Mabuhay from eskrimador

[eskrimador]

Mabuhay and hello to all community members of FMATalk, i`m a practitioner of fma since 1979. My teachers in fma are GM Ernesto Presas, GM Remy Presas and Master Roberto Presas, Maestro Tatang Ilustrisimo. I`m also a practitioner of Goju Ryu, Kenjutsu,kobudo and jujutsu. Hope to share in our discussions later. Hanggang sa muli. Salamat

[arnisador]

Welcome! We have a number of Remy and/or Ernesto Presas students here, but students of Roberto Presas are less common.

[eskrimador]

Thank very much sir. It is true, the student of Master Berting Presas are few, but I`ll tell you, that most of the active and known propagator of Modern Arnis here in the Philippines, are the second generation of Presas students. This is because he is the guy who are teaching most of the time in GM Ernesto Presas gym during the 80`s. Masters like Bambit Dulay, Joel Anajao, Noel Penaredondo, Mark Santos, Daniel Rollon, Pet Nicolas,etc., are the guys contributed much in popularizing the arts, especially in educational and military institutions. Most of the practitioners used to directly claim their lineage with the older brothers of Presas, but it is kind and generous to give merit also to this great guy. Thanks

[Carol]

Thank very much sir. It is true, the student of Master Berting Presas are few, but I`ll tell you, that most of the active and known propagator of Modern Arnis here in the Philippines, are the second generation of Presas students. This is because he is the guy who are teaching most of the time in GM Ernesto Presas gym during the 80`s. Masters like Bambit Dulay, Joel Anajao, Noel Penaredondo, Mark Santos, Daniel Rollon, Pet Nicolas,etc., are the guys contributed much in popularizing the arts, especially in educational and military institutions. Most of the practitioners used to directly claim their lineage with the older brothers of Presas, but it is kind and generous to give merit also to this great guy. Thanks

Welcome to FMAtalk, Mr. Echevarria! Master Berting Presas sounds like an fascinating person, I'm really looking forward to reading more about your training with him.

So glad you joined us! :)

[eskrimador]

Thank you very much Ms. Carol. With regards to Master Roberto Presas, I met him first in 1979, when my brother, a friend of GM Ernie Presas, enrolled me to ARJUKEN to learn Arnis, but that time I already practicing JKA shotokan karate. Sir Bert is the one assigned to teach Arnis in the gym with some other guys like Benny Quitalig and Rey Jurao. When I reached higher rank in the club, Sir Bert assigned me as his helper in the gym. Assisting him in the class, in cleaning the place, buying his food. But the best time with him is, he give me task to wake him up in early morning to do jogging from Quipao area to Rizal Park and do some pre arranged sparring for many hours in the park. He taught me many drills on dis arming, sinawali, trappings & locks, and free sparring using kendo bogu. And at the same time I worked as his assistant in doing his private tutorial lessons to some guys around the city.

Master Berting Presas is a religious man, I remember how many times we`ve gone for pilgrimage to Grotto, a religious place outside Manila. In terms of skills, he can demonstrate and teach modern arnis techniques in a very fine way, and in terms of agility he is great. During early 80`s no good modern arnis public demontrstion can be seen without him. As I known that time GM Remy is already settled in US and GM Ernie is busy propagating the arts in wetern hemisphere. And he, Master Bert Presas, did his role to act as propagator of modern arnis at that time. After some years of training under Master Bert, he departed to US to join his brother there. He assigned me as the care taker of ARJUKEN together with Master Pepito Robas.

For long years of missing this guy,thanks God, I met him again in Manila last 2000. But this is a very short meeting. Now he is residing in his native province of Negros.