Modern Arnis Modern Arnis is the system of Filipino martial arts founded by the late Remy

Presas as a selfdefense system. His goal was to create an injury-free training method as well as
an effective selfdefense system in order to preserve the older Arnis systems. The term Modern
Arnis was also used by Remy Presas’ younger brother Ernesto Presas to describe his style of
Filipino martial arts; since 1999 Ernesto Presas has called his system Kombatan. It is derived
principally from the traditional Presas family style of the Bolo (machete) and the stick-dueling art
of Balintawak Eskrima, with influences from other Filipino and Japanese martial arts. Arnis is also
the Philippines’ national martial art and sport, after President Gloria MacapagalArroyo signed
the Republic Act. No. 9850 in 2009. The Act also mandates the Department of Education to
include the sport as a Physical Education course. Arnis will also be included among the priority
sports in Palarong Pambansa (National Games) beginning 2010.

Presas was born in the town of Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, 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 earned a bachelor’s degree 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.

Presas died on August 28, 2001 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada from brain cancer. Since his death,
several groups have emerged to carry on instruction in his art. His younger brothers Ernesto Presas and
Roberto Presas, as well as several of his children (most notably his eldest son, Remy P. Presas who heads
his own Modern Arnis organization), are active in the Filipino martial arts.

History of arnis

Arnis was developed by the indigenous populations of the Philippines, who

used an assorted range of weaponry for combat and self-defense.
Encompassing both simple impact and edged weapons, arnis traditionally
involved rattan, swords, daggers and spears.
In 1521, equipped with nothing more than bladed weapons and their fearsome
arnis abilities, Filipino islanders defeated Ferdinand Magellan’s armored,
musket-bearing Spanish conquistador forces when they tried to invade.
When the Spanish eventually returned and successfully conquered parts of
the Philippines, the traditions of arnis were preserved, despite its prohibition,
in the forms of ritual dance, performance and mock battles. While earlier
Filipino martial arts were influenced by Spanish colonization, the modern
forms have been affected by the country’s contact with both the United States
and Japan after gaining independence in 1898. Just over a century later, in
2009, the government of the Philippines declared arnis to be the martial art
and national sport of the Philippines
Arnis The primary weapon is the rattan stick, called a cane or baston (baton), which varies in
size, but is usually about 28 inches (71 cm) in length.

Arnis is also known as Kali or Eskrima and is a martial art known for its use of weaponry, hand
to hand combat and self-defense mechanisms. Believed to have been developed by
indigenous people from various methods brought to the islands over time, this can be seen in
the way the martial art name has developed. Arnis was known as Kali by the native people up
until 1873 when it was renamed while under Spanish rule. Kali is the origin and can be
translated to long knife or sword. Eskrima is derived from a Spanish word that means fencing
and Arnis is also derived from a Spanish word that means armor. Even though the words
mean different things it is all referring to the same martial art just different periods of time.
The History of Arnis dates back before the colonization of the Spaniards, during those periods
it was called Kali and the techniques of the art is focused on bladed weapons fighting. Kali
was widely practiced throughout the archipelago; both nobleman and commoners were
enthusiast and practitioners of the said art.