“If the Filipino martial arts were given recognition worldwide, then my dream would be realized.” – Remy Presas.¹

Modifying Modern Arnis for Every Body

Remy defined Modern Arnis as the modification, blending, and patterning of the most effective techniques and principles derived from traditional arnis and other martial arts styles into an organized and integrated structure within a simple, easy-to-learn format. This approach was designed so the “everyday person can learn to adopt them in a relatively short period of time” and was developed to give a person self-defense “right now”.^{2 3}  “But the more significant innovation I have made on arnis is the principle…that, even without these weapons, the hand remains an effective defense or combat weapon in arnis play.”⁴   

Remy was not trying to change the way people train. He was “not concerned about turning out a lot of clones who do everything exactly the way that I do.  What I teach is the foundation of the art is in the individual, and through arnis, anyone can reach their own potential as a martial artist, simply and effectively.”⁵

“In the 1960s, modern arnis was gaining ground in the Philippines and by the 1970s it was being introduced into the school system via the Philippines Arnis Association which professor Remy Presas founded.”⁶

Cultural Ambassador

Starting in the 1970s “Remy became a diplomat for the Filipino government with a mandate to teach Arnis.”⁷  His main purpose for traveling is to promote the Filipino martial arts so that it will be more exposed and accepted throughout the world.⁸

• 1970 – Remy was invited by Japan’s Fuji Telecasting Corporation to demonstrate Modern Arnis to Japanese Televiewers.⁹
• 1974 – Remy attended the First International Martial Arts competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.¹⁰
• 1974 – “He returned to [Japan] in 1974 as a representative of the Ministry of Tourism of the Philippines to the Asian Tourism Fair to introduce this particular Philippine martial art.”¹¹
• 1974 – “…through the efforts between the [Philippine] Department Tourism and [Max Pallen of the Oakland California, USA Filipino Jaycees, who was also a kajukenbo instructor, Remy] was invited to train police instructors from various law enforcement agencies in the North Bay Area [around San Francisco, California, USA].”^{12 13}
• 1975 – “Ed Parker, the “Father of American Kenpo” [invited Remy] to perform at his International Karate Championships in Long Beach, California…As a result of the exhibition [Remy] acquired some students, such as Ernie Reyes Sr., Joe Cardenas, Pete Rosas and Bill Owen…[Remy thought] that Ed Parker played a vital part in promoting Filipino martial arts in the United States.” At that event, Remy also met Danny Inosanto.¹⁴
• 1975 or 1976 – Remy “moved to New York where he gave an exhibition of modern arnis at Madison Square Garden.”¹⁵

In 1975, the Philippine President, Ferdinand Marcos, presented the “All-Filipino Sports Award” to Remy for his efforts in promoting FMA and Philippine culture.^{16 17 18}

To further promote Moderna Arnis, Remy published two more books in 1976 – The Practical Art of Eskrima and Arnis de Mano (Harness of the Hand).¹⁹ And Remy produced an instructional videotape series in 1986.²⁰

Recognition

Remy was a Member in The International Membership of the World Head of Family/Sokeship Council.

Remy was twice inducted into the Black Belt Magazine’s Hall of Fame. In 1982, he was awarded “Instructor of the Year”. A few quotes from the 1982 Black Belt Magazine Yearbook, article written by Greg Lee.

• “Presas…has logged more air miles, taught more seminars, demonstrated the Filipino art of arnis to more students across the country for seven years, that through sheer devotion to his style of teaching, he has surely earned the mantle of BLACK BELT Instructor of the Year for 1982.”
• “He gets students to recognize their marital arts ability faster than any other instructor I’ve every seen,” says Los Angeles-based arnis instructor Mike Repologle.
• “At ease, he’s a happy-go-lucky. But when he gets up to teach, he becomes a regular arnis warrior.” says Michigan arnis instructor Jeff Arnold.
• Remy “teaches the ‘flow’, the ability to adapt your body, state and relations to the motions of your opponent so that no matter what is thrown at you – fist, club, or knife – you will be able to respond naturally.”

Black Belt Magazine’s awarded Remy Weapons Instructor of the Year in 1994.²¹

The legacy of Remy Presas is not just a collection of techniques. His teachings on adaptation, accessibility, and personal expression attracted people to study and learn from him. Remy was “a unifying force for arnis, bastone and escrima. It was [his] destiny to become the founder of modern arnis, which someday will become the martial art of the world.”²²

APPENDIX: Videos of Remy and Max Pallen’s 1975 Demonstration found on Masters of Tapi Tapi – International Modern Arnis Federation Facebook page.

• Video 1
• Video 2
• Video 3
• Video 4
• Video 5
• Video 6
• Video 7
• Video 8
• Video 9
• Video 10
• Video 11
• Video 12
• Video 13
• Video 14
• Video 15
• Video 16

Footnotes

1. “Presas Takes his Modern Arnis to the World” by Rick Mitchell, Inside Kung-Fu Magazine, January 1991. ↩︎
2. “Presas Takes his Modern Arnis to the World” by Rick Mitchell, Inside Kung-Fu Magazine, January 1991. ↩︎
3. “Modern Arnis: What it Means to America” by Jim Sullivan, Filipino Martial Arts Magazine, August 2001. ↩︎
4. “The 36 Hour Martial Art” by Richard Zimmerman, Black Belt Magazine, November 1977. ↩︎
5. “Modern Arnis – Simply Effective” by John Hanson, Black Belt Magazine, September 1981. ↩︎
6. “Modern Arnis: What it Means to America” by Jim Sullivan, Filipino Martial Arts Magazine, August 2001. ↩︎
7. “Grandmaster Remy Presas: Arnis is the Art Within Your Art!.  An Introduction to the ‘Father of Modern Arnis’”, Combat Magazine, October 2000. ↩︎
8. “Presas Takes his Modern Arnis to the World” by Rick Mitchell, Inside Kung-Fu Magazine, January 1991. ↩︎
9. The Practical Art of Eskrima, by Remy Amador Presas, National Book Store, 1994, p. inside front cover. ↩︎
10. The Practical Art of Eskrima, by Remy Amador Presas, National Book Store, 1994, p. inside front cover. ↩︎
11. The Practical Art of Eskrima, by Remy Amador Presas, National Book Store, 1994, p. inside front cover. ↩︎
12. “Remy Presas: Risking Life for his Art” by Rick Mitchell, Inside Kung-Fu Magazine, December 1990. ↩︎
13. “Remy Presas…Founder of Modern Arnis: Pioneer of the Philippine Arts is Still Polishing and Spreading his System”, by Jeffrey J. Delaney, Black Belt Magazine, August 1998. ↩︎
14. “Presas Takes his Modern Arnis to the World” by Rick Mitchell, Inside Kung-Fu Magazine, January 1991. ↩︎
15. “Presas Takes his Modern Arnis to the World” by Rick Mitchell, Inside Kung-Fu Magazine, January 1991. ↩︎
16. “Remy Presas: Risking Life for his Art” by Rick Mitchell, Inside Kung-Fu Magazine, December 1990. ↩︎
17. “Remy Presas…Founder of Modern Arnis: Pioneer of the Philippine Arts is Still Polishing and Spreading his System”, by Jeffrey J. Delaney, Black Belt Magazine, August 1998. ↩︎
18. “The Practical Art of Eskrima” by Remy Amador Presas, National Book Store, 1994, p. inside back cover. ↩︎
19. “Remy Presas: Risking Life for his Art” by Rick Mitchell, Inside Kung-Fu Magazine, December 1990. ↩︎
20. “Presas Takes his Modern Arnis to the World” by Rick Mitchell, Inside Kung-Fu Magazine, January 1991. ↩︎
21. “Remy Presas…Founder of Modern Arnis: Pioneer of the Philippine Arts is Still Polishing and Spreading his System”, by Jeffrey J. Delaney, Black Belt Magazine, August 1998. ↩︎
22. “The 36 Hour Martial Art” by Richard Zimmerman, Black Belt Magazine, November 1977. ↩︎