On Feb 7th 2010 Krzysztof Kruczyński officially resigned as the chief of ARMA-PL. His reasons are explained in an attached letter which is a direct translation of his post on ARMA-PL forum. This resignation was met with a response from John Clements, where the ARMA Director issued a challenge to Krzysztof and anyone whom he wished to bring during his visit in Poland in September 2010. This response is also attached below.
More than 20 people were ready to take up this challenge. New chief of ARMA-PL – Maciej Talaga – did everything to accommodate the needs of John Clements and to organize the meeting in Warsaw where such an event could take place. He also tried to negotiate the rules under which the fights would be fought, but this correspondence did not receive a reply. When everything was almost ready (a gym was rented, accommodation arranged, and money for air ticket collected), on Aug 1st John Clements unexpectedly cancelled his seminar and event in Poland, citing his business travel to Denmark as an excuse.
We were present both in Rzeszow (where we took part in the 2nd World Scientific Congress of Martial Arts and Combat Sports) and in Warsaw (on excellent event organized by Maciej Talaga), waiting for the possibility of meeting John Clements, but to no avail. ARMA Director – the person who issued a challenge, set the dates and place – was missing, and, more importantly, to this day has not shown any intent to pursue this issue to its resolution.
However, coming from the nation with long tradition of gentlemanly and honourable conduct, we take such challenges to heart, and do not consider them trifle matters.
Thereby we wish to inform anyone whom it might concern, that whenever John Clements comes to Europe to hold a seminar, some of us still intend to take him up on the challenge that he himself issued and failed to live up to, hoping sincerely that he will not withdraw again.
Jan Chodkiewicz, Fechtschule Gdańsk, Vice-president of FEDER
Krzysztof Kruczyński, former Chief of ARMA-PL, Vice-president of FEDER
Maciej Talaga, Chief of ARMA-PL
Bartłomiej Walczak, founder and former Chief of ARMA-PL
Adam Marek, President of FEDER – Polish Federation of Historical European Martial Arts
Tomasz Maziarz, Ringschule Wrocław, Vice-president of FEDER
Marcin Surdel, Vectir Gliwice, Vice-president of FEDER
ARMA Poland Chief Krzysztof Kruczyński Resignation
febuary 2010
(this is a corrected translation of the original post, a link below leads to the original version of translation)
(…)Welcome,
And goodbye. On the 7th of February I officially resigned from membership in ARMA and as a consequence I am not the ARMA-PL chief anymore.
What convinced me to make such a sudden and unexpected decision? The person of John Clements. His lack of modesty was very hard to me and finally become unbearable. John, who without doubts has knowledge and skills, didn’t let himself be verified. He closed himself in his Organization and does not let in anybody from other organizations, and for his students it is hard to beat their Master. So John is “invincible” and likes to underscore that. Personally it bothers me, I was raised in a different way.
Also what is worrying me is the direction in which ARMA drifts. I don’t see any specific goal which my ex-School wants achieve. I agree that sometimes a breakthrough discovery happens, i.e. frequens motus is really good and helpful in combat. The problem is that I was learning the same stuff a year earlier at the FEDER Camp in Srebrna Góra. And nobody tried to keep it secret.
The Big Secret, meaning the ARMA concealment of its “breakthrough” discoveries was another aspect which tired me. Everything was confidential and nothing could be told to anyone. Personally my opinion is that it is the sharing of knowledge that is the key to reconstruct HEMA, no matter the logo that someone wears.
KK Resignation PDF:
http://www.arma.lh.pl/smf/index.php?act ... attach=523
John Clements ARMA Director Challenge
february 2010
(emphasis added)
(...)
Since you have absurdly asserted publicly that I, who have been practicing
martial arts literally since before you were born, am somehow avoiding
encounters with outsiders, I invite you to come and match me in person when
I visit Poland in September 2010. Bring anyone you choose. I will show you
exactly why I am the expert I am at armed fighting arts --- something I
might point out has been attested to both on video and in audio by the very
ex students now influencing you.
I look forward to crossing weapons with anyone who questions the skills I
have demonstrated in 14 countries and which have earned me the reputation I
have --- the same expertise which trained the very people whose spell you
have now sadly fallen under.
So, if the new anti-ARMA mantra by disgruntled and bitter ex members is to
be that I am avoiding sparring non members, bring it on. It will be fun to
see who avoids whom.
(...)
J.C Answer PDF: http://www.arma.lh.pl/smf/index.php?act ... attach=399
ARMA –PL Forum topic : http://www.arma.lh.pl/smf/index.php?topic=327.0
