A year ago today, I published my first article on Filipino Martial Arts Chronicles, focusing on the martial art legacy of the Presas family. I didn’t set out with a plan to launch a blog; I simply wanted to understand the history, culture, and figures behind the FMA systems I was learning.

When I first stepped onto the mat at my martial art school over a decade ago, my attention was 100% consumed by physical mechanics. Stick in hand, basic coordination demanded all my focus. While my teachers shared stories of history and lineage, I wasn’t taking notes—the details blurred together. Case in point: early on, I thought Grandmasters Remy Presas and Ernesto Presas were the same person. I assumed I was misremembering a first name, only to realize later that they were three Grandmaster siblings – Remy, Ernesto, and Roberto.

Realizing how much context I was missing, I turned to the research methods I used during my school days to learn more about the people and the history of this art. I found books, articles, and videos to learn about the Presas family legacy. To help process and retain everything I was reading, I began organizing my research into a paper of sorts. That “paper” evolved into the beginning of this blog.

Over the last 12 months, my curiosity expanded into 30 articles covering a wide expanse of FMA history, systems, weaponry, and figures:

• Lineages & Pioneers: Presas Family, Stockton Eskrimadors, Del Valle, Abrian.
• Techniques & Concepts: The rhythmic pattern work of Sinawali.
• Traditional Weaponry: Historical profiles on the Panabas sword, the dikin – a household item and Balisong craftsmanship.
• Cultural Resilience: Stories of Filipino grit, such as Pinay Guerrillera Magdalena “Maggie” Leones and crossing the Bashi Channel.

First-Year Reach

Although I chose not to actively promote the site, seeing interest from readers has been rewarding:

Metric	Overview
Visitors	554 readers discovered the blog
Total Views	922 views across 30 articles
Top Article	Filipino Warriors: Magdalena “Maggie” Estoista Leones (published 11.15.2025, 50 views)
Global Reach	26 countries across 4 continents (Top: US: 627, China: 120, Philippines: 68) and 1 like (Balisong Pandays)

As I enter Year Two, my goal is to publish at least 24 new articles exploring more FMA topics as well as adjacent topics like Filipino culture and Southeast Asian countries. Thank you to everyone who has read or liked an article along the way—I look forward to sharing the next chapter of the journey with you!