Remy Amador Presas was one of the most vibrant personalities in the martial arts. One of the Philippines' premier stick fighters, Remy Presas became a national figure in his native country for his blending of the countless island combat styles into one system, which he named modern arnis.Remy Presas began his study of arnis at an early age, leaving home at 14 to pursue his interest in the fighting arts characteristic of his homeland. Remy Presas ultimately synthesized important aspects fromkali, escrima ,tjakaleleandarnis de manointo the art he taught. His travel throughout the Philippines led to the rise of arnis as a national sport, taught regularly in physical education classes throughout the country. In this new excerpt from his Modern Arnis DVD/video-download series, Remy Presas demonstrates how to use escrima sticks to perform an armbar and submit an opponent.

Remy Presas left the Philippines in 1975 on a goodwill tour sponsored by the Philippine government to spread arnis to other countries. He arrived in the United States, conducting special seminars featuring escrima sticks and other fighting methods to groups as diverse as law-enforcement agencies and senior citizens. The "Professor" (as his students affectionately called him) was welcomed wherever he went, demonstrating the daring techniques of the bolo and the bewitching twirl of double rattan sticks — the sinawali.

In 1982, Remy Presas was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame as Instructor of the Year for his devotion to teaching. Black Belt honored him again in 1994 as Weapons Instructor of the Year. Decades of refinement in his use of escrima sticks gave Remy Presas a personal style that made his seminars among the most popular at many martial art schools.

Remy Presas was actively involved in the formation of the International Modern Arnis Federation in 1970. He lived in the United States for 25 years.

Presas died in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2001.