What is Presas Arnis?

At Kindred Protective Arts, we teach Presas Arnis.

But what IS “Presas Arnis”?

You might have seen this scene from the WB TV show “Arrow”.

Oliver and Diggle Train

Or maybe you’ve seen the DC Comics superhero Nightwing fighting with sticks, like you see here:

Nightwing Fight Moves

Or maybe you’ve seen this fight scene from the “Bourne Supremacy”:

Rolled Up Newspaper Fight

Or maybe you admired the fighting style of the Atreides in “Dune”

Atreides Knife Fight

Those are all based on the Filipino Martial Arts.

Presas Arnis is a Filipino Martial Art system, primarily a blend of the martial art styles of two brothers: Remy Amador Presas’ Modern Arnis, and Ernesto Amador Presas’ Kombatan.

“Arnis” is one of several terms used for the native martial arts of the Philippines. Other terms generally in use are eskrima (sometimes spelled “escrima”), and kali.

Arnis is most famously known for using rattan sticks in fighting. The thing is, that’s not exactly the whole story.

Sure, we train with rattan sticks, but they are a training tool we use to stand in for almost anything. It could be a stick, or a sword, or a knife, or a staff, or some other more exotic weapons (like nunchaku), or it can even be no weapon at all.

We believe that when you need to defend yourself, using a tool to do it is safer than deliberately choosing to only depend on your own personal strength and skill. We recognize, however, that we might be in a position where we can’t use a tool, so we must also know how to defend ourselves without anything at all.

This approach to martial arts training is safe, practical and fun.

Our philosophy at Kindred Protective Arts is that Presas Arnis is for everyone. We have students with decades of experience in a variety of martial arts, and we have students with no martial arts experience at all before they started training with us.

We think the Filipino Martial Arts are challenging and fun for everyone. We invite you to a trial lesson to discover for yourself!