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| Source pic: Journal of Asian Martial Arts |
Today marks the 12th anniversary of Grandmaster Remy Presas' passing. Reposting a Black Belt magazine article in his honor.
RIP GM Presas
Modern-Arnis Techniques Master Remy Presas: A Stick-Combat Legend Remembered (Part 1)
– January 28, 2013
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published as “Remy Presas, Founder of Modern Arnis: Pioneer of the Philippine Arts Is Still Polishing and Spreading His System” in the August 1998 issue of Black Belt — prior to Remy Presas’ passing in 2001. To preserve the article’s tone and historical context, the time references have been left intact.
For more than 50 years, Remy Amador Presas has pursued his passion for the stick, knife, sword, dagger and empty hand — all in the name of modern arnis, the Philippine martial art he created and continues to refine.
Modern arnis is one of the most popular, efficient and easy-to-learn systems of self-defense in the world — and Remy Presas continues to spread the style by conducting seminars and workshops around the globe. In fact, the humble master is responsible for pioneering the modern martial arts seminar by teaching his art to students of any style or level, as long as they are willing to pick up a stick and open their mind.
Modern-Arnis Techniques Master Remy Presas: The Man
Remy Presas began his study of arnis techniques at age 6. He learned from his father, Jose Presas, in the small fishing village of Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, in the Philippines. Remy Presas left home at age 14 so he could pursue his interest in the fighting arts practiced on the many islands of his homeland. These arts were blends of systems from all over the world: Thailand, China, Spain, Indonesia, Japan and India. They had reached the islands as the people of the Philippines interacted, traded and fought with these diverse nations. Remy Presas refined and blended the important aspects of tjakele, arnis de mano, karate, jujitsu and dumog into the art he named modern arnis.
“Long ago, arnis was a dying art,” modern-arnis techniques master Remy Presas says. “The old practitioners believed the cane was sacred. This meant they would always aim at the hand of their training partner and not at the cane for practice. Most of the students got hurt right away and immediately lost interest. I modernized this and promoted hitting the cane instead for practice. Then I identified the basic concepts of the many Filipino systems I had learned to bring a unity to the diverse systems of my country. This way, we could all feel the connection.”
Remy Presas prefers to use the term “arnis” over the term kali. “In the West, you hear the words kali and escrima used a lot,” he says. “These terms mean basically the same thing, but if you say kali or escrima, not many people in the Philippines will know what you are talking about. Arnis best reflects the Philippine culture because it is a Tagalog word.” Tagalog is the national language of the Philippines.
“In the Philippines,” Remy Presas continues, “if someone heard you were a good arnis player, they would challenge you — anywhere. I did challenging, also. We fought in the streets, alleys, parks — all kinds of places. Sometimes there were very bad injuries, but I did not lose.”
Remy Presas’ experience and prowess with modern-arnis techniques were unsurpassed. By 1970, he had created a sensation in his country. His Modern Arnis Federation of the Philippines boasted more than 40,000 members. In 1975, he left the Philippines on a good-will tour sponsored by that country’s government to spread information about modern-arnis techniques around the globe. Since arriving in the United States, the art has grown rapidly.
Modern-Arnis Techniques: “The Art Within the Art”
Collectively, modern-arnis techniques are often referred to as “the art within the art.” Modern-arnis techniques are based on patterns and theories of movement instead of static moves and drills. Rather than learning complex forms and one-step sparring drills for each weapon, students learn the fundamentals of natural movement and use the same patterns of attack and defense in response to each direction, type and intensity of attack. This is true regardless of whether they are holding a sword, dagger, stick or no weapon at all. In addition, modern-arnis techniques lead into a countless variety of disarms, throws and locks using the maximum leverage available from whatever weapon is being used.
At the advanced level, patterns in modern-arnis techniques give way to a continuation of movement. This facet of the art is often referred to as the “flow.” Flowing refers to the way in which arnis practitioners transition effortlessly from one technique to the next as they sense the movements and attacks of their opponent and respond automatically and continuously.
This sensitivity is developed through a free-form sparring exercise called tapi-tapi. It’s a technique similar to the chi sao (sticky hand) drills of wing chun kung fu and the push-hand training of tai chi chuan. Tapi-tapi proceeds at a lightning pace, with sweeping strikes and blocks followed by parries, punyo (butt end of the stick) strikes, grabs, releases, traps and eventually disarms, takedowns and submissions. This type of sparring is beautiful to watch, especially when someone who is as skilled as Remy Presas bests the most advanced opponents while barely glancing in their direction.
“The techniques must be practiced slowly at first,” Remy Presas insists. “That way, they will become automatic. Also, the student must be relaxed and keep all movements small and purposeful.”
The practice of modern-arnis techniques teaches students to become proficient and comfortable in all ranges of combat. Each of the 12 striking angles that define the modern-arnis techniques system has a basic block, disarm and counter to the disarm. Once these building blocks are in place, they can be applied to movements known as sinawali, redonda, crossada abanico and others.
Numerous joint locks, spinning throws and takedown techniques lead to grappling positions with still more control and submission techniques.
