Professor “Vee” (Florendo Visitacion) 1910–1999

“Professor “V”, the 125 pound Dynamo”

Standing 5 feet 2 inches and never weighing more than 125 pounds, Mr. Visitacion, who was known within the martial arts community as Professor Vee, hardly inspired dread in street clothes. His accomplishments and reputation quickly belied this foolhardy and short lived initial assessment.

He was the son of sharecropper on the island of Ilocos Norte in the Philippines. It was not uncommon for practitioners of various schools of self defense to teach their techniques as they traveled through the countryside; and it was from such wandering tutors that Mr. Visitacion learned his basic skills.

In 1926, Mr. Visitacion left home for Hawaii, and then to Stockton, California. In the next 12 years he followed the crops and traveled within the large Filipino community, continually studying martial arts disciplines such as jujitsu, escrima, knife fighting, and arnis, or stick fighting. At the outset of WWII, he enlisted in the US Army and served as a medic. Upon discharge he settled in New York, obtained a high school diploma, and took several college courses. He sought out a variety of teachers: notably Charles Nelson, specialist in unarmed combat; Kiyose Nakae, jujitsu master; Jerome Mackey, judo champion; Swami Vragiananda, proponent of Varmannie, an Indian school of fighting. In 1960 Visitacion joined the American Judo and Jujitsu Federation, and was appointed a director. During a trip to an AJJF Conference, he met and began a life-long friendship with Professor Wally Jay, renowned grandmaster of Small Circle Jujitsu. He also befriended the late Raymond Tabosa, noted master of the Filipino martial art, Kali. With a renewed interest in Filipino martial arts, he began a 10-year study of Arnis Lanada under Master Amante Marinas, with additional techniques from Grandmaster Remy Presas.

In 1967, his form of martial art, a discipline referred to as a system of systems called Vee-jitsu, was recognized as a distinct discipline by the American Judo and Jujitsu Federation. He was awarded a 10th-degree black belt based on his demonstration of Vee-jitsu and given the title of professor. He later resigned from AJJF, believing its discipline was too lax. As interest in martial arts soared in the US, he gained near legendary status and was referred to as Professor Vee or Grandmaster.

In 1978, the Arnis America Organization headed by Grandmaster Leo Gaje, a noted expert in Pekiti Tirsia, gave him the Datu award in recognition for his work in promoting Filipino martial arts. Five years later, he received the prestigious instructor’s rank from Master Marinas and the World Arnis Federation. He opened and closed martial art books stores and dojos in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx, often taking on disciples without fee.

Mr. Visitacion died on January 4, 1999. His martial art continues to flourish thanks largely to the effort of David James, former senior student, and the present chief instructor of the Vee Arnis Jitsu School of New York.

“If on a subway someone pushes you or sprawls across two seats, do not act as if it matters. Understand the person's problem and walk away. Confronting or beating him will not educate or reform him, nor is it our place to do so.''

To learn more about his style of Vee-Arnis-Jitsu, please check out the first DVD of a 9 part series by clicking the photo below.