Remy Presas
Encyclopedia
Remgio Amador Presas was the founder of Modern Arnis
, a popular Filipino
martial art. Born in the Philippines
, he moved to the United States
in 1974, where he taught his art via seminars and camps. In 1982 he was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame as Instructor of the Year. He published several books and videos on Modern Arnis and is recognised as the "Father of Modern Arnis".
, Philippines
, the son of Jose B. Presas, a businessman, and the former Lucia Amador. He began studying arnis with his father then with his grandfather, Leon Presas, and uncle at the age of six. By the age of fourteen he had his first stick fighting match with a Sinawali master that Presas knocked out with one stick hit. He continued to travel across the Philippine Islands to learn from other masters and to compete in stick-fighting competitions and many street fights. Presas eventually focused on Balintawak Eskrima, but earned a 6th degree black belt
in Shotokan Karate and a black belt in judo
. In 1966 Presas began developing his own system which he called "Modern Arnis" by identifying the basic concepts of the numerous systems he had learned and merging them. By 1969 Modern Arnis had been approved by the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation as a regular subject to be taught at the National College of Physical education.
Presas was the Arnis consultant in the 1974 Philippines produced film The Pacific Connection. While working on this film he instructed and became friends with US actor Dean Stockwell
.
Presas instituted a ranking system with Modern Arnis to identify the ability level of each student: likas(green belt), likha(brown belt), and lakan(black belt). Lakan encompassed ten degrees. He issued certificates of rank, and began using the title Guro which became widespread throughout all Filipino Martial Arts Circles. Presas developed what came to be known as the "Arnis Uniform" consisting of loose fitting cotton trousers and a karate Gi style top low cut at the waist.
In 1982 Presas was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame as Instructor of the Year. In 1994 he was again honored by Black Belt as Weapons Instructor of the Year.
in North America. The organization was responsible for maintaining records of promotions and other administrative tasks. After his 2001 death it has bifurcated into two groups, one headed by Jeff Delaney and often referred to as IMAF-Delaney, and the other headed by Dr. Randi Schea, often referred to as IMAF-Schea. The latter group is the larger of the two.
There are other notable Modern Arnis organizations, including IMAFP (International Modern Arnis Federation Philippines), based in the Philippines and led by the most senior Filipino masters of Modern Arnis; a group headed by the founder's children (MARPPIO); a group headed by Datu
Tim Hartman
(WMAA); a German group headed by Datu
Dieter Knuettel (DAV); and others.
in physical education
and taught the subject at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos
; because of this he was addressed as Professor Presas, and became known in martial arts circles as "the Professor". He later worked for the Philippine government
in the area of physical education, spreading arnis instruction through the high schools. Presas was forced to leave the country in 1974 because of pressure from certain government officials. He moved to the United states, first staying in the home of his student, Dean Stockwell
and spent the rest of his life living in North America
, but traveled worldwide to conduct seminars.
and Roberto Presas, as well as several of his children (most notably his eldest son, Remy P. Presas
), are active in the Filipino martial arts.
Presas was married twice, first to Rosemary Pascual Presas, with whom he had five children, and to Yvette Wong, with whom he had two children.
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...
, a popular 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 ....
martial art. Born in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, he moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1974, where he taught his art via seminars and camps. In 1982 he was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame as Instructor of the Year. He published several books and videos on Modern Arnis and is recognised as the "Father of Modern Arnis".
Early life and training
Presas was born in the town of Hinigaran, Negros OccidentalNegros Occidental
Negros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, the son of Jose B. Presas, a businessman, and the former Lucia Amador. He began studying arnis with his father then with his grandfather, Leon Presas, and uncle at the age of six. By the age of fourteen he had his first stick fighting match with a Sinawali master that Presas knocked out with one stick hit. He continued to travel across the Philippine Islands to learn from other masters and to compete in stick-fighting competitions and many street fights. Presas eventually focused on Balintawak Eskrima, but earned a 6th degree black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
in Shotokan Karate and a black belt in 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...
. In 1966 Presas began developing his own system which he called "Modern Arnis" by identifying the basic concepts of the numerous systems he had learned and merging them. By 1969 Modern Arnis had been approved by the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation as a regular subject to be taught at the National College of Physical education.
Presas was the Arnis consultant in the 1974 Philippines produced film The Pacific Connection. While working on this film he instructed and became friends with US actor Dean Stockwell
Dean Stockwell
Dean Stockwell is an American actor of film and television, with a career spanning over 65 years. As a child actor under contract to MGM he first came to the public's attention in films such as Anchors Aweigh and The Green Years; as a young adult he played a lead role in the 1957 Broadway and...
.
Presas instituted a ranking system with Modern Arnis to identify the ability level of each student: likas(green belt), likha(brown belt), and lakan(black belt). Lakan encompassed ten degrees. He issued certificates of rank, and began using the title Guro which became widespread throughout all Filipino Martial Arts Circles. Presas developed what came to be known as the "Arnis Uniform" consisting of loose fitting cotton trousers and a karate Gi style top low cut at the waist.
In 1982 Presas was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame as Instructor of the Year. In 1994 he was again honored by Black Belt as Weapons Instructor of the Year.
IMAF
Presas formed the International Modern Arnis Federation (IMAF) in 1970 as the principal organization for the promotion and administration of Modern ArnisModern 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...
in North America. The organization was responsible for maintaining records of promotions and other administrative tasks. After his 2001 death it has bifurcated into two groups, one headed by Jeff Delaney and often referred to as IMAF-Delaney, and the other headed by Dr. Randi Schea, often referred to as IMAF-Schea. The latter group is the larger of the two.
There are other notable Modern Arnis organizations, including IMAFP (International Modern Arnis Federation Philippines), based in the Philippines and led by the most senior Filipino masters of Modern Arnis; a group headed by the founder's children (MARPPIO); a group headed by Datu
Datu
Datu is the title for tribal chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs in the Visayas and Mindanao Regions of the Philippines. Together with Lakan , Apo in Central and Northern Luzon, Sultan and Rajah, they are titles used for native royalty, and are still currently used in the Philippines...
Tim Hartman
Tim Hartman
Tim Hartman is a practitioner of the Filipino martial art of Modern Arnis and Balintawak Eskrima, and the president of the World Modern Arnis Alliance ....
(WMAA); a German group headed by Datu
Datu
Datu is the title for tribal chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs in the Visayas and Mindanao Regions of the Philippines. Together with Lakan , Apo in Central and Northern Luzon, Sultan and Rajah, they are titles used for native royalty, and are still currently used in the Philippines...
Dieter Knuettel (DAV); and others.
Private and government sector employment
Presas earned a bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
and taught the subject at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos
University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos
The University of Negros Occidental – Recoletos, commonly referred to by the short form "UNO-Recoletos" and by the acronym "UNO-R", is a private, Catholic university founded on 1941 in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Philippines...
; because of this he was addressed as Professor Presas, and became known in martial arts circles as "the Professor". He later worked for the Philippine government
Politics of the Philippines
The Politics of the Philippines takes place in an organized framework of a presidential, representative, and democratic republic whereby the president is both the head of state and the head of government within a pluriform multi-party system...
in the area of physical education, spreading arnis instruction through the high schools. Presas was forced to leave the country in 1974 because of pressure from certain government officials. He moved to the United states, first staying in the home of his student, Dean Stockwell
Dean Stockwell
Dean Stockwell is an American actor of film and television, with a career spanning over 65 years. As a child actor under contract to MGM he first came to the public's attention in films such as Anchors Aweigh and The Green Years; as a young adult he played a lead role in the 1957 Broadway and...
and spent the rest of his life living in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, but traveled worldwide to conduct seminars.
Death
Presas died on August 28, 2001 in Victoria, Canada from brain cancer. Since his death, several groups have emerged to carry on instruction in his art. His younger brothers Ernesto PresasErnesto 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...
and Roberto Presas, as well as several of his children (most notably his eldest son, Remy P. Presas
Remy P. Presas
Remy P. Presas, Jr. is the eldest son of the late Remy Presas, founder of the Filipino martial art of Modern Arnis, and Rosemary Pascual Presas. Beginning from a young age, he studied Modern Arnis with his father and, when his father was forced to flee the country, his father's students...
), are active in the Filipino martial arts.
Presas was married twice, first to Rosemary Pascual Presas, with whom he had five children, and to Yvette Wong, with whom he had two children.