Remy Presas

Remy Amador Presas
Remy Presas in the late 1970s
Born	December 19, 1936 Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, Commonwealth of the Philippines
Died	August 28, 2001 Victoria, Canada
Occupation	teacher, martial artist
Known for	founding Modern Arnis

Remy Amador Presas (December 19, 1936 – August 28, 2001) 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".

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 .

Beginning with a small gymnasium in Bacolod in the 1950s, he attempted to spread the art to the local youth as both a cultural legacy and a form of physical development or sport. 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.