Modern-Arnis Techniques Master Remy Presas: A Stick-Combat Legend Remembered (Part 2)
– January 29, 2013
Testimony Regarding Modern-Arnis Founder Remy Presas
In recent years, Remy Presas has focused his energies on running intensive training camps hosted by his students in major cities across the United States. The camps last three to four days, beginning at 9 a.m. and often lasting until midnight. Remy Presas offers apprentice, basic and advanced instructor certification, as well as belt testing for rank within the modern-arnis organization.
Editor’s Note: As stipulated at the top of this article, this piece was originally printed before Remy Presas’ death. These testimonies are presented in the interest of celebrating modern-arnis founder Remy Presas’ legacy as a stick-combat technician and instructor. Our hope is that today’s modern-arnis instructors and students will appreciate and learn from such comments as guides for how they themselves may teach or practice arnis techniques as part of their own martial arts curriculum. Please note that small-circle jujitsu developer Wally Jay was also alive during the article’s original run.
Dr. Randi Schea, a modern-arnis black belt from Houston and grandson of tai chi expert Kwie Tjeng Schea, began studying with Remy Presas in 1982 and attended many of the first camps.
“Professor Presas is able to stimulate the creative mindset in his students,” Dr. Randi Schea says. “His exciting teaching methods enable him to cut across egos, stylistic barriers and biases. I especially like the way his various drills and exercises interconnect and develop practical applications. He taught me to allow my techniques to flow. When I first started modern-arnis training, the camps were 14 days long and not once were we ever bored. The professor’s energy was contagious, and we only stopped for meals and sleep because he insisted we needed to. Professor Presas is not only the most creative and gifted fighter in the martial arts today; he is also the most generous teacher and human being I’ve ever met.”
Ron Van Browning, an expert in san soo kung fu and trainer of world-class submission fighters and kickboxers in Dallas, credits Remy Presas with bringing a fluidity and directness to his techniques. “The professor forces you to relax and realize that your techniques are already there,” Ron Van Browning says. “The whole point of blending styles is not to water down your system but to strengthen and expand it. The professor accomplishes this through his own willingness to grow and learn. Just being around him renews my excitement toward the martial arts. He’s a lot of fun.”
Chuck Gauss, defensive-tactics instructor for the Taylor Police Department near Detroit, uses his modern-arnis training daily. “I was bored with judo and went to a one-day seminar featuring the professor and Wally Jay of small-circle jujitsu,” Chuck Gauss says. “That was it; I was hooked. The techniques fit right in with the pressure-point control tactics that we teach, but they are much more complete and effective. Since a police officer always carries a gun, every confrontation is an armed confrontation. If the one technique the officer learned during basic training doesn’t work, the result is panic, which almost always leads to excessive force. With modern arnis, a following technique is always there, and it represents an avenue to avoid excessive force while maintaining control of the suspect and the situation.”
Terry Wareham has been hosting camps at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, for the past 10 years. Originally a tang soo do stylist, he began working with Remy Presas in the early 1980s. “The professor is a fascinating character and truly exciting to be around,” Terry Wareham says. “He likes to expand and work with ideas in a way that is truly unique.”
Remy Presas: Recognition of the Modern Arnis Founder’s Achievements
In 1982, stick-combat legend Remy 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. “When I think of how modern arnis has grown in the United States and around the world, I cannot help but feel proud,” Remy Presas says. “As I travel from seminar to seminar, I look forward to seeing each and every student. It is their dedication to self-improvement that is my inspiration.”
Remy Presas’ students, in turn, describe him as gifted, compassionate, energizing and engaging. These endearing terms, however, should not be confused with the savage fire that burns in his eyes as he bears down on an opponent or with the deadly efficiency of the techniques he teaches.
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| From left to right: Small-circle jujitus founder Wally Jay, modern arnis
founder Remy Presas and pressure-point specialist George Dillman at
Jay's birthday party in 2000. (Photo by Kim Dillman) |
Now in his 60s, Presas continues to hone and add to his art while helping others do the same. Through his association with Wally Jay, pressure-point specialist George Dillman and san soo expert Ron Van Browning, Presas’ seminars and training camps are never lacking when it comes to the sheer volume of devastating techniques available.
“I owe a lot to Remy [Presas],” Wally Jay says. “He helped me a lot.” This phrase is repeated over and over again by martial artists fortunate enough to have crossed paths with this legendary stick-combat fighter, teacher and master of modern-arnis techniques. His teaching skills, charisma and energy are inspiring to all, and his seminars and training camps should be added to the schedules of martial artists of all styles and systems.
Modern-arnis founder Remy Presas passed away in August 2001. Small-circle jujitsu developer Wally Jay passed away in May 2011.
About the Author:
Jeffrey J. Delaney is head of the International Modern Arnis Federation.
Copied from:
- http://www.blackbeltmag.com/daily/traditional-martial-arts-training/escrima/modern-arnis-techniques-master-remy-presas-a-stick-combat-legend-remembered-part-1/
- http://www.blackbeltmag.com/daily/traditional-martial-arts-training/escrima/modern-arnis-techniques-master-remy-presas-a-stick-combat-legend-remembered-part-2/
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