Kombatan
Encyclopedia
Kombatan is a Filipino martial arts
system. The head and founder of the system is Ernesto Presas
. The style is known for its double stick techniques but features other stick and blade techniques, as well as empty-hand methods.
Ernesto A. Presas Sr. was born in the coastal town of Hinigaran, Negros Occidental on 1945-05-20. At age 8 he began his martial arts
training under his father, Jose Presas, a well known escrima practitioner at that time. He went on to be an athlete in his college years, participating in various sports. His training in the martial arts is eclectic, having studied judo
, jujutsu
, karate
, and various forms of Filipino
and Japan
ese weaponry. He is currently a Lakan Sampu (10th Dan) in arnis
and Mano Mano (hand to hand combat) and holds a Lakan Walo (8th Dan) in Philippine Weaponry.
Remy and Ernesto Presas both recognized that the classical arts of their country were losing their appeal and therefore slowly dying. Both sought to modernize the native arts into an effective fighting system that would be appealing to martial arts students living in modern Filipino society. Their dream to re-introduce his native arts led to the development of Modern Arnis
. Ernesto Presas would later re-christen his version of the art Kombatan.
In 1970 he began to teach the Filipino martial arts in the University of the Philippines
and Lyceum of the Philippines. Later other classes expanded to the University of Santo Tomas, Central Colleges of the Philippines, the Far Eastern Military Academy, Philippine National Police Academy, and the Philippines Air Force Officer's School. Also in 1970 he was invited to Japan at Expo '70 to demonstrate Arnis. He quickly earned the respect of many of the Japanese masters who called his Art Filipino Kendo. After returning home, with the help of his friend Frederico Lazo, he opened his first club. Later he formed the Modern Arnis Association of the Philippines International and the ARJUKEN (which stands for Arnis, Jujutsu, Kendo) Karate Association to formally spread the art within the Philippines. In 1975 he founded the International Philippine Martial Arts Federation (IPMAF) and began to spread the Filipino art to the outside world. In time his Arnis Presas Style and techniques became widely accepted and adopted by countries in Europe, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Puerto Rico. He has also published numerous books and videos and has been featured on the cover of Inside Kung Fu magazine with the title "Ernesto Presas: The Father of Mano-Mano" (which art he created).
Ernesto Presas traveled the world teaching seminars to spread his art. Many visited the Philippines to take lessons from him in Manila
.
Major practitioners include: Ernesto Amador Presas (deceased), Fred Lazo (deceased), Ernesto Presas Jr., Pepe Yap, Michael Ermac, Mike Bowers, Alex France, Lito Concepcion, John R. Malmo, Jon Rudy, Andy Elliott, Shelley Millspaugh, Vincent Pernice, Jürg Ziegler, Wolfgang Schnur, Walter Hubmann, Edwin Lao, Thorbjørn “Toby” Hartelius, Johan Skålberg, Alex Ercia, Audy Ercia, Rami Vainionpää, Tomi Harell, Jose G. Paman, Randy Remolin, Carlos Pulanco, and Andreas Boruta.
Kombatan combines several traditional Filipino styles that have been blended into a single art:
Filipino martial arts
Filipino Martial Arts refers to ancient and newer fighting methods devised in the Philippines, the most popular of which are known as Arnis/Eskrima/Kali. The intrinsic need for self-preservation was the genesis of these systems. Throughout the ages, invaders and evolving local conflict imposed new...
system. The head and founder of the system is Ernesto Presas
Ernesto Presas
Ernesto Presas was the founder of Filipino martial arts system Kombatan.Kombatan, which includes training with the stick and with bladed weapons in addition to empty-hand work, was developed from the Modern Arnis system. Ernesto Presas assisted his older brother Remy Presas in developing Modern...
. The style is known for its double stick techniques but features other stick and blade techniques, as well as empty-hand methods.
Ernesto A. Presas Sr. was born in the coastal town of Hinigaran, Negros Occidental on 1945-05-20. At age 8 he began his martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
training under his father, Jose Presas, a well known escrima practitioner at that time. He went on to be an athlete in his college years, participating in various sports. His training in the martial arts is eclectic, having studied judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
, jujutsu
Jujutsu
Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
, karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
, and various forms of Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese weaponry. He is currently a Lakan Sampu (10th Dan) in arnis
Arnis
Arnis may refer to:*A Filipino martial art, see Eskrima**a modern version of the traditional martial art, see Modern Arnis*Arnis, Germany, a small town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany...
and Mano Mano (hand to hand combat) and holds a Lakan Walo (8th Dan) in Philippine Weaponry.
Remy and Ernesto Presas both recognized that the classical arts of their country were losing their appeal and therefore slowly dying. Both sought to modernize the native arts into an effective fighting system that would be appealing to martial arts students living in modern Filipino society. Their dream to re-introduce his native arts led to the development of Modern Arnis
Modern Arnis
Modern Arnis is the system of Filipino martial arts founded by the late Remy Presas as a self-defense system. His goal was to create an injury-free training method as well as an effective self-defense system in order to preserve the older Arnis systems...
. Ernesto Presas would later re-christen his version of the art Kombatan.
In 1970 he began to teach the Filipino martial arts in the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
and Lyceum of the Philippines. Later other classes expanded to the University of Santo Tomas, Central Colleges of the Philippines, the Far Eastern Military Academy, Philippine National Police Academy, and the Philippines Air Force Officer's School. Also in 1970 he was invited to Japan at Expo '70 to demonstrate Arnis. He quickly earned the respect of many of the Japanese masters who called his Art Filipino Kendo. After returning home, with the help of his friend Frederico Lazo, he opened his first club. Later he formed the Modern Arnis Association of the Philippines International and the ARJUKEN (which stands for Arnis, Jujutsu, Kendo) Karate Association to formally spread the art within the Philippines. In 1975 he founded the International Philippine Martial Arts Federation (IPMAF) and began to spread the Filipino art to the outside world. In time his Arnis Presas Style and techniques became widely accepted and adopted by countries in Europe, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Puerto Rico. He has also published numerous books and videos and has been featured on the cover of Inside Kung Fu magazine with the title "Ernesto Presas: The Father of Mano-Mano" (which art he created).
Ernesto Presas traveled the world teaching seminars to spread his art. Many visited the Philippines to take lessons from him in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
.
Major practitioners include: Ernesto Amador Presas (deceased), Fred Lazo (deceased), Ernesto Presas Jr., Pepe Yap, Michael Ermac, Mike Bowers, Alex France, Lito Concepcion, John R. Malmo, Jon Rudy, Andy Elliott, Shelley Millspaugh, Vincent Pernice, Jürg Ziegler, Wolfgang Schnur, Walter Hubmann, Edwin Lao, Thorbjørn “Toby” Hartelius, Johan Skålberg, Alex Ercia, Audy Ercia, Rami Vainionpää, Tomi Harell, Jose G. Paman, Randy Remolin, Carlos Pulanco, and Andreas Boruta.
Kombatan combines several traditional Filipino styles that have been blended into a single art:
- Palis
- Hirada Batangueno
- Sungkiti Tutsada
- Abaniko Largo / Corto
- Doblada / Doblete
- Banda y Banda
- Sinawali
- Espada Y Daga
- Daga sa Daga
- Dulo Dulo
- Dos Puntas
- Tres Puntas
- Bangkaw
- Sibat
- Mano-Mano
- Sipaan
- Dumog