's style of stick fighting did I like better, Remy's or Dan's?
Well to be honest I liked Remy's and Ernesto's systems as whole better than I liked Dan's.
Who is a better comunicator in getting across their system between Dan and Remy?
I would say Dan was (is).
Dan taught a lot of material in a short time frame and would mix in different arts to demonstrate or show what he was trying to teach. Remy would stay with his art and demonstrate many different varitions or endings to a particular technique and as Redfive stated he would be showing "it's all the same". Which was confusing for me (Now what are we working on?), I'd get lost trying to remember which ending or technique we were trying to do. With Dan I'd get confused "Now is this kali, bando, a shoot wrestling TD, or what?" It was hell taking notes.
What was different between both of them and why I said Dan was a better comunicator was that Dan would explain the principles behind the techniques, he use to instruct on the styles and the history behind the systems he was teahing from, so you felt connected to the material. Remy was never like that. In fact since the passing of Remy I believe I have received better instruction in his art than when he was alive. But I have seen no one in Modern Arnis who is as good as GM Remy, he was the man.
Remy was the real deal, he could in flow drills at a very fast speed press his students while talking and looking at the audience, and at his choosing when the partner touched him respond with a lock, a disarm, a hit, whatever he wanted right out of the blue WHAM, and the exchange was over.
This will probably get me some heat but... I'd say the difference was Remy's background developed a fighter first and he evolved into a teacher and instructor. Dan was a martial artist who was also a teacher so he knew how to coach and teach effectively.
Mark